Headline fixture of Matchday 3 – Real Madrid vs Inter Milan
Matchday 3 of the2020/21 UEFA Champions League campaign is here and all eyes will be on one fixture: Real Madrid vs Inter Milan. The competition's most successful team in history will host the Nerazzurri for Tuesday's 3:00 PM ET kick-off, which will be aired live on CBS All Access for fans in the United States.
This is a crucial game for many reasons. First of all, these are two of the biggest teams in Europe, with Los Blancos being the champions of Spain and Antonio Conte's side being on the rise in a bid to return to the top of Italian football. However, that's not all. Both sides are yet to win a game this season. The Serie A giants have begun the campaign in an inconsistent manner, winning only three of their opening six games in the Italian top-flight while drawing their first two fixtures in the UCL.
Things are even worse for Zidane's men. They are dead bottom in Group B, boasting only one point after a defeat and a draw. They are a mere point behind Inter Milan but trail surprise leaders Shakhtar by three. Real Madrid are second in La Liga but defeat to Conte's side could leave them on the brisk of a group-stage exit. While Zidane has emerged unscathed from the recent rumors claiming his job is on the line, the Frenchman may not survive the embarrassment that is a group-stage exit should that occur.
Fortunately for the 13-time winners, they will not have to deal with Inter Milan's top scorer Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian ace picked up an injury in the previous round and was looking to recover in time for the Santiago Bernabeu clash but that unfortunately did not occur. Will Inter Milan manage in his absence? How will Lautaro Martinez fare without his deadly partner? Will Real Madrid secure their first victory of the season? Tune in to find out!
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Key talking points
Will Barcelona bounce back from their poor league form when they host Dynamo Kyiv?
Barcelona have begun their European campaign extremely well, winning their first two games, including a 2-0 triumph at Juventus on Matchday 2. However, the same cannot be said about their Spanish top-flight form, with Koeman's men failing to win any of their last four league games, losing two and drawing two. Given the recent resignation of Bartomeu and his board of directors, the group behind appointing Koeman, the Dutchman is under pressure to deliver. Will he lead his team to a third straight win in the UCL and overcome their domestic blip in form? Time will tell.
Cristiano returns to his favorite competition: will he add to his goalscoring record on his first day back?
Cristiano Ronaldo had been sidelined for quite some time after contracting COVID-19, missing Juventus' opening two UCL fixtures – one of them was the 2-0 home loss to Messi's Barcelona. In his absence, Pirlo's side struggled and upon returning, he made his presence known, scoring twice in their 4-1 win over Spezia. Will he find the back of the net in his first European game of the 2020/21 season? Given that Juve's opponents are Ferencváros, the odds are in CR7's favor.
Team news
Here are the key players who are definitely missing due to injury, suspension, or could be in doubt due to fitness or other issues and thus could miss out on upcoming matches for their respective sides heading into matchday 3:
Atetico: Diego Costa (hamstring), Carrasco (thigh), Vrsaljko (knee)
Bayern Munich: Davies (ankle), Kouassi (thigh), Süle (illness), Goretzka (calf)
Real Madrid: Carvajal (knee), Nacho (thigh), Odriozola (calf), Militão (illness), Ødegaard (calf)
Inter Milan: Lukaku (thigh), Sánchez (thigh), Sensi (thigh)
Man City: Agüero (hamstring), Fernandinho (leg), Mendy (muscular); Gabriel Jesus (doubtful)
Liverpool: Fabinho (hamstring), Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee), Van Dijk (knee); Thiago (doubt – knee), Tsimikas (doubt – thigh)
Chelsea: Gilmour (knee); Pulišić (doubt – hamstring), Kepa (doubt – shoulder)
Barcelona: Coutinho (hamstring), Umtiti (match fitness), Araújo (hamstring); Ter Stegen (doubt – match fitness)
Juventus: Alex Sandro (thigh), De Ligt (shoulder), Demiral (suspended)
Man United: Telles (illness), Bailly (muscular), Lingard (knock)
PSG: Bernat (knee), Draxler (thigh), Neymar (adductor), Verratti (thigh), Mbappé (hamstring), Icardi (knee); Paredes (doubt – thigh)
Matchday 2 listings
Below are the fixtures set to take place on matchday 2:
