PSG, who beat Arsenal in a penalty shoot-out in May in Budapest to claim the 2026 crown, launch their bid for a third consecutive title on Wednesday night at the Parc des Princes against Slovan Bratislava.

Lille begin their tilt on Tuesday night against Real Betis while Lens play at Slavia Prague on Thursday night.

PSG, who wallopedInter Milan 5-0 to lift the Champions League trophy for the first time in 2025, go into Wenesday night’s clash in a poor run of domestic form.

The 2026 Ligue 1 champions have taken only two points out of a possible nine from the first three games of the 2026/2027 Ligue 1 season, to lie in 14th place – seven points off pacesetters Monaco who maintained their 100 percent start to the campaign with a 2-1 victory at PSG last Friday.

PSG boss Luis Enrique played down the shaky domestic start following the defeat. “I think that we would’ve clearly deserved to win,” Enrique told PSG TV.

“We would have been unlucky to draw, and yet we lost. It’s inexplicable but that’s football. You just have to accept it.,” added the 56-year-old Spaniard who was in a sufficiently bullish mood to dare reporters to bet against PSG winning a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title.

Inter’s unprecedented treble

Last year’s beaten finalists Arsenal – who have started with three wins out of three in England’s Premier League – will be among the favourites for the Champions League along with Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid who start the league phase of the tournament with a home tie against Inter Milan.

In 2010, Mourinho steered Inter to an unprecedented treble – for an Italian club – of the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia.

“This isn’t a normal match for me,” said Mourinho on the eve of the clash.

“If Inter see me as a friend, it will be before and after the game. I don’t imagine that they would think about me like that during the match. That’s the nature of football.”

Inter head coach Cristian Chivu started the 2010 Champions League final as left back in Mourinho’s side that defeated Bayern Munich 2-0.

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“Cris [Chivu] is and always will be one of my own,” added Mourinho. “I’m always happy when things go well for him. 

“It is always a pleasure to see people who represent Inter. But during the match I want to win and they want to win, and there won’t be time to think about that beautiful past.”

Six games will take place on Wednesday and Thursday during the first of the eight round of games in the league phase of the competition.

The top eight in the 36-team league qualify automatically for the last-16 knockout stages while the teams finishing between ninth and 24th take part in a two-leg play-off for the remaining eight last-16 berths.

PSG negotiated the play-offs in 2025 and 2026 before their surges to ultimate glory in European club football’s most prestigious competition.