Champions League soccer is back on Wednesday as the league phase kicks off. Teams around Europe will look for a chance to knock Paris Saint-Germain off their perch, but after a wild transfer window and managerial shifts, plenty has changed with clubs around the world since last season came to a close. For some, like Atletico Madrid, things have even changed since the Club World Cup ended during the summer, leading to what has been a stop-and-go preseason which has impacted the start of the campaign.

Looking to the league phase kicking off, who are some of the teams who may be better or worse than when they ended their campaigns.

Atletico Madrid to disappoint

The cracks began to show at the Club World Cup as Atletico Madrid failed to get out of their group, but no one would expect that to foreshadow how poor the beginning of the season would be for Diego Simeone’s squad. It took four matches for Atleti to register their first victory of the season. Only scoring five goals through four matches, even a team that was built to attack isn’t putting the ball into the back of the net, and Atleti are stuck in transition.

Building around Julian Alvarez and Alexander Soloroth, this is a team set to push the pace, but they’re still led by a defense-first manager. Barcelona and Real Madrid are getting further ahead of their rivals, and it’s tough to see how this iteration of Atleti keeps up.

Tottenham are improving

Thomas Frank has come in and immediately improved Tottenham’s defense. It may be early, but Tottenham sit third in the Premier League with a plus seven goal difference while already having a signature win over Manchester City. Bumps in the road will come, but after finishing 17th last season, it would be an accomplishment for Spurs to rise higher than sixth in the league. Adding Xavi Simons to the squad, they also have a star to build the attack around. Richarlison won’t continue to score as he has begun the season, but with goals coming from set plays, Frank doesn’t need that to happen for Tottenham to make a surprise push into the last 16.

Atalanta are no longer contenders

Gian Piero Gasperini is now at Roma and Mateo Retegui has gone to the Saudi Pro League, but life moves on for Atalanta. Ivan Juric is the new manager and they now have Yunus Musah among the midfield options, but balancing UCL play with this transition feels like a bit too much. Juric already comes with concerns after his time with Southampton in the Premier League and Atalanta’s slow start, drawing games to Parma and Pisa, haven’t helped that. There is some hope in a 4-1 victory over Lecce, where Charles De Ketelaere scored a brace, but pressure is on the Belgian to push this team forward.

Bodo/Glimt are better than you think

Making the knockouts in a European competition for the first time last season with a Europa League run that ended in a semifinal loss to Tottenham, Bodo/Glimt have one-upped themselves, qualifying for the Champions League proper for the first time after defeating Strum Graz in the playoff round. Kasper Hogh may be one of the best strikers you haven’t heard of with 16 league goals last season and double-digit scoring seasons since moving to Bodo/Glimt from Stabaek. Only 24, he’s a player who could turn Champions League success into a major move, but this isn’t a one-man squad. Bodo/Glimt can push the pace of matches and have a homefield advantage like none other, playing later matches in the freezing cold of the Arctic Circle.

Napoli improved after winning the Scudetto

Under Antonio Conte, Napoli won’t take anyone by surprise after capturing the Serie A title last season, but with Kevin De Bruyne in the squad, they could compete for Champions League glory this season. No one can get a squad of players who are only good at one thing to fit together quite like Antonio Conte as Rasmus Hojlund looks set to follow Scott McTominay in becoming his latest reclamation project for a Manchester United castoff. It remains to be seen if they’ll be able to continue their pace in multiple competitions this season, but there’s depth in the squad, and when Romelu Lukaku returns from injury, that will only improve.

How to watch

The opening round of league phase fixtures will take place across three days – Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – and all of it will be available to watch on Paramount+, with select additional coverage on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network. Pre-match coverage starts at 12 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network each day before select matches air at 12:45 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET, with post-match coverage transitioning to Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The Golazo Show will be free on CBS Sports Golazo Network for Matchday 1, while coverage concludes on CBS Sports Golazo Network with new editions of The Champions Club, which will be simulcast on YouTube, and Scoreline.