MADRID, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal face challenging home fixtures in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, with all three Spanish clubs seeking valuable points in the league phase.
Barcelona hosts Aston Villa at Camp Nou, with the English side arriving on the back of three consecutive Champions League victories, while Hansi Flick's team is looking to recover from its defeat away to Paris Saint-Germain in its previous European outing.
Barcelona returned to winning ways with a convincing 6-1 home victory over Alaves on Saturday, but Flick continues to contend with defensive injuries.
Jules Kounde's ankle problem is taking longer than expected to heal, while Xavi Espart faces several weeks on the sidelines with a similar injury. Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia are also recovering from muscle problems.
Flick deployed Frenkie de Jong in central defense against Alaves, and the Dutch midfielder impressed in an unfamiliar role, offering a possible solution to Barcelona's defensive shortage.
Atletico Madrid hosts Bayern Munich in a match that could have significant implications for both teams' hopes of securing a top-eight finish and avoiding February's knockout phase playoffs.
Bayern has taken five points from its opening three matches, while Atletico has four after recording one win, one draw and one defeat.
Diego Simeone's side will take confidence from Saturday's away victory, and the Argentine coach is expected to retain much of his starting lineup, although Ademola Lookman and Jonathan David are among those pushing for recalls.
Bayern striker Harry Kane, recently crowned Ballon d'Or winner, will be one of the main attractions at the Metropolitano Stadium.
The England captain is set to make two appearances at the venue in less than two weeks, with England scheduled to face Spain there in a UEFA Nations League match on November 15.
Villarreal also faces a difficult assignment against defending European champion PSG, which leads the league phase standings after winning its opening three matches and scoring 14 goals.
Inigo Perez's side sits 19th with three points and needs a positive result to strengthen its prospects of advancing to the knockout rounds.
Villarreal has shown attacking promise this season but has struggled with inconsistent finishing, a weakness highlighted by Friday's surprise home defeat to Espanyol.
The Spanish side will be without injured winger Ilias Akhomach, while veteran striker Gerard Moreno is also expected to miss out after suffering a muscle problem against Espanyol.
Their absences could open the door for Ayoze Perez and Nicolas Pepe to start, while Alex Freeman and Carlos Romero are options at right-back and left-back, respectively.
PSG, coached by Luis Enrique, underlined its attacking quality with victory over Barcelona in the previous matchday and will be favored to extend its perfect start to the competition. ■
