UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 storylines, schedule, live stream: How to watch UCL on Paramount+

UEFA Champions League action returns this week, with 15-time winners Real Madrid once again headlining the schedule as they host Juventus in the most anticipated fixture of Matchday 3.

Xabi Alonso’s side are off to a near-perfect start this season with just one loss across domestic and continental competition, with Wednesday’s clash against an inconsistent Juventus side offering them a chance to keep that streak alive. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe will take center stage once again as the focal point of Alonso’s version of Los Blancos and already has 14 goals to show for it across all competitions, including five in the Champions League.

Real Madrid are one of six teams with two wins out of two to start their Champions League campaigns, the group mostly made up of European titans – Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Arsenal – who hope to create further distance between them and the rest. The exception in that group, though, are Qarabag, who notched the first win for an Azerbaijani team in the history of the competition against Benfica and then followed that up with a victory over Copenhagen. Their next test will be against Athletic Club, last season’s UEFA Europa League semifinalists who are off to a middling start in both domestic and continental play.

For more ahead of a jam-packed Champions League week, here’s what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch

All of the action on Matchday 3 of the UEFA Champions League can be caught on Paramount+, while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network will have select simultaneous coverage. Each day’s coverage begins with Champions League Matchday, streaming on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network ahead of the early games before the UEFA Champions League Today pre-match show begins on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network. The Golazo Show on Paramount+ also returns for the late slate of matches, while the UEFA Champions League Today post-match show on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network picks things up at the end of the day. The day’s coverage concludes on CBS Sports Golazo Network with The Champions Club (also streamed live on YouTube) and Scoreline.

Matchday 3 TV schedule

All times U.S./Eastern

Tuesday’s storylines

Arsenal, Atletico square off: Arsenal’s quest to finally win major silverware under manager Mikel Arteta runs through Atletico Madrid, who have been inconsistent at times this season but have also been a tricky foe for some of Europe’s heavyweights. They went toe-to-toe with Liverpool on Matchday 1 of the Champions League before a 3-2 loss at Anfield but booked a 5-2 win against Real Madrid in LaLiga play and a 5-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in Europe since. It’s a clear demonstration of their attacking might but how that stacks up against Arteta’s rock-solid defense, conceding just three goals in 11 games across all competitions so far this season.

Paris Saint-Germain’s stars return: The reigning Champions League winners are off to a strong start, booking two wins out of two despite missing a handful of their stars, most notably notching a 2-1 win over Barcelona on Matchday 2. They may not have all of their top-tier players back in time for Tuesday’s game at Bayer Leverkusen, but some will be better than none – Desire Doue started their 3-3 draw over the weekend while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia came off the bench, offering enough attacking firepower for Luis Enrique‘s side to be favored to stay perfect in the Champions League, whether or not Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele can join them.

Wednesday’s storylines

Real Madrid target another win: Xabi Alonso’s first full season in charge of Real Madrid is off to a strong start and things are likely to continue on Wednesday against Juventus, who have two draws to start Champions League play. Kylian Mbappe is expected to lead Los Blancos’ offense but Alonso will have a range of options in attack as he looks to fill out the lineup, though the most pressing question of all just might be whether or not Vinicius Junior starts. He got the nod in Real Madrid’s 5-0 drubbing of Kairat on Matchday 2 but Alonso lived to regret the decision of leaving him on the bench in their win over Marseille on Matchday 1. The new manager is inclined to rotate through his options so perhaps the fact that Vinicius did not start on Sunday against Getafe means he could be in the lineup against Juventus. 

Can Liverpool turn things around?: Liverpool’s strong start to the season is officially a thing of the past, with the Reds becoming the first Premier League champions in 11 years to go on a four game losing streak following their 2-1 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday. How exactly manager Arne Slot corrects course – and whether or not he can do it in time for their trip to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League – is a big question, especially as it becomes clear that the team’s tactical vision for the season is not really working. Their attack has been spotty in recent weeks, either ineffective or wasteful, and the individual players are a bit all over the place – Cody Gakpo has five goals in his last four games for club and country but Florian Wirtz is still struggling to make an impact and Mohamed Salah is off to a poor start. That’s without considering the Reds’ vulnerable defense, which has been just as costly all season long.