The hype that surrounded the second matchday of the Champions League, particularly when it came to the involvement of USMNT players, might not have been fully matched this week. That said, Matchday 3 of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League was nonetheless another notable one for United States soccer and its fans.
Sergino Dest leads defensive effort against Porto, PSV secures first win of new Champions League campaign
After losing their second Champions League contest, PSV was involved in yet another closely fought contest in Europe's top division. This time, it was the Dutch club that came out on top, securing a 1-0 win over Portuguese side FC Porto. Despite failing to record a goal contribution, Dest played an instrumental role in securing the clean sheet and the win for PSV, recording three tackles and playing a full 90 minutes against Porto.
Johnny Cardoso plays substitute role in Atletico Madrid's draw with VfB Stuttgart
After missing Atletico Madrid's 1-0 win over Espanyol, Johnny Cardoso returned to action for the LaLiga side as they drew 1-1 with VfB Stuttgart in their third Champions League contest. Cardoso came on in the 68th minute and played a total of 22 minutes. VfB Stuttgart thoroughly controlled most of the match, scoring in the 36th minute. But Julian Alvarez levelled the score just two minutes after halftime to secure the draw.
Alex Freeman gets second-half action as Villarreal concedes four to unbeaten Liverpool
Liverpool has opened their Champions League campaign with a clean sweep of what was a three-game run against USMNT-led opposition. On Tuesday, the Reds reversed a 2-0 deficit to defeat Villarreal 4-3. USMNT defender Alex Freeman came on at the hour mark. He was unable to record any statistical contribution through 30 minutes of action.
Samuel Adeniran records a goal contribution as LASK earn first-ever Champions League win
History was made this week in the Champions League; for the first time in its history, LASK has won a Champions League contest. Despite conceding an early penalty, the club rallied to secure a 3-2 win against Sporting Lisbon. Samuel Adeniran was a second-half substitute; he entered the match in the 64th minute. Adeniran recorded an assist on LASK's third goal of the match, which was scored by Krystof Danek.
What's next?
After back-to-back matchdays, the Champions League will be entering another hiatus. The next matchday will be on November 3 and 4.
Three of the four teams with American footballers will take to the pitch on Tuesday. One of the games will see Freeman and Villarreal host the reigning Champions League winners PSG. Another will see Cardoso and Atletico Madrid host Bayern Munich. Finally, LASK will hope to have George Bello back in addition to Adeniran when they take on Slovan Bratislava. Kickoff in all three matches will be at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
On Wednesday, there is a good chance Ricardo Pepi will be ready to join Dest in the lineup when PSV hosts a Club Brugge side that has won its last two Champions League matches. That match will be at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
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