Real Madrid begin another Women’s Champions League league phase on Tuesday night with Paris Saint-Germain arriving at the Alfredo Di Stéfano, a demanding opening test for a side seeking to turn recent European consistency into an early three-point statement.
Key takeaways
- Real Madrid host PSG in Matchday 1 on Tuesday 22 September, with kick-off scheduled for 21:00.
- Ivana Projkovska of North Macedonia will referee the match in Valdebebas.
- Madrid reached the league phase by eliminating Ajax in the third qualifying round.
- PSG have gone seven league-phase or group-stage matches without a win, drawing three and losing four.
- The game will be shown live on Disney+ and, in Catalonia, Esport 3.
Madrid’s European opening test
The fixture launches Real Madrid’s latest campaign among Europe’s elite. The club first played in the Women’s Champions League in 2021-22 and have reached every group-stage or league-phase edition since that debut.
This time, their route required qualification. Madrid came through the third round against Ajax, while Barcelona, the other Spanish representative, entered directly as reigning champions.
There is encouraging opening-night form for the hosts. Across their five previous group-stage or league-phase campaigns, Madrid have won their first match on three occasions, alongside one draw and one defeat. They also approach the PSG meeting after beating Valencia in Liga F on Saturday.
PSG bring pedigree, but a difficult recent run
PSG remain one of the competition’s established names despite their recent struggles at this stage. The French club have twice reached the final, losing 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2015 before being beaten by OL Lyonnes in 2017.
However, their seven-match winless sequence in the Champions League group or league phase gives Madrid a clear opportunity to make their home advantage count at the start of the new continental schedule.
The first points of the campaign will be decided at the Alfredo Di Stéfano in Valdebebas, where both clubs open a league phase in which every result can reshape the weeks ahead in Europe.
