Champions League Matchday 1: Real Madrid vs Marseille facts

Real Madrid kick off their latest UEFA Champions League campaign at home against a Marseille side who are returning the competition for the first time since 2022/23.

Last match

Madrid have won all four matches between the teams – all in the Champions League group stage, in 2003/04 (4-2 h, 2-1 a) and 2009/10 (3-0 h, 3-1 a).

Madrid have lost only one of their 17 matches at home against French teams (W12 D4), with six wins in the last seven (D1).

Marseille have won only one of their eight games away to Spanish teams (D2 L5).

Real Madrid

Madrid are in the Champions League proper for the 30th time, a competition record they share with Barcelona. They last missed out in 1996/97 and have qualified for the knockout rounds in all 29 campaigns.

A team coached by Carlo Ancelotti were 11th in last season's league phase (W5 L3), beating Manchester City 6-3 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs and Atlético de Madrid on penalties in the round of 16 before a 1-5 aggregate quarter-final loss to Arsenal (0-3 a, 1-2 h).

Madrid have won on Matchday 1 in 16 of their last 18 campaigns (L2).

Marseille 

This is Marseille's 12th Champions League campaign, but only a third in the last 12 seasons. They have not progressed to the knockout rounds since reaching the quarter-finals in 2011/12.

OM were not involved in UEFA competition in 2024/25 having reached the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in 2023/24.

Marseille have lost their Matchday 1 fixture in six of their last seven Champions League campaigns (W1).

Key stats

Madrid have won 199 matches in the Champions League proper and scored 698 goals – both competition records.

The Merengues have lost their last three Champions League matches, their longest run of defeats in European Cup history.

Madrid have won 12 of their last 15 group stage/league phase matches (L3).

The Spanish side have won 11 of their last 12 home group stage/league phase games (L1).

Kylian Mbappé has scored on Matchday 1 in the last three seasons.

Vinícius Júnior has scored in his last four league phase appearances, seven goals in total.

Marseille have won only one of their last nine away European games (D2 L6).

OM have lost 18 of their last 21 matches in the Champions League proper (W3).

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in his last four appearances against Real Madrid, hitting five goals for Borussia Dortmund in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 group stages.