Our long international nightmare is over. The UEFA Champions League returns on Tuesday with some excellent matches following four months off. The marquee game is clearly Barcelona vs. Juventus, while Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and PSG are also among the teams in action. Here’s what to watch out for.
4 storylines to follow in Tuesday’s Champions League games
Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona face off against a hobbled Juventus, plus seven other games.
Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images
1. Ousmane Dembele’s full debut?
Gerard Deulofeu’s return to Barca has been rocky so far, and he’s not going to stick in the starting lineup for very long. The Blaugrana’s record signing Ousmane Dembele was electric off the bench over the weekend, and he might get his first start alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on Tuesday. And even if he doesn’t, he’s nearly guaranteed to get some time off the bench.
2. Juventus’ injury list is huge
Barca’s summer mismanagement has put Juventus in a position where they’re expected to challenge the Blaugrana to finish on top of their group. But Juve are big underdogs at Camp Nou thanks to who will miss out on the game. Claudio Marchisio, Giorgio Chiellini, Sami Khedira, Mario Mandzukic and Benedikt Höwedes are all hurt, while Juan Cuadrado is suspended and Stephan Lichtsteiner isn’t on the squad list. Some younger players like Daniele Rugani, Rodrigo Bentancur and Federico Bernardeschi are going to be asked to step up.
3. Chelsea’s backups get a shot
At home against Azerbaijani side Qarabag, Chelsea are expected to win comfortably, so Antonio Conte is going to take the opportunity to rest some stars. This game could be a big opportunity for players like Kenedy, Charly Musonda and Michy Batshuayi.
4. How good is Manchester United?
It looks like Jose Mourinho finally has a squad he’s happy with, and the team’s newfound depth lets him become a great game-day tactician again. There was only so much that Mourinho could do when he was forced to use players like Marouane Fellaini in key roles, but the arrival of Nemanja Matic means Mourinho can now get the best out of Fellaini in situational roles. The same goes for Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial. It’ll be interesting to see how Mourinho uses his squad in Europe this year.
There are eight Champions League matches on Tuesday, all kicking off at 2:45 p.m. ET. You can find the TV and stream listings for all the games here.
Goal of the day
In the news
Crystal Palace admitted they made a bad hire and sacked Frank de Boer.
His replacement is expected to be former England boss Roy Hodgson. (Telegraph)
FA executives will face a parliamentary inquiry over their handling of the Mark Sampson-Eni Aluko case. (Guardian)
Liverpool has lost their appeal over Sadio Mane’s ban. He’ll miss three games. (BBC)
Jordan Morris has a suspected serious hamstring injury that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season and World Cup qualifying. The Sounders have yet to make an announcement. (Sounder at Heart)
Bayern Munich’s CEO has hit back at Robert Lewandowski for criticizing the club’s transfer policy. (Bavarian Football Works)
You should be reading
Alex Guilford on Justin Kluivert and how Ajax moves on after a rocky summer. (IBWM)
Robert O’Connor on Qarabag and the politics of Azerbaijani soccer. (The Set Pieces)
Will Sharp on Paulinho taking the long way to Barcelona. (These Football Times)
What happened on Monday
West Ham beat Huddersfield to save Slaven Bilic’s job. (Brace The Hammer)
See More:
