Champions League Matchday 3: What to look out for on Tuesday

The 2024/25 Uefa Champions League continues on 22/23 October as the 36 hopefuls prepare for their third outings of the new-look league phase.

We pore over all the Tuesday matches and pick out the important stats and key storylines ahead of Matchday 3.

All kick-off times 9pm CAT unless stated and ALL matches live on SuperSport.

Tuesday 22 October

Milan v Club Brugge (6:45pm)

Milan have endured a difficult start to the league phase with two defeats, but the 1-0 reverse at Leverkusen on Matchday 2 produced plenty to smile about for new coach Paulo Fonseca.

Matchday 3 😎#UCL pic.twitter.com/dYNIFWm5B8

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 21, 2024

"This is the game I liked the most since I arrived," he said. "In the second half, we played a fantastic game. We created a lot but couldn't make it happen. We are sad and disappointed, but I am satisfied with how we played."

Club Brugge got on the board with a 1-0 win over Sturm Graz and coach Nicky Hayen is expecting Milan to be desperate for three points. "Milan have nothing from their two matches so the next one will be a tough game, a 'must-win' game for them," he said. "But I always want to keep things in perspective. In football, anything is always possible."

Did you know? Milan have won only two of their last 11 matches in the Champions League (group stage/league phase to final).

Monaco v Crvena Zvezda (6:45pm)

Monaco made a strong start to the league phase by beating Barcelona but needed a late comeback to earn a point at GNK Dinamo, having been 2-0 down inside the final 20 minutes in Zagreb. Defender Thilo Kehrer said the tough match "showed there are no easy games in the Champions League", something Crvena Zvezda can vouch for after defeats against Benfica and Inter so far.

"We want to go as far as possible – we have to think game by game," said Crvena Zvezda coach Vladan Milojević. "In the first two, we played against very strong opponents, but there are many games left." The Serbian side's first thought will certainly be to end their run of 12 Champions League league phase/group stage matches without a victory.

Did you know? None of Crvena Zvezda's last 19 matches in the Champions League (group stage/league phase to final) have finished goalless.

Paris v PSV

After a 3-1 loss to Juventus in their opener, PSV got their first point with a 1-1 draw against Sporting CP, although there was slight disappointment over conceding a late equaliser. "We showed what we can achieve as a team," said striker Luuk De Jong. "The last game, against Juventus, we were not the team we can be. We should be proud – the way we played, the way we fought the duels. Until the 85th minute, we played a great game together."

By contrast, Paris coach Luis Enrique was less than impressed by the way his side competed in their 2-0 defeat at Arsenal and pointed to where his charges need to improve to get their campaign back on track. "We knew it was going to be a tough match, with a high pressing game from our opponents," he said. "We failed to deal with that pressure. We struggled to win our duels; we lost nearly all of them and it's difficult to be competitive like that."

Did you know? Paris have lost only one of their last 37 home matches in the Champions League group stage/league phase (W29 D7).

Juventus v Stuttgart

With 27 shots on goal, 11 of which were on target, and 69 per cent possession, Stuttgart came away from their meeting with Sparta Praha frustrated at only earning a point. "1-1 isn't enough for a game like that where we were in control for 90 minutes," lamented forward Jamie Leweling. "We dominated possession so to come away with a 1-1 draw just isn't enough."

Happier with his side's performance was Juventus coach Thiago Motta, who saw his team overcome a red card to goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and twice come from behind to beat Leipzig 3-2. "We approached the game in the right way – it is a deserved victory," he said. "We did well with situations not to our advantage. The boys continued, focused and were determined to do what they came to do."

Did you know? Juventus have won their last five Uefa competition matches against German clubs.

Arsenal v Shakhtar

Arsenal's strong defence has been a standout of the league phase thus far. Not only are they one of just six teams not to concede a goal, they have managed the feat against two dangerous attacking sides in Atalanta (0-0) and Paris (2-0). Forward Kai Havertz believes those recent results are promising. "We've learned from last season, when we went out in the quarterfinals," he said. "We've grown up as a team; everyone is a year older so I think we are ready for all the coming challenges."

