Those who are still new to this brand new phase of the league may find themselves on the other side of the divide in these final two games.
The extension of the Champions League means continental matches will be played in January, but we will know by the end of the month who will qualify for the round of 16 and qualify for the two-legged play-off.
The 36-team table remains condensed, which only increases the intrigue, and it is impossible to safely say whether it will materialize after the end of the penultimate match.
How does 90min predict the outcome of Round 7 of the 2024/25 Champions League?
Liverpool have been perfect in the league so far/JOSEP LAGO/GettyImages
As usual, Champions League matches will feature two early kick-offs each day. Tuesday begins with Top 8 side Aston Villa traveling to Monaco and Atalanta hosting Sturm Graz in Bergamo.
Europa League holders Atalanta have endured a downturn in recent weeks but are expected to cruise on home soil to improve their chances of a top-eight finish before heading to Barcelona next week. Villa, on the other hand, are in fifth place with four wins from six games. Monaco were once in a strong position, but after losing consecutive games, they are now on the back foot.
Atlético Madrid have risen to the top of La Liga with an astonishing run of form, and with three consecutive league wins, they should be able to move into the top eight with one more win against Bayer Leverkusen. 4th place Leverkusen bounced back after suffering a crushing defeat at Anfield in Round 4.
Liverpool and Barcelona are both on the verge of progressing to the round of 16, and will face Lille and Benfica respectively on Tuesday night.
Slovan Bratislava is one of the three teams without a win and will face the in-form Stuttgart, who are hoping to advance to the finals. Fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund will take on Bologna, coached by Vincenzo Italiano. Dortmund are ninth in the league table, but the Italians have only accumulated two points so far.
Juventus have surprisingly won more games than drawn in the league and will aim to build on the momentum they gained from their 2-0 domestic win over AC Milan at Club Brugge at the weekend. The Belgian is expected to match Juve’s three wins and qualify for the play-offs.
PSV are in a very precarious position with a 2 point difference. They currently qualify for the play-offs in 23rd place and should benefit from facing Red Star Belgrade, who have lost five of their last six Champions League games.
Kickoff time (GMT)
jig
prediction
17:45
Atalanta vs Sturm Graz
4-0
17:45
Monaco vs Aston Villa
1-3
20:00
Atletico Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen
1-0
20:00
Benfica vs Barcelona
2-2
20:00
Bologna vs Borussia Dortmund
1-1
20:00
Club Brugge vs Juventus
0-1
20:00
liverpool vs lille
2-1
20:00
Red Star Belgrade vs PSV
1-1
20:00
Slovakia Bratislava vs Stuttgart
0-3
Man City take on PSG in the French capital/John Berry/Getty Images
The key fixtures arrive on Wednesday night, but before heading to Paris, RB Leipzig welcome Sporting CP to Saxony, who are still unsure of the world without Ruben Amorim, while Brest visit Shakhtar Donetsk do.
Leipzig have already withdrawn from the competition and are just playing for pride, while Sporting have dropped to 17th place after consecutive defeats. Brest have been in impressive form so far, with four wins and a win in their penultimate game would take them one step closer to progressing to the last 16.
PSG and Manchester City met in the semi-finals of the competition four years ago, and now the pair are battling it out for a place in the knockout stages. PSG have struggled through a tough schedule and enter this match in 25th place. City, on the other hand, are in 22nd place, one point behind.
PSG opened up a nine-point advantage at the top of Ligue 1, while Josep Guardiola’s reigning domestic champions have shown the strongest signs of rediscovering their form in recent weeks.
Bayern Munich are expected to regain the Bundesliga title this season, but a three-game winning streak has put them in an eerie position. They will be aiming for a fourth win in Europe against Feyenoord on Wednesday.
Things haven’t exactly gone their way this season for holders Real Madrid, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side still have work to do to ensure they qualify for the play-offs. There should be no problem with the home game against RB Salzburg, but Arsenal and Inter are also expected to solidify their place in the top eight with fixtures against Dinamo Zagreb and Sparta Prague respectively.
Celtic have struggled in Europe for many years, but are in fierce competition in the league, with a win over bottom-of-the-table Young Boys at Celtic Park extending their Champions League campaign significantly into February. It should be done.
Girona’s first adventure in this competition appears to be coming to an end, but they will no doubt enjoy another big away day when they take on AC Milan at the San Siro. The Rossoneri, coached by former Inter winger Sérgio Conceição, could be a tough opponent in the finals.
Kickoff time (GMT)
jig
prediction
17:45
RB Leipzig vs Sporting CP
2-2
17:45
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Brest
1-0
20:00
Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb
2-0
20:00
Celtic vs Young Boys
3-1
20:00
Feyenoord vs Bayern Munich
0-2
20:00
Milan vs Girona
3-1
20:00
PSG vs Man City
1-2
20:00
Real Madrid vs RB Salzburg
5-1
20:00
Sparta Prague vs Inter
0-3
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