Champions League: What to look out for in every game on Matchday 2

The new-look UEFA Champions League league phase continues with all 36 teams in action across two days on Matchday 2.

UEFA.com looks over all the fixtures and picks out the important stats and key storylines for the matches on 1/2 October.

All kick-off times 21:00 CET unless stated

Tuesday 1 October

Salzburg vs Brest (18:45)

Salzburg were beaten 3-0 by a ruthless Sparta Praha in their opening league phase fixture, but it was not all doom and gloom for the Austrian side in the Czech capital. "We fought back after conceding first," said midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, one of five Champions League debutants in Salzburg's starting XI. "Hopefully, with our fans behind us, we will be more confident. We are a young squad and we will learn from this."

Confidence is unlikely to be in short supply among Eric Roy's Brest players, who overcame Austrian champions Sturm Graz on Matchday 1. Can the competition newcomers continue their winning start at Stadion Salzburg?

Did you know?
Brest are the only French side this century to have won their first Champions League game. Lille and Montpellier were beaten in 2001 and 2012 respectively, while Rennes were held to a draw on their tournament debut.

Stuttgart vs Sparta Praha (18:45)

Stuttgart were minutes away from holding reigning champions Real Madrid to a draw in their first Champions League tie since 2010. Two late goals meant Sebastian Hoeneß's team left the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu empty-handed, but last season's Bundesliga runners-up are unbeaten in 16 home matches across all competitions and will fancy their chances of getting off the mark against Sparta.

"We contributed to making it an unforgettable night," Hoeneß said of his players' display in the Spanish capital. "We've acquired great experience here and we'll use all of that in the coming matches."

Did you know?
Stuttgart have scored at least three times in each of their last six home Bundesliga games – a new club record.

Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain

Arsenal's first Champions League home match of 2024/25 is set to be a particularly special occasion for Gunners coach Mikel Arteta, who enjoyed an 18-month loan spell in Paris while still a teenager on the books at Barcelona. There will be no room for sentiment, though, as the north London side look to claim their first three points of the campaign against Luis Enrique's team – who needed a last-minute own goal from Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga to beat the Spanish outfit on Matchday 1.

"There are some things we did exceptionally well," Arteta said after his team's goalless draw at Atalanta. "[But] there are going to be things we have to do much better. We want to improve in certain areas. We need to be a lot more consistent if we want the team to flow."

Did you know?
Including shootouts, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has saved four of his last eight penalties in all competitions.

Bayer Leverkusen vs AC Milan

The message from the Leverkusen camp following their eye-catching 4-0 victory at Feyenoord was that the tone had been set for their campaign. "We didn't concede much at the back and we have quality up front," said midfielder Granit Xhaka. "That was a good first step but nothing more." To take further strides in the competition, Xabi Alonso's men will need more resilience in defence after shipping ten goals in their first five Bundesliga games this season.

It is a similar story for Milan, though, as the Rossoneri can only point to two clean sheets from their opening seven outings in all competitions, and their cause is arguably more urgent given their defeat by Liverpool on Matchday 1. All the signs point to goals at the BayArena.

Did you know?
Leverkusen have only failed to score in two of their last 61 matches.

Borussia Dortmund vs Celtic

Substitute Jamie Gittens was the star as Dortmund's late three-goal surge saw off Club Brugge on Matchday 1. Their patience and depth in personnel will be key to their season, according to Julian Brandt. "It was a lot of work and a battle of attrition," said the midfielder. "The spaces became larger towards the end as Brugge's energy dried up. What then sets us apart is that the bench scored the goals. We have a good squad across the board."

Celtic will not be lacking in persistence, however, given they scored four times in the second half against Slovan Bratislava to start their campaign in impressive fashion – their 5-1 win was the Bhoys' biggest Champions League victory (group stage onwards). Don't leave this one early!

Did you know?
Celtic have won two successive matches in the Champions League proper for the first time since 2007/08, when they defeated Benfica and Shakhtar.

Barcelona vs Young Boys

Fans and coaches expect a reaction to setbacks and these two teams have showed themselves capable of doing just that. Both beaten on Matchday 1, Barcelona responded with a 5-1 away win at Villarreal, while Young Boys triumphed 4-1 at Winterthur next time out.

However, that remains the Swiss club's only league win of the season so far, a stark contrast to a Barcelona outfit who have lost only one of their opening eight Liga fixtures, scoring 25 goals in the process. Keeping the prolific trident of Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal and Raphinha quiet will be a seismic task for YB.

Did you know?
Yamal became the second-youngest player to score in the competition proper when he struck away to Monaco on Matchday 1.

