The final matchday of the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season arrives this midweek, with all games to be played simultaneously.
While some teams will be looking to secure a top-eight finish, others will be looking to qualify for the play-off round and keep their knockout hopes alive. This matchday has another set of mouthwatering fixtures coming our way, with PSG–Newcastle United, Napoli–Chelsea, Dortmund–Inter, and Benfica–Real Madrid being some of the biggest match-ups of this round.
Here, we present our previews and predictions for all matches of Matchday 8 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League season.
Athletic Club have struggled in the Champions League this season and are currently sitting 23rd in the league phase table. Reigning Primeira Liga champions Sporting, meanwhile, are in tenth place with a reasonable chance to make the top eight.
Despite their struggles, Athletic Club’s previous result was a great one as they upset Atalanta away in a 3–2 thriller. Sporting also bagged a massive result in Matchday 7, defeating defending champions PSG at home. While Sporting continued their midweek momentum into the weekend with another win in the Portuguese top flight, however, Athletic suffered an away defeat to Sevilla in LaLiga.
Coming into this game, the hosts have a fair few on the sidelines, with Unai Eguiluz, Benat Prados, Iñaki Williams, and Maroan Sannadi injured, and Yeray Álvarez and Mikel Jauregizar suspended. Sporting also have availability issues, with Geovany Quenda, Fotis Ioannidis, Eduardo Quaresma, and Salvador Blopa unavailable for this game.
Sporting travel to the Basque Country desperate to win this game in order to at least make a case for a top-eight finish. In contrast, Athletic will want to strengthen their chances for play-off qualification, for which a win is a must here. Therefore, this could be an end-to-end entertaining affair from both sides, but Sporting possess ample confidence and quality to bag all three points from this tough away fixture.
Score Prediction: Athletic Club 1-3 Sporting CP
Liverpool’s form in the Champions League has been a complete contrast to their form in the Premier League, which has been absolutely abysmal of late. The Reds are without a win in January and lost in stoppage time to Bournemouth at the weekend, which also ended their 13-game unbeaten run across all competitions. Qarabag, meanwhile, have fallen down the pecking order and lost to Kapaz at the weekend. They’re currently second in the Azerbaijan Premier League table, four points behind Sabah.
For all their troubles, the Champions League has felt like a different tournament for Liverpool. The six-time champions have got the better of both Madrid teams, Inter Milan, and, most recently, an in-form Marseille. Now, they will be looking to ascertain their place in the top eight with a win against a weaker opposition in Qarabag.
Already in fourth place in the league phase table, a draw would ensure automatic qualification for the Merseyside Reds. Qarabag, currently in 18th place on ten points, cannot make the top eight even if they were to upset Liverpool here. However, a win would confirm a spot in the play-off round, making for a huge achievement for a fairly new side in the competition.
Liverpool’s troubles with injuries keep on getting worse. Joe Gomez is the latest player added to their list of injuries. Defenders Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are out for the season, with Alexander Isak sidelined with a broken foot. Stefan Bajcetic, Federico Chiesa, and Ibrahima Konaté (personal reasons) could also be unavailable for this game. Qarabag, meanwhile, will only miss Kady Borges, who is out due to a leg injury.
Liverpool’s defensive issues will definitely be a concern for head coach Arne Slot. With both Gomez and Konaté unavailable, one of the midfielders may partner Virgil van Dijk in defence. Also, Qarabag are no pushovers and have proven themselves this season with important results both home and away. Liverpool still have the home advantage, though, along with a much superior attack on paper, and should conclude their league phase campaign with a win and a top-eight finish.
Score Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Qarabag
After bagging three vital points away at Slavia Praha last time out, it’s crucial for Barcelona to secure three more points at home against Copenhagen here to have a realistic chance for a top-eight finish.
As for the Danish heavyweights, they can’t be underestimated. They have already beaten Villarreal away and also held Napoli to a 1–1 draw in their last Champions League encounter. Copenhagen also have ambitions of their own. Currently sitting 26th in the league phase table, if they win here they could grab a play-off spot, while a loss will mark the end of their 2025/26 Champions League campaign. Both Copenhagen and Barcelona come into this match on the back of league wins at the weekend.
