UEFA Champions League: What to look out for in every game on Matchday 4
Thursday, October 31, 2024
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What to expect from the 18 fixtures on Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League.
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The UEFA Champions League continues on Tuesday with 36 teams in Matchday 4 action.
UEFA.com details the key stats and storylines as we reach the halfway mark in the new-look league phase.
Tuesday 5 November
PSV Eindhoven vs Girona (18:45)
PSV have made an extraordinary start to their title defence in the Netherlands, winning their first ten Eredivisie games, but they are still on the lookout for a first league phase win, a 3-1 loss at Juventus being followed by two 1-1 draws. "If you only base it on the points, it’s not that good," midfielder Ismael Saibari told UEFA.com. Performances have been encouraging, but Girona will be no pushovers. The debutants lost 3-2 at home to PSV's Dutch rivals Feyenoord on Matchday 2, then got their first win at this level last time out: 2-0 against Slovan Bratislava. "The victory helps us to catch our breath," said coach Míchel. Will they breathe easier in Eindhoven?
Did you know?
PSV have won just one of their last nine home games against Spanish opponents (D4 L4).
Slovan Bratislava vs GNK Dinamo (18:45)
Bottom of the league phase table after losing their opening three games by an aggregate score of 11-1, Slovan are not too downhearted, with coach Vladimír Weiss adamant there have been plenty of positives. "We have shown good defensive organisation as a team," he said. Dinamo lost their opening league phase fixture 9-2 at Bayern, but have taken four points in their subsequent two fixtures under returning coach Nenad Bjelica, and their tails are up as they head for Slovakia. "Our goal is to be in the first 24 teams to go through," said forward Sandro Kulenović. Three more points in Bratislava will keep that target in sight.
Did you know?
Slovan have yet to win in four UEFA competition games against Dinamo (D2 L2); they trail Dinamo 7-1 on aggregate from those fixtures.
Bologna vs Monaco
Back in Europe for the first time in a generation, Bologna have not found the going easy, with pre-season upheaval preceding a stop-start campaign. They have just one point and no goals in the Champions League, though they hit the post in their 2-0 loss at Aston Villa last time out. "We didn't manage to score, but we showed something," said coach Vincenzo Italiano.
Matchday 4 opponents Monaco, meanwhile, have been delivering, their seven-point haul including three from a 2-1 win against Barcelona on Matchday 1. "We take on every team wanting to beat them," forward Breel Embolo told UEFA.com. "If we can qualify in the top eight then we'll go after it but there is still a long way to go."
Did you know?
Bologna's four previous games against Ligue 1 opponents all came in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup, beating Lyon on aggregate in the quarter-finals before losing on away goals to Marseille in the next round.
Borussia Dortmund vs Sturm Graz
The top scorers in this season's league stage with 12 goals, Dortmund came unstuck after leading 2-0 at Real Madrid on Matchday 3, coach Nuri Şahin concluding of the 5-2 loss: "We need to draw important lessons and, overall, we defended very badly." They will look to rebound against Sturm Graz, with the Austrian champions having lost all three of their league phase games and scoring their only goal on Matchday 1, but defender Dimitri Lavalée felt optimistic in the wake of their 2-0 home loss to Sporting CP. "We got shots on target, so it feels like we've improved," he told UEFA.com. "We'll take that into the next game and the next one, and try to improve even more things."
Did you know?
Sturm have not played a Bundesliga team since losing 5-3 on aggregate against Wolfsburg in the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup second round (2-2 a, 1-3 h).
Celtic vs Leipzig
Leipzig's search for their first league phase points takes them to Celtic Park on Matchday 4. The German side have lost all three of their games by a one-goal margin – Darwin Núñez's lone strike continuing that trend as they hosted Liverpool. Speaking to UEFA.com after the defeat, captain Willi Orbán conceded that "right now, our situation is just not satisfactory, so we'll try to get three points in Glasgow."
