After an entertaining debut for the new format two weeks ago, the UEFA Champions League returns on Tuesday with another slate of highly anticipated matches. Paris Saint-Germain’s trip to Arsenal is the main act of Matchday 2, when they will offer a real glimpse of their potential post-Kylian Mbappe, but it is just one of a number of high-profile clashes. Bayer Leverkusen will face a resurgent AC Milan, backed by an in-form Christian Pulisic, while Aston Villa’s first Champions League night at home in four decades comes against top of the table Bayern Munich.
A handful of top sides, meanwhile, are eyeing their first wins of the campaign after some very competitive games in the 1st leg. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will be looking for their first win of the campaign as they make do without Rodri, who picked up an ACL. injury a week ago. Barcelona, meanwhile, could offer a debut to goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny after luring him out of retirement to start while Marc-Andre ter Stegen recovers from tearing his patellar tendon.
Here’s what you need to know before setting up.
How to look
Most important+ will have every minute of Champions League action for Matchday 2, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will offer additional coverage. The UEFA Champions League Today pre- and post-match shows will air on both Most important+ and CBS Sports Networkwhile Most important+ will be the home of The Golazo Show and every game on Matchday 2. CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will each feature select games, while CBS Sports Golazo Network will close out each day’s action with new episodes of Scoreline and the Champions Club.
Day 2 TV schedule
Always eastern
Plots for Matchday 2
1. PSG’s big post-Mbappe test
Paris Saint-Germain might be off to an unbeaten start this season, but their 1-0 win over Girona to open their Champions League campaign offered a mixed bag of takeaways for a youthful team. They benefited from Paulo Gazzaniga’s 90th minute own goal, doing little with their 26 shots and 2.1 expected goals. Their otherwise dominant performance, however, suggests there is reason to be optimistic about Luis Enrique’s team as they figure out life without Mbappe – even if the jury is still out on how good they are right now.
Tuesday’s trip to the Emirates Stadium should provide some answers to questions about PSG’s prospects. Arsenal boast perhaps the best defense in Europe, which will require Enrique’s attackers to improve on their performance from Day 1 if they plan to find the net on Tuesday. The match will also offer a valuable look at PSG’s defensive form, as they were fairly untested in that category to start the season, although the visitors’ saving grace could be Arsenal’s offensive effort in Martin Odegaard’s absence. The end result is unlikely to be a true indictment of Enrique’s long-term vision for PSG, but rather a progress report on how much work a young team needs before they re-enter the conversation as a contender for Europe’s top club prize.
2. AC Milan’s redemption journey
This time two weeks ago, it felt like the only bright spot for AC Milan this season was Pulisic, who had no problem creating and scoring goals even if his team struggled to win. Ahead of Day 2, however, Milan correct course and look like a real contender against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Pulisic hasn’t stopped scoring – he now has five goals and two assists in seven games – but he is now accompanied by a team that is finally figuring itself out. Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez and Matteo Gabbia have joined Pulisic on the scoresheet in the last two weeks, most notably in the 2-1 win over Inter, which offered a first vote of confidence to new manager Paulo Fonseca. Milan are now on a three-game winning streak in Serie A play, a strong position to be in against Leverkusen on Tuesday. Although the German champions are in good form, especially in their 4-0 win over Feyenoord on matchday 1, they have been quite porous at the back, conceding 10 goals in five league games.
It could be the perfect set-up for a big performance from Milan, especially as they look for their first points of their European campaign.
3. Litmus tests for Villa, Bayern
The highest-profile match scheduled for Wednesday is Bayern Munich’s trip to Aston Villa, a matchup between two in-form teams. Bayern were the most dominant team in Matchday 1 with their 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb and remain top of the Bundesliga after Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Bayer Leverkusen, a match they dominated despite being somewhat neutralized in attack. They are the oddsmakers’ favorites to win at Villa Park this week, although not for lack of effort on Aston Villa’s part. They have four wins in six games to start their Premier League season and are just two points off leaders Liverpool, and also kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 win at Young Boys.
For both, it still seems a bit too early to tell if this early form will continue, which is why Wednesday’s front comes with layers of intrigue. Scoring goals has not been a problem at all for Bayern this season while Villa have been vulnerable at the back, conceding nine goals in six league games. That pain point for Unai Emery’s team could benefit Bayern, especially as Villa kept things tighter than necessary in games against Ipswich Town, West Ham and Everton, but defense isn’t exactly Byern’s forte either. Vincent Kompany’s side have conceded six goals in six games across all competitions, which could be good news for Villa after scoring 17 goals in eight games.
An entertaining game could be in store on Wednesday, which may seem fitting for Aston Villa’s first Champions League win in four decades.
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