What to look out for on UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 Wednesday
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
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Milan Škriniar and Mats Wieffer will be recalling the past when the competition continues on Wednesday after the international break.
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The 32 teams involved in 2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage will continue battling for the ultimate prize on 25 October. History will be revisited in the latest round of matches with the likes of Paris, Newcastle and Feyenoord hoping to make headlines this time around.
We pick out some key talking points as European football's most prestigious club competition heads into Matchday 3.
24 October
Galatasaray 1-3 Bayern
Inter 2-1 Salzburg
Man United 1-0 Copenhagen
Sevilla 1-2 Arsenal
Lens 1-1 PSV Eindhoven
Braga 1-2 Real Madrid
Union Berlin 0-1 Napoli
Benfica 0-1 Real Sociedad
25 October
Feyenoord vs Lazio (18:45)
Barcelona vs Shakhtar Donetsk (18:45)
Celtic vs Atlético de Madrid (21:00)
Paris vs Milan (21:00)
Newcastle vs Dortmund (21:00)
Leipzig vs Crvena zvezda (21:00)
Young Boys vs Man City (21:00)
Antwerp vs Porto (21:00)
What to look out for
Škriniar aiming to quell Milan again
Should Milan Škriniar line up in the Paris defence for the first part of their crucial double header with Milan, the Rossoneri could be forgiven for experiencing that sinking feeling.
The Slovakian international will be taking on the Italian outfit for the 19th time in his career, meaning he will have faced them on more occasions than any other club. The centre-back seems to have the Indian sign over Milan too, having won 11 and only lost four of those previous encounters.
Such an omen will be welcome for Luis Enrique's side as they try to clear their heads following the 4-1 defeat at Newcastle, while Milan will hope breaching Škriniar's defence will kick-start their campaign after a pair of goalless draws in Group F.
Wieffer to tread the Roman road again?
Arne Slot's Feyenoord beat Roma in their UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg last season – this term they go head to head with their city rivals Lazio at Stadion Feijenoord 'De Kuip'.
One player with particularly fond memories of that contest is Mats Wieffer. "Things are going very fast for me at the moment," said the midfielder after that victory in March. He was not wrong. The 23-year-old scored the only goal of that opening instalment, having made his debut for the Netherlands a few weeks earlier.
A word of warning for Wieffer and the Dutch hopefuls, though: Roma went through in that tie after forcing extra time with a very late equaliser in the second leg. There must be something in the water in the Italian capital, Lazio having taken last-gasp drama to new heights with 95th-minute goals in both of their Group E matches to date.
When are the UEFA Champions League group stage games being played?
Matchday 3: 24/25 October
Matchday 4: 7/8 November
Matchday 5: 28/29 November
Matchday 6: 12/13 December
Further ahead
• All the Matchday 3 fixtures are reversed when the 32 sides play their next matches in the competition on 7/8 November.
• Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Højlund will be eyeing a victorious homecoming when they return to Denmark, though Manchester United's position will be looking precarious regardless of their result against Copenhagen on Matchday 3.
• Shakhtar Donetsk had never played in this competition at the start of the century but they proved to be quick learners when they beat Barcelona 2-0 at home in 2004/05. Will they repeat that feat on Matchday 4?
Where is the 2024 UEFA Champions League final being played?
The 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on 1 June 2024.