PREVIEW: Champions League Week 3 (23 October)

FOOTBALL - The following are key facts about the UEFA Champions League matches that will take place on Tuesday 23 October: Shakhtar Donetsk - Chelsea, FC Nordsjælland - Juventus, BATE Borisov - Valencia CF, Lille OSC - Bayern München, FC Barcelona - Celtic, Spartak Moskva - Benfica, Manchester United - Sporting Braga and Galatasaray - CFR 1907 Cluj.

Group E: Shakhtar Donetsk - Chelsea (23 October, 20:45 CET)

> All three of the English teams that Shakhtar Donetsk have previously faced in European competition have been from London – Arsenal in the CL group stage in 2000-2001 and 2010-20111, Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Cup third round in 2008-2009, and Fulham in the Europa League last 32 in 2009-2010.

> Roberto di Matteo is yet to lose a CL match as Chelsea manager (5 wins, 3 draws).

>  Chelsea have conceded 99 goals in CL history. Manchester United (170) and Arsenal (146) are the only two English clubs to have conceded at least 100 goals in CL to date.

Group E: FC Nordsjælland - Juventus (23 October, 20:45 CET)

> The Danish champions have failed to win their last eight European matches. Their last win dates back to 2008/2009, when they beat Scottish side Queen of the South 2-1 on home soil in the UEFA Cup.

> Juventus have drawn their last eight European matches. This is an all-time European record.

> Juventus are unbeaten in their last 12 European matches since losing 4-1 at Fulham in March 2010. The last time Juventus had an unbeaten streak like this was between May 1996 and April 1997 when they were unbeaten for 13 European matches. Their club record is 20 matches without a loss in European competition (1969-1972).

Group F: BATE Borisov - Valencia CF (23 October, 20:45 CET)

> BATE have scored 6 goals from 12 shots on goal (50%). Together with Arsenal (5 out of 10) and Spartak Moskva (4 out of 8) they are the most effective team this CL season in goal per shot on target rate.

> Valencia will play their 50th Champions Cup/CL away match (including CL qualifying matches). In their previous 49 matches on the road they recorded 15 wins, 18 draws and 16 defeats.

> Valencia have not won a CL away match, since they beat Bursaspor 0-4 in September 2010. They are now seven CL matches on the road without a win, including a defeat in the last three. Both are club record.

Group F: Lille OSC - Bayern München (23 October, 20:45 CET)

> Bayern will play their 30th match against French opposition (15W-5D-9L). They won the last four encounters without conceding a goal since losing 0-2 at home against Girondins Bordeaux in November 2009.

> If Lille fail to beat Bayern, they break the French record of most consecutive CL home matches without a win. Bordeaux stayed winless in six in row at home between 1999 and 2006.

> Bayern lost their last two away matches in the Champions League (and four of the last five). They never lost three consecutive in the Champions League main competition.

Group G: FC Barcelona - Celtic (23 October, 20:45 CET)

> Celtic have never won on Spanish soil, losing 11 of their 14 visits, drawing three.

> FC Barcelona can clinch their 100th CL win (now 99 from 173 CL matches). Real Madrid (101) and Manchester United (100) have already crossed the 100-win-mark.

> Celtic celebrated their first ever CL away victory last matchday winning 3-2 at Spartak Moskva. Their record in away matches is now W1-D1-L19.

Group G: Spartak Moskva - Benfica (23 October, 18:00 CET)

> Spartak have played eight matches against an opponent from Portugal in European competitions. At home they only recorded one victory in four matches. In September 2000 Spartak won 3-1 against Sporting CP in the Champions League group stage.

> Spartak have won only one of their last 15 CL home matches. Since November 2000 they only beat MSK Zilina (3-0) at home.

> Without a goal in the CL, but on fire in the Portuguese national league. Benfica have scored at least two goals (home and away) in every six LIGA matches.

Group H: Manchester United - Sporting Braga (23 October, 20:45 CET)

> Manchester United are unbeaten in their last eight European matches against Portuguese opposition, since a 2-1 away defeat at Benfica in the group stages in December 2005 that saw them fail to qualify for the knockout stages.

> Robin van Persie is set to make his 50th CL appearance. He has scored 20 goals in the competition. He is unbeaten in 15 of the 16 CL matches in which he has found the net. His only defeat was against current club United – his Arsenal losing 3-1 in May 2009.

> Sporting Braga are unbeaten in their last seven European away matches, since losing 2-1 at Benfica in the Europa League semi-finals of the 2010/2011, a result that Braga backed up in the return leg (1-0 home victory) to advance to the final on the away goals rule. They would go on to lose that final 1-0 against FC Porto.

Group H: Galatasaray - CFR 1907 Cluj (23 October, 20:45 CET)

> Galatasaray have conceded at least one goal in each of their last nine matches in Europe. The last time they recorded a clean sheet was in December 2009 at home against Panathinaikos (1-0).

> Galatasaray have failed to win any of their last four European home matches, dating back to 3 December 2009, when they defeated Panathinaikos 1-0 thanks to an own goal by Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva in the Europa League. Ten years ago they remained winless in at least five successive European matches, when they set a club record streak of six consecutive matches without a win.

> Cluj have won their last three away matches in European competitions. Of all clubs currently in Europe, only Atlético Madrid have a longer active away winning streak (6).