From Real Madrid’s trip to Kazakhstan to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea return with Benfica, Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League is jam-packed with plenty of intrigue but the theme of the week just might be the opportunity to bounce back as several European heavyweights return to play after weekend losses.
That’s true for Chelsea, who have just three wins in eight games across all competitions this season, many of their matches marred by red cards or their sputtering attack. There is mounting pressure on manager Enzo Maresca to find a winning combination of players after the club spent millions on their perennially bloated squad, all while Mourinho’s Chelsea legacy looms large over the matchup. Fellow English side Liverpool, meanwhile, registered their first defeat of the season on Saturday after a 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace, renewing questions about whether or not their uber-attacking strategy is the right one for a title charge at home and in Europe.
On Wednesday, the attention pivots to two teams who came from behind to win over the weekend — Barcelona and Arsenal. The Gunners scored two late goals at Newcastle United and will now target their second win of the league phase when they take on Olympiacos, while Barcelona host reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain in Matchday 2’s most anticipated match. The game in Barcelona is as high-profile as it gets, both sides target winning the whole thing this season, making this an early test of each side’s mettle.
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The CBS Sports team offers their expert picks and predictions. Take a look below.
Tuesday
Game of the day: Chelsea vs. Benfica
Manager to watch: Jose Mourinho, Benfica: Format, schmormat. This section is supposed to be about the most intriguing, magnetic and game-changing man on the pitch and come on, we all know what that is. The Special One has returned and he is sure to get the warmest of receptions. Will he spoil that by snaring the points at his happiest of hunting grounds? Will he be able to summon up one of those nasty mid blocks that he specialised in during his time at Chelsea? Will this guy be able to give Mourinho a big hug? These, rather than any trifling matters involving the 22 players, are the questions that will define my Tuesday night. — James Benge
Man of the match: Estevao, Chelsea: The Brazilian striker joined Chelsea this summer from Palmeiras for more than $70 million, and there are a lot of expectation around the 18-year old ahead of the match against Benfica due to the injury of Cole Palmer and the disappointing form of the side coached by Enzo Maresca. Estevao is yet to score his first goal at the club and the game against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica is the moment he can shine. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Chelsea 1, Benfica 1 – The narrative looming over this game might actually be more interesting than the game itself. Talisman Vangelis Pavlidis has the goods to put Benfica on the board, but the sum of the team’s parts may not be enough to take all three points out of Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea’s inconsistency signals that they may not have what it takes to string together a convincing win at this point in the season. Settling for a draw feels like the most reasonable outcome for two teams in transition, even if it may not be the most entertaining way to spend 90 minutes. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals (-105): Matches are catching up to Chelsea, and it’s hurting their defensive strength. While games coached by Jose Mourinho are generally low scoring affairs, this return to Stamford Bridge is one where that won’t be the case. Each of Chelsea’s last five matches have seen both teams find the back of the net and over 2.5 goals scored, while Benfica have been good at allowing at least a goal themselves in matches. Put that together with two top forwards on each team in Joao Pedro and Vangelis Pavlidis, and goals will be scored. — Charles Booth
Galatasaray vs. Liverpool
Player to watch: Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray: Liverpool have had their hands full defensively this season and so far they haven’t run into any strikers quite as dangerous as Osimhen just yet. The Nigerian had been sidelined after an ankle ligament issue in the international break but featured off the bench against Alanyaspor on Friday. Osimhen’s ease getting around the pitch, his threatening runs on the deck and sheer strength in the air could cause all sorts of problems for Ibrahima Konate. Perhaps even for Virgil van Dijk. — James Benge
Man of the match: Mo Salah, Liverpool: The striker is expected to deliver one of his remarkable performances against the Turkish side on Tuesday when Liverpool will meet Galatasaray away. Salah, who already scored in the Champions League opener against Atletico Madrid at Anfield, is one of the greatest players in the history of the European tournament and he’s called to show it again this week. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Galatasaray 1, Liverpool 2 – Few would argue that Liverpool look like a balanced team, which can feel like a recipe for disaster for title-chasing teams. There’s an expectation that, at some point, the Reds will stop getting away with this and Saturday’s loss at Crystal Palace may just be the first signal of that. On the other hand, one cannot actually count out a team that has goalscorers who can bail them out of trouble at any given moment so betting against them in a game where they are favored may not actually be the wisest thing. Now that Alexander Isak is getting up to speed, it only reinforces the best parts of their unbalanced strategy, too. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Victor Osimhen to score (+150): Going away to face Galatasaray is no joke, and Liverpool will find that out quickly in this clash. It could be a high scoring affair given the strength of these offenses, but like Benge wrote, all eyes are on Osimhen here. The Nigerian forward has been in and out of the lineup with injuries, but he’ll be ready to go for the UCL lights. The cracks are beginning to be exploited in the Liverpool defense, and that will lead to Osimhen scoring at least once on Tuesday.
