Bayern and Atletico... Summit in Madrid

French champions Paris Saint-Germain, winners of the past two seasons, embark on a cautious journey to Spain’s Villarreal, seeking their fourth consecutive victory in the UEFA Champions League.

Under Spanish manager Luis Enrique, the club is enjoying its best continental run, having won the title in consecutive seasons, while domestically they top the league, sitting two points ahead of Lille following a dominant 5-1 home win over Le Havre, thanks to a hat-trick and two decisive assists from Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi.

PSG has not lost in their last 13 matches in the premier continental competition (nine wins and four draws), matching the club’s record set between the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 seasons.

In contrast, Villarreal, making their first-ever continental meeting against PSG, are experiencing a fluctuating period in La Liga, leaving them in eighth place, away from the top spots. They have also started the Champions League campaign with mixed results, recording one win and two losses.

Meanwhile, Manchester United face a crucial and tough home match against Italy’s Roma today. The English side aims to secure their second victory in the competition after three matches featuring one win and two losses. Roma, meanwhile, have played three matches, winning one, drawing one, and losing one.

Today also features a clash between Atletico Madrid, a strong contender for the La Liga title alongside rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona, following their seventh consecutive league win, and Bayern Munich, leaders of the German Bundesliga. After a strong start with a 5-0 clean-sheet victory against Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, the Bavarian side drew twice, 3-3 against Viking and 2-2 against English champions Arsenal.

Bayern Munich have not lost in their last three meetings with “Los Rojiblancos.” Recent encounters in the group stage of the 2020-2021 season saw Bayern win 4-0 in Munich and draw 1-1 in Madrid.

Barcelona enter the fourth round of the Champions League buoyed by a commanding 6-1 league victory over Alaves. They currently top La Liga, two points clear of Atletico Madrid and three points ahead of Real Madrid, whom they defeated in El Clasico two weeks ago. Barcelona will face Aston Villa, one of only five teams to have collected a perfect record so far, seeking quick revenge for their painful 4-2 defeat to PSG.

Fermin Lopez, one of the match scorers, said: “It was a difficult week for us, and there was no better place than Camp Nou and in front of our fans to get back on the right track.”

He added about his Brazilian teammates Raphinha and Lamine Yamal, who shared four goals between them: “Lamine and Raphinha make the difference, and with them we will achieve great things.”

The two sides have met four times in European competitions, in two two-legged ties. Barcelona won 4-3 on aggregate in the 1978 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, while Aston Villa claimed the 1982 UEFA Super Cup after a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Inter Milan also seek to avenge their 3-1 domestic derby loss to Milan when they travel to face Dutch side Feyenoord.