Arsenal Intensifies Efforts To Lift Champions League Trophy
By Tanko Bauka
Arsenal FC will on Tuesday continue their search for the Elusive Champions League trophy as they welcome Shakhtar Donetsk to the Emirate Stadium in London for the round 3 encounters in the new format of the UEFA Champions League.
The Gunners have been regular visitors to the most prestigious and glamorous football tournament in the world and, on one occasion, almost laid their hands on the trophy but were denied by Barcelona in the 2005-2006 edition.
Arsenal FC during the Mikal Arteta era were again knocked out by their familiar foe Bayern Munich in the 2023-2024 season but analysts believe with strong feelings that Arsenal are better and in the right frame of mind to go all out and win the Champions League and to do that, they have to play 8 games to be able to reach the last 16, and so far Arsenal held Atalanta to a goalless draw in Italy and quickly re-strategized to pick the maximum three points against PSG beating French giants 2-0 in the process.
Liverpool FC travel to Germany to slug it out with RB Leipzig, while Manchester City will be at Etihad Stadium to take on Sparta Praha.
Also, on Tuesday, a replica of last season’s final will be on display as Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund will battle it out again.
It will be recalled that Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the 2023-2024 final last year to lift the trophy for the 15th time, becoming the most successful team in the UEFA Champions League.
On Wednesday FC Barcelona will also face one of their nightmares in the shape of Bayern Munich and most Barcelona fans would not have wished for this match to come at a better time than now as their team is in rich forms of their life even though they suffered a late collapse to Monaco in France the last time they came visiting and returned to put five goals past Young Boys in round 2 while Bayern Munich hammered their opponents Dinamo Zagreb 9-2 only to fall 1-0 against Aston Villa also in round 2.
Fixtures for Round 3
Tuesday. 15- October -2024.
AC Milan vs Club Brugge
Monaco vs Crvena Zvezda
Arsenal vs Shakhar Donetsk
Aston Villa vs Bologna
Girona vs Slovan Bratislava
Juventus vs Stuttgart
PSG vs PSV
Real Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund
Sturm Graz vs Sporting CP
Wednesday. 16- October -2024
Atalanta vs Celtic
Stade Bretois vs Bayern Leverkusen
Atletico Madrid vs Lille
Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
Benfica vs Feyenoord
Manchester City vs Sparta Praha
RB Leipzig vs Liverpool
Salzburg vs Dinamo Zagreb
Young Boys vs Inter
