Champions League matchups set after draw; Transfer deadline day takes center stage

Happy Friday! An exciting slate of weekend matches is upon us, but not before the soccer world conducts serious business with the UEFA Champions League draw having taken place on Thursday and transfer deadline day on Friday. I'm Pardeep Cattry with the latest as a busy week comes to a close.

All times U.S./Eastern

Saturday, Aug. 31
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Championship: Leeds United vs. Hull City, 9:30 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 League One: Peterborough United vs. Wrexham, 9:30 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Barcelona vs. Real Valladolid, 11 a.m ➡️ ESPN+
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: West Ham vs. Manchester City, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ NBC
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Leverkusen vs. Leipzig, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Lazio vs. AC Milan, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Sunday, Sept. 1
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: Manchester United vs. Liverpool, 11 a.m. ➡️ Peacock
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bayern vs. Freiburg, 11:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 NWSL: North Carolina Courage vs. Kansas City Current, 2 p.m. ➡️ CBS, Paramount+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Juventus vs. Roma, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇺🇸 MLS: St. Louis City vs. LA Galaxy, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Fox
🇺🇸 NWSL: Angel City vs. Chicago Red Stars, 2 p.m. ➡️ CBS, Paramount+
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid vs. Real Betis, 3:30 p.m. ➡️ 

⚽ The Forward Line 🇪🇺 New-look Champions League, same old luck of the draw

A first-of-it-kind UEFA Champions League draw took place on Thursday with a giant button, jokes at the new, Swiss-style tournament's expense, and of course, a list of enticing matchups that will keep us occupied from now until mid-winter. The draw, though, also offered a first glimpse at the new format's big promise -- more entertaining and competitive matchups from the start, especially for Europe's elites.

Much like draws past, the results were all over the place. Manchester City and Real Madrid may not have needed a kind draw but they got it, while most other teams were handed some combination of winnable games and challenging clashes. Few teams came out of the draw as unlucky as Paris Saint-Germain, who will feel the impact of the new format more harshly than most. They were one of the losers in James Benge's winners and losers column considering the tough schedule ahead of them.

• Benge: "Of the nine sides from pot one, might PSG be the early favorites to find themselves scrapping to reach the knockout stage at all, let alone the top eight? Certainly, their fixture list looks as trying as that of almost anyone in the draw, encompassing trips to Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Salzburg and Stuttgart while Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Girona rock up to the Parc des Princes. There is of course the talent in the PSG ranks -- especially on the bench with Luis Enrique -- to not only get the points required from those eight games but to actually prove themselves to be dark horses for the competition proper, but a squad in transition has been handed a run of games that would test even their best iterations."

While the draw answers the first questions about teams' paths to the knockout rounds, it also offers a first glimpse at the biggest question of the season: How fun will the new Champions League format actually be? PSG's tough schedule, as well as several other high-profile matchups, suggest plenty of entertainment is in store. Rooting for chaos may take on a whole new meaning as the competition transitions from the group stage to a single table of 36 when only the top 24 advance.

• Benge: "The early signs are quite good. The old group stage might have ensured a more truly balanced schedule than this format promises, but it was not without its drawbacks, as was blindingly apparent in many a matchday six. … The league phase may well prove to be the same but, before the fixture lists have been finalized, there is at least the prospect of every week of the competition having meaningful contests through to a final week where an almighty amount of spots are up for grabs. Those top eight berths could be like gold dust, affording those competing on multiple fronts with much-needed rest. Expect a brutal battle around 24th place to get into the knockout playoff, a similar scrap to get between ninth and 16th and get the valuable home leg second time around."

One more big announcement is expected before the league phase begins on Sept. 17 -- the schedule. UEFA is set to drop the list of fixtures on Saturday when teams and fans alike can begin to map out the drama that's hopefully in store.

Transfer deadline day is officially here, and so is the uncertainty that follows several players and clubs with hours to go until the window closes. American eyes are surely on U.S. men's national team starter Matt Turner, who is in search of minutes. Benge is reporting that he is closing in on a loan move to Crystal Palace.

Elsewhere, Chelsea's business could be front and center on Friday as a months-long saga over their finances and their bloated squad continues to play out. New manager Enzo Maresca continues to signal that Raheem Sterling needs to find the exit after leaving him out of his matchday squads to start the season, and he may not be the only person the Blues want to get off their books before the deadline. Chelsea, though, do not seem entirely intent on shrinking their 44-player roster -- they continue to be linked to several high-profile players, including Jadon Sancho and Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen is another player who could steal headlines on deadline day as he waits for a summer move that seemed destined. He feels like the best forward on the market after a 17-goal season for Napoli, but few serious links have emerged over the summer other than a move to the Saudi Pro League. Osimhen's status has emerged as a bigger talking point as the deadline approaches, while Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are amongst the clubs who have been name-dropped in recent weeks.

The dragged-out transfer sagas, though, are emblematic of a peculiar summer transfer window that has felt somewhat dormant. The desperation from selling clubs -- and the players they are trying to get rid of -- has not been matched by prospective buyers, with many of Europe's top teams being selective with their signings this summer. Deadline day will answer a big question: Will Friday's action reverse course on a silent summer of transfers, or will it reflect the limited activity that's been on display all season long?

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