Inter vs Crvena Zvezda

Simone Inzaghi's men earned a creditable draw at usually prolific Manchester City on Matchday 1, but it was a case of one step forward, two back, as they then suffered a derby loss to Milan in Serie A. Forward Lautaro Martínez, who scored twice in Saturday's 3-2 victory at Udinese, insists they can continue their winning run on Tuesday: "When you lower the pace and level, you don't win games," he said. "When things go wrong, you have to work twice as hard."

Vladan Milojević's visitors are proof that can be done. His side never recovered from going two down within half an hour against Benfica but responded to that defeat with an emphatic 4-0 victory at rivals Partizan in their next league game. Which version of these teams will turn up at San Siro?

Did you know?
Inter have lost only two of their last 16 Champions League matches (W8 D6).

PSV Eindhoven vs Sporting CP

PSV coach Peter Bosz was far from impressed with his side in their 3-1 defeat by Juventus. "We were not tough enough; we were weak in the tackles," he said after the Matchday 1 reverse, before adding in his next press conference: "We looked back at the game afterwards and it didn't get any better. I saw many more things that were not good. I discussed that with the players."

Transferring domestic form – PSV have won their first seven Eredivisie games with a goal difference of +21 – to the European stage is a tricky task, but one Sporting CP seem to have got to grips with as they followed up five straight league victories with an impressive 2-0 success against Lille on Matchday 1, before winning their next two in the Portuguese top flight. Viktor Gyökeres has scored 11 goals in just nine appearances so far this season – quelling the striker could go a long way towards PSV getting off the mark here.

Did you know?
Sporting CP have not failed to score in their last 12 UEFA competition matches.

Slovan Bratislava vs Manchester City

Reflecting on the goalless draw with Inter on Matchday 1, City defender Joško Gvardiol assessed: "We secured a clean sheet but we couldn't score goals; it just wasn't our day. This is just the first game, so we will see. If we're going to perform the way we performed today, I think we shouldn't be worried about anything."

Pep Guardiola's side have made a good start to the season but will have to adjust to life without injured midfielder Rodri. Even so, Slovan will likely need to raise their game if they are to test the English champions, and captain Vladimír Weiss – who started his professional career at City – could write an incredible story if he plays a significant role. 

Did you know?
City are unbeaten in their last 24 Champions League matches, excluding penalty shoot-outs (W16 D8). Only Manchester United (25) have had a longer unbeaten run in the competition.

Wednesday 2 October

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Atalanta (18:45)

Mykola Matviyenko was philosophical after Shakhtar began their campaign with a goalless draw against Bologna. "I cannot say that we are fully satisfied, but if we assess the game in general, the result is probably natural," said the defender. "A 0-0 draw is a good start in the Champions League. We want, at least, to get to the zone of teams fighting for the play-offs."

The Pitmen face another Italian team next, and another outfit who were involved in a Matchday 1 stalemate in which they spurned a penalty to take the points. Neither side has truly hit their stride yet, but both have proven domestically that, when everything clicks, they are difficult to keep at bay.

Did you know?
Shakhtar are without a win in their last nine UEFA competition matches against Italian teams (D4 L5). Their last victory was a 2-1 defeat of Atalanta in Milan during the 2019/20 Champions League group stage.

Girona vs Feyenoord (18:45)

Girona came agonisingly close to a draw at Paris on their competition debut and coach Míchel was full of praise for his charges. "I think we gave a good account of ourselves," he said. "We're a humble club, it's our first appearance in the Champions League and we were up to the task. This game will serve as a learning curve. We'll pick up points little by little. I'm convinced that we'll be competitive in each match."

Feyenoord need to learn quickly too and clear their heads following a 4-0 reverse against Leverkusen on Matchday 1. Goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther was keen to find positives after that game, saying: "We had chances but didn't score. We didn't actually play badly with the ball."

Did you know?
Feyenoord have lost their last four Champions League matches.

Aston Villa vs Bayern München

There was certainly an element of fate when Villa were drawn to play Bayern in their first home game in this competition since 1983, the English club having famously lifted the trophy a year earlier by beating the Munich outfit 1-0 in the Rotterdam showpiece. Unai Emery's side showed they are eager to make up for lost time as they beat Young Boys 3-0 on Matchday 1, a result which left Youri Tielemans already looking forward to their next challenge.

"Every game's going to be really tough," said the midfielder. "This new format means everything's going to be really important; it's going to go down to the details at the end of the eight games. It's going to be up to us to impose our game." Bayern certainly imposed themselves last time out, becoming the first team to score nine goals in a Champions League match (excluding qualifying).

Did you know?
Bayern are unbeaten in a competition-record 41 league phase/group stage matches in the Champions League (W37 D4), since a 3-0 defeat against Paris in September 2017.