The Blaugrana have a slight concern from a personnel availability point of view. They will miss vital players in Frenkie de Jong (suspension) and Pedri (hamstring), with Gavi, Ferran Torres, and Andreas Christensen being the other absentees. As for the Løverne, they will miss Thomas Delaney (suspension) along with the injured Magnus Mattsson and Rodrigo Huescas.
With the talented Lamine Yamal coming back to the fold, the Catalan giants have enough firepower up front to create chances and score goals here. In the absence of De Jong and Pedri, players like Marc Bernal and Fermín López will be expected to step up. Their defensive vulnerabilities may be exposed by the Copenhagen front line, but the hosts are too good a side to lose this.
Score Prediction: Barça 4-2 Copenhagen
Both teams have a chance to continue further in the Champions League. The Bianconeri are in 15th place, while the Monégasques are lying in 21st place and can only qualify for the play-off round. Juve have managed three consecutive Champions League wins in their last five encounters, with their latest win arriving against Benfica. Monaco, on the other hand, suffered a crushing 6–1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid in their previous Champions League fixture.
Monaco’s recent Ligue 1 form hasn’t been convincing either, with four defeats in their last five games. Their game at the weekend was another poor result with a goalless draw against Le Havre. In comparison, Juve thrashed Napoli at home this weekend in Serie A, gaining momentum and confidence with every game.
Monaco’s poor performances can also be attributed to a host of injuries to key players. Eric Dier, Wout Faes, Lucas Hradecky, Christian Mawissa, and Paul Pogba are all injured for the time being, with Takumi Minamino and Mohammed Salisu unfortunately out for the season. For the Old Lady, Daniele Rugani, Arkadiusz Milik, and Dušan Vlahovic are on the sidelines for this game.
Looking at their recent form, injuries, and squad quality, Juve have the upper hand in this game. With the likes of Weston McKennie, Loïs Openda, Kenan Yildiz, and Jonathan David up front, Juventus have enough attacking threat to trouble the vulnerable Monaco defence and walk away with all three points.
Score Prediction: Monaco 1–3 Juve
Dutch heavyweights Ajax have endured a dismal Champions League campaign so far and are currently sitting in 32nd place with six points. Their Greek opponents are eight places higher in 24th place and have a realistic chance of qualifying for the play-off tie. Olympiacos have all to play for, while Ajax can only play for pride; even a win may prove insufficient for them to reach the play-offs.
Both teams won their last respective Champions League fixtures, with Olympiacos defeating Bayer Leverkusen and Ajax getting the better of Villarreal away from home. Ajax continued their winning momentum into the weekend by beating Volendam in the Eredivisie. Olympiacos also won their Super League 1 game at the weekend against Volos, staying in close proximity to league leaders AEK Athens.
Ajax will miss Steven Berghuis (groin injury) in this game, while Olympiacos will be without Alexandros Paschalakis, Francisco Ortega, and Lorenzo Pirola due to injury issues.
Playing at home, Ajax should have the edge, but Olympiacos can’t be taken lightly this season; back in November, they went toe-to-toe with Real Madrid before losing a close 4–3 encounter. With everything at stake, both teams will play attacking football to find the winning goal. However, this game is very likely to end in a high-scoring draw.
Score Prediction: Ajax 2–2 Olympiacos
The defending champions haven’t been at their usual dominant best this season. Last Matchday, they were defeated by Sporting. Unexpectedly, the Magpies have performed well in the Champions League, currently sitting in seventh place in the league phase table and only a place behind their opponents.
Newcastle thrashed PSV at home but ended up suffering a home defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend. PSG, meanwhile, are back at the top of the table in Ligue 1 after a win over Auxerre last weekend.
Newcastle have been at the end of unfortunate injuries this season, with several key players out. Currently, they have about seven players unavailable: Joelinton, Bruno Guimarães, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schär, Jamal Lascelles, Emil Krafth, and Jacob Murphy. PSG’s injury list, meanwhile, comprises Fabián Ruiz, Matvey Safonov, João Neves, Lee Kang-in, and Quentin Ndjantou.
Playing at home, PSG are undoubtedly the favourites for this one. Another noteworthy factor that works in their favour is the number of key starters Newcastle are missing. The visitors will most likely play a defensive, more physical game, but the PSG attack will remain a huge threat for the relatively weaker Newcastle line-up.
Score Prediction: PSG 3–1 Newcastle
Inter’s Champions League form is a complete contrast to their Serie A form. They’ve lost three consecutive European fixtures while sitting comfortably atop the Italian top-flight table. In their previous league phase encounter, they were completely outplayed and suffered a home defeat to Arsenal. They seem to have recovered from that defeat in style, though, having annihilated Pisa at the weekend.
Dortmund, meanwhile, are also performing consistently in the German Bundesliga. They got the better of Union Berlin at the weekend, though they had a nightmare against Tottenham Hotspur in the previous Champions League Matchday.
From a player availability standpoint, Dortmund will miss Niklas Süle and Marcel Sabitzer, with Daniel Svensson suspended. Inter, meanwhile, will be without Denzel Dumfries, Tomás Palacios, and Hakan Çalhanoglu.
Dortmund have been unbeaten at home in the Champions League so far, and we do not see them losing to an Inter side that blows hot and cold often and hasn’t been able to replicate its domestic form in Europe. It could be an entertaining end-to-end affair, with Dortmund clinching all three points.
Score Prediction: BVB 3–2 Inter
This match-up holds more importance for Napoli than it does for Chelsea, as a win could ensure them a place in the knockouts, while dropped points would most certainly mean curtains for Antonio Conte’s team. For their opponents, though, it could be the difference between automatic qualification for the Round of 16 or having to play the play-off tie.
Napoli have only won two games in the Champions League this season, which is quite dismal by their high standards. They also suffered a defeat at the weekend away to Juventus. Chelsea, on the other hand, won both their games last week, first defeating Pafos in the Champions League and then outplaying Crystal Palace away from home at the weekend in the Premier League.
Napoli’s poor form can be attributed in part to several of their key players being injured. Billy Gilmour, David Neres, Amir Rrahmani, Frank Anguissa, Kevin De Bruyne, and Matteo Politano will all be unavailable for this game. Chelsea, meanwhile, have injury issues of their own, with Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Dário Essugo, Tosin Adarabioyo, and Roméo Lavia all out for this big game.
Given their inability to compete against top European sides this season, even playing at home won’t give Napoli the edge over Chelsea, who are the more dangerous side on paper thanks to the likes of Estêvão, João Pedro, and Alejandro Garnacho. Liam Rosenior and Co will most likely grab the three points here, though even an out-of-form Napoli’s defensive structure isn’t easy to break.
Score Prediction: Napoli 1–2 Chelsea
Spurs are another side with contrasting form in the Champions League as opposed to their domestic travails. Arriving on the back of three consecutive defeats across all competitions, Spurs comfortably defeated Dortmund at home in the previous Matchday before drawing against Burnley at the weekend.
As for the hosts, Eintracht Frankfurt have been abysmal in both the Bundesliga and Europe. Competing in the Champions League has proved difficult for them, as they lie in the bottom four of the league phase table. In their last Champions League game, they suffered a defeat to newcomers Qarabag. In the league, Hoffenheim piled more misery on them, beating them at home last weekend.
Frankfurt’s injury problems have grown over the course of the season, with several key players on the sidelines. Arnaud Kalimuendo, Elias Baum, Jonathan Burkardt, Michy Batshuayi, Younes Ebnoutalib, and Timothy Chandler are all out injured for Die Adler. Spurs have been decimated by injuries as well, with about six–seven key players out. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Lucas Bergvall, Ben Davies, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, and Richarlison will not be available for this fixture for the Lilywhites.
It’s all to play for Spurs in this encounter, while Frankfurt will be playing for pride and looking to end their Champions League campaign with a home win and spoil their party. Both these sides like to play attacking football, and this game will be no different. However, on paper Spurs boast a superior defensive line, which could prove to be the difference in this match-up.
