The first week of the 2026-27 Champions League closes without a winner in the two matches already completed in Thursday's schedule. Roma and Fenerbahçe drew 1-1, the same scoreline recorded between PSV and Shakhtar Donetsk. In Eindhoven, the goal that restored parity came courtesy of Sergiño Dest, a US international and PSV player.
Two draws naturally do not define the course of a European season, but they immediately establish a concrete reality for all four teams: none managed to turn their opener into a full advantage. In the early stages of the Champions League, as the schedule begins to distribute opponents and pressure across multiple fronts, every single point can shift how the next match is viewed. For Roma and Fenerbahçe, the 1-1 draw leaves an open challenge in terms of performance; for PSV and Shakhtar, the result confirms a contest that remained open until the hosts' reaction.
Roma-Fenerbahçe, an opener without decisive breakthroughs
The draw between Roma and Fenerbahçe is one of the first verdicts from the final day of the opening round of fixtures. The 1-1 scoreline reflects a match in which neither side was able to build the margin needed to shape their European debut. It is not a result to be dismissed as mere caution: on matchday one, a point offers continuity, but it resolves none of the competitive questions surrounding the Champions League campaign.
For Roma, the clash with Fenerbahçe comes in a round that puts heavy focus on the weight of debuts. A win would have provided an immediate head start; instead, the draw forces them to seek in upcoming fixtures the momentum that the first match failed to deliver. The same reading applies to Fenerbahçe: coming away with a point leaves their qualification hopes intact, but requires turning the next opportunity into a more definitive step forward.
The significance of the result must be viewed within the context of the competition, nothing more. At this point in the European season, no definitive verdicts exist—neither for those who drew nor for those yet to play. What does exist, however, is a table beginning to take shape and an already heightened state of alert: in such a high-profile tournament, every misstep or regret lingers far longer than it does on the domestic calendar.
Dest delivers PSV's response
The other 1-1 draw of the matchday has an identifiable protagonist. PSV caught up with Shakhtar Donetsk thanks to Sergiño Dest, who scored the equalising goal. For the Dutch club, it is a goal that averts an opening-day defeat and preserves a point in a match that threatened to leave a heavier mark on their European campaign.
Dest is one of the most recognisable names in US soccer on the continental stage, and his goal places PSV in a different position compared to what a home defeat would have produced. The key fact, beyond the individual narrative, is that his play restored parity to the scoreline: Shakhtar failed to take away all three points, while PSV did not immediately find themselves chasing rivals in the standings who managed to win their openers.
For Shakhtar, it remains an away draw earned against European-calibre opposition. It is not the maximum possible return after taking the lead, but it is a result that adds a point to the initial tally and keeps the team within touching distance in this newly started phase. For PSV, on the other hand, the comeback prevents an opening fixture from turning into an immediate uphill chase. These are subtle differences, but in the Champions League, they often become significant as the matchdays progress.
The matchday continues with four matches
The two drawn matches do not exhaust Thursday's schedule. Indeed, matchday one of the Champions League continues with Como-RB Leipzig, Bayern Monaco-Bodø/Glimt, Manchester United-Sabah, and Slavia Praga-Lens. These are the final four fixtures that round off the opening week of the competition.
The schedule brings together clubs with different profiles and expectations, another factor that makes the opening matchday significant off the pitch as well. For the teams involved, the Champions League represents international exposure, campaign-related revenues, and a sporting test that overlaps with domestic league commitments. The draws in Roma-Fenerbahçe and PSV-Shakhtar are a reminder of how difficult it is to establish a straightforward trajectory right away: even a single point at this stage can be defended as a useful foundation or perceived as a missed opportunity.
Among the matches still to be played, attention is also turned to Manchester United's return to the Champions League. Sabah is listed as a newcomer to the competition, while Bayern Monaco and Bodø/Glimt, Como and RB Leipzig, Slavia Praga and Lens round off a fixture list that closes the first set of matches. These results will provide a clearer picture of the matchday, without altering the established outcome for Roma, Fenerbahçe, PSV and Shakhtar: their start remains suspended at 1-1.
In the upcoming rounds, what will matter most is how the teams capitalize on this draw. Roma will need to build on the point earned against Fenerbahçe; PSV must determine whether the comeback sparked by Dest can signal lasting momentum. Fenerbahçe and Shakhtar, for their part, will have the chance to evaluate the result in light of their upcoming fixtures. The Champions League has only just begun, but the initial ground to make up or defend has already been established.
