UEFA Champions League 2026/27 Season

[landheer]

manchester United has shown improvement under Michael Carrick's coaching; I recall that in the past two seasons they missed out on the Champions League but now they are set to compete in the tournament next season. I am curious to see how they will perform—it is hard to predict whether they will live up to the fans' expectations, though supporters are surely delighted that the team has qualified for the UCL. However I was a bit disappointed by their recent pre-season match against Wrexham; I wonder if that will impact their play in the Champions League Then again, it likely won't have a major effect, as pre-season matches differ significantly from competitive games

[martinom]

Right now, the real problem isn't bringing in players, it's managing them. Managing them is more difficult. Real Madrid already has many star players. Even in the last two years when they didn't win the championship, they had star players. We see that these players are individually very good; for example, Jude scored 6 goals and Mbappé 10 in the World Cup. These are Real Madrid players. Also, many Real Madrid players have won Man of the Match awards. Real Madrid is made up of individually talented players, the important thing is to provide them with the right tactics and morale.

He has many talents on the offensive side, however i believe that defensively and in midfield Real Madrid remains a little defenseless except for Jude and a few others, he should make important signings in this sense because there are currently players who do not totally represent the soul of Real Madrid, Mourinho will have to settle his shot and hope to hit the mark.

[changaa]

True, Olise is an exceptional player which any manager would want and from his combo with Mbappe at the world cup, he impressed very well, however it's not only Real Madrid that appreciates good team resource, he is a very important asset to Bayern and I doubt they would be willing to let him go, they have made it clear the deal is off table and is pushing to extend contract and increase salary for Olise. I don't even think the player wants to leave as well.

Real Madrid is doing their best to lure him in as they desperately need a right winger which is understandable, maybe they explore other options because Olise's deal has very slim chances of pulling through.

Real Madrid is dealing with one of the few clubs that has no interest in earnings of this type, Bayern is a very rich team that has never had problems selling or buying players based on the team's needs, Olise has similar if not better characteristics to those of Robben, why deprive yourself of a similar player by giving him to a possible rival competitor
in the champions league.

[Alonso_]

True, Olise is an exceptional player which any manager would want and from his combo with Mbappe at the world cup, he impressed very well, however it's not only Real Madrid that appreciates good team resource, he is a very important asset to Bayern and I doubt they would be willing to let him go, they have made it clear the deal is off table and is pushing to extend contract and increase salary for Olise. I don't even think the player wants to leave as well.

Real Madrid is doing their best to lure him in as they desperately need a right winger which is understandable, maybe they explore other options because Olise's deal has very slim chances of pulling through.

In my view, the first thing Real Madrid should do is to overhaul the club. Los Blancos have many world-class players that either sitting on the bench or underused. Jose Mourinho has the responsibility to determine the future of players like Rodrygo. I don't think that the Brazilian would want to continue staying at Real Madrid when his position is not guaranteed. Bringing in more top players like Michael Olise might impact the club's adversary. The club already has enough strikers, so bringing in more without letting some leave might bring personality clashes.

I think they’ve already started overhauling the squad, by selling some academy players that aren’t in Jose Mourinho Plans, like Nico Paz, Munoz, and Ceballos, Alaba, this players have left the club, and they’ve some brought new players into the club that would fit into the playing style of Jose Mourinho, however I doubt if Real Madrid are going to let any big player leave the club in this transfer window, I heard a rumor that Camavinga have been asked to look for another club, I don’t know how true that is, there are rumors about Tchouameni being linked to Manchester United, however I don’t know how true that information is right now, I expected Rodrigo to have left Real Madrid last season before his injury, Olise is a target for Florentino Perez, but Bayern Munich doesn’t want to entertain any offers, and Real Madrid doesn’t want to insist on the deal so it doesn’t jeopardize the excellent relationship both clubs have, Florentino Perez have previously mentioned that few weeks ago during the World Cup, Bayern doesn’t want to do a deal.

[Dunamisx]

Right now, the real problem isn't bringing in players, it's managing them. Managing them is more difficult. Real Madrid already has many star players. Even in the last two years when they didn't win the championship, they had star players.

This is where the role of the manager comes in, he should be able conduct a coordinated team and ensure that they apply the right strategy that would best yield the adequate results required, once a team has all its needed to made up the necessary players that could deliver to them, then we have to also go into the management decisions and other strategies that they use in playing to ensure that everything is in place to give them what they deserve when they play.

[Varnquister]

Aarhus lost their first home game against Lech Poznan, effectively eliminating their chances of advancing to the next round. They conceded the first goal against Lech Poznan, and about 7–8 minutes after that, a player was shown a red card, leaving them down to 10 men. Since the player who received the red card was the goalkeeper, they were forced to make a substitution, which completely disrupted their game plan. We can say that Lech Poznan secured their spot in the next round by defeating their opponent 4-1.

