It may be the middle of January, but we have finally reached the end of the league phase in the Champions League with all 36 teams in action at 8pm on Wednesday.
There are still some qualification positions to be sorted, and Shane O’Brien has got you covered with predictions in five games.
Will we see the unthinkable and the 2023 champions Manchester City not make it to the knockout stages? Or will the evening be completely anticlimactic?
Let’s dive in…
Football betting tips
VfB Stuttgart v PSG – Draw
Barcelona v Atlanta – Barcelona to win
Dinamo Zagreb v AC Milan – Draw
Inter Milan v Monaco – Inter Milan to win
Sturm Graz v RB Leipzig – RB Leipzig to win
- An acca with these bets pays at approximately 50/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
VfB Stuttgart v PSG – Draw
It does not take a massive conspiracy theorist to spot that a draw perfectly suits Stuttgart and PSG.
If both sides score a point on Wednesday night, they will qualify for the knockout stages. However, if the game is drawn in Stuttgart, one of Manchester City or Club Brugge will be guaranteed to finish below them.
Neither side has been consistent enough during the Champions League to convince anyone that they can win a game.
PSG were excellent in their come-from-behind victory over City last weekend but have been incredibly inconsistent in Europe this season, especially away from home, where they have collected three points from three games.
On the other hand, Stuttgart performed impressively against Juventus and Real Madrid. They won in Turin and only lost in Madrid due to a late Madrid surge.
However, they also lost 5-1 to Crvena Zvezda, handing the Serbian club their sole point of the league phase. A draw suits both clubs and all signs point to a stalemate.
Barcelona v Atalanta – Barcelona to win
Barcelona produced a late, late comeback to stun Benfica in a thrilling 5-4 victory in Lisbon last weekend. The Catalan side have a slight chance of topping the league phase if they can beat Atalanta and Liverpool lose at PSV.
Victory over Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta is not guaranteed, however.
Atalanta have lost just once in seven Champions League – in a nip and tuck 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid – and have scored the third-highest number of goals in the competition.
The reigning Europa League champions need a result to secure a place in the top eight, but they may fall short against a Barcelona side that has won three home games out of three in Europe this season and scored 12 goals.
Dinamo Zagreb v AC Milan – Draw
Dinamo Zagreb have an outside chance of qualifying for the Champions League play-off stages. However, it remains out of their hands, and they must beat AC Milan to give themselves hope.
Milan have turned their Champions League campaign around after losing their opening two games. They have now won five on the spin to put themselves in pole position and secure a place in the top eight.
A draw will all but secure Milan’s place in the top eight, especially if Barcelona get the job done against Atalanta, but it will not be easy.
Although Milan have won five on the spin, they have not exactly been convincing, winning narrowly against Slovan Bratislava, Girona and Crvena Zvezda – three clubs out of the running for the knockout stages.
They also face a Dinamo Zagreb outfit with everything to play for. The Croatian side have recovered from a difficult start, taking eight points since a 9-2 defeat at Bayern Munich on the competition’s opening day.
However, they have not won at home, having drawn two and lost one of their three games to date. They may fall just short on Wednesday, and a draw would secure Milan’s place in the top eight.
Inter Milan v Monaco – Inter Milan to win
Inter have emerged as one of the frontrunners for the Champions League in the league phase, conceding just one goal in seven games and gaining an impressive 16 points out of a possible 21.
The beaten 2023 finalists have won all three home games without conceding a goal, and they look too strong for a Monaco side that still have an outside chance of a top-eight finish.
Monaco have secured impressive results in Europe this season, beating Barcelona and Aston Villa in impressive home performances. However, there have also been some mediocre showings, especially the 3-0 loss at Arsenal before Christmas.
Inter should have far too much for them on Wednesday.
Sturm Graz v RB Leipzig – RB Leipzig to win
One of the few games on Wednesday that has nothing riding on it is between Sturm Graz and RB Leipzig. After losing six of their first seven games, they have already been eliminated from Europe.
Leipzig endured a catastrophic campaign as a top seed, but they have been dealt a tough hand. They face one of the most formidable opponents in the competition.
They finally stalled their six-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Sporting last week and they can at least ensure they restore a bit of pride to their campaign by beating a Sturm Graz side that has only registered a 1-0 win over fellow strugglers Girona in a challenging campaign to date.
Leipzig are a level above Sturm Graz and will have been buoyed by their 2-2 draw with Leverkusen at the weekend. They should finish the league phase with a win.
Champions League betting tips
VfB Stuttgart v PSG – Draw
Barcelona v Atlanta – Barcelona to win
Dinamo Zagreb v AC Milan – Draw
Inter Milan v Monaco – Inter Milan to win
Sturm Graz v RB Leipzig – RB Leipzig to win
- An acca with these bets pays at approximately 50/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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