Shakhtar Donetsk vs Dinamo Zagreb
Oblasny SportKomplex Metalist, Kharkiv
Tuesday, 22-910-2019 @7:55pm
Referee: Antonio Mateu (Spa)
Shakhtar Donetsk will host Dinamo Zagreb in one of this Tuesday’s early evening UEFA Champions League kick-off’s. This game will see the current leaders of the Croatian first division travel to take on the current leaders of the Ukranian Premier League. This should be an exciting match between two attacking and domestically dominant sides.
Both of these teams are currently sitting on 3 points in Group C after 2 games, whilst both sides will be hoping to take all 3 points from this game to strengthen their qualification hopes.
Shakhtar and Dinamo have lost their first game versus current Group C leaders, Manchester City. However, both sides have also taken 3 points from their fixture with struggling Atalanta. The 2 games between these two teams will likely determine which of the two teams qualify from this group.
We feel that fortune may favour the home side in this Tuesday’s fixture. Shakhtar have been in relatively impressive form in home Champions League games in recent times. Shakhtar have lost just 2 of their last 9 UEFA Champions League home games. Ironically, both of those losses came against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Shakhtar’s impressive home form spells danger for the travelling Dinamo Zagreb side. Dinamo have impressed in Europe this season, and in many of their recent Champions League campaigns. They have lost just 2 of their last 14 UEFA Champions League games.
However, Dinamo have been far less impressive in their European travels, of late. Dinamo have managed to take all 3 points from just 3 of their last 8 Champions League away games.
Dinamo’s unimpressive European away form is uninspiring ahead of this Tuesday’s trip to Shakhtar Donetsk. Shakhtar have proven themselves to be a difficult team to beat at home, for any side. This will be no different in Tuesday’s crucial game with Dinamo Zagreb.
Atletico Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen
Estadio Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid
Tuesday, 22-10-2019 @7:55pm
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (Por)
Joao Felix has been ruled out for up to three weeks with an ankle injury. Stefan Savic and Sime Vrsaljko are also sidelined. Renan Lodi came off the bench in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Valencia but is expected in the starting XI against Bayer Leverkusen. Kieran Trippier will also return to the frame here after being rested at the weekend. Diego Simeone will have to shuffle his midfield around with Felix injured. Koke should shift to the right, with Saul Niguez coming in field and Thomas Lemar out wide.
Mitchell Weiser came off in the first half of Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-0 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt and is unlikely to feature here. Daley Sinkgraven, Leon Bailey and Charles Aránguiz are ruled out for the German outfit. Leverkusen played with a three-man defence in their last two matches, though it remains to be seen whether Peter Bosz will persist with that system after losing heavily to Frankfurt. Kevin Volland will hope to return up front after being asked to carry out a left wing-back role at the weekend.
Their last encounter ended in a stalemate. Both teams have found the back of the net just once in their previous four games. Only one of their past six fixtures have featured over 2.5 goals on the charts. Half of their last six meetings have finished as a draw. Bayer Leverkusen have registered a win on just one occasion in their previous six matchups, as opposed to Atletico Madrid who have come out on top twice.
Club Brugge vs PSG
Jan Breydelstadion, Brugge
Tuesday, 22-10-2019 @10pm
Referee: Daniel Seibert (Ger)
PSG will be without Neymar Jr who is sidelined with a thigh injury. However, they will be boosted by the return of Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani. Idrissa Gueye, Julian Draxler and Thilo Kehrer are all still absent.
Brugge, meanwhile, will be without Eder Balanta and Brandon Mechele, but Percy Tau did return on Friday night while Federico Ricca is also now back available. Captain Ruud Vormer will miss the game through suspension following his red card against Real Madrid last time out.
Club Brugge are second in Group A despite having picked up just two points from their opening two games, and they remain unbeaten in all competitions this season. Club Brugge are undefeated in their last 10 matches (UEFA Champions League).
PSG are already four points clear at the top of Group A and could even secure qualification for the last 16 if they win here and the other fixture ends in a draw. PSG have won 5of their last 6 matches (UEFA Champions League).
Galatasary vs Real Madrid
Turk Telekom Stadyumu, Istanbul
Tuesday, 22-10-2019 @10pm
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Ita)
Fatih Terim has a few pressing injury concerns to deal with ahead of the visit of Real Madrid. On Tuesday, the Galatasaray boss could be without as many as three first-team players, with star striker Radamel Falcao a major doubt due to his nagging Achilles complaint. Mario Lemina (hamstring) and Sofiane Feghouli (thigh) are certain to miss out for the hosts.
The injury woes are starting to ease up for Zinedine Zidane ahead of his side’s next Champions League fixture against Galatasaray. On Tuesday in Istanbul, the Real Madrid manager will be without four first-team players, with a couple of players making themselves fit and available. Toni Kroos is fit again and has traveled with the squad. Ferland Mendy is available as well, having overcome a thigh injury that had kept him sidelined for nearly a month. The return of the duo leaves Zidane without just Nacho (knee), Luka Modric (thigh), Gareth Bale (knock) and long-term absentee Marco Asensio (knee).
