Calamitous own goal gives Tottenham 1-0 win against Villarreal
Real Madrid win 2-1 at home to Marseille as Alexander-Arnold off injured
Juventus snatch 4-4 draw with Dortmund in remarkable game, Qarabag come back to stun Benfica
Arsenal beat Athletic Club 2-0 as subs Martinelli & Trossard both score
Watch BBC Radio 5 Live Champions League Final Score at top of page
Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
Meryl High-Ground: Arsenal reached the semis without a proper No 9 last season, they're doing well in the Prem. They'll do well, and that's me talking as a Newcastle fan.
There are TWO Champions League highlights shows on the BBC this week.
Arsenal at Athletic Club and Tottenham against Villarreal will feature in Wednesday's highlights show on BBC One from 22:40 BST. Mark Chapman will also present highlights of Wednesday's games, including Bayern Munich-Chelsea and Liverpool-Atletico Madrid.
Gabby Logan will present Thursday's highlights show on BBC Two from 23:00, including Newcastle-Barcelona and Manchester City-Napoli.
The biggest names. The biggest games. All the goals and unmissable moments from Europe's greatest football club competition.
Remember, both shows will be available to watch on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
Athletic Club v Arsenal (17:45 BST)
Max Dowman is on the Arsenal bench tonight. Let that sink in. A 15-year-old who could come on and feature in a Champions League game at Athletic Club.
Headmaster: "Dowman, where's your homework?"
Dowman: "Sorry sir, I was playing for Arsenal at the San Mames."
Image source, Getty ImagesClick 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say
Here's what you need to know about this season's Champions League
New Champions League campaign, another new name on the famous trophy? Will this be Arsenal's season? How deep will Tottenham go under Thomas Frank? Who do you think will go all the way and win it next May?
Paris St-Germain finished 15th in the group phase last season - and still won it. Do you think the new format works?
Send all your Champions League thoughts this way.
Athletic Club v Arsenal (17:45 BST)
Theo Walcott
BBC Match of the Day pundit & ex-Arsenal forward
Image source, ReutersI am not just saying this because I am Arsenal, but I do feel that if they had someone like Viktor Gyokeres in the Paris St-Germain semi-final they lost last season, then they would have won it.
When you create danger and put a ball into certain areas, Gyokeres is going to be there. He is that kind of old-school centre-forward that is going to make a difference for them in a lot of games this season.
Arsenal are not going to draw as many games in the Premier League, and he is so equipped for the Champions League knockout ties as well.
Add that to the personnel that Arsenal already have, and how strong they are defensively, and that's why I am backing them to win it.
Athletic Club v Arsenal (17:45 BST)
Serious question, will Arsenal win the Champions League this season?
Athletic Club v Arsenal (17:45 BST)
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesAthletic Club v Arsenal (17:45 BST)
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football reporter in San Mames Stadium
Mikel Arteta makes just one change from the side that beat Nottingham Forest. Declan Rice comes in for Martin Odegaard.
There’s also a boost as William Saliba is fit enough to be on the bench.
Here’s the Arsenal starting XI for the game with Athletic Club: Raya, Timber, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Merino, Madueke, Eze, Gyokeres.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Setford, Saliba, Hincapie, Martinelli, Norgaard, Trossard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman.
Athletic Club starting XI: Unai Simon, Gorosabel, Vivian, Paredes, Adama, Vesga, Jauregizar, Williams, O. Sancet, Navarro, Berenguer.
Subs: M.Santos, Padilla, Guruzeta, Areso, Lekue, Galarreta, Yuri, Unai G, Maroan, Nico Serrano, Regi, Jon De Luis
Athletic Club v Arsenal (17:45 BST)
And just like that, the Arsenal team news has dropped.
Athletic Club v Arsenal (17:45 BST)
Image source, ReutersThis week alone we've got Newcastle hosting Barcelona, Kevin de Bruyne going back to Manchester City with Napoli, and Chelsea at Bayern Munich in a repeat of the 2012 final.
