Barcelona Crushes Feyenoord 5-1, Stuttgart Completes Demirovic Hat-Trick — Leaders of Matchday 1 of the 2026/27 UCL

Matchday 1 of the League Phase: Two Routings in the First Slot

On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, the first matches of Matchday 1 of the league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League season were played across European football arenas. Two games took place in the first time slot, and both ended in convincing home wins. "Barcelona" thrashed Dutch side "Feyenoord" 5-1 at the Camp Nou, while "Stuttgart" beat Norwegian side "Viking" at home 3-1. Thanks to these results, both teams immediately topped the overall tournament table, taking first and second place respectively.

Barcelona — Feyenoord 5-1: Raphinha Opens the Scoring in the Third Minute

The Catalans confirmed their status as favourites before the first minutes of the match had even cooled down on the stadium. As early as the 3rd minute, Raphinha opened the scoring, and in the same match he completed a brace, striking the guests' net again in the 57th minute. In the 22nd minute, Adeemi doubled Barcelona's lead, and in the second half, Yamal (77th minute) and the Catalan club's new signing Gabriel Jesus (85th minute) added further goals. The only goal against Barcelona was scored by Steijn in the 82nd minute, which at least allowed Feyenoord to symbolically thank their fans. The final score was 5-1 (first half — 2-0, second half — 3-1).

Stuttgart — Viking 3-1: Demirovic Hat-Trick in the First Half

Stuttgart looked no less convincing, hosting Champions League debutants — Norwegian side Viking. The home side scored all three of their goals in the first half of the match, and all of them were the work of a single player — Demirovic, who scored in the 20th, 26th and 32nd minutes. Viking tried to hold their own: in the 22nd minute, Tripic temporarily levelled the score, but after that conceded goal the Norwegians were unable to restore balance. In the second half, neither team scored, and the final whistle confirmed the "Swabians'" victory — 3-1 (3-1, 0-0).

Tournament Table and the Context of the Opening Weekend

Thanks to their wins in Matchday 1 of the league phase, Barcelona and Stuttgart synchronously topped the overall Champions League table, taking first and second place. This gives both teams an additional boost ahead of the upcoming matchdays, in which they will have to prove their leadership. A reminder that the tournament is picking up pace came as early as Tuesday, 8 September: in a wild opening-matchday game, Barcelona's main rival — Madrid's Real — beat Milan's Inter, adding intrigue to the overall context of the first matchday of the UCL.

Tactical Observations and the Significance of the Newcomers

Particular attention deserves Gabriel Jesus's debut for Barcelona: the Brazilian, who is a new signing at the Catalan club, immediately marked his arrival with a goal in the 85th minute, which speaks to his rapid adaptation to the team's playing system. Raphinha, who scored in the 3rd minute, demonstrated that Barcelona is capable of switching to maximum intensity from the very first seconds of the match. In Stuttgart's case, Demirovic's hat-trick, completed within 12 minutes of the first half, was an indicator of the home side's high attacking efficiency and confirmed that the tournament's debutant is capable of competing on equal terms with experienced European clubs, although in this particular case Viking were outclassed in terms of quality and squad depth.