UCL Fantasy 2025/26: Teams With the Best Starting Fixtures
Getting off to a strong start is key in Champions League Fantasy, and fixture difficulty can make all the difference. UCL Fantasy 2025/26: Teams With the Best Starting Fixtures takes a closer look at which sides have the most favourable runs in the opening matchdays, helping managers identify where the early points could come from.
Targeting the right teams from the start can give you an edge over rivals and set the tone for the rest of your campaign.
So, who has the best starting fixtures?
Inter
No side has a better starting schedule than Inter. The Italian giants face Ajax in the opening round, and then meet with Slavia Praha, Union Saint-Gilloise, and Kairat Almaty. All four fixtures could be seen as good opportunities for their assets.
Inter finished their Champions League League Phase in fourth place overall – edging teams like Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern, whilst also racking up a massive seven clean sheets and conceding just one goal. Taking that and the above into account, UCL Fantasy managers could flock to the Italian side, especially for defensive investment.
Tottenham
Tottenham were woeful domestically last season – finishing 17th in the Premier League. Although that was the case, the English side also secured a Europa League win. They have also made several new additions to the squad – including a new manager with a different way of playing.
With two wins from their first three Premier League games – including a 2-0 win against heavy weights Manchester City, Tottenham appear to be on a much better trajectory. This is an extremely positive sign when considering they face Villarreal, Bodo, Monaco and Copenhagen in their first four outings.
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Arsenal
Another London based side feature at the top of the fixture ticker is Arsenal. The Gooners face both Athletic Club and Atleti in their first four matches, games their assets could still have potential in, along with easy matches against Olympiakos and Slavia Praha.
The Gooners have quickly become a team to fear in Europe. As well as finishing second in the Premier League last season, they also progressed all of the way to the semi-finals – after knocking out European giants Real Madrid comfortably.
Atalanta
It has been a ropey start to the campaign for Atalanta – drawing both of their first two matches against opposition they would usually be expected to beat. It’s still early days though, and they were exceptional in Europe last season – finishing ninth in the league – above the likes of Dortmund, Real Madrid, Bayern and PSG.
Atalanta are one of very few sides with two easy and one medium rated fixtures in their first four games. Whilst their opening match against PSG is far from ideal, games after that against Club Brugge, Slavia Praha and Marseille could be too appealing for UCL Fantasy managers to ignore.
Who else has good fixtures?
There are several other sides with a good starting schedule:
- Real Madrid – Los Blancos meet with Liverpool in Matchday 4, but they also meet with Marseille, Kairat and Juventus prior to that.
- Newcastle – A game against Barcelona in Matchday 1 is far from ideal, but the Magpies also play Union Saint-Gilloise, Benfica and Athletic Club which could hold potential.
- Chelsea – The Blues are another side with a solid early schedule. Outside of their Matchday 1 meet with Bayern, Chelsea play Benfica, Ajax and Qarabag.
- Liverpool – Real Madrid in Matchday 4 isn’t a fixture that many will want to target. But, the Reds also face Atleti, Galatasaray and Frankfurt.
