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Champions League Matchweek Two Preview

Photo of Nicky Nicky29/09/2025 - 06:24 pm
Champions League ready - Robert Lewandowski centre-forward of Barcelona and Poland celebrates with Lamine Yamal after scoring his sides first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Real Sociedad at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on September 28, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
(Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Champions League’s second matchweek is when the competition starts to bite. Teams are still settling into the league-phase format, but the stakes are already sharp: momentum can vanish in one bad night, and long trips test both legs and focus.

This week brings a slate full of subplots, from Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge to Real Madrid’s marathon journey east, but the headline act is in Montjuïc, where Barcelona and PSG meet in a clash coloured by Ballon d’Or drama and the duel of two wingers who define their generation.

Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge

José Mourinho’s name still turns heads in London (and around the world, for that matter), and now he returns to Stamford Bridge as the manager of Benfica. Recently sacked by Fenerbahçe, he’s straight back into the game as the club that started his managerial career snapped him up once again.

Chelsea are under domestic strain, injuries are mounting, and the home fans will relish a reunion. Benfica’s transitions and wing overloads can expose shaky flanks if Chelsea shuffle personnel. Enzo Maresca must steady his ship early or risk being run over by a visiting side whose manager still knows West London all too well. 

Champions League Mo - José Mourinho attends The Best FIFA Football Awards 2019 at the Teatro Alla Scala on September 23, 2019 in Milan, Italy.
(Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Real Madrid’s huge journey

Madrid’s trip is part endurance test, part pure theatre. Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan is a long way from the comforts of home, with rhythm, rest, and edge all under threat. Xabi Alonso must juggle rotation (especially after the derby tensions) and deliver a team well-conditioned to absorb early pressure. Kairat’s compact home shape might force Madrid to break lines slowly and lean on set plays and possession resets. If they’re off by one pass or one touch, this becomes a match with real possibility of a shock.

Yamal vs Ousmane Dembélé — more than a duel

This matchup carries prestige, history and narrative weight. Ousmane Dembélé entered the 2025 Ballon d’Or race as a dark horse with a compelling case: 33 goals, 13 assists, and a trophy-laden season with PSG including the Champions League. He claimed the Ballon d’Or on 22 September, topping the voting with 1,380 points—321 ahead of his nearest rival, Lamine Yamal, who ended with 1,059.

Yamal, still just 18, had already captured back-to-back Kopa Trophies (for best U-21 player), and he was a top contender for the full prize. He appeared in 55 matches, scored 18 goals, and delivered 25 assists; his creativity and dribbling made his case formidable. But Dembélé’s raw output and trophy haul offered voters a narrative of consistency and ultimate silverware to back the claims.

In this match, the grid is personal. Yamal stepping into form and fitness, eager to prove that last season’s acclaim was not a fluke. Dembélé, who might miss this game through injury or rotation, has already lifted the trophy and set a benchmark his peers now chase. The duel is reputational as much as tactical. Barcelona fans will want Yamal to humiliate, PSG will want to remind that Dembélé’s shadow still looms long.

On the pitch, the wing battle matters. Yamal’s inside cuts, positional runs, and combination play will test PSG’s fullbacks. If he links with Rashford (who often drifts inside) or whips diagonals behind, he opens cracks.

On the other flank, Dembélé’s absence would dramatically soften PSG’s punch; his direct runs, unpredictability and finishing were key in last season’s success. Without him, PSG will need wide rotation or more from their central attackers.

The match: context, keys, and tipping points

Barcelona vs PSG is not just marquee, it’s potentially decisive. PSG kick off as holders, having already demonstrated firepower in Matchweek One. Barcelona want to reassert themselves and pivot on the momentum from their league run. With Camp Nou still unavailable, the match is at the Estadi Olímpic — Montjuïc — where the atmosphere is different and stadium quirks (wind, sightlines, pitch slope) inflect tactical choices.

Injury notes are crucial. PSG may be without Dembélé, Marquinhos, or Joao Neves, draining depth. Barcelona are missing keeper Joan Garcia but Yamal’s return lifts a vital creative spine in Barça’s attack.

Liverpool in the cauldron of RAMS Park

Galatasaray at RAMS Park is always visceral. The atmosphere is relentless, the pitch feels smaller than it is, and every second ball can turn into danger. Liverpool will lean heavily on their pressing shape and midfield rotations to keep control. Szoboszlai and Mac Allister will be key in threading play forward, while Salah and Ekitike give the attack its vertical push. The fullbacks tuck inside to stabilise transitions, but if Liverpool lose discipline between the lines, Galatasaray have the pace and directness to punish them quickly.

Nordic night for Spurs

In Bodø, Spurs step into a setting that rewards directness and pressing triggers. Bodø/Glimt’s rise at home is no fluke, and this is a rerun of last season’s Europa League semi-final, which Tottenham won 5–1 on aggregate – 3–1 in London and 2–0 at Aspmyra.

The artificial surface and tight sightlines still ask awkward questions. Spurs will try to keep a compact shape and compress space, especially down their right where Glimt’s overloads can stretch a back line that drifts.

BILBAO, SPAIN - MAY 21: Richarlison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after his team's victory in the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio de San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.
(Photo by Juanma – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

Full List of Champions League Games – Matchweek Two

Tuesday, 30 September

  • Kairat vs Real Madrid
  • Atalanta vs Club Brugge
  • Marseille vs Ajax
  • Inter vs Slavia Praha
  • Chelsea vs Benfica
  • Galatasaray vs Liverpool
  • Pafos vs Bayern Munich
  • Bodø/Glimt vs Tottenham
  • Atlético Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt

Wednesday, 1 October

  • Qarabag FK vs Copenhagen
  • Union Saint-Gilloise vs Newcastle
  • Monaco vs Manchester City
  • Borussia Dortmund vs Athletic Club
  • Napoli vs Sporting CP
  • Villarreal vs Juventus
  • Arsenal vs Olympiacos
  • Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain
  • Bayer Leverkusen vs PSV Eindhoven

By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyHelfgott1 on Twitter (X)

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Photo of Nicky Nicky29/09/2025 - 06:24 pm

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