Following a full set of matches played Tuesday evening across Europe, the UEFA Champions League returns tonight with yet more matches coming in as matchday two of the Group Stage continues. Below is a preview of tonight's fixtures.
Matches will kick off at 10 PM East African Time unless specified.
Wednesday 1 October
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Newcastle United (19:45 EAT)
- Union Saint-Gilloise's sole previous encounter with an English club in UEFA competitions came against Liverpool in the 2023/24 Europa League group stage. They lost 2-0 away and won their home fixture 2-1.
- The Belgian outfit are unbeaten in their last seven home group stage/league phase matches in Europe (W4 D3).
- Union SG need two more goals to reach the milestone of 50 in UEFA competitions.
- Newcastle are unbeaten in their previous eight European games against Belgian teams, notching seven wins and one draw.
- The Premier League side are winless in their last five Champions League encounters (D1 L4).
- They have also posted just one win in their last 11 UEFA competition matches away from home (D6 L4).
Qarabağ vs Copenhagen (19:45 EAT)
- Qarabağ have won only one of their four previous meetings with Copenhagen in UEFA competitions, losing the other three. However, they got the better of the most recent encounters, progressing on away goals in the 2017/18 Champions League qualifying play-offs after prevailing 1-0 at home and succumbing 2-1 in Denmark.
- The champions of Azerbaijan have won six of their seven European games this season (L1).
- None of Qarabağ's last 43 matches in Europe have finished goalless. Their last 0-0 result came at home against Olympiacos in the 2022/23 Europa League group stage.
- Copenhagen remain undefeated after seven UEFA competition outings this season (W4 D3).
- The Danish titleholders are unbeaten in their last four Champions League group stage/league phase games (W2 D2).
- However, Copenhagen have won only two of their previous 20 away matches in the Champions League proper (D4 L14).
Arsenal vs Olympiacos
- Arsenal have won six and lost six of their 12 previous UEFA competition meetings with Olympiacos, with the Greek side edging each of their last three encounters in north London.
- Last season's semi-finalists have won their last 13 UEFA competition group stage/league phase games at home. They have won ten in a row without conceding a goal.
- The Gunners have kept eight clean sheets in their last 12 Champions League group stage/league phase matches.
- Olympiacos have lost just one of their last ten European outings (W5 D4). However, the Piraeus outfit have won only two of their last 21 Champions League group stage/league phase contests (D3 L16).
- They have also lost their last ten Champions League group stage/league phase matches away from home, with their last success on the road a 1-0 victory at GNK Dinamo in October 2015.
- Olympiacos striker Ayoub El Kaabi has scored five times in his last two games against English teams in European competition, those goals all coming in the 2023/24 UEFA Conference League semi-finals against Aston Villa. Fellow striker Mehdi Taremi played in Inter's 1-0 victory over Arsenal in last season's Champions League – the only defeat the Gunners suffered in the 2024/25 league phase.
Leverkusen vs PSV
- Leverkusen are unbeaten in their seven previous UEFA competition matches against Dutch sides (W4 D3). Those games include a 5-4 home win and a 0-0 away draw against PSV in the 1994/95 UEFA Cup first round.
- The German club have lost only two of their last 17 UEFA competition group stage/league phase encounters (W11 D4) and have prevailed in 14 of their last 16 European matches at home (D1 L1). They have won seven at home in Europe in a row, including all four in the league phase of last season's Champions League without conceding a goal.
- Malik Tillman joined Leverkusen from PSV on a five-year deal for a club record fee in the summer. The American midfielder won the Eredivisie in both seasons he spent with the Dutch champions.
- PSV have won just one of their previous 20 UEFA competition games away against German teams (D4 L15). They are without a win in 17 (D3 L14) since a 2-1 victory at Eintracht Braunschweig in the UEFA Cup third round in December 1977.
- The Eredivisie outfit have won only two of their last 11 UEFA competition matches away from home (D4 L5).
- There has been a total of 43 goals scored in PSV's last ten Champions League outings.
- Goalkeeper Matěj Kovář joined PSV on a season-long loan from Leverkusen in the summer while Alassane Pléa scored the winner at Leverkusen in his first Bundesliga game there, for Monchengladbach in January 2019.
