Champions League Tuesday preview: PSG and City lock horns again

There is a repeat of last season’s semi-final as Paris Saint-Germain host Manchester City in the headline Champions League clash tonight.

Elsewhere, Liverpool visit a familiar foe, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid go head-to-head and Real Madrid host tournament new boys.

Group A

Paris Saint-Germain vs Manchester City (8pm, BT Sport 2)

City visit Paris as two of the favourites to win the Champions League collide in a blockbuster group stage clash.

PSG will be desperate to end a four-game winless run in Europe after only mustering a 1-1 draw at Club Brugge on Matchday 1.

But City won 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of last season’s semi-final, making it three successive home defeats to English sides for Les Parisiens.

Pep Guardiola’s side thrashed RB Leipzig 6-3 in their opening game as Jack Grealish scored one and set up another on his Champions League debut against Leipzig.

The ex-Aston Villa ace could become the first Englishman to score in his first two appearances with a goal tonight.

RB Leipzig vs Club Brugge (8pm, BT Sport Extra 4)

RB Leipzig go in search of their first points of the group stage when they welcome Club Brugge to East Germany.

The Germans' recent home record at this stage of the competition is impressive, with their current five-game unbeaten run including victories over PSG and Manchester United.

Indeed, their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the last-16 in 2020-21 was the only time they have failed to score twice at Red Bull Arena in their last seven games there.

With Brugge failing to win any of their last 10 games against Bundesliga opposition, the hosts will be confident of success.

They will need to keep a close eye on Hans Vanaken though, as he looks to become the first Club Brugge player to net in three successive Champions League games.

Group B

Porto vs Liverpool (8pm, BT Sport 3)

There is a sense of deja vu for Liverpool as they face Porto for the fifth time in less than four years.

Not that Jurgen Klopp and the Reds will mind, with three wins having come in that time including 5-0 and 4-1 victories at the Estadio do Dragao.

The hosts will have to improve on their record at both ends of the pitch if they are to cause an upset and pick up their first-ever win over Liverpool.

They have kept three successive clean sheets at the Dragao in the competition but will face a familiar foe in Reds forward Sadio Mane, who has netted five goals in four games against them.

And they need to find a cutting edge too, having scored just once from 45 efforts in those matches compared to Liverpool's 11 goals from 54 shots.

AC Milan vs Atletico Madrid (8pm, BT Sport ESPN)

AC Milan and Atletico Madrid will both look to kickstart their Champions League campaigns in an intriguing clash at the San Siro.

AC’s first appearance back in the competition for eight years saw them lose 3-2 at Anfield, while Atleti were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Porto.

Only once in Diego Simeone’s tenure have the Spaniards failed to win either of their first two games but they have failed to score on each of their last four visits to Italy.

Not that AC’s record versus Spanish opposition is much better — they have won once in their last 17 meetings with clubs from LaLiga.

But they may be able to call on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored five goals in six starts last time he played in the Champions League in the 2015-16 campaign.

Group C

Ajax vs Besiktas (5.45pm, BT Sport ESPN)

After thrashing Sporting Lisbon in their opener, Ajax will hope to right the wrongs of recent home form against Besiktas.

The Dutch giants have only won one of their past five home games in this competition, failing to find the back of the net in all four defeats.

But with Sebastien Haller netting four goals on his Champions League debut at Sporting, they have the firepower to extend Besiktas’ 12-year wait for a clean sheet at the top level.

Though their defence has been leaky in the Champions League, the Turkish side have proven a difficult team to beat on the road with only two defeats in their past nine trips.

And after defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 1, Besiktas will want to avoid being cut adrift at the bottom in Holland.

Borussia Dortmund vs Sporting (8pm, BT Sport Extra 3)

After failing to deal with West Ham flop Haller two weeks ago, Sporting must now try to stop Dortmund star Erling Haaland at Signal Iduna Park.

Haaland, 21, averages a goal every 63 minutes at home in the Champions League and has been involved in 13 goal-ending sequences since the start of last season — more than any player in the competition.

The Germans have never lost a home game against Portuguese opposition, winning their only clash with Sporting back in 2016.

But their visitors have never lost their opening two games in the group stage and will be desperate to avoid that fate this term, although their record of one win in 15 attempts against Bundesliga sides suggests that may be a long shot tonight.

Group D

Shakhtar Donestk vs Inter Milan (5.45pm, BT Sport 1)

Goals may not be on the menu as Inter Milan travel to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donestk in Group D.

Both games between the two sides in last season’s group stage ended goalless despite Inter having 31 shots across the contests.

And following defeats to Sheriff Tiraspol and Real Madrid respectively on Matchday 1, neither team can afford to lose any more ground on the top two.

Champions League regulars Shakhtar have struggled in home games in recent seasons, winning just one of their past nine attempts.

Inter, meanwhile, have never lost to a Ukrainian side, winning two and drawing four of their previous clashes.

Real Madrid vs Sheriff Tiraspol (8pm, BT Sport Extra 2)

Minnows Sheriff will be dreaming of causing one of the biggest upsets in European history in Madrid.

The Moldovan side beat Shakhtar 2-0 on their debut last time out and become the first club from their country to face the Spanish giants.

But they face a huge uphill task if they are to overcome Real, who will become the first club to reach 100 home wins in the competition if they pick up three points.

They have scored in all but one of their past 37 home games, averaging a mightily impressive three goals per match in that period.

Karim Benzema has been one of the key factors in that run and he will make his 50th home appearance for Real in the Champions League if he is selected.