The Champions League league phase is truly underway, and matchday two is when things begin to take shape. For teams, nine points can almost assure you a place in the top 24, so for teams that won their games on the opening day, this is a great chance to get a leg up on their competition ahead of a matchday three that will see teams begin to separate themselves.
Jose Mourinho will coach his first Champions League match for Benfica after taking over for their previous manager, Bruno Lage, and it’s a date with his former club Chelsea in a return to Stamford Bridge. Galatasaray hosting Liverpool and Eintracht Frankfurt travelling to Atletico Madrid will also be highlights of Tuesday before turning the page to Wednesday’s matches. Barcelona hosting Paris Saint-Germain will headline that day in what is sure to be an epic meeting between two contenders.
How to watch
The second round of league phase fixtures will take place across Tuesday and Wednesday – and all of it will be available to watch on Paramount+, with select additional coverage on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network. Pre-match coverage starts at 12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network each day before select matches air at 12:45 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET, with post-match coverage transitioning to Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The Golazo Show will air on Paramount+, while coverage concludes on CBS Sports Golazo Network with new editions of The Champions Club, which will be simulcast on YouTube, and Scoreline.
Matchday 2 TV schedule
All times U.S./Eastern
Tuesday’s storylines
‘The Special One’ returns: We’re rolling back the clock as “The Special One” will make his return to Stamford Bridge. Mourinho last managed the Blues during two spells, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Community Shield during his time there. Now, he’ll be tasked with pushing Benfica through the league phase. With Cole Palmer out with a groin injury, Chelsea have been struggling, failing to win four of their last five games. With both teams starting off the league phase with losses, they’ll want victories in this match as three points will be critical.
Atleti look to keep it going: Atletico Madrid will have a chance to show that a big derby victory has been a moment to kickstart their season. After a brace by Julain Alvarez, Atleti were able to brush aside Real Madrid 5-2 at home during the weekend. Now hosting one of the dark horses in this tournament, Eintracht Frankfurt, this game could see some goals. Frankfurt scored six in a win over Borussia Monchengladbach during the weekend, and 19-year-old Can Uzun is blossoming as one of the best young players in the world. With six goals and four assists in all competitions, he could eventually be Frankfurt’s next big sale after Hugo Ekitike went to Liverpool during the summer. But there’s work to do first as Frankfurt have expectations after finishing third in the Bundesliga last season, and they’ll want to finish in the top eight during the league phase. Win away to Atleti, and that just may happen.
Wednesday’s storylines
Yamal looks to get going: Lamine Yamal has returned, delivering a game-winning assist against Real Sociedad, and it’s just what the doctor ordered for Barcelona. Without Raphinha, they’ll face PSG on Tuesday in a clash that is fit for the later stages of this tournament. With PSG’s press, Luis Enrique could have a way to keep Barcelona’s high-flying attack at bay, but without Ousmane Dembele, neither team will be at their full strength. That lack of perfection is what will make this a fascinating clash. Barcelona have shown defensive issues while PSG have taken time to score in league play, but as both meet, which will come out on top?
American flavor: Three Americans could clash with Bayer Leverkusen hosting PSV. Malik Tillman will have a chance to face his former club in PSV, after joining Leverkusen during the summer. While form has improved after moving on from Erik ten Hag, Leverkusen dropped points in their first match of UCL play. PSV were embarrassed in a big loss to Union Saint-Gilloise that saw Ricardo Pepi give away a penalty. Both sides will search for improvement, especially since this would be a game where both were expected to get all three points when the schedule came out.