We back Spurs to win this game, as Frankfurt have massive issues at the back, having conceded the joint most goals in this Champions League campaign so far.
Score Prediction: Frankfurt 1–3 Spurs
Benfica began their league phase campaign in disastrous fashion, losing each of their opening four fixtures. Consecutive 2–0 victories over Ajax and Napoli then briefly reignited hopes of a place in the knockouts, but that resurgence came crashing down last week when the Águias suffered a 2–0 defeat away at Juventus, a result that cast fresh doubt over their play-off ambitions.
While qualification is no longer in their own hands, Benfica can still mathematically claim one of the final six play-off spots, though doing so would require favourable outcomes elsewhere alongside a famous victory over the 15-time Champions League winners in this game.
Real Madrid have also endured turbulence in recent weeks, beginning with a Supercopa de España final defeat to arch-rivals Barcelona that led to the dismissal of Xabi Alonso, before Álvaro Arbeloa oversaw a disastrous Copa del Rey exit against second-tier Albacete in his first match in charge.
Since then, Los Blancos have won each of their three matches across all competitions, including a 2–0 victory away at Villarreal over the weekend in LaLiga, where a Kylian Mbappé brace moved them to within one point of Barça at the top of LaLiga.
Having claimed fifteen points from seven league phase games in the Champions League, Real Madrid are one win away from securing direct qualification to the last 16 and will be confident of doing so here, having won eight of their last ten European meetings with Portuguese opponents, including four successive away victories.
In terms of team news and injuries, Benfica remain without Alexander Bah (knee), Samuel Soares (muscle), Dodi Lukébakio (ankle), and Henrique Araújo (muscle), while Richard Ríos is set to miss a fourth straight match due to a fitness issue. The visitors, on the other hand, will remain without Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh), Éder Militão (hamstring), Ferland Mendy (hamstring), and Antonio Rüdiger (knee).
Looking ahead to this game, despite historical success in this fixture, Benfica have generally struggled against Spanish opposition, winning just three of their last 25 matches against teams from Spain. Moreover, given their Champions League defeats this season have arrived against Man City and Liverpool, Real Madrid should be able to find a way to edge past Benfica, who are comparatively short on quality.
Score Prediction: Benfica 1–2 Real Madrid
After a difficult time in the league phase of the Champions League last season, Pep Guardiola’s side certainly made a more assured start to the league phase this time around, winning three and drawing one of their opening four matches before an uncharacteristic 2–0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in Matchday 5 became their first blemish. From there, the Cityzens went on a 13-game unbeaten run across all competitions, including a 2–1 win at the Santiago Bernabéu.
However, their unbeaten run eventually came to a crushing end when they lost 2–0 to Manchester United in the Premier League, which was followed by a shock 3–1 defeat to Bodø/Glimt in Matchday 7, which saw them fall to 11th in the league phase table. City now sit outside the top eight on goal difference, level on 13 points with seven other teams, meaning a win over Galatasaray and other results going their way will be required for them to avoid the play-offs.
As for their opponents, while Galatasaray could still secure a place in the top eight, they also need several factors to perfectly align, but they will be focusing on ensuring to at least make the play-off round.
The reigning Süper Lig champions currently hold a two-point lead over 25th- and 26th-placed Napoli and Copenhagen, respectively, as well as a three-point lead over several other play-off hopefuls, meaning they could also be eliminated on the final day. However, several results will need to go against them along with them suffering a significant loss, while a result against Manchester City will at least secure their place in the play-off round.
In terms of team news and injuries, City will be without John Stones, Nico González, Oscar Bobb, Ruben Dias, Savinho, Mateo Kovacic, and Joško Gvardiol, who are injured, while Rodri is suspended. Meanwhile, Galatasaray will be unable to call upon Enes Büyük, Wilfried Singo, Arda Ünyay, and Metehan Baltaci.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Man City are certainly the favourites to claim all three points, especially after their confidence-boosting win against Wolves in the Premier League over the weekend. However, we still expect the Turkish giants to show some resistance before City finally break through.
