FC Bayern’s quest for the Champions League title begins tonight. After being eliminated in the semifinals last season, Vincent Kompany’s team is making another run at the trophy. To kick things off, they’ll face Bodø/Glimt at the Allianz Arena—a seemingly manageable opponent. After that, however, things will get significantly tougher.
The ultimate goal of the 2026–27 Champions League season is Madrid. On June 5, 2027, the final will take place at the Estadio Metropolitano, the home stadium of Atlético Madrid.
Bayern Munich is among the top contenders for the title. The Opta supercomputer has simulated the season 10,000 times and calculates a 19.9 percent probability of Bayern winning the title. This puts FCB in second place behind Arsenal (21.2 percent), but still well ahead of Manchester City (12 percent), defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (7.7 percent), Barcelona (7 percent), and Real Madrid (5.1 percent).
Opta also sees Bayern as exceptionally well-positioned for the regular season. In 19.8 percent of the simulations, the record champions even finish in first place in the standings—the highest figure among all 36 participants.
These are Bayern’s eight opponents
The Munich team kicks off on Thursday at 9 p.m. against Bodø/Glimt. The fact that the opening match is also being played on Thursday is a unique feature of the exclusive Champions League week at the start of the new European cup season.
Bayern will then travel to face Viking Stavanger on October 13. After that comes the first real highlight: On October 21, Arsenal visits the Allianz Arena. According to Opta, this means the two biggest title favorites will face off directly during the group stage.
Just under two weeks later, the next major challenge awaits. On November 3, Bayern will visit Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano—the very same venue where the final will be held in June.
On November 25, they’ll travel to face Lille, before Slavia Prague visits Munich on December 8. Two more high-profile opponents follow in the new year. On January 20, Kompany’s team will take on Manchester United at Old Trafford. The group stage concludes on January 27 with a home game against Betis Sevilla.
How does the Champions League format work?
Basically, the format remains unchanged from the past two seasons. The 36 teams will continue to be listed in a single standings table. Each club will play eight matches against eight different opponents—four at home and four on the road.
The top eight teams from the group stage qualify directly for the Round of 16. Teams ranked ninth through 24th must go through the play-offs. For all clubs ranked 25th or lower, however, the European campaign is over.
The main new feature this season is a visual detail. Players making their first Champions League appearance will receive a special debut patch. This is integrated into the familiar star-and-ball emblem on the sleeve and is intended to honor a professional’s first appearance in Europe’s premier club competition.
For Bayern, however, the most important goal in the group stage is likely to be finishing among the top eight once again, thereby avoiding two additional matches in February.
Here’s what happens after the group stage
For teams ranked ninth through 24th, the knockout stage begins with the intermediate round on February 16–17 and 23–24. The round of 16 takes place on March 9–10 and 16–17.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for April 6–7 and 13–14. The semifinals will be held on April 27–28 and May 4–5. The grand final will finally take place on June 5, 2027, in Madrid.
When it comes to broadcasts, much will remain the same for German fans. DAZN and Amazon Prime will continue to share the Champions League rights. DAZN will show 186 of the 203 total matches, while Amazon will broadcast 17 Tuesday games. ZDF will air highlights on Wednesdays starting at 11 p.m. and will also broadcast the final live.
For Bayern, the long road to Madrid now begins against Bodø/Glimt. Following the 0–0 draw at Schalke, this presents an immediate opportunity to bounce back—and take the first step toward their ultimate goal.