Real Madrid's quest to win a record 16th UEFA Champions League title starts on Tuesday, when they host the Bundesliga runners-up Stuttgart on the opening day of the European season.
The reigning champions are the heavy favorites in their first Champions League game as they eye a spot in the top eight by the end of the league phase, a reasonable target considering their relatively easy schedule in the new competition format. Stuttgart, meanwhile, are back in the Champions League after last season's second place finish in the Bundesliga, but will be up against it in their opening game of the competition, but are still in the mix for a berth in the top 24, all of whom will advance to the knockouts next winter.
Here's what you need to know before tuning in.
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How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, Sept. 17 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Santiago Bernabeu Stadium -- Madrid, Spain
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Real Madrid -360; Draw +500; Stuttgart +900
Don't miss any of the Champions League. As always, you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.
Storylines
Tuesday's match will likely mark Kylian Mbappe's Champions League debut in a Real Madrid shirt, and expectations are high that he kicks off the European season in style. He's a central focus as Carlo Ancelotti's side aim to repeat as the champions and with four goals in his first six games, he's already off to a strong start to life in the Spanish capital.
The pressure is on him, though, to take a central role as he eyes his first Champions League title, as well as elevate an already gifted Real Madrid team. The reigning champions played with a sense of inevitability last season, surviving every challenge despite a batch of unimpressive performance en route to the podium. It helped that Real Madrid boasted a star-studded squad last year, much of which they will carry into this season. Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo played a big part in that success and are already in impressive form this season -- Vinicius has two goals and two assists so far, while Rodrygo has one of each. Jude Bellingham, meanwhile, had a breakout season en route to his first Champions League title and is expected to perform similarly this time around.
The game also serves as a chance for Real Madrid to kick their season into high gear after an imperfect start to the season with three wins and two draws in league play. Ancelotti has blamed the form on injuries that he attributes to fixture congestion, but he will have a couple of high-profile players back in time for Stuttgart -- Bellingham and Aurelien Tchuameni.
Prediction
Real Madrid have all they could possibly need and more to win their opening Champions League, leaving little room for doubt that they will pull this off. Ancelotti has enough attack-minded players to ensure goals will come, as will the three points. Pick: Real Madrid 2, Stuttgart 0
Get set for the Champions League season
- Check out our expert picks for who will win it all, top scorer and more.
- For a more in depth look at the league phase, we've got our picks for how every single game will go.
- If it's Matchday 1 you're interested in, here are our picks for this week's action.
- And finally some bold predictions for this season, including a Cristiano Ronaldo record going down in flames.
