Thirty-two teams this week continue their journey towards the UEFA Champions League final next May at Milan’s San Siro with Matchday 4 of the group stage.
Here are five key stories to watch…
Can Lewandowski end his “drought”?
It’s hard to think of a two-game stretch as a goal drought. But then, Robert Lewandowski is not your average goal-scorer. Bayern Munich’s Polish striker began the season on an absolute tear, scoring 22 goals in his first 16 games for club and country. Amazingly, five of those goals came in a nine-minute spell in a match against Wolfsburg after he came on as a half-time sub. But the Bayern hit man has scored just one goal in his last four games, and was silenced the last time out in the Champions League when Bayern lost away to Arsenal. He’s already talking like a player on a mission ahead of Wednesday’s return match against Arsenal in Germany: “I’ve gone two games without a goal now, obviously I want to score again. I will give everything for that.”
Zenit looks to win fourth straight
Would it surprise you to learn that the only team with a perfect record in the group stage of this season’s Champion League is Zenit Saint-Petersburg? It’s true. Go take a look at the group standings and you’ll notice the Russian outfit is the only club to win its first three games. A fourth win in a row on Wednesday away to Lyon would allow Zenit to clinch a spot in the knockout round with two games to spare. It would also send a message to the rest of Europe that it’s no longer a Champions League pushover—Zenit has already eclipsed its point totals from the past three seasons (seven points in 2012, six points in 2013 and seven points in 2014).
MORE ON THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Sportsnet soccer panel: Picks and predictions || Bernabeu test a chance for PSG to ‘make it’ || Time has come for Manchester United to drop Wayne Rooney || 5 stories to watch this week || They’re out to get Jose Mourinho
Di Maria returns to Bernabeau for first time
Tuesday’s marquee tilt sees Paris Saint-Germain rendezvous with Real Madrid, a game that will mark Angel Di Maria’s first time back to the Bernabeu since his transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2014. Di Maria, of course, enjoyed a short stint at Old Trafford before making another big move this past summer, this time to PSG. The Argentine has revitalized his career during his brief tenure in the French capital, and no doubt he’d love nothing more to help his new club pull one over on his former team. Di Maria has come in for some criticism in recent weeks for what was perceived as a lacklustre performance in a league win over Saint-Etienne. “People have to understand that I am not PSG’s saviour and nor can I make the team win the Champions League on my own. I’m here to help—to add my own grain of sand,” Di Maria said.
Man United goes looking for goals
The Red Devils need goals—badly. Since earning a 1-1 draw against CSKA Moscow last month, Manchester United has gone 325 minutes in all competitions without scoring a single goal. Louis Van Gaal’s men will try to end their scoring drought Tuesday when they host CSKA at Old Trafford. Much of the scrutiny over the team’s scoring woes has been focused on Wayne Rooney, and why not? The United captain has just two goals in 10 Premier League games this season—he did bag a hat trick against Club Brugge but that was in the Champions League playoffs—and he continues to start for the Reds despite his less than stellar form. It’ll be interesting to see if Van Gaal sticks with Rooney for this one, or whether he benches his captain and puts his faith in French teenager Anthony Martial to lead the line.
Torres eyes special milestone
Fernando Torres hopes a 7,000-kilometre trip from Spain to Kazakhstan will end his scoring drought. The Atletico Madrid forward last scored on Sept. 19 against Eibar in a La Liga fixture. Since then, El Nino has gone eight consecutive matches in all competitions without scoring. What’s worse, he’s been stuck on 99 career goals for his boyhood club since that game against Eibar, so a goal on Tuesday would help him reach a special milestone, as well as end his personal scoring dry spell. A goal might also boost his confidence in light of his poor scoring record this season—Torres has just two goals in 12 appearances, and has yet to score in the Champions League.
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