Real Madrid and Liverpool seek perfect Champions League starts

Kylian Mbappé has scored 15 goals in 14 appearances this season. The Real Madrid forward enters Wednesday’s Champions League match at AEK Athens in strong form. He has seven goals in his last five games. Mbappé has also scored in each of his last five Champions League appearances.

Real Madrid and Liverpool both hold perfect records in the competition so far. Madrid, the 15-time European champion, travels to Greece for the fixture. Liverpool, a six-time winner, heads to Fenerbahce. Both clubs aim to extend their unbeaten starts on the continent.

Jude Bellingham is on the verge of a team milestone. At 23 years and 128 days, he is poised to become the youngest player to make 60 Champions League appearances. That would surpass Iker Casillas, who reached the mark at 23 years and 167 days. Bellingham already holds the record for the youngest player to reach 50 appearances.

Jose Mourinho, Madrid’s coach, is targeting another title. He has won the competition with Porto and Inter Milan. However, he says he prefers to focus on the present. “The reality is that we still need points to qualify,” Mourinho said. “Until we are qualified, I don’t like talking about the round of 16.”

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola looks to bounce back from a 1-0 Premier League loss to Arsenal on Sunday. The defeat occurred at Anfield. Iraola believes the team took positives from the match. “It’s difficult when you lose. But, honestly, I’m happy with a lot of things from the other day,” Iraola said. “Still, we need to improve, especially attacking the box.”

Manchester City faces RB Leipzig after losing its last two Premier League games. Coach Enzo Maresca cited individual mistakes as the cause of losses to Aston Villa and Brighton. “For sure we are not happy. The players, me, the coaching staff, the club,” Maresca said. Other results Tuesday included a 6-0 win for Paris Saint-Germain over Villarreal. Manchester United beat Roma 3-2, Barcelona won 3-0 against Aston Villa, and Bayern Munich defeated Atletico Madrid 2-0.

Arsenal, the previous season’s runner-up, plays Slavia Prague on Wednesday. The matches are part of the ongoing Champions League group stage competition in Europe.