The UEFA Champions League returns this week as matchday 5 action takes centre stage with mouthwatering fixtures to look out for.
The latest round of matches provides some top-of-the-shelf matchups between some top European sides as teams are looking to strengthen their position in the league standings, while others aim to change their fortunes.
For lovers of the Champions League, Europe’s elite club competition, Afrosport previews five showdowns that promise excitement and drama this week.
Liverpool vs. Real Madrid
Two of European football’s powerhouses, Liverpool and Real Madrid, will be meeting in the Champions League for a fourth straight season. The Reds, six-time winners of the competition, will welcome record winners Madrid (15) to Anfield on Tuesday in a pivotal clash for both sides.
The Spanish giants have the edge going by results in recent encounters, having won seven of the last eight, including two wins in their last three matchups at Anfield. They have, however, been a shadow of themselves this season, having won two and lost two of their four matches played.
For Los Blancos, who will be without talismanic forward Vinicius Junior, an away win seems like the only reasonable result if they are to get back on track in the Champions League, as a defeat or draw will leave them in an unfavourable position.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are in blistering form as they sit atop the standings with four wins from as many games, and Arne Slot’s side can take solace in Real Madrid’s defensive frailties, which has seen them concede seven goals in four games in the competition.
Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain
A repeat of the 2020 Champions League final is on the cards as six-time winners Bayern Munich entertain familiar foes Paris Saint-Germain in a significant tie that promises end-to-end action at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
PSG have yet to find their rhythm in the competition this season, as a win, a draw, and two losses see them rooted in 25th in the standings as they face early elimination from the Champions League.
Bayern, however, poses a fairly better result with two wins and two defeats from their opening four games, sitting eight spots above PSG in the standings.
There has never been a draw in the history of this fixture, with Bayern boasting the upper hand with seven wins in 13 previous meetings, including winning five of their last six encounters.
Aston Villa vs Juventus
1982 winners Aston Villa play host to two-time champions Juventus at Villa Park on Wednesday, in a tie reminiscent of the early 80s.
Villa’s return to the competition, its first since the rebranding in 1992, has so far been a fruitful one, with three wins and a defeat in four games, including securing a famous win against Bayern Munich, and Unai Emery’s side will be confident of getting all three points at home against Juventus, who sits three places below them in the standings.
Juventus, who sits 11th with seven points, will be aiming to record their second away victory of the campaign following their comeback victory at RB Leipzig, as well as opening day victory over PSV Eindhoven and an away draw at Lille. The Old Lady, however, won the last two meetings between both teams with a combined 5-2 score.
If the atmosphere we have seen so far at Villa Park on Champions League nights is anything to go by, fans are in for a top-class showdown.
Sporting vs Arsenal
A first Champions League meeting between two of Europe’s most exciting teams is on the cards at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Tuesday as the Portuguese team continues to adjust to life without Ruben Amorim.
It will, however, be Joao Pereira’s first Champions League game in charge of Sporting, and what better way to flex your muscles than to go up against a wounded Arsenal side that lost their last game in the competition.
Sporting are unbeaten so far with victories over Manchester City, Stum Graz, and Lille, as well as a 1-1 draw at PSV, handing them 10 points from a possible 12 as they occupy the second spot in the standings. Arsenal, on the other hand, are 12th with two wins, one draw, and one defeat.
This matchup definitely promises to be an exciting one, as the two teams are as attack-minded as they come, and Sporting’s resolve under Pereira will be tested, seeing as their brilliance in the competition was under the tutelage of Amorim.
Barcelona vs Brest
One of the five remaining unbeaten sides, Ligue 1 outfit Brest has turned out to be one of the surprise packages in the Champions League this season, and what better way to test their resolve than to face five-time winners Barcelona?
Tuesday’s game at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys is surprisingly one of the standout fixtures of the round, as a win for the French side will see them continue their fairytale run in the competition.
Brest has recorded three wins and a draw from four fixtures and currently occupies the fourth position with 10 points, while their hosts, Barcelona, lie in sixth place with nine points after three wins and a defeat.
A win for any of the sides will strengthen their hopes of progressing automatically into the knockout stage as the league phase gradually winds down.
