Real Madrid will kick off their 2025-26 Champions League season on Tuesday against Olympique Marseille, as the team coached by Xabi Alonso will see the return of both Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga to the squad, as the English midfielder is finally back after undergoing surgery this summer. Roberto De Zerbi’s team, on the other hand, will also feature U.S. international Timothy Weah, who will likely make his Champions League debut with the French side, after he joined from Juventus over the summer.
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How to watch Real Madrid vs. OM, odds
- Date: Tuesday, Sep. 16 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Santiago Bernabeu — Madrid
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Real Madrid -290; Draw +449; OM +688
Jude Bellingham is back
The return of Bellingham to the squad is great news for both Real Madrid fans and manager Xabi Alonso as the Englishman is now back in the team after a challenging summer. The shoulder issues of the English international started back in November 2023, when he dislocated his left shoulder in a La Liga clash with Rayo Vallecano. After playing with his team through the Club World Cup in the summer 2025, he underwent a surgery to fix the issue, planning to be back in 10-12 weeks and missing the start of the 2025-26 season.
What are Real Madrid saying
Spanish manager Xabi Alonso spoke ahead of his debut on the Real Madrid benchin the European tournament.
“We’re approaching it with the excitement levels that come with playing for Real Madrid in the Champions League. It’s special for this team, and playing at the Bernabeu, with all of that history, is even greater motivation. The guys are eager to keep making progress, to keep growing and to face tough, top-level opposition. We’re up against a very good team tomorrow and we hope to start strongly.
“I don’t think Mbappe is anxious to win the Champions League. He doesn’t look it to me. We’re all well aware that this a project in its early stages. As part of playing for Madrid, one of the goals along the way is always to win the Champions League. I hope it happens sooner rather than later, and that we’re following the right path to get there. Kylian is part of that. Today we’ve discussed what the Champions League means, but we haven’t spoken about May — we’re focused on the now.”
Predicted lineups
Real Madrid XI: Thibaut Courtois; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras; Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, Arda Guler; Franco Mastantuono, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior.
OM XI: Gerónimo Rulli; Amir Murillo, Benjamin Pavard, Leonardo Balerdi, Facundo Medina; Angel Gomes, Pierre Emil Højbjerg; Mason Greenwood, Bilal Nadir, Timothy Weah; Amine Gouiri.
Prediction
Real Madrid are expected to win their debut Champions League match at their home stadium, but it won’t be easy against the team coached by Roberto De Zerbi. Pick: Real Madrid 2, OM 1.
How to watch Champions League week 1 action
The opening round of league phase fixtures will take place across three days – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday – and all of it will be available to watch on Paramount+, with select additional coverage on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network. Pre-match coverage starts at 12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network each day before select matches air at 12:45 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET, with post-match coverage transitioning to Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The Golazo Show will be free on CBS Sports Golazo Network for Matchday 1, while coverage concludes on CBS Sports Golazo Network with new editions of The Champions Club, which will be simulcast on YouTube, and Scoreline.
