UEFA Champions League, Round 3: Real Madrid crush Liverpool, Arsenal pull off big comeback

AS Roma should probably be in a hole in the UEFA Champions League, but thanks to Manchester City’s stumbles, they’re in decent shape. That won’t change even if they struggle, as expected, against Bayern Munich on Wednesday (2:45 p.m. ET, FOX Soccer Plus).

This was one of the games sublicensed to ESPN, so it’s easy for American viewers to catch it online. For most, the best way to watch will be the Watch ESPN app. There’s an ESPN3 stream of the match on that service, meaning you do not need to be a TV subscriber to watch.

Rejoice! After the dull pain that was the international break, proper competitive intercontinental football returns courtesy of the Champions League in midweek.

Group E

He may be regretting the suit.

(via @futbolarenatr)

Cristiano Ronaldo is next level. There is no other way to describe it at this point.

He is the man with more goals in La Liga than all but three teams this season. He is the man who set a Champions League scoring record last season. He just repeatedly defies logic and reasonable expectations.

Anderlecht lineup (4-2-3-1): Silvio Proto; Anthony Vanden Borre, Olivier Deschacht, Chancel Mbemba, Andy Najar; Youri Tielemans, Steven Defour; Ibrahima Conte, Dennis Praet, Frank Acheampong; Gohi Bi Zoro Cyriac

Kickoff is at 2:45 p.m. ET. You can catch the game on Fox Sports 2 in the United States.

Arsenal appear to be in control of their chase for a Champions League knockout stage spot, but they’re not in excellent shape, thanks to a loss to Borussia Dortmund. They’ll need a win over Anderlecht on Wednesday (2:45 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 2) to feel like they’re in a good position.

Fortunately for American viewers, this is one of the games that has been sublicensed to ESPN, so there will be multiple options for watching this game online. There will be an ESPN3 feed on the Watch ESPN app, meaning it’ll be accessible for users who do not have a TV subscription. However, only the Spanish-language feed of the game is on ESPN3.

Juve’s Paul Pogba has continued to establish his credentials as one of the finest young midfielders on the planet, and netted a wonderful goal in the draw against Sassuolo on the weekend. Capable of brushing opponents off the ball with ease, he’s a brilliant asset both in and out of possession. Olympiacos will have to try and find a way to stop him dominating this match.

Dutch winger Ibrahim Afellay once looked a fantastic prospect, though never managed to make a breakthrough into the first team at Barcelona, and has subsequently spent time on loan at both Schalke and Olympiacos. Now 28 years old, it’s high time he really showed what he can do. In this match, he’ll be up against wing-back Stephan Lichtsteiner, and will no doubt be a key counter-attacking outlet for the Greeks.

Then Liverpool were one of Europe’s dominant powers, but now it’s Madrid who are the defending champions and one of the favorites to win this year’s tournament. Los Blancos won their tenth European Cup last season, while Liverpool are back in Europe’s biggest club competition for the first time since 2009/10.

Real Madrid sit atop Group B with six points while Liverpool are third with three. Another win for Madrid would put them in the driver’s seat for qualification, while the Reds could use three points to propel them up the group standings.

Atlético Madird welcomes Malmö to the Vincente Calderón for the first meeting between the two sides in 50 years. Back in the 1966/67 season, Luis Aragonés scored in both legs at Atléti defeated Malmö 5-1 in the first round of the European Champion Clubs’ Cup. This time, they’ll meet in the third Group A match for each side.

Atléti rebounded nicely from a disappointing, and very uncharacteristic, opening match day loss against Olympiacos with a superb defensive performance in a 1-0 win over Juventus. After giving up three goals to the Greek club, Diego Simeone was pleased to see his team look more like themselves against the defending Serie A champions.

Galatasaray have been the opposite of Dortmund playing well in league play but struggling in the Champions League.

Key Player: Marco Reus (Dortmund)

After their summer selling spree that saw their two most notable stars either loaned away or so, not much was expected of AS Monaco in the Champions League. Instead they’re tied with Zenit St. Petersburg for first place in Group C and now host Benfica with a chance to further their chances of advancing to the next round.