— Charles Booth
Wednesday
Game of the day: Barcelona vs. PSG
Player to watch: Lamine Yamal, Barcelona: To put it mildly, there are a few options here. This is the final that the neutrals wanted last season rerun for the league phase, after all. And what a joy it will be to see Yamal on the pitch after he returned from injury against Real Sociedad at the weekend. It didn’t take long for him to make an impact then, delivering the assist for Robert Lewandowski‘s winner. If we have learned anything from the early years of his career so far, he might just do the same this week. — James Benge
Man of the match: Achraf Hakimi, PSG — The Moroccan winger can shine against Barcelona on Wednesday, as the French giants are likely to benefit from the spaces left by the Spanish team when they attack. As we can likely expect a lot goals in this game, Hakimi is one of those players who can take advantage of this tactical situation. He’s still looking for his first goal of the season, and these are the kinds of matches that showcase his qualities.. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Barcelona 2, Paris Saint-Germain 2 – This could have been a very exciting Champions League final four months ago but in this case, this fixture just may be better late than never. Reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain may be without Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Demblee but they still pack plenty of attacking punch, which is remarkable given that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is also questionable, while Lamine Yamal seems destined to live up to the occasion for Barcelona. A draw seems fitting at this early stage of the season between two top-tier sides who are willing and able to make this one of the league phase’s most entertaining matches. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Lamine Yamal to have 2+ shots on target (+130): Lamine Yamal is box office viewing. If you can get it, it’s worth laddering his shots from outside the box, as Yamal hasn’t met a shot that he doesn’t like, and he has the vision and ability to put them all on frame. If PSG keeper Lucas Chevalier isn’t on his game, Yamal will end up scoring a goal, but with Raphinha missing out, the Barcelona man will have plenty of opportunities to rip shots in this one.
— Charles Booth
Game of the day: Arsenal vs. Olympiacos
Player to watch: Martin Odegaard, Arsenal: It has been a frustrating start to the season for the Arsenal captain, who suffered two separate shoulder injuries in the first four games of the season, but his brief cameo away to Newcastle was a sign of his enduring quality. The slide rule pass that found Myles-Lewis Skelly behind the backline was a particular joy as Odegaard immediately got Arsenal playing at a higher tempo. Now he will need to do the same for himself with a good run of minutes at the Emirates. — James Benge
Man of the match: Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal: After scoring three goals in the opening six Premier League matches, the former Sporting CP striker is now looking to score also his first European goal with the Gunners. The home game against Olympiacos is the perfect opportunity to make that happen and show why Mikel Arteta wanted to sign him even before the summer when he joined the English team. — Francesco Porzio
Prediction: Arsenal 3, Olympiacos 0 – Arsenal have spent millions on quality depth in the pursuit of winning major trophies, so expect to see a high-impact performance on Wednesday regardless of who Mikel Arteta selects for the starting lineup. The Gunners may be known for their defense-first tendencies but in games where they are the clear favorites, they have been unflinching in their ability to run up the score so a lopsided win feels likely as they target two wins in two to start the league phase. — Pardeep Cattry
Best bet: Arsenal to win 1-0, 2-0, or 3-0 (+150): The Gunners have showcased that they again have one of the best defenses in the world during the young season, and welcoming Olympiacos to their home, it’s hard to see them conceding a goal. That focus on defense has seen Arsenal not run up the score as much as they could in matches so far this season, which is where this is a match that could cap out at them scoring three goals in a comfortable home victory.
— Charles Booth