Celtic, meanwhile, bounced back from a 7-1 Matchday 2 loss against Dortmund to hold Atalanta to a 0-0 draw in Bergamo. "It was an incredible defensive performance," said goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, whose seven stops took his season saves tally to 15 – fourth highest in the competition.
Did you know?
Leipzig won both encounters when the two sides met in the 2022/23 Champions League group stage.
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen
Liverpool are one of two sides carrying three wins into Matchday 4, the other being Aston Villa, after a narrow victory in Leipzig. Following a nervous end to the match, Player of the Match Kostas Tsimikas warned that "we have to score more goals if we want to win more easily."
That will be no mean feat against Leverkusen, who travel to Anfield undefeated with only one goal conceded. Milan and Feyenoord had tried and failed before Brest midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou finally breached their defence, cancelling out Florian Wirtz's opener and earning a draw for his side on Matchday 3. "It's the Champions League and getting a point away from home is never bad," said coach Xabi Alonso, who returns to face the club he won a Champions League title with in 2005.
Did you know?
Liverpool are undefeated in their last 13 UEFA competition matches against German teams (W10 D3).
LOSC Lille vs Juventus
Only separated by goal difference, 15th meets 14th as Lille take on Juventus at the Stade Pierre Mauroy. The French side followed up their 1-0 home win over Real Madrid with a 3-1 victory over Los Blancos' city rivals Atleti in Madrid. "This was an even better performance than the one against Real Madrid," said coach Bruno Génésio, who took charge of the French club in July.
Elsewhere, Juventus ceded undefeated status as a late goal from El Bilal Touré handed Stuttgart a 1-0 win on Matchday 3. "We were below them in character and attitude," said a downcast Mattia Perin, who earned Player of the Match for his performance in goal despite the result. The Turin club will be hoping to bounce back in their first Champions League meeting with Lille.
Did you know?
Both sides have positive records against teams from their opponent's nation. Lille have won six and lost four against Italian sides in UEFA competitions, while Juventus have won 18 and lost eight against French teams.
Real Madrid vs Milan
Vinícius Júnior's hat-trick spared Real Madrid blushes as they overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat Dortmund 5-2 on Matchday 3. Returning to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Los Blancos will want to recreate the magic of that night, as opposed to the gloomy 4-0 Clásico loss that followed. Coach Carlo Ancelotti, who won Europe's premier competitions as a player and a coach with Milan, has warned against a direct repeat of the performance against Dortmund, though. "The big thing is to start well, to begin with focus and intensity – not to wait till we are 2-0 down," the 65-year-old said.
Milan picked up their first win of the league phase last time out, beating Club Brugge 3-1 at the Stadio San Siro. There was further cause for celebration as 16-year-old forward Francesco Camarda became the youngest Italian to feature in the competition proper, but the seven-time European champions remain in the elimination places nonetheless. They also have the weight of history to contend with, having lost 26 and won 19 against Spanish sides in UEFA competitions.
Did you know?
Real Madrid and Milan have perfectly split their 15 meetings in the Champions League, recording six wins apiece as well as three draws.
Sporting CP vs Manchester City
Two of ten remaining unbeaten sides butt heads as Sporting face Man City in Lisbon. A sublime Viktor Gyökeres goal sealed a 2-0 win over Sturm Graz for the Portuguese side, who have conceded just once ahead of their meeting with the fourth-highest scoring team in the competition. "We know that there are tough games to come in November, but we'll prepare for them and keep improving," said Gyökeres.
Man City have been one of the most dominant offensive sides in the Champions League this season, ranking first for possession (70%) and passing accuracy (93%), and added to that reputation with the five goals they fired past Sparta Praha on Matchday 3, including an acrobatic stunner from Erling Haaland. "He scores goals that no-one else can," said team-mate Phil Foden.
Did you know?
Sporting are the only Portuguese side to have defeated Man City in UEFA competitions, winning 1-0 in March 2012.
