Real Madrid welcome Inter Milan to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening for the opening match of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League phase.
Kick-off is set for 21:00 CEST (3:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. BST) with English referee Michael Oliver in charge.
Jose Mourinho returns to the competition against his old club
The Portuguese coach, back at Real Madrid, faces former colleague Cristian Chivu’s Inter side in a high-profile start. Madrid enter the game as clear favorites.
Bookmakers list them around -155 on the money line with Inter priced near +380 and the draw at +340. Opta’s supercomputer gives Madrid a 56% chance of victory, Inter 22% and a draw 22%.
Madrid have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning their last four Champions League meetings and their seven home games against Inter.
The Spanish giants also hold a strong overall record against Italian clubs. Inter arrive in solid form after three Serie A wins, including a dramatic 3-2 comeback against Napoli in which Lautaro Martinez scored twice.
Key absences shape the teams
Real Madrid are without several players through injury and suspension including Rodrygo, Eder Militao and others, while Inter miss Federico Dimarco.
Expected line-ups feature Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham for the hosts with Martinez and Marcus Thuram leading Inter’s attack.
Most experts tip a home win, commonly predicting a 2-1 scoreline in favour of Real Madrid. The match marks the start of the new league-phase format, where every point counts early.
Fans can follow live on Paramount+ in the US, TNT Sports in the UK and local broadcasters elsewhere.
