The UEFA Champions League continues with 16 matches spread over Tuesday and Wednesday.
We take stock of the big issues of the day.
Tuesday, October 4
Group A: Liverpool – Rangers, Ajax – Naples
Group B: Porto – Leverkusen, Club de Bruges – Atletico
Group C: Bayern – Pilsen, Inter – Barcelone
Group D: Marseille – Sporting CP, Frankfurt – Tottenham
Wednesday, October 5
Group E: Salzburg – Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea – AC Milan
Group F: Leipzig – Celtic, Real Madrid – Shakhtar
Group G: Man City – Copenhagen, Sevilla – Dortmund
Group H: Juventus – Maccabi Haifa, Benfica – Paris
Benfica on the road to Paris
Paris have made a very satisfactory start to the campaign under their new coach Christophe Galtier, after a victory 2-1 at home against Juventus and a success 3-1 at Maccabi Haifabut the champions of France are measured against a sacred obstacle, Wednesday in Lisbon.
Benfica also have six points, their 2-1 triumph at Juve on Matchday 2 being their twelfth straight victory in all competitions this year. “I saw a very brave team that wanted to go forward,” coach Roger Schmidt said after the game.
All the members of the MNM, Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi, have scored in Israel: a positive sign as they visit an enclosure that has not always brought good luck. The 2020 finalists have lost their last three away matches against Benfica (the last time 2-1 in the 2013/14 Group stage), and also played at the Estádio do SL Benfica in the final of the UEFA Champions League 2020, losing 1-0 to Bayern.
British derby
Meetings between Scottish and English clubs always raise special expectations and that between Liverpool and Rangers is no exception to the rule. Reds left-back Andrew Robertson, from Glasgow, could well be in the middle of this battle, especially as he has never made a secret of his Celtic allegiance.
The two sides meet for the first time in UEFA club competition, and although footballing logic seems to favor Jürgen Klopp’s men, Scottish clubs have had reason to relish past trips to Anfield. Liverpool beat Celtic (2-0, 1966), Hibernian (3-1, 1975) and Aberdeen (4-0, 1980) in their first home encounters with teams north of the border, but did not most won since (2 draws and 1 loss), Celtic having won 2-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup.
Chelsea version Potter face au Milan
“We still have time,” insisted striker Raheem Sterling after Chelsea were held 1-1 by Salzburg on matchday two, in his first game under new manager Graham Potter. “He gets his ideas across. I think the boys see it well, but it just takes longer for everything to fall into place. »
With Premier League matches canceled following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and then a break for international fixtures, the new manager had a rocky start at Stamford Bridge, but the stats are already ominous, English newspapers pointing out that it is the Blues’ worst start to a Champions League campaign since 1999/2000. Not the best time to welcome the seven-time European champions, but is there ever a good time?
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Calendar
Day 3: October 4-5, 2022
Day 4: October 11-12, 2022
Day 5: October 25-26, 2022
Matchday 6:1is-2 November 2022
And after…
• All matches this week are reversed on matchday four, which means a very quick reunion for each of the teams involved. Dinamo Zagreb and Salzburg could be a game to watch, with both sides hoping AC Milan and Chelsea can take points from each other in the other Group E encounter.
• Erling Haaland will make a much-anticipated return when Manchester City take on Borussia Dortmund on matchday five. The Norwegian celebrated modestly after scoring against BVB in England on matchday two. Should he consider something similar in front of the yellow wall?
• The day after Haaland’s return to Dortmund, Robert Lewandowski’s Barcelona will welcome the Pole’s former side, Bayern München. The striker missed a few decent chances on Matchday 2 as his side went down 2-0 in Germany. Will he erase these failures at Camp Nou?
Where is the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final taking place?
The 2022/23 Champions League season will conclude at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on June 10, 2023.
Built as part of Turkey’s bid for the 2008 Olympics, the stadium was inaugurated in 2002 and hosts matches for the Turkish national team. Located in the Başakşehir district, west of the Bosphorus, it has a capacity of over 75,000 seats.