Women's Champions League Matchday 1: Real Madrid vs Paris Saint-Germain facts
Friday, September 18, 2026
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Matchday 1 brings a sixth UEFA Women's Champions League meeting between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain as the two sides meet in Spain in the first set of league phase fixtures.
Last match
Real Madrid were winless in their first four matches against Paris SG until a 2-1 victory in France on Matchday 2 last season. Naomie Feller, who joind the French club this summer, scored Madrid's opening goal, Rasheedat Ajibade on target for the hosts.
Paris SG won 4-0 in France and 2-0 in Spain in the 2021/22 group stage. Sara Däbritz, now of Real Madrid, scored for Les Parisiennes in the teams' first-ever meeting while Sakina Karchaoui struck in the second. The French side also won 2-1 in Paris on Matchday 5 of the 2022/23 group stage after a goalless draw in Madrid on Matchday 2.
Madrid were winless in their first six matches against French clubs (D1 L5), but are unbeaten in the subsequent four, all of which took place last season. After that Matchday 2 win against Paris SG, they drew 1-1 at home against Paris FC on the following matchday and then defeated the same side 5-2 on aggregate in the knockout phase play-offs (3-2 a, 2-0 h). The Spanish side have, however, won just one of the five matches against French visitors in Madrid (D2 L2).
Paris SG's only other defeat in 11 matches against Spanish teams (W6 D3) was a 1-2 reverse at champions Barcelona in the second leg of their 2020/21 semi-final (2-3 agg). Their record in Spain overall is W2 D2 L1.
Madrid, who made their Women's Champions League debut in 2021/22 and have been ever-presents in the group stage/league phase since, have been knocked out in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions in the last two seasons; they lost 2-3 on aggregate to Arsenal in 2024/25 and 2-12 against Spanish rivals Barcelona last season (2-6 h, 0-6 a). Madrid had finished seventh in the inaugural league phase before the win against Paris FC in the knockout phase play-offs.
Madrid navigated their way past Ajax 4-1 on aggregate in this season's third qualifying round (2-0 a, 2-1 h). They are the only team to have reached the group stage/league phase via the qualifying route in all six editions since the format was introduced in 2021/22.
Paris SG reached the Women's Champions League final twice in three years, losing to Eintracht Frankfurt in 2015 (1-2) and fellow French side OL Lyonnes in 2017 (0-0 aet, 6-7 pens). They reached at least the quarter-finals six times in succession between 2018/19 and 2023/24, but lost in qualifying in 2024/25 and finished 17th in last season's league phase with a record of D2 L4.
The Parisiens were 6-2 aggregate winners against Frankfurt in this season's third qualifying round (1-1 a, 5-1 h aet) and are featuring in the group stage/league phase for the fifth time in six seasons.
Key stats
Madrid have lost just three of their last 14 European matches (W9 D2) and just two of their last 11 in the group stage/league phase (W7 D2).
Las Blancas have won nine of their last 12 home games in UEFA competition (D1 L2).
Madrid have won their opening match in three of their five group stage/league phase campaigns (D1 L1).
Madrid’'s Lineth Beerensteyn has made 69 appearances in the Women's Champions League/UEFA Women's Cup and will equal Jill Roord's Dutch record when she next features.
Paris SG are winless in seven group stage/league phase matches (D3 L4).
The French side have lost their Matchday 1 fixture in each of their last three Women's Champions League campaigns, failing to score in any of those games.