Champions League Matchday Predictions 2026/27: Matchday 3

After the 0-6 loss in Birmingham, İsmail Kartal apologized to the team’s fans; in their season opener, Fenerbahçe had managed to hold Roma to a 1-1 draw. Slavia remains winless after a 0-2 loss to newcomer Sabah; goalkeeper Jakub Markovič made a mistake before the second goal was scored. In Kadıköy, home-field advantage is likely to tip the scales.

Tip: 1 + Over 3.5 Goals

Sabah made history against Slavia: Kaheem Parris and Joy-Lance Mickels secured the club’s first Champions League victory. BVB suffered its first loss of the season in a 0-1 defeat in Bodø, and Niko Kovač’s substitutions failed to make an impact. Patience will be key against the deep-defending Azerbaijanis, but the visitors clearly have the edge in quality.

Tip: 2

Roma was already leading Real Madrid 3-1 before the Royals scored three times in the closing minutes. On top of that, Manu Koné had to leave the field early due to injury. Slovan is at the bottom of the table with a goal difference of 1-9 and didn’t stand a chance against Stuttgart either, losing 0-3. At the Olimpico, Gian Piero Gasperini’s team should be able to make amends for what was thought to be a sure victory.
Pick: 1

Porto hasn't had much success on the international stage yet: Their 0-2 loss to City was followed by a 2-3 defeat at Betis, even though the Portuguese side had led 2-1 at one point. PSV lost 0-1 in Leipzig; Ivan Perišić missed a penalty kick against Maarten Vandevoordt, failing to put the Dutch side up 1-0. With zero and one point, respectively, both teams desperately need three points.

Tip: 1 + Both teams to score

Bradley Barcola has shaken off his early-season struggles: The Frenchman scored a hat trick in the 6-3 win in Linz, though the Reds still conceded three goals despite holding a comfortable lead. Villarreal celebrated its first victory with a 3-1 win over Napoli, as Georges Mikautadze and Mouriño turned the game around after falling behind early. At Anfield Road, however, the odds are still in Andoni Iraola’s team’s favor.

Tip: 1

City had a rough night against PSG: They were already down 0-3 at halftime, and Erling Haaland’s two goals after the break came too late as they lost 2-4. AEK took the lead against Shakhtar thanks to Lovro Majer, but still lost 1-3 after an own goal by goalkeeper Brignoli. At the Etihad, Enzo Maresca’s team—with its tremendous individual talent—will do everything it can to secure three points.
Pick: 1 + Over 3.5 goals

The top matchup of the matchday: Both teams have six points and a goal differential of seven each. PSG dominated City in the first half, with Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé, and Vitinha scoring within 31 minutes. Barça came back from a deficit to win 4-1 in Istanbul, with Lamine Yamal setting up two goals. Two of Europe’s strongest offenses will face off at the Parc des Princes.
Pick: 1 + Over 3.5 goals

Napoli has yet to earn a point after two games; in their 1-3 loss at Villarreal, a botched back pass by Matteo Politano led to the equalizer. Massimiliano Allegri later referred to it as a “gifted goal.” Bodø bounced back from their 0-5 defeat in Munich with a surprising but well-deserved 1-0 win over Dortmund, with Fredrik Sjøvold scoring the goal. On the road, however, the Norwegians are significantly more vulnerable.
Pick: 1

VfB has been flawless on the international stage: Their 3-1 win over Viking was followed by a commanding 3-0 victory in Bratislava, with goals from Deniz Undav and, once again, Ermedin Demirović. Atlético beat Manchester United 2-0, with Pablo Barrios scoring just 50 seconds into the game. In their season opener, the Rojiblancos had lost 1-2 at Anfield Road. Diego Simeone’s team is likely to sit deep as usual in Stuttgart and look to counterattack.
Prediction: X + Both teams to score

Como suffered its first loss in Rotterdam, falling 2-3; Fotis Douvikas’ goal in stoppage time came too late. A bitter blow: Assane Diao was injured while scoring the go-ahead goal. United lost 0-2 in Madrid and played the final minutes a man down after Leny Yoro was shown a red card. Things are getting uncomfortable for Michael Carrick after five consecutive competitive games without a win. They need at least one point.
Prediction: X

Bottom-of-the-table clash at Stade Pierre-Mauroy: Both teams are still waiting for their first point. Lille didn’t stand a chance in their 0-3 loss in London, with Jurriën Timber, Eberechi Eze, and Bukayo Saka scoring within seven minutes. Galatasaray took the lead against Barcelona thanks to Batrakov but then conceded four goals. Despite the French side’s home-field advantage, the Istanbul team—led by Victor Osimhen and boasting stronger individual talent—goes into the match as the slight favorite.
Pick: 2 + Both teams to score

Villa made a comeback with a record-breaking victory: The 6-0 win over Fenerbahçe was the club’s biggest victory in a major European cup competition, with Nicolas Jackson and Ross Barkley each scoring twice. Viking fought hard to earn a spectacular 3–3 draw against Bayern, with Herman Haugen equalizing in stoppage time. Away from home, on unfamiliar natural grass, the Norwegians now face an opponent brimming with confidence.
Pick: 1 + Over 2.5 goals

Nicolò Tresoldi is the man of the moment: The forward scored a hat trick to lead Bruges to a 4-3 victory over Inter. He had already scored in the season opener against Villa. Lens dominated early on against Sporting but ultimately lost 0-2. Both teams have three points; the Belgians are slight favorites at Jan Breydel Stadium.
Pick: 1

Wednesday’s blockbuster match: Bayern squandered a 3-2 lead in Stavanger and, after Michael Olise was sent off with a second yellow card, conceded the 3-3 equalizer while down a man. The Frenchman is now suspended. Arsenal has won both of its games without conceding a goal, most recently a 3-0 victory over Lille. Mikel Arteta’s defense faces its toughest test yet at the Allianz Arena.
Pick: 2 + Both teams to score

Things are heating up at Inter: A 1-2 loss in Madrid was followed by a 3-4 defeat against Bruges; although Lautaro Martínez scored twice, the defense was completely out of sorts. With zero points, Cristian Chivu is under pressure to deliver. Shakhtar came back from a deficit against AEK and now has four points after two games. A tough opponent for the unsettled Nerazzurri.
Prediction: 1

Betis remains the comeback team of the group stage: Just as they did in Lille, the Andalusians trailed against Porto but ended up winning anyway, with Isco converting a penalty kick in the 84th minute to make it 3-2. Feyenoord picked up its first points against Como, with Anis Hadj Moussa being the man of the match. Manuel Pellegrini’s team enters the game as the favorite with six points.
Prediction: 1

Real showed great resilience in Rome: After falling behind 1-3, Carlos Espí, Endrick, and Antonio Rüdiger turned the game around in the closing minutes to win 4-3. Leipzig got back on track with a 1-0 win over PSV; Brajan Gruda scored after goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt had saved a penalty. RB probably won’t have much to show for their trip to the Bernabéu.
Pick: 1 + Over 3.5 goals

Sporting has six points after two games; Luis Suárez and Issa Doumbia scored in the 2-0 win at Lens. Goalkeeper Kaique Pereira kept a clean sheet. LASK at least showed spirit in their 3-6 loss to Liverpool after falling behind 0-4; Flecker scored twice. With not a single point so far this Champions League season, Dietmar Kühbauer’s team is the clear underdog at Alvalade.

Pick: 1