Matchday Menu: Dimitar Berbatov makes his Champions League picks

Former Leverkusen and Manchester United forward Dimitar Berbatov reveals his favoured gameday meals and looks ahead to Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League in the first episode of the Just Eat Matchday Menu series.

Must-watch match: Barcelona vs Bayern München

Wednesday's meeting between Barcelona and Bayern is Berbatov's pick for unmissable Matchday 3 action. "They are two of the biggest clubs in the world," the former Bulgaria striker explains. "I always like watching Barcelona, especially because Robert Lewandowski is there."

Bayern boast a prolific centre-forward of their own in Harry Kane, of course. The England captain is top scorer in the Champions League so far this season with four goals, and Berbatov is looking forward to seeing which striker comes out on top: "It's going to be a battle of the No9s."

The German side have triumphed in their last six Champions League encounters with Barcelona. Ex-Bayern coach Hansi Flick masterminded the most emphatic of those victories – an 8-2 win on the way to the 2019/20 title – but his task now is to end that streak from the Barcelona dugout.

Player to watch: Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen)

On Matchday 3, Berbatov will be keeping a close eye on Florian Wirtz, a player given his Germany debut by Flick in 2021. "He's someone who can score goals and get assists," says the 43-year-old. "He's constantly moving around the pitch and looking for space."

Wirtz will be facing Brest on Wednesday with Bundesliga champions Leverkusen. "What Leverkusen did last season was remarkable," adds Berbatov, who enjoyed a five-year spell at the German club early in his career. "They are continuing to build on that this season."

Florian Wirtz during his Player of the Match display on Matchday 2Getty Images

Matchday Meals

What could make a Manchester United win taste even sweeter during his Old Trafford stint? Pizza, Berbatov reveals. "Sometimes, we'd have pizza after the game. It was like a pizza party. There was always someone going straight for the food."

Berbatov's cheat meal of choice was different, however. "I would choose a Gamberoni pasta dish, which has king prawns. I would have two or three portions, and I liked it spicy."

Berbatov particularly enjoyed the food on offer during his late-career stint with Monaco. "There was a really nice restaurant where you could basically order anything," the forward remembers. "I would call the place and they would know who it was straightaway because I was such a regular."

Dimitar Berbatov applauds the fans after Monaco's Champions League win over Arsenal in 2015AFP via Getty Images

Berbatov's perfect striker

A striker must possess a range of attributes, bringing different flavours to different parts of the game. While sampling fruit, Berbatov explains how to build the perfect striker.

"First, we have mango, which is basically me," he says. "Then we have kiwi, which is Robert Lewandowski, and finally we have watermelon, which is Didier Drogba. All three of us were good finishers, Lewandowski's still going strong. Drogba was unbelievable [in the air]; you all remember that Champions League header, right? That was a great goal."

"If we combine all three of us, we'll make the best striker possible."