Champions League Under The Lights: Munich, Paris & Liverpool Roar Across Europe (Part 2) | OneFootball

Champions League football is finally back. After such a thrilling campaign last time out with the new League Phase format as well as Paris Saint-Germain taking center stage in Munich in a historic night against Inter, European football’s elite competition returns bigger and greater than ever before.

So many contenders, so many dark horses, so many exciting games. This is your Champions League matchday 1 preview, part 2, as we look into Wednesday’s top matches.

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid

Those with good memory will remember when these sides clashed in the Round of 16 of the Champions League during the 2019/20 season, where Atletico Madrid went on to dump out the then Champions of Europe after extra time at Anfield.

Liverpool were on course to win the Premier League title whilst a global pandemic was also on the brink on putting the world on hold. When these sides meet, it’s always a fascinating game. The stubborn defensive shapes Diego Simeone comes up with and the attacking dynamism and excitement that Jurgen Klopp’s, and now Arne Slot’s Liverpool sides bring.

This is the first time Slot will meet Simeone since the Dutchman’s Feyenoord side were beaten by Atletico Madrid 3-1 in 2023/24. The Spanish side haven’t beaten Liverpool since that famous night at Anfield in 2020, with the reigning champions of England winning the previous two meetings 3-2 at the Wanda Metropolitano and 2-0 at Anfield during the 2021/22 campaign in the Champions League Group Stage.

From the tactical side of things, it should be expected it’ll be a game of attack vs defense. Liverpool have all the tools in the locker to break down Atletico Madrid with the likes of Gakpo, Salah, Ekitike, Wirtz and possibly Alexander Isak if he plays too.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have the capability of frustrating any side in European football with their defensive set up but in recent times they haven’t been so tight with the lock on their door. This should make it fascinating as to how it plays out with Atletico Madrid also posing the threat on the counter attack if given the opportunity to.

Slavia Prague vs Bodø/Glimt

For the first time ever, Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt will be competing in the Champions League after making it through the qualifying rounds, which included a 5-0 thrashing against Sturm Graz. The job done by Head Coach Kjetil Knutsen has been quite simply remarkable since he took over in November 2017. Once a second division side in Norway, he has not just been able to stabilise them as a top flight side as they’ve also won the title in four of the last five seasons and now reaching the Champions League. Doing that with a side that isn’t known as a big side in Norway historically, that is some achievement.

Kjetil Knutsen has also developed an exciting team that plays on the front foot and particularly at their home ground, they have caused many teams a lot of problems. This includes that infamous 6-1 victory over Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma in the 2021/22 Conference League season. Knutsen also helped guide Bodø/Glimt to the Semi Final of the Europa League last season, where they fell short to eventual winners Tottenham.

Slavia Prague are well known as one of the giants in Czechian football, consistently winning trophies domestically and competing in European football whilst also developing top talent, including El Hadji Malick Diouf who joined West Ham in the summer. Whilst Slavia Prague haven’t been so dominant in terms of League titles like Bodø/Glimt have been across the last five seasons, they have consistently competed with the top sides in Czechian football. Last season they won the title with a 16 point margin (90) ahead of closest challengers Viktoria Plzen (74).

Like Kjetil Knutsen for Bodø/Glimt, Jindrich Trpisovsky has done a fantastic job for Slavia Prague. Appointed in January 2018, he has helped the club win four league titles. He has also taken them to the Europa League Quarter Final, where they were beaten by Chelsea in 2018/19. He has also won 4 Czech cups with Slavia Prague. Like Knutsen has done for Bodø/Glimt, he’s given Slavia Prague stability as well as top level success.

How this plays out from a tactical perspective should be quite interesting. Bodø/Glimt like to be on the front foot, taking games to opponents and pressing in a very intense manner when there’s an opportunity to force a high turnover. Slavia Prague are known for having good technical players but also over the years have produced and still have good physical bodies that can make it a bit rough and tough. It’ll be the battle of who has the composure, the balance and ultimately the final third quality. An intriguing battle between two of the most exciting teams in this year Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Atalanta

The European champions are the team to watch at the moment, by far the very best and the most exciting. Luis Enrique’s side begin their defence of the Champions League trophy at home on Wednesday night when they welcome Ivan Juric’s Atalanta to the Parc des Princes. In terms of goalscoring this season, PSG scored two in their opening two Ligue 1 games (both 1-0 wins), which by their incredibly high standards is a slow start. But when they travelled to face Toulouse, they really woke up and got going when they tore them to shreds, winning 6-3 in the end and João Neves scored three outrageously good goals to complete a wonderful hatrrick on the night.

