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Here's the Champions League fixtures to watch out for this week

98FM
98FM

07:04 28 Sep 2018


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Virgin Media Sport, the new home of European football in Ireland.

 

After an opening match-week which offered plenty of tension and talking points, the Champions League returns this week promising plenty for the winners and losers from two weeks ago.

Can Manchester City bounce back after their shock home defeat to Lyon? Will Liverpool build on beating fellow group favourites PSG? And can Manchester United continue to consign their current struggles to domestic competition rather than Europe where they've started well?

Here are the fixtures to come this week as well as what to expect in the Europa League.

TUESDAY

Hoffenheim vs Manchester City

Kick off 5.55pm

Manchester City won't be looking to coast through this game. After losing at home to Lyon, they will go all out to try and notch their first points of a group stage they were expected to walk handily.

They face a Hoffenheim side led by one of Europe's youngest and most exciting managers in the shape of Julian Nagelsmann.

Oddly enough, it's known that Nagelsmann will be leaving for RB Leipzig at season's end with that deal announced back in June and coincidentally the two sides met at the weekend with his future employers winning.

That future manager transfer hadn't impacted their form too adversely but the weekend defeat has seen them slip back to 12th with the season six match-weeks old. But they haven't kept a clean sheet yet, conceding 10 goals, so City will fancy their chances of scoring away. 

 Live on Virgin Media One

Manchester United vs Valencia

Kick off 8pm 

The Champions League group stages could prove to be respite for United who can't seem to shake off negative headlines featuring some combination of the following: Mourinho, Pogba, Woodward, Sanchez... lest we go on?

They opened up commandingly against Young Boys Bern two weeks ago with Paul Pogba putting in a good performance and they face a Valencia side who have made an underwhelming start to the La Liga season.

Marcelino's side have only lost once but until this weekend when they beat a good Real Sociedad side 1-0 away in Round 7, had also failed to win any of their first six matches in the Spanish top division, finding themselves drawing all too often.

Old Trafford hasn't proved to be a Theatre of Dreams too often for Mourinho of late and the Saturday setback at West Ham has put even more pressure on the manager going into the Valencia game, especially with tough games home and away against Juventus to come next in this group. 

Live on Virgin Media Sport

Wednesday

Paris Saint Germain vs Red Star Belgrade

Kick off 5.55pm

Two sides that enjoyed the '90s, although only Red Star AKA Crvena Zvezda have won the European Cup trophy itself, times are very different now.

Without always being impressive - do they even need to be? - PSG have won all their league games so far this season and will be favourites to see off the Serbian champions at home under the lights at Paris.

Live on Virgin Media Sport

Napoli vs Liverpool

Kick off 8pm

After beating PSG at home, it's advantage Liverpool in their group if the Reds can maintain their momentum generated from a strong start to the season.

I watched Napoli being dismantled by Sampdoria a few weeks back but otherwise last season's Serie A runners up have made a good start to the campaign under Carlo Ancelotti in the league.

However, they could only draw against Red Star in their group opener, meaning the pressure is on for the Neapolitans to beat Liverpool at home - something a counter-attacking side like Jurgen Klopp's will relish.

Live on Virgin Media Sport 

 Europa League

Arsenal, Chelsea and Celtic all won their opening games in the Europa League group stage two weeks ago.

And on Virgin Media Sport this week, you can watch Celtic's trip to Red Bull Salzburg in the 5.55pm kick off, before live coverage of Chelsea hosting Hungarian side Vidi. 

Virgin Media Sport, the new home of European football in Ireland goes live on Tuesday 18th September. With more than 400 UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Nations League games live this season, Virgin Media Sport is exclusive to all Virgin Media TV customers who can also download the TV Anywhere App and stream all the action whenever and wherever they like. For more info check out Virgin-Media-Sports.ie

 

 

 


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