J1 this Tuesday, September 16, kickoff at 9 PM (UTC+2) on CANAL+ SPORT360.
Champions League multiplex on CANAL+ SPORT360 (CANAL+ SPORT TV program), full coverage on myCANAL.
Four matches: Real–OM, Juve–Dortmund, Tottenham–Villarreal, Benfica–Qarabag.
First night of the 2025/2026 Champions League: this Tuesday, September 16 at 9 PM (UTC+2), J1 opens in multiplex on CANAL+ SPORT360. From Madrid to Lisbon, four matches — Real Madrid–OM, Juventus–Dortmund, Tottenham–Villarreal, Benfica–Qarabag — kick off the league phase. myCANAL allows you to follow everything, while UEFA technical observers decode live and designate the Player of the Match.
Four matches to launch the league phase
The evening opens in four major venues: the Santiago-Bernabéu in Madrid for Real Madrid–Olympique de Marseille, the Allianz Stadium in Turin for Juventus–Borussia Dortmund, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London for Tottenham–Villarreal, and the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon for Benfica–Qarabag. Kickoff at 9 PM, Paris time. J1 then stretches until Thursday, September 18, according to the new competition schedule.
How to watch the Champions League on CANAL+ SPORT360 (France)
The multiplex is broadcast live on CANAL+ SPORT360 at 9 PM (CANAL+ SPORT program). The full matches are available on CANAL+ and the myCANAL app (CANAL+ SPORT TV programs), which allows you to switch from one pitch to another from a smart TV, a computer, a tablet, or a mobile. Access depends on the subscription and georestriction: this information is valid for France.
French clubs: OM opens in Madrid, Paris SG hosts Atalanta on Wednesday.
Objective: early points to aim for Top 8 or at least Top 24.
Keys: pressing, set pieces, well-managed transitions.
The new format: 36 teams, 8 matches, three evenings
The league phase has replaced the group phase: 36 clubs play eight matches each against eight different opponents (four at home, four away). At the end of this mini-championship, the top eight qualify directly for the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9th to 24th go through a two-legged playoff. Each matchday now takes place over three evenings – Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – to spread the offer and television visibility.
J1 tonight, four European clashes at 9 PM.
Champions League multiplex: CANAL+ SPORT360 (France), full coverage on myCANAL.
Matches, keys, and players to watch
In Madrid, OM immediately takes on a European benchmark. Real masters the art of key moments and transitions; Marseille will have to withstand the accelerations on the wings and capitalize on set pieces. The emotional management of the Bernabéu setting will count as much as the intensity of the pressing.
In Turin, Juventus–Dortmund promises a duel of marked identities: Italian density in the axis, German verticality in transition. The first pass and surface protection will be decisive, as will efficiency in the danger zone measured by xG.
French clubs: ambitions and trajectories
Ligue 1 clubs approach this J1 with clear objectives. OM aims to achieve a benchmark result in Madrid to start its campaign well. Thus, it hopes to accumulate points with a view to the Top 8. Additionally, the team aims at least for the Top 24 qualifying for the playoffs. Paris SG is set to host Atalanta the next day in a match where pressure management and the variety of offensive circuits will be closely observed. AS Monaco must prepare for a trip to Bruges scheduled for Thursday. Indeed, the team wants to establish a dynamic of results from the first European week.
New format: 36 teams, 8 matches per club, matchdays over three evenings.
Data and multi-angle video for a fine reading of trends.
Benítez, Martínez, Southgate, Solskjær, and others at the heart of the analysis.
Behind the scenes: the view of UEFA’s technical observers
UEFA assigns each match to a technical observer, often a former player or coach. Their mission is not limited to electing the Player of the Match: they contribute to the end-of-season reports (Team, Player, Young Player, Goal of the Season), cross multi-angle images (broadcast, tactics, cameras behind the goals) with advanced data (passes, shots, distances covered, pressing) and identify major trends.
Among the most well-known profiles, Rafa Benítez, winner of the 2005 C1 with Liverpool, provides a surgical reading of tactical shifts. Roberto Martínez, coach of Portugal, combines data culture with field intuition. Gaizka Mendieta, former maestro of Valencia, sheds light on passing circuits and information gathering in midfield. Ole Gunnar Solskjær, former striker and ex-coach of Manchester United, tracks runs to the far post and handling of knockdowns. Sir Gareth Southgate, former coach of England, emphasizes block balance and line discipline. Frank de Boer, 1995 European champion with Ajax, highlights the importance of defensive coordination and clean ball exits. Avram Grant, European finalist with Chelsea (2008), and Aitor Karanka, former assistant at Real Madrid, add the bench’s perspective on stress moments and halftime adjustments.
New format: 36 teams, 8 matches per club.
Three evenings per matchday: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
French objective: quick points to aim for Top 8/Top 24.
Highlights and curiosities of the evening
Some matches remain infrequent in the modern era, promising real-time tactical adjustments. Tottenham–Villarreal thus pits an assertive English pressing against the Spanish mastery of tempo. Benfica–Qarabag presents itself as an unprecedented meeting at this level, where the management of transitions could tip the balance. Juventus–Dortmund recalls a tradition of high-intensity confrontations. As for Real–OM, it condenses the emotional stakes of a French trip to the Bernabéu with the curiosity of a rare C1 duel since the late 2000s.
Key points before kickoff
The multiplex begins at 9 PM this Tuesday, September 16 on CANAL+ SPORT360, with the possibility of following each match in tactical chiaroscuro thanks to the technical observers and switching from one field to another via myCANAL. J1 continues Wednesday and Thursday, according to the new logic of the 36-team league phase.