Alexis Mac Allister, Michael Olise, Aston Villa – Which players and clubs will make their Champions League debut?

When it comes to the start of the UEFA Champions League season, one thing is guaranteed: an all-star cast.

Some of the greatest players in world football compete against each other every week to find out who will take home the Champions League crown this season.

Players such as Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah, Thibaut Courtois and Robert Lewandowski will all take part in arguably the most important club competition in football.

There will also be no shortage of star players on the coaching bench: with players like Carlo Ancelotti, Hansi Flick, Pep Guardiola, Diego Simeone and Unai Emery, intense tactical battles lie ahead in the coming weeks and months.

However, each new Champions League season also brings with it a new generation of players who reach the elite level for the first time.

Be patient with us Aston Villa fans!

We understand that the European Cup was not invented in 1992.

Aston Villa are one of the few teams to have been crowned European champions when they surprised the football world by defeating Bayern Munich in the 1982 final.

However, this season will be Villa's first time taking part in the competition since the format was overhauled in the 1992/93 season and developed into the Champions League as we know it today.

One of the players who will make his debut on the European elite stage for the first time is the club's main striker, Ollie Watkins.

This was a remarkable rise for the 28-year-old, who was still playing in an amateur league just under a decade ago.

Watkins was in the best form of his career at Villa under manager Emery last season and his 19 Premier League goals catapulted the club into the top four and this year's Champions League.

In just a short space of time, Michael Olise has developed into one of the most exciting talents in world football.

Olise made his Premier League debut in 2021 after joining Crystal Palace from Championship side Reading, and his talent has continued to develop since then.

During his time with the south London outfit, he scored 16 goals and provided 25 assists, and his performances earned him a move to Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich at the start of the current season.

His absence at Palace is clearly felt, with the team still winless in their first four Premier League games this season, but Olise is starting to shine in Bayern.

It is incredible that Alexis Mac Allister will be playing in the Champions League for the first time this year.

The midfielder played a key role in Argentina winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and was subsequently part of the team that won this year's Copa America.

But despite his experience of big matches on the international stage, Mac Allister will certainly have butterflies in his stomach when he hears the famous Champions League anthem for the first time with Liverpool.

Interestingly, Mac Allister's first experience of European football came last season when Liverpool reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

Mac Allister has made a big impression at Anfield since leaving Brighton last year and will be hoping to win a title with the Reds this season.

What a ride it has been for the La Liga club!

Girona are usually considered the younger sibling of Catalonia, while Barcelona get all the attention. However, last season they improved and managed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the club's history.

At the start of last season, Michel Sanchez's team went on a remarkable run and were among the contenders for the league title until around February. The team quickly became known as the “Spanish Leicester”.

Unfortunately, they failed in the title fight but still managed to win the league title, defeating rivals Barca and finishing third ahead of Atletico Madrid last season.

When Leicester first qualified for the competition, the club made it to the quarter-finals. Can Girona repeat that feat?

For Bologna, like Aston Villa, this is their first participation in the Champions League. However, the club was already represented in Europe's elite league 60 years ago.

Unlike the Premier League team, Bologna could not engrave its name on the trophy as its only appearance in the European Cup came in the preliminary round.

However, the Italians will be looking to make history in the new competition format after finishing fifth in Serie A last season – benefitting from the Italian league achieving one of the highest UEFA coefficients.

Although Bologna lost their top player Joshua Zirkzee to Manchester United this season, the club will not shy away from making its mark in European football under new coach Vincenzo Italiano.

The Ligue 1 club is ready to make its Champions League debut this season.

Brest were in impressive form in the 2023/24 season, finishing third behind PSG and Monaco, securing a place in Europe's elite football table.

Unfortunately for their fans, Champions League matches will be played at rivals Guingamp's stadium as Brest's 102-year-old stadium could not meet UEFA's requirements.

However, this should not distract from the fact that the club is taking part in the Champions League for the first time in its history and will certainly want to cause one or two surprises along the way.

Vincent Kompany has made 51 appearances for Manchester City in the Champions League, but being on the pitch and being in the dugout are two very different experiences. Despite suffering relegation with Burnley last season, Kompany has been appointed Bayern manager for this season and will hope that his experience as a player can help him and his team to succeed in the competition this year.