Key events
Team news: Celtic v RB Leipzig
Here is a sneak peak of David Squires’s latest cartoon on Manchester United’s hive mind choosing Rúben Amorim.
Check out the full cartoon below.
The current Champions League table as it stands. Aston Villa top with nine points from three games, naturally.
A reminder as to how the new rules of the competition work. At the end of the league phase, the top eight teams will advance to the round of 16. Teams 9-16 will advance to knockout phase playoffs (seeded) and teams 17-24 will advance to knockout phase playoffs (unseeded). The bottom 12 will be eliminated from Europa and will none will drop to the Europa League (unlike previous seasons).
Preamble
Any hopes Rúben Amorim might have had for a peaceful send-off from Sporting have well and truly disappeared. The Manchester United-bound manager got his first taste of the British press when he was hounded for not answering a question in English (though he handling the scrutiny with a calmness).
Tonight, he faces Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in what could be seen as his unofficial audition for the United faithful. A win against their arch-rivals who have dominated in recent years would make Amorim an instant favorite at Old Trafford, though he’s careful not to let expectations get too high.
And if he loses? Some will surely overreact, but the reality is that a Sporting win over the English champions would be a genuine upset. For now, tonight’s clash in Lisbon offers many fans their first real look at Amorim’s style of play and a chance to imagine how it might translate to the Premier League.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid will hope to bounce back from a disastrous and humbling el classico and embarrassing and ill-advised Ballon d’Or boycott against an inconsistent Milan side; Brendan Rodgers aims to bolster Celtic’s European form against RB Leipzig, still winless in Europe this season; Bologna will need a win against Monaco if they want to make the next round; the Austrian champions Sturm have the tough task of silencing the Yellow Wall at Dortmund; and Lille are somehow favourites against Juventus after strong showings against Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.
It is shaping up to be an exciting one so join me for our Champions League matchday four liveblog. Kick-offs across Europe at 8pm GMT.
And, as always, if you have any thoughts, questions, complaints or predictions that you’re keen to share then feel free to send me an email.
