UEFA Champions League Matchday 1

Case: Defending champions at home against a Slovan side that lost all eight matches in its previous Champions League league-phase campaign. Paris have won their last four Matchday 1 fixtures and kept clean sheets in the three most recent.

Adversarial check: Slovan arrive unbeaten in seven UEFA matches, so complacency is the main contextual danger.

Case: Bayern have won their opening Champions League match in 22 straight campaigns and are unbeaten in 38 home group/league-phase games, winning 36.

Adversarial check: Bodo/Glimt are dangerous going forward and have scored at least twice in 11 of their last 12 UEFA matches.

Case: Sabah are making their first UEFA group/league-phase appearance while United are playing their 300th European Cup match. The level and home-setting advantage is substantial.

Adversarial check: United have won only one of their last seven Champions League group/league-phase matches, so recent competition form limits the score.

Case: Barcelona have been the league phase's highest-scoring side across the first two editions of the format. Feyenoord are winless in their last 11 European away games, losing nine.

Adversarial check: Barcelona have not kept a clean sheet in their last 15 Champions League matches, so the win angle is stronger than a clean-sheet angle.

Case: Stuttgart won all four of their Europa League home league-phase games last season. Viking are Champions League debutants and remain winless in six away matches against German opposition.

Adversarial check: Stuttgart have never won a Champions League Matchday 1 fixture in four previous attempts.

Case: Madrid have won six of the last seven meetings, 19 of their last 21 games against Italian clubs, and 17 of their last 19 Champions League opening fixtures.

Adversarial check: Inter are elite opposition and have failed to score in only two of their last 19 Champions League matches.

Case: Liverpool have finished top-three in the league phase in each of the last two seasons and have won six straight league-phase matches against Spanish teams. Atletico have never won a Champions League group/league-phase fixture against English opposition.

Adversarial check: Atletico have scored in 22 of their last 24 group/league-phase games and are experienced at disrupting high-level opponents.

Case: Dortmund beat Villarreal 4-0 at home last season and have lost only two of their last 15 home matches against Spanish clubs.

Adversarial check: Villarreal are capable in transition and none of their last 31 Champions League proper matches ended 0-0.

Case: Sporting reached the Champions League quarter-finals last season and have won four of their last five against Turkish opposition. Galatasaray are winless in five against Portuguese clubs.

Adversarial check: Galatasaray reached the round of 16 last season and carry enough attacking threat to reduce straight-win confidence.

Case: Arsenal were unbeaten in regular time throughout last season's Champions League run, conceded the fewest goals and recorded the most clean sheets. They are unbeaten on Matchday 1 in nine straight European campaigns.

Adversarial check: Napoli are at home and won the last Champions League meeting in Naples 2-0, so protection is preferable to an aggressive away-win angle.

Case: AEK have won nine of their last 11 UEFA home matches. LASK are making their Champions League league-phase debut.

Adversarial check: LASK qualified with a striking 5-1 win over Celtic in the second leg of their play-off, showing they can punish an open game.

Case: Villa won 13 of 15 matches in last season's Europa League campaign and have lost only three of their last 21 UEFA group/league-phase matches.

Adversarial check: Club Brugge have lost only three of their last 22 UEFA home matches and repeatedly produce strong European home performances.

Case: City have a strong overall record against Portuguese opponents and a clear squad-quality edge.

Adversarial check: Porto have lost only one of their last 14 UEFA home matches, while City have lost six of their last nine Champions League away games.

Case: Lille have lost only one of nine home games against Spanish teams and have scored in nine straight Champions League matches.

Adversarial check: Betis have lost only one of their last ten UEFA group/league-phase matches.

Case: Roma have won their last five matches against Turkish opposition and have a strong history of progressing from Champions League groups/league phases.

Adversarial check: Fenerbahce have won their last three home games against Italian teams without conceding, so the historical trends conflict.

Case: PSV have won three straight Champions League matches against Ukrainian opposition and beat Shakhtar 3-2 at home in their previous meeting.

Adversarial check: PSV have lost their Matchday 1 fixture in each of their last five Champions League campaigns, while Shakhtar have lost only two of their last eight European group/league-phase games.

Case: Como conceded the fewest goals in Serie A last season, while Leipzig have won only one of their last ten Champions League matches and have gone 18 European matches without a clean sheet.

Adversarial check: Como are making their European debut, so there is major uncertainty around how domestic defensive strength translates to this level.

Case: Slavia are winless in their last 19 Champions League proper matches. Lens have historically produced non-goalless Champions League fixtures and usually find a way to score.

Adversarial check: The sample is historically dispersed and neither side offers a clean directional edge. This is the weakest FIS of the slate.