🔗 Share this article

Greetings to a fresh evening of exciting Champions League football. 9 fixtures are scheduled for tonight, featuring three British clubs in play. The Blues take on Barça in the key match of the night, whilst Newcastle visit the French side and Manchester City host Bayer Leverkusen.

Current Standings

It's the midway point of the group phase, so the standings is starting to take shape. Each of the six English teams are currently in the upper twelve, but there are only 2 pts between 5th and 16th place, thus there's a hint of uncertainty about the whole thing. Everything is to play for.

This Evening's Games

These are tonight’s fixtures, each starting at 8pm unless stated:

• Ajax 0-1 Benfica (5.45pm)
• Galatasaray 0-0 Union SG (5.45pm)
• Juventus face Bodo/Glimt
• Chelsea v Barcelona
• Villarreal meet Dortmund
• Man City v Leverkusen
• Marseille v Newcastle
• Napoli v Qarabag
• Slavia Prague v Athletic Bilbao

Lineup Changes

Wesley Fofana, Caicedo, Alejandro Garnacho, Malo Gusto and Estevao all come into the Chelsea side. Out go Adarabioyo, Santos, Jamie Gittens, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap.

Lamine Yamal is in the starting lineup for Barcelona; Rashford is among the substitutes.

Chelsea (possible four-three-three) Sanchez; Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Malo Gusto, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Estevao, Pedro Neto, Garnacho.

Substitutes: Kjell Scherpen, Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Delap, Bynoe-Gittens, Andrey Santos, Pedro, Jorrel Hato, Leo George, Joshua Acheampong, Guiu, Facundo Buonanotte.

Barcelona (possible four-two-three-one): Garcia; Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde; Eric Garcia, De Jong; Lamine Yamal, Lopez, Ferran Torres; Robert Lewandowski.

Substitutes: Wojciech Szczesny, Diego Kochen, Raphinha, Marcus Rashford, Andreas Christensen, Casado, Gerard, Dani Olmo, Bernal, Dro Fernandez, Roony Bardghji.

Referee Vincic (Slovenian).

Historical Context

The sole past encounter involving Newcastle and Marseille was the Uefa Cup semi-final of 2004, claimed by an rising star from Côte d'Ivoire. Bayer Leverkusen and Manchester City have not faced each other previously. Chelsea and Barcelona have some past encounters.

Early Match Updates

Just one goal during the opening period of the early fixtures. Dahl's 6th-minute strike has earned Benfica under Mourinho a one-nil advantage at Ajax.

Marseille v Newcastle Preview

Although The Magpies arrived in the French south coming off their confidence-boosting two-one home Premier League victory against Manchester City on the weekend, and having defeated Union SG, Benfica and Bilbao in the Champions League, their only on the road victory since the start of April came in the Belgian capital at Union SG.

Not that Howe was overly keen to discuss the mental side of this away form issue. “The European Cup is distinct from Premier League games,” said the manager, whose side are sixth in the Champions League standings, with nine pts from a possible 12 and direct progression to the knockout phase nearly secured. “I don’t know if you can draw parallels between them.”

A dedicated live feed is available for Barcelona vs Chelsea. Murray, the minute-by-minute version of Maradona is on duty for that.