Soccer fans are treated to another heap of midweek action, with 18 Champions League matches scattered across Tuesday and Wednesday.
The pregame narrative: Manchester City is in fine form ahead of its battle with Spanish side Villarreal, making the Citzens a strong pick to do damage on the road. Elsewhere, look for Real Madrid to hammer a Juventus side that hasn’t scored in back-to-back games.
Check out the best Champions League predictions for the Matchday 3 fixtures, plus a schedule for all the matches.
-> Join NorthStar Bets & wager on today’s soccer matches
Champions League predictions
Best bet: Manchester City to win (-137)
Everyone who wrote Manchester City off after a slow start must be getting nervous.
Pep Guardiola’s side is on an eight-game unbeaten run across all competitions (6-2-0). Both of its draws came on the road, and one was against EPL-leading Arsenal.
Erling Haaland has kicked it into high gear, scoring 14 goals in 10 appearances so far.
He’s fresh off a brace against Everton on the weekend and shouldn’t have much trouble against Villarreal.
The Spanish side currently sits a respectable third in La Liga but is well behind Real Madrid and Barcelona. Villarreal hasn’t won in three fixtures, with a pair of 2-2 home draws against Juventus and Real Betis and a 3-1 loss to Real Madrid.
-> Bet on Manchester City to win today!
Man City played that same Juventus team in the FIFA Club World Cup, smashing it 5-2 on neutral ground.
The club is stacked with elite offensive talents beyond Haaland, and all of them are avaiable for this midweek fixture (save for midfielder Rodri, who has a hamstring injury).
Key stat: Man City leads the Premier League in match rating (7.20), per FotMob.
Best Real Madrid vs. Juventus bet
Real Madrid half time/full time (+110): Not long ago, Real Madrid and Juventus were level as European powerhouses.
But the Spanish giants have stayed on top, while Italy’s most successful historical side has faltered.
Juventus hasn’t finished above third in Serie A in five straight years. For a team that’s won a record 36 Scudettos — nine of which came consecutively before this drought — that’s a serious disappointment.
-> Bet on Champions League Matchday 3 at NorthStar Bets
Igor Tudor’s squad currently sits seventh in the table with a 3-3-1 record. It has three draws in a loss in its last four games.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, tops the La Liga table with an 8-0-1 record. It also tops Spain’s top flight La Liga in match rating (7.32) and clean sheets (four) while ranking second in xG (19.8).
These clubs are equal only in terms on name recognition. Madrid has better talent throughout its lineup and should smash Juventus at home.
Matchday 3 schedule
Tuesday’s fixtures (12:45 p.m. ET)
- Barcelona vs. Olympiacos
- Kairat vs. Pafos
Tuesday’s fixtures (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Newcastle vs. Benfica
- PSV vs. Napoli
- Leverkusen vs. PSG
- Union Saint-Gilloise vs. Inter Milan
- Copenhagen vs. Dortmund
- Villarreal vs. Manchester City
-> Bet on Wednesday’s Champions League matches
Wednesday’s fixtures (12:45 p.m. ET)
- Athletic Club vs. Qarabag FK
- Galatasaray vs. Bodo Glimt
Wednesday’s fixtures (3:00 p.m. ET)
- Chelsea vs. Ajax
- Real Madrid vs. Juventus
- Sporting vs. Marseille
- Monaco vs. Tottenham
- Atalanta vs. Slavia Praha
- Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Liverpool
- Bayern Munich vs. Club Brugge
Champions League predictions made at 1:45 p.m. on 10/20/2025.
-> Sign up to NorthStar Bets today!
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.