Champions League Matchday 1 tips & odds | September 17, 2025

The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League kicks off on Wednesday morning (AEST) with six league-phase openers.

Arsenal travel to Bilbao to face Athletic Club, Real Madrid host Marseille at the Santiago Bernabéu, and the headline clash pits Juventus against Borussia Dortmund.

See our free betting tips of all six UCL fixtures on September 17, with odds from the best online bookmakers.

Athletic Club vs Arsenal

Wednesday, September 17 – 2:45am AEST – San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao, Spain

Arsenal’s Viktor Gyökeres bagged a brace against Leeds on August 23 and scored again in Saturday’s 3–0 win over Nottingham Forest, so confidence and shot volume are high. He also showed his Champions League chops with five goals for Sporting Lisbon last season. With Athletic Bilbao missing suspended centre-back Yeray Álvarez, those near-post runs on crosses set him up nicely to score on his UCL debut for Arsenal.

PSV Eindhoven vs Union Saint-Gilloise

Wednesday, September 17 – 2:45am AEST – Phillips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands

PSV home games are becoming notorious for shootouts, with five of their six UCL fixtures at Phillips Stadion last term producing four or more goals. Union Saint-Gilloise arrive as Belgian champions, fresh off a 5–0 win over OH Leuven and a 3–2 result at Gent. As league-phase debutants they won’t die wondering, so this shapes as a high-tempo contest with goals on the cards.

Benfica vs FK Qarabag

Wednesday, September 17 – 5am AEST – Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal

Benfica have been tidy at Estádio da Luz: 2–0 over Nice in UCL qualifying, 3–0 against Tondela in the league, and a 1–0 playoff clincher versus Fenerbahçe. FK Qarabağ arrive off a taxing qualifying run and a 3–2 home loss to Ferencváros. In just their second UCL league phase, the jump in class in Lisbon looks a bridge too far.

Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund

Wednesday, September 17 – 5am AEST – Allianz Stadium, Torino, Italy

Kenan Yıldız is brimming with confidence after he scored and assisted in Juventus’ 4–3 Derby d’Italia win over Inter on September 13. Dortmund are light at the back with Nico Schlotterbeck unlikely to feature, and their weekend win in the Bundesliga hinged on a first-half red card. With Juve at home, they can open plenty of lanes for Yıldız to score or tee one up.

Real Madrid vs Olympique de Marseille

Wednesday, September 17 – 5am AEST – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid, Spain

Kylian Mbappé is in red-hot form after scoring in Real Madrid’s 2–1 win at Real Sociedad on the weekend. He finished last season as La Liga’s Golden Boot winner with 31, and the former PSG star is no stranger to punishing Marseille. With Madrid opening their UCL campaign at the Bernabéu, the +240 for Mbappé to score first looks a great play with soccer betting sites.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Villarreal

Wednesday, September 17 – 5am AEST – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London

Tottenham are humming following 3-0 wins over Burnley and West Ham, so they will carry momentum into their home opener in the Champions League. Villarreal games open right up; a 5–0 win over Girona shows their punch, but a 2–0 loss at Atlético Madrid shows the leaks. Spurs can kick off their campaign with a win in what shapes as a contest with plenty of goals.

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