When<\/strong>: Oct. 23: 3:00 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBarcelona bounced back from a Matchday 1 loss to Monaco to throttle BSC Young Boys 5-0 in their second fixture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Robert Lewandowski spearheads the Barca attack. He’s scored 13 goals over his first 11 appearances to begin the season, lifting the Catalans to the highest goal total in La Liga (28) through nine fixtures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lewandowski will shoulder a heavier burden in the weeks ahead, as Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal each sustained hamstring injuries and are unlikely to play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bayern Munich has stumbled after winning its first five matches (all competitions) to begin the season, going winless in three successive fixtures before the international break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focal point Harry Kane has scored nine goals and assisted four times over his first nine appearances and Jamal Musiala should be ready to start following a minor injury after missing the league match just before the break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tussle between two of Europe’s top clubs which share a total of 11 Champions League trophies will feature top talent and likely be decided on the margins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Barcelona has the fervour of Camp Nou at its back and is in better form. Expect Hansi Flick’s side to exert control through midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Pedri to overrun the Bayern defensive lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Champions League picks: Take the over with Madrid and Dortmund<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Prediction: <\/strong>Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund: Over 3.5 goals
When<\/strong>: Oct. 22: 3:00 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\nReal Madrid is looking to rebound from a disappointing 1-0 loss against Lille on Matchday 2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Playing at home, Madrid hopes to have increased control in the midfield that would allow Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham the freedom to make charging runs forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kylian Mbappe has scored six goals and assisted once over his first 10 Real Madrid appearances but Los Blancos have been held to one or fewer goals in four of their first 11.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conversely, Borussia Dortmund has been held to one or fewer goals in just two of its first nine matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Karim Adeyemi sidelined, the capable Serhou Guirassy will lead the attack. Guirassy scored his first three career UCL goals this season in just two appearances after scoring 28 goals for Stuttgart during the 2023\/2024 season before moving to Dortmund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Each squad can threaten in possession or on the counterattack. The absence of Dani Carvajal for the rest of the season combined with other defensive injuries could open the door for Dortmund’s attack to expose Real Madrid’s depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matchday 3 SGP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Prediction: <\/strong>RB Leipzig and Liverpool to tie and Under 2.5 goals
When<\/strong>: Sept. 23: 3:00 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\nLiverpool has started life positively under new boss Arne Slot, as evidenced by its position atop the Premier League. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slot has given the midfield ranks of Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister new life and purpose, playing with more control and leaving two players in deep-lying positions while attacking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After hosting Chelsea on Sunday, there’s a chance Slot opts for some rotation. Through the opening months under Slot, Liverpool has limited opposing teams to minimal opportunities, highlighting the Dutchman’s preference towards stability in formation over fluidity in attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RB Leipzig has the best defensive record in Germany, allowing just two goals through its first six matches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leipzig’s defence allows midfield maestro Xavi Simons to spring the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Lois Openda on the attack. Sesko and Openda account for the majority of Leipzig’s goals as the two strikers in a somewhat fluid formation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defender David Raum will not be available for the match after undergoing ankle surgery, something Leipzig likely schemed around during the international break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a difficult domestic test, expect Liverpool to employ a conservative game plan that will deploy a semi-rotated squad after a quick turnaround. Leipzig’s stout defence and pragmatic build-up set the stage for a cagey affair that could be decided by narrow margins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Player to pop: Viktor Gyokeres<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres has yet to find a defensive unit or game plan with the audacity to stifle his attacking prowess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to scoring his first career Champions League goal in Matchday 1, Gyokeres scored 11 goals in his first eight domestic matches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Pedro Goncalves potentially returning for the match and Gyokeres in other-worldly form, expect the Lisbon attack to pin the Sturm Graz squad deep in their half while creating opportunities for their star striker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s already Matchday 3 in the UEFA Champions League Pregame narrative: A few tasty matchups make the headlines this week. Borussia Dortmund travels to Real Madrid in a rematch of last season’s final, while Barcelona hosts Bayern Munich in a battle of giants. Check out the best Champions League picks for the upcoming week. Champions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":302198,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sidebar_plugin_meta_block_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[452],"tags":[229],"class_list":["post-302203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-com","tag-soccer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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