PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain starts the defense of its Champions League title on Wednesday when the six-game program includes two rematches of past finals.
Liverpool also opens its campaign, against Atletico Madrid at Anfield, while two of the four newcomers in this season’s edition make their debuts on the road.
PSG resumes against more Italian opposition, hosting Atalanta at Parc des Princes for its first game in the competition since demolishing Inter Milan 5-0 in Munich.
That was three-time European champion Inter’s fourth loss in a final. The second defeat, in 1972, was against Ajax which now hosts Inter in Amsterdam. Both Ajax’s John Heitinga and Inter’s Cristian Chivu will be coaching their first career games in the Champions League with teams they once played for in the competition.
Bayern Munich hosts Chelsea in the stadium where the English club won the first of its two Champions League titles in 2012 against the German side.
Both early games Wednesday feature debut-making teams who earned a rare entry on the biggest stage for their nations.
Bodo/Glimt will be the first Norwegian team in the Champions League main phase for 18 years when it plays at Slavia Prague.
Pafos is the first from Cyprus since 2017 and the Russian-owned club makes the short trip to Greece to face Olympiakos.
The Champions League stretches into a third day for the opening round which is completed Thursday with six more games, including 2023 winner Manchester City welcoming back Kevin De Bruyne with Napoli.
A stoppage-time comeback by Juventus to draw 4-4 with Borussia Dortmund was the standout game of the first six played Tuesday while Kylian Mbappé converted two penalties and 10-man Real Madrid came back to beat visiting Marseille 2-1.
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