Champions League matchday four: Messi out to destroy Manchester City again

Lionel Messi will be looking to build on his superb run of form when Barcelona take on Manchester City, while Mesut Ozil will hope for another hat-trick in Arsenal’s away game against Ludogorets.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, can make it four wins from as many games as they meet Rostov, with only Barcelona and Leicester City joining them in still holding a 100 per cent record.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich travel to PSV, with Robert Lewandowski out to build on his fine goalscoring record in Europe. 

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

LUDOGORETS v ARSENAL

– Arsenal and Ludogorets met for the first time ever in matchday three; the English club securing a 6-0 home victory on that occasion.
– Arsenal have remained unbeaten in their first three Champions League group games for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign.
– Ludogorets have always scored at home in the Champions League (four games).
– None of Arsenal’s last 39 away games in the Champions League have ended goalless. The last 0-0 was at Slavia Prague in November 2007.
– Mesut Ozil scored a hat-trick when these sides met in the previous matchday; the first German to do so in the Champions League since March 2012 (Mario Gomez recorded four in a game versus Basel). 

BASEL v PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 

– Since their return to the Champions League in 2012-13, Paris Saint-Germain have won 19 of their 27 group games.
– Basel are winless in their last seven Champions League games, scoring just three goals in those seven games and failing to keep a single clean sheet.
– None of Basel’s 24 home games in the Champions League have ever ended goalless.
– Edinson Cavani has been directly involved in five of PSG’s seven Champions League goals this campaign (scoring four and registering one assist).
– Basel have only lost one of their last seven Champions League home games, against Real Madrid in November 2014 (0-1).

BESIKTAS v NAPOLI

– Besiktas have lost both of their previous home matches against Italian opposition in the Champions League 0-2.
– Napoli have only failed to score once in 17 Champions League games, against Arsenal in October 2013.
– Besiktas have lost seven of their last 11 Champions League home games, keeping only one clean sheet in those 11 fixtures.
– None of Napoli’s eight Champions League games away from home have ended goalless.
– Dries Mertens has scored eight goals in his last eight appearances for Napoli in European competition.

BENFICA v DYNAMO KIEV 

– Benfica have won successive matches versus Dynamo Kiev in Europe; keeping clean sheets in both of those games (April 1992 European Cup and 2016-17 Champions League).
– Dynamo Kiev have won only seven of their last 42 Champions League games.
– Only one of the five goals conceded by Benfica this campaign has come from open play.
– Dynamo Kiev have only lost one of their last six away Champions League games.
– Eduardo Salvio comes into this match having scored in successive Champions League matches for the first time.

BORUSSIA MONCHENGLADBACH v CELTIC 

– Borussia Monchengladbach have won only one of their four home games in the Champions League.
– Celtic have lost nine of their last 11 Champions League games.
– The last time a Scottish club won an away game against German opposition was back in October 1998 when Rangers defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Cup.
– Celtic’s last four goals away from home in this competition have come from set-pieces
– Lars Stindl has been directly involved in five of BMG’s last seven Champions League goals (two goals and three assists); scoring and claiming an assist in the reverse fixture.

MANCHESTER CITY v BARCELONA

– Barcelona have won all five of their previous encounters with Manchester City; conceding only twice.
– Manchester City are unbeaten in their last six Champions League home games, but they have never gone seven consecutive games without a defeat at the Etihad in the competition.
– Barcelona have scored in their last 20 away games in the Champions League group stages.
– The last five goals recorded by Barcelona against City have seen the direct involvement of Lionel Messi (three goals and two assists).
– There have been five red cards shown across the five previous meetings between these sides; four of which being awarded to City players.

ATLETICO MADRID v ROSTOV

– Atletico are one of only three teams to have won all three Champions League games so far in 2016/17 (Leicester City and Barcelona being the other two).
– Under Diego Simeone, Atlético Madrid have won 14 of their 18 Champions League games at the Vicente Calderon.
– Rostov’s only previous Champions League away game ended in a 5-0 defeat, against Bayern Munich last September. 
– Yannick Carrasco has scored in three of his last four Champions League appearances for Atletico Madrid.
– Atletico’s Jan Oblak has a save percentage of 100 per cent this season in the Champions League; the only goalkeeper to manage this feat (10+ saves).

PSV v BAYERN MUNICH

– Since last season, PSV have only lost one of their five Champions League games at the Philips Stadion.
– Bayern Munich haven’t won any of their four away Champions League games in 2016.
– Robert Lewandowski has scored in three of his last four appearances for Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
– PSV have missed all four of their penalties (shoot-outs excluded) in the Champions League since 2003-04, including two this season.
– Bayern Munich are winless in their four away trips against Dutch sides in the Champions League.