This Tuesday, January 21, the spotlight will be on the Champions League for a return that promises great matches. FC Barcelona will have to prove against Benfica, while Eliesse Ben Seghir’s AS Monaco must recover against Aston Villa. Here is the program for the day.
Atalanta vs Sturm Graz : 18h45
A 1-0 home win over Sturm Graz in Group D gave Atalanta a strong start to UEFA Europa League glory last season. Now, with hopes of climbing from 13th place in the league stage standings, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men welcome the Austrian side back to Bergamo. Atalanta remained unbeaten until their 3-2 home defeat to Real Madrid on Matchday 6, but their confidence remains intact thanks to a convincing performance. “We showed we can compete with a team full of champions,” said forward Ademola Lookman.
Sturm Graz, with three points from six games, narrowly missed the opportunity to add more after a late goal from Hákon Arnar Haraldsson for Lille on Matchday 6. Ranked 29th, Sturm also lost Mika Biereth (Monaco) and Jusuf Gazibegović (Köln) during the winter break. Although they don’t return to domestic competition until the end of the month, their new coach Jürgen Säumel has revived their morale in late 2024, and they should not be underestimated.
Monaco vs Aston Villa : 18h45
After two consecutive defeats, Eliesse Ben Seghir’s AS Monaco hopes to regain the form they had at the start of the league phase. Adi Hütter’s side had won three of their first four matches, including a landmark victory against Barcelona, before suffering setbacks against Benfica and Arsenal. Captain Thilo Kehrer expressed his hope for better performance against another strong English team.
Aston Villa, after a saving goal from Ross Barkley against Leipzig (85th minute), regained victory and climbed to 5th place. Although they have neutralized Leipzig’s hopes, their coach and players remain focused: “If we reach the top 8, that would be fantastic,” said John McGinn.
S. Bratislava – Stuttgart: 9:00 p.m
Slovan Bratislava are no longer able to qualify for the knockout stage, but coach Vladimír Weiss is determined to make the most of their remaining matches in the league stage. There were positives to take from this performance, with Weiss believing his side only lacked the finishing precision shown by Julián Alvarez and Antoine Griezmann at the other end of the pitch. But after scoring in their last three matches, Slovan Bratislava are gradually adding the finishing touches that could propel them to their first points of the championship phase.
Stuttgart reversed the trend on matchday 6, winning 5-1 against Young Boys after suffering a defeat by the same scoreline in their previous league phase match. Five different scorers scored at the Arena Stuttgart to secure their second win of the campaign, moving them into 26th place in the league stage table. The pressure is on, but striker Angelo Stiller believes anything is possible ahead of two decisive matches. “It was like a dam breaking, with the euphoria it caused among the supporters,” said the midfielder. “With them behind us, we are still a threat.”
Club Bruges vs Juventus: 21h00
A 2–0 home victory over Juventus in April 1978 took Club Brugge to the European Cup final that year, where they were beaten 1–0 by Liverpool. The Belgian side have reason to be confident as they hope to repeat this feat at the Jan Breydelstadion in 2025. Unbeaten in their last three matches, a 2-1 victory against Sporting CP last time out leaves them 19th while they is preparing for its last home match in the championship phase. Coach Nicky Hayen expressed pride after the important victory, but quickly came to his senses. “We always want more,” he said, echoing the defiance that allowed Club Brugge to surprise the competition all those years ago.
More recent history is with Juventus, who triumphed home and away against Club Brugge in the 2005/06 Champions League season, and their form is also encouraging. Juventus are also unbeaten in three matches, securing a particularly impressive 2-0 victory over Manchester City – Club Brugge’s Matchday 8 opponents – in their last outing. But with everything still to play for as the end of the inaugural phase of the championship approaches, coach Thiago Motta refuses to let confidence become complacency. “It makes you more alert and more focused,” he said of the new format.
Liverpool vs Lille : 21h00
After missing his penalty against Real Madrid, Mohamed Salah sealed Liverpool’s sixth group stage victory by converting a second-half penalty in Girona. The Reds have not conceded a goal since the third minute of their opening match against Milan.
Seven places behind the leader, Lille is another remarkable player in the inaugural phase of the championship. The French’s only defeat came on matchday one at Sporting CP and they have since won four and drawn one, including victories against Real Madrid and Atlético.
Atletico vs Leverkusen: 21:00
-Atleti secured their third consecutive victory in the league stage on Matchday 6, beating Slovan Bratislava 3-1 at the Estadio Metropolitano to move up to 11th place.
Diego Simeone’s side are also in fine domestic form, having been at the top of the La Liga tree at Christmas following a dramatic 2-1 win at Barcelona on December 21.
Xabi Alonso’s team, however, has solid qualities to unlock the toughest defenses. Amine Adli’s Leverkusen, fourth in the standings, became the first team in the league stage to break through Inter’s defense in their final match.
This is the 11th meeting between Atlético and Leverkusen in UEFA competitions, with previous meetings having been evenly split – three wins each side and four draws.
Benfica vs Barcelona : 21h00
FC Barcelona must bounce back against Benfica in the Champions League, after a series of poor results in La Liga.
Unable to win at Getafe for the fifth consecutive season on Saturday (1-1), the Catalans have won only one of their last eight league matches, falling behind their rivals Real Madrid and Madrid. Atletico Madrid.
Lacking consistency in the league despite an almost perfect start and an exciting style of play, the Blaugrana club is on the other hand there in C1, with 5 victories and 1 defeat in six days and a second place behind Liverpool.
Benfica coach Bruno Lage also considers Barcelona one of the favorites for the final victory, something the Catalans have not managed to do for ten years.
FC Bologna vs Borussia Dortmund : 21 heures
Bologna increased their points tally to two thanks to the 0-0 draw at Benfica on Matchday 6, meaning a place in the knockout stage remains mathematically possible despite being in 33rd place. Vincenzo Italiano’s side will have their eyes on a victory in the first phase of the league and can be encouraged by a good performance in Lisbon.
A 3-2 defeat to Barcelona leaves Dortmund within touching distance of the top 8 heading into Matchday 7, although they are just one point behind third-placed Arsenal.
Red Star vs PSV: 9 p.m.
After securing their first victory and first points in the league phase against Stuttgart on matchday 5, only a decisive goal from Tammy Abraham for Milan prevented Red Star from adding a point to their total in the last exit.
PSV’s four-match unbeaten run ended in Brest after a decisive goal from Julien Le Cardinal in the first half. Will they regain the form that allowed them to win two consecutive victories before the defeat at Guingamp? Bosz certainly hopes so after what he called “the worst match of my career as PSV coach”.