Score Prediction: Man City 2–1 Galatasaray
Arsenal have brushed aside every foe in their path in the 2025/26 league phase of the Champions League, taking maximum points to confirm a spot in the last 16 with a game to spare. Along the way, they’ve beaten some of the finest sides in Europe. The latest to join that list was Inter Milan, whose backline Mikel Arteta’s men toyed with at San Siro last week, with Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyökeres inspiring the Gunners to a statement 3–1 win over the 2022/23 and 2024/25 Champions League runners-up.
Three points better off than previous victims Bayern Munich and out of sight of the rest, Arsenal, who also rank joint-first for goals scored (20) and have conceded a competition-low two in the league phase so far, will guarantee top spot with a draw at home to their lowly visitors this week.
However, Arsenal will be aware of the growing discontent, which will only worsen if a stalemate were to occur on Wednesday. The North Londoners were shocked on Sunday by Man United, who handed them their first home defeat this season.
The Kazakhstani upstarts, on the other hand, have collected just a solitary point in the 2025/26 league phase, which arrived at the end of a 0–0 draw at home to fellow Champions League debutants Pafos. Since then, they have been slain by Inter, Olympiacos, Copenhagen, and Club Brugge.
No doubt, Kairat will take plenty of lessons from their inaugural Champions League campaign, in which they were never expected to pose a serious threat to the big boys. That said, with both teams’ destiny decided going into this game, strange things could happen here.
In terms of team news and injuries, Arsenal will be without Max Dowman (ankle) and Kai Havertz, the latter having suffered an injury setback, while both Declan Rice and Mikel Merino will also miss this game due to yellow-card suspensions. As for the visitors, Chelsea-bound 17-year-old Dastan Satpayev remains an uncertainty, while winter arrivals Lucas Áfrico, Jaakko Oksanen, and Sebastián Zeballos are all ineligible for the league phase.
Looking ahead to this contest, although this game is a dead rubber as far as the league table is concerned, the Emirates faithful will demand a response following Sunday’s horror show, with several second-string players also aiming to stake a claim for a spot among the regulars. Thus, we expect Arteta’s men to return to winning ways, that too in dominant fashion.
Score Prediction: Arsenal 3–0 Kairat
PSV suffered a 3–0 loss when they faced Newcastle United in the Champions League last Matchday, with the Magpies restricting them to just one shot inside the box. The Dutch heavyweights can finish no higher than 16th, but while they only need to finish 24th to secure a play-off spot, just two points separate them from 32nd-placed Ajax.
That said, although the Boeren were beaten in their last two Champions League matches, they have won six, drawn one, and lost just one of their past eight fixtures across all competitions, scoring at least two goals seven times and showcasing why they are currently 14 points clear at the top of the Eredivisie table.
Their opponents here, Bayern Munich, are three points ahead of third-placed Real Madrid and fourth-placed Liverpool. Finishing in the top two will be important, as it would guarantee home fixtures in the return legs of the knockout rounds.
However, they come into Wednesday’s clash on the back of their first Bundesliga defeat of the season. Losing 2–1 to Augsburg marked just the fourth time in 30 games that they failed to win a game. Thus, the visitors will be looking to get back to winning ways and seal a top-two finish in the league phase of the Champions League with a professional performance against the Eredivisie’s runaway leaders.
In terms of team news and injuries, PSV will only miss Ricardo Pepi, who is recovering from a broken arm. As for their opponents, Bayern boss Vincent Kompany will be without centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae due to an injury and suspension, respectively.
Looking ahead to this fixture, despite their shock defeat over the weekend, Bayern still come into this fixture as overwhelming favourites due to their attacking firepower. Although injuries in defence have weakened them a bit, and despite the Peter Bosz-led PSV finding a fair bit of joy in the final third, the Bavarian giants have attacking firepower to blow the hosts away.
Score Prediction: PSV 2–4 Bayern
Coming into this game, Atleti boast a record of four wins, one draw, and two defeats from their seven matches in the Champions League this season, with 13 points leaving them in 12th spot in the overall league phase table.
Diego Simeone’s side are level on points with six teams above them, with their 1–1 draw with Galatasaray last week doing them very little favour. The Rojiblancos thus need a win over Bodø/Glimt to stand a chance of finishing in the top eight, although they also need results elsewhere to go their way.
