Champions League returns to motion with huge video games throughout Europe: Christian Pulisic's Milan host Liverpool

It is time to cue the UEFA Champions League anthem, as a result of Europe’s prime membership competitors is formally again — and larger than ever. I am Pardeep Cattry with a preview of this season’s opening video games forward of a jam-packed week in Europe.

📺 Footy repair

All instances U.S./Japanese

Monday, Sept. 16
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 League One: Birmingham Metropolis vs. Wrexham, 3 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network, Paramount+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Seattle Reign vs. NJ/NY Gotham FC, 10 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Network

Tuesday, Sept. 17
🇪🇺 UCL: Juventus vs. PSV, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UCL: AC Milan vs. Liverpool, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EFL Cup: Manchester United vs. Barnsley, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

⚽ The Ahead Line

⚪ Actual Madrid mount title protection

Three months after successful a document fifteenth Champions League title, Actual Madrid return to the competitors with their eyes totally on the prize and the expectation that they’ll lengthen the sensation of inevitability that dominated final season’s run to the rostrum for an additional 12 months.

Expectations are excessive on the reigning champions not solely due to final season’s triumph however as a result of they ushered in a brand new period of the galacticos by signing Kylian Mbappe over the summer time, including him to an already high-profile assault that features Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham. Whereas Actual Madrid have been coping with some accidents to start out the season, they might look nearer to their star-studded selves on Tuesday once they host Stuttgart — Carlo Ancelotti mentioned that Bellingham and Aureline Tchouameni will probably be accessible for choice forward of the Champions League conflict.

A lot because it was final season, Actual Madrid’s power will probably be in its numbers, however all eyes will probably be on Mbappe because the countdown to his first objective for the membership within the Champions League begins. Whereas the stress’s on the group to proceed their dominant streak, the highlight is arguably extra so on Mbappe than the group as a complete. The transfer to the Spanish capital is a reminder of the hole in his resume that may be a Champions League title, however there’s presumably a bit extra at stake for the World Cup winner — he’s the inheritor obvious to Lionel Messi’s title as the game’s greatest star, and due to this fact is predicted to carve out a person identification at Actual Madrid in addition to contribute to the collective.

The early returns are sturdy — he is scored 4 objectives in six video games for the membership and already marked his European debut with a goal in last month’s UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta. The early interval of the season has felt like a tepid smooth launch for the brand new period of galacticos at Actual Madrid, although, and the Champions League looks like an ideal alternative to kick issues into excessive gear.

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🔗  Midfield Hyperlink Play

🔴 Liverpool return to the Champions League

The new Champions League format will take middle stage on Tuesday because the league section replaces the group stage, a change designed partially to ship extra aggressive matchups earlier within the competitors. At first look, the fixture listing on Matchday 1 will ship simply that with a handful of much-anticipated video games, together with Liverpool’s journey to AC Milan on Tuesday.

The sport marks Liverpool’s return to the competitors after a 12 months within the UEFA Europa League and extra notably, their first European recreation below new supervisor Arne Slot. The Dutchman’s excellent begin was snapped on Saturday with a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, failing to do a lot with their 69% possession and 14 photographs because the opponents created a cussed defensive block. As Geoff Shreeves notes, the performance raised questions about Slot’s adjustment to fixture congestion for top-tier players, who had been slowed down with nationwide group commitments heading into this recreation.

• Shreeves: “I feel what we’re seeing here’s a coach getting used to a brand new league in a brand new nation. It is after the worldwide break, it is forward of an enormous European week as nicely. … As to what he does and the way a lot he tries to freshen issues up, he is hardly modified something in any respect in his first three video games. I feel he began precisely the identical 11 that began towards Manchester United. Now, you’ll be able to perceive [the idea to] by no means change a successful group however you additionally need to take note of worldwide responsibility, video games performed and in addition miles lined.”

