5 Bold Predictions for Champions League Matchday 3
The Champions League returns this week with an exciting collection of matches.
Two games into Europe’s premier club competition, and the group stages have already begun to take shape. Three teams retain 100 percent records, while a further three have lost both of their games to date.
Can Matchday 3 live up to the drama of the first two rounds of fixtures?
Highlights include Liverpool vs. Real Madrid, Roma vs. Bayern Munich and Ajax vs. Barcelona; read on for Bleacher Report’s bold predictions for the midweek games.
Real Madrid to Teach Liverpool a Lesson at Anfield
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Liverpool’s return to the Champions League hasn’t gone to plan so far. The Reds left it late to secure a 2-1 victory over minnows Ludogorets Razgrad in their opening match, before being defeated by Basel in their second.
Next up for Brendan Rodgers and his boys, the champions Real Madrid, who travel to Anfield on Wednesday evening.
This match is the first of a doubleheader between the two sides that may well shape Liverpool’s first season back among the big boys.
Few, at this stage, would give them much chance against Carlo Ancelotti’s Galacticos.
Liverpool wanted to return to the Champions League in order to enjoy those big European nights at Anfield; they don’t get any bigger than this.
Unfortunately, however, in light of Liverpool’s stuttering defensive record in the Premier League (they haven’t kept a clean sheet in the EPL since the end of August) the Pool could be set for a very taxing evening against Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Co.
Monaco to Top Group C
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Ahead of the season, doom and gloom threatened to envelope AS Monaco. The side’s progression last term was being undermined by the departures of James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao.
Joao Moutinho’s ineffective domestic performances were coming under increasing scrutiny, while the Riviera moneybags started the Ligue 1 campaign slowly.
Even now, after 10 games, the Red and Whites are in 10th spot in the French top flight, having picked up only four victories in their opening 10 games.
By comparison, however, their continental form is rather more encouraging.
Having returned to the Champions League for the first time in a decade, Monaco are yet to concede and have picked up four points after a victory over Bayer Leverkusen and a draw in Russia against Zenit Saint Petersburg.
On Wednesday, Monaco welcome Benfica to the Stade Louis II. The Portuguese side may have a greater reputation than Leonardo Jardim’s side, but I anticipate that Monaco can pick up the three points and will top Group C by the end of play on Wednesday.
Olympiacos to Beat Juventus
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When Group A was drawn, it looked like a fairly safe bet that the champions of Italy and Spain, Juventus and Atletico Madrid, would pull away from Malmo and Olympiacos and secure qualification for the last 16.
After two games, however, all four sides in the group are level pegging.
Malmo were beaten by Juventus in the opening fixture but beat the Greeks 2-0 in the second match, while Olympiacos also have three points following a 3-2 triumph over Atleti in Piraeus.
So far, all of the home sides have won, and I can see Olympiacos extending that run against Juventus on Wednesday.
The Reds looked exceptional in attack against Atletico and have scored three in the league on five occasions so far this season.
Juventus’ defence looked flaky against AS Roma earlier in the month, when they conceded two, and the Old Lady have only won one of their last three, following a 1-1 draw with minnows Sassuolo on Saturday.
Could Thrylos, who made it to the second round last term, secure a historic victory?
Roma to Avoid Defeat Against Bayern
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AS Roma have started the season well, both in domestic competition and the Champions League.
In Serie A, the capital club have won six and lost only one (against champions Juventus), while in Europe, they are unbeaten, having demolished CSKA Moscow and secured a point away at Manchester City.
Group E is arguably the Champions League’s toughest opening pool; Roma, Italy’s runners-up, meet both the champions of England and Germany. How important may that point in Manchester prove to be come the season’s end?
Next up, the visit of Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich. Ominous, perhaps, but Rudi Garcia’s men won’t be fazed; they remain resolute in defence, lethal in attack and will be confident of causing an “upset” in front of their own fans.
FC Porto to Take a Grip of Group H
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Athletic Bilbao are labouring in La Liga. They sit in 17th spot, having lost five of their opening eight games.
Similarly, they are struggling in the Europa League. They may have looked impressive in eliminating Napoli in the play-off round but have started slowly.
Group H was always going to be a tricky pool to call, with FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Athletic all vying for qualification and BATE Borisov seen as outsiders.
The Belarusian side did, however, manage to beat Athletic, however, putting them in second spot and leaving the Basques at the foot of the selection.
Athletic need to turn it around against FC Porto; however, I actually envisage the opposite.
It’s not a particularly bold prediction, perhaps, but inspired by their superb African attackers, Yacine Brahimi (Algeria) and Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon), I expect the Portuguese giants to take a stranglehold on the group and push Athletic towards the continental exit.