Breaching that defence will be a key objective for Shakhtar, who are yet to score in the league phase. "We failed to convert our chances," said defender Alaa Ghram after the 3-0 defeat by Atalanta. "I think that the problem was not the three goals but in how aggressive we were. I think we lacked aggression in finishing a little. However, given the way we played the game in general, I am satisfied."

Did you know? Shakhtar have beaten Arsenal twice in four matches in the Champions League, though both triumphs came at home.

Aston Villa v Bologna

Villa's 1-0 win over Bayern in their first-ever Champions League home match was a magical night at Villa Park, but goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez was not getting carried away despite the special result. "It's a statement, but there are still a lot of games to play," he said. "We want to qualify in the top eight. It's one step at a time: we've got Bologna at home [next] and we are probably more relaxed now, but we want to win every game."

Bologna have performed better than results suggest, having racked up 17 attempts in a 0-0 draw with Shakhtar and given Liverpool some nervy moments in a 2-0 defeat in which they had more shots than the hosts. "We wanted to leave Anfield with our heads held high, and I think we did that," said Bologna coach Vincenzo Italiano. "We created chances; we caused problems for Liverpool. We knew this was a learning curve for us and we laid the foundations for our future journey."

Did you know? Aston Villa have only failed to score in one of their last 33 Uefa competition home games.

Girona v Slovan Bratislava

Both sides are searching for their first point, but Girona have come closest to positive results, losing narrowly to Paris (1-0) and Feyenoord (3-2). Despite the defeat, Girona coach Míchel was buoyed by his team's performance against Feyenoord. "Our second half was nothing short of spectacular," he said. "My mindset is that I know football is all about results, but that doesn't influence me. I want to see the second-half work repeated for 90 minutes every time we play."

Slovan Bratislava coach Vladimír Weiss admitted he was hoping for "some miracle" against Manchester City on Matchday 2, but his team will be more confident here. They will need more resilience if they are to break their duck, though, having conceded at least four goals in each of their league phase matches so far.

Did you know? Girona had lost only two of their last 19 home matches in all competitions (W14 D3) before that defeat by Feyenoord on Matchday 2.

Sturm Graz v Sporting CP

These sides faced each other in last year's Europa League group stage, with Sporting CP claiming 2-1 and 3-0 victories and Viktor Gyökeres scoring in both games. Coach Rúben Amorim highlighted the need to get his in-form striker involved more than he was against PSV last time out. "We often didn't make good decisions with the ball up front," he said after the 1-1 draw. "We couldn't provide support to the forward line and Viktor was often left isolated."

Sturm Graz are looking to get points on the board following a 2-1 loss to Brest and 1-0 defeat by Club Brugge. "We've just got to start turning these good performances into some points," said striker Mika Biereth. "We're a very inexperienced team at this level, so it's just about learning on the job and trying to get better game by game. At the highest club level, there's fine margins."

Did you know? Sporting CP have lost only one of their last ten Uefa competition matches (W4 D5).

Real Madrid v Dortmund

Last season's finalists come into this contest off the back of significantly contrasting results, Dortmund earning their joint-biggest Champions League win with a 7-1 success against Celtic while Madrid lost 1-0 to Lille – ending a 36-match unbeaten run and a 14-game streak without defeat in this competition. "We have to learn from our errors and improve because we have a lot of matches coming up," noted Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after their setback.

The 2-0 final defeat by Madrid is clearly still in the minds of Dortmund's staff and players, with coach Nuri Şahin stating that the club have "taken important steps in our development", while forward Karim Adeyemi, who scored a hat-trick against Celtic, added: "We can reach the final again if we keep playing like this. The sky's the limit for us."

Did you know? In 15 Champions League encounters between the two sides, Madrid have won seven, with five draws and three Dortmund triumphs.