The Champions League is back this week and the table is starting to take shape with most of the big guns starting strongly.

The English contingent are also faring well with Aston Villa, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all sitting inside the top 10. Crisis club Manchester United are down in 20th and needing a win in match round four.

Here, we look at the major fixtures this week and offer our Champions League predictions!

TUESDAY

Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich (8pm)
By their lofty standards, Bayern have not exactly set the world alight in the Champions League this season with one win from their opening three games. It doesn’t get any easier for Harry Kane and Co with a trip to the intimidating Metropolitano to face an Atletico side that have struggled away but beat Manchester United in their only home game. This should be a fascinating encounter with both teams desperate to push their way towards the automatic qualifying spots.
Prediction: Atletico 2-1 Bayern Munich

Barcelona v Aston Villa (8pm)
This is a dream trip to Camp Nou for the Aston Villa fans and they will enjoy the occasion no matter the result. Their mood will be helped by the fact they already have nine points in the bag and can view this as a free hit. Barcelona crushed Alaves 6-1 at the weekend, a nice bounce back after defeats to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. They won’t score six against Villa but it’s hard to see the visitors getting anything.
Prediction: Barcelona 3-1 Aston Villa

Manchester United v Roma (8pm)
We seem to have said this a lot recently but Michael Carrick needs a win here to stand any chance of prolonging his Manchester United tenure. United capitulated once again at Chelsea on Saturday and reports suggest Carrick has this game and the weekend clash with Villa to prevent the seemingly inevitable. Roma arrive in confident mood. They are unbeaten in Serie A and will play with a swagger that the struggling hosts won’t be able to match.
Prediction: Manchester United 1-1 Roma

Villarreal v Paris Saint-Germain (8pm)
PSG march on. After a slightly sticky start domestically, they have racked up nine successive wins, and three in the Champions League, including victories over Manchester City and Barcelona. They are without Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele but their strength in depth means they can still field a powerful side. Villarreal are not in great form, in Europe or La Liga, and are unlikely to test the away side.
Prediction: Villarreal 0-2 Paris Saint-Germain

WEDNESDAY

AEK Athens v Real Madrid (5.45pm)
Whisper it quietly but Jose Mourinho is doing a lot right at Real Madrid at the minute. After a tricky start, the Portuguese appears to have moulded a previously dysfunctional squad into a cohesive unit and they are winning games. They have been victorious in six successive matches, including the potentially pivotal triumph at Barcelona. AEK are one of the weaker outfits in the Champions League and this should be routine for the 15-time winners.
Prediction: AEK Athens 0-4 Real Madrid

Fenerbahce v Liverpool (5.45pm)
Liverpool are also on the early shift and they come up against one of their former heroes in the shape of Dirk Kuyt. The Dutchman is in temporary charge of Fener and will hope his players perform better than they did at the weekend when losing to Goztepe. Fener have yet to win in the league phase and will be tested by a Liverpool side looking to bounce back from defeat to Arsenal. The hosts’ XI will be stacked with big names but the majority appear over the hill.
Prediction: Fenerbahce 1-3 Liverpool

RB Leipzig v Manchester City (8pm)
It is definitely not a crisis but league defeats to Brighton and Aston Villa, either side of a EFL Cup penalty shoot-out victory over the Seagulls, have definitely stunted the momentum at the Etihad. City are still well-placed in both the Premier League and Champions League and will expect to get back on track in Germany. Leipzig are fourth in the Bundesliga but have struggled against elite opposition this season, suffering heavy defeats to Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.
Prediction: RB Leipzig 1-4 Manchester City

Slavia Prague v Arsenal (8pm)
What a crazy week for Arsenal. A humbling defeat to Fleetwood in the EFL Cup was one of the lowest points of Mikel Arteta’s time in charge but they showed huge character to bounce back at Liverpool on Sunday. Arteta will be eager for his side to build on the win at Anfield and it is hard to see past that happening. Slavia are top of the Czech league but have not won any of their last 18 European games. This is an away banker (although we may have said that about the game at Fleetwood!).
Prediction: Slavia Prague 0-4 Arsenal

THIS WEEK’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES IN FULL

UEFA Champions League – League Stage – 4