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After an entertaining debut for the new format two weeks ago, the UEFA Champions League returns on Tuesday with a new series of highly anticipated matches. Paris Saint-Germain’s visit to Arsenal is the headline act of Matchday 2, when they will provide a good glimpse of their potential post-Kylian Mbappe, but it is only one of a few high-profile matches. Bayer Leverkusen will take on a resurgent AC Milan, backed by the in-form Christian Pulisic, while Aston Villa’s first Champions League night at home in four decades comes against league leaders Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, a handful of top sides are looking forward to their first wins of the season after some highly competitive matches on Matchday 1. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will be looking forward to their first win of the season as they start life 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 come on as a substitute, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen is recovering after rupturing his patellar tendon.
Here’s what you need to know before you tune in.
How to watch
Biggest+ will have every minute of Champions League action for Matchday 2, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will provide additional coverage. The UEFA Champions League Today pre- and post-match shows will be broadcast on both Biggest+ And CBS Sports Networkwhile Biggest+ will be home to The Golazo Show and every match on matchday 2. CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will each have select games, while CBS Sports Golazo Network will wrap up the daily action with new episodes of Scoreline and the Champions Club.
Matchday 2 TV schedule
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Storylines for Matchday 2
1. PSG’s big post-Mbappe test
Paris Saint-Germain may be off to an unbeaten start this season, but their 1-0 win over Girona to open the Champions League campaign offered a mixed bag of takeaways for a youthful team. They took advantage of Paulo Gazzaniga’s own goal in the 90th minute and did little with their 26 shots and 2.1 expected goals. However, their otherwise dominant performance suggests there is reason to be optimistic about Luis Enrique’s team as they map out life without Mbappe – even if the jury is still out on how good they are at the moment.
Tuesday’s visit to the Emirates Stadium should provide answers to questions about PSG’s prospects. Arsenal boast arguably the best defense in Europe, meaning Enrique’s attackers will need to improve on their Matchday 1 performances if they are to find the back of the net on Tuesday. The match will also provide a valuable glimpse into PSG’s defensive form, as they have remained relatively untested in that category to start the season. The visitors’ saving grace could well be Arsenal’s inconsistent attack in Martin Odegaard’s absence. The final outcome 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 tour
This time, two weeks ago, it felt like the only bright spot for AC Milan this season was Pulisic, who had no trouble creating and scoring goals even as his team struggled to win. But before matchday 2, Milan corrects its course and looks 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 joined by a team that is finally getting to know itself. Alvaro Morata, Theo Hernandez and Matteo Gabbia have been on the scoresheet alongside Pulisic in recent weeks, most notably in the 2-1 win over Inter, which offered a first show of confidence in new manager Paulo Fonseca. Milan are now on a three-match winning streak in Serie A, in a strong position going into Tuesday’s game against Leverkusen. Although the German champions are in fine form, especially with their 4-0 win over Feyenoord on Matchday 1, they have been quite porous at the back, conceding ten goals in five league games.
It could be the perfect setup for a big performance from Milan, especially as they look to earn their first points of their European campaign.
3. Litmus test for Villa, Bayern
The most talked-about match scheduled for Wednesday is Bayern Munich’s trip to Aston Villa, a match between two in-form teams. Bayern were the most dominant team on Matchday 1 with their 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb and remain top of the Bundesliga after Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Bayer Leverkusen, a match they dominated despite being somewhat neutralized in the attack. They are the oddsmakers’ favorites to win at Villa Park this week, but not for a lack of effort from Aston Villa. They have recorded four wins in six games to start their Premier League season and are just two points behind leaders Liverpool. They also started their Champions League season with a 3-0 win over Young Boys.
For both, it still feels a bit too early to tell whether this early form will hold up. That is why Wednesday’s confrontation has a lot 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 sore point for Unai Emery’s side could benefit Bayern, especially as Villa have kept things tighter than necessary in games against Ipswich Town, West Ham and Everton, but defending isn’t exactly Byern’s strength either. Vincent Kompany’s side have conceded six goals in six games in all competitions, which could be good news for Villa after conceding 17 goals in eight games.
An entertaining match could be in store on Wednesday, which may seem fitting for Aston Villa’s first Champions League in four decades.