The penultimate day of action in the UEFA Champions League presents us with several historical aspects to take into account, which will be fully revealed between Tuesday and Wednesday with the duels that will take place in Europe in the most important club tournament in the world.
On principle, the fact of playing Champions League matches in January is atypical, and given that this is the first edition of the competition in which eight games are played in the initial phase, it was necessary to schedule matches so early in the year.
Another aspect to take into account is that the league format has landed on the right foot, because despite the doubts that may have existed at the beginning, the new format is attracting attention to the games that will be played these weeks, contrary to what happened with the previous format in which qualification was much simpler, as the teams only faced three opponents in the initial round.
In addition to the aforementioned, the tournament will deliver great matches in these days, starting on Tuesday with clashes involving the top four in the overall standings. Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayer Leverkusen will have key matches in their quest to secure a direct place in the knockout round, which will make what can be generated in these duels much more relevant.
This week will also have its dose of controversy, as one of the most anticipated matches of the first round will be played on Wednesday, when PSG receives the visit of Manchester City. The two teams, known in the soccer world for not being afraid to use their checkbooks, face a key day for their European projects, as a defeat for either of them could be the end of their continental tournament aspirations. Other important matches to be played on Wednesday will feature Arsenal (vs Dinamo Zagreb), Feyenoord vs Bayern, or Real Madrid vs Salzburg, among others.
We're back! 🙌#UCL pic.twitter.com/a3kizqozJt
- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 20, 2025
Day 7 Champions League - What are the possible changes in the standings?
Several clubs have a lot to win - or lose - in the upcoming matches. Liverpool, for example, could secure first place in the table with a win, especially if it is combined with a draw for Barcelona. For their part, the Blaugrana cannot relax in their attempt to return to the final stages of the tournament, as dropping points in Lisbon could cause them to fall out of the top eight. Others like Inter and Aston Villa need to win to secure their place in the top eight, although that could happen until the last matchday considering the combinations with the clubs chasing them in the race for the final direct qualification places.
Now, it is time to talk about those who are in danger for the final phase. One of those clubs is Real Madrid, which surprisingly finds itself in 20th place out of 36, close to the "burning" for the last places, and needs to obtain at least four out of six points to qualify for the final phase. Qualifying directly already seems a utopia, as they need to win their two matches and wait for a series of combinations to overtake at least thirteen clubs, which is already more than impossible at this stage.
Two other clubs that are close to elimination are Manchester City and PSG. The duel between the two is key this week as only one point separates them, but defeat for either would open the door for their rivals to leave them out on the following week's matchday. Will their coaches be cautious this week, or will they go out and leave everything without thinking about the consequences of their actions?
Here is the standings prior to the start of this week's games.
This is how the league phase table looks ahead of MD7 👇#UCL pic.twitter.com/hVoIkDbwvA
- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) January 21, 2025
Forecast
In Tuesday's duels, the first one to take into account is Atletico Madrid vs Bayer Leverkusen. Atletico is the favorite with a line of +134, while Xabi Alonso's team has a odds of +225. The draw, which is not far-fetched given the quality of these teams, is at +230.
The second duel to watch on Tuesday is Benfica vs Barcelona. The Lusitanians have won only one of their last four in this tournament, and one more loss would leave them in danger for the final week. Barcelona would secure their place in the top eight with a draw, so they come out as +115 favorites, while the home side has a line of +210.
On Wednesday, the game between PSG and Manchester City will be the main attraction. The local team is the favorite, perhaps because of that condition, as the line indicates a +147 in favor of Luis Enrique's team. Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's team will have to overcome the underdog condition with odds of +166, which tells us how difficult it is to predict the winner of the match.
Finally, Real Madrid fans can rest assured that, based on the preview, they are overwhelming favorites to beat Salzburg. The odds for a Madrid win are -1220, while a win for the Austrian team is +2675. In case of a draw, the house pays a not inconsiderable +1200, although to tell the truth it does not sound very feasible that the Austrians can get points at the Bernabeu.
Remember that the lines are dynamic and they can change when you decide to place your bet. Either way, keep enjoying the best lines only with Betcris!