Villarreal vs Juventus
- Villarreal came out on top in the only previous UEFA competition meetings between these sides, following a 1-1 draw in Spain with a 3-0 success in Turin to win their 2021/22 Champions League round of 16 tie. Daniel Parejo scored in the first game and Gerard Moreno the second for the Yellow Submarine.
- The Spanish side have lost only two of their previous 12 European matches at home against Italian teams (W7 D3).
- However, Villarreal have lost each of their last three games in the Champions League proper.
- Juventus have suffered just one loss in their last seven Champions League group stage/league phase matches against Spanish clubs (W4 D2), keeping five clean sheets in the process.
- The Bianconeri have won only three of their last 12 Champions League group stage/league phase matches (D4 L5).
- Jonathan David could become the third Canadian player to reach 20 Champions League appearances, after Alphonso Davies (49) and Atiba Hutchinson (23).
Napoli vs Sporting CP
- Napoli were triumphant in the only previous UEFA competition matches between these teams, progressing on penalties in the 1989/90 UEFA Cup first round after both legs finished goalless.
- The Italian champions have lost just two of their previous 14 UEFA competition meetings with Portuguese sides (W8 D4). They have won the last four.
- Napoli have lost a mere four of their previous 30 fixtures at home in the Champions League proper (W18 D8).
- Sporting CP are without a win in their last ten European matches against Italian clubs (D5 L5) and have never triumphed away against Serie A opposition (D4 L13).
- Overall, the Portuguese hopefuls have lost three of their last ten UEFA competition encounters away from home (W3 D4).
- Sporting CP need to find the net one more time to reach the landmark of 100 goals scored in the Champions League proper.
Monaco vs Manchester City
- Monaco recorded a memorable victory against Manchester City in the only previous UEFA competition meetings between these clubs, winning 3-1 at home after a 5-3 loss in England to advance on away goals in the 2016/17 Champions League round of 16. John Stones played in both of those games for the English side while City's Bernardo Silva did the same for Monaco.
- The Ligue 1 side have lost just one of their nine most recent European matches at home against English teams (W6 D2). They have won the last three.
- However, Monaco have won only one of their last seven Champions League games (D1 L5).
- Man City have lost their last four Champions League matches away from home.
- Nevertheless, the Premier League giants have lost only three of their last 21 Champions League group stage/league phase outings overall (W14 D4). They have also failed to score in only two of their last 30 UEFA competition fixtures.
- City forward Erling Haaland is set to make his 50th appearance in the competition. He will break the record for goals scored by any player in his first 50 Champions League appearances (currently Ruud van Nistelrooy with 43), having notched his 50th in the competition on Matchday 1.
Borussia Dortmund vs Athletic Club
- Dortmund go into their first UEFA competition meeting with Athletic Club having lost only two of their last 13 European matches at home against Spanish teams (W7 D4).
- The Bundesliga outfit have also lost just one of their last 18 Champions League games at home (W11 D6).
- Serhou Guirassy has scored 15 goals in his first 19 Champions League appearances. The players with the most goals in their first 20 appearances in the competition are Erling Haaland (25), Roberto Soldado (16) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (16).
- Athletic Club are unbeaten in their last six European outings against German sides (W4 D2).
- The team from Bilbao have lost their last three UEFA competition fixtures. They have never lost four in a row.
- Athletic have scored exactly one goal in each of their previous six Champions League group stage/league phase matches away from home. They have only scored 22 goals in their last 23 games in this competition, across five editions, overall.
Barcelona vs Paris Saint-Germain
- Barcelona hold the edge in 15 previous UEFA competition meetings between these teams, posting six wins, four draws and five losses. However, Paris Saint-Germain have won 4-1 on both of their two most recent Champions League trips (the 2020/21 round of 16 and 2023/24 quarter-finals).
- The Catalan side are unbeaten in their last eight league phase games in the Champions League, recording seven victories and one draw.
- Barça have scored three or more goals in six of their last seven home matches in the Champions League while there have been 75 goals in their last 17 home games in this competition (an average of 4.41 per game).
- Paris have won 11 of their last 13 Champions League contests (L2).
- The European champions have registered four goals in each of their last three games in the league phase of the Champions League.
- Paris have played 100 successive Champions League games since they were last involved in a 0-0 draw. That came against Real Madrid in the 2015/16 group stage. (UEFA)