Champions League Matchday 2 Preview
After a huge matchday one, we have a pretty stacked matchday two. Lots of interesting matches. The second match is usually pretty important for a lot of sides that had a disappointing start.
Two losses to start the group stage can make it very hard going forward.
Note, I’m writing this on the weekend before the matches. So, if there’s any breaking team news and I haven’t mentioned it here, it’s likely that it’s happened after writing and I haven’t had time to adjust.
Also… This is a long article.
So, with that out in the open… Let’s get started.
Group A
Lokomotiv Moskva vs Bayern
Bayern were clinical putting four goals past Atletico Madrid in matchday one. It was easily the most impressive match from the first round of matches.
Lokomotiv drew with Salzburg, in what was a good result for them.
Let’s be honest though, Bayern are probably the best team in the world at the moment and shouldn’t have too many problems here.
Some bad news for Bayern though…. Canadian star, and hobby darling, Alphonso Davies unfortunately injured himself in the match over the weekend. I honestly think there’s going to be a lot of injuries this year with a condensed schedule.
Player to Watch: Robert Lewandowski
It’ll be interesting to see who plays for Bayern in the Champions League, but either way, the Polish megastar is one to watch. The man just doesn’t stop scoring goals. Find his rookie card here.
It’s not the most exciting ‘under the radar’ pick, but man… if I had to pick one dude to score this matchday, it’d probably be Lewandowski.
Atlético Madrid vs Salzburg
You know how good I said Bayern were? Atletico were just as bad.
For a team that has based it’s reputation as a defensive juggernaut over the years, Madrid looked terrible when defending.
Salzburg are coming off a draw in the Champions League, but don’t underestimate the Austrian side. As a part of the Red Bull franchise system, Salzburg have a very set way of playing, and are a team that give a lot of great young players their starts.
Still, I do think that Atletico is the second best side in this group, and I still like them to win this match. After all, they’re second in La Liga with a game in hand.
There’s a hint of an upset here, and after Madrid’s embarrassing loss against Bayern, I’d be surprised if they shit the bed two weeks in a row.
Player(s) to Watch: Patson Daka and Dominik Szoboszlai
If Salzburg do pull an upset off here, it’s going to largely be to Patson Daka and Dominik Szoboszlai. They’re two great young players and have great careers ahead of them.
On the other side of the ball, Atletico have an awesome young attacking talent in Joao Felix, but he isn’t really used in a way to showcase that. Hopefully he gets some time to cook.
Group B
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Inter
While Bayern were the most impressive team in matchday one, Shakhtar had the most impressive result. Missing a bunch of players due to COVID, they beat the heavily fancied Real Madrid 3-2. And it wasn’t a fluke either, Shakhtar looked great, and tore their opponents apart. They probably could have won by more.
Inter drew 1-1 in their first game, but they were mighty impressive. They’ve been great the past 18 months or so, and they’d fancy their chances in getting out of this group.
If Shakhtar are still missing players (and even if they’re not), I’d expect to see Inter get up here. However, Ukraine isn’t an easy away game, so I could see a draw too.
Player to Watch: Romelu Lukaku
Lukaku has been banging in the goals since joining Inter. Gazzetta dello Sport called the Belgian "the lifeblood of Inter, not only for his goals but for his ability to transform every ball he receives into a potential attacking move".
He’s Inter’s main man, and he should have a big game. Find his rookie cards here.
Mönchengladbach vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid were putrid in matchweek one. However, they do have Sergio Ramos back and while he ruffles a few feathers with the way he plays, he’s the heart of Real Madrid and when he doesn’t play, it’s noticeable.
He’s full of voice, and leads that backline.
Mönchengladbach have a very underrated team in the wider soccer world, and have a bunch of attacking talent. They can be incredibly dangerous, however Real Madrid have a point to prove here and need a win. Two losses without versing Inter would be a potential disaster for Madrid, so I’d expect them to get the job done.
Player to Watch: Vinícius Júnior
Vinícius Júnior is one of the best young attacking players on the planet these days. He came on as a substitute in gameweek one and scored almost straight away. Hopefully Zidane can give him a start in this match and let him have a day out. Find his rookie cards here.
Group C
Porto vs Olympiacos
Porto hit an early lead against Man City in the first game, before getting lapped and losing 3-1. However, to me, that score-line doesn’t do Porto enough justice. They looked great at times.
Olympiacos had a win against a pretty poor Marseille and will look to get another early win on the board. However, I do think Porto is the second best team in this group and will be eyeing off the matches against Olympiacos and Marseille as games they need to win in order to move on in the group.