Monaco are undefeated through two matches with a surprise victory over Bayer Leverkusen and a scoreless draw against Zenit. Benfica on the other hand are struggling in the tournament having failed to earn a single point from their first two matches. The Portuguese side is not out of the race to move on to the next round, but another match day without points -- preferably three -- could leave them in a bit of trouble.

Swiss champions Basel take on Champions League minnows Ludogorets Razgrad in Bulgaria on Wednesday, and while it may not set your pulse racing now, it’s a match that could have big consequences for Liverpool. The English side were stunned at home to Basel in the last round, and if they lose at home to Real Madrid and Basel win against Ludogorets, Basel will open up a healthy three point buffer in Group B’s second slot.

It’s certainly a game that Basel will be expected to win, even if Ludogorets have been pretty stubborn opponents for both Liverpool and Real Madrid in their opening couple of games. The former relied on a stoppage time penalty from Steven Gerrard to pick up all three points, while the latter had to come from behind to avoid embarrassment. Basel will be hoping things are a little more routine -- though they certainly shouldn’t expect the Bulgarians to be pushovers.

Chelsea can take another step towards the knockout round of the Champions League with a win at Stamford Bridge over Maribor. Here’s how the two sides will lineup.

With Diego Costa sidelined thanks to a hamstring injury, Loic Rémy gets the start up front for the Blues. Kurt Zouma, who wasn’t expected to play gets a surprise start in the defense in place of Gary Cahill. Cesc Fàbregas drops deeper in the midfield with Nemanja Matić, while Oscar slots in behind Rémy.

With draws from both of their first two matches, Maribor are very much in the hunt for the second spot in Group G. Neither Schalke or Sporting looks great, but Maribor’s fortunes might be reversed if they take a beating from the group favorites.

Unfortunately for U.S. fans, this is not one of the games that was sublicensed to ESPN. Both options for watching this game are through FOX. If you are a TV subscriber to FOX Sports 2, you can catch the game online for free at FOX Sports Go. If that’s not an option for you, there’s also FOX Soccer 2 Go, a paid service that does not require you to be a TV subscriber.

If you live in the USA, you have two options for watching this game online, both through FOX. Unfortunately for American fans, this is not one of the games that was sublicensed to ESPN. If you are a television subscriber to a FOX Sports regional network, you can catch the game on FOX Sports Go for free. If that’s not an option, you can check out FOX Soccer 2 Go. That’s a paid service, but one that does not require you to be a television subscriber to watch games.

The game will be on Sportsnet World Now in Canada, while Sky Go carries it in the UK. For listings from other countries, check out Live Soccer TV.

Barcelona are looking under a tiny threat of not qualifying for the UEFA Champions League knockout stage, but they can solidify their standing in Group F with a win over Ajax on Tuesday (2:45 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1). Ajax have drawn their first two games in the competition, while Barca followed up a win over APOEL with a loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

With a Clasico coming up, Barcelona are not going to risk the fitness of Sergio Busquets. They’re also still missing Adriano, and should be without Douglas and Thomas Vermaelen. Ajax are missing some of their best players, and will have to make due without Nicolai Boilesen, Viktor Fischer and Thulani Serero.

Chelsea are unlikely to have a problem recording their second consecutive Champions League victory on Tuesday, as they host one of the competition’s minnows, Maribor, at Stamford Bridge. The Blues head into the match on the back of a narrow victory over Sporting Lisbon, though one that was sufficient to move them two points clear at the top of Group G.

Key matchup - Jasmin Handanović vs. a barrage of Chelsea shots

With Athletic Bilbao struggling mightily in Group H, Tuesday’s meeting between BATE Boris and Shakhtar Donetsk takes on increased importance with the two side currently battling for one of the group’s automatic spot in the next round.

BATE are currently second. one point ahead of the Ukrainian side thanks to their win over Athletic Club. Since their disastrous 6-0 loss against FC Porto on match day one, the Belarusian side have won four matches and drawn two in all competitions, giving them some momentum against