On October 24, 2023, at 08:11 AM ET, both Real Madrid and Barcelona are looking to extend their winning streaks in order to secure their spots in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
With their focus on the upcoming Spanish football Clasico on Saturday, both Real Madrid and Barcelona pause in the Champions League, third round, to continue their successful run and secure their qualification for the knockout stages of the competition.
The two Spanish teams have been dominant in their matches in Europe, just like the reigning champion Manchester City and perennial contender Bayern Munich. This quartet returns to the Champions League after the international break to extend their winning streaks, secure a place in the knockout stages, and shift their focus back to their respective domestic leagues.
On the other end of the spectrum, five clubs, Manchester United, Union Berlin, Benfica, Celtic, and Antwerp, have yet to earn any points and face a must-win situation in the third round of the Champions League. Especially Manchester United and Benfica, who are currently experiencing a crisis and have to make up lost ground in order to be considered serious contenders. Manchester United will face Copenhagen at Old Trafford, while Benfica faces a more challenging opponent in Real Sociedad, one of the revelations of the season so far.
For all the news and results of the UEFA Champions League, click here. Real Madrid will be in action on Tuesday, facing Braga in Portugal. Carlo Ancelotti’s team has improved in the Champions League, putting aside their doubts from their debut against Union Berlin and gaining momentum with their performance against Napoli, the Italian champions. Their goal is to win both matches against the Portuguese representatives and secure their place in the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s opponent, Shakhtar Donetsk, seems to be a more manageable challenge as they face each other in the next two rounds. Xavi Hernandez’s team is focused on reaching the knockout stages, which they failed to do in the past two seasons, and setting the stage for the Clasico against Real Madrid to ignite the race for the top spot.
Subscribe to Star+ now! Enjoy all the content from ESPN and more through Star+. Subscribe NOW. Spanish coach Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, the reigning champion, will visit Bern to face Young Boys, who have only managed to secure one draw in their previous two matches. After defeating Red Star Belgrade and Leipzig with the same scoreline (3-1), Manchester City will complete the first half of the group stage against the Swiss team, who only managed to get a draw in Belgrade against Red Star.
Leipzig, expected to finish second in Group G, will play against Red Star at the Red Bull Arena.
Bayern Munich, another team with a perfect record in the Champions League, will visit Istanbul to face Galatasaray, currently in second place in the group and also undefeated. The Turkish champions, who surprised Manchester United, have the opportunity to take the top spot in the group if they defeat the German team. If Galatasaray manages to secure a win in Istanbul, it will completely change the dynamics of a group that also includes the match between Manchester United and Copenhagen. The English team needs a victory to keep their hopes alive for the knockout stages.
For all the news and results of the Spanish La Liga, click here. Spanish football, with the highest representation in the Champions League, will put its good form to the test with Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad, leaders of their respective groups and undefeated in the early stages. However, Sevilla is currently struggling, as they have yet to win a match and will welcome a new coach, Diego Alonso, for their European campaign, following the failed journey of Jose Luis Mendilibar, who led the team to success in the Europa League and secured their place in the top continental competition.
Atletico Madrid will relive a historic duel against Celtic. The Scottish representative will test the current form of Diego Pablo Simeone’s team in a rematch of the match they played in 1974, the semi-finals that Atletico Madrid won but ultimately fell short in the final against Bayern Munich.
The Madrid-based team narrowly escaped with a draw in Rome, dropping two points, and managed to secure a victory against Feyenoord at the Metropolitano Stadium. The victory against Celtic solidifies their position at the top of the group, while in Rotterdam, the representative from the Netherlands will host Lazio in the hopes of securing the other spot in the group.
Real Sociedad faces a crucial double encounter against Benfica. This week, they will travel to Lisbon to face a team that has yet to earn any points and is in desperate need of a win. The San Sebastian-based team currently leads Group D after drawing against Inter Milan at home and securing a victory in Austria.
Imanol Alguacil’s team aims to secure a place in the knockout stages by successfully defeating the Portuguese opponents in both matches.
Sevilla faces its toughest challenge yet, as they fight to stay in the Champions League against the strongest team in Group B, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. The match will take place on Tuesday at the Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, and the return leg will be played in London in the fourth round.
Unable to win against Lens and PSV Eindhoven, Sevilla encounters one of the most in-form teams in their European debut under new coach Diego Alonso, following their unexpected loss against Lens. Arsenal, who defeated PSV, is the favorite to advance in the competition in a group that has become unexpectedly competitive.
The so-called “group of death” has another chapter to unfold with everything still to be decided. Led by Newcastle, who shocked Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round, Milan and Borussia Dortmund still have chances to progress.
Paris Saint-Germain aims to bounce back with a match against Milan at the Parc des Princes, a team that has yet to win a match. The Italian team has only managed to secure two goalless draws so far. PSG needs to secure all three points to recover from the defeat against Newcastle and prove that it was just a fluke.
The Spanish national team also aims to reclaim their favorite status, which they could potentially achieve by winning both matches against Milan. Newcastle, who couldn’t defeat Milan in their debut but successfully defeated the French team, will host Borussia Dortmund at St. James’ Park, with the latter currently at the bottom of the group and in need of points to strengthen their position in the competition.
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