GNK Dinamo vs Monaco

Monaco coach Adi Hütter was delighted with his young side after they earned one of the standout results of Matchday 1, a 2-1 success at home to Barcelona. "I'm really proud," he said. "Especially with the likes of Eliesse Ben Seghir, who is 19, Maghnes Akliouche, who was playing his first game [in the competition] and Lamine Camara, who is 20. This is the way we want to go here at Monaco."

While the French outfit have set out their stall, GNK Dinamo have gone back to the drawing board, having parted company with coach Sergej Jakirović after their 9-2 defeat at Bayern. His replacement, Nenad Bjelica, started his second spell in charge of the club with a 5-1 victory over NK Lokomotiva but knows there is little margin for error on Matchday 2. "The boys played well, I am satisfied with how we met all requirements," he said. "Now we can turn our full attention to Monaco."

Did you know?
Monaco were without a win in 14 matches in the Champions League proper before that triumph against Barcelona.

Liverpool vs Bologna

Liverpool made a successful return to the competition with their win at Milan on Matchday 1, and captain Virgil van Dijk was quick to outline how Arne Slot's men intend to build on that victory. "It sounds very easy, but [the key is] the consistency," he said. "You have to stay fit, you have to do everything in your power to be ready for the next game, whether you start or not, and you have to feel part of winning games."

The Reds scored twice with headers in that match – one from a free-kick, the other from a corner – and Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano has pinpointed that as an area for improvement for his side. "We've got to grow and improve in the final third," he said. "We've also got to make more of set-play situations."

Did you know?
Liverpool have won 12 of their last 13 league phase/group stage matches in the Champions League (L1).

Lille vs Real Madrid

With ten men on the pitch, Lille lost 2-0 at Sporting CP on Matchday 1, though defender Alexsandro refused to despair, telling UEFA.com: "We took a lot of positives from this game, despite the defeat. We had a defensive error that complicated the game."

Further mistakes would be ill advised as the reigning European champions visit France, though Madrid were perhaps flattered by their 3-1 scoreline against Stuttgart last time out. "We are still seeking our best version [of ourselves]," said coach Carlo Ancelotti. Will they find it at Stade Pierre Mauroy?

Did you know?
Lille have lost just once in eight home meetings with Spanish clubs in UEFA club competition, winning twice and drawing the other five games.

Leipzig vs Juventus

Leipzig conceded late in losing at Atlético de Madrid, leaving midfielder Arthur Vermeeren keen to make amends back in Germany. "We are a young group with young players and these are the moments we need to learn from, and in the next game make sure we win," he told UEFA.com.

Kenan Yıldız's finish was the highlight of Juve's 3-1 success against PSV, meanwhile, but coach Thiago Motta expects an even better performance in their first meeting with Leipzig. "[The PSV] result is a good way to start the competition," he explained. "Now we just have to keep it up and improve on a lot of things."

Did you know?
Juve have won three of their last five games in Germany (D1 L1), including 2-0 wins in their two most recent visits.

Sturm Graz vs Club Brugge

"We were unlucky with some chances, but in the end we conceded two easy goals," Sturm captain Jon Gorenc Stanković told UEFA.com as he reflected on his team's 2-1 opening-night loss at Brest. The Austrian champions will need to be sharper if they are to get the better of their Belgian counterparts in Klagenfurt.

Nicky Hayen's Club Brugge buckled late against Dortmund, conceding all three goals in a 3-0 loss after the 75th minute, and goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was left feeling frustrated. "We have to persevere for the next match," he said.

Did you know?
Sturm's last Belgian visitors were Anderlecht in the 2011/12 Europa League group stage; the Brussels side won 2-0.

Benfica vs Atlético de Madrid

These teams have met twice before, both winning 2-1 in their away fixtures in the 2015/16 Champions League group stage. Bruno Lage's Benfica braved a typically full-blooded home crowd to earn a 2-1 win at Crvena Zvezda in their opening fixture, and can expect intimidating opponents again, with Atleti fighting fit after coming back from 1-0 down to beat Leipzig 2-1 on Matchday 1.

"We started with a defensive slip-up," said José María Giménez, the Spanish side's match winner in that game. "But the team didn't stop fighting and believing."

Did you know?
Diego Simeone's Atleti lost 4-1 to Real Madrid after extra time at the Estadio do SL Benfica in the 2014 Champions League final.

Further ahead

• Last season's Champions League finalists go head to head again when Real Madrid host Dortmund on the Tuesday of Matchday 3.
• Two heavyweights face off the following day when Bayern and Barcelona meet again – the German side have won all five meetings in the current decade.
• Matchday 4 will bring an emotional return to Anfield for Xabi Alonso when his Leverkusen side head to Liverpool.

Where is the 2025 UEFA Champions League final being played?

UEFA via Getty Images

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League final will take place at Munich's Fußball Arena München on 31 May 2025.