After a flurry of high-scoring games on Matchday 3 and a week dominated by discussions around the Ballon d’Or, the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 is back to entertain football fans across the globe. The new format has made the league more interesting, and the team sitting at the top of the table is making headlines. (More Football News)
Aston Villa have been on a golden run in the continental tournament with three wins from their three matches, and are currently at the summit. If they continue this momentum, Unai Emery's Villans should be well on their way to direct qualification for the knockout stage.
What has truly worked in Aston Villa's favour is their rock-solid defence, which hasn’t conceded a single goal so far, along with their star goalkeeper, Emi Martinez, who has stood firm against heavy artillery teams like Bayern Munich.
Liverpool have also maintained their 100% record with three wins from three games, and defending Premier League champions Manchester City sit in third place, making it three English clubs leading the pack.
Arsenal, another Premier League outfit, are among the nine undefeated teams in this campaign so far. French pair Monaco and Brest are fourth and fifth, respectively, ahead of Bayer Leverkusen (German Bundesliga), Inter Milan (Italy) and Sporting CP (Portugal).
Under the new format, the top eight in the league stage will get a bye to the round of 16. The teams finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a two-legged first-round play-off. The winners will join the top eight. Meanwhile, teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated. And unlike previous editions, they will not enter UEFA Europa League 2024-25.
Matchday 3 also saw two of Spain’s biggest clubs make a statement, indicating that it’s too early to rule them out. Real Madrid came from behind against Dortmund, propelled by a Vinicius Jr. hat-trick, to win 5-2.
Meanwhile, another Brazilian, Rafinha, was the hat-trick hero for Barcelona, helping the Catalan giants dominate Bayern Munich in a 4-1 victory. While these victories signify a shift in momentum for both clubs, direct qualification spots continue to elude the La Liga heavyweights.
On the other hand, one of the perennial favourites in the Champions League, Bayern Munich, have been struggling for form in this championship. The 4-1 loss to Barcelona further reaffirmed the fact that Vincent Kompany’s Bavarians are not going to have an easy path through the league phase. Currently, the six-time champions are in 23rd place on the points table and need a turnaround soon to have a chance for direct qualification to the knockout phase.
As Matchday 4 of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 kicks off on November 5 (IST), one of the more interesting encounters to watch will be Real Madrid versus AC Milan, the two most successful clubs in Champions League history, battling it out at Santiago Bernabeu in the Spanish capital.
Carlo Ancelotti's Los Blancos, feeling hard done by their Ballon d’Or snub, will face Milan, who are not in their best form, sitting seventh in their domestic league and 25th in the Champions League table. A win is crucial for both teams: one seeking a direct qualification spot and the other looking to escape the elimination zone.
Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen will also be an important clash on the evening, as Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield as a coach with a team that hasn’t been at its scintillating best in the Bundesliga. Liverpool, currently at the top of the domestic league in England, will carry momentum from their weekend win into the match.
It will also be interesting to see how Sporting CP fare against Pep Guardiola’s men, who are looking to make amends for their stutter over the weekend.
Aston Villa will aim to maintain their top spot with a win against Club Brugge, but they will need to pick themselves up after a 4-1 thrashing by Tottenham Hotspur, where their much-revered defensive line looked out of sorts.
UEFA Champions League, Matchday 4: Live Streaming, TV Telecast Details
What are the key matches to watch out for?
As we reach the halfway point of the league phase, some of the interesting matches to watch out for will be Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen on October 6 at 1:30 AM IST, live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi).
On the same night and time, Real Madrid face AC Milan and it will be live on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD. Aston Villa and Manchester City will also be in action on the same day as they go up against Club Brugge (vs. Aston Villa – live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD from 11:15 PM IST) and Sporting CP (Vs. Manchester City – live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD from 1:30 AM IST), respectively.
Which TV channels will telecast UEFA Champions League in India?
UEFA Champions League will be live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD; Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD; Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi).
Where can I stream UEFA Champions League in India?
Watch the live stream on the Sony LIV app and website.
