One week after UEFA Champions League Matchday 2, the Champions League returned with UEFA Champions League Matchday 3.
Champions League Matchday 3 began on Tuesday, October 20, with Borussia Dortmund’s first away win in the competition against Sabah FK. The first day of Champions League Matchday 3 concluded with the showdown between the favourites to win the competition, Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona, with PSG winning 4-2 at home.
As we head into the second day of Matchday 3 today, the Parisians still lead the league phase table with nine points, tied with Liverpool, thanks to a superior goal difference.
The first day of Champions League Matchday 3 showed us who the true favourite is in this year’s competition, and which teams still have work to do to become Champions League contenders. From heavyweight showdowns to high-scoring affairs, here are the biggest takeaways from UEFA Champions League Matchday 3’s first day.
Three Key Takeaways From Champions League Matchday 3
1. PSG Is the Team to Beat After Defeating Barcelona in a Clash Between Favourites
Heading into Champions League Matchday 3, the week’s most anticipated game was the potential final preview between the competition’s two favourites, PSG and Barcelona. It was a clash between an unstoppable force, Barcelona, who had won every match leading up to the game, and the immovable object, PSG, the reigning two-time Champions League champions.
This game did not disappoint as PSG won the high-scoring affair to give Barcelona its first loss of the season. This result showed that while teams are threatening their European dominance, PSG remain the team to beat as they bid for their historic third consecutive Champions League title.
PSG got a huge home win against the team most likely to challenge them for the Champions League title, beating them in a high-scoring affair. They were relentless from start to finish, taking the game to the Catalans and forcing Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia to make two saves in the first five minutes. They finally capitalised late in the first half when Lamine Yamal gave the ball away to Joao Neves, who headed it to Desire Doue, who then scored from outside the box to give the Parisians a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Barcelona responded well after halftime, looking more dangerous in attack before Xavi Espart finally capitalised to level the score in the 55th minute. However, in a wide-open game from the start, with both teams dangerous in attack, PSG were the more clinical side and scored three more goals to win 4-2.
This was an impressive win for PSG in Champions League Matchday 3, as they beat Europe’s most dangerous team despite Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Marquinhos leaving early with injuries. They left when the game hung in the balance, but the team’s depth and playmaking proved the difference. They also held Barcelona’s high-powered attack to two goals, five shots on target, and an expected goals rate of 2.19.
For Barcelona, this was a missed opportunity to make a huge statement against the reigning champions. Hansi Flick’s decision to start Rodri on the bench was questionable, as the midfield struggled to keep up with PSG’s midfield and allowed them to play more open soccer.
The attack struggled as Yamal gave the ball away too often, and Anthony Gordon failed to make an impact on the wing. This loss also exposed defensive vulnerabilities they’ve been able to hide in La Liga, something that doesn’t work in the Champions League, as they conceded four goals.
The good news for Barcelona is that they will have plenty of time to learn from this loss, as both teams are expected to make deep runs in the competition. Both teams missed key players, so it will be interesting to see how they fare if they meet again when fully healthy. For now, however, PSG are the favourites to win the Champions League after this huge win.
2. Liverpool Struggle Defensively Despite Win Over Villarreal
The other remaining unbeaten team after the first day of Champions League Matchday 3 are Liverpool, as they got a high-scoring win over Villarreal. However, they had to fight harder than they should have, as the Spanish opposition exposed Liverpool’s defensive struggles and could have held them back from a deep Champions League run.
Liverpool got off to a horrible start when Virgil Van Dijk made a costly mistake that let Villarreal score first in the fourth minute. It got worse when Villarreal scored a second goal in the 29th minute, putting the Reds down by two. The defence struggled, with only one defender, Kostas Tsimikas, recording 10 or more defensive interventions. They struggled to clear the ball, with only eight compared to Villarreal’s 27, and have conceded three goals in their last two games.
However, Liverpool showed incredible resilience, scoring four unanswered goals to win. Despite the defensive struggles, the offence was back in top form, scoring four goals with an expected goals rate of 2.37 and seven shots on target, after scoring six last week against LASK Linz. In his third straight game, Florian Wirtz looked comfortable in Andoni Iraola’s system, making his third straight goal contribution by scoring his first goal of the season.
