The new Champions League format means more teams, more games and more exciting matchups — and it all starts today.
So, what matches should fans pay close attention to?
AC Milan vs. Liverpool
Just like Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said, “Everyone who loves football is looking forward to our game.”
AC Milan has had a rocky start to its season, winning only one of its last four games. As of now, the club is 10th in the Serie A, and AC Milan Manager Paulo Fonseca is demanding defensive perfection from his team.
However, it cannot be dismissed that the Italians are the club with the second-most European titles. The last time they won was in 2007, with AC Milan’s Golden Generation in the 2000s, led by Ricardo Kaká.
Although it has been close to two decades since Milan won the title, the club is still feared.
More recently, Liverpool achieved the Premier League title back in 2019. Since then, they have continued to prove themselves in Europe.
The English have established themselves as a dangerous club. Speaking about Liverpool without mentioning the team’s manager, Jurgen Klopp, would be wrong. Klopp arrived in the Premier League in 2015 and reestablished them as a force in Europe. His management helped end a 30-year win drought by taking the league title in the 2019-20 season.
This is the first season of the post-Klopp era, so Liverpool will have a lot to prove.
Manchester City vs. Inter Milan
While the matchup between AC Milan and Liverpool is considered a fixture full of European history, this next one can be analyzed through a different lens.
On the technical side, this match is attractive because of the teams’ footballing ability. Manchester City is first in the Union of European Football Associations club rankings, and Inter Milan has just won the Serie A title by a nearly 20-point margin.
That is not what makes this game worth seeing, however. Rather, it’s the clash of what both teams represent.
Inter Milan is a team with a rich history, including 20 league titles and a treble under their belt. Its most successful era was from 2008-10, when the team was coached by José Mourinho. The club was far more notable back then, but it has taken a step up at the intercontinental level in the last few years. Inter Milan even reached a Champions League final, which it lost, ironically, to Manchester City.
Manchester City is arguably the most feared team in Europe — City Manager Josep “Pep” Guardiola has made sure of it. This has nothing to do with the team’s history, as it does not have an impressive one. City’s modern success was propelled by Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, who bought the team in 2008.
The matchup is a representation of tradition versus modernity. When fans tune in to watch the game, they’ll feel the tension.
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Girona
At first glance, many football fans won’t be interested in watching a David vs. Goliath type of match. Technically, Paris vs. Girona could be considered one of those. However, this could be a perfect trap for Paris Saint-Germain.
Nobody wants to go play at the Parc des Prince. The Catalan side is probably not ecstatic about facing Nasser Al-Khelaifi’s club, either — but the French are not who they used to be.
In the 2022-23 season, Paris’ squad was led by Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior. Today, the team’s main men are Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé –– that’s a big change in just two seasons.
Girona qualified for the Champions League for the first time after finishing third in La Liga last season. The team — led by manager Miguel Ángel Sánchez Muñoz, known simply as Míchel — proved persistent and stood tall against big teams like Barcelona and Atletico. PSG should not be any different.
Still, Paris comes from winning all of their last four matches while Girona has struggled to find its footing. However, the fixture should be an interesting one — leaving a lot of room for surprises.
