The match between Haaland and Dembelè, with Donnarumma a former great, is the jewel in the crown of the second day of the Champions League, which returns with a rich program after the long break for the Nations League. Manchester City welcomes the champions PSG for a first round that could be repeated in the final stages of the season, but there are several other significant clashes: Jose' Mourinho returns to a sold-out Olimpico for the eagerly awaited Roma-Real Madrid, two elite European clubs, Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, meet.
The task awaiting the other Italian teams is serious but not impossible: the champion Inter receives the Bruges of the former Sommer and the Italian, naturalized German, Tresoldi; Napoli, driven by a De Bruyne in great form, plays at the home of a Villarreal in crisis; Como, after the brilliant debut against Leipzig, tries to respond in Rotterdam against Feyenoord. Medium-caliber trips to Salzburg and Vigo for Milan and Juve expected in the Europa League after modest draws in the league, while Atalanta makes its debut in the Conference by hosting the Cypriots of Pafos.
Great show at the Etihad for the arrival of the two-year reigning champions. City tries not to think about their troubles due to financial violations and concentrate on the pitch as they fly to the Premier League (they are first with full points after overwhelming Liverpool away). In previous matches with the Parisians the Citizens have always won at home, but Luis Enrique won 4-2 in the last match, a year and a half ago. It will be a challenge between champions: Haaland will have Semenyo and Cherki at his side, the Ballon d'Or winner Dembelè will be able to count on Ferran Torres and Kvara. Luis Enrique started the season at a slow trot in his homeland but is now recovering.
After the comeback defeat suffered in their debut at Liverpool, Atletico Madrid cannot afford any more stumbles in the match against Manchester United who are struggling in the Premier League and have been stopped by another struggling team, De Zerbi's Tottenham. Josè Mourinho's return to the Olimpico is evocative and he will receive the tribute of affection from a fan base that has not forgotten him. Gasp's Roma are level with Fenerbahce and Inter and have added the one against Como, with 10 men for the red card to Malen. Gasp's team is increasingly solid, making up for the serious absence of Svilar with a great performance from the expert Gollini. The goalkeeper will have to deal with Real's super attack, against Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius, sent off against Villarreal, arguing with his fans and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It will be the return of the Champions League to Rome after eight years.
The commitments of the other Italians are less complicated. Leaders Inter, after the trio against Parma, will face Bruges, who are coming off 4 wins and are second in Belgium. Chivu's competitive squad (they won by a landslide against Parma without four starters) seems capable of redeeming the defeat at the Bernabeu. Allegri's Napoli woke up with a good performance against Frosinone regulated with a brace from the recovered De Bruyne, who followed up the brilliant performances in the national teams. Villarreal is floundering in midtable and the Neapolitans are looking for their first points after the defeat against Arsenal. The only Italian to win in the first round was Como, who then provided mixed results in the championship, and awaits the away match with a team in form like Feyenoord, who are back at the top after beating Az Alkmaar. Barcelona and Arsenal are favorites against Osimhen's Galatasaray and Davide Ancelotti's Lille. The Germans should prevail in the double away match with the Norwegians: Dortmund is busy with the expert Bodo/Glimt while Kane and Olise's Bayern will play against Viking, but they continue to struggle in the Bundesliga: over the weekend they were stopped by the modest Augsburg having to remedy two embarrassing errors by a monument like Neuer. Leipzig-PSV, Betis-Porto and Aston Villa-Fenerbahce are more balanced.
After the goleada against the Dutch Nec which projected them to the top of the Europa League, Spalletti's Juve will be the protagonist of the third Italian-Spanish match, at the home of Celta Vigo, fresh from the modest draw at Elche. Kolo Muani has woken up but the team continues to have too many ups and downs. A bit like Milan who will have a significant match at the home of Salzburg, who are competing with Rapid for the lead in the Austrian championship. Among the other most interesting matches are Benfica-Celtic, Marseille-Olympiacos, Hoffenheim-Besiktas and Lyon-Crystal Palace.
In the Conference it should be little more than a formality, the first match for Sarri's Atalanta, which receives Pafos, just fifth in the Cypriot championship.
