We have entered the second half of the first round in the UEFA Champions League. The new format has delivered some memorable matches and some forgettable ones, but overall it has kept all fans very interested in what is happening in the competition.
Regarding this week's schedule, we anticipate classic duels between rivals that aspire to the championship, as well as some clashes in which the clubs that occupy the final positions of the table will try to get into the fight for one of the 24 places for the direct elimination phase. Because of this and much more, it goes without saying that we will have unmissable matches worthy of our users deciding to play money either in several matches or by combining the results of different matches.
As usual with this new format, there will be nine matches on Tuesday and nine more on Wednesday, among which we will see some teams at risk of being eliminated even with several games left to play. Tuesday will feature matches worthy of analysis such as Bayern vs PSG, Inter vs RB Leipzig, or Sporting vs Arsenal.
As for Wednesday, the Liverpool vs Real Madrid derby will be in the spotlight, while other games such as Aston Villa vs Juventus or Monaco vs Benfica promise plenty of excitement for fans of these clubs as well as for casual fans.
Before moving on to a more in-depth analysis, here is the complete list of games to be played this week.
We're back! 😄#UCL pic.twitter.com/Iuzl8V7qnR
- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 25, 2024
Champions League - Five facts to consider for Day 5 of the League Phase
- Bayern München have defeated PSG in three of their four most recent matches. In all of those games, PSG have failed to score against the German side.
- Sporting Lisbon have never beaten Arsenal in regular time. However, the Portuguese managed to eliminate the English team on penalties in their last meeting, beating them 6-4 in the 2023 Europa League.
- Barcelona will face a French opponent (Brest) for the 23rd time in this tournament. The Culés' record against Ligue 1 clubs shows 10 wins, seven draws and five defeats.
- Real Madrid is unbeaten against Liverpool in its eight most recent games. Seven of those games have ended in wins for Los Merengues.
- Aston Villa and Juventus will meet again in a continental tournament for the first time since March 1983, in a series that Juve won 5-2 on aggregate.
Standings before the start of Day 5
Before MD5 👀
Any surprises? 🤔#UCL pic.twitter.com/r4Mu3ECB8w
- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 25, 2024
Five clubs remain unbeaten after four rounds: Liverpool, Sporting, Monaco, Brest and Inter Milan. Of these, only Liverpool have managed to win all four of their matches, so if this stage were to end today, they would be the club to advance to the final round as the top seed. The three clubs that would complete the eight that automatically qualify for the final round are Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa, all three with nine points.
In the group that would enter the preliminary phase there are some of the teams that were considered favorites, but for some reason have not been able to maintain that status. Some of those who fall into this category are: Manchester City, Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, and surprisingly, Bayern and Real Madrid. These last two clubs would even have to play the return of the first phase as visitors, which increases the morbidity for the last rounds of the initial phase and the capacity they show to recover.
Given that only 24 clubs can enter the final round, there are twelve positions from which those eliminated in the league phase will be drawn. Among these clubs, PSG stands out, which is at risk of elimination after losing two of its games in the tournament, and its situation might not improve if it loses to Bayern these days. Finally, clubs such as RB Leipzig, Sturm Graz or Young Boys must win at all costs this week, since, with zero points and negative goal differences, their future in the tournament does not look promising.
UEFA CL - What do the lines say for this week's games?
Bayern vs PSG - The Bavarians come out as heavy favorites with -169 on the line for +420 for the Parisians. The draw scores +360, establishing itself as a good option for bettors.
Barcelona vs Brest - For this match we propose a line that has to do with goals scored, considering that Hansi Flick's team is the team with more goals. On this occasion, the line for goals scored by the home side is at 2.5, so exceeding that figure marks -162 and the "no" pays +130.
Sporting vs Arsenal - Those who like to bet on the exact score have a great alternative with this match. A goalless draw pays +1150, while a 1-0 win for the Portuguese Lions awards +1000. Meanwhile, the line for Arsenal winning 1-0 pays +775.
Aston Villa vs Juventus - The game between English and Italians shows several interesting alternatives, including the number of total goals between the two. The goalless option pays +255, while a game in which three or more goals are scored has a line of +470.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid - The bad Merengue moment in the tournament, combined with the excellent start of the English club has the Reds as favorite with -116. The draw is the second best option at +285, while the Merengue win has a line of +310, one of the highest starting lines for the defending champion.
*Remember that the lines are dynamic, so we recommend you check them all before placing your bet.