Player to Watch: Luis Díaz
Luis Diaz scored a great goal against City, winning the ball at around the halfway line and running in, cutting, and scoring a great finish.
He’s in goal scoring form this season, and will hopefully get in the goals again. You can find his rookie cards here.
Marseille vs Manchester City
City have had a very mixed season. They haven’t really looked good in any full matches, and have been scraping wins together by playing a good 20-minutes in a game.
If their group wasn’t this poor, I’d actually be concerned about them potentially being an upset third place... However, the draw gods have looked on City, and Marseille should be another win for the blue half of Manchester.
Marseille aren’t a bad side. However, they aren’t the level of City.
Player to Watch: Phil Foden
If City’s weekend game against West Ham is anything to go by, Phil Foden is the only player who actually cares about winning. He’s a tremendous talent, and hopefully he gets a full 90 minutes. You can find his rookie cards on eBay.
Group D
Liverpool vs Midtjylland
It was panic stations when Liverpool lost Virgil van Dijk, who is the best defender on the planet in my eyes. However, they’ve managed to win both their first Champions League game and Premier League game since.
Still, Liverpool haven’t looked their best this season but they’re slowly getting there.
Midtjylland are a super interesting side, and have made a bit of a name for themselves by using advanced statistics and analytics to drive soccer decisions.
However, the only thing advanced about the stats from their last game was the four goals that Atalanta put up.
To me, this group has very set tiers, and Midtjylland are unfortunately the 4th best team in this group.
I’d expect Liverpool to make it two wins from two here.
Player to Watch: Diego Jota
Jota was an off season signing from Wolves, and I absolutely love the move for both player and club. I thought he would be a great fit to rotate through the attacking three this season with a crowded schedule. And he’d be the first to step into a starting spot when an opportunity comes up. However, last weekend something weird happened. Klopp actually played Jota alongside the attacking three, as the side changed formation to push Fabinho from the midfield to the backline.
You can find his rookie cards on eBay.
Atalanta vs Ajax
I don’t know if Atalanta count as a dark horse to win the Champions League, but I think they have every chance to go deep in this competition.
They’re very, very good.
Atalanta are also another absolute factory for producing young players. Honestly, it seems like every second young star has spent time at Atalanta or their youth ranks.
Speaking of sides with outrageously prolific youth setups, Ajax lost to Liverpool in the first matchday. However they did win 13-0 in the league over the weekend (that’s not a typo), so they’ve definitely got attacking talent.
Player to Watch: David Neres
If Ajax do pull an upset here, David Neres will likely play a big role in that. The Brazilian forward has been eased into the starting lineup this season, but I think he’s a dangerous player and can cause Atalanta some trouble if he’s on a roll. You can find his cards on eBay here.
Group E
Krasnodar vs Chelsea
Ugh… Chelsea have been an absolute mess this season.
They’re unorganized, inconsistent, usually can’t defend and when they can, they forget how to attack… Lampard looks like he’s going to be in some trouble soon, and they have far too many attacking midfielders and can’t fit everyone into this team. They’re also super-prone to errors.
However, they’re still far too good for Krasnodar, who try and dominate possession in their opponents half but struggle with teams on the counter. That doesn’t sound good for them in this match.
Player to Watch: Timo Werner
If Krasnodar are bad on the counter, then expect Werner to be trying to time his runs and get on the end of some through balls.
If Chelsea are playing well, I can even see him scoring two or three goals here.
Check his rookie cards on eBay.
Sevilla vs Rennes
Sevilla drew 0-0 with Chelsea in a bit of a snooze-fest, and will look to bounce back and get all three points against Rennes.
Sevilla should be able to pass through Rennes’ defenders here and create a lot of chances. Rennes give up a bunch of chances, and are suspect in defending through balls. Sevilla don’t have a KDB banging in class though passes, but it’s definitely a trick they have up their sleeve.
I’d expect Sevilla to win this.
Player to Watch: Eduardo Camavinga
Camavinga is an absolute stud and one of the best youngsters on the planet. The French international is the best player that Rennes has, and if they are going to do anything in this match, Camavinga will have to play well. If Rennes have any chance of progressing through this group, you’d think they’d have to play well against Sevilla.
You can find his rookie cards on eBay.
Group F
Dortmund vs Zenit
Dortmund were incredibly disappointing against Lazio in the first matchday. They have all the attacking talent in the world, but they still battle inconsistency.