[tiCeR]

It is not up to Olise whether he can leave Bayern or not. You think he can quickly leave the club only because he wants to, but I am sure you have heard about a piece of paper called "contract" in real life. There it is written that Olise goes nowhere unless Bayern allows him to go to Real Madrid. It will all be about the financial suffering that Real Madrid is willing to accept because no matter what, Bayern will make this as expensive as they can.

One of the biggest challenges of Real Madrid getting this deal done is that Bayern Munich are not a selling club like the other small clubs in the Bundesliga or in other leagues. Real Madrid cannot use money to intimidate this Bayern Munich side, i would have said that it will be an easy transfer if at all the player is actually just having few years left in his contract for example like a year or two and has indicated that he wants the move then instead of losing the player the club would then be forced to sell but right now he is not actually having those years left, he currently has like three years left if I am correct.

Another route Real Madrid would have wanted to take is the buying off of his release clause but currently his contract doesn’t have a release clause that they can trigger which means for the move to happen it will be Bayern much actually setting the price and we all know they would request and outrageous amount if Real Madrid continues to mount pressure, best for now is for Real Madrid to simply walk way from the deal

Bayern Munich makes lots of good financial decision and that is why they are wealthy and I think I once read they are the healthiest club in Europe financially considering their own football club operations. You could argue that Manchester City or PSG have the sheikhs, which is true, but from operating the club alone Bayern Munich is in great shape.

I am saying this because I think if Real Madrid is ready to pay a big premium over market value, Bayern Munich could be inclined to accept the offer. But I think before they say yes to such a deal, they would reach out and see who could substitute Olise for less money. It makes no sense to take €150 million just to then pay €150 million for a new player. It would have to go hand in hand and the deal would have to make sense for them. It is not very likely I think, but basically possible.

[Inwestour]

manchester United has shown improvement under Michael Carrick's coaching; I recall that in the past two seasons they missed out on the Champions League but now they are set to compete in the tournament next season. I am curious to see how they will perform—it is hard to predict whether they will live up to the fans' expectations, though supporters are surely delighted that the team has qualified for the UCL. However I was a bit disappointed by their recent pre-season match against Wrexham; I wonder if that will impact their play in the Champions League Then again, it likely won't have a major effect, as pre-season matches differ significantly from competitive games

It's not worth judging a team's strength based on its pre-season matches. Many players still aren't ready for the start of the season. On top of that, Carrick will most likely rotate the squad heavily in these games. That's why there will probably be plenty of unexpected results in these friendlies, and I don't think people should read too much into them at this stage.

[Futurexxx]

It's not worth judging a team's strength based on its pre-season matches. Many players still aren't ready for the start of the season. On top of that, Carrick will most likely rotate the squad heavily in these games. That's why there will probably be plenty of unexpected results in these friendlies, and I don't think people should read too much into them at this stage.

In addition to what you have already said, most of the players that features in this just concluded world cup are not back from holidays, so they will definitely wouldn't be available.
Most times looking too much into preseason can be misleading, because so many factors can influence a team to perform badly in preseason, like the geographical area and long distance traveling that may cause fatigue among players. The preseason in my own idea is just to make players fit and ready for the new season, so even though winning seems good, since it creates a winning mentality from the start, but it's not the most important thing this period in time.

[purple_sparkles]

It's not worth judging a team's strength based on its pre-season matches. Many players still aren't ready for the start of the season. On top of that, Carrick will most likely rotate the squad heavily in these games. That's why there will probably be plenty of unexpected results in these friendlies, and I don't think people should read too much into them at this stage.

In addition to what you have already said, most of the players that features in this just concluded world cup are not back from holidays, so they will definitely wouldn't be available.
Most times looking too much into preseason can be misleading, because so many factors can influence a team to perform badly in preseason, like the geographical area and long distance traveling that may cause fatigue among players. The preseason in my own idea is just to make players fit and ready for the new season, so even though winning seems good, since it creates a winning mentality from the start, but it's not the most important thing this period in time.

In my opinion, pre-season results shouldn't be seen as a reliable indicator of what's to come, but they shouldn't be completely ignored either. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. It's a valuable period for analysis and for observing how teams perform. The performances, tactical ideas, and overall approach on the pitch are often more meaningful than the final score.

[Black Mbaye]

It's not worth judging a team's strength based on its pre-season matches. Many players still aren't ready for the start of the season. On top of that, Carrick will most likely rotate the squad heavily in these games. That's why there will probably be plenty of unexpected results in these friendlies, and I don't think people should read too much into them at this stage.

In addition to what you have already said, most of the players that features in this just concluded world cup are not back from holidays, so they will definitely wouldn't be available.
Most times looking too much into preseason can be misleading, because so many factors can influence a team to perform badly in preseason, like the geographical area and long distance traveling that may cause fatigue among players. The preseason in my own idea is just to make players fit and ready for the new season, so even though winning seems good, since it creates a winning mentality from the start, but it's not the most important thing this period in time.

