Football / Barcelona and Atletico Chase Glory as Champions League Campaigns Kick Off

Madrid, Sep 8: Spanish heavyweights Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are set to open their UEFA Champions League campaigns on Wednesday.

Barcelona welcome Dutch champions Feyenoord to the Camp Nou, while Atletico Madrid travel to England for a high‑profile clash against Liverpool at Anfield.

Barcelona arrive in Europe riding a wave of momentum. Under new coach Hansi Flick, the Catalan side has made a flawless start to their La Liga season, winning all four matches with an astonishing tally of 17 goals scored and only two conceded.

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Their dominance was further underlined last weekend with a resounding 5‑0 victory over Valencia, a result that showcased both attacking flair and defensive solidity.

Yet with three more league fixtures scheduled in the next 12 days, Flick is expected to rotate his squad against Feyenoord. According to Xinhua, new signing Gabriel Jesus could feature, while Belgian winger Jesse
Bisiwu may debut from the bench.

Flick is also likely to manage minutes for teenage star Lamine Yamal during this demanding stretch. Barcelona will aim to carry their domestic dominance into Europe, though Feyenoord promise a stern opening test.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid return to Anfield, where they suffered a thrilling 3-2 defeat last season. Virgil van Dijk scored the late winner in that encounter. Liverpool, under new coach Andoni Iraola, have endured an inconsistent start, which could make Atletico’s counter-attacking pace decisive.

Atletico’s weekend brought disappointment with a 3-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao, though Julian Alvarez’s lively second-half cameo offered encouragement. The Argentine forward nearly scored and forced a save from Unai Simon.

Diego Simeone now faces a selection dilemma: whether to give Alvarez more minutes or hand new signing Jonathan David his debut.

Atletico will hope to avoid another setback at Anfield, while Liverpool look to capitalize on home advantage in their opening Champions League fixture.

(IANS)