Their opponents for this game, meanwhile, will be buoyed by the fact that Atleti have not kept a clean sheet in their last ten league phase fixtures in the Champions League, while Bodø themselves have scored at least two goals in five of their seven matches in this season’s league phase.
The Norwegian heavyweights, domestically in their off-season at the moment, come into this match on the back of an incredible 3–1 home victory over Man City, which moved them into 28th spot in the league phase table. Kjetil Knutsen’s side now must beat Atlético Madrid to stand any chance of making the play-offs, but they too will be hoping for results elsewhere to fall in their favour to achieve their goal.
In terms of team news and injuries, Clément Lenglet was back on the Atleti bench against Mallorca, but Antoine Griezmann remains on the sidelines with a muscular problem and will miss out on Wednesday night. As for Bodø, Ulrik Saltnes, Daniel Bassi, and Haitam Aleesami are unavailable for selection due to injury problems, though apart from that the visitors have no fresh issues.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Bodø were outstanding against Man City, but Atleti are strong at home. We’re backing Simeone’s men to secure all three points here.
Score Prediction: Atleti 1–0 Bodø
Bayer Leverkusen’s 2025/26 Champions League campaign has been far from convincing. They have managed three draws, two defeats, and just two wins from their seven league phase matches, which has left them on nine points and 20th in the overall table. As a result, Kasper Hjulmand and Co remain under pressure to deliver in their final fixture.
Besides, the BayArena has not been the fortress Leverkusen might have hoped for in Europe this season. They are yet to win a Champions League game at home, having drawn twice and lost once, while their most recent continental outing ended in a disappointing 2–0 defeat away to Olympiacos.
Defensive frailties have been a recurring theme for them, as they have scored ten goals and conceded 14 across seven matches, which has left them with a goal difference of minus four. Moreover, across all competitions, they’ve won two and lost three of their last five matches, underlining their inconsistency.
Villarreal, meanwhile, travel to Germany in desperate circumstances, having collected just one point from seven Champions League matches, lying 35th in the standings and staring at early elimination.
Marcelino García’s team have suffered six defeats in the competition, with their only positive result being a draw, while their latest setback was a painful 2–1 home defeat to Ajax despite taking the lead.
The Yellow Submarine’s struggles have been particularly evident away from home, where Villarreal have lost all three of their league phase fixtures. In fact, they have been beaten in their last four away matches in Europe without scoring a single goal.
In terms of team news and injuries, Leverkusen will be without Mark Flekken (knee) and Edmond Tapsoba (muscular), while Eliesse Ben Seghir is also sidelined after getting injured while away on international duty. Villarreal, meanwhile, will be without Pau Cabanes and Willy Kambwala, both of whom are sidelined with serious knee injuries. Juan Foyth is also ruled out for the remainder of the season, while Santiago Mouriño is suspended after accumulating three yellow cards.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Villarreal’s Champions League campaign appears beyond saving, but they are capable of making this contest competitive. However, with qualification still within reach, Leverkusen’s greater motivation and home advantage should see them edge a narrow victory at the BayArena.
Score Prediction: Leverkusen 2–1 Villarreal
The Blauw-Zwart had a fruitful European night on the road last Tuesday and enjoyed a 4–1 battering of Kairat in Kazakhstan, with captain Hans Vanaken bagging a goal and an assist for his side.
That win halted a three-game winless run for Club Brugge and launched them into 27th spot in the league phase rankings, just a point behind Olympiacos in 24th. Another positive sign ahead of Wednesday’s all-important clash is that Club Brugge have lost just once at home in the Champions League this term, with that defeat coming against leaders Arsenal in December.
As for their opponents, following a tricky start to January where they suffered defeats in Ligue 1 and exited the Coupe de France, Marseille have now won three of their last four matches to strengthen their hopes of silverware this term. Defending Premier League champions Liverpool gave them a battering at home, but Roberto De Zerbi’s troops have since returned to triumphant ways in sensational style. They beat Ligue 1 pace-setters Lens 3–1 over the weekend, with Amine Gouiri scoring a brilliant brace.
