Champions League Week 3

European football is BACK!!!! and there are some big games this week. Some big teams have already lost, with Real Madrid being shocked by Lille last time out and Bayern falling to Aston Villa.
Only seven teams go into week 3 with a 100% record, a further 7 teams are unbeaten while eight teams are yet to get a point.

Tuesdays Games
Top of the table Borussia Dortmund go to Real Madrid in Tuesdays big match. Madrids hopes of a top 8 finish will be severely harmed with defeat here, while Dortmund may feel the first job of qualifying in the top 24 will be done and dusted with 9 points.

The early games, 17:45 kick offs, are AC Milan vs Club Brugge and Monaco vs Red Star Belgrade. Milan are pointless after 2 games, but will point to the fact their first 4 fixtures are against the pot 1 and 2 teams and it looks much easier for them from here. Brugge got a first win last time out. Monaco started with a famous win over Barcelona, but were held by Zagreb in week 2.

Aston Villa have had a dream start, beating Young Boys and Bayern without conceding. They face Bologna at Villa Park this week with the Italians only picking up 1 point.

Arsenal host Shakhtar Donetsk, while PSG need to bounce back after defeat to the Gunners at home to PSV. Juventus vs Stuttgart, Girona vs Slovan Bratislava and Sturm Graz vs Sporting complete Tuesdays fixture list.


Wednesday's Games
Barcelona vs Bayern Munich is the glamour tie of Wednesday, and with both already losing once defeat here will seriously dent top 8 hopes.
Liverpool take their 100% record to Germany where they face fellow pot 1 side RB Leipzig. Leipzig have had a tough start, 2 defeats against pot 2 sides Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
Celtic have had a very mixed start, a 5-1 win and 7-1 defeat, and a trip to Atalanta promises a lot more goals. That is one of the early kick-offs.
Manchester City host Sparta Prague in a battle of two teams with 4 points each. City will have played both pot 4 teams following this, so will expect another big win but Prague made it difficult for Stuttgart in a 1-1 draw last time out.
Lille will want to continue their momentum after that Real Madrid win, and they go to Madrid to face Atletico. Young Boys vs Inter Milan, Benfica vs Feyenoord and Red Bull Salzburg vs Dinamo Zagreb also play on Wednesday.
One of the stories so far is the unbeaten start for Brest. They beat Red Bull Salzburg and Sturm Graz to sit second in the table, but they face a tougher test in German champions Bayer Leverkusen in a 5:45 kick off. Leverkusen also have a 100% record, beating Milan and Feyenoord.


The table is hard to judge due to the disparity of fixtures, however after this weeks matches some teams will start to panic if things haven't gone their way. Any team ending the week on 9 points may feel the first job is done and top 24 seems inevitable.

Should be a good week of football.