UEFA Champions League Matchday 4 storylines, schedule, live stream: How to watch UCL on Paramount+

The UEFA Champions League returns this week, the action headlined by five teams who boast perfect records heading into Matchday 4 as they approach the midway point of the league phase.

Play resumes with a jam-packed schedule on Tuesday as a handful of European heavyweights face off against one another. All eyes will be on Anfield for a game between two sides in contrasting form, an inconsistent Liverpool hosting a near-perfect Real Madrid. The Reds have mostly fared well in the Champions League this season with two wins out of three but Los Blancos have passed nearly every test so far in manager Xabi Alonso’s first full campaign in charge, while Kylian Mbappe’s impressive form make this game the most challenging test yet for Arne Slot’s shaky defense. Meanwhile in Paris, reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain take on Bayern Munich in a battle of two teams with perfect records so far in the competition.

On Wednesday, Manchester City will host Borussia Dortmund as Pep Guardiola’s side become more comfortable with his latest rebuild and Barcelona travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge but the attention might be focused on some of the competition’s middling sides. Newcastle United have an important task ahead of them as they host Athletic Club, while Ajax and Jose Mourinho’s Benfica look for their first point in the Champions League this season.

Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch

As always, Paramount+ will act as a one-stop shop for all things Champions League while CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network offer supplemental coverage and broadcasts of select matches. Coverage begins with Champions League Matchday on Paramount+ and CBS Sports Golazo Network before the early kickoffs, while Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network will air the UEFA Champions League Today pre- and post-match shows. CBS Sports Golazo Network will wrap up each day with new editions of The Champions League (also live on YouTube) and Scoreline. The Golazo Show also returns for the late slate of matches and will be available on Paramount+.

Matchday 4 TV schedule

All times U.S./Eastern

Tuesday’s storylines

Liverpool, Real Madrid face off: Liverpool picked up a much-needed win against Aston Villa on Saturday but their run of just two wins in their last eight remain top of mind as they return to Champions League play, especially against Real Madrid. Even if not everyone is reportedly content under new manager Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos’ new look has served them very well this season, winning all but one game this season across all competitions. Kylian Mbappe has 19 goals this season and will have a chance to add more to his tally against the Reds’ porous defense, but whether or not Andre Slot’s side can manage an equal response in attack is the big question. Mohamed Salah got on the scoresheet against Villa but there is still an open question about whether or not Slot has found a winning combination of talent up top, and Alonso’s organized Real Madrid will provide the stiffest test yet for a Liverpool side that’s still in flux.

A battle of two perfect teams: Five teams may enter Matchday 4 with a perfect nine points out of nine, but at least one of those teams will exit that elite category by the end of the week as Paris Saint-Germain host Bayern Munich. Reigning Champions League winners PSG have already proved their worth as contenders for this season’s title, most notably with a 2-1 win at Barcelona without stars like Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The good news for Luis Enrique’s side is that they are back at full fitness in time for Bayern’s visit, which will make this Vincent Kompany’s side’s toughest game of the season so far. They breezed through a flawed Chelsea on Matchday 1 but the schedule has been kind to them, allowing Bayern to notch lopsided wins over Pafos and Club Brugge since. Bayern are always a bit of an unknown quantity until a matchup against a top-tier European side so no matter how this one shakes out, the game will provide a true litmus test of their Champions League title credentials this season.

Wednesday’s storylines

Are Newcastle United okay?: Newcastle United may have been one of England’s most impressive teams last season but this time around, not much seems to be going according to plan. They have sunk down to 13th place in the Premier League after a surprise 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened West Ham United, defensive mistakes proving costly even though Eddie Howe’s side have not regressed in that category. The Magpies average 0.9 expected goals against per game this season in the Premier League, down from last season’s average of 1.2, though they have underperformed with 1.1 goals conceded per game. Their attack really seems to miss Alexander Isak, even if he is not off to a flying start at Liverpool – they are down to 1.3 expected goals a game from last season’s league average of 1.7, but are only scoring a goal a game despite their efforts. Wednesday’s game against Athletic Club offers a chance to correct course against a middling side, but the Magpies’ fate likely rests in their ability to execute their own strategy – and there’s a big question as to whether or not they actually can.

How the mighty have fallen: Ajax and Benfica do not lack impressive accolades and storied histories but this season, but the former Champions League winners have earned the surprise distinction of being the only teams with zero points heading into Matchday 4. Their losing streaks might just continue, too – an unspectacular Benfica take on a middling Bayer Leverkusen with some might, even if they have been stripped for parts and no longer look anything like the historic double-winning team from two seasons ago. Ajax, meanwhile, have been downright unimpressive with 11 goals against and just one goal scored through three games and will now have to host a Galatasaray side that beat Liverpool.