Tuesday’s encounter will be the eighth meeting between Galatasaray and Real Madrid. Los Blancos hold the slightest of edges in the head-to-head record so far, winning four of the seven previous meetings (L3). Galatasaray have won just one of their last 17 fixtures in Europe, beating Lokomotiv Moscow in the Group Stage last season (D6 L10). Real Madrid have lost three of their last five UEFA Champions League matches – conceding three or more goals in each of those defeats, and 13 in that five-game sequence. Galatasaray have been victorious in just one of their last 17 games against Spanish opposition (D4 L12). Coincidentally, the sole success came against Real Madrid – a 3-2 win in 2013. Real Madrid are without a Champions League win in three games, their longest sequence without a success since two draws and a defeat in October-November 2012. They last failed to win four successive matches during a five-game winless run between November 2005 and September 2006.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Crvena Zvezda
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
Tuesday, 22-010-2019 @10pm
Referee: Marco Guida (Ita)
Spurs have won just three of their first nine Premier League matches this season, all at home; their record otherwise is D3 L3. They were held 1-1 at home by Watford on Saturday. Tottenham won the first four matches at their new stadium, but have managed only three wins in 10 games since then (D2 L5). Harry Kane has 13 goals in 14 appearances for club and country this season, six of them penalties. Red Star Belgrade have won their last six matches in all competitions, scoring 21 goals and conceding only four. Vladan Milojevi? has been in charge of Red Star Belgrade for 39 European matches, a Serbian record.
Midfielder Christian Eriksen could be in contention to return when Tottenham host Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday. He missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Watford with a dead leg. Goalkeeper Michel Vorm did not train with Spurs on Monday following his recent short-term arrival, meaning he is unlikely to feature. Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso could be involved after recently returning to fitness.
Olympiakos Piraeus vs Bayern Muncih
Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki, Piraeus
Tuesday, 22-10-2019 @10pm
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Hol)
Olympiacos are coming on the back of a narrow 2-1 win over Crete, with El Arbi Hilal Soudani scoring a brace. However, the former Nottingham Forest star might have to settle for a place on the bench as manager Pedro Martins is likely to take a more defensive approach. Captain and key midfielder, Konstantinos Fortounis has been ruled out for the rest of the year with an ACL injury.
Bayern Munich were blessed with the return of Lucas Hernandez, David Alaba and Leon Goretzka last week. But at the same time, they also lost Niklas Sule while Jann Fiete Arp has also failed to make the trip.
Olympiacos have lost all four of their European meetings against Bayern Munich, losing twice in the 1980-81 European Cup and twice in 2015-16 Champions League. Bayern’s 100% win-ratio in four European Cup/Champions League meetings with Olympiacos is their joint-best, also winning all four games against Besiktas and CSKA Moscow. Bayern Munich are unbeaten in all 11 of their UEFA European matches against Greek opponents, keeping clean sheets in their last eight meetings with teams of that nation. Olympiacos have lost eight of their last ten Champions League matches, drawing the other two. They are winless since November 2015, when they secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb. Bayern registered their 12th Champions League victory by 5+ goals in their 7-2 win at Spurs on MD2, joint-most by any team along with Barcelona; only four teams have won by 5+ in back to back games, with one of those Bayern themselves on March 2009, beating Sporting CP twice.
Man City vs Atalanta
Etihad Stadium, Manchester
Tuesday, 22-10-2019 @10pm
Referee: Orel Grinfeeld (Isr)
Atalanta are the fifth different Italian side Man City have faced in European competition (after Juventus, Milan, Napoli and Roma), registering at least one win over each of the previous four. Manchester City have only faced eight shots in their two Champions League matches so far this campaign, seven fewer than any other team. Atalanta will be the 39th different team Pep Guardiola has faced in the Champions League – he has registered a win over 35 of the previous 38, failing only against Celtic, Chelsea and Liverpool. Since his Champions League debut for Man City in September 2015, Raheem Sterling has had a hand in 24 goals in the competition (15 goals, nine assists), five more than any other English player in that time.
Center-backs John Stones and Nicholas Otamendi have both recovered and are in contention against Atalanta. Leroy Sane and Aymeric Laporte remain long-term absentees with knee injuries, but Kyle Walker has an outside chance of featuring as the Englishman looks to overcome a recent illness.
Duvan Zapata is a doubt with Atalanta’s leading scorer nursing a thigh injury he picked up over the international break. If Zapata fails a late fitness test, Luis Muriel is expected to lead the line. Marten de Roon is pushing for a recall having been named among the substitutes during Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Lazio.
Juventus vs Lokomotiv Moscow
Allianz Stadium, Torino
Tuesday, 22-09-2019 @10pm
Referee: Anastasios Sidiropoulos (Gre)
Juventus will continue to be without the services of defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Mattia De Sciglio, while Douglas Costa and Marko Pjaca also remain unavailable. Emre Can is unsettled at the club and also ineligible to play in the competition. Aaron Ramsey is also likely to miss out again, as he recovers from a muscle problem.
There are a number of injury concerns for Lokomotiv Moscow manager Semin heading into the clash as key attacker Fedor Smolov is set to miss out, along with Rifat Zhemaletdinov, Jefferson Farfan, Maciej Rybus and Anton Miranchuk. Luka Djordjevic picked up an injury in the last game against Akhmat Grozny and is likely to be unavailable as well.
Juventus and Lokomotiv Moscow last faced each other in the first round of the 1993-94 UEFA Cup, with the Bianconeri winning 4-0 on aggregate (3-0 home, 1-0 away). Juventus have lost only two of their last 38 home UEFA Champions League group stage matches (W26 D10 L2), keeping 23 clean sheets in those games. Lokomotiv Moscow picked up only their third UEFA Champions League win on the road in 17 attempts (W3 D3 L11) in their last away game against Bayer Leverkusen and are looking to win back-to-back away games for the first time. On average, Juventus have named the second-oldest (29y 354d) and Lokomotiv Moscow the fourth-oldest (28y 274d) starting lineups in the UEFA Champions League this season. Joao Mario has created six chances in the UEFA Champions League for Lokomotiv Moscow this season – three times as many as any other player for the club.
