Paris Saint-Germain F.C. and RC Lens will face off on Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in the 2026 Trophée des Champions. While traditionally part of the French domestic curtain-raiser rather than a standard Ligue 1 regular-season fixture, this highly anticipated clash features the reigning French top-flight champions against the Coupe de France winners. PSG has thoroughly dominated this fixture recently, winning each of their last three encounters against Lens. Their most recent meeting at Bollaert-Delelis ended in a 2-0 victory for Paris, which officially sealed their 2025–26 Ligue 1 title. Les Sang et Or are entering a transitional phase under their new manager, Dino Toppmöller. He replaced Pierre Sage, who recently departed for the Premier League. Newly appointed captain Florian Thauvin is fit and expected to anchor the leadership on the pitch. Toppmöller prefers a high-pressing 4-2-3-1 system, which will look to destabilize Paris early on the counter. However, their defensive line will need to be much tighter than in pre-season, where they notably leaked eight goals against Famalicão. Luis Enrique’s side comes into the game riding an immense wave of momentum. PSG closed out last season by winning the Champions League final against Arsenal and just picked up the UEFA Super Cup trophy in midweek.The Parisians boast a formidable attacking unit. Even though there are minor squad rotations, the direct threat of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and playmaker Vitinha makes their transition play lethal. Defensively, Marquinhos and Willian Pacho command a highly composed, possession-heavy backline. Prediction: BTS / YES @ 1.71

Deportivo Alavés will host Getafe CF at the Mendizorrotza Stadium on Saturday, August 15, 2026, to kick off their respective 2026/27 La Liga campaigns. The match is scheduled to start at 18:30 UTC / 19:30 local venue time. Across 36 total meetings all-time, both clubs have won exactly 11 times each. Getafe are unbeaten in their last four encounters with Alavés, including a 2-0 victory during their last visit to Mendizorrotza on February 8, 2026. Each of the last six matches between these sides has seen under 2.5 goals. None of the last eight hosted by Alavés have broken the 2.5-goal barrier either. Under the guidance of Quique Sánchez Flores, El Glorioso narrowly escaped relegation last term, finishing 14th in La Liga—just one point clear of the drop zone. Improving their subpar home record (only 27 points from 19 games at Mendizorrotza last year) remains a top priority. Displayed strong summer form, winning three out of their four friendlies, including victories against Girona and Castellón, alongside draws against Eibar and Racing Santander. Managed by José Bordalás, the Azulones enjoyed a stellar campaign, finishing 7th in La Liga and earning a spot in the upcoming UEFA Conference League play-off round. They achieved this despite ranking 19th in the league for scoring, with only 32 goals. Navigated a packed six-match schedule (2W, 2D, 2L), concluding their warm-up games with a highly respectable 1-1 draw against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur. Prediction: BTS / NO @ 1.57

Galatasaray will host Çorum FK at RAMS Park on Friday, August 14, 2026, to kick off the opening round of the 2026–27 Turkish Süper Lig campaign. This matchday one opener represents a classic "David vs. Goliath" scenario. Defending champions Galatasaray begin their quest for a fifth consecutive league crown. Meanwhile, Çorum FK are making history by playing their first-ever top-flight match after earning promotion through the second-tier playoffs last spring. This marks the first competitive match between these two clubs. Galatasaray lost only a fraction of their matches at home last season, boasting the tightest defensive record in the division. Head coach Okan Buruk successfully led Aslanlar to the title last season, edging out Fenerbahçe by three points. The team endured a quiet transfer window and an underwhelming pre-season, which culminated in a 2-1 loss to Villarreal. Despite poor friendly form, elite attacking options like Victor Osimhen are expected to carry the heavy lifting in front of the home crowd. Known as the Kırmızı Şimşekler (Red Lightnings), the club finished fourth in the TFF First League before seeing off Erokspor to secure a fairy-tale top-flight promotion. The newcomers enter the season with strong organizational foundations. They managed to maintain a highly compact defensive unit during their promotional run. Adjusting to Süper Lig intensity at RAMS Park serves as a trial by fire for a squad with minimal top-flight experience. Prediction: OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.50

FC Red Bull Salzburg holds a narrow 1-0 lead against Pafos FC heading into the second leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round matchup. Note that despite your query mentioning the Champions League, this tie is officially taking place in the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. The second leg is scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2026, at the Alphamega Stadium in Limassol, Cyprus. The opening leg at the Red Bull Arena was tightly contested and delayed by heavy rain. FC Salzburg managed to secure a slim victory via an 88th-minute strike from substitute striker Haris Tabaković. In a crucial schedule shift, the initial venues were swapped. Salzburg had to host the first leg because their home ground, Red Bull Arena, is hosting the blockbuster UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa. Losing home advantage for the decisive second leg could heavily impact Salzburg, given their poor traveling record. Pafos is historically formidable on Cypriot soil, boasting an active three-game competitive home winning streak with an aggregate scoreline of 8-0. In stark contrast, Salzburg enters this fixture having lost 8 of their last 10 European away matches. Ricardo Sá Pinto’s side will lean on an experienced defensive back-three consisting of former Champions League winner David Luiz, David Goldar, and Nicholas Ioannou. Influential winger Jaja remains out with an ACL injury. Midfielder Ken Sema is suspended following a late red card in the first leg. Newly signed attacker Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu is not eligible to play in this round. Manager Julian Schuster will have to carefully manage a squad that played to a 1-1 domestic draw against Wolfsberger over the weekend. The first leg proved costly for the Austrians. Attacker Enrique Aguilar (forearm injury), alongside midfielders Soumaïla Diabaté and Gaoussou Diakité (both thigh injuries), have been ruled out. Johannes Moser is also sidelined. First-leg hero Haris Tabaković and young star forward Karim Konaté are both pushing to lead the line from the opening whistle. Prediction: OVER 2.5 GOALS @ 1.85