Shakhtar to play UCL ‘home’ game in Stamford Bridge with Athens set to visit.

Football October 14Lukaku on the verge of personal milestone as Fenerbahçe makes UCL trip to Villa.Aston Villa vs. Fenerbahçe kicks off at 20:00 [GMT+1] on Wednesday, October 15, at Villa Park. Aston Villa have won all three previous meetings between the clubs without conceding. Their most recent encounter came on Matchday 7 of last season’s UEFA Europa League, when Jadon Sancho scored the only goal in a 1-0 away victory. The English side also recorded a 4-0 home win and a 2-0 away victory in the first round of the 1977/78 UEFA Cup. Hence, Villa will head into Wednesday’s clash with plenty of confidence. In addition, Unai Emery’s team have won five of their seven matches against Turkish opposition, drawing one and losing one. They have also won all three home fixtures against Turkish clubs. On a broader note, Villa will enter this encounter with an impressive European record, having won 12 of their last 14 continental matches, with two defeats. They are unbeaten in their last 13 home European fixtures, drawing once and winning the ten most recent, while keeping nine clean sheets during that run, a record they would be keen to extend on Wednesday. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Nicolas Jackson in attack is expected against the Turkish side. Maatsen (ankle) is ruled out, while Leon Goretzka (fitness), Hemmings (knee), and Ruggeri (hamstring) are all in doubt.

Football October 14Isco eyes key UCL games as Betis welcomes Porto.Real Betis vs. FC Porto begins at 20:00 [GMT+1] on Wednesday, October 14, at the Estadio de La Cartuja. Manuel Pellegrini’s Betis began their campaign with a 3-2 victory away to LOSC Lille, extending their impressive continental record. The Seville side have now lost only three of their last 13 European matches, recording seven wins and three draws. They have also suffered just one defeat in their last 11 UEFA competition league phase fixtures, winning eight and drawing two. Betis’ attacking performances at home could prove particularly important. They have scored at least twice in each of their last nine home European matches, while only one of their last 48 continental fixtures has ended goalless. However, their most recent home campaign in Europe ended painfully against Portuguese opposition. After finishing fourth in the 2025/26 Europa League league phase with five wins, two draws and one defeat, they eliminated Panathinaikos 4-1 on aggregate before losing 5-3 overall to Braga in the quarter-finals. A 4-2 second-leg defeat in Seville ended their eight-match unbeaten home European run, comprising six victories and two draws. On a broader note, Betis have won three, drawn two, and lost three of their eight matches against Portuguese clubs. "So far, so good. We’ve played one game and won. We have two consecutive home games against Porto and Feyenoord, and I think these two matches will be key to advancing to the next round. The goal, as I said before, is to fight as hard as we can, try to get as far as possible, and compete," Betis midfielder Isco said ahead of the game. Manuel Pellegrini is expected to deploy a 4—2—3—1 formation with Troy Parrott in attack.

Football October 14Bodø/Glimt, Borussia Dortmund clash as UCL returns.Bodø/Glimt vs. Borussia Dortmund begins at 20:00 [GMT+1 on Wednesday, October 14, at the Aspmyra Stadion. This is Bodø/Glimt's fifth Champions League campaign, all since 2021, and their second consecutive appearance in the competition proper. Last season, they reached the round of 16 after eliminating Inter in the knockout phase play-offs, winning both legs, before Sporting CP ended their campaign. Bodø/Glimt's 5-0 defeat away to Bayern München on Matchday 1 extended their winless record against German opponents to four matches, comprising two draws and two defeats. Nevertheless, the result was only their second loss in their last 11 European fixtures, during which they have recorded eight victories and one draw. Kjetil Knutsen's side have demonstrated considerable attacking strength in European competition, scoring at least twice in 11 of their last 13 matches. They overcame Union Saint-Gilloise 6-5 on aggregate in this season's third qualifying round before defeating NEC Nijmegen 6-1 overall in the play-offs. Their home form offers further encouragement, with five consecutive European victories, each featuring three goals scored. Only five of their 116 matches in UEFA competitions have ended goalless, leaving them with plenty of confidence ahead of Wednesday’s clash despite the quality of the opposition. A 4—3—3 formation with Andreas Helmersen, Jens Petter-Hauge, and Ole Didrik Blomberg in attack is expected against Dortmund. Meanwhile, Odin Bjørtuft is suspended for this fixture.

Shakhtar to play UCL ‘home’ game in Stamford Bridge with Athens set to visit.

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