SportsUCL Preview: Fireworks Expected As PSG, City Clash And Chelsea Lock Horns...

UCL Preview: Fireworks Expected As PSG, City Clash And Chelsea Lock Horns With Juve

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September 28, (THEWILL) – There are exciting fixtures to look forward to on matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League group stage, including a repeat of last season’s semi-final, a record-breaking 21-year-old, and a record-breaking 36-year-old.

PSG vs Man City (8 pm)

In a replay of one of last season’s semi-finals, Paris Saint-Germain will face Manchester City. City beat Les Parisiens over both legs to advance to the final, but they may not have it easy this time at the Parc des Princes.

In his pre-match comments, the PSG manager, Mauricio Pochettino, said: “It’s always amazing [to face City] since they are one of the finest teams in Europe.” The game will be Lionel Messi’s second meeting with Josep Guardiola. Messi once stated of the coach who guided him to two UEFA Champions League victories: “He has something special about him.”

AC Milan vs Atletico Madrid (8 pm)

AC Milan’s first UEFA Champions League home game in over seven years will be against Atlético Madrid, who were their last opponent in the championship. In February 2014, a Rossoneri team featuring Kaká, Mario Balotelli, Adel Taarabt, and Michael Essien lost the round of 16 first leg 5-1 on aggregate.

Stefano Pioli, Milan manager, in his pre-match remarks said, “The Champions League has been a defining feature of this club’s history. Now we want to try to write our own chapter in history, to do something significant.”

Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting CP (8 pm)

Sporting CP will be up against the ruthless Erling Haaland. The Norwegian forward’s game-winning goal against Beşiktaş on matchday 1 took his UEFA Champions League tally to 21, putting him in the top 50 all-time scorers.

The Dortmund sensation will face a Sporting team that conceded five goals at home to Ajax last time out, four of which were scored by Sébastien Haller.

Then, on Wednesday:

Manchester United vs Villarreal (8 pm)

Portuguese superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo is aiming for another world record. On Wednesday, when United take on Villarreal, the team they lost to in last season’s UEFA Europa League final, Ronaldo has a chance to break Iker Casillas’ all-time UEFA Champions League appearances record.

On matchday 1, the 36-year-old pulled level with Casillas with 177 appearances. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United’s manager, remarked: “It’s about his longevity, sustainability, professionalism, and quality.”

Juventus vs Chelsea (8 pm)

Chelsea travel to Italy to face Juventus in a heavyweight Champions League matchup. Juventus has been rocked by an abysmal start to the season, but has begun to show signs of improvement.

The European champions are coming off their first loss of the season after a 1-0 loss to Manchester City over the weekend.

Juventus had the misfortune of going winless through the first four games of Serie A for only the fourth time in their history. However, they have bounced back with consecutive 3-2 victories over Spezia and Sampdoria.

Bayern Munich vs Dynamo Kyiv (8 pm)

Thomas Müller is just one goal away from being only the eighth player in UEFA Champions League history to score 50 goals, and Dynamo Kyiv are next on his list.

Müller would join Thierry Henry in the all-time scoring records if he reaches 50 goals, trailing Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, Raul González, and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Tuesday 28 September

Group A: Paris vs Manchester City, Leipzig vs Club Brugge

Group B: AC Milan vs Atlético, Porto vs Liverpool

Group C: Ajax vs Beşiktaş, Dortmund vs Sporting CP

Group D: Shakhtar vs Inter, Real Madrid vs Sheriff

Wednesday 29 September

Group E: Bayern vs Dynamo Kyiv, Benfica vs Barcelona

Group F: Atalanta vs Young Boys, Manchester United vs Villarreal

Group G: Salzburg vs LOSC, Wolfsburg vs Sevilla

Group H: Zenit vs Malmö, Juventus vs Chelsea

Many players are on the cusp of hitting a significant milestone: a century of UEFA club competitIon appearances. Leonardo Bonucci, Mohamed Salah, and Yaroslav Rakits’kyy all have 98 appearances. Meanwhile, Gareth Bale is one game away from the mark but will have to wait for another matchday as he is currently injured.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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