The League Phase of the UEFA Champions League is moving towards completion with the penultimate gameweek to be held from 21st Jan, 2025 – 23rd Jan, 2025.
Let’s take a look at the five important fixtures that can prove decisive for qualification –
Nobody would have imagined in their wildest dreams that this particular tie in gameweek 7 would hold so much weightage that whoever loses might bow out of the competition. While the Cityzens are in 22nd place, the Parisians are three places below in 25th.
PSG are still top of the table in the French Ligue 1 but their performances in the Champions League have been disappointing so far. Manchester City on the other hand have been woeful in both the CL and the Premier League. The defending champions from England have been surprisingly out of form and remain vulnerable at the back. PSG’s problems are more related to poor finishing in games that they have completely dominated.
Since this game is being played at the Parc de Princes, Manchester City might have a mountain to climb but they still have a great attacking outfit. This could be an end-to-end entertaining affair with goals galore or a cagey affair with one team defending a one goal lead – only time will tell.
It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious in this clash between Europe’s elite, as both sides face their own challenges to overcome.
Both Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen are on a winning streak with Atleti moving to the Spanish La Liga summit and Leverkusen moving to Top 2 in the Bundesliga after a slow start.
While Bayer Leverkusen is on a ten-game winning streak in all competitions with a comfortable fourth place in the CL but Atlético are in 13th place in the CL league table and would like to get into the Top 8 places and avoid the extra games to qualify for the Round of 16. Diego Simeone’s side is also on the upward trajectory with a record-breaking 14 consecutive wins in all competitions, looking dangerous at the front and solid at the back.
It’s going to be a mouthwatering clash between two brilliant tactical minds in Diego Simeone and Xabi Alonso and one the football fans would definitely enjoy!
Since Real Madrid are the team to beat in the Champions League – a competition they literally own no one expected the Los Blancos to not be in the Top 8 positions come gameweek 7. They have suffered some unexpected losses and are languishing at the 20th place in the CL table. If they can win both their remaining games, they can surely ensure another opportunity to qualify for the Round of 16.
RB Salzburg have serious problems of their own. With their Manager Pep Ljinders being sacked recently due to the Austrian team’s inconsistent performances both in the league and the CL. They only have one win out of six games in the CL league phase and are more likely out of the competition.
Real Madrid have since then, improved their form and are now only a point behind Atleti in the League table and finally looking like the Champion team they are.
This game has the potential to be a one-sided affair, with the scoreline becoming humiliating for the Red Bulls—unless they throw caution to the wind, play with nothing to lose, and somehow pull off a massive upset.
The German giants are going to be against Feyenoord in this fixture away from home.
While both Feyenoord and Bayern Munich are inside the Top 20 rankings, nothing is certain for sure. For Bayern Munich, this is a chance to grab a Top 8 spot and avoid the additional qualifying round while Feyenoord would like to ensure they remain in the hunt for playing the qualifying round.
Bayern Munich’s recent form would suggest that this could be a game they should be winning. They have been excellent in the Bundesliga having won four out of their last five encounters while Feyenoord have lost their last two league games and might be lacking a bit of confidence.
On paper, this is a fixture that Bayern Munich should be winning comfortably. However, they face a Feyenoord team known for its never-give-up mentality, making this no ordinary matchup. The Dutch side will bring intensity and determination, and Bayern must be cautious not to underestimate their opponents.
AC Milan are currently out of the Top 8 in 12th position currently but they do have a chance to make it into the Top 8 and earn automatic qualification to the RO16. Girona’s return to the CL hasn’t been the stuff of dreams on the other hand. The Spanish outfit have struggled in the CL League phase sitting in 30th place and looking more likely of going out of the competition.
Milan’s current form has been decent as they have been unbeaten in the last five games in Serie A while Girona has been inconsistent but have won their last two games.
However, playing the Rossoneri at the San Siro is no mean task. Also, Milan has a great forward line with a solid defence while Girona’s backline has been leaky shipping in too many goals.
Having said that, there are no easy games in the Champions League, and Girona will be determined to go out with a bang. As a result, Milan will need to tread carefully if they are to secure a victory in this encounter.
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