Champions League: Barcelona and Bayern Munich target another win

Barcelona and Bayern Munich will look to continue their momentum in the Champions League on a matchday that also features fixtures involving Arsenal, Inter Milan, Manchester United and Napoli. Several games stand out, with the opening-round results already setting the scene.

Barcelona beat Feyenoord 5-1 in that first round. Bayern Munich defeated Bodø/Glimt 5-0, while Paris Saint-Germain won 6-1 against Slovan Bratislava. Real Madrid beat Inter Milan 2-1, and Liverpool also won by that scoreline against Atlético de Madrid.

Bayern travel to face Viking, who lost 3-1 to Stuttgart in their first Champions League appearance. That defeat did not halt the Norwegian side’s run: they have won their last 11 official home matches, including a 3-1 victory over Dinamo Zagreb in August, and have also won all ten of their home league games in Norway this season. Last month, Bayern had already beaten Bodø/Glimt 5-0. They thus became the first club to begin the league phase of a European competition against two different teams from Norway.

Barcelona visit Galatasaray after starting the season with nine consecutive wins, a first for the club since the 1935-1936 season. The Spanish side, however, have not kept a clean sheet in the Champions League since the start of last season. Galatasaray have beaten Barcelona only once in ten meetings, at home in 1994.

Arsenal host Lille after opening their European campaign with a 1-0 win over Napoli. The London side have also beaten Leeds 2-1, recording a seventh consecutive domestic victory. Lille lost 3-2 to Real Betis before winning two of their next three official matches. The fixture is at Emirates Stadium, where Olivier Giroud hopes to score against Arsenal; if he does, he would become the third player to have scored for the London club and against it in the Champions League.

Elsewhere, Inter Milan host Club Bruges aiming to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat in the competition. Napoli travel to Villarreal, who lost 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund. Manchester United are away to Atlético de Madrid. The Spanish side come into the game after a 2-1 win over Alavés, but are still seeking their first European points after losing 2-1 to Liverpool. Manchester United, meanwhile, are experiencing their worst domestic start to a season since 1986-1987.