Champions League 2016: Live Stream, TV Schedule, Wednesday Match Predictions
Pep Guardiola’s return to Barcelona as the manager of Manchester City is the highlight of what should be a fascinating Wednesday in Week 3 of the UEFA Champions League.
The iconic Catalan made his name as a midfielder and manager at the Camp Nou, leading Barca to some of the most memorable triumphs in their history. Now he’ll be out to show he can mastermind a victory at this familiar venue with his new club, who have been impressive in the early stages of his tenure.
Elsewhere, Arsenal host Ludogorets Razgrad at the Emirates Stadium, while Bayern Munich’s showdown with PSV Eindhoven is another eye-catching contest.
Here’s a look at the list of matches to come in full, a prediction for each and the key viewing details for Wednesday’s schedule.
| A | Arsenal vs. Ludogorets Razgrad | 3-0 |
| A | Paris Saint-Germain vs. Basel | 2-1 |
| B | Dynamo Kiev vs. Benfica | 1-1 |
| B | Napoli vs. Besiktas | 3-1 |
| C | Barcelona vs. Manchester City | 2-1 |
| C | Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Celtic | 3-0 |
| D | Bayern Munich vs. PSV Eindhoven | 4-1 |
| D | FK Rostov vs. Atletico Madrid | 0-2 |
All matches start at 7:45 p.m. (BST)
TV Info: BT Sport (U.K.), FOX Sports (U.S.)
Live Stream: BT Sport website (U.K.), FOX Soccer 2Go (U.S.)
Barcelona vs. Manchester City
When the draw for the Champions League group stage was made, the fixture between Barca and City at the Camp Nou immediately stood out from the rest.
Not just due to the Guardiola dynamic, but because the teams have established a reputation as being two of the most fluid and fascinating attacking sides anywhere in European football. The early weeks of the season have cemented that further.
The onus will be on Barcelona here, as it always is at the Camp Nou. And despite some disappointing results this season, there’ll be plenty of positivity from the Blaugrana supporters heading into this one, with Lionel Messi returned to full fitness and back among the goals.
Per OptaJose, it didn’t take him long to make an impact upon his return on Saturday during the 4-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna:
Alongside the likes of Luis Suarez and Neymar, City’s defence will face a major examination, one they’ve yet to receive in any game this term.
With that in mind, it’ll be intriguing to see exactly how Guardiola sets his team up. In all of his games in charge so far it’s been expected that City will dominate the ball and take the game to the opponents. But against a Barca side of such quality, things will be a little different.
Former Barcelona player and current Everton manager Ronald Koeman has been impressed with the Etihad Stadium outfit, per BBC (h/t Bleacher Report UK):
Should City go toe-to-toe with Barcelona it’s difficult to see them getting a result, so expect Guardiola’s side to be a little more reserved in their approach to this challenge. Even so, the attacking quality, midfield control and familiarity the hosts possess will swing this one their way.
Prediction: Barcelona 2-1 Manchester City
Bayern Munich vs. PSV Eindhoven
Although Bayern are top of the Bundesliga, there are some concerns about Carlo Ancelotti’s early weeks in charge of the club.
Particularly since the German champions were beaten 1-0 by Atletico Madrid in the previous round of Champions League fixtures, a scoreline that flattered the Bavarians. Given the Italian’s appointment seemed geared towards attaining success in Europe, that performance would have worried some tied to Bayern.
Ancelotti himself expressed some concerns about the efforts of the players after the 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in their last outing, per sports journalist Cristian Nyari:
The manager will be expecting a response from his players on Wednesday. And given they now trail Atletico by three points in the group, it’s imperative they take the maximum haul from this clash with PSV Eindhoven, who are also in need of a positive result.
Indeed, after losing to Atletico in Week 1, the Dutch outfit were only able to stumble to a disappointing draw against Rostov in their next outing. Phillip Cocu’s side have found wins tough to come by domestically, with disappointing draws against Heracles and Heerenveen in their last two matches.
Although PSV have shown dogged and determined qualities under Cocu in the past, they’re running into a Bayern side that’ll have Ancelotti’s scathing words ringing in their ears here. Expect a big response from the German giants.
Prediction: Bayern 4-1 PSV Eindhoven
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