The excellent news for Slot and firm is that they don’t have to attend lengthy to reverse course and head to Italy because the favorites of their matchup towards Milan, who solely picked up their first win of the season on Saturday towards a less-than-impressive Venezia group. U.S. males’s nationwide group star Christian Pulisic picked up a objective and help over the weekend, doubling his complete in each classes to start out the season. It makes him an all-important determine for the hosts as they goal to kick off their European marketing campaign as a excessive, and James Benge’s player to watch in the headlining act of Tuesday’s Champions League action.

• Benge: “We could be very a lot on the earth of small pattern sizes, however two objectives and two assists in his first 4 Serie A video games is nearly as good a return because the USMNT star may want for. Within the doubtless occasion that Pulisic begins off the appropriate, he could discover himself empowered to assault a comparatively weak level of this Liverpool aspect, Andrew Robertson not fairly the power he was both with or with out the ball. If Pulisic can ghost into house within the penalty field and get photographs, he may simply have the ability to win a recreation that appears set towards Milan.”

🔗  High Tales

🇪🇺 UCL preview: Listed here are picks and predictions from the CBS Sports activities group forward of Matchday 1, in addition to power rankings together with all 36 groups within the league section.

🇫🇷 PSG post-Mbappe: This is a take a look at how the new format impacts a Kylian Mbappe-less Paris Saint-Germain, plus Ousmane Dembele’s hopes of stepping up as the team’s main man.

❌ Olmo misses out: Dani Olmo will miss Barcelona’s Champions League clash at Monaco on Thursday with a hamstring harm, however an in-form group could have different stars to name upon after an ideal begin to the season.

🔴 Arsenal win NLD: Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Sunday despite missing a handful of stars, an indication that the Gunners are closer to the finished product than Spurs, who’ve room for improvement in the second year of a rebuild.

🌴 Messi returns in fashion: Lionel Messi returned to the pitch two months after sustaining an ankle harm, scoring twice in Inter Miami’s win over the Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

🇺🇸 Pochettino’s U.S. arrival: Mauricio Pochettino was officially introduced as the new USMNT head coach in a press convention in New York on Friday, providing some much-needed optimism and a focus on American sports’ winning culture as he prepares to assist the group punch above their weight, much like he did as the Tottenham Hotspur manager.

🔵 Rabiot to Marseille: Marseille signed France international Adrien Rabiot over the weekend, an indication of intent in a league dominated by PSG.

📅 Fixture congestion grievance: Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji said he could retire at 30 due to fixture congestion, citing the bodily and psychological toll it takes on gamers.

🔵🟡 Wimbledon’s rise: This is a take a look at the birth of AFC Wimbledon, which crammed a void that was after Wimbledon FC turned MK Dons.

💤 Rodman scores, snoozes: Trinity Rodman marked a formidable objective with an equally entertaining celebration for the second week in a row, scoring on an impressive solo effort in the Washington Spirit’s win over the Houston Dash on Sunday and celebrating with a fake slumber.

💰  The Again Line

💵 Greatest bets

• UEFA Champions League: Champions
  💰 THE PICK: Actual Madrid to win the Champions League (+350) — Selecting Actual Madrid to win the Champions League once more may sound like essentially the most boring wager to make, nevertheless it’s truly the second-most boring decide — Manchester Metropolis are literally the oddsmakers’ favorites to win the title. The protected selection may not be the improper one right here contemplating the sense of inevitably that they performed with all through final season, which may solely get higher now that Kylian Mbappe is on the roster. Actual Madrid should still be the group to beat, even when the chances favor Metropolis.
• UEFA Champions League: AC Milan vs. Liverpool

💰 THE PICK: Mohamed Salah to attain (+145) — Liverpool return to the Champions League after a year-long absence, and chances are high excessive that supervisor Arne Slot will clinch a win in his first European match in control of the group. Anticipate him to name upon the group’s most dependable goalscorer Mohamed Salah to make them victory towards an uneven AC Milan group, reversing course after Slot’s first defeat for Liverpool.

For extra picks, predictions, knowledgeable suggestions and the newest betting information, do not miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting house web page.   

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