Champions League Opens with Benfica Hosting Qarabağ

Lisbon, Portugal — The 2025-26 UEFA Champions League kicks off today, September 16, with Benfica facing Qarabağ at the Estádio da Luz. This match marks the opening game in the league phase of this year’s tournament, which has expanded from a traditional group stage to a new format featuring 36 teams.

Benfica enters the match unbeaten in their last nine competitive games, while Qarabağ returns to the Champions League group stage for the first time since the 2017-18 season. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.

Manager Bruno Lage leads Benfica with a 4-2-3-1 formation, while Qurban Qurbanov manages Qarabağ, employing the same tactical setup. Both teams have faced injury challenges; Benfica will be without defenders António Silva and Tomás Araújo due to injuries, while Qarabağ’s Joni Montiel and Kady Borges are not expected to play.

The match is part of a busy opening round in the Champions League, with six games scheduled each day over the next few days. With the new league phase format, each team will compete against eight different opponents, giving fans an opportunity to see high-stakes matches across Europe.

In this opening match, predictive models favor Benfica, who are projected to win 73.9% of the time compared to Qarabağ’s chances of 10.2%. Both teams aim to start strong, but Benfica is under pressure to capitalize on their home advantage.

As coverage of the tournament expands, fans in the United States can follow the matches live on platforms like Paramount+, CBS, and fuboTV, ensuring all viewers stay engaged with this year’s exciting Champions League campaign.