Wednesday 6 November
Club Brugge vs Aston Villa (18:45)
Champions League leaders Aston Villa travel to face Club Brugge after defeating Bologna 2-0 at Villa Park. Second half goals from John McGinn and Jhon Durán lifted the home side to a third win in as many games and resolute defending earned them a third consecutive clean sheet. Unai Emery's side will not be resting on their laurels, though. "He [Emery] wants us to keep raising the bar every game. He always challenges us during the game," midfielder Youri Tielemans said after the game.
Club Brugge were pegged back by Milan after their Matchday 2 win over Sturm Graz, but manager Nicky Hayen took some positives from the 3-1 defeat: "Until it became 2-1, we played well, but then our energy ran out." Returning to the Jan Breydelstadion after two games on the road, will the home crowd add the necessary zip to the Belgian side?
Did you know?
Aston Villa have only won one of their four encounters with Belgian sides in UEFA competitions, beating Anderlecht on their way to European Cup glory in 1982.
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Young Boys (18:45)
Shakhtar remain on a single point after a narrow loss at the Emirates, but the Ukrainian side are taking encouragement from a positive showing. Forward Georgiy Sudakov believes they "deserved to score at least once," while his coach Marino Pušić was "very, very proud of the performance."
While Shakhtar are winless, their Matchday 4 opponents Young Boys are yet to tally a point. After heavy defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona, the Swiss side provided sterner opposition against Inter, who scraped a 1-0 win. Despite their defensive improvement, Young Boys are yet to find the answer to their attacking woes. Alongside Shakhtar, the Swiss champions are one of four teams who have failed to score through three games. Interim manager Joël Magnin lamented the frail finishing on display against Inter, saying: "We had 19 shots but only two on target. That’s not enough."
Did you know?
Shakhtar have won eight of their 11 encounters with Swiss sides in UEFA competitions, including a win over Young Boys in 2016.
Sparta Praha vs Brest
Sparta Praha suffered the first defeat of their campaign as they fell 5-0 to Man City. The Czechian side sit 21st, but remain upbeat despite the heavy defeat. Coach Lars Friis called Man City "the best team in the world," and praised his side for the way they competed with them in the first half, which ended 1-0.
Champions League newcomers Brest have made a strong impression in the Champions League, placed fifth after an undefeated start to the league phase. A draw with Bundesliga holders Leverkusen extended that run last time out and added to the growing reputation of the French side. "We're not scared of anyone – it is our responsibility to show our teeth," said midfielder Hugo Magnetti.
Did you know?
Sparta Praha have won just two of their 15 meetings with French sides in UEFA competitions, their last victory coming against Toulouse in 2007.
Bayern München vs Benfica
Former Bayern marksman Robert Lewandowski was on target as Barcelona handed Vincent Kompany's side their second straight Champions League loss. "We have to go away and learn from this," resolved Harry Kane, scorer of Bayern's only goal during the 4-1 defeat. Despite only tallying three points, the stats paint a more positive picture for the German side, who rank second for possession (63%), joint-second for goals scored (10), and fourth for passing accuracy (90.3%).
Matchday 4 opponents Benfica suffered their first setback of the campaign, losing 3-1 to Feyenoord after wins over Atleti and Crvena Zvezda. "The thing to regret is the way we conceded the goals," said coach Bruno Lage, who was otherwise pleased with his team's performance.
Did you know?
Bayern are undefeated against Benfica in all ten of their UEFA competition meetings (W7 D3).
Inter vs Arsenal
Inter return to the Stadio San Siro with their unbeaten record intact after defeating Young Boys 1-0 in Bern. Marcus Thuram struck in stoppage time to snatch the win, leading Simone Inzaghi to hail the character of his side: "The team believed until the end and we managed to win it as a result."
Arsenal travel to Milan after a 1-0 home win over Shakhtar, with longtime fans carrying fond memories of their last European meeting with Inter. The London club emerged 5-1 victors at the Stadio San Siro in November 2003 and have a strong record against Italian sides in UEFA competitions, losing just eight of 36 encounters. Manager Mikel Arteta will hardly be complacent, though, having voiced his admiration for Inzaghi in the past. "What Inter have done in recent seasons is nothing short of extraordinary," the 42-year-old has said.
