The UEFA Champions League group stage is finally here, and a handful of entertaining matchups are on the schedule to kick things off. Reigning champions Manchester City are the favorites to lift the title again next spring, but a handful of contenders around Europe will have the chance to demonstrate their credentials to make a deep run and claim top honors. First up is a group stage campaign that promises entertainment with a few high-stakes games from the start.
Here's what you need to know as this season's group stage gets underway.
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How to watch
Paramount+ will have every minute of Champions League action this season, including pre-game and post-game shows. Select matches will also be simulcast on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network throughout the competition. Coverage begins on Tuesday at 12:45 p.m. ET on Paramount+ when AC Milan face Newcastle and Young Boys take on RB Leipzig before a wide range of matches kick off at 3 p.m. ET, including Paris Saint-Germain's game against Borussia Dortmund.
Matchday 1 scores
Milan 0, Newcastle 0
RB Leipzig 3, Young Boys 1
PSG 2, Dortmund 0
Porto 3, Shakhtar Donetsk 1
Manchester City 3, Crvena zvezda 1
Lazio 1, Atletico Madrid 1
Barcelona 5, Antwerp 0
Feyenoord 2, Celtic 0
Matchday 1 TV schedule
All times Eastern
| TUESDAY, SEPT. 19 | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
|---|---|---|
UEFA Champions League Today Post-Match | 5 p.m. | Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network |
The Champions Club | 6 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
| WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20 | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
|---|---|---|
Real Madrid vs. Union Berlin | 12:45 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Galatasaray vs. Copenhagen | 12:45 p.m. | Paramount+ |
UEFA Champions League Today Pre-Match | 2 p.m. | Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network |
The Golazo Show | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ / CBS Sports Golazo Network |
Bayern Munich vs. Manchester United | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Benfica vs. RB Salzburg | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Braga vs. Napoli | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Arsenal vs. PSV | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Sevilla vs. Lens | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
Real Sociedad vs. Inter Milan | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network |
UEFA Champions League Today Post-Match | 5 p.m. | Paramount+ / CBS Sports Network |
The Champions Club | 6 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
Kickin' It Premiere | 8 p.m. | CBS Sports Golazo Network |
Storylines for Matchday 1
1. A chance for contenders to set the tone
After finally lifting the Champions League last season, Manchester City enter this season's competition as the team to beat. They are also the oddsmakers' favorites to win their opening match against Serbia's Crvena zvezda, and a strong outing is perhaps the only option for the reigning champs to live up to the billing on matchday one. The same is true for the likes of Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain as domestic heavyweights who have eyes on the ultimate prize.
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2. Erik ten Hag's major task
Erik Ten Hag's first season at Manchester United inspired optimism that this campaign would be a promising one, but much has gone wrong for the team to start the season. United have just two wins in five and sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Pressure is mounting on ten Hag after a 3-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion over the weekend. Things are not getting easier just yet, though -- United open their Champions League campaign against Bayern, which could allow the team to correct course in notable fashion or worsen the mood at Old Trafford.
3. Who strikes first in the group of death?
Champions League play begins with a matchup from Group F, considered the most competitive of this season's groups. Milan will aim to rebound from a 5-1 loss to local rivals Inter over the weekend against Newcastle, who might be the weakest team here but is no doubt eager to prove they deserve to be here despite a poor start to the Premier League season. PSG will later take on Dortmund and are the favorites to win, with pressure once again on the French champions to translate their domestic dominance into continental success -- this time without Lionel Messi and Neymar, and their aspirations resting almost exclusively on the shoulders of Kylian Mbappe.
