Key events
After that flurry, a moment of calm – although Bayern are knocking, Sané’s shot saved at the near post by Safonov, starting ahead of Donnarumma tonight. At the Etihad, City keep pouring forward but without much coherence or conviction just yet.
GOALS! Young Boys 1-1 Atalanta
Atalanta hot-shot Mateo Retegui firesthe visitors in front, but before I can type that out, Silvere Ganvoula smashes in a leveller! That’s the first goal Atalanta have conceded in the Champions League this season.
GOAL! Leverkusen 2-0 Salzburg (Grimaldo 11′)
Double trouble for Salzburg, as Alejandro Grimaldo scores a lovely free kick to put Leverkusen in control.
GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Brest (Lewandowski pen 8′)
Robert Lewandowski gets absolutely clattered by the Brest keeper, earning a penalty, which he converts with consummate ease. With that goal, he joins Ronaldo and Messi in the Champions League’s exclusive 100 club.
GOAL! Leverkusen 1-0 Salzburg (Wirtz pen 9′)
Florian Wirtz buries the spot kick, and there’s another penalty coming up elsewhere …
GOAL! Sporting 0-1 Arsenal (Martinelli 7′)
Now we have a goal – and it’s gone to Arsenal! A neat passing move sees Rice pick out Timber on the right, and his low cross is prodded home by Martinelli at the far post.
Arsenal on the front foot early against a compact-looking Sporting defence. No goals anywhere in Europe, although Leverkusen have a penalty, awarded on VAR review after one of those ricochet handballs …
At the Camp Nou Montjuic, Ajorque puts a half-decent chance for Brest wide early on. At the Etihad, Gundogan sees his mid-range shot deflected behind.
Peep!
We’re under way in Barcelona, Bern, Leverkusen, Lisbon, Milan, Manchester and Munich, where Bayern v PSG kicked off a couple of minutes late.
It’s dangerously close to go time in the seven 8pm Champions League kick-offs. In the Championship, Norwich lead Plymouth and Sheffield United are a goal up at home to Oxford.
“That Arsenal team looking very strong,” writes Bill Hargreaves. “The likes of Nwaneri, Jesus and Sterling on the bench. Could see them doing well this evening and in this competition.”
Charles Antaki says: “That looks a very good Arsenal team. Declan Rice reinstated, and of course the silky schemer Martin Ødegaard back and on top form. Of course that inevitably means, for the ever-anxious Arsenal fan, coming home with their tails between their legs. So, a draw.”
“Is the Ibrahimovic on the bench for Bayern related to Zlatan?” asks Mike Jakeman. Sadly not – but Arijon Ibrahimovic could become a star in his own right. The attacking midfielder is one of Bayern’s brightest youth prospects, and is trying to win a place in Vincent Kompany’s squad after recent injury.
It’s finished Slovan Bratislava 2-3 Milan, the Slovak side staying bottom of the pile with no points from five games. They gave it a good go here, though – unlike Sparta Prague, who have been gubbed 6-0 by Atlético Madrid.
Those results mean Atlético and Milan sit ninth and 10th respectively, breathing down Aston Villa’s necks in the battle for the top eight.
There are also seven Championship games this evening, plus a bumper League One line-up, and Hibs v Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership. I will endeavour to keep you updated, but our live feed is also at your service.
Milan are taking care of business in Bratislava, with Rafael Leão putting them 2-1 up before Tammy Abraham pounced on a woeful backpass to make it three. Up the road in Prague, it’s Sparta 0-4 Atlético, Álvarez (again) and Griezmann adding the second-half goals.
More team news, starting in Catalonia …
Barcelona v Brest
Barcelona (4-3-3): Pena; Kounde, Cubarsi, Martinez, Gerard; Casado, Pedri, Fermin Lopez; Raphinha (c), Lewandowski, Olmo.
Subs: Szczesny, Kochen, Balde, Gavi, Torre, Victor, de Jong, Garcia, Fort, Dominguez, Cuenca, Guille Fernandez.
