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Four clubs make Champions League debuts this season
Livemint··8 Sept
The UEFA Champions League 2026-27 season opens with four debut clubs: Como, LASK, Sabah and Viking. Como finished fourth in Serie A in 2025/26. LASK won Austria's title and beat Celtic 5-4 on aggregate in playoffs. Sabah overturned a 2-1 deficit to beat Hapoel Beer-Sheva 5-2 after extra time. Viking won Norway's league for the first time in 34 years.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Como hosts RB Leipzig on Thursday in its first European club match of any kind.
- LASK opens away to AEK Athens on 8 September in the league phase.
- Sabah visits Manchester United at Old Trafford on Thursday; Viking faces Stuttgart on Wednesday.
What's Happening
- Thirty-six teams enter the league-phase format used since 2024/25.
- Paris Saint-Germain defend the title after beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties in the last final.
- Thirteen clubs have debuted since the 36-team league phase began, including this season's four.
Opening Fixtures
- Como returned to Serie A in 2024 and is coached by Cesc Fabregas for this campaign.
- LASK also won the Austrian Cup, beating SCR Altach 4-2 after extra time.
- Sabah, formed in 2017, won its first Azerbaijani league title in 2025/26 and retained the cup.
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