PSG may have been beaten by Chelsea in the Club World Cup Final, with the London based side the better team on the day, but there is no doubt among a majority of supporters that in this season’s Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain are the team to beat and they are once again among the favorites to lift the Champions League trophy again.

It’s been a summer of change in Bergamo as Gian Piero Gasperini swapped Atalanta for AS Roma and the Italian side decided to bring back a former assistant, Ivan Juric, to succeed the Italian in the dugout. This appointment raised many eyebrows, considering Juric had a total disaster with AS Roma and Southampton last season. But the beginning to his life as Atalanta Head Coach has been steady. Atalanta remain unbeaten after three games, with the Bergamo based outfit picking up their first win under Ivan Juric over the weekend when they comfortably defeated Lecce 4-1.

In principle, the way Atalanta play under Juric isn’t too different to how Gasperini set the side up. Three at the back, two wing hacks, the double pivot, two no10s and the single striker. The Croatian coach hasn’t exactly had it all easy so far with star attacker Ademola Lookman wanting to leave in the summer transfer window, and he is yet to make an appearance this season because he really wanted to leave. Inter were one of the sides heavily interested, Juventus also had interest. But a move didn’t materialise for the African footballer of the year.

Now let’s look at the tactical side of this game. Paris Saint-Germain are expected to hold a lot of possession and maintain significant control over the ball, they’ll aim to move it quickly and they hope with the dynamic movements of their forward line, that they can find pockets of space to exploit Atalanta and pick them apart.

Atalanta’s discipline will be key here, they will look to press but the discipline as to when to press and when to sit in a block will be so important. For them, timing and balance is important and when they do turnover the possession, fast breaks will be really important and the wing backs must be prepared to do plenty of running up and down their respective flanks.

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea

One of the most dangerous and exciting teams in Europe vs a young hungry Chelsea side who continue to go from strength to strength. Vincent Kompany has brought an excitement and dynamism back to the German giants since he joined the club in 2024. With such attacking quality with the likes of Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and Luis Díaz, they are capable of hurting anybody at any time. In terms of the Club World Cup and the Champions League last season, Bayern probably did under perform their potential because it’s a team capable of winning big games and big trophies. There was no doubt domestically they’d wipe the floor with the competition they had.

Already this season, Vincent Kompany’s side have got off to a flying start in the Bundesliga, winning their opening three games where they have scored 14 goals and just let two in. This includes that opening night thrashing against RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena, where they won 6-0. There is no sign of all that attacking quality going away either, despite having to cope with the absence of Jamal Musiala. Like Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich will definitely be among the favourites to win the Champions League this season.

Chelsea have began this season at a steady pace and manner. They remain unbeaten after their first four Premier League games, which includes that 2-0 win over Fulham where there was VAR controversy. They’ve added more young players and youthful quality with high potential with Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, João Pedro, Liam Delap, Jorrel Hato and Facundo Buonanotte. They like to control games with plenty of possession, they aim to use the wide areas with the dynamic wingers they have either side and also the constant interchanging between the attackers leaves opposition defences guessing.

This should be really fascinating how things go tactically between Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Both teams want to be proactive, to control games with the ball, to use clever movement and interchanging to create space, use wide areas to be direct and aggressive. One of these sides will have to adapt, tweak, find a different method if possible. The key in this game will definitely be the battle in midfield with Joshua Kimmich the key for Bayern Munich whilst Moises Caicedo will be important for Chelsea.

Hopefully you enjoyed this in depth look into the top matches on Wednesday night in the Champions League. There’s so many interesting battles among so many brilliant teams all across Europe and it should be a night you will not want to miss. Stay tuned for part 3.