Brest (4-4-2): Bizot; Lala, Le Cardinal, Chardonnet (c), Haidara; Camara, Fernandes, Magnetti, Doumbia; Sima, Ajorque.
Subs: Coudert, Jauny, Niakhate Ndiaye, Del Castillo, Camblan, Balde, Faivre, Amavi, Pereira Lage, Martin, Salah.
… While at San Siro, Leipzig have just six players on the bench amid an injury crisis …
Inter v RB Leipzig
Internazionale (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, de Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Calhanoglu, Zielinski, Dimarco; Taremi, Lautaro Martinez.
Subs: Di Gennaro, Josep Martinez, Arnautovic, Thuram, Buchanan, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Carlos Augusto, Bisseck, Darmian, Aidoo.
RB Leipzig (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Geertruida, Orban, Lukeba, Henrichs; Baumgartner, Haidara, Kampl, Nusa; Andre Silva, Openda.
Subs: Vandevoordt, Seiwald, Vermeeren, Ouedraogo, Sesko, Gebel.
Bayern Munich v PSG teams
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1): Neuer (c); Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Kane.
Subs: Peretz, Schmitt, Gnabry, Dier, Olise, Ibrahimovic, Guerreiro, Boey, Muller, Tel.
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3): Safonov; Hakimi, Marquinhos (c), Pacho, Nuno Mendes; Joao Neves, Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz; Zaire Emery, Dembele, Barcola.
Subs: Donnarumma, Tenas, Goncalo Ramos, Asensio, Doue, Lee, Muani, Lucas Beraldo, Skriniar, Zague.
Sporting v Arsenal teams
Sporting CP (3-4-3): Israel; St Juste, Diomande, Inacio; Quenda, Morita, Hjulmand (c), Araujo: Edwards, Gyokeres, Trincao.
Subs: Kovacevic, Callai, Matheus Reis, Harder, Catamo, Fresneda, Braganca, Ricardo Esgaio, Couto, Alves, Simoes, Brito.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard (c), Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Subs: Neto, Setford, Tierney, Gabriel Jesus, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Trossard, Jorginho, Merino, Sterling, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri.
A notable name on the Atlético scoresheet: Júlian Álvarez, who left Manchester City in the summer but has had a slow start to life in Madrid. He’s certainly been missed by Pep Guardiola’s side, who are bidding to end a run of five (!) straight defeats at home to Feyenoord:
It’s half-time in the 5.45pm (GMT) kick-offs, taking place in Czechia and Slovakia. Atlético Madrid lead Sparta Prague 2-0, while Slovan Bratislava are holding Milan to a 1-1 draw.
Preamble
Arsenal’s last eight away games in Europe have produced one win, three draws and four defeats; in their last four trips to the continent, they haven’t scored a single goal. As one of their most celebrated alumni might say: Problem!
Big problem? Not yet. Arsenal have seven points and sit 12th in the giant Champions League table; they will surely advance, but this game will help decide whether they do so via the playoffs, incurring more tricky away trips. As you might have heard, Sporting have lost manager Ruben Amorim, but they are still a free-scoring threat and have previous. The first of those eight Arsenal away games came in Lisbon, a 2-2 Europa League draw which led to defeat on penalties back at the Emirates.
It may be high entertainment and relatively low stakes in Portugal, but Bayern Munich v PSG is a different story. The Parisians have been the weakest of Ligue 1’s quartet so far and sit below the red line in 25th (!) place with tough games still to come. Bayern aren’t faring much better, that opening 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb followed by back-to-back defeats, meaning the Croatian side are now above them in mid-table. Oh Vinnie!
But wait, there’s more. Barcelona host Brest in a top-six battle nobody expected, while Leverkusen look to rediscover their fizz against Red Bull Salzburg. Italian outfits Inter and Atalanta – playing to type by not conceding one goal between them so far – look to keep that going against pointless opponents RB Leipzig and Young Boys. Kick-off is 8pm in those games, but two early matches have already started. Eat my goal!