Five storylines to watch as Champions League season kicks off

European soccer’s best and brightest will convene this week as the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League season kicks off. Thirty-six clubs from across the continent begin their journey with opening-round matches taking place from Tuesday to Thursday, all with an eye towards reaching the final in June at Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. Some of Europe’s heavy hitters will be there — Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, to name a few. At the same time, four clubs — Como 1907 (Italy), Sabah FK (Azerbaijan), LASK (Austria) and Viking FK (Norway) – will be making their tournament debuts, which promises to add…