Madrid vs Juventus: A European Classic Reignites, While Liverpool Faces a Do-or-Die in Frankfurt

Madrid hosts Juventus in a high-stakes Champions League night

The Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid will stage a heavyweight European night as Real Madrid, the record European champions with 15 titles, welcomes Juventus in the third group-stage match of the UEFA Champions League.

Juventus, coached by Croatian boss Igor Tudor, arrive in Madrid under mounting pressure after a winless run that has cooled their group ambitions.

The Madrid–Juventus rivalry is steeped in history, highlighted by the 1998 final that handed Real Madrid their first European crown since 1966 thanks to Predrag Mijatović, and the 2017 final that sealed a 4-1 triumph on Madrid’s path to another title.

Juventus’s last visit to the Bernabéu was painful for their fans, with a late penalty decision by an English referee that allowed Real to advance as Ronaldo struck to push Madrid through despite a 1-3 loss.

Real Madrid had previously won the Turin leg 3-0, featuring Ronaldo’s acrobatic strike that drew long applause from Juventus supporters and later fed talk about his move away from the club.

Liverpool faces a do-or-die test in Frankfurt

Their clash in Germany pits Liverpool under Arne Slot against Eintracht Frankfurt in a match that could determine whether the Dutch coach’s project at Anfield can recover from recent setbacks.

The latest chapter between the teams came in July in the Club World Cup knockout stage, where Real Madrid won 1-0 thanks to a goal by Gonzalo Garcia, a memory that still lingers for fans of both clubs.

Real Madrid enters Wednesday as a strong favorite to claim a third straight win and raise their points tally to nine from three matches, following victories over Marseille and another Group-stage win, and they continue to lead La Liga with eight wins from nine league games.

Juventus, by contrast, are under pressure under Tudor after a six-match winless run, with two draws in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal, and a league setback that has intensified scrutiny around the coach’s methods.

On Sunday, Juventus were beaten 0-2 by Como in Serie A, further tightening the noose around Tudor’s management as they head to Madrid seeking a response on the continental stage.

Real Madrid’s coach Xabi Alonso praised his players for their character, saying they faced the match with courage, adapted to the conditions, and carried positive momentum into the following week.

Meanwhile, Liverpool travel to Frankfurt with questions about form and lineup, including whether Mohamed Salah should be rested as the team searches for a reset after a troubling run that includes losses to Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, Chelsea, and Manchester United in succession—the longest such streak since 2014 for the club.

Slot knows a win in Frankfurt is crucial before the trip to face Real Madrid in the next round, and the club is weighing changes to the approach and personnel to spark a revival, including the potential role of new signing Alexander Isaac and Florian Wirtz in midfield and attack.

There is a special tone to the match for striker Hugo Ekitiké, who returns to his former sold-out arena at Eintracht Frankfurt after moving to Liverpool this summer, hoping to steer his side to a first European victory since beating Atlético Madrid 3-2 earlier this season.

In Munich, Bayern Munich look to keep their perfect run intact against Club Brugge at the Allianz Arena, aiming for an 11th consecutive win to stretch their early-season dominance in both the Bundesliga and Champions League.

Other marquee ties on the slate include Chelsea visiting Ajax, Monaco hosting Tottenham, Atalanta welcoming Slavia Prague, and Marseille squaring off with Sporting CP in Lisbon.

Punchline 1: If this group were a Netflix series, the plot twists would have a red card and a VAR replay for every episode. Punchline 2: Tonight’s lineup is so packed with drama that even the coffee in the press room is asking for a whistle to explain the referee’s decisions.