Champions League preview: What to look out for on Tuesday
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
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Two former team-mates meet as coaches, while Ferrán Torres and Duván Zapata are out to keep the goals flowing.
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Former Juventus team-mates Zinédine Zidane and Antonio Conte will be looking nervous on opposite benches on UEFA Champions League Matchday 3, as Ferrán Torres and Duván Zapata aim to maintain their goalscoring streaks.
Tuesday fixtures (click for live build-up)*
Group A: Lokomotiv Moskva vs Atlético Madrid (18:55 CET)
Group A: Salzburg vs Bayern
Group B: Shakhtar Donetsk vs Mönchengladbach (18:55 CET)
Group B: Real Madrid vs Internazionale
Group C: Manchester City vs Olympiacos
Group C: Porto vs Marseille
Group D: Midtjylland vs Ajax
Group D: Atalanta vs Liverpool
Zidane vs Conte: a deadly double-header
Things have not worked out so well for the biggest names in Group B. Real Madrid host Inter with the two sides occupying the bottom slots, meaning a draw would be an unwelcome outcome for former Juventus team-mates Zinédine Zidane and Antonio Conte in their first meeting as coaches. Madrid have started poorly in both games so far: they were 3-0 behind at half-time against Shakhtar, and 2-0 down inside the hour against Gladbach. Can draw specialists Inter catch them cold again?
Pitmen digging for victory
"When a draw feels like a win" beamed Ukrainian paper Segodnya after Shakhtar earned their fourth point in Matchday 2’s 0-0 draw against Inter. Stricken by illness at the beginning of the campaign, Luís Castro's men have prospered in adversity, the coach sticking with the patched-together team that won in Madrid. “We have to be fair in football and reward the players,” he explained. The same group could get another chance to show their worth as Gladbach head east.
Can Salzburg end Bayern's run?
It is a grand occasion in the Germanophone world as the champions of Austria welcome their German counterparts for the first time. Jesse Marsch’s side were unfortunate to lose at Atlético on Matchday 2 while Bayern were a little underwhelming in their 2-1 win at Lokomotiv. Bayern have yet to lose in six matches against Austrian clubs in Europe’s top competition (W4 D2), but like Hansi Flick’s team’s 13-game continental winning streak, it’s a run that has to end somewhere.
Atalanta await shaky Liverpool
Last year, Atalanta’s maiden Champions League season started disastrously, the Italian outfit losing their first three group matches. This time, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have four points from two games, having recovered from 2-0 down to hold Ajax on 27 October. Now they could overtake the English champions with a Matchday 3 win, and the Reds' injury-hit defence should be wary of Colombian striker Duván Zapata who has scored three Group D goals already.
City thriving in adversity
As Marseille were beaten 3-0 in France on Matchday 2, Ferrán Torres became the first Manchester City player since Mario Balotelli in 2011 to score in his first two European games. Injuries have prompted some reshuffling at City, but Torres and fellow 20-year-old Phil Foden have benefited, with Kevin De Bruyne also returning in style at the Stade Vélodrome. "Wow, we played really well," said coach Josep Guardiola. Will he be wowed again when his side entertain Olympiacos?
*21:00 CET unless stated