Champions League Matchday 1 Picks & Preview (Sep 17)

A busy week of Champions League action continues on September 17, as the second night of the League Phase is staged. Huge showdowns, including Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea and Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid, will be staged. You can find our Champions League picks here.

Champions League Matchday 1 Schedule

Champions League Matchday 1 Picks

Olympiacos vs. Pafos FC

History will be made in the Champions League on Wednesday, as Pafos make their debut in the competition. Confidence levels of a shock win could be high, as Olympiacos have suffered defeats in 16 of their last 20 matches in the competition. However, it would be most logical when making Champions League picks to side with a home win on Wednesday.

Slavia Prague vs. Bodo/Glimt

Slavia Prague will come up against a Norwegian club for just the second time in their history. The hosts have avoided defeat on MD1 in each of their last two UCL campaigns. However, Bodo/Glimt could be the balance play on Wednesday, as they have recorded wins in each of their last two matches against Czech sides.

Ajax vs. Inter Milan

Ajax have failed to win in their last four matches against Inter Milan, suffering three defeats across that period. Inter have gone 12 without defeat against Dutch sides, and they have kept a staggering 20 clean sheets across the last two seasons in the competition. The defensively savvy Italians could be hard to overlook when making Champions League picks on MD1.

Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea

Two former European champions collide at the Allianz Arena, as the recently crowned Club World Cup champions take on Bayern Munich. Chelsea have won 12 of their last 13 European fixtures. However, Bayern could be hard to oppose after winning three of their last four against the Blues, and suffering just one defeat in their last eleven home games against English teams in the competition.

Liverpool vs. Atletico Madrid

Liverpool have a poor record against Atletico Madrid, having failed to win in four of the last six meetings between the sides. Atletico have kept clean sheets in 42% of their UCL matches under Simeone. However, based on the start to the season that both teams have recorded, a high-scoring win for Liverpool could be challenging to overlook on Wednesday.

PSG vs. Atalanta

The reigning European champions open their Champions League campaign on Wednesday against Atalanta. PSG have avoided defeat in ten of their last eleven matches against Italian sides, which includes a success in last season’s final. The holders also have a reliable record on MD1, with just one of the last 30 champions losing on the opening day of the next season’s competition.