• Calendar.The Madrid group
  • Calendar: Atlético's group

The first day of the Champions League faces Real Madrid and Atlético on Wednesday the two most complicated rivals in the group: PSG and Juventus . The Whites eliminated the French in the second round of 2018 with a double win, while the rojiblancos fell last season in eighths against the Turinese.

PSG

What has changed this summer?

After the unexpected elimination in the round of 16 last season against Manchester United -after winning the first leg-, Thomas Tuchel received a second chance at the head of the Parisian team, as had happened to Unai Emery before. Leonardo returned as sports director, who had to face a great public exhibition during the summer with the tiring soap opera Neymar . But at the close of the transfer market he was able to extract a very positive balance. Finally the Brazilian stayed, he managed to transfer the Argentine striker Mauro Icardi (separated by Inter) and on the last day he completely renewed his goal, with the arrivals of Keylor Navas and Sergio Rico . Previously, the PSG had fled from the pompous hiring of other years to focus on covering the shortcomings that the team had: Abdou Diallo , Dortmund center that can also be left side, and especially three midfielders, the most needy line. One more recovering, Senegalese Gueye , from Everton, and two more creative Spanish: Ander Herrera and Pablo Sarabia . Now it seems a much more compensated template than in the past.

How was your start of the season?

Irregular. Very marked by the injuries of important players ( Mbappé , Cavani , Marquinhos , Ander , Draxler , Kehrer , Bernat ...) and surely by the distraction of the Neymar case. It is true that he leads the French league alone but added his first defeat on the second day, something that last season did not happen until February. It was against Rennes, a team that had already made him suffer 15 days before in the Super Cup. The rest of the matches have won but not convinced. Cameroonian Choupo-Moting, an unexpected hero against Toulouse, is the top scorer of the course. Neymar saved the last match against Strasbourg with a scissor shot at the discount. Like last season, Tuchel has been changing system although the current multiple casualties leave little room for maneuver.

Juventus

What has changed this summer?

Despite achieving five leagues and four cups in his five years as a bianconero coach, Juventus decided to do without Max Allegri after the European defeat against Ajax and replace him with a technician of a diametrically opposite style like Maurizio Sarri , last season at Chelsea . The reason: the obsession to win a Champions League that has touched two finals in the last five years. In terms of signings, Juve made some controversial decisions: he allowed the promising striker Moise Kean to leave, changed with Manchester City to Joao Cancelo for Danilo and had the summer on the exit ramp to Paulo Dybala , much loved by the fans . But the signings at zero cost of Ramsey and Rabiot , the return of the charismatic Buffon and the arrival of the Demiral plants and, above all, the Dutchman Matthijs De Ligt have taken a further leap in quality to one of the competition's favorites.

How was your start of the season?

Dull He won by the minimum to Parma with a goal from Higuaín , who has returned from his double transfer to Milan and Chelsea with the utmost confidence of Sarri. He beat Naples 4-3 thanks to a lucky goal in his own goal in the discount, after a great first half of the bianconeri but also leaving 3-0 with defensive errors in bulk. And on Saturday, he starred in a sad zero draw in Florence without too many offensive resources. The Neapolitan coach, adamant in his 4-3-3, has bet initially on questioned but expert players like Khedira and Matuidi . He is trying to capture his ideas (more ball possession, high pressure) but this requires a time of adaptation. And, to top it all, he has suffered the very serious injury of Captain Chiellini .

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • sports
  • football
  • Champions League

Champions League Draw of the Champions, live: Madrid and Valencia, the best unemployed

Champions Benzema's rebellion: less weight, more leader and a rematch in Paris

Champions League 2019 - 2020 Zidane announces Hazard to PSG without Neymar, Cavani and Mbappé