Champions League matchday 3 preview: PSG vs Barcelona, Bayern vs Arsenal and every fixture
Champions League matchday 3 fixtures, kick-off times and key storylines: PSG host Barcelona in a top-two clash, Arsenal visit Bayern and Manchester City need points.
Matchday 3 of the Champions League league phase takes place on Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October 2026, and it brings two heavyweight games: Paris Saint-Germain against Barcelona, and Bayern Munich against Arsenal.
PSG vs Barcelona: first against second
Both clubs have a perfect record after two games and sit level at the top of the table on six points and a goal difference of +7. PSG arrive after beating Manchester City 4–2 at the Etihad; Barcelona won 4–1 at Galatasaray. With 36 teams and only eight league-phase games each, a win here is a major step towards a top-eight finish and a place in the round of 16.
Bayern vs Arsenal: Bayern cannot afford another slip
Arsenal have won both games without conceding, most recently a 3–0 win over Lille. Bayern Munich, by contrast, sit 10th on four points after a 3–3 draw at Viking FK. Harry Kane scored twice in Norway, but Bayern's defence will need to be sharper against Mikel Arteta's side.
Can Manchester City recover?
Manchester City are 17th on three points after the home defeat to PSG. They host AEK Athens, who are 20th. Anything other than a win would put pressure on Enzo Maresca's side, who have been perfect in the Premier League.
English clubs on matchday 3
- Liverpool v Villarreal (Tue): Liverpool won 6–3 at LASK but conceded three. Villarreal beat Napoli 3–1 last time out.
- Manchester City v AEK Athens (Tue)
- Como v Manchester United (Wed): United lost 2–0 at Atlético Madrid and are under pressure.
- Bayern Munich v Arsenal (Wed)
- Aston Villa v Viking (Wed): Villa are third after a 6–0 win over Fenerbahçe.
Still searching for a first point
Inter, Napoli, Porto and Galatasaray have zero points after two games. With only six matches left, their next results are close to must-wins.
Full fixture list (UK time)
| Day | Match | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 20 Oct | Fenerbahçe v Slavia Prague | 17:45 |
| Tue 20 Oct | Sabah v Borussia Dortmund | 17:45 |
| Tue 20 Oct | PSG v Barcelona | 20:00 |
| Tue 20 Oct | Liverpool v Villarreal | 20:00 |
| Tue 20 Oct | Manchester City v AEK Athens | 20:00 |
| Tue 20 Oct | Stuttgart v Atlético Madrid | 20:00 |
| Tue 20 Oct | Napoli v Bodø/Glimt | 20:00 |
| Tue 20 Oct | Porto v PSV Eindhoven | 20:00 |
| Tue 20 Oct | Roma v Slovan Bratislava | 20:00 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Como v Manchester United | 17:45 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Lille v Galatasaray | 17:45 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Bayern Munich v Arsenal | 20:00 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Aston Villa v Viking | 20:00 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Real Madrid v RB Leipzig | 20:00 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Inter v Shakhtar Donetsk | 20:00 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Club Brugge v Lens | 20:00 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Real Betis v Feyenoord | 20:00 |
| Wed 21 Oct | Sporting CP v LASK | 20:00 |
FAQ
When is Champions League matchday 3? Tuesday 20 and Wednesday 21 October 2026. Early games kick off at 17:45 UK time and the rest at 20:00.
What time is PSG vs Barcelona? 20:00 UK time on Tuesday 20 October 2026 (21:00 in Paris and Barcelona).
When is the next matchday after this one? Matchday 4 is on 3 and 4 November 2026.
Follow every game live on our scores page and see the full Champions League table. New to the format? Read our league phase explainer.
