Although virtually no team looked in mid-season form, aside from maybe Pep Guardiola’s Man City squad, Tuesday’s slate of games in the Champions League’s first matchday brought back the intensity of top level competition that we desperately missed. The PSG versus Juventus game that was touted as the game to watch on Tuesday more or less lived up to expectations. Although there were some lulls, particularly from the 70th minute onward. Which is the game to watch this Wednesday?
Matchup of The Day
Inter Milan versus Bayern Munich is arguably the matchup of the day. Simone Inzaghi’s side is counting on mostly proven players to get the team back to competing for the Scudetto. The team however is coming off a crushing defeat against rivals AC Milan in the Madonnina derby. It’s going to be interesting to see how they can bounce back.
Bayern Munich on the other hand are coming off a surprising 1-1 draw versus Union Berlin. The team is seemingly still experimenting with the line-up as signings like Sadio Mané try and find their place in the squad. You have to think though that the speed, particularly on the outside that Bayern brings to the table is going to be a bit too much for Inter to handle.
If Bayern is able to catch Inter in the open space coming back to their own goal Marcelo Brozović, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and Nicolò Barella are going to have hard time keeping up with the likes of Sane, Mane, Davies, or whoever Bayern throws at them. The key for Inter is to keep the game in front of them, if not things can get ugly quickly.
Liverpool vs Napoli Could Get Interesting
Plenty of matchups that are set to take place on Wednesday could end up being highly contested games. Who knows we may even get another surprise like Chelsea’s loss to Dinamo Zagreb, which we wrongfully predicted would be a big win the other way around. Liverpool is another one of those clubs that are just trying to find their footing in these early stages of the season. The days of the big three with Salah, Sadio Mané, and Firmino are gone.
Ironically they face another team that likes playing with a 4-3-3 formation. With Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Chucky Lozano flanking Victor Oshimen. If both teams come out wanting to impose their style of play this can be a wide open game with plenty of goal scoring opportunities. As far as who wins, that’s a hard call, but you’re probably going to want to bet the over when it comes to the total number of goals for this matchup. It may very well end up being the most entertaining of the bunch.
If You’re Into Hard Fought Games Check Out Porto vs Atlético
We’ve already let you know which game is going to be the most electric with potentially goals from both sides. If you’re into hard fought games that are mostly played in a highly contested mid-field you have to give the Atlético Madrid versus Porto game a watch. Porto may be able to play a bit more loose when they face teams from their local league. However, they know that they have to tighten up defensively if they want to compete in the Champions League.
Simeone’s side on the other hand is capable of playing with a conservative strategy that prioritizes pressure, and stingy defense even against a third tier side. That’s why we are expecting this game to feature a tense midfield battle where goals are going to be hard to come by. There’s certainly something for everyone in Wednesday’s Champions League action.
