The Champions League's return brings with it the chance for players who do not normally lead the headlines to shine.

With the competition's league phase offering a guaranteed eight matches, players at smaller clubs can take centre stage in Europe's elite competition.

This season, some find themselves in new surroundings -- Mehdi Taremi, 33, a finalist last season with Inter, now leads the line for Olympiacos -- while others, such as Frankfurt youngsters Can Uzun (19) and Jean-Matteo Bahoya (20), are inheriting bigger roles.

The Athletic takes a look at players who could be ones to watch in the Champions League this season.

One of Benfica's forwards, Vangelis Pavlidis, took his chance to make his name last season with seven goals in the Champions League, most memorably a 30-minute hat-trick against Barcelona.

Pavlidis remains Benfica's focal point in the box, but the intrigue lies in his new partner, Franjo Ivanovic. The 21-year-old Croatian forward joined from Union Saint-Gilloise this summer after 20 goals and five assists in Belgium.

His ball-striking is clean, reflected by the fact his expected goals on target (xGOT) value of 20.3 was higher than his expected goals value (xG) of 17.7. That means his shot placement improved the quality of his chances, a sign of an elite finisher in the making.

However, he also missed 19 big chances, evidence of both volume and room to refine. Able to shoot and cross with either foot, he dribbles at speed in tight spaces, and mixes short movements to receive with sudden darts forward.

Together, Benfica now have two unique forwards -- both two-footed, but offering different traits and should be exciting to watch and certain to trouble defences.

Bodo/Glimt's recruitment model is built on spotting young players from undervalued leagues, and 22-year-old Kasper Hogh is the latest success.

The Danish striker, signed from Stabaek in Norway, scored 12 times in 23 matches last season as Glimt won the title, then carried on again in 2025 with 16 goals and five assists from 20 league appearances.

His progress has been marked by sharper movement in the box, more conviction on crosses and improved hold-up play to bring others into the game.

At 6ft 2in (188cm) he provides aerial presence but also mobility in transition, and he is able to pin centre-backs and link midfield. A thigh issue lingers, but when fit, he is central to Glimt's European campaign. For a side that thrives on rhythm and supply from wide areas, Hogh looks a natural focal point, both a target and a facilitator.

Few players have reshaped their career trajectory over the past two years like Christos Tzolis. Written off after a difficult spell at Norwich City, he has since become a key figure on the left wing.

His role is integral to the side and clearly defined, beginning wide on the left, cutting inside onto his stronger right foot, and linking with Hans Vanaken and overlapping full-backs. Brugge's Champions League draw -- Monaco, Atalanta, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur -- is daunting, but their home games should give Tzolis the chance to show he is no longer a project but a frontline leader at 23.

Over the past two windows, Frankfurt have sold Omar Marmoush (to Manchester City) and Hugo Ekitike (to Liverpool), a reminder of their sell-high model but also the need for a new attacking core. Dino Toppmoller's 3-4-2-1, which often shifts into 4-2-3-1, relies on dual creators behind the striker -- and early signs suggest Jean-Matteo Bahoya and Can Uzun are that pair.

Signed from Angers in 2024 (fee undisclosed), Bahoya spent his first season mainly on the fringes. This year, he has broken through, scoring twice in the opening win over Werder Bremen. After a year of adaptation, his rise has been rapid, with coaches praising his maturity and his willingness to take on responsibility in the final third.

At 20, the France Under-21 winger is now starting regularly, drifting in off the left and linking naturally with Uzun.

Uzun, a Turkish advanced playmaker, joined from Nurnberg last summer and has gone from rotation player to starter.

After 20 appearances last season, only six from the start (four goals, one assist), he has opened 2025 with three goals and two assists in three Bundesliga matches, including a thunderous strike and two assists against Bremen.

Trusted with Mario Gotze's old No 10 role, he thrives in the half-space, slipping passes into Bahoya or shooting early himself.

Together, Bahoya and Uzun give Frankfurt a fearless new edge, their pace and directness suited to counter-heavy Champions League ties against Atletico Madrid, Liverpool and Napoli, with the arrival of Japan midfielder Ritsu Doan adding further spark.

Monaco's steady flow of attacking talent shows no sign of slowing, and Maghnes Akliouche is the latest to emerge. At 23, he is already their primary creator.

He produced seven goals and 12 assists last season, leading the side for chance creation while establishing himself on the right, drifting inside to combine with Eliesse Ben Seghir and Folarin Balogun.

He has started 2025-26 in the same vein, scoring twice and assisting once in his first three league matches, including a decisive display against Strasbourg that earned him a first senior France call-up, debuting against Ukraine on September 5.

Early Champions League fixtures against Brugge, Glimt and Pafos offer the platform to dictate games.

Olympiacos measure themselves in Europe, and Taremi brings the pedigree to match. Signed this summer from Inter, the 33-year-old arrives with a point to prove.

Taremi built his reputation at Porto, scoring consistently and topping the Primeira Liga charts in 2022-23, before helping Inter reach last season's Champions League final. He has started well in Greece with a debut brace in 21 minutes against Panserraikos, showing his knack for finding space and finishing quickly.

Olympiacos face a demanding set of matches, including Arsenal and Barcelona, but ties against Pafos and Kairat provide opportunities. With more than 50 goals in 80 appearances for Iran, Taremi offers the kind of reliable cutting edge that can still decide tight European nights.

Sporting rebuilt their attack after Viktor Gyokeres' departure by spending €22m (£19m, $25.9m) on Luis Javier Suarez, signed from Almeria after 27 goals and eight assists in Spain's second tier. The Colombian forward thrives inside the box, timing runs to the near post and finishing quickly.

His start in Portugal has been encouraging: two goals in his first four Liga Portugal games show how naturally he fits into Rui Borges' front line. A four-goal haul for Colombia against Venezuela in the latest international break showcased his explosive ceiling.

Every Champions League season throws up a prodigy, and this year it may be 17-year-old forward Dastan Satpaev. Already Kazakhstan's youngest senior international and scorer of three goals in qualifying for Kairat, he has a €4m move to Chelsea lined up for 2026 -- making him one of the competition's most compelling stories.

Champions League: Under-the-radar players to watch