Di Champions League don return with another busy midweek schedule, and eyes dey on which team show strongest after first round.
Opening week fixtures produce big wins for holders Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, while Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa pick away victories to start with three points.
Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid for home, and Manchester United mark dia return to Champions League with 4-0 win over debutants Sabah.
PSG and Manchester City go meet for matchday two, one encounter wey get significance beyond football.
Power rankings for 36 teams combine previous Champions League performance, results so far, and likelihood of going all the way. PSG na back-to-back defending champions and still di team to beat, despite indifferent domestic start. Luis Enrique team don prove say dem sabi peak at right time. Dem fit finish outside top eight for group phase and still be favourites because of midfield brilliance of Vitinha and Joao Neves plus attacking quality of Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Dia next two fixtures away to Manchester City and home to Barcelona dey intriguing on paper, but French champions know real work starts February.
Arsenal na last season runner-up and dem want go one better after heartbreaking penalty defeat to PSG. Mikel Arteta side squad depth mean say dem get very good chance to finish top two for group phase. Early season form of Martin Odegaard, who fit be like new signing, fit give Arsenal more edge for attack.
Barcelona look like Europe in-form side after devastating start where Hansi Flick team score 22 goals in first five games, hitting five goals in four of those matches. Even without replacing Robert Lewandowski, apart from free signing of Gabriel Jesus, dia attack don spark: Raphinha off to flyer, Lamine Yamal set to return stronger after hamstring injury, and addition of Rodri give Barcelona experience and muscle for midfield. Tougher tests await but if Barcelona continue dia run through tricky away tests against Galatasaray and holders PSG, LaLiga champions fit find themselves top of list and inspire confidence say dem fit compete for first Champions League crown since 2015.
Bayern Munich feel like dem dey verge of breakthrough last season after finishing second to Arsenal for league phase and ending hoodoo against Real Madrid for quarter-final. Semi-final against PSG show maybe Vincent Kompany team na finest side for Europe last season after eventual winners. If Harry Kane continue astonishing goalscoring and Michael Olise continue unlock new levels, Bayern go dey there or thereabouts. As with PSG supremacy for France, dia dominance of Bundesliga likely give German champions advantage over Premier League and Spanish rivals come April and May.
For Manchester City, e feel like more of stretch to call dem contenders. Summer of change and impacts of Premier League verdict fit significant. Quality dey throughout team, but Guardiola win just one Champions League title in 10 years at City, record many consider underperformance for Europe top competition. Wins over PSG and Barcelona would be statement results. Real Madrid, 15-time winners, still get aura for competition, with opening 2-1 win over Inter offering throwback to Carlo Ancelotti days: Inter control first half but find themselves trailing 2-0 as Real Madrid inevitably score from first two shots. Jose Mourinho return to Bernabeu charged with preventing third consecutive season without trophy. Real Madrid still get same conundrum of how to get Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr playing together for balanced side, and dem look light for midfield after missing out on Rodri.
Liverpool sit outside top tier of contenders, and e go be surprise if dem win Champions League for dia first season under Andoni Iraola. Issues for midfield and defence abound, lack of squad depth fit cost dem, but potential of attack if Iraola get tune out of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and new signing Bradley Barcola ahead of Hugo Ekitike return from injury. A relatively kind fixture list helps, as does Liverpool record for Champions League recent years. PSG don knock dem out for last two seasons.
Inter memories of last two seasons sting, with 5-0 defeat to PSG for 2025 final before Bodo/Glimt knock dem out for last season knockout play-off for one of Champions League biggest shocks. Serie A champions remain strongest side for Italy, and tactical flexibility of dia 3-5-2 with flying wing-backs and Lautaro Martinez and Marcus Thuram forming strong front-two fit offer edge for some games. Even before trip to Bernabeu, Inter group-phase fixtures rated easiest of 36 teams. Atletico Madrid na last season semi-finalists and get added motivation of hosting this season Champions League final at Metropolitano. Yet e go be another colossal overachievement from Diego Simeone to get Atleti into third Champions League final of him 15-year reign. You know wetin you go get from Simeone side for Champions League – knocking out Barcelona for last season quarter-finals remind of dia ability to play underdog role for latter stages.
Manchester United no competitive for Champions League for long, and only two quarter-finals since Sir Alex Ferguson retirement highlight gap to Europe elite. Michael Carrick now tasked with reviving one of continent grandest clubs but this also unfamiliar ground for inexperienced coach who must balance Premier League and European commitments. Opening 4-0 win against Sabah, champions of Azerbaijan, mean United don already equal dia total wins from last Champions League appearance two years ago, but challenging fixture list now await and that go reveal United true level.
Sports Illustrated predict Tuesday Matchday 2 games: Lens 1-2 Sporting CP, Sabah 1-0 Slavia Prague, Arsenal 3-1 Lille, Atletico Madrid 2-1 Man Utd, Galatasaray 0-2 Barcelona, Inter 3-1 Club Brugge, RB Leipzig 2-2 PSV Eindhoven, Viking 0-3 Bayern Munich, and Villarreal 2-1 Napoli. Kickoff times na 5:45 p.m. BST or 12:45 p.m. ET for early games, and 8 p.m. BST or 3 p.m. ET for later games.
Some team news: Arsenal out Hincapie, Zubimendi, Tzolis and Saliba; Lille out Mbappe suspended and Tiago Santos; Atletico Madrid out Koke; Manchester United out Dorgu, Heaton, Mainoo, Mazraoui, Shaw and Ugarte; Inter out Jones and Stones; Barcelona out Raphinha, De Jong and Christensen; Bayern Munich out Musiala with Neuer doubtful; Napoli out Alisson Santos, Anguissa, Olivera and Vergara.
