Champions League Matchday Two: Celtic hosts City, Arsenal takes on Basel

On Matchday Two of the Champions League, Celtic takes on Pep Guardiola and City for the first time, while Rostov makes its home debut in Group D.

Published : Sep 28, 2016 19:25 IST , London

Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero during training.
Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero during training.
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Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta and Sergio Aguero during training.

Barcelona, Manchester City and Bayern Munich were all big winners on matchday one of the Champions League.

However, further tests are to come in their second fixtures, with Bayern heading to Atletico Madrid in a particularly tasty face-off - Atleti having beaten the German champion in last season's semi-finals. Elsewhere, Celtic takes on Pep Guardiola and City for the first time, while Rostov makes its home debut in Group D.

Using Opta data, we take a look at the best stats ahead of Tuesday's eight group-stage matches.

 

LUDOGORETS v PSG

- This is the first competitive meeting between Ludogorets and PSG.
- It’s also the first meeting between a Bulgarian and French club in the Champions League (since 1992/93).
- Ludogorets has only recorded one win in its seven previous Champions League matches (D2 L4); its sole victory did come at home, however (v Basel, October 2014).
- PSG is currently on a three-game winless run in the Champions League (D2 L1) however, it has only lost three of its last 23 group games in the competition (W16 D4).
- Edinson Cavani’s last seven goals in the Champions League for PSG have come at Parc des Princes; he hasn’t scored on the road for his club since in October 2014 (v APOEL Nicosia) in the competition.


ARSENAL v BASEL 

- This is the first competitive meeting between Arsenal and Basel.
- Arsenal has lost just three of its last 38 home games in the Champions League Group Stages, winning 29 and drawing six.
- Basel has only lost one of its 10 Champions League encounters with English clubs (W4 D5), that was against Manchester Utd at home in November 2002 (1-3).
- Basel is actually unbeaten away from home against English opposition in the Champions League (W1 D4).
- Arsenal has found the net at least twice in its last seven Champions League group games at the Emirates, keeping four clean sheets in that run.


BESIKTAS v DYNAMO KIEV

- Dynamo Kiev and Besiktas have met eight times previously in European competition, with Kiev triumphing five times (D1 L2).
- Besiktas has won just once in its last eight Champions League games (D2 L5), failing to find the net in four of those games.
- The Turkish outfit has lost its last three home games in the competition, its worst ever run in the Champions League/European Cup.
- Dynamo Kiev has only tasted defeat once across its last five matches played away from home in the Champions League (W2 D2).
- Four of the last five Champions League goals scored by Besiktas have come in the 86th minute or later.


NAPOLI v BENFICA 

- This is not the first time these teams have played each other; Benfica saw off Napoli by an aggregate score of 4-3 in the UEFA Cup first round during 2008/09.
- Napoli has never lost at home in the European Cup/Champions League (W7 D3).
- Benfica has only won three of its last 17 matches on the road in the Champions League (D5 L9).
- Benfica has won just two of its nine meetings with Italian side in the Champions League/European Cup (D2 L5), and is yet to beat a team from Italy in the Champions League era (D2 L2).
- Arkadiusz Milik has scored three goals in his last three appearances in European competition (Champions League and Europa League).


BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH v BARCELONA

- Borussia Monchengladbach is facing Barcelona for the first time in European competition.
- Barcelona has failed to win its last three matches in Germany (D1 L2).
- The Catalan side is unbeaten in its last five away games played in the Champions League group stage (W3 D2).
- Borussia Monchengladbach has gone 13 home games against Spanish opposition without a clean sheet.
- Against teams from Spain in European competition, Monchengladbach has managed just one victory in its last nine attempts (D2 L6); that win did come in the most recent fixture however (v Sevilla, November 2015).


CELTIC v MANCHESTER CITY

- Celtic and Manchester City have never faced off in European competition before.
- Manchester City will be the second English side Celtic have faced in the Champions League having faced City’s rival Manchester United in the Group Stages in 2006/07 and 2008/09 (W1 D1 L2).
- Celtic will come up against Pep Guardiola for the first time in Europe; despite having faced Barcelona nine times in the Champions League they did not meet during Guardiola’s tenure.
- Brendan Rodgers has won just one of his seven Champions League games, with his side scoring five and conceding 16 in those seven matches.
- Sergio Aguero has recorded hat-tricks in his two Champions League appearances this season (including qualifiers).


ROSTOV v PSV EINDHOVEN

- This fixture will be the first time these sides will have ever played each other.
- Rostov has taken on Dutch opposition before, seeing off Ajax in the qualification phase of this season’s Champions League (5-2 on aggregate).
- Eindhoven has won just one of its last 13 Champions League games away from home (D3 L9), failing to find the net in eight of those games.
- Rostov has played just three European home games in this millennium, all in Champions League or Europa League qualifying rounds; it is unbeaten in those three games (W1 D2).
- PSV come into this game having claimed just one win in its last five Champions League matches (D3 L1); it is currently on a three-game winless streak (D2 L1) in the competition, failing to score in that time.

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