Champions League Returns: Barcelona, PSG, Liverpool and More in Action

The Champions League is back in full voice on Wednesday, and it returns with a familiar roar: Liverpool under new management, Atletico Madrid in full snarl, and three of the tournament’s heavyweight contenders – PSG, Barcelona and Arsenal – stepping out for another tilt at Europe.

Here’s how the night shapes up.

FC Barcelona vs Feyenoord

European football returns to the (new) Camp Nou with Barcelona already playing like a side that never took a summer break.

Hansi Flick’s team has torn into La Liga, winning all four games and hitting five goals in three of them despite the absence of a classic tier-one No. 9. The goals are coming from everywhere. Raphinha has exploded out of the blocks with six in four league outings, while Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez have chipped in four each. Flick has built a front line that doesn’t just break low blocks – it rips them apart.

Frenkie de Jong is the major absentee, but Barcelona’s depth is no longer a theory. With Rodri and Anthony Gordon now in the XI, the Catalans look deeper, quicker and more varied in attack. At home, they will expect to dictate every phase.

Feyenoord arrive unbeaten and confident. Luciano Valente and Gjivai Zechiel, both 22 and both pushing for senior Netherlands call-ups, headline a young side that has earned the right to test itself on this stage. But this is a brutal opening assignment. Keeping their domestic rhythm in this environment will be a huge ask.

Barcelona at home, with this form and this firepower, should simply have too much.

Prediction: FC Barcelona 4–1

Stuttgart vs Viking

Stuttgart have already lived both extremes of a Bundesliga season in the space of two games.

They were torn apart 5–1 by Bayern Munich on the opening weekend, only to respond with a commanding 4–1 win over Köln on Friday. It’s a reminder of why they finished fourth last season: flawed, yes, but dangerous. Bilal El Khannouss, the 22-year-old Moroccan winger, has grown into a genuine standout, stretching defenses and driving Stuttgart’s transitions. Luca Jaquez is among those unavailable, but the core of the side remains intact.

Viking, meanwhile, step into the Champions League for the first time in their history. They edged Dinamo Zagreb in the playoff round and arrive as champions of Norway, having pipped Bodo/Glimt by a single point in last season’s title race. Norwegian clubs have been punching above their perceived weight in Europe lately, and Viking are the latest to test the ceiling.

They will have to do it shorthanded. Veton Berisha and at least two other first-choice starters are ruled out for this debut on the big stage.

On squad value and home advantage alone, Stuttgart should be clear favorites. But this is also an early barometer of just how far Norwegian football has come.

Prediction: Stuttgart 3–1

PSG vs Slovan Bratislava

PSG enter their title defense with a Champions League trophy in the cabinet and a hangover they can’t quite shake.

They edged Aston Villa 2–1 in the UEFA Super Cup, but haven’t won since. A defeat to Lens in the Trophee des Champions was followed by league draws against Rennes and Lille, then a loss to AS Monaco. The champions look leggy and out of sync at the start of the French campaign.

Luis Enrique, though, still has a squad that reads like a fantasy draft. Ferran Torres arrived from Barcelona in the summer, joined by Ajax talent Mika Godts and Maghnes Akliouche. The heartbeat of the attack remains the trident of Desire Doue, Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Crucially, Kvaratskhelia is one of the few global stars who didn’t go through the physical and emotional grind of the World Cup, and he should be fresher than most on matchday one in Europe.

The problem? PSG have been playing as if last season never really ended.

Slovan Bratislava, coached by Yaya Toure, come in as Slovak champions but short on form domestically. This is a club steeped in local history, now trying to re-establish itself on the continental stage with a mixed, veteran-heavy squad. Andraz Sporar and Tigran Barseghyan lead the line, while opposite them stands a PSG defense anchored by international-level quality such as Willian Pacho.

On paper, it’s a mismatch. On the pitch, PSG still need to flick the switch. Against a side likely to spend long spells without the ball, they should find the spaces they’ve been missing in Ligue 1.

Prediction: PSG 4–0

Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid

Anfield under the lights, a new man in the dugout, and Diego Simeone in town. This one feels familiar and different all at once.

Liverpool begin their Champions League campaign under Andoni Iraola, a coach whose high-energy, front-foot football should marry well with the club’s traditions. The Premier League start has been steady rather than spectacular: two draws, then a win over Ipswich. Enough to settle the nerves, not enough to send a warning shot across Europe.

