What to look out for on UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 Wednesday

The UEFA Champions League continues with eight more games on Wednesday.

We pick out some key talking points ahead of the second set of the fifth round of fixtures.

25 October
Group E: Salzburg 1-2 Chelsea, Dinamo Zagreb 0-4 AC Milan
Group F: Celtic 1-1 Shakhtar, Leipzig 3-2 Real Madrid
Group G: Sevilla 3-0 Copenhagen, Dortmund 0-0 Man City
Group H: Paris 7-2 Maccabi Haifa, Benfica 4-3 Juventus

26 October
Group A: Napoli vs Rangers, Ajax vs Liverpool
Group B: Club Brugge vs Porto, Atlético vs Leverkusen
Group C: Inter vs Plzeň, Barcelona vs Bayern
Group D: Tottenham vs Sporting CP, Frankfurt vs Marseille

What to look out for

Barcelona facing déjà vu against Bayern

Last season was the first since 2000/01 that Barcelona failed to make it out of the group stage but any hope that was a blip appears to be wishful thinking given their precarious position in Group C. The Blaugrana need Plzeň to get a result at Inter while they must try to halt the runaway train that is Bayern in the group stage – their current run of 11 successive victories at this phase is a competition record.

To keep their side of the bargain, Barcelona will doubtless lean heavily on former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski. Five goals in four group games shows the 34-year-old's powers are not diminishing but even he would concede their task is an uphill struggle. The contrast is also stark for the Polish marksman given, on Matchday 5 last season, he became the first player to score in nine successive Champions League appearances on more than one occasion.

Ajax on the brink for Liverpool visit

Speaking after scoring Liverpool's late winner in the reverse fixture against Ajax, Joël Matip said: "To get back on track and take three points from a great team, that's a good step." Yet not even the defender could have realised quite what a sliding doors moment that goal would prove to be given the sides reconvene in Amsterdam with the Anfield outfit six points ahead of their third-placed rivals.

The Reds plundered 14 goals in their following four games and followed that up with a crucial 1-0 home win against previously unbeaten Manchester City in the Premier League. Ajax, by contrast, lost three of their next five games with ten goals conceded in those damaging back-to-back Champions League reverses against Napoli. "We showed that we are a team that doesn't give up and that we are prepared to battle," said Daley Blind after the second setback. Alfred Schreuder's side will need all that spirit if they are to turn the tables here.

Further ahead
• Shakhtar's 4-1 win at Leipzig was arguably the most eye-catching result of Matchday 1 but the German club will have the chance to make amends in their final group game.

• Bayern were one of three sides that finished last season's group stage campaign with a perfect six wins from six games. Should they beat Barcelona on Matchday 5, they will have the chance to repeat the feat at home to Inter.

• Porto and Atlético played out a dramatic final game in the group stage last season with Diego Simeone's men progressing despite starting the day as outsiders. They meet again on Matchday 6 this time around – expect more fireworks.

Where is the 2023 UEFA Champions League final being played?

The 2022/23 Champions League season will conclude at Istanbul's Atatürk Olympic Stadium on 10 June 2023.

Built to support Türkiye's bid to stage the 2008 Olympic Games, the venue opened in 2002 and is home to the Turkish national team. Situated in the Başakşehir area of the city, west of the Bosphorus, it boasts a seated capacity of over 75,000.