The Champions League is finally back. Five weeks after an opening matchday that delivered goals aplenty, Europe’s elite return to the league phase on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Matchday 2 slate wastes no time getting serious. Wednesday’s headliner comes at the Etihad, where Manchester City host Paris Saint-Germain in what is City’s first UCL game since they were found guilty of 114 financial charges. Their first game since the charges was actually on Sunday at Liverpool, and that went more than well.

Real Madrid, 2-1 winners over Inter in their opener, head to Rome with their former coach Jose Mourinho already fuming, while many giants are on upset alert with some intriguing away clashes, including Barcelona’s visit to Istanbul to take on Galatasaray.

Then there’s Como. The Serie A side stunned RB Leipzig 4-1 in their first-ever Champions League match and now visit Feyenoord looking to prove that night was no fluke.

Every match streams live on Paramount+, your home for every Champions League game all season long, plus replays, highlights and studio coverage breaking down the race for the top eight. If you haven’t signed up yet, now’s the time.

Here are our expert picks for this matchday:

Wednesday’s Champions League schedule

Game of the day: Manchester City vs. PSG

Person to watch: Pep Guardiola, N.A. — When news of Manchester City having committed 114 breaches of Premier League rules arrived over the international break, many wondered how Pep Guardiola, their manager of a decade before leaving in the summer might react. After all, he had previously said he would walk out of the club if he found out they had lied to him over their skirting of financial rules. Instead, Guardiola has rallied behind his former club in remarkable fashion, offering public support to the ownership. He is due to go one step further on Wednesday night, showing up at City’s first home game since the verdict. Up in the Etihad stands, all eyes will be on Guardiola. Will he be able to avoid the temptation for some tactical tinkering? — James Benge

Man of the match: Kvicha Kvaratskhelia — PSG: The Georgian winger only scored one goal so far in the opening six Ligue 1 games and he’s expected to react in the coming weeks, as he’s been a key player for Luis Henrique and PSG over the past two years since he joined from Napoli. He left his mark in the two Champions League finals won by the French giants in the past two seasons and he’s also a serious candidate for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. — Francesco Porzio

Prediction: Manchester City 2, Paris Saint-Germain 2 — This match is brought to you by sovereign wealth funds, ones who have a well-documented ability to build superteams that can headline Champions League games, no matter the controversy. Manchester City’s win over Liverpool on Sunday proved that the team are doing what they can: somehow focus on the games in front of them despite the possibility of serious penalties for financial breaches of epic proportions, so much so that they will be hard to count out against Paris Saint-Germain. Whether or not the result feels tainted, though, is another question entirely. —  Pardeep Cattry

Best bet:  Erling Haaland to have 2+ shots on target (-140) — There are plenty of reasons off the pitch to keep an eye on City’s return to their home stadium but if anyone can rise above and keep producing, it’s Haaland. He’s was able to score to silence the Anfield crowd and while goals will be hard to come by in this game, he’ll have his chances to test the keeper for shots on target during this clash. — Charles Booth