LONDON: Something has to give when holders Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur, two teams with perfect Champions League records, square off and the formidable attacks of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and Italian high-flyers Napoli meet in the pick of the matches on Tuesday.

Real host Tottenham with both teams looking to seize control of Group ‘H’ following back-to-back victories to start the competition.

The spotlight also falls on the sides’ strikers — Spurs will be hoping Harry Kane, who leads the way so far this campaign with five goals after two games, can upstage all-time record-holder Cristiano Ronaldo (on four goals) on his home turf.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino expects a much sterner test in Spain after opening with 3-1 and 3-0 wins.

“I think it’s a big challenge for us in the Champions League, a different competition,” he said. “We are going to play one of the best teams in the world. I think it’s exciting to play against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu for everybody. I think it will be a very tough game.”

Real are unbeaten at home in the group stage dating back to 2009, winning 21 of 23 matches since then at the Santiago Bernabeu. Luka Modric could face his former club, although Gareth Bale is unlikely to be fit for Real.

After starting with losses to Tottenham and Real, Borussia Dortmund need a win at APOEL Nicosia kickstart their campaign.

The Premier League and Serie A leaders meet in Group ‘F’ when City take on Napoli, who ended the English club’s 2011-12 Champions League debut in the group stage.

Both teams have been dominant in domestic football, scoring freely, and the only time either team has failed to win was when City drew with Everton back in August.

In Europe, however, it is City who possesses the perfect record having defeated Feyernood and Shakhtar Donetsk while Napoli lost 2-1 when they travelled to Ukraine.

City thrashed Stoke City 7-2 in the Premier League on the weekend and that was without striker Sergio Aguero, who is likely to make his return from the rib injury he sustained in a car crash in Amsterdam last month.

City’s sometimes-shaky defense will be tested though, with Napoli scoring at least three goals in all seven of their Serie A games before a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to rivals AS Roma on Saturday.

RB Leipzig are looking for a first win when they host Porto in Group ‘G’ while leaders Besiktas are at Monaco.

Monaco welcome back top-scorer Rada­mel Falcao and key midfielder Fabinho for Tuesday’s must-win home match against Turkey’s Besiktas.

Falcao was rested for Friday’s Ligue 1 match against Olympique Lyon while Fab­inho was suspended. Monaco lost 3-2.

Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals last season but have one point so far, while Besiktas lead with six and Porto have three.

Sevilla can keep their Group ‘E’ lead when they visit Spartak Moscow. Sevilla have four points, two more than Spartak and Liverpool who are away to last-placed Maribor.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2017