The 32 teams involved in 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage will continue battling for the ultimate prize on 24/25 October. History will be revisited in the latest round of matches with the likes of Galatasaray, Inter and Feyenoord hoping to make headlines this time around.
We pick out some key talking points as European football’s most prestigious club competition heads into Matchday 3.
Tuesday 24 October
Galatasaray vs Bayern
Inter vs Salzburg
Man United vs Copenhagen
Sevilla vs Arsenal
Lens vs PSV Eindhoven
Braga vs Real Madrid
Union Berlin vs Napoli
Benfica vs Real Sociedad
Wednesday 25 October
Feyenoord vs Lazio
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Celtic vs Atlético de Madrid
Paris vs Milan
Newcastle vs Dortmund
Leipzig vs Crvena zvezda
Young Boys vs Man City
Antwerp vs Porto
What to look out for
Galatasaray stars to set Bayern record straight?
The Turkish champions are riding the crest of a wave after their stunning 3-2 victory at Manchester United on Matchday 2 and Okan Buruk’s men now have the chance to claim the Group A summit if they can take another prize scalp in the form of six-time European champions Bayern.
Two Cimbom players will be especially keen to get one over on the German giants, though they will have to unburden the weight of history to do so. Defender Angeliño faced Bayern six times as a Leipzig and Hoffenheim player but never tasted victory and it was a similar story, albeit one that offers more hope, for Kerem Demirbay.
The midfielder locked horns with the Bavarian outfit on 14 occasions and suffered eight defeats but the 30-year-old did at least manage four victories during his time at Hoffenheim and Leverkusen. He also had three goal involvements in his first three outings against them, including a stunning strike in Munich in 2016.
Škriniar aiming to quell Milan again
Should Milan Škriniar line up in the Paris defence for the first part of their crucial double header with Milan, the Rossoneri could be forgiven for experiencing that sinking feeling.
The Slovakian international will be taking on the Italian outfit for the 19th time in his career, meaning he will have faced them on more occasions than any other club. The centre-back seems to have the Indian sign over Milan too, having won 11 and only lost four of those previous encounters.
Such an omen will be welcome for Luis Enrique’s side as they try to clear their heads following the 4-1 defeat at Newcastle, while Milan will hope breaching Škriniar’s defence will kick-start their campaign after a pair of goalless draws in Group F.
Wieffer to tread the Roman road again?
Arne Slot’s Feyenoord beat Roma in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg last season – this term they go head to head with their city rivals Lazio at Stadion Feijenoord ‘De Kuip’.
One player with particularly fond memories of that contest is Mats Wieffer. “Things are going very fast for me at the moment,” said the midfielder after that victory in March. He was not wrong. The 23-year-old scored the only goal of that opening instalment, having made his debut for the Netherlands a few weeks earlier.
A word of warning for Wieffer and the Dutch hopefuls, though: Roma went through in that tie after forcing extra time with a very late equaliser in the second leg. There must be something in the water in the Italian capital, Lazio having taken last-gasp drama to new heights with 95th-minute goals in both of their Group E matches to date.
Further ahead
- All the Matchday 3 fixtures are reversed when the 32 sides play their next matches in the competition on 7/8 November.
- Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Højlund will be eyeing a victorious homecoming when they return to Denmark, though Manchester United’s position will be looking precarious regardless of their result against Copenhagen on Matchday 3.
- Shakhtar Donetsk had never played in this competition at the start of the century but they proved to be quick learners when they beat Barcelona 2-0 at home in 2004/05. Will they repeat that feat on Matchday 4?