The Reds also got big contributions in midfield and defensively, as Alexis Mac Allister and Ronald Araujo combined for three of the team’s four goals. While the attacking players didn’t score, they still made an impact: teenager Rio Ngumoha assisted two goals and was Liverpool’s best attacking player. With Victor Munoz out with injury, the teenager delivered a big performance in Champions League Matchday 3, showcasing the team’s depth and youth.
After a slow start in the Iraola era, the Reds finally found their form, winning three consecutive games and scoring four goals per game during this stretch. Everyone on the field is contributing offensively, and they should be among Europe’s most dangerous attacking teams this season when everything clicks.
However, the defence continues to struggle, having conceded 3.25 goals per game in the last four games. If they don’t improve, this unit could hold Liverpool back from reaching their full potential.
3. VFB Stuttgart Could Be A Dark Horse After Holding Atletico Madrid To Draw
VFB Stuttgart got off to a flying start in the Champions League, winning their first two games, though against weaker opposition. However, in Champions League Matchday 3, they faced their first true test as they took on an Atletico Madrid team that entered the game on a six-game winning streak and was a semifinalist in last year’s Champions League.
In the end, Stuttgart managed to get a result against Atletico to finish third in the league phase table with seven points, giving them dark-horse potential in the competition.
Despite settling for a draw instead of a win in Champions League Matchday 3, Stuttgart were the better team, dominating every stat except duels won. They got off to a fast start, threatening to score early before Jamie Leweling capitalised in the 37th minute; they could’ve scored more in the first half had they been more clinical. Atletico Madrid finished the first half with a 0.33 expected goals rate and only threatened to score after falling behind, as they started to open up the game more.
These missed opportunities came back to haunt Stuttgart when Atletico Madrid tied the game two minutes into the second half with a Julian Alvarez goal. Stuttgart struggled as they spent most of the second half on the back foot, while Atletico Madrid dominated, until a red card for Morten Hjulmand in the 64th minute swung momentum back in Stuttgart’s favour. They threatened the most to score but, in the end, failed to break through as the game finished tied at one.
Despite falling short of a win, Stuttgart’s performance in Champions League Matchday 3 is encouraging, as they dominated most of the game. They finished with a higher expected goals total (1.50), more possession, five shots on target, and more corners won. They also held Atletico Madrid to only three shots on target and an expected goals rate of 0.87.
This was one of Stuttgart’s toughest tests in the Champions League, and they managed to get a result in Champions League Matchday 3. Now, their remaining fixtures look winnable, as their toughest test is an away match against Inter Milan, while they have a good chance to take points from their other fixtures. If UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 is any indication, Stuttgart could be a dark horse and a surprise team in this competition.
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Extra Time Notes
In another result from day one of UEFA Champions League Matchday 3, Manchester City bounced back from last week’s loss to PSG with a 5-1 win over AEK Athens. This result shows the Cityzens will still be a threat in the Champions League despite their ongoing turmoil.
Meanwhile, Italy’s Champions League struggles are starting to improve, as AS Roma and Napoli got their first wins in Champions League Matchday 3. Inter Milan also has a strong chance to get their first win in Champions League Matchday 3, as they face Shakhtar at home, while Como looks to rebound from their first Champions League loss last week as they welcome struggling Manchester United.
However, the big story of Champions League Matchday 3’s first day was the heavyweight showdown between PSG and Barcelona. This matchup showed that these two teams are Europe’s best at the moment, and that PSG is the favourite to win the competition once again. Despite the loss, Barcelona is not far from PSG’s level, as they were tied 2-2 through 80 minutes and could’ve won had they been more clinical than PSG.
The showdown between Bayern Munich and Arsenal will headline today’s slate of matches. These two teams are very close to Barcelona and PSG’s level at the moment, and we’ll find out which is the biggest threat to Barcelona and PSG. Expect a lot of drama and excitement on the second day of Champions League Matchday 3.
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