A preview of this week's Champions League action

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Matchday three in the Champions League is here...

For those teams with 100% records, a win this week puts them on them well and truly on the path to automatic qualification to the last 16.

Author | Peter Grainger

Champions League 25/26 | Fan culture and atmosphere

This preview will focus on the five English sides competing in this season's competition and their opposition.

Mourinho and Benfica head to Newcastle

Newcastle United host Benfica at St James’ Park, aiming to follow up their win over Union SG with another step toward the Champions League knockout stage. 

Eddie Howe’s team lost their opener to Barcelona but responded strongly in Belgium, and a second win would move them closer to qualification.

Benfica travel to Tyneside still searching for their first points of their Champions League campaign after back-to-back defeats, including a 3-2 home loss to Qarabag that cost Bruno Lage his job. Can Benfica utilise Mourinho's experience at this level?

City hope to end unwanted Champions League run against Villarreal

Manchester City hope to overcome an unwelcome Champions League streak when they travel to Spain for this clash with Villarreal.

Pep Guardiola’s side have gone without a win in their last five away games in the competition, while their hosts are still seeking their first victory of this season’s tournament. This season, they have four points from their opening two games after beating Napoli 2-0 in the Champions League opener, before a 2-2 draw away to Monaco.

The home side will hope their Champions League campaign gained momentum from Renato Veiga’s late header against Juventus earlier this month, which secured a point after they were narrowly beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in the opening group-stage match.

Arsenal looking to carry on their impressive form

Arsenal face Atletico Madrid having won their first two matches in the competition against Athletic Club and Olympiakos.

Arteta's side sit ahead of Qarabag and behind Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich on goal difference in the group-stage table, where their current position would be enough to secure a direct place in the last 16 of the competition.

Interestingly, Atlético Madrid have never won away to an English team in the group or league phase of the UEFA Champions League, failing in all five attempts to date, including a 4-0 defeat in London against Chelsea in October 2009.

A milestone night for Chelsea against Ajax

This will be Chelsea's 200th match in the Champions League.

This match is almost a must-win, certainly if Maresca’s side are harboring any ambitions of finishing in the top eight and thus getting a direct ticket to the round of 16.  Among the five remaining matches after this, there will be a trip to Napoli and a home match against Barcelona. There won’t be much room for error.

Ajax have struggled in the competition this season. There was a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan on matchday one, followed by a heavy defeat to Marseille in their most recent outing. Johnny Heitinga's side conceded four goals without reply to the Ligue 1 leaders at the Orange Vélodrome.

Spurs travel to Monaco looking to maintain their unbeaten run in the competition

Both sides collected a point on matchday two, with the Ligue 1 outfit holding Manchester City to a 2-2 draw, while the Lilywhites were involved in their own four-goal contest against Bodo/Glimt.

For Tottenham, their recent draw combined with an opening win over Villarreal, a match in which they again enjoyed some fortune, has extended their unbeaten run in Champions League league and group-stage matches to six. They have also lost just two of their last 12 games in the competition.

Monaco have lost just one of their eight home meetings with English opposition in the UEFA Champions League, winning five and drawing two. That sole defeat, however, came against a North London side, when Arsenal claimed a 2-0 victory in March 2015.

It's time to Liverpool to rediscover their form

Liverpool come into this match against Frankfurt following a 2-1 defeat to rivals Manchester United, a result that underscores wider issues that have persisted since the start of the season. The team has conceded 16 goals in 11 matches, a worrying trend compared with the 15 goals allowed across their first 22 games of the 2024-25 campaign. Defensive frailties are evident, particularly due to a lack of coordinated pressing, which has left full-backs Milos Kerkez and Conor Bradley exposed against opposing wingers.

Offensively, they have also struggled, scoring just three goals across a four-match losing streak. With the risk of a fifth consecutive defeat looming, improvement in the final third is crucial. The team must address both defensive vulnerabilities and attacking inefficiency if they are to halt their slide and regain form.

Frankfurt’s manager will be concerned as his side have conceded 18 goals in their past five matches. Their defensive struggles are further highlighted by the fact that they have allowed at least two goals in six of their last seven games. The team’s recurring defensive lapses underline a pressing need for improvement at the back if they are to stabilise their form.

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