Champions League Round 3 Preview, October 21
After Matchday 3, the league-phase table in the Champions League stops being just a collection of numbers and starts shaping each team's path forward. For some, this is a chance to strengthen their place in the playoff zone; for others, it is an opportunity to finally claim a first win. Wednesday's schedule features both a heavyweight European clash in Munich and Manchester United's trip to a city where, just three years ago, a visit from such an opponent would have seemed unimaginable. Below are nine stories for every taste.
Como – Manchester United
Just three years ago, Como were playing in Serie B, and on Wednesday Manchester United will arrive at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia — and this is no dream. Cesc Fabregas, who guided the team to a historic Champions League berth, calls the match a dream come true but reminds everyone that Serie A remains the main priority. Como sit fifth in the Italian league with 14 points, and the home atmosphere at the Sinigaglia can cause problems even for a club of United's stature, especially given the Red Devils' current issues. Michael Carrick's side have managed only one win over the past month and a half — a 4:0 victory over Sabah — so they arrive in Italy as outsiders.
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Lille – Galatasaray
Both teams come into Matchday 3 with zero points, which makes the game at the Pierre-Mauroy particularly tense. Lille lost to Betis (2:3) and Arsenal (0:3), while Galatasaray were beaten by Sporting (1:3) and Barcelona (1:4). Everyone understands the situation: another defeat could bury their playoff hopes. The hosts will have to cope without their first-choice goalkeeper, while the visitors are missing their biggest star, Rafael Leao. Bookmakers make Les Dogues slight favorites, which is understandable given that Galatasaray have lost their last five away matches in the Champions League.
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Aston Villa – Viking
A week ago, Viking produced one of the biggest surprises of the round by drawing 3:3 with Bayern, and the Norwegians now travel to Villa Park with genuine confidence. Aston Villa, however, are in intimidating form: the 6:0 demolition of Fenerbahce was a statement of serious ambition in this competition. The Lions have won four of their last five matches. Unai Emery will have to do without Ian Maatsen, Matteo Ruggeri and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, but even with those losses on the defensive flanks, the hosts should still be able to dictate the tempo. Viking are likely to rely on a low block, counterattacks and set pieces, but containing Emery's attacking machine on its own ground will be extremely difficult.
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Bayern Munich – Arsenal
This is Wednesday's marquee fixture, and Bayern do not come into it in ideal condition. The Munich side have collected only four points from two matches after drawing 3:3 with Viking. They must now cope without the suspended Michael Olise, and Joshua Kimmich has admitted that this makes the task more difficult. Arsenal, meanwhile, have won both opening games without conceding and arrive at the Allianz Arena as the competition's defensive benchmark. The key question is whether Bayern's attack, without Olise and Musiala, can break down the tournament's strongest defensive line. Less than a year ago, the Gunners beat Bayern convincingly 3:1, but that match was in London. A different picture is expected in Germany.
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Real Betis – Feyenoord
Betis bring the Champions League back to Seville, doing so at La Cartuja, their temporary home while Benito Villamarin is being renovated. Their campaign has started well: Manuel Pellegrini's side beat Lille and Porto by the same 3:2 scoreline. Feyenoord, however, arrive on a five-match winning streak and have scored in 16 consecutive games, making them a dangerous visitor. The teams' numbers point toward an open contest. Their head-to-head history is minimal — just one match, won by Betis — and bookmakers still see the Spanish side as clear favorites.
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Club Brugge – Lens
Club Brugge pulled off a huge upset by beating Inter away from home and now need to build on that result against Lens. The Belgian side have won five straight matches in all competitions, but they have conceded in eight of their last nine Champions League games, which is why bookmakers are reluctant to make them overwhelming favorites. Lens, meanwhile, have major defensive personnel problems and have gone nine consecutive matches without a clean sheet. At the Jan Breydel Stadium, that could be decisive. Les Sang et Or will find it difficult to take points away from Belgium, especially after conceding twice even against Slavia in a 3:2 game where the Czech side played almost the entire second half with ten men.
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Real Madrid – RB Leipzig
Real Madrid have won both of their opening matches, but Jose Mourinho now faces an unusual decision. Vinicius Junior has been suspended for four La Liga matches and will miss El Clasico, which makes the Champions League an outlet for the Brazilian. Mourinho has confirmed that Vinicius will start to keep him motivated. But is that the right call given Yan Diomande's form? Leipzig arrive at the Bernabeu after a 1:6 defeat to Bayern, where Martin Demichelis chose not to abandon his usual high defensive line. A similar approach could once again cost the Bulls heavily. Real are likely to try to settle the game efficiently, but RB still appear to have very little chance at the Bernabeu.
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Sporting CP – LASK
For Sporting, this is a special game in a way — a meeting with a ghost from the past. In the 2020/21 season, the Lisbon side were thrashed 1:4 at home by LASK in the Europa League playoffs, a defeat that became a catalyst for Ruben Amorim's revolution at the Portuguese club. Amorim has long since left Sporting, and the team are doing much better than their former coach. They have six points from two rounds and sit sixth, while Rui Borges is chasing a third straight win that feels almost inevitable. LASK first lost to AEK (0:1) and then to Liverpool (3:6), and they do not look capable of putting up much resistance in Lisbon.
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Inter Milan – Shakhtar Donetsk
Inter enter Matchday 3 with zero points after defeats to Real Madrid (1:2) and Club Brugge (3:4). This is already their second home game of the campaign, and the pressure on Cristian Chivu's team is growing: another setback could turn the situation into a full-scale crisis. The squad situation is also worrying, with Lautaro Martinez unavailable. Shakhtar, by contrast, arrive unbeaten with four points, and Gleyker Mendoza scored in both of their opening Champions League matches. The Giuseppe Meazza should be a major factor — Inter have nowhere to retreat, but the Miners will not come to Milan simply to make up the numbers; they will fight for points. This should not be a one-sided game.
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Inter Milan – Shakhtar Donetsk
Summary
Bayern and Arsenal will test whose defense and attack are stronger in Wednesday's main battle, Inter and Galatasaray may face season-defining survival games, while Como have a chance to record one of the biggest wins in club history. The number of compelling storylines is enormous, so do not miss the matches and check our bookmaker rankings: https://scores24.live/en/sportbooks
