Nine matches kick off Champions League third round today
The UEFA Champions League group stage resumes Tuesday with nine matches, as the third round action continues with another nine games on Wednesday.
Key Takeaways
AIThe third round of the UEFA Champions League group stage begins today, Tuesday, with nine matches scheduled, while the round continues on Wednesday with nine more games.
Today's fixtures are headlined by a clash between France's Paris Saint-Germain and Spain's Barcelona, with both teams coming into the match after winning their previous two games and aiming to extend their perfect records and strengthen their positions at the top of the table.
Liverpool of England hosts Spain's Villarreal, seeking a third consecutive victory, while Manchester City faces Greek side AEK Athens, hoping to bounce back from a defeat in the previous round and return to winning ways.
Other Tuesday fixtures include Fenerbahce of Turkey against Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic, Sabah of Azerbaijan versus Germany's Borussia Dortmund, Italy's Roma facing Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava, Porto of Portugal against PSV Eindhoven of the Netherlands, Napoli of Italy taking on Norway's Bodo/Glimt, and Germany's Stuttgart meeting Spain's Atletico Madrid.
Wednesday's action features Bayern Munich of Germany hosting England's Arsenal, with the English side aiming for a third straight win, while Bayern looks to boost its points tally and climb the standings.
Real Madrid of Spain welcomes Germany's RB Leipzig, seeking to continue its winning streak, while England's Aston Villa faces Norway's Viking, looking for a third victory in the competition.
Other Wednesday fixtures include Italy's Como against England's Manchester United, France's Lille versus Turkey's Galatasaray, Belgium's Club Brugge against France's Lens, Italy's Inter Milan facing Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, Spain's Real Betis against the Netherlands' Feyenoord, and Portugal's Sporting Lisbon meeting Austria's LASK Linz.
These third-round matches are crucial in the race to qualify for the knockout stage, as teams compete for one of the top eight spots that guarantee direct entry to the round of 16, while those finishing ninth to twenty-fourth will battle for qualification through the playoff round.