Champions League matchday 3 preview: PSG host Barcelona, Bayern meet Arsenal and Liverpool welcome Villarreal

Nine clubs have won both their matches, and on Tuesday two of them meet at the Parc des Princes: Paris Saint-Germain, top on goals scored, host Barcelona, second, in the only meeting of two sides with six points. On Wednesday Bayern München, held 3–3 at Viking, host Arsenal, who have not conceded a goal, and on Tuesday Liverpool welcome Villarreal to Anfield. At the other end, Lille and Galatasaray, both without a point, meet in northern France.

Tuesday

Fenerbahçe v Slavia Praha (16:45 UTC). In Istanbul. Fenerbahçe drew 1–1 with Roma and lost 6–0 at Aston Villa; Slavia Praha have lost both. Fenerbahçe won 2–1 in Prague in the Europa League in November 2024; in the 2021/22 Conference League play-off Slavia won both legs 3–2.

Sabah v Borussia Dortmund (16:45 UTC). At the Baku Olympic Stadium. Sabah beat Slavia 2–0 after losing 4–0 at Manchester United; Borussia Dortmund beat Villarreal 3–2 and lost 1–0 at Bodø/Glimt. No meetings on record.

AS Roma v Slovan Bratislava (19:00 UTC). At the Stadio Olimpico. AS Roma have a point after losing 4–3 to Real Madrid; Slovan Bratislava are bottom on −8 after a 6–1 in Paris and a 3–0 at home to Stuttgart. No meetings on record.

FC Porto v PSV Eindhoven (19:00 UTC). At the Estádio do Dragão. FC Porto lost to Manchester City and at Real Betis; PSV Eindhoven have a point. No meetings on record.

Liverpool v Villarreal (19:00 UTC). Liverpool, fifth, won 6–3 in Linz after beating Atlético 2–1; Villarreal beat Napoli 3–1. Liverpool won the 2021/22 semi-final 2–0 at Anfield and 3–2 in Villarreal in May 2022; in the 2015/16 Europa League semi-final Villarreal won 1–0 at home and Liverpool 3–0 at Anfield. Sportsmole lists Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong as major doubts for Liverpool with hamstring injuries.

Manchester City v AEK Athens (19:00 UTC). At the Etihad. Manchester City lost 4–2 to PSG; AEK Athens lost 3–1 to Shakhtar. Both have three points. No meetings on record.

Napoli v Bodø/Glimt (19:00 UTC). In Naples. Napoli have lost both, to Arsenal and at Villarreal, and have scored once; Bodø/Glimt beat Dortmund 1–0 after a 5–0 at Bayern. No meetings on record.

Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona (19:00 UTC). Both on +7; PSG have scored ten, Barcelona nine. PSG won 2–1 in Barcelona in the league phase in October 2025. In the 2023/24 quarter-final Barcelona won 3–2 in Paris and PSG 4–1 in Barcelona, and in the 2020/21 round of 16 PSG won 4–1 in Barcelona before a 1–1 in Paris. PSG say Nuno Mendes injured his left thigh at Strasbourg and will be out for the next few weeks; Barcelona say Jules Koundé, with a sprained ankle, will miss the match and Eric García is out for three to four weeks with a thigh injury.

VfB Stuttgart v Atlético Madrid (19:00 UTC). At the MHP Arena. VfB Stuttgart, fourth, have conceded once in two wins; Atlético Madrid lost at Liverpool, then beat United 2–0. No meetings on record.

Wednesday

Como v Manchester United (16:45 UTC). At the Sinigaglia. Como beat Leipzig 4–1 and lost 3–2 at Feyenoord; Manchester United beat Sabah 4–0 and lost 2–0 at Atlético. No meetings on record. Leny Yoro, sent off in Madrid, is suspended, Sportsmole reports.

Lille v Galatasaray (16:45 UTC). At the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Lille lost 3–2 to Betis and 3–0 at Arsenal; Galatasaray lost at Sporting and 4–1 at home to Barcelona. No meetings on record.

Aston Villa v Viking (19:00 UTC). At Villa Park. Aston Villa, third, beat Fenerbahçe 6–0; Viking came back from Bayern's 3–2 lead to draw 3–3. No meetings on record.

Bayern München v Arsenal (19:00 UTC). At the Allianz Arena. Bayern are tenth on four points; Arsenal seventh, 4–0 on aggregate across their two wins. Arsenal won 3–1 in London in the league phase in November 2025; in the 2023/24 quarter-final it was 2–2 in London and 1–0 to Bayern in Munich. Michael Olise, sent off in the 73rd minute in Stavanger, is suspended, Sportsmole reports.

Real Betis v Feyenoord (19:00 UTC). At La Cartuja. Real Betis have won 3–2 twice; Feyenoord beat Como 3–2. Betis won 2–1 at home in the Europa League in January 2026, the only meeting on record.

Club Brugge v Lens (19:00 UTC). Club Brugge won 4–3 at Inter; Lens lost 2–0 to Sporting. No meetings on record.

Inter v Shakhtar Donetsk (19:00 UTC). At San Siro. Inter have lost both; Shakhtar Donetsk are unbeaten on four points. The last four meetings, all in the Champions League group stage in 2020/21 and 2021/22, brought three 0–0 draws and a 2–0 Inter win in November 2021; Inter won the 2020 Europa League semi-final 5–0.

Real Madrid v RB Leipzig (19:00 UTC). At the Bernabéu. Real Madrid won 4–3 in Rome with three goals from the 83rd minute; RB Leipzig beat PSV 1–0. Madrid won the 2023/24 round-of-16 tie, 1–0 in Leipzig and 1–1 in Madrid; in the 2022/23 group Madrid won 2–0 at home and Leipzig 3–2 at home.

Sporting CP v LASK (19:00 UTC). At the José Alvalade. Sporting CP are sixth with two wins and one goal conceded; LASK have lost both. LASK won the 2020/21 Europa League play-off 4–1 in Lisbon and 3–0 at home in the 2019/20 group, in which Sporting won 2–1 in Lisbon.

The table after matchday 2

PSG, Barcelona and Aston Villa lead on six points and +7, ahead of Stuttgart, Liverpool, Sporting, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Real Betis, also on six. Bayern and Shakhtar have four. Eight clubs have no points, with Slovan Bratislava (−8) bottom, Galatasaray (−5) and Lille (−4) above them. After eight matches the top eight go to the round of 16 and ninth to 24th to the knockout play-offs.

Numbers to know

• Eighteen matches: four at 16:45 UTC and fourteen at 19:00 UTC.
• Matchday 2 produced 78 goals, 4.3 a match, after 69 on matchday 1.
• PSG v Barcelona is the only meeting of two clubs on six points; Lille v Galatasaray the only one of two on none.
• Arsenal are the only club yet to concede; Slovan Bratislava have conceded nine.

Matchday 4 follows on 3 and 4 November. The full round with kick-off times in your time zone is on the Champions League page.

Sources for the context: Paris Saint-Germain, FC Barcelona, Sportsmole, Sportsmole, Sportsmole.