The European Cups are back, and as always, we kick off with the premier continental club competition, the Champions League. The new single-group format has increased the number of matches in the first phase from 6 to 8, and now each team faces 8 different opponents instead of 3 in a home-and-away format. With this new structure, it’s clear that the provisional standings of the single group are heavily influenced by the draw, and any assessment is still very much in its early stages.
For instance, Milan has had a tough start, facing Liverpool at home and Bayer Leverkusen away in their first two matches. The fact that they currently sit at zero points clashes with the Rossoneri’s European tradition and the team’s ambitions in the competition under Fonseca. However, aside from the trip to Madrid, the schedule for the next six matches is quite manageable for Milan. It’s crucial for them to start scoring points, and today’s home match against Bruges has only one acceptable outcome: victory. Therefore, this match can be considered a pivotal moment in Milan’s European season. Fonseca has expressed great confidence in a positive result, even announcing the starting eleven at yesterday’s press conference. The news is that Leao returns, tasked with dispelling doubts and criticism regarding his slow start to the season.
The situation is completely different for Juventus: Thiago Motta’s team has collected 6 points from two matches, having recently overcome a challenging game against Leipzig, coming from behind with one player down. While their defensive solidity displayed in the league is still elusive in the Champions League, where the Bianconeri have conceded 3 goals in the first two matches, their attack is thriving with an average of 3 goals per game. The odds against Stuttgart favor Juventus, especially since the Germans recently suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat against Bayern Munich. However, maximum concentration is needed to avoid any missteps.
Bologna face a daunting task away at Aston Villa, who arrive with a perfect record and recently defeated Bayern Munich at Villa Park. They have yet to concede a single goal in the competition. Unai Emery is also a reliable presence at the European level. Italian’s team performed well at Anfield against Liverpool but left the field without scoring. Finding the net today would be historic, as it would mark Bologna’s first goal in Champions League history, which is crucial yet looks daunting on paper.
