Champions League Vibe Check: Barcelona, Bayern Munich impress; Manchester United in trouble

The UEFA Champions League will transition into midseason mode this week with several key matchups that will test teams' abilities to make deep runs in this season's competition – or win the whole thing by late spring.

Two games in, a few familiar themes are emerging. Back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain remain the team to beat while Real Madrid continue to find a way out of trouble, even if wins should feel more elusive to the Spanish giants. Not everyone is in trademark form, though, fascinating subplots emerging as they each begin to chart a way to the podium. Perennial contenders Bayern Munich, for example, hit a stumbling block on Matchday 2 with a 3-3 draw at Viking while Arsenal did not cruise to victory over the weekend.

That does not exactly spell bad news for Bayern or the Gunners, the pair amongst a few teams to keep an eye on as the pursuit of Europe's top club prize continues. While they face each other in an all-important clash in Munich on Wednesday, a pair of formidable foes for the title will meet on Tuesday – PSG host a Barcelona side that may have turned over a new leaf. That said…

Original source: https://www.cbssports.com/