Football writer Ben Bloom previews Tuesday and Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League fixtures involving six Premier League clubs as they play their fourth matches in this season’s competition.
Slavia Prague v Arsenal
Tuesday 4 November 17:45 (all times GMT)
All signs suggest it will take something extraordinary if Slavia Prague are to emerge triumphant on Tuesday evening. Standing in their way of a first UEFA Champions League win since 2007 – a run of 17 winless games – is perhaps Europe’s most in-form team in Arsenal.
Having become the first English top-flight club ever to play six matches in a calendar month (October) and win them all without conceding, Mikel Arteta’s side then swatted Burnley aside 2-0 on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run to nine in all competitions.
They sit top of the Premier League table and are one of five clubs to win all three of their Champions League fixtures, not conceding in any of them.
Slavia Prague have also been adept at keeping goals out of late, and are on a run of five successive clean sheets.
Three of those were goalless draws – including in their last Champions League game against Atalanta – before beating Banik Ostrava on Saturday to lead the Czech top tier.
Two draws and a defeat to Inter Milan see them sit 28th in the Champions League standings as they bid to make the knockout stage for the first time in the club’s history.
Injuries mean they have a heavily depleted squad for this match, while Arsenal will be without striker Viktor Gyokeres, who was withdrawn early in the Burnley win.
Liverpool v Real Madrid
Tuesday 4 November, 20:00
The potential return of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Anfield will be an intriguing subplot to this blockbuster tie, after the former Liverpool right-back departed for Real Madrid in the summer.
He has struggled for playing time in Spain and was an unused substitute in Real Madrid’s last two matches, so it remains to be seen how much – if at all – he will play here.
“I can only tell you what reception he [Trent] gets from me. I have great memories of the player and human, my vice-captain,” Liverpool head coach Arne Slot said at his pre-match press conference.
“I have memories working with him that are only positive. I watched him in front of the television and only great memories of him in a Liverpool shirt. He will get a warm welcome from me but let’s see how our fans react, I have no clue. A warm welcome from me, that is for certain.”
Liverpool benefited from some good fortune to beat Aston Villa on Saturday for only their second win in eight across all competitions. Their other was a 5-1 Champions League thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt, which put Arne Slot’s side 10th in the standings.
Tuesday’s visitors, Real Madrid, have been almost unstoppable under former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso this season.
In addition to holding a five-point lead at the top of LaLiga, they have a perfect record of three wins from three in Europe.
They head into this match off the back of a 4-0 victory over Valencia, and have lost just once in all competitions this season.
These two teams also met in the league phase of this competition last year, when Liverpool triumphed 2-0 at Anfield, halting an eight-game losing run against their Spanish opponents.
Tottenham Hotspur v Copenhagen
Tuesday 4 November, 20:00
Which Spurs side will turn up on Tuesday? Will it be the one that has earned just 13 points from their past 19 Premier League home matches and were booed off after defeat to Chelsea on Saturday?
Or will it be that which has put together a 21-game unbeaten run in European matches at home?
Thomas Frank’s side recorded their lowest ever Expected Goals (xG) of 0.05 in that Chelsea loss, and have won just three of their last 10 games in all competitions.
But they are yet to taste Champions League defeat this season, with one win and two draws placing them 15th.
By contrast, Copenhagen languish in 32nd, with just one point from their opening three European matches.
They have won only two of their last 21 Champions League away matches, but beat Frederica on Saturday to keep them fourth in the Danish Superliga.
Viktor Dadason came off the bench in last month’s defeat against Borussia Dortmund to become the third-youngest ever Champions League goalscorer, aged 17 years and 113 days, putting him behind only Ansu Fati and Lamine Yamal.
Qarabag v Chelsea
Wednesday 5 November, 17:45
Chelsea’s last trip to Azerbaijan came in 2019 when they triumphed over Arsenal to win the UEFA Europa League final.
This repeat of that long journey is expected to provide an easier task against a Qarabag side they have met twice before – in the 2017/18 Champions League group stage – winning by a combined score of 10-0.
Enzo Maresca’s side head into this match off the back of a Premier League victory at Spurs on Saturday, while they have won their last two Champions League matches against Benfica and Ajax after losing to Bayern Munich in their opening fixture.
The 5-1 Ajax thrashing included goals from Estevao Willian, Tyrique George and Marc Guiu, making Chelsea the first team to have three teenage scorers in a Champions League match.
Despite losing all seven of their matches against English clubs – the last six of them without scoring – Qarabag in fact have the same Champions League record as Chelsea in 2025/26, with two wins and one defeat.
The four-time reigning Azerbaijani champions sit second in their domestic top flight, with a match in hand over leaders Turan Tovuz.
Manchester City v Borussia Dortmund
Wednesday 5 November, 20:00
The Erling Haaland show continued on Sunday with two more goals for the Norwegian to take his tally to 26 in all competitions for club and country this season.
He is reunited here with the club he scored 86 times for in 89 appearances, having previously scored against them in his first season after leaving for Man City.
Pep Guardiola’s team are unbeaten in 22 home Champions League group stage/league phases matches, since losing to Lyon in 2018.
They are yet to be defeated in three European games so far this season, sitting seventh in the standings after two wins and a draw.
Much has been said about City’s reliance on Haaland. Indeed, the six goals Guardiola’s side have managed make them the lowest scorers in the current Champions League top 12.
By contrast, Borussia Dortmund have displayed no trouble locating the net, scoring four goals in each of their three European matches against Juventus, Athletic Bilbao and Copenhagen.
Intriguingly, though, they have managed just one goal in each of their last five domestic matches. They currently sit third in the Bundesliga, seven points off the pace.
Newcastle United v Athletic Club
Wednesday 5 November, 20:00
Fortunately for Newcastle United, given the disparity between their home and away form, this match takes place at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe was left frustrated by his side’s lacklustre showing in defeat at West Ham United on Sunday, but they are on a four-game winning streak at home, scoring nine times in the process and conceding only once.
Indeed, dating back to the early 2000s, Newcastle have lost just four of their last 33 home European fixtures.
There was no disgrace in suffering defeat at home to Barcelona in their opening Champions League match this campaign, before going on to beat Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica without conceding.
Athletic are on a poor run, picking up just two victories from their last 11 matches in all competitions.
They lost to Real Sociedad on Saturday to leave them 11th in LaLiga.
However, they did beat Qarabag last time out in the Champions League, following defeats to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund.
Howe confirmed a lingering hip issue was a factor in his decision to bring Anthony Gordon off at half-time in the West Ham defeat.
Athletic will be without the vastly experienced Inaki Williams, whose injury in the Qarabag win is likely to keep him out until the new year.
