Oct 21 (London Time) — The UEFA Champions League league phase returns this evening with Matchday 3. Last time out, Barcelona fell at home to Paris, Liverpool were stunned 0–1 away by Galatasaray, and Real Madrid cruised 5–0 at Kairat for a “victory from afar.”
This round, heavyweights such as Barcelona, Bayern, Chelsea, and Real Madrid all play at home, while the dark horse Bodø/Glimt travel to Turkey to face Galatasaray, and Kairat welcome fellow newcomers Pafos FC.
Want data-backed angles before kick-off? See our UEFA Champions League expert picks — curated by specialists.
All kick-off times below are London Time (BST, UTC+1).
17:45 — Barcelona vs Olympiacos
Barcelona edged Girona 2–1 in the league, snatching victory in stoppage time thanks to center-back Ronald Araújo, though head coach Hansi Flick was sent off and will be suspended. Beyond a dip in form, Barça are battling injuries: Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Andreas Christensen were all absent from training and are unlikely to be risked, so several academy graduates could be drafted in—lowering the overall ceiling for this one.
Olympiacos boss José Luis Mendilibar knows Spanish football inside out after stints at Athletic Club, Levante, Valladolid and Sevilla. Even so, his side have struggled through two league-phase fixtures, taking only one point (against Pafos) and failing to score in either game. Winger Stefano Strefezza and full-back Rodiñei are out injured.
17:45 — Kairat vs Pafos FC
Kairat showed fight early against Real Madrid but ultimately lost 0–5, conceding nine across their first two league-phase matches. The bright spot: 22-year-old goalkeeper Anabekov returned from injury and kept a clean sheet in the Oct 17 league win over Kyzylzhar. With the No.1 stabilized, head coach Urazbagtyn is targeting three points at home. Striker Edmilson remains sidelined.
Pafos FC’s main-stage Champions League debut has been bumpy, but a 0–0 draw with Olympiacos delivered their first-ever point at this level. In the league they hammered AEZ 4–0 last time out; veteran Brazilian David Luiz started and scored his first goal for the club, while key men Oršić and Rodríguez logged heavy minutes—something to watch for in the quick turnaround.
20:00 — Arsenal vs Atlético de Madrid
Arsenal face Atlético for the first time in 7 years and 170 days, underlining the complete refresh of the Gunners’ squad since then. In the league phase, Arsenal have handled Athletic Club and Olympiacos with authority and are flying across competitions. Team news is less rosy: forwards Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus are out, and playmaker Martin Ødegaard—injured versus West Ham—also misses out, a notable hit to Arsenal’s creativity between the lines.
Atlético have largely emerged from their injury cloud: defender José María Giménez and attacker Baena are back, leaving only midfielder Cardoso unavailable. Form is patchier, though—since the league restart they scraped a 1–0 home win over Osasuna, needing Almada around the 70th minute to break the deadlock. More than 2,500 traveling Atlético supporters are expected to make themselves heard in London.
20:00 — Bayer Leverkusen vs Paris Saint-Germain
Leverkusen lose midfield linchpin Malik Tillman to a thigh injury—no small blow, as he has repeatedly delivered in big moments. After the break they beat Mainz 4–3 in the Bundesliga, but defensive frailty persists. Those issues have already cost points in Europe, and with center-back Kossounou also out, Danish head coach Kasper Hjulmand has limited options to stabilize the back line.
PSG avenged their earlier collapse by beating Barcelona 2–1 away on Matchday 2, but domestically they’ve stalled with draws against Lille and Strasbourg. Luis Enrique has voiced concerns about defensive lapses. Midfielders Neves and Fabián Ruiz are out, and Ousmane Dembélé missed Strasbourg—but he’s expected to return here, a direct threat to Leverkusen’s shaky rearguard.
20:00 — Copenhagen vs Borussia Dortmund
Copenhagen boss Jacob Neestrup is under pressure after a rough run (1 draw, 2 losses), including a league defeat to Silkeborg and a European setback against Qarabag—results that have dismayed supporters. Up front, Andreas Cornelius and Mattsson are nursing injuries, while midfield leader Thomas Delaney suffered a fresh knock in the league. Against a high-level opponent, that’s a big talent drain.
Dortmund have started their domestic campaign strongly, but a 1–2 Klassiker loss to Bayern handed them their first defeat of the season in all competitions. Controversial calls aside, BVB’s high-press defending still looks vulnerable. The hottest topic: how to handle “Little Bellingham”, whose slump was instrumental in that loss. Captain Emre Can remains out.
20:00 — Newcastle United vs Benfica
Newcastle slipped to Brighton in Premier League Round 8. Without Alexander Isak, the attack has sputtered; Valentino Livramento is also unavailable, and Wissa remains out, leaving Woltemade isolated up front while Anthony Gordon’s form has cooled. Even so, a 4–0 thumping of Union Saint-Gilloise last time out kept European ambitions on track.
Benfica have tightened up since José Mourinho returned. A 0–0 draw with Porto showcased a tougher, more reactive side under the “Special One.” For this visit to Tyneside, attackers Bruma and midfielder Manuel are missing, but Mourinho has already built useful on-field chemistry among Sudakov, Ríos, and others—ample firepower to challenge Newcastle’s depth.
20:00 — PSV Eindhoven vs Napoli
PSV are short on forwards: top scorer Mark van Bommel is out for the season and Alassane Pléa hasn’t returned. In the league they opted not to start the freshly fit Ricardo Pepi, pushing Guus Til to the No.9 role—and he responded with a brace to beat Go Ahead Eagles. That gambit is unlikely to be repeated in Europe. French defender Sidillia also has a knock.
Napoli welcome back Scott McTominay, a starter in their first two league-phase wins—including victory over Sporting CP—but league form remains uneven under Antonio Conte. A shock loss to Torino saw Lukaku’s stand-in Luca struggle, while new towering goalkeeper Savic has been inconsistent. Besides Lukaku, Amir Rrahmani and Robert Ca are also out.
20:00 — Union Saint-Gilloise vs Inter Milan
Union SG lost head coach Pocognoli in the summer; Monaco, fresh off dismissing Hütter, swooped, catapulting the young Belgian coach to a top-five league. Successor Oscar Huberts (ex-Leuven, ex-Anderlecht) is also a young manager but had mixed results in his previous stint. Striker Fousseny is out; otherwise the core is intact.
Inter are almost certain to be without star No.9 Marcus Thuram, and the side rely heavily on his partnership with Lautaro Martínez. That shifts pressure onto Boni to start up top. Last season’s runners-up have beaten Ajax and Slavia Prague in Europe and remain relentless in Serie A. Stand-in head coach Chivu remains confident of taking the points.
20:00 — Villarreal vs Manchester City
Villarreal are third in LaLiga on 17 points, continuing last season’s positive trajectory, though a 2–2 draw with Betis extended a three-match winless run after the back line was “punished” by Antony. Striker Cabanes is out, but veterans Moreno and Pérez are fit again to bolster the attack.
City will be without midfield metronome Rodri, though Mateo Kovačić is back. Winger Marmoush has returned to training, but defender Khusainov remains sidelined. Pep Guardiola’s men have posted back-to-back league clean sheets, yet in Europe they’ve looked more human against elite opposition—their last UCL away trip ended 2–2 at Monaco.
Final Note
For full-HD, low-latency live streams of today’s Champions League slate, visit 96 .