They will have to navigate this group without Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo in Europe, while Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley miss out through injury. Ronald Araujo, on loan from Barcelona, is set to anchor the defense at centre-back. Higher up, Iraola faces a key decision on the right wing: hand a start to big-money signing Bradley Barcola or trust Victor Munoz, the reliable arrival from Osasuna. It’s a choice that will shape Liverpool’s pressing and counter-attacking patterns.

Atletico Madrid arrive with a squad that looks refreshed but far from settled.

Julian Alvarez remains the flashpoint. The Argentine star pushed hard for a move to Barcelona that the club refused to sanction. The window is closed, he’s registered and available, but he’s deeply unhappy under Simeone and no longer an automatic starter. How that dynamic plays out could define Atletico’s season.

Around him, the rebuild has been aggressive. Cristian Romero has come in from Spurs to bolster the back line, Alejandro Grimaldo from Leverkusen adds craft and delivery on the flank, Jonathan David joins on loan from Juventus, with Kang-in Lee from PSG and Morten Hjulmand from Sporting CP strengthening midfield and attack. It’s a squad built to make noise in the knockout rounds.

The warning sign? Atletico conceded three in a weekend defeat to Athletic Bilbao, their first loss of the season, and the defensive steel Simeone demands briefly went missing.

Liverpool’s form is patchy, Atletico’s mood is complicated, and both managers know the cost of starting with a defeat. Simeone has never been shy about shutting a game down away from home, and this feels like one of those nights where he’ll happily soak up pressure, drag the tempo down and escape with something.

Prediction: 1–1 draw

Sporting CP vs Galatasaray

Two giants outside the traditional top-five leagues meet in Lisbon, and the margins look thin.

Sporting CP have opened their Liga Portugal campaign with authority, going 4–1–0 and showcasing a blend of youth and sharp recruitment. Colombian international Luis Suarez has impressed, while teenager Flavio Goncalves is already emerging as one of the bright sparks in a side whose average starting age is just 24.8. There’s energy and ambition all over the pitch.

Galatasaray bring the opposite profile: experience, know-how, and a squad that has seen most things before. Their average age of 29.3 makes them one of the most veteran groups in Europe. The Turkish champions have started 3–1–0 in the league, driven by Victor Osimhen’s early burst of six goals.

But Osimhen is out injured, and that changes everything.

Without their star striker, the attacking burden swings onto Brazilian playmaker Gabriel Sara, who will be asked to knit together moves and provide end product. Galatasaray still have enough quality to hurt anyone on their day, yet losing such a prolific focal point on the eve of Europe’s biggest stage is a brutal blow.

Sporting at home, younger, quicker, and in good rhythm, should edge it. This one, though, has all the ingredients to be one of the ties of the night.

Prediction: Sporting CP 2–1

Napoli vs Arsenal

Arsenal return to the Champions League with a score to settle.

Last season ended in heartbreak, a final lost to PSG that still lingers. This season, many – including ESPN’s pundits – have them among the leading contenders to lift the trophy. The early signs back that up. They brushed aside Manchester City in the Community Shield, then opened the Premier League with three straight wins, including statement victories over Aston Villa and Chelsea.

Mikel Arteta will have to do without William Saliba and Jurrien Timber in Naples, a significant hit to his defensive options. But the midfield has been reinforced by Bruno Guimaraes, whether he starts or comes from the bench, and Christos Tzolis, signed from Brugge, has already stepped into a starting role on the wing. Arsenal look deeper, more mature, and more ruthless than the side that fell just short last year.

Napoli, by contrast, stumble into this one. Back-to-back defeats in Serie A to Como and Inter Milan – two of last season’s standout teams – have darkened the mood. They do at least have home advantage and a stadium that can still rattle even the most polished visitors.

Kevin De Bruyne, now 35 and a long-time Belgian international, may be held in reserve from the bench, his minutes carefully managed. Scott McTominay remains unavailable as he continues his recovery from heart surgery, stripping Napoli of another key option in midfield.

On current form, and given the absences, it’s hard to see Napoli holding out over 90 minutes. Arsenal look ready to keep rolling.

Prediction: Arsenal 3–1

One night, six stories, and a first look at who’s ready to set the pace in this season’s Champions League – and who’s already scrambling to keep up.