Week two of the Champions League is already upon us, the league section serving up a boatload of intriguing matches included Bayer Leverkusen’s conflict with Milan, Paris Saint-Germain’s journey to Arsenal and a re-run of the 1982 European Cup Last as Aston Villa host Bayern Munich. This is what we’re maintaining an eye fixed out for:

The right way to watch

Paramount+ may have each minute of Champions League motion for Matchday 2, whereas CBS Sports activities Community and CBS Sports activities Golazo Community will supply further protection. The UEFA Champions League Right this moment pre-match and post-match exhibits will air on each Paramount+ and CBS Sports activities Community, whereas Paramount+ would be the residence of The Golazo Present and each recreation on Matchday 2. CBS Sports activities Community and CBS Sports activities Golazo Community will every have choose video games, whereas CBS Sports activities Golazo Community will shut out every day’s motion with new episodes of Scoreline and the Champions Membership.

Wirtz rips via Milan

If a case is to be made that the encouraging early season defensive alerts from Bayern Munich are to be believed, it would simply be primarily based on how successfully they locked up Florian Wirtz. With Joshua Kimmich at his most industrious and two or three our bodies to help him, the Bavarians had been in a position to maintain Bayer Leverkusen’s star man to only three profitable offensive duels from 13, one contact within the field and no pictures. 

Even then, they could not cease totally cease Wirtz, who ended with the help that ensured the defending champions communicate with the main pack on the prime of the Bundesliga. It might not have been probably the most elegant go the 21-year-old has performed — and boy does he play a variety of them which are simple on the attention — however even this micro help for Robert Andrich spoke to Wirtz’s outstanding qualities, one contact of his chest sufficient to place an awkwardly bouncing ball such that he might instantly roll it sideways for his teammate to take a shot earlier than Bayern’s protection might scramble out. One other recreation, one other direct contribution to the scoresheet. That moderately typifies Wirtz this season.

By means of eight video games in all competitions, Wirtz has seven purpose contributions. Notably for a participant who has lengthy seemed like considered one of Europe’s finest suppliers, six of these have been targets. Early within the season this can be, however given the explosive begin that the face of Leverkusen made to his Champions League debut — two targets in his first 36 minutes — you may be forgiven for considering this could be Wirtz’s supernova season. This actually could be the kind the place the phrase younger stops being utilized alongside the descriptors of excessive expertise: one of the best playmaker in Germany, Europe’s prime attacking expertise.

The explanation you may make that assertion with such confidence is that Wirtz’s advantageous type in entrance of purpose dates again a good bit additional than his scoring streak to date this season. Within the two and a half campaigns previous to the beginning of 2024, the teenager averaged about 1.6 pictures per 90 Bundesliga minutes, a quantity that notably dipped as he labored his means again from a significant ACL damage. Because the begin of 2024 that quantity has skyrocketed to only in extra of three. Victor Boniface’s prolonged absence demanded that somebody in Leverkusen colours step up. Wirtz did simply that, delivering so lots of the massive targets within the slog to the tip of an undefeated home marketing campaign.

Naturally, Boniface’s return means the shot output has eased up, however solely a fraction whereas during the inventive numbers have held up at Wirtz’s typically outstanding stage. Provided that his post-shot xG is a lot increased than his pre-shot xG and his purpose return even increased than both, it’s honest to query whether or not some regression is due. There’s additionally one thing a bit of inquisitive about a shot profile that appears to both be excessive worth shut vary alternatives or hopeful efforts from vary. Nonetheless, when a participant of this high quality hits type, it could run and run and run. Milan would possibly simply remorse operating into Wirtz at this second in time.

Arsenal’s set piece hazard is quelled

One other week of Premier League motion, one other clutch purpose from a nook to hold Arsenal to an enormous consequence. Their 13 pictures off useless balls towards Leicester Metropolis on Saturday — a quantity which does not embody the personal purpose Leandro Trossard pressured on Wilfried Ndidi off a ninety fifth minute Bukayo Saka nook — was the joint-most they’ve managed in a league recreation because the appointment of set piece coach Nicolas Jover in the summertime of 2021. In that point solely two groups, Brentford and Newcastle, have bettered that tally in a single recreation. 

Because the begin of final season the Gunners rank at or close to the summit of the English prime flight in nearly each useless ball metric. They rating extra, create extra xG, quit fewer alternatives to their opponents (their anticipated assists allowed from set items is especially outstanding) and hit their targets with outstanding accuracy. After they’re packing their field with behemoths, it’s typically a matter of when, not if, they discover the web.

