The Champions League returns this Tuesday, 3 November. Nine fixtures open matchday 4 of the league phase, with two kick-offs at 6:45 p.m. followed by seven more at 9:00 p.m., West Africa time. It promises to be a packed evening that could already reshape the pecking order at the halfway mark.
At the top of the table, five clubs have a perfect record, with three wins from three games: Paris Saint-Germain, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Real Betis. Just behind them, Stuttgart and Arsenal have 7 points. Three of these leaders and chasers are in action tonight.
The most mouth-watering fixture takes place in Catalonia. Eighth with 6 points, FC Barcelona host Aston Villa, one of the surprise packages of the competition so far. The English side confirmed their good form on the last matchday by beating Viking FK 3-1. A win in Barcelona would take them a giant step closer to direct qualification.
In Madrid, Atlético welcome Bayern Munich in a prestige clash. Los Colchoneros, 16th with 4 points, were held 1-1 at Stuttgart on the previous matchday. Bayern remain unbeaten but have already dropped points, with two draws including a thrilling 2-2 against Arsenal.
League-phase leaders PSG travel to Villarreal with a clear goal: keep their perfect record intact. The Spanish side, 19th with 3 points, need to get back on track in front of their own fans.
For others, the evening feels like an ultimatum. Manchester United, 20th with just 3 points, are coming off a humiliating 4-1 defeat at Como and urgently need a response against AS Roma. Lille are in an even trickier position: still without a single point after three matchdays, the French side lost 4-2 at home to Galatasaray and travel to Bodø/Glimt needing a win.
The rest of the schedule is not without stakes. Inter Milan, a disappointing 20th despite a narrow 1-0 win over Shakhtar, travel to Feyenoord. Early in the evening, Galatasaray host Stuttgart and Shakhtar Donetsk welcome Sporting CP, while LASK Linz take on Slovan Bratislava, who sit bottom without a point.
Matchday 4 continues on Wednesday, notably with Real Madrid’s trip to AEK Athens at 6:45 p.m.
Tonight’s fixtures (West Africa time)
6:45 p.m.: Galatasaray vs Stuttgart; Shakhtar Donetsk vs Sporting CP
9:00 p.m.: Atlético Madrid vs Bayern Munich; FC Barcelona vs Aston Villa; Villarreal vs Paris Saint-Germain; Manchester United vs AS Roma; Feyenoord vs Inter Milan; Bodø/Glimt vs Lille; LASK Linz vs Slovan Bratislava