The Champions League returns on 13–14 October with several fixtures that would not look out of place in the knockout rounds. Atletico host Manchester United on Tuesday, Barcelona travel to Istanbul, while Wednesday brings Roma vs Real Madrid and the standout game of the round — Manchester City vs PSG.
After Matchday 1, PSG, Bayern, Barcelona and Manchester United sit near the top. City also opened with a win. Atletico, Inter, Napoli, Galatasaray and Leipzig, meanwhile, go into the second round still looking for their first points.
Here are the key games and the current 888STARZ line.
Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United
One of Tuesday’s most intriguing matchups.
After the opening round, United sit fourth on three points, while Atletico are only 25th and remain on zero. Manchester United started their European campaign with a convincing win, while Atletico lost their first game.
888STARZ odds:
1.98 / 3.94 / 3.90
The table and the market tell different stories here. Despite the contrasting starts, Atletico are still slight favourites at home.
Only slight favourites — but favourites nonetheless.
Galatasaray vs Barcelona
Barcelona arrive in a very different position: third after Matchday 1 and already on three points. Galatasaray are down in the lower part of the table with zero.
888STARZ:
8.70 / 6.66 / 1.33
That is a huge gap.
Barcelona also come into the game with a perfect domestic record — eight wins from eight in La Liga. The main question is not who the favourite is, but whether Istanbul can make this more difficult than the odds suggest.
Villarreal vs Napoli
This one looks far tighter.
Both sides lost their opening Champions League game and remain without a point. Villarreal sit 21st, Napoli 27th.
The line:
2.16 / 3.76 / 3.51
One of the most balanced games of the round.
For the loser, a second straight defeat would mean an uncomfortable zero points from six. That gives this match more weight than the early table might suggest.
Roma vs Real Madrid
One of Wednesday’s headline fixtures.
Real Madrid started with a win and sit 13th. Roma are 17th after a draw.
888STARZ:
3.89 / 4.11 / 1.94
Madrid are favourites, but a price close to 2.00 tells its own story: nobody expects an easy night at the Olimpico.
Real have just edged Villarreal in La Liga, while Roma dropped points against Como. A second European win would push Madrid towards the top eight. Roma, meanwhile, could really use a home victory.
Manchester City vs PSG
The biggest game of Matchday 2.
PSG lead the overall table, while Manchester City sit eighth. Both opened with victories.
888STARZ:
2.24 / 4.11 / 3.07
This is where the round gets really interesting.
City have won all six of their Premier League games and arrive after a 3–0 win at Anfield. PSG have also started strongly in Europe.
2.24 against 3.07 — there is no overwhelming favourite. On paper, this is the strongest matchup of the entire round.
Two More Favourites to Watch
Arsenal host Lille. The London side opened the Champions League with a win and currently sit 15th, while Lille are still without a point.
The market is heavily one-sided:
1.23 / 7.06 / 16.00
Bayern find themselves in a similar position. They sit second after a strong opening result and travel to Viking with a chance to move onto six points before a far tougher Matchday 3.
Full Matchday 2 Schedule
13 October: Lens — Sporting, Sabah — Slavia Prague, Arsenal — Lille, Atletico Madrid — Manchester United, Inter — Club Brugge, Galatasaray — Barcelona, RB Leipzig — PSV, Viking — Bayern Munich, Villarreal — Napoli.
14 October: Feyenoord — Como, LASK — Liverpool, Roma — Real Madrid, Aston Villa — Fenerbahce, Shakhtar — AEK, Bodø/Glimt — Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City — PSG, Betis — Porto, Slovan Bratislava — Stuttgart.
Before Matchday 2
After only one game, the table can still change very quickly, but a few storylines are already clear.
PSG, Bayern, Barcelona, Manchester United and City can all move onto six points from six. Atletico, Inter, Napoli and Galatasaray, on the other hand, risk staying on zero.
And the biggest question of Wednesday night is obvious: who drops points first — a flawless Manchester City side in England or the current Champions League leaders PSG?
UEFA Champions League