The 2026-27 UEFA Champions League group stage begins Tuesday with several key matchups. Predictions suggest varied outcomes for teams including Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Aston Villa, LASK, and AEK Athens.
Aston Villa will begin their Champions League campaign away against Club Brugge. Despite a slow start to the Premier League season, Unai Emery’s squad will feature rising Japan international Zion Suzuki in goal and may debut Leon Goretzka. Club Brugge, led by captain Hans Vanaken and goalkeeper Yann Sommer, will be without defender Joel Ordonez. A 2-2 draw is predicted for this match, with expectations of a cagey but not dull contest.
LASK will face AEK Athens after stunning Celtic to qualify for the Champions League. AEK Athens, considered defensively sound, will host the Austrian side. Barnabas Varga and Luka Jovic will lead the Athenian attack, while Christoph Lang is LASK’s primary goal threat. A 2-0 victory is predicted for AEK Athens, leveraging their home advantage.
Real Madrid will host Inter Milan in a clash between European giants, marking an early test for Jose Mourinho in his role as Real Madrid’s manager. Mourinho previously won the Champions League with Inter Milan. Real Madrid will be without Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, and Aurelien Tchouameni due to suspension or injury, and also have concerns regarding Rodrygo and Eder Militao. Inter Milan, however, is expected to field a near-full-strength XI, led by Lautaro Martinez, who recently inspired a comeback win against Napoli.
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