In my opinion, pre-season results shouldn't be seen as a reliable indicator of what's to come, but they shouldn't be completely ignored either. The truth is usually somewhere in the middle. It's a valuable period for analysis and for observing how teams perform. The performances, tactical ideas, and overall approach on the pitch are often more meaningful than the final score.

Of course. The purpose of friendly matches is to improve the team and prepare it for the season. The way they play in the Champions League cannot be the same as the way they play in friendly matches. We can give the example of Manchester United. Manchester United lost a friendly match, but I'm sure they will be a formidable team for many in the Champions League. I'm already looking forward to the start of the Champions League because a truly enjoyable season awaits us.

[Nheer]

Mourinho is a very intelligent coach and also good at what he does. Even though his style might not be entirely easy he still knows how to handle his players and demand the best from them. Most important I admire the way he handles his dressing room, somehow he knows how to unite the players. I think right now Real Madrid really need a coach like Mourinho, a coach that can settle the difference among the players to make them work together again after they had a lot of issues working as a team.

They have a strong defense already so right now what they need is to improve their midfield. I'm impressed hearing they are interested in Rodri. Rodri also seem to interested so it will be a good deal for both parties. With all this things I believe Mourinho will have an impact at the team.

Yes, I agree that Mourinho is a good coach but I think his time has passed, and that his tactical ideas and strategies are outdated and he is no longer the top coach he once was, or at the level of coaches like Pep, Luis Enrique, Arteta etc.
As for whether he can unite and harmonize the Real team, that is questionable after his open conflict with Vini after the match between Benfica and Real in the Champions League.
Real's main problem is the conflict between their 2 main stars, Vini and Mbappe, over who should be the main player in the team and I think that Real will have to decide which of those 2 players is more important to them for the long-term vision of the team.
Real has so far been a team full of individuals but has played too little as a team and if Mourinho does not manage to change that and bring order to the dressing room, he will soon be a former coach.

You might be right, maybe the coaching work has advanced past him or maybe not. I just know coaching is not like playing where the coach will be out of age or probably past his prime age, I believe with the right tool and equipments a good coach can still perform pretty well. True the new generation coaches are really something else but with such a good squad Mourinho should at least be able to compete.

About the issue with Vini I think it's quite simple, Vinicius needs to be professional and obey his coach but if he doesn't then he will probably get replaced because the Mourinho I know doesn't tolerate disrespect. They will be professional and let bygone be bygone.

You're right Vinicius and Mbappe are fighting it out for who the main man will be but I think it's clear that Mbappe will be more useful because he turn up in almost all games and has more goals overall. I think the best solution will be to make them work together instead of chosing one player over the other because they are both useful. I believe Mourinho will make them work together.

[xzone]

manchester United has shown improvement under Michael Carrick's coaching; I recall that in the past two seasons they missed out on the Champions League but now they are set to compete in the tournament next season. I am curious to see how they will perform—it is hard to predict whether they will live up to the fans' expectations, though supporters are surely delighted that the team has qualified for the UCL. However I was a bit disappointed by their recent pre-season match against Wrexham; I wonder if that will impact their play in the Champions League Then again, it likely won't have a major effect, as pre-season matches differ significantly from competitive games

There's no need to overemphasize friendly matches; they're just simple games played to make changes within the team and allow the players to adapt after those changes. Losing these matches won't harm them in any way; on the contrary, playing poorly in them is a good thing because it reveals the team's weaknesses and contributes to making the team better. Therefore, these matches are important but not invaluable

[W Jr.]

manchester United has shown improvement under Michael Carrick's coaching; I recall that in the past two seasons they missed out on the Champions League but now they are set to compete in the tournament next season. I am curious to see how they will perform—it is hard to predict whether they will live up to the fans' expectations, though supporters are surely delighted that the team has qualified for the UCL. However I was a bit disappointed by their recent pre-season match against Wrexham; I wonder if that will impact their play in the Champions League Then again, it likely won't have a major effect, as pre-season matches differ significantly from competitive games

There's no need to overemphasize friendly matches; they're just simple games played to make changes within the team and allow the players to adapt after those changes. Losing these matches won't harm them in any way; on the contrary, playing poorly in them is a good thing because it reveals the team's weaknesses and contributes to making the team better. Therefore, these matches are important but not invaluable

Playing poorly is good, yes, I think so too, because it's always more important to see the team's weaknesses. You already know your strengths and positive attributes. Improving those areas is the difficult part; you're already good at them. The important thing is to know your weaknesses, and friendly matches are crucial for a team to identify its vulnerabilities.

