On Thursday night, six Champions League matches will be played, on an evening traditionally known for hosting Europa League action.
On their return to Europe, Manchester United welcome Sabah FK — the champions of Azerbaijan, making their Champions League debut — this Thursday.
The Red Devils, accustomed in recent years to hearing the Europa League anthem on Thursday, will instead hear the Champions League composition, but why?
Why are Champions League sides playing on a Thursday?
The tournament is not hosting matches on Thursday to accommodate scheduling issues for league phases teams. Simply, the Champions League has been given its own week to shine.
With the Europa and Conference League tournaments yet to commence, the Champions League has been cleared to set up showdowns on Thursday.
This is a one-off, exclusive week - going forward, the Champions League will only schedule games on Tuesday and Wednesday.
These exclusive weeks, in which one of the European competitions is freed from the shackles of its tournament peers’ scheduling, have been implemented since 2024/25.
Each year since, the Champions, Europa and Conference League competitions have received a single week that allows their tournament to take centre stage.
Last term, it was also staged for the Champions League during the tournament’s opening match-week. Dates for the Europa and Conference League competitions’ exclusive weeks have not yet been revealed.
Outside of Old Trafford, five additional games will be played this Thursday. Last year's semi-finalists Bayern Munich host Bodo/Glimt, while Como welcome RB Leipzig.
Eredivisie champions PSV take on Shakhtar Donetsk, Slavia Prague face Lens, and Super Lig contenders Fenerbahce - who knocked out Lyon during qualification, and caused a chain of events leading to Malick Fofana’s Premier League transfer - play Roma.
League phase teams stand to benefit from a lengthy list of incentives that increases the higher they finish in the Champions League table, with the tournament getting underway this Tuesday evening.
