The UEFA Champions League group stage kicks off on Tuesday with a pair of Europe’s finest squaring off in the headlining matchup of Matchday 1.
Paris Saint-Germain hosts Juventus on Tuesday at the Parc Des Princes, aiming to begin its quest towards a first-ever UCL title on a high note. PSG is unbeaten in seven-straight in domestic action to start the new season while Juventus is unbeaten in five-consecutive matches. Kylian Mbappe and Susan Vlahovic headlines the attacking talent in this contest.
Wednesday’s action is headlined by Bayern Munich’s trip to Inter Milan in Group C play. Bayern sits third in the opening stages of the new Bundesliga season while Inter Milan is eighth in Serie A following a 3-2 rivalry loss to rivals AC Milan on Saturday. Lautaro Martinez and Sadio Mane will be among the star-studded attackers for both squads.
Elsewhere, Napoli hosts Liverpool in a first head-to-head showdown since 2019 while defending winners Real Madrid pay Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic a visit.
Here is a closer look at all four matches scheduled this week in UCL play:
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Juventus
(Tuesday, 3 p.m., TUDN/Paramount+/Univision)
Paris Saint-Germain has rolled to a dominant start in domestic competition so far, but the UEFA Champions League is where this star-studded roster truly wants to focus on. PSG has won six of its opening seven matches in France, outscoring its opponents 28-4 over that span. Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi have combined for 17 goals and 12 assists in league play so far, continuing to be the deadliest trio in all of world soccer.
Juventus is unbeaten in five-straight to kick off its Serie A schedule, most recently tying Fiorentina 1-1 away from home. Dusan Vlahovic leads the way with four goals in league action while Arkadiusz Milik has two and Angel Di Maria has one. Defensively, Gleison Bremer and Danilo are among the regular starters in Massimiliano Allegri’s backline, but will have their work cut out for them this week.
Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich
(Wednesday, 3 p.m., Paramount+)
Two teams not only pushing for league supremacy but Champions League trophies will square off at the San Siro on Wednesday.
Inter Milan has lost two of its last three matches to Lazio and AC Milan respectively, slipping in the Serie A title race already. Lautaro Martinez and Joaquin Correa have been among the top offensive options for Inter once again, totaling five goals in league play, while Denzel Dumfries has two assists to date. Romelu Lukaku remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Bayern Munich has yet to lose in domestic competitions so far, but is sitting in third place in the Bundesliga table through five matches. Recent draws against Borussia Moenchengladbach and Union Berlin have Bayern sitting behind Freiburg and Borussia Dortmund in the league table, although there are still many months to go. Jamal Musiala and Sadio Mane have combined for six goals so far and will bring plenty of pace and creativity to the San Siro this week.
Napoli vs. Liverpool
(Wednesday, 3 p.m., Paramount+)
In a first meeting since the 2019 group stage, Napoli will face off with Liverpool in Group A action.
Liverpool makes the trip to Italy sitting seventh in the Premier League standings, most recently tying Merseyside rivals Everton 0-0 at Goodison Park. Jurgen Klopp possesses one of the dynamic attacking units in Europe, but is still without several key midfielders including Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, and Naby Keita. Youngsters Fabio Carvalho and Harvey Elliott have been forced into a larger role during the early stages of the season due to the absences of Henderson, Thiago, and Keita.
Napoli is second in Serie A, posting a five-match unbeaten start to its quest for the Scudetto. A recent 2-1 road win over Lazio will only give Luciano Spalletti’s side added confidence heading into a tough clash with Liverpool. Georgian international Khvicha Kvaratskhelia leads the team with four goals while Min-Jae Kim and Victor Osimhen have also registered four goals between themselves. Piotr Zielinski will run a lot of the show in midfield after already registering three assists.
Celtic vs. Real Madrid
(Tuesday, 3 p.m., Paramount+)
Defending Scottish Premiership winners Celtic will face what arguably could be its toughest opponent this season in the form of Real Madrid.
Ange Postecoglou’s side have rolled to a 6-0-0 record in the Premiership so far, most recently hammering Old Firm rivals Rangers 4-0 at Parkhead. Kyogo Furuhashi and Liel Abada have combined for 12 goals so far, while Jota and three additional players have already scored one or more goals apiece. USMNT defender Cameron Carter-Vickers has been a superb acquisition for the club, but will have a tough assignment against Karim Benzema and his offensive teammates.
Real Madrid is 4-0-0 in La Liga play so far, scoring two goals or more in each of their opening matches. Benzema has picked up where he left off last season, scoring three goals and adding one assist. Vinicius Junior has also scored three goals for Los Blancos, while veteran centerback David Alaba has one goal and two assists. The French connection of Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni could be called on to start alongside Luka Modric in midfield.
Here is a full schedule of this week’s UCL Matches:
**All matches are 3 p.m. ET unless stated otherwise
Tuesday
Dinamo Zagreb vs. Chelsea – 12:45 p.m.
Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Kopenhagen – 12:45 p.m.
Red Bull Salzburg vs. AC Milan
Celtic vs. Real Madrid
RB Leipzig vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Sevilla vs. Manchester City
Benfica vs. Maccabi Haifa
PSG vs. Juventus
Wednesday
Ajax vs. Rangers – 12:45 p.m.
Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Sporting Lisbon – 12:45 p.m.
Napoli vs. Liverpool
Atletico Madrid vs. FC Porto
Club Brugge vs. Bayer Leverkusen
Barcelona vs. Viktoria Plzen
Inter Milan vs. Bayern Munich
Tottenham vs. Marseille