Champions League: League Phase Round 1 Match Previews

The 2025-26 Champions League is upon us, with the league phase starting at 17:45 (UK) tonight when Athletic Club host Arsenal and PSV face Union St.Gilloise.

With the expanded format that we became used to last season in play, the Champions League Predictor is more enjoyable than ever with plenty of points up for grabs when challenging your friends in a private league.

As a Superbru Premium user, you also gain access to the match previews we'll be putting together for every single fixture in this tournament, just as we do in the Premier League Predictor.

Here are your previews for Round 1.

Athletic Club vs. Arsenal

This is set to be a huge occasion at San Mames as Athletic Club return to the Champions League for the first time in more than a decade. The Bilbao side are enjoying an excellent period under Ernesto Valverde which has been headlined by a Copa del Rey win in 2024, but a return to this competition is a similarly impressive achievement for this unique club that has such a strict selection policy (players can only join the club if native to or trained in the Basque Country). We can expect a big atmosphere and a strong display…