Champions League Matchday 4 Preview: Matches on 3 November
Aston Villa arrive in Barcelona with three wins from three matchdays, while the Catalans need to bounce back from defeat to PSG. That contrast alone makes the Champions League schedule for 3 November more intriguing than the usual clashes between favourites and underdogs.
In Madrid, the battle for points will also feature a chase for history: Harry Kane needs to extend his scoring streak by just one more match to equal Cristiano Ronaldo's record. Atlético are preparing to stand in his way, having gone 16 home European matches against German clubs without defeat. We take a closer look at these and the rest of Tuesday's fixtures in our regular Champions League preview.
Shakhtar vs Sporting
A win would allow Shakhtar to move above Sporting, who unexpectedly lost 3–2 at home to debutants LASK in the previous round. However, the main threat to the nominal home side's defence has not gone away: Luis Suárez has scored in all three opening matches, including a brace in the latest one. If the Colombian scores again, he will set a record for the Lisbon club's longest scoring streak in the Champions League. The Ukrainians must exploit the Portuguese side's vulnerability without allowing their striker to continue his pursuit of records.
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Galatasaray vs Stuttgart
After losing their first two matches, Galatasaray responded by scoring four goals in Lille. Stuttgart, however, arrive in Istanbul unbeaten and with seven points, one of which they took from Atlético. The Turkish side must show that their goalscoring can make up for their defensive problems: they have conceded nine goals in three matchdays.
Another storyline centres on Alexey Batrakov: the Russian has scored in his last two Champions League matches and now has the chance to extend that run against one of the teams to have made the most convincing starts to the competition. There is talk that scouts from leading Premier League clubs will be watching him closely from the stands.
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Atlético Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Harry Kane is one scoring appearance away from matching Cristiano Ronaldo's record: the Englishman has scored in ten consecutive Champions League appearances, while the record streak stands at eleven.
Atlético have a record of their own to point to: 16 home European matches against German clubs without defeat. Bayern will have to overcome that resistance without Musiala, Luis Díaz and Vincent Kompany. Kane's pursuit of a personal milestone takes on added importance for a team that dropped points in the previous two rounds.
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Atlético Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Barcelona vs Aston Villa
Barcelona have now conceded in 18 consecutive Champions League matches. For Unai Emery's team, that is a reason to look for attacking opportunities of their own rather than simply trying to contain the Catalans, who need to respond to their defeat against PSG.
Meanwhile, Lamine Yamal is chasing a historic milestone: he shares the record with Kylian Mbappé for goals in the competition before turning 20, with both the Spaniard and the Frenchman currently on 13. One more goal would make Barcelona's academy graduate the outright record holder.
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Bodø/Glimt vs Lille
Lille must end the worst European run in their history — five consecutive defeats — at a venue where much bigger names have recently come unstuck. Bodø/Glimt have won their last four home Champions League matches, beating Manchester City, Inter, Sporting and Borussia Dortmund in succession.
The French side have yet to collect a point in this season's competition, but it would be dangerous to view the trip to Norway as an easy opportunity to put things right: Glimt's home results have long demanded that they be taken seriously.
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Villarreal vs PSG
Villarreal showed at Anfield that they can cause problems for the favourites: they went 2–0 up but eventually lost 4–3. The main question now is whether the Spanish side can back up their attacking ambition with defensive solidity, having conceded in 14 consecutive Champions League matches. Ahead of a meeting with PSG, that is a particularly worrying pattern.
The Parisians are unbeaten in their last 13 matches in the competition, and another game without defeat would set a club record. The hosts must stop opponents whose consistency contrasts sharply with their own.
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Feyenoord vs Inter
Victory over Shakhtar ended Inter's worst-ever Champions League run of four consecutive defeats, but after three matchdays the Milan side have the same number of points as Feyenoord — just three. The opening stages look particularly important: the Rotterdam side have conceded first in their last six matches in the competition. The hosts need to break their habit of chasing games, otherwise their opponents will have the chance to build on a victory that has so far merely halted their European slide.
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LASK vs Slovan Bratislava
After their sensational 3–2 win in Lisbon, LASK have the chance to turn their first Champions League victory into a winning streak. For Slovan, however, something different is at stake: their first-ever points in the main competition. The Bratislava side have lost all 11 of their matches, and this season they have already conceded 13 goals — more than any other team.
The Austrians also have a clear weakness, though: they have failed to keep a clean sheet in eight consecutive European matches. The visitors must take advantage of that if they are finally to end their losing run.
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Manchester United vs Roma
Manchester United are winless in nine consecutive matches — the club's worst run in 42 years. Roma, meanwhile, have scored 21 goals in their last six games. The Romans have an opportunity to rewrite their unhappy history at Old Trafford: all four of their previous visits ended in defeat.
For Michael Carrick, facing another Italian opponent after the 4–1 loss to Como is first and foremost an attempt to halt a prolonged crisis. United's past superiority over Roma now looks a far less convincing argument than the teams' current form.
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Conclusion
After Matchday 4, half of the league phase will be over. There will still be enough time to turn things around, but only half as many opportunities to make up lost ground. Amid the headline fixtures, it is therefore important not to lose sight of the main question: who can turn isolated good nights into consistent results? An Aston Villa win in Barcelona would give their perfect start an entirely different weight, while a victory for the Catalans would serve as a reminder of how quickly the balance of power can shift.
These are the matches that separate a promising start to a European campaign from a serious bid to progress further. Don't miss the week's biggest fixtures, and take a look at our bookmaker rankings: https://scores24.live/en/sportbooks
