Champions League 2026-27: Italian Stars Shine Across Europe

The Champions League is back. Floodlights, anthems, and a fresh batch of Italian storylines.

On Tuesday night, the 2026-27 campaign kicks off with six fixtures, and four of them could carry a distinctly Azzurri flavour. From the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to a tense early evening in Bruges, Italy’s present and future will be scattered across Europe’s biggest stage.

Tresoldi opens the Italian watchlist

The first Italian interest of the night arrives before most of the continent has even settled in. At 17.45 BST in Bruges, Nicolo Tresoldi is expected to lead the line for Club Brugge against Aston Villa.

Still eligible for both Germany and Italy at senior level, Tresoldi steps into this Champions League season as one of the most intriguing dual-national talents around. Last year he announced himself on this stage; now he has the chance to turn promise into something more concrete, with every performance weighed by two national team setups.

For Italy, every touch is a scouting report.

Donnarumma, Italy’s No.1, in City colours

Later in the evening, attention swings to Portugal. At 20.00 BST, Gianluigi Donnarumma is set to start for Manchester City away to Porto.

Italy’s first-choice goalkeeper, now a pillar of City’s European ambitions, enters another Champions League campaign with the familiar pressure of expectation. His presence in goal is no longer a curiosity but a reference point: if City go deep again, it will almost certainly be with Donnarumma at the heart of it, dictating from his area, setting the tempo with the ball at his feet, and carrying the weight of two footballing nations.

Inter’s Italian core walks into the Bernabeu

The headline act of the night sits in Madrid. Real Madrid vs. Inter at the Santiago Bernabeu: 15-time European champions against the reigning Serie A and Coppa Italia holders. A heavyweight tie on matchday one.

Cristian Chivu is expected to lean heavily on his Italian spine. Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella are set to start, the defensive organiser and the midfield heartbeat in a team that has built its recent success around a strong domestic core. Pio Esposito, one of the brightest attacking prospects, is likely to wait his turn on the bench, ready to be unleashed if the game opens up.

One notable absentee changes the picture on the left flank. Federico Dimarco, usually a guaranteed starter and a key outlet in Inter’s system, has been left in Milan after struggling with knee pain in the build-up to the trip. His omission removes one of Italy’s most influential wide players from one of the season’s showcase nights and forces Chivu to improvise in a stadium that rarely forgives weakness.

Even without Dimarco, this is a night that will test Inter’s Italian leaders under the brightest possible lights.

Dortmund’s next wave

In Germany, another storyline brews away from the main glare. Borussia Dortmund host Villarreal at 20.00 BST, and three Italian youngsters could step into the fray: Luca Reggiani, Filippo Mane and Samuele Inacio.

Pre-match indications suggest Mane has a real chance of starting under Niko Kovac, a significant show of faith in a high-stakes environment. Reggiani and Inacio add depth to a growing Italian contingent in a club renowned for turning potential into finished product.

For Italy, this is the long game. These are the nights where raw talent either grows or gets exposed.

The full Italian slate for Tuesday

Champions League, Tuesday fixtures with Italian interest (BST times):

• Club Brugge vs. Aston Villa (17.45) Nicolo Tresoldi (Club Brugge)
• Porto vs. Manchester City (20.00) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City)
• Real Madrid vs. Inter (20.00) Alessandro Bastoni, Nicolo Barella, Pio Esposito (Inter) Federico Dimarco absent from the matchday squad due to knee pain
• Borussia Dortmund vs. Villarreal (20.00) Luca Reggiani, Filippo Mane, Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund)

The Champions League opens with Italy spread across Europe’s powerhouses and talent factories. By the end of the night, the conversation around the Azzurri’s present – and their future – might sound very different.