[Silence Scream]

manchester United has shown improvement under Michael Carrick's coaching; I recall that in the past two seasons they missed out on the Champions League but now they are set to compete in the tournament next season. I am curious to see how they will perform—it is hard to predict whether they will live up to the fans' expectations, though supporters are surely delighted that the team has qualified for the UCL. However I was a bit disappointed by their recent pre-season match against Wrexham; I wonder if that will impact their play in the Champions League Then again, it likely won't have a major effect, as pre-season matches differ significantly from competitive games

It's certainly good to point out a team's weaknesses, but even in a friendly match, the goal is always to win. We need to be aware of that. Manchester United must be taking the challenging atmosphere of the Champions League into account. That's why I think they've gone through a preparation process where they've considered every possibility. Of course, defeats are part of that preparation process.

[bastisisca]

But if Bayern munich to sell hime out to Real Madrid seriously things would be better than before for Real Madrid. Olise is one of the most relevant player that has great talent in both assist and creation of chances. Bayern Munich might need to keep him first for now because of his previous performances in the 1026 FIFA world cup matches.

Also, if probably the Real Madrid get an opportunity to signed him, I can imagine how Jim and Mbappe would move Real Madrid to a great higher level in the next season. So signing Olise would definitely be a great advantages for Real Madrid. Moreover Real Madrid must have seen his great experiences shown in just concluded FIFA world cup tournament, I just hope thier interest would be picked/ considered.

Olise in Madrid would be a great coup for the capital team, a single addition would completely change the face of the team, but unfortunately for them Bayern also intends to go as far as possible in the champions race, and therefore i don't think they will get rid of such an important piece.

[Tmoonz]

manchester United has shown improvement under Michael Carrick's coaching; I recall that in the past two seasons they missed out on the Champions League but now they are set to compete in the tournament next season. I am curious to see how they will perform—it is hard to predict whether they will live up to the fans' expectations, though supporters are surely delighted that the team has qualified for the UCL. However I was a bit disappointed by their recent pre-season match against Wrexham; I wonder if that will impact their play in the Champions League Then again, it likely won't have a major effect, as pre-season matches differ significantly from competitive games

Preseason games are less important but in one way or the other it's kind of sauce of hope to make the fans believe their team is really ready for the new campaign that is to be started, but anyways let's just let that one slide because they still got some more preseason matches to play maybe they will do better on those ones, and for the UEFA Champions League I'm not really expecting much from them maybe they might go pass the group stage and round of sixteen but the other rounds I'm not really sure they can go through those ones.

[Oluwa-btc]

Olise in Madrid would be a great coup for the capital team, a single addition would completely change the face of the team, but unfortunately for them Bayern also intends to go as far as possible in the champions race, and therefore i don't think they will get rid of such an important piece.

You can tie down a player with contract and maybe money, but you can never stop a player from moving or leaving the club. We have seen in the past and the same could be the case of Olise and Bayern Munich. One more thing,  when Real Madrid comes knocking about a player, you do not say no because it will be a one in a lifetime opportunity. Bayern Munich may not have no such plans to sell, but deep down, Olise would love that move to Real Madrid trust me.

[Varnquister]

Sabah won its first match against KuPS Kuopio and didn’t make any mistakes in a game where it was the favorite. With the goal scored at the end of the first half, Sabah takes the lead heading into the away leg. A 1-0 lead is, of course, a precarious scoreline, so they’ll need to maintain possession on the road as well.
Thun drew 1-1 with Dinamo Zagreb. Although Thun closed out the first half leading 1-0 thanks to a goal scored in the first half, Dinamo Zagreb never let up the pressure throughout the match and managed to come away with at least a draw thanks to Miha Zajc’s goal in the final minutes. With this draw, they’ve secured the advantage.

[W Jr.]

Sabah won its first match against KuPS Kuopio and didn’t make any mistakes in a game where it was the favorite. With the goal scored at the end of the first half, Sabah takes the lead heading into the away leg. A 1-0 lead is, of course, a precarious scoreline, so they’ll need to maintain possession on the road as well.
Thun drew 1-1 with Dinamo Zagreb. Although Thun closed out the first half leading 1-0 thanks to a goal scored in the first half, Dinamo Zagreb never let up the pressure throughout the match and managed to come away with at least a draw thanks to Miha Zajc’s goal in the final minutes. With this draw, they’ve secured the advantage.

Every team dreams of staying in the Champions League, and these battles will continue in the second leg. Fenerbahçe is the only Turkish team playing in the qualifiers. In their first match, they played at home against Polish team Gornik and won 1-0. I would have expected Fenerbahçe to score more goals, but they will go into the away leg with a one-goal advantage thanks to Talisca's free-kick goal. Hopefully, they won't allow any surprises to happen away from home.

BTW, Hopefully, Sabah team can also stay in the Champions League. Last year, Qarabag represented Azerbaijan very well.