First up, two north London rivals taking on opponents from Spain.
Antonio Conte was Tottenham's boss the last time they played on the Champions League stage. Since then Ange Postecoglou has been and gone, Harry Kane and Son Heung-min have waved goodbye, and Daniel Levy has stepped down as chairman.
They host Villarreal later but first...all eyes are on Arsenal as they look to win the Champions League for the first time.
They're in Bilbao to face Athletic Club in the early kick-off. Will Mikel Arteta's side make a winning start to their European campaign?
Champions League
Hands up who loves the new league phase format?
There are 144 games between now and 28 January including some absolute blockbusters fit for any final.
Barcelona v Paris St-Germain on 1 October; Liverpool v Real Madrid on 4 November; Chelsea v Barcelona on 25 November and Real Madrid v Manchester City on 10 December.
IT'S BACK!
One hundred and eight days after Paris St-Germain were crowned champions of Europe for the first time, the road to the 2026 Champions League final starts here.
Who will be lifting the famous trophy inside the Puskas Arena in Hungary next May?
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPA
Image source, EPA| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Union Saint-Gilloise | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| |
3 Qarabağ | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| |
8 Ajax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
14 Bodø / Glimt | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
16 Club Brugge | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
18 København | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
19 Galatasaray | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
21 Kairat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
27 Olympiakos Piraeus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| |
29 Pafos | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
30 Slavia Prague | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
31 Sporting CP | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
|
32 Benfica | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 0 |
|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| |
35 PSV | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 | 0 |
|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
|
Manager: Thomas Frank
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Marcelino García
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Thomas Frank
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Marcelino García
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
UEFA Champions League
All competitions
All competitions
All competitions
This will be the first meeting between Tottenham and Villarreal in European competition, with Spurs winning just one of their last 13 matches against Spanish opposition in major European competition (D5 L7).
Villarreal have played 14 matches against English opponents in the UEFA Champions League and are still looking for their first victory (D6 L8), while losing each of the last seven in a row. Over half of their defeats in the competition have been against English opposition (57% - 8/14).
This will be third time that Villarreal have played their opening game of a UEFA Champions League campaign against an English side (out of five seasons). The previous two were both against Manchester United and both finished 0-0, in 2005-06 and 2008-09.
Tottenham have only won their opening game of a European Cup/UEFA Champions League campaign in two of their seven attempts (D2 L3). However, those two have arrived on the last two occasions where they have played their opener at home: 2-0 v Marseille in 2022-23 and 3-1 v Borussia Dortmund in 2017-18.
Villarreal’s last match in the UEFA Champions League came in the semi-finals of the 2021-22 edition, losing 2-5 on aggregate to Liverpool. The Spaniards won three of their six away games in that campaign (D1 L2), more than they managed in 14 away matches across their three previous appearances in this competition (W2 D5 L7).
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank will take charge of a team in the UEFA Champions League for the first time – in fact, his only previous experience of managing in European competition came in qualifying for the UEFA Europa League, winning just three of 10 matches with Brøndby IF (D4 L3).
42 percent of Tottenham’s goals in the UEFA Champions League (since 1992-93) have been scored by Harry Kane or Son Heung-min (37/89). Following the departures of both, the only current Tottenham player with more than one goal for the club in the competition is Richarlison (2).
Villarreal forward Georges Mikautadze has been directly involved in seven goals in eight starts in major European competition to date (four goals, three assists), with all of those coming for Lyon in the UEFA Europa League last season.
Randal Kolo Muani could feature for a fourth different team (Tottenham) in the UEFA Champions League since the start of 2022-23, having previously appeared for Eintracht Frankfurt, Paris SG and Juventus. No active Champions League player has played for as many as four different teams in this period.
Villarreal defender Juan Foyth made his UEFA Champions League debut for Tottenham back in December 2017 (v APOEL Nicosia). Indeed, the Argentinean remains the youngest player to start a home game for the club in the competition (19y 328d in that match).
