Champions League first-round games to watch
The Champions League is back with a new format for the 2024/2025 campaign and promises to be superb for us to enjoy.
UEFA faced a serious challenge from the likes of Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid, who led the top European clubs to create the European Super League.
The protagonists of that competition made a mistake when they made it a closed shop, with a few clubs enjoying immunity from relegation in a select group.
That was the main reason the Super League idea failed, and it gave UEFA the push to make some drastic changes to the Champions League.
Some people say they have copied the Super League’s idea of how the competition should be played, and they are probably not wrong.
However, the new group stage, which is similar to a league format, will encourage more people to buy Champions League tickets from this campaign.
Real Madrid has won two of the last three Champions League crowns, and they now have 15 crowns in total, more than any other club.
Los Blancos enter this season’s competition as the favourites to win again but will face tougher opponents to their crown.
The new format will also be testing for them and every other top club in the competition this season.
No Premier League side reached the final of the last Champions League season, with Madrid eliminating Manchester City en route to the final, while Arsenal left at the quarterfinal stage.
However, England’s top flight could still be the championship that provides the Champions League winner this season.
The German Bundesliga and Serie A have more clubs in the competition this term, which improves their chance of winning the tournament.
The Champions League is also a competition that offers many surprises, and we could have a surprise winner after all.
Teams that start the tournament well usually have a good chance of reaching the knockout stage, and we have curated some of the best matches to watch during the first week of the competition.
AC Milan vs Liverpool
Liverpool’s first game in the Champions League this season is against AC Milan, a team they faced in the final competition in 2005 and 2007.
Fans will remember the 2005 final, in which Liverpool came from three goals down to win on penalties, and because of that game, tickets for this match will sell out fast.
Arne Slot’s side has started this season brilliantly in the Premier League and is likely to have maintained a 100% start by the time this match begins.
This means Milan will be welcoming formidable opponents to the San Siro for this fixture, and all eyes will be on how they perform.
Liverpool has won five of the seven times these teams have met, and it is currently on a five-game winning streak.
Manchester City vs Inter Milan
Manchester City and Inter Milan meet again after the Citizens defeated Inter in the final of the competition in 2023.
Both clubs are champions of their domestic competitions, so this match is between two top clubs in European football.
Inter has been a stable Italian club for several seasons now and is being considered one of the favourites to win their domestic league.
However, City has remained a force in European football and has won their last four Premier League titles.
This could be Pep Guardiola’s final season as their manager, so the Spanish gaffer will want to bow out in style.
This could mean winning another Champions League trophy, so his team will do all they can to delight supporters that will purchase the tickets for this game.
That meeting in the UCL final in 2023 was the first meeting between these clubs in the Champions League, and City will want to make it two wins in two when they clash.
Atalanta vs Arsenal
Atalanta took a bigger step in their development as a club when they won the Europa League in the last campaign.
La Dea defeated an unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen and was the first and only club to beat the German side last term.
Their first Champions League fixture in this campaign will be against Arsenal at home, and it will be a match to watch.
Arsenal is returning to its place as one of Europe’s top clubs. The Premier League side reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League last term.
They also took the Premier League title race to the season's final day, so they have what it takes to win this match.
But Atalanta has thrived as underdogs in many situations, and the Gunners will not push them over in this fixture.
Tickets for this match will attract many supporters from England and Italy because, considering both clubs' commitment to attacking football, it might be the best match of the round.
Monaco vs Barcelona
Barcelona has been paired with AS Monaco in their first Champions League game under Hansi Flick.
He won the Champions League with Bayern Munich in 2020 and has proven that he can take Barca back to the top in the few games he has been their manager.
Will the Catalans regret letting Ilkay Gundogan leave for free this summer? That is one burning question about them, but one sure thing is that the German could have been useful to them in Europe.
He won the Champions League with Manchester City in 2023 and arrived in Catalonia with a big reputation.
However, Barca has done well in his absence so far, and Monaco will face a tough opponent in this fixture.
The Ligue 1 side have struggled behind PSG for several years, but qualifying for this Champions League is a sign of progress.
Adi Hütter is doing a fantastic job on their bench, and Barcelona could regret underestimating them before this fixture.
Atletico Madrid vs RB Leipzig
This game is one of the best to watch on the opening Champions League nights, partly because it will be an attack versus defence match.
Under Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid is one of the most defensive teams in the world. They win games primarily by not conceding much.
Over the years, RB Leipzig has emerged as one of the top clubs in Germany and continues attracting the best talents in European football.
Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons will be on their side when they visit Madrid to entertain fans who buy tickets for this match.
Leipzig does well in the Champions League every year, and this new format gives them a chance to impress even more. It will be interesting to see if they take it.
Conclusion
Every match on the first Champions League day is a huge clash, but we believe these are the tickets you should buy the most.