Curiously, that has under no circumstances translated to the Champions League, the place 11 video games within the competitors are but to convey a set piece purpose for the Gunners. The pictures and xG dip too, from 4 and 0.4 within the Premier League final season to 2.5 and 0.2 of their continental matches. A few of that drop in output is all the way down to decrease inputs, Arsenal definitely did not decide up fairly the gaudy variety of corners on their travels however even that was offset by a couple of extra free kicks from the kind of positions the place Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Saka can ask questions of defenders.

Greater than quantity and even execution, Arsenal’s issues with useless balls in Europe appears to be considered one of self-discipline. In final season’s Champions League, the Gunners led the best way each when it comes to variety of fouls dedicated within the opposition penalty space (15) and per recreation common (1.5). Solely three forwards — Kylian Mbappe, Victor Osimhen and Jude Bellingham — gave away extra free kicks in that a part of the pitch than middle again Gabriel. Jover’s array of picks, screens and blockers works to devastating impact within the Premier League. When it actually works, as of their second purpose towards Manchester Metropolis eight days in the past, it drives opponents to apoplexy. Gabriel Martinelli stands his floor in entrance of Ederson and the goalkeeper each bemoans a purple shirt blocking his route, and is aware of he’ll merely be advised he ought to have attacked the cross extra. In English soccer you possibly can all the time need it extra.

The identical guidelines usually are not fairly making use of when the continent’s finest officers take cost. Take this occasion as Arsenal chase an equaliser towards Bayern Munich in final season’s quarterfinals. Gabriel drifts again from an offside place and into what begins as a sturdy embrace with Eric Dier and ends as a six man ruck. Many a Premier League referee would view this as six of 1, half a dozen of the opposite. As a substitute Arsenal lose a main likelihood within the dying minutes of an enormous recreation.

Comparable had occurred within the earlier spherical towards Porto. Mischief maker in chief Ben White collides with Pepe, the Goya of the ‘darkish arts’and what appears to be a reasonably easy bump between the 2 ends with… properly, I’ve by no means used the highlight operate whereas mocking up pictures earlier than, however this appears applicable.

Paris Saint-Germain won’t have anybody who sells contact to the very again row like Pepe did, however, given their relative lack of muscle, they are going to be acutely conscious that one of the best ways to cease Arsenal’s risk from corners and free kicks is to show these situations into free kicks of their very own. Sooner or later, a coach of Jover’s high quality will in all probability puzzle out a technique to keep inside the continental interpretation of the foundations and get probabilities for his massive guys. To date, nonetheless, he doesn’t fairly appear to be there.

Villa invite Bayern strain

This is a fast conditional one to finish this week’s predictions off. It’s, at the least, a situation that is smart. Suppose that, urged on by a house help all of the extra ebullient given the reminiscences of the 1982 European Cup closing, Aston Villa burst out of the blocks of their first assembly with Bayern Munich since that unforgettable night time in Rotterdam. Suppose that considered one of Ollie Watkins or Morgan Rogers, the latter within the type of his fledgling profession, will get the night time going with a bang, an early purpose. What occurs then?

Logic would recommend that Villa ought to maintain going, push for at the least the second. Why not even a 3rd? Actually there can be nothing extra dangerous than sitting again on a lead towards the likes of Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise and, health allowing, Harry Kane. And but, there may be that factor that Unai Emery groups do. Too typically their one purpose leads usually are not constructing blocks however shaky foundations, his facet intent on clinging on to precarious benefits.

At Ipswich City on Sunday, Rogers and Watkins turned an early deficit right into a 2-1lead  inside 32 minutes. For the 40 minutes that adopted, Villa took zero pictures. None. In opposition to a staff that earlier than this weekend previous was giving up 14 of them per recreation. Liam Delap struck once more for Ipswich and Villa found that permitting half a recreation to go them by was not an optimum plan for getting three factors. 

This might be advantageous if it had been a fluke. It’s not. Already this season Villa, who’ve traded fairly successfully in thrilling comebacks, have confirmed themselves a bit too prepared to gamble on their protection within the latter phases of a win over Everton and a 2-1 win over Leicester the place half of their 10 pictures got here on their technique to Amadou Onana’s twenty eighth minute opener. Final season, two targets up towards Chelsea after 42 minutes, they registered just one shot earlier than Conor Gallagher equalised within the 81st minute. Go additional again into Emery’s CV and also you bump into the horrifying sight of watching Shkodran Mustafi anchor an Arsenal protection two targets up. It not often ended properly. This, finally, would possibly simply be life beneath Emery. It would not need to be that means. It’s although.