A Look at the Top Champions League Matches of the Week
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
Premier League sides welcome European giants to England
In the first round of the Champions League, we saw three of the Premier League’s representatives head abroad to get their campaigns underway, and this week, they will have the chance to play host to some of Europe’s elite clubs.
Perhaps the most tantalizing fixture on the cards this week will be Arsenal facing off against Paris Saint-Germain at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night! Mikel Arteta’s troops kicked off their Champions League campaign with a tough trip to the Gewiss Stadium to face Atalanta last week and returned with a point from a match that was extremely well-balanced, with both sides struggling to create many clear-cut chances.
Of course, the major concern for Gunners’ fans here is the absence of their club captain Martin Odegaard!
The Norwegian has been central to Arsenal’s attack in recent seasons, and without him, they are undoubtedly missing a creative spark that could prove costly here with the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Marco Asensio fit and firing for the visitors. Les Parisiens will also be looking to right their wrongs from round one where they were far from convincing and required a Paulo Gazzaniga own-goal in the dying moments to get by Girona.
The Gunners are currently showing up as massive favorites in this one and you can check out our expert’s Arsenal vs PSG Champions League prediction right here, free of charge!
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Bet on the Champions LeagueCan Arne Slot secure victory in his first Champions League match at Anfield?
On Wednesday, Anfield will come to life as Liverpool prepare to lock horns with Bologna, looking to extend their winning start to the competition. Indeed, the Reds put in a very impressive performance in round one, recovering from an early shock goal by Christian Pulisic to claim a commanding 3-1 victory at the San Siro Stadium in Milan with Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai all finding the target.
History will be made here as Liverpool and Bologna have never faced each other in a competitive matchup in the past!
Bologna had the season that dreams are made of in 2023-24, as Thiago Motta guided I Rossoblu back to Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since their last Serie A title win in 1964. However, Veltri are not the same side they were last season. Motta’s stint with the club ended in the summer, with the Italian tactician heading to Turin to manage Juventus. Additionally, star players such as Riccardo Calafiori, Joshua Zirkzee and Marko Arnautovic made big-money moves elsewhere during the offseason, which has notably affected their performances this term, as was evident in their fairly poor goalless draw against Shakhtar Donetsk in round one.
Place a wager on Liverpool vs BolognaHarry Kane looking to rob the Villans of three points
It is sure to be an emotional evening for the Aston Villa faithful, as they prepare to welcome top-flight European football back to Villa Park for the first time since 1982, and how fitting it is that they face the mighty Bayern Munich - the exact opponent they beat in that historic final over four decades ago to claim the then European Cup title. Unai Emery’s side notched up a very impressive opening-round win over Young Boys in Switzerland last week, but this will be a much sterner test for the Lions, who are inserted as the clear underdogs in this contest.
Will Harry Kane mark his return to England with a goal and maintain the Bavarian’s lead in the table?
That’s right, the Three Lions’ captain Harry Kane is set to return to his homeland this week after leading his team to a resounding 9-2 victory in round one, scoring an incredible four goals in the rout over Dinamo Zagreb. His haul against the Croatian 1. HNL champions also saw him become the highest-scoring English player in Champions League history, now on 33, surpassing Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney’s 30. Kane’s remarkable feat was also the most he’s ever scored in a Champions League match and also made him the first player in the history of the competition to net a hat-trick of penalties in a single match.
Bet on Harry Kane to scoreBayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid aim to maintain perfect records
German and Spanish champions Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid both kicked off their Champions League campaigns with solid performances, with the Bundesliga side claiming a 4-0 win over Feyenoord and the La Liga giants taking down Stuttgart 3-1 at the Bernabeu. This week, Xabi Alonso’s men will have to find the same level of performance against a much tougher opponent in AC Milan at home, while Kylian Mbappe will return to France for the first time since joining Los Blancos to face a familiar foe in Lille at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Die Werkself and Los Merengues are both massive favorites to win their round two matchups this week!
For AC Milan and Lille, this round will feel like a must-win, as both sides suffered defeat in their opening match against Liverpool and Sporting Lisbon respectively. Those losses see them enter week two outside the playoff qualification places, with Rossoneri currently sat in 29th place while Lille are right behind them in 30th, and a second consecutive Champions League defeat this week will leave both teams with a mountain to climb from then on.