I’d expect them to come out firing at home against Zenit though.
Player to Watch: Gio Reyna
The American came off the bench against Lazio and assisted Haaland’s goal. I hope he get’s the full 90 in this match, or at least the start. He’s certainly good enough to play full games. Again, that’s a little different this year with the schedule.
Regardless, he’s on track for an absolutely insane career. What he’s doing at his age is off the charts.
You can buy his rookie cards on eBay.
Club Brugge vs Lazio
The two winners from the first matchday play off here. Lazio are looking to stay top of their group and set themselves up for a first place finish, whereas Brugge are hoping they can build on their positive start.
However, this group is another to me where there’s a clear top two and Brugge aren’t one of those sides. Lazio should comfortably win this one.
Brugge do have some good young guys though, so they’re still worth a look.
Player to Watch: Ciro Immobile
You want underrated? Since moving to Lazio, Immobile has scored over 100 goals in around 140 matches. Outrageous.
He doesn’t really get the love you’d expect with a record like he’s got. However, he’s never really been at a huge club before. Still, he’s one of the best goal scorers in the tournament, and I’d expect him to score here.
You can find his rookie cards on eBay.
Group G
Juventus vs Barcelona
Man… I was so pumped when this draw came out. While it may not be the absolute blockbuster we all hoped it would be a few months ago, it’s still an interesting game.
Barca have floated between being stringing some impressive passages of play together to being an utter shit-show… often in the span of about 10 minutes.
Juve have looked shaky too at times this season, Pirlo is an inexperienced manager but he’s getting some good performances at times from the team. He’s starting a lot of younger guys too, which is encouraging for the future - but not always the present.
And at the time of writing, I don’t know if Ronaldo is likely to play or not. It would be a shame if he’s out, I love me a bit of Ronaldo v Messi.
Both of these teams are pretty volatile performance-wise this season, but Barca are the far less stable. So I guess that leaves me liking Juve?
Player to Watch: Ansu Fati
Who else could it be?!
Fati has been in great form this season, and is one of the top young players in the world. Actually, if he keeps this form up, he’ll just flat out be one of the best players in the world regardless of age. Which is crazy to think about.
Barca need Fati to play well in this game.
Check out his rookie cards here.
Ferencváros vs Dynamo Kyiv
Both of these teams suck.
Dynamo suck less, so they’ll win.
Player to Watch: Viktor Tsygankov
Tsygankov is easily the pick of the bunch here. He’s a real talent and can hopefully get a goal or two here.
You can find his rookie cards on eBay.
Group H
İstanbul Başakşehir vs Paris
My hot take of the group stage is that I can definitely see PSG not making it out of this group. I wouldn’t bet my house on it, but to me, they’re the most likely big team to miss the knockout stages.
The reason is that United are actually a matchup nightmare for PSG as we saw in the last match (PSG suck at defending the counter, Man U only create on the counter) and Leipzig are super underrated. For me, another smokey to go far in the tournament.
They also seem to be a bit flat this season in general.
Also, sometimes it looks like their game plan is kinda like that Will Farrell movie, Kicking and Screaming… But instead of “pass to the Italians” it’s “pass to Neymar”,
However, that’s for the future. Even if I haven’t bought in fully on PSG, I certainly don’t think Istanbul are on the same level.
PSG need to win this match. Not taking full points here will put them under a whole lot of pressure.
Player to Watch: Kylian Mbappe
The French striker had a rough outing against Manchester United, and was even moved central at stages… Which isn’t a great move for him. I think Mbappe doesn’t have the skillset to be a number nine for the best teams.
Regardless, I’d expect him to get back on the score card this match.
Find his rookie cards on eBay.
Manchester United vs Leipzig
This game is lining up to be huge. Manchester United and Leipzig has everything lined up to be a great match. Manchester United have been getting results with average performances this season… They’ve also had some terrible results too.
However, they’re dangerous on the counter, even if they’re playing poor. Especially if they’ve got Pogba on the bench (he isn’t a quick ball mover by nature).
Leipzig have been in great form this season and have been playing incredibly well. I think they have every chance to beat United here, but the fact it’s in Manchester is tricky (for whatever home ground advantage is in 2020)
Player to Watch: Angelino
Angelino is in great form this season and has been playing as a wingback as opposed to a straight fullback. This means he’s getting into better attacking positions and providing more width going forward.
If he can get something against Aaron Wan-Bissaka, it’ll set Leipzig up incredibly well.
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