Did you know?
The last and only UEFA competition meetings between Arsenal and Inter came in the 2003/04 Champions League group stages, with each side claiming an away win.
Feyenoord vs Salzburg
Feyenoord made it back-to-back wins with a 3-1 victory over Benfica in Lisbon. Beaten just once in the Dutch first division, but 11 points and three places behind league leaders PSV, the Rotterdam club had less possession and fewer attempts and attacks than their Portuguese opponents, though they compensated with clinical finishing – 19-year-old forward Antoni Milambo striking twice to move joint-third in the competition's scoring charts. "We scored some really beautiful goals," said coach Brian Priske.
Salzburg's start to the campaign has been less encouraging. The Austrian side are without a point and yet to score while conceding nine, including two in their most recent defeat to GNK Dinamo. "It is clear that we have to improve," said coach Pep Lijnders, who was appointed in July.
Did you know?
Feyenoord have lost just twice in their 14 contests this term (W7 D5).
Crvena Zvezda vs Barcelona
Barcelona travel to Belgrade with a spring in their step after following up their 4-1 win over Bayern in the Champions League with a 4-0 victory over historic rivals Real Madrid in La Liga. "How we created the chances and also how we finished them was unbelievable," said coach Hansi Flick, who has taken them top in La Liga in his first season in charge. Their opponents are one of six sides without a point in the league phase and there were little signs of tides turning during the 5-1 loss to Monaco on Matchday 3. "We played a dominant team in every aspect. We had to constantly find solutions, but we didn't manage to do it," said coach Vladan Milojević.
Did you know?
All four of the previous European meetings between Crvena Zvezda and Barcelona came in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, with the Catalan club winning three and drawing one.
Paris Saint-Germain vs Atlético de Madrid
The Parc des Princes is the stage for the first Champions League meeting between Paris and Atleti, with both sides looking to improve on mixed starts to the campaign. The hosts came from behind to draw 1-1 against PSV in their last game, but coach Luis Enrique was left unsatisfied. "We are hurting, because we deserved a better result," the 54-year-old said. Diego Simeone's Atleti will have a similarly bitter feeling about their campaign, suffering their second straight loss at home against Lille as they struggled to convert their chances. "In the Champions League you pay for not taking your chances," said Julián Alvarez, who scored his first Champions League goal for his new club during the 3-1 defeat.
Did you know?
Atleti's loss to Lille was only their second against a French side in UEFA competitions, having won nine and drawn a further five.
Stuttgart vs Atalanta
Stuttgart are growing in confidence on their return to the Champions League, taking three points against Juventus in Turin after earning their first points against Sparta Praha. "Playing in the Champions League is great, but it's a new situation for players, so we have to take it game-by-game," said coach Sebastian Hoeness after the dramatic 1-0 win.
Matchday 4 opponents Atalanta are one of five teams yet to concede in the league phase, and the Italian side boast an undefeated record of one win and two draws as they travel to Germany. They were kept at bay by Celtic in their last fixture, with coach Gian Piero Gasperini feeling his attacking talents were not in full flow. "When all our attackers are at their best, we will be a more complete team," the Europa League winning coach said.
Did you know?
Stuttgart have only won two of their ten meetings with Italian sides in UEFA competitions.
All kick-off times 21:00 CET unless stated
When are the UEFA Champions League league phase matches being played?
Matchday 4: 5/6 November 2024
Matchday 5: 26/27 November 2024
Matchday 6: 10/11 December 2024
Matchday 7: 21/22 January 2025
Matchday 8: 29 January 2025
Further ahead
- On Matchday 5, Liverpool and Real Madrid meet at Anfield after clashing in the 2018 and 2022 Champions League finals. The Spanish club won on both occasions.
- German champions Leverkusen face Italian champions Inter in Germany.
- Bayern host Paris in a rematch of the 2020 Champions League final, which the German side won 1-0.
Where is the 2025 UEFA Champions League final being played?