Can Ruben Amorim get one over on Man City? – Champions League talking points
Celtic, Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Arsenal are the five British teams in action.
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Your support makes all the difference.Future Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will take on Manchester City on match week four of the Champions League.
Elsewhere, former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is poised to return to Anfield, while Aston Villa will attempt to retain top spot in the table.
Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the main talking points ahead of the 18 midweek matches.
Glimpse into the future
Ruben Amorim’s announcement as the incoming Manchester United manager has added an interesting sub-plot to Manchester City’s trip to Sporting Lisbon. In one of his final matches before he moves to Old Trafford, Amorim has the chance to get one over his future rivals. Pep Guardiola’s side head to the Portuguese capital amid an injury crisis and seeking to bounce back from a Carabao Cup exit at Tottenham and Saturday’s surprise Premier League loss at Bournemouth. With Sporting director of football Hugo Viana set to begin the same role at City next season, there is no shortage of intrigue surrounding a tie between two sides with seven points from three games.
Another victory for high-flying Villa?
Aston Villa’s first campaign in European club football’s premier competition for 41 years could not have begun any better. Unai Emery’s men top the 36-team table following three rounds of the revamped competition, with victory over Bayern Munich the standout moment in their 100 per cent start. Villa head to Club Brugge on Wednesday bidding to maintain the momentum following a slight stutter on the domestic front. The 1982 European Cup winners surrendered a half-time lead to lose 4-1 at Tottenham on Sunday after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup at home to Crystal Palace on the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.
Alonso back at Anfield
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso was part of the Liverpool team which famously overturned a 3-0 half-time deficit to beat AC Milan on penalties in the 2005 final in Istanbul. The Spaniard, who was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp as Reds boss before the job went to Arne Slot, is sure to receive a warm reception when he takes his Bundesliga champions to Anfield on Tuesday evening. Both sides are unbeaten so far, with Liverpool sitting alongside Villa on maximum points, while Leverkusen are hot on their heels following two wins and a draw.
Big night for Bayern
Bayern Munich remain unbeaten in the Bundesliga since the summer appointment of Vincent Kompany but have plenty to do in Europe. Their 1-0 round-two loss at Villa Park was followed by an emphatic 4-1 thrashing at Barcelona as Robert Lewandowski and Hansi Flick celebrated a memorable victory over their former employers. Having begun with a remarkable 9-2 drubbing of Dinamo Zagreb, six-time champions Bayern – spearheaded by England captain Harry Kane, who already has 17 goals for the season – will be eager to get back on track when Benfica visit Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening as the group stage reaches the halfway point.
Can Gunners fire again?
Arsenal’s only previous trip to Inter Milan resulted in a thumping 5-1 win 21 years ago when Thierry Henry scored twice. Any sort of victory at San Siro on Wednesday would be most welcome as the Gunners attempt to set aside a recent Premier League wobble to maintain their strong start in Europe. Mikel Arteta’s men have taken just a solitary point from their last three top-flight fixtures to raise question marks about their title credentials. Serie A champions Inter have lost only once all season and currently sit above the north London club on goal difference.