Champions League Matchday 4 is here and Wednesday night promises to bring more drama and entertainment.
With the second round of the Battle of Britain in Glasgow, a key game for Tottenham and a heavyweight clash between Barcelona and Inter, there’s plenty to look forward to.
Who will emerge victorious as the groups take shape ahead of the final two games?
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Wednesday October 12th
Napoli vs Ajax – 5.30pm (5.45pm kick-off) live on BT Sport 1
Napoli can seal their qualification for the last 16 with a win over Ajax at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.
Luciano Spalletti’s side have been exceptional so far this season, topping both Serie A and Group A of the Champions League.
I Partenopei remain unbeaten in all competitions, with three wins from three in the group stage, made even more impressive by the obvious difficulty of the draw.
Last season’s finalists were sent to Naples and Rangers were clearly beaten on home soil. And last week it was Ajax’s turn to face one of the best teams in Europe. The result was humiliating for the Dutch champions, who were beaten 6-1 at the Amsterdam Arena.
If other teams didn’t pay attention to Napoli in the competition, they certainly do now. Such an emphatic away goal from a side of Ajax quality is a declaration of intent and a clear sign that the Italians are not to be underestimated.
A win on Wednesday evening is crucial for Ajax to even have a chance of entering the group.
Head coach Alfred Schreud has to do without Dusan Tadic, who was sent off in the 6-1 defeat.
Star striker Victor Osimhen is still absent from Napoli through injury, although that has certainly not been a hindrance to scoring lately.
Atletico Madrid v Club Brugge – 17:30 (17:45 kick-off) live on BT Sport 4
Bruges is the surprise package of this year’s Champions League so far.
The Belgians surpassed all expectations in the first three games, winning all in a group for which in many cases they had no chance of qualifying.
Carl Hoefkens’ team is only third in the Belgian premier class but has clearly found a formula for success in Europe.
Incredibly, Brugge have yet to concede a goal in Group B. Atletico Madrid were beaten 2-0 at the Jan Breydel Stadium last week after Bayer Leverkusen lost 1-0 there. However, the most impressive result is undoubtedly the 4-0 win over Porto at the Estadio do Dragao.
Brugge are a well organised, efficient side and Diego Simeones Atletico need to be at their best to inflict a first defeat on the group leaders.
It’s been a slow start to the season for Los Colchoneros, although back-to-back La Liga wins have improved things somewhat.
But Atletico are currently bottom of the Champions League and need a win against a Bruges side who are defying the odds.
Rangers v Liverpool – 6.30pm (kick-off 8pm) live on BT Sport 2
The game many have been eagerly awaiting since the draw is Liverpool, who travel to Glasgow for the second Battle of Britain within a week.
Jurgen Klopp’s side prevailed at Anfield, going past Rangers thanks to a superb free-kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold and a penalty from Mohamed Salah.
But Ibrox could be different. Under the lights, in an intense, hostile atmosphere, Rangers are hoping the gap in quality will become redundant.
Liverpool are also wounded after losing 3-2 to Arsenal in the Premier League, a result that pushed them 10th in the Premier League and raised further questions about their defensive weaknesses.
Alexander-Arnold is likely to miss Wednesday night’s game after injuring himself at the Emirates, so Joe Gomez could be asked to step in at right-back. Luis Diaz also suffered a knee injury during the Arsenal defeat and is a doubt for the Rangers game.
The hosts have no fresh injury concerns so Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s biggest dilemma is likely to be whether Antonio Colak or Alfredo Morelos will start up front.
Barcelona vs Inter – 7.45pm (kick-off 8pm) live on BT Sport 4
The Group of Death lives up to their tally for Barcelona, who have struggled again in the Champions League despite their impressive La Liga form.
Xavi’s side top the Spanish top flight with 20 goals scored and just one in eight games, but things are different in the Champions League.
Last week’s 1-0 defeat by Inter at the San Siro left Barcelona with just three points in Group C and third place.
That has increased the pressure for the second leg at the Camp Nou, where the Blaugrana can level on points with Inter if they secure a much-needed win.
Robert Lewandowski is likely to be a goal after a rare two-game losing streak and Xavi can take comfort in the fact that his side have now played their two most difficult away games, despite losing both.
With Bayern seemingly out of sight at the top of the group, this is a big game for both sides.
Barcelona have been bolstered by the return of Frenkie de Jong from injury, while Romelu Lukaku could be back in action for Inter after a break on Wednesday night.
Viktoria Pilsen v Bayern Munich – 19:45 (8pm kick-off) live on BT Sport 5
Bayern have made a strong group look remarkably easy so far, scoring nine goals and not conceding after three games.
They will expect to continue that dominance with a win over hapless Group C whipping boys Viktoria Pilsen in the Czech Republic.
Julian Nagelsmann has seen his side stutter and drop points in the Bundesliga after conceding a last-minute equalizer at Borussia Dortmund last weekend, but things have been smooth sailing in the Champions League.
Pilsen fought bravely at Allianz last time out, but couldn’t do anything to prevent a comfortable home win. Leroy Sane scored a brace from goals from Sadio Mane and Serge Gnabry before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting completed the 5-0 router.
A similar result is expected again as Bayern look to secure a place in the last 16 as early as possible.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Porto – 7.45pm (8pm kick-off) live on BT Sport 7
The other game in Group B is important for both teams as Leverkusen, Porto and Atletico Madrid are all tied by three points at this point.
Aside from Brugge’s aforementioned heroics, this was a group of ineffective attacking play and often questionable defence.
Porto could be the more popular of the two teams, although the 4-0 defeat by Brugge hardly inspires confidence. But Sergio Conceicao’s side beat Leverkusen 2-0 last week and will be hoping to build on that result.
It was a bleak start to the season for Leverkusen. They’re 15th in the Bundesliga and don’t seem able to show consistent form. However, a 4-0 win over Schalke on Saturday could give them a welcome boost.
The winner of Wednesday night’s game at Bay Arena could be well placed to qualify but Group B is very difficult to name at the moment.
Tottenham vs Eintracht Frankfurt – 7.15pm (8pm kick-off) live on BT Sport 3
Antonio Conte praised his players after last week’s goalless draw in Frankfurt, but he might have wanted more than a point.
Spurs had chances at the Waldstadion and need to be more sober in the second leg. A win on Wednesday night could put Tottenham in a strong position to qualify from a group that looks wide open.
Their excellent home form makes the north Londoners clear favourites; Spurs have won all five games in all competitions at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season, scoring 15 goals.
Conte also appears to have addressed some of his team’s defensive woes after scoring goals against Arsenal and Sporting, with back-to-back goals conceded after Saturday’s 1-0 win at Brighton.
Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski is out with a hamstring injury while Lucas Moura remains on the touchline.
Sporting vs Marseille – 19.45 (kick-off 20.00) live on BT Sport 6
Marseille kept Group D interesting with a 4-1 win over leaders Sporting last week and reminded everyone not to count them out just yet.
However, the Ligue 1 side need to back that up in Portugal, where Sporting have already beaten Tottenham and Frankfurt are yet to play.
This is clearly a group where all teams are capable of beating each other so nothing will be decided by the end of Wednesday night’s game.
But a win for Sporting would be a big step towards qualifying and would put Marseille in a precarious position depending on the result at Tottenham.
Igor Tudor’s side have done well domestically to remain three points behind PSG despite losing 2-1 to Ajaccio at the weekend, perhaps with one eye on the Champions League.
Sporting, on the other hand, have lost their pace in the Primeira Liga and sit fifth after a poor start. Will they save their best form for the Champions League or will they soon be ousted from the top of Group D?
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