The 2026/27 UEFA Champions League gets underway on Tuesday the 8th of September with several high-profile fixtures across Europe. Our selected matches see Club Brugge welcome Aston Villa, Manchester City travel to face FC Porto and Real Madrid host Inter. We take a closer look at all three encounters from a betting perspective below.
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa – Click here to bet
Recent Form
Club Brugge have made a largely positive start to their domestic campaign, winning four of their opening five league fixtures. They enter this contest following a narrow 1-0 victory away to Lommel, having previously lost 2-1 at Gent.
Earlier results included a 1-0 triumph over Cercle Brugge, a convincing 3-0 away win against Leuven as well as a comfortable 3-0 victory over Kortrijk.
Aston Villa are still searching for their first victory of the new Premier League season. They opened with a heavy 4-0 defeat away to Brighton before narrowly losing 1-0 at home against Arsenal.
Villa did show greater defensive resilience in their latest appearance but were held to a goalless draw by Hull City. They also suffered a 2-1 defeat against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup during August.
Head-to-Head
These sides met three times during the 2024/25 Champions League campaign. Club Brugge recorded a 1-0 home victory during the league phase, but Aston Villa won both knockout meetings, claiming a 3-1 victory in Belgium before completing the tie with a 3-0 triumph at Villa Park.
Match Odds (1X2)
Club Brugge: 2.70
Draw: 3.65
Aston Villa: 2.60
Verdict
Club Brugge bring the stronger recent results into the contest and have already demonstrated that they can trouble Villa on Belgian soil. The visitors have struggled for goals and remain without a competitive victory this season, making the hosts appealing at an attractive price.
BET: Club Brugge to Win at 2.70
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FC Porto vs Manchester City – Click here to bet
Recent Form
FC Porto have opened their Liga Portugal season in excellent fashion, winning each of their first five league matches while conceding only once.
They most recently overcame Moreirense 2-1 after recording successive victories over Academico Viseu, Arouca, Rio Ave and Alverca. Porto also lifted the Portuguese Super Cup following a 1-0 victory against Torreense roughly a month ago.
Manchester City have responded impressively since suffering a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Community Shield.
They began their Premier League campaign by beating Bournemouth 2-1 before producing a commanding 4-1 victory away to Crystal Palace. City then maintained their perfect league record with a hard fought 1-0 home win over Coventry City as huge favourites.
Head-to-Head
Manchester City remain unbeaten across the four previous competitive meetings between the clubs, recording three victories and settling for one draw. Their most recent encounter ended goalless in Porto, while City had won the reverse Champions League fixture 3-1 in 2020.
Match Odds (1X2)
FC Porto: 4.75
Draw: 4.00
Manchester City: 1.73
Verdict
Porto’s flawless domestic start and strong defensive record suggest that City will face a demanding opening assignment. However, the visitors possess greater attacking depth and have scored seven goals across their opening three league matches. I believe that City’s quality should ultimately allow them to secure the points in a competitive clash and I am backing them to win by exactly a goal.
BET: Handicap 3 Way, Manchester City -1 the draw at 4.00
Real Madrid vs Inter – Click here to bet
Recent Form
Real Madrid suffered their first competitive setback of the campaign when they were beaten 1-0 away to Real Betis in their latest fixture.
That result followed an impressive run of three consecutive LaLiga victories, with Madrid defeating Espanyol 2-1 before recording dominant home wins over Real Sociedad and Malaga by 4-1 and 4-0, respectively.
Inter travel to Madrid carrying excellent form after winning each of their first three Serie A matches. They opened the season with a 4-1 victory over Monza and then edged Cagliari 1-0 away from home. Their latest outing produced another strong attacking display as they defeated Napoli 3-2 in Milan.
Notably the side have not lost a fixture across all competitions since their 1-0 league defeat to AC Milan in March last season.
Head-to-Head
Real Madrid have dominated the recent history of this matchup, winning five of the last six encounters with the remaining game going the way of Inter. The Spanish giants won all four Champions League meetings between 2020 and 2021, including 2-0 and 1-0 victories during their most recent European campaign together.
Match Odds (1X2)
Real Madrid: 1.61
Draw: 4.75
Inter: 5.25
Verdict
Inter arrive with momentum and are capable of making this a competitive encounter although Real Madrid have consistently held the upper hand in this fixture. The hosts have scored eight goals across their two home league matches and should respond positively after their defeat to Betis although with Inter riding a lengthy unbeaten run I do not see much separating the sides and I am backing the draw.
BET: Draw at 4.75
Odds correct at time of writing but subject to change.
