UCL Matchday 1: Big Game Previews.

Group H - Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester United.

October 21st, Wednesday, 12:30 am IST.

Manchester United’s return to Champions League Football could hardly get off to a more difficult start, as they face last season’s runners-up Paris Saint-Germain in their first match of the group stage. The last meeting between the two sides was in the 2018-19 Round of 16, where United staged a sensational second-leg comeback to defeat the French Champions. Both sides will be missing key players, as United will be without their captain Harry Maguire & Mason Greenwood, whereas PSG will be missing Marco Verratti and Mauro Icardi, with Marquinhos and Julian Draxler being major doubts. United have started the season on a shaky note but bounced back this weekend after a late but resounding victory over Newcastle United. PSG had several major absentees due to coronavirus earlier in the season, but have since gained stability as they sit second in the table and have recently been in superb form with big victories over Angers & Nimes. All eyes will be on PSG’s star duo of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as they will look to take advantage of Manchester United’s defense that has looked far from convincing, and thus we can expect quite a few goals in this fixture eventually resulting in a PSG victory.

Group A - Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid.

October 22nd, Thursday, 12:30 am IST.

Bayern Munich begin their defense of the CL title with a home fixture against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, who were beaten by fellow German’s RB Leipzig in last season’s quarterfinals. Bayern’s late start to the Bundesliga campaign has seen some poor defensive performances, but the team has carried over its free-flowing attacking form from the previous season, with Robert Lewandowski once again leading the scoring charts. On the other hand, Atletico have disappointingly started the season, dropping points against Huesca and Villarreal. The focus will be on new signings Luis Suarez and Lucas Torriera who will be expected to continue their good performances for Atletico, whereas Douglas Costa could get a start for Bayern Munich on the left flank in place of Kingsley Coman. As neither team have shown their full potential during a hectic start to the season, home advantage and the recent form of Lewandowski could favor Bayern Munich who will be determined to start their defense of the title with a big win.

Group D - Liverpool vs Ajax.

October 22nd, Thursday, 12:30 am IST.

Two of the most successful sides in CL history, sharing 10 titles between them, face off against each other on Matchday 1 as Ajax host Liverpool at The Johann Cryuff Arena. The previous meeting between the two sides dates back to 1966-67 when Dutch Legend Johan Cryuff led Ajax to a 7-3 aggregate victory. Liverpool go into the match looking to shake off the memories of a painful Merseyside Derby, that saw Virgil Van Dijk being possibly ruled out for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury, as well as Thiago Alcantara & Joel Matip suffering injuries which could rule them out of this fixture and leave the English Champions with just 1 senior Centre-Back in the squad in the form of Joe Gomez. Erik ten Hag’s Ajax side have started the season brilliantly with 4 wins from the opening 5 matches, the most recent one being a 5-1 victory over Heerenveen where Dusan Tadic scored a brace. Ajax have no major injury concerns, whereas Klopp’s Liverpool faces massive defensive obstacles as keeper Alisson Becker is still ruled out alongside Van Djik & Joel Matip, which could mean midfielder Fabinho could slot in at Centre-Back. Thiago’s absence could see veteran midfielder James Milner being called into the side, although Naby Keita’s return after testing negative for coronavirus could provide the much-needed strength to the side. Liverpool may not be at their full strength nor in their best form but have enough experience and resilience in the players to grind out a difficult away win and hence we can expect a Classic Champions League Spectacle between two Europen Giants.

Group E - Chelsea vs Sevilla.

October 21st, Wednesday, 12:30 am IST.

Chelsea welcome Europa League winners Sevilla to Stamford Bridge, in what could prove to be a thrilling encounter between two sides who will fancy their chances to proceed to the knockouts. Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side have disappointingly started their league campaign, with just 8 points from the first 5 games, majorly due to defensive troubles. The Blues will be without their new signing, keeper Edouard Mendy, which could mean Kepa Arrizabalaga continues in goal even after a string of poor performances. However, they have been bolstered by the return of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic which gives Lampard a lot of flexibility in terms of attack. Sevilla will be without key center-back Jules Kounde after he tested positive for coronavirus, but are free of any other major injury concerns. Chelsea will be resolved to start the campaign with a big win at home and will depend on the attacking brilliance of Timo Werner, Christian Pulisic, and Kai Havertz to see them through. However, Julien Lopetegui’s Sevilla should not be taken for granted, and we could easily see them earn a goal-scoring draw away from home.

Other fixtures from Matchday 1: