Welcome to the Euroleague… Um, rather to the new version of the Champions League. With two days remaining, nothing is decided: the member of the top 8 is not safe from ending up as a play-off, and the play-off player can always sit on the bench of the eliminated in no time. A format quite appreciated by our French clubs which, with the exception of the “ petit » PSG, have almost assured their presence in February at least. And for the others, then, what does that mean?
Real Madrid and Manchester City: behemoths in danger
The hardest part is undoubtedly staying at the top. The last two winners of the C1 undoubtedly preferred the old format. Standard-bearing teams of European football, accustomed for three years to successively crossing swords during the final stages, the Madrilenians and the Citizens their football is stammering after six days. Real Madrid (20e and temporarily play-off) and his Mbappé in great form must absolutely win at home against Salzburg on Wednesday evening, just like Guardiola's City (22e) who will face Paris at the same time, in an ultra-decisive match in the race for the play-offs, with hints of fear. Yum!
Here are two who found the safe. THE Reds under Arne Slot, the Blaugrana under Hansi Flick. After six days, Liverpool and Barcelona are fighting for first place in this strange championship. Advantage Liverpool, solid leader with a faultless record so far, before facing the surprise Lille this Tuesday evening: 6 victories, 18 points, 13 goals scored, only one conceded. Iron defense, effective attack without superfluous. Which is the complete opposite of Barça whose attacking trio is breaking everything this season. Second with 15 points, the Barcelona team travel to Lisbon to face Benfica, with the aim of catching their Mersey counterparts and becoming co-best team in Europe during this first part of the 2024-2025 season. . With Robert Lewandowski on fire and currently top scorer in C1 (7 goals in 6 games). There is even Ansu Fati in the group, despite his recent unwanted status.
Rather than fighting against Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal and others, the Parisians will have to fight for the play-offs, neck and neck with surprise guests… In this case PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb and VFB Stuttgart. A line-up which smells like the Europa League, and yet. When Paris (25e) will have to fight back against City, PSV (23e) and Stuttgart (26e) respectively have affordable travel in Belgrade (31e) and in Bratislava (35e). On the other hand, it will be higher for Zagreb (24e and last barrage just in front of Paris), on a perilous journey to the Emirates of Arsenal (3e).
The two surprise guests at the gates of the top 3 have never been so close to direct qualification for the eighth. Bayer Leverkusen, reigning German champion and fourth in C1, arrives confident of its strength at the Metropolitano of Atlético de Madrid (11e), remaining on twelve victories in all competitions. But the challenge will be significant this Tuesday, against the Spaniards who are playing spoilsport in La Liga. An adversity that Aston Villa (4e), who will play a little earlier away on the Monaco Rock, against an ASM 16e and barrage, eager to forget her last two setbacks suffered in the competition (Benfica then Arsenal, which definitely causes a lot of trouble for our French clubs). THE Villa's of Unai Emery, who have remained at the top of the table since the start of the competition, can, in the event of victory, come very close to a direct qualification, and thus prove to Europe that it is not just a good Premier League club.
-Neck and neck with a tenth and a ninth place, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the two flagship teams of German football, are on two very different dynamics. In form and leaders in the championship, the Bavarians can get closer to direct qualification in the round of 16 if they beat Feyenoord (18e) Wednesday. In the doldrums after three defeats in the league and with a coach in the hot seat, the BvB is in the same situation as its compatriot in C1. A victory at the almost eliminated Bologna (33e) Tuesday evening would allow the last finalist of the Champions League to also glimpse a direct qualification towards the next round, and to avoid getting bogged down in the crisis of the Ruhr club.
In this mission, Borussia can count on an individuality, that of Serhou Guirassy. The Guinean, second top scorer in C1 this season with Raphinha (six goals in as many matches), seems to polarize all the offensive potential of the Germans. Remaining on the same dynamic as his crazy last season with Stuttgart (30 goals in as many games), Guirassy will be THE player to follow during this 7e day of C1. Knowing that his last three goals were scored in important matches (Leverkusen and double against Barcelona), the Guinean international is expected to turn this Tuesday evening in Italy.
Speaking of soccer, exactly. With the exception of Bologna, the Italian teams have decided to place themselves neither too low nor too high this season in the Champions League. Well, Inter still holds its place with a sixth place and can even climb higher in the event of a victory against Sparta Prague on Wednesday, when the others are magnetized between them, between the 12e and the 14e place. Play-offs, AC Milan (12e), Atalanta (13e) and Juventus (14e) can scratch their ticket for the play-offs (or even more) if they take points. The first and second respectively receive Girona (30e) et Sturm Graz (29e), when the third moves to Bruges. Yes, Italian football is doing well.
They could leave us this week
Hello apothecary calculations. Nine non-playoff clubs can still hope to qualify during these last two group days (PSG, Stuttgart, Shakhtar, Sparta Prague, Sturm Graz, Girona, Belgrade, Salzburg). The hellish schedule of the new Champions League does not make their business easier. Apart from Stuttgart which plays Slovan Bratislava, already eliminated, all the teams mentioned will face higher ranked teams. Let’s get ready to rumble !
While his loan has not yet been made official, Randal Kolo Muani is training with Juventus
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