Bayer Leverkusen's Malik Tillman leads crop of eight Americans across seven teams in Champions League

The Champions League has seen quite a contingent of Americans rolling through the competition in recent seasons, and this season the most important one may be at Bayer Leverkusen where Malik Tillman moved this summer. A new addition at Leverkusen with a big role to replace Florian Wirtz, Tillman is already under his second manager of the season after Erik ten Hag was dismissed following only two Bundesliga matches in charge.

Replaced by Kasper Hjulmand, Leverkusen got off to a good start, defeating fellow Champions League side Eintracht Frankfurt, but Tillman also wasn't on the ball much, taking the fewest touches of any Leverkusen outfielder who started the match, excluding Exequiel Palacios, who was withdrawn due to injury after 15 minutes. Tillman did look to attack when he was on the ball, taking three shots, but none of those tested the keeper, with two of his shots being blocked and the other being put off target.

It's too early to worry about Tillman, as this was only the second match that he has played since the Concacaf Gold Cup final due to getting injured during preseason play, but expectations are high at Leverkusen and if Tillman doesn't reach them, he could find himself on the bench, which is far from optimal for him and the United States men's national team. A team doesn't fire a coach after two matches without having expectations to succeed, and that could also apply to players if they don't hit the ground running. Leverkusen invested a lot in Tillman and will need him to succeed for the club to succeed, but that doesn't make his move from PSV to the Bundesliga club one that's risk free.

Tillman has previously found UCL success with PSV, scoring four goals and assisting four more in the competition, and that's part of what earned him this step up to Leverkusen. Making a move during a World Cup year means that if Tillman doesn't hit the ground running, it could impact his standing in the USMNT squad, but on the flip side, succeeding with Leverkusen would set Tillman up to push for a starting role with the USMNT.

Losing 10 players who helped make major contributions to the squad that helped Leverkusen qualify for the Champions League, this team may be one of the biggest unknowns in the competition. Starting off with Copenhagen and PSV, those will be matches where you can see what Hjulmand has to work with. If Leverkusen doesn't have points by the time they're hosting Paris Saint-Germain in October, that's when major shifts could be on the way.

This is a team that expects to at least get out of the league phase in the competition, and they'll need Tillman to be at his best in order to accomplish that. But while Tillman may be the most notable American taking part in the competition, he's not the only one. Who are the others who could play a role in their squads this campaign?

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Other Americans in UCL play

Ricardo Pepi, PSV: The PSV forward has a new number, with Ricardo Pepi taking up the number nine shirt at the club. Pepi scored his first goals of the new season, netting a brace on Saturday in an away trip to face NEC, and PSV will need more of those during this competition. Pepi is someone who is set to be in the World Cup squad if he can continue to find the back of the net, but with so much room for growth for the 22-year-old, this is a big year for the American forward.

Sergino Dest, PSV: During his time at PSV, Dest has become one of the first names on the team sheet when he's healthy, and that's still the case this year with him being back to full health. Critical in attack and defense for the Dutch side, Dest is someone who will have pressure to deliver strong performances in the UCL, but that won't be anything new for him.

Johnny Cardoso, Atletico Madrid: Making the move from Real Betis to Atleti, it hasn't been the start to the season that Cardoso would've expected. It took Atleti four matches to pick up their first victory of the season, and things won't get any easier with Liverpool on the horizon. Most of the Atletico Madrid team has failed to impress to kick off the season, but that will need to change quickly.

Timothy Chandler, Eintracht Frankfurt: Still on the Frankfurt roster, Chandler is keeping things going at 35. He has moved into more of a mentorship role at the club, but he's still a member of their UCL squad, which could lead to a few appearances in the competition this season.

Weston McKennie, Juventus: It's another season where McKennie has to fight for his spot in the Juventus midfield, but he's been here before, and there's no reason not to expect more Champions League success from McKennie. Scoring three goals last season was the best Champions League output of his career so far as the American has a knack for showing up in big moments.

Tim Weah, Marseille: Back in France and this time with Marseille, Weah will be set to earn more playing time under Roberto Di Zerbi than he got at Juventus. He'll also be able to play as an actual winger, which is a boost to his USMNT stock. This is a big season for Weah, as winger is a position that could get crowded for the USMNT.

Folarin Balogun, Monaco: During the September international window, Balogun showed why he's the starter for the USMNT, but that promise still needs to translate to Monaco. Starting this season healthy, he has a goal and an assist to kick things off on the right track, but more is expected from him. Season three with the club needs to be when he finally breaks double digits in goals, and if Balogun does, good UCL performances will follow.

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.