Mourinho returns to the UCL with Benfica, Chelsea slips at Bayern

Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich beat Chelsea at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday in their Champions League opener 3-1. (Photo credit:...

Harry Kane scored twice as Bayern Munich beat Chelsea at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday in their Champions League opener 3-1. (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

There have been two big days of Champions League football with Premier League clubs competing with the rest of Europe for the biggest one, while Newcastle and Manchester City will join them on Thursday.

Away from the Champions League for a moment, veteran manager Jose Mourinho has been confirmed as the new coach of Benfica, rivals of FC Porto, where it all started for the Portuguese. Does he have any magic left in him?

Mourinho was fired by Fenerbahçe a little over two weeks ago, and he has made a quick return to the dugout. Does he have to take every job he sees? Does he need a break to refresh? He’s back in the Champions League, where he will play against Chelsea, Napoli, Juventus and Real Madrid. Does he have any hope of advancing despite their opening-day loss to Qarabag?

Back to the Champions League itself, Arsenal and Liverpool got off to a fine start, albeit in different manners. The Gunners went away and returned with three points, two goals and a clean sheet, while the Premier League champions left it late yet again, winning 3-2 over Atletico Madrid at Anfield.

This brings us to the question: is Liverpool’s late winning goal bailout a strategy or pleasant coincidence? Virgil Van Dijk’s goal against Atletico was the fifth straight late winning goal in as many matches this season. Is it sustainable?

Real Madrid left it late too, but theirs came with controversy as Kylian Mbappé netted two penalties, the second a lot more contentious, but the Frenchman has now hit 50 goals for the Los Blancos. It’s been five wins from five for Xabi Alonso; however, they bagged their third red card against Marseille. What’s going on?

Chelsea’s fatigue came to the fore on Wednesday as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at the Allianz Arena, leaving them condemned to win their next game against Jose Mourinho’s SL Benfica. Cole Palmer scored what eventually became a consolation, and that itself is good news for the returning star.

On Thursday, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will host Antonio Conte’s Napoli in a game that could swing either way. You can call it the Kevin De Bruyne derby; we expect fireworks and lots of goals from this one. It should be fun to watch.

The Italian champions will be cautious, while Manchester City won’t want a repeat of last season’s run in the Champions League. Conte has to prove that he’s not a poor rat in Europe, while Manchester City needs consistency and momentum; we can’t wait for this one.

Newcastle is back in the Champions League; however, they start at home against one of the favourites as Barcelona visits St James’s Park on Thursday. It’s life after Alexander Isak for the Magpies, while Barcelona seeks to start on the front foot; this is another big one.