Champions League: Neymar out for Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico-Liverpool meet again

A look at what’s happening in European football on Tuesday: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP A Paris Saint-Germain’s domestic form has been patchy despite leading the French league by nine points so coach Mauricio Pochettino needs to get the best out of a somewhat depleted attack against Leipzig. Neymar is out for a few days with a minor adductor muscle injury picked up recently on international duty. Pochettino looks certain to be without prolific striker Mauro Icardi, who was given permission to leave training on Sunday for family reasons. He posted a picture of himself on Sunday night in Milan on social networks and did not attend PSG training on Monday. Leipzig are having a tough time under new coach Jesse Marsch with two defeats in the Champions League and eighth place in the Bundesliga. Manchester City’s loss in Paris last month has put a bit of pressure on the English champion against Club Brugge. Tuesday’s match marks the sides’ first meeting. The Belgian team has already drawn against PSG at home. City should be able to call on goalkeeper Ederson Moraes and Gabriel Jesus, who flew to Belgium after playing for Brazil last week and didn’t play in the 2-0 win over Burnley on Saturday. GROUP B Liverpool head to Atletico Madrid seeking a third straight win in the group and likely to welcome back Brazil internationals Alisson Becker and Fabinho after their late returns from national team duty. The players flew straight to Madrid on Friday instead of returning to England, where they would have had to quarantine, and therefore missed Liverpool’s 5-0 win at Watford on Saturday. Liverpool also scored five goals in their last Champions League game — 5-1 at Porto. Liverpool won the 2019 final at Atletico’s Wanda Metropolitano Stadium but lost there in 2020 en route to a last-16 exit. AC Milan are unbeaten in Serie A but have lost both of their opening games in its first Champions League group stage appearance since 2013. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back from injury as the Rossoneri visit Porto but goalkeeper Mike Maignan underwent surgery on his left wrist and is out until January. GROUP C Borussia Dortmund face off against Ajax in a match between teams at the top of the group with two wins apiece. Dortmund are firing on all cylinders again after star striker Erling Haaland returned from a muscle injury to score twice in a 3-1 win over Mainz on Saturday. The defense, too, looks more reliable after some early season struggles and Dortmund are a point off the top in the Bundesliga. Besiktas host Sporting Lisbon with both teams yet to earn a point. GROUP D Surprise group leader Sheriff visit Serie A champions Inter Milan looking to follow up on their wins over Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid. Inter are winless and goalless through their opening two games and are coming off their first Italian league defeat of the season at Lazio. Inter’s last three Champions League campaigns have ended in the group stage. Madrid visit Shakhtar in the other match.