Besides, Marseille are currently occupying 19th spot in the 36-team table, meaning that victory in Belgium on Wednesday will guarantee them a spot in the play-off round. However, a defeat could jeopardise their chances of getting out of the league phase altogether if results elsewhere don’t go their way.
In terms of team news and injuries, Club Brugge will miss winger Christos Tzolis due to a back problem, while Dani van den Heuvel and Lynnt Audoor remain sidelined for the foreseeable future. As for their opponents, Benjamin Pavard will miss this clash due to suspension, while Emerson remains sidelined with a thigh injury.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Club Brugge are strong at home, with their draw against Barça being one of the highlights of their season. Thus, they’ll not fear the French giants when they visit this Wednesday. As for OM, a win will guarantee them a play-off spot, but a share of the points may also prove enough to secure them a top-24 finish.
Score Prediction: Club Brugge 2–2 OM
Union Saint-Gilloise find themselves in a precarious situation after collecting just six points from seven matches in the league phase. Defensive vulnerabilities have been a recurring issue for the Belgian team, who have conceded 17 goals while scoring just seven, underlining their struggles against top-level opposition.
Those issues were once again evident in their most recent outing: a 2–0 defeat away to Bayern Munich. Union SG have now lost five of their last six Champions League matches, while their home form offers little encouragement after three consecutive defeats at the Stade Joseph Marien.
Atalanta, meanwhile, arrive in Belgium aiming to secure back-to-back Champions League victories against Belgian opposition after their 2–1 home win over Club Brugge in Matchday 2.
The Bergamaschi sit comfortably inside the qualification zone, having picked up 13 points from seven matches thanks to four wins, one draw, and two defeats. However, they come into this contest off a narrow 3–2 home defeat to Athletic Club, a result that ended their momentum but still highlighted their attacking quality.
In terms of team news and injuries, Union SG will be without Kevin Rodríguez, who is sidelined through injury, while Promise David is suspended after accumulating three yellow cards. Atalanta, meanwhile, will be without Raoul Bellanova due to a hamstring injury.
Looking ahead to this fixture, Union Saint-Gilloise may take confidence from their domestic form, given they’re currently sitting at the top of the Belgian Pro League table, but Atalanta’s superior European pedigree and strong away record should give them the edge.
Score Prediction: Union SG 1–2 Atalanta
After losing just one of their first five Champions League fixtures this season, Pafos have tasted defeat in their previous two matches, albeit away to big-name sides in Juventus and Chelsea.
Despite losing at Stamford Bridge, which was expected, there were positive signs for the Cypriot team, who held out the Club World Cup champions until Moisés Caicedo’s strike in the 78th minute.
Albert Celades’s team have a small chance of finishing in the play-off places, although they will need a considerable number of results to go in their favour on Wednesday evening on top of a victory over Slavia here.
As for their opponents, winless in the Champions League this season, only Villarreal and Kairat have earned fewer points than the Czech outfit, leaving them with no chance of progressing to the knockouts.
Despite taking an early lead against Barça at Fortuna Arena last week, Jindrich Trpišovský’s side lost 4–2. They’re now winless in their previous 14 European matches, having been beaten in nine of those.
In terms of team news and injuries, Pafos’ Bosnian midfielder Ivan Šunjic will serve a match suspension for accumulating three yellow cards. It also remains to be seen whether defenders João Correia and David Goldar will feature, with both sustaining recent muscle injuries. As for their opponents, Dominik Javorcek, Petr Ševcík, Ondrej Zmrzlý, and Alexandr Bužek are all out with significant injuries, while it remains to be seen whether Divine Teah and Samuel Isife can return from their recent absences.
Looking ahead to this fixture, considering they are competing in their debut Champions League campaign, Pafos can certainly be proud that they have a chance of progressing to the knockout phase going into the final Matchday of the league phase. Although the odds are not in their favour, we see the Cypriot side at least giving themselves a chance by overcoming a lacklustre Slavia Prague on Wednesday.
Score Prediction: Pafos 2–1 Slavia
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