Real Madrid welcome Marseille to the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, for their Champions League opener. It’s a huge night for the French side; Softfootball understands that they will be returning to Europe’s top competition after missing last season, while Madrid kick off life under new boss Xabi Alonso with ambitions of lifting a record 16th European Cup.
History leans heavily towards Los Blancos. The two clubs have met four times in the Champions League, all group-stage games, with Madrid winning each one. Their last meeting came back in the 2009/10 season, when Madrid ran out 3-1 winners and in his press conference, manager Xabi Alonso emphasised the need for his team to maintain the momentum against their French counterparts. Marseille, meanwhile, remain proud of their 1992/93 triumph as the first French team to win the tournament before PSG’s recent treble-winning campaign.
Real Madrid posted a video on their official X account ahead of the clash, celebrating the fact that the UCL is finally back at the Bernabeu and also snippets from Xabi Alonso’s interview and the team’s preparations.
Watch the video below:
Madrid are unbeaten in La Liga so far with four wins, helped by Kylian Mbappé’s fast start — four goals already. They edged Real Sociedad 2-1 at the weekend despite going down to ten men early. That kind of grit could prove useful in Europe. Marseille’s form is shakier. Roberto De Zerbi’s side crushed Lorient 4-0 on Friday but have already suffered defeats to Rennes and Lyon in Ligue 1.
Team News
Madrid faces some big absences: Antonio Rüdiger (hamstring) is out long-term, while Ferland Mendy and Endrick are also doubts. Despite being included in the Squad list, Xabi Alonso will also be careful with Jude Bellingham’s minutes, as he has just returned to 100 per cent. Arda Güler, however, looks lively, with two goals and an assist in his last three games. Marseille are sweating on Amine Gouiri after he went off injured against Lorient.
Real Madrid’s squad list as posted by the team official X account:
Possible Line-ups
Real Madrid (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal, Huijsen, Militao, Carreras; Tchouaméni, Camavinga, Valverde; Güler, Vinícius Jr, Mbappé.
Marseille (4-2-3-1): Rulli; Murillo, Pavard, Balerdi, Medina; Hojbjerg, Gomes; Greenwood, Nadir, Weah; Aubameyang.
SoftFootball’s Predictions
Madrid’s firepower should be too much, even without Rüdiger at the back. Marseille’s away record in Europe is poor, and Bernabéu nights rarely end kindly for visitors. Expect goals on both ends but Madrid to edge it.
Prediction: Real Madrid 3-1 Marseille
