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    Fixtures to look out for with permutations for Man City, Real Madrid, Villa and more

    Ironside Sports MediaBy No Comments9 Mins Read


    Solely leaders Liverpool and second-placed Barcelona are assured a spot within the Champions League knockout stage earlier than the ultimate matchday within the inaugural league part.

    A complete of 16 groups have one thing to play for, together with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Celtic and a Manchester Metropolis facet who began as favourites to win the competitors however are liable to elimination on the first hurdle.

    Paris Saint-Germain, who have been additionally one of many pre-season favourites for European glory, and former champions Benfica and PSV are among the many sides who is also knocked out when the closing spherical of matches kick off at 8pm GMT on Wednesday.

    Listed here are six storylines to look out for within the Matchday 8 Champions League fixtures, in addition to a have a look at the permutations.

    Man Metropolis vs Brugge: Champions League must-win

    Metropolis’s collapse at PSG final Wednesday means they’ve taken one level from their final 4 Champions League matches, occupy the very best elimination place and are assured to exit if they don’t beat Membership Brugge at house.

    The excellent news for Metropolis is that – so long as they win – they are going to undergo as a result of they solely must catch one of many groups above them to progress to a two-legged knockout part play-off to succeed in the spherical of 16.

    They’re sure to realize that as a result of they’re three factors behind Brugge with a superior objective distinction, however the second-placed facet in Belgium look difficult, arriving on a four-game unbeaten European run that has included wins at house to Villa and Sporting and a 1-1 draw at Celtic.

    Regardless of enduring their worst ever set of outcomes below supervisor Pep Guardiola since November, depleted Metropolis regarded nearer to their formidable greatest in beating out-of-form Chelsea 3-1 at house on Saturday to increase their unbeaten home run to seven matches.

    Even when Metropolis are forward, the second half may very well be a nervy one. Guardiola’s facet have been held at house by Feyenoord after being 3-0 forward within the 74th minute on Matchday 5, and led 2-0 within the fifty fifth minute of their 4-2 defeat on the Parc des Princes.

    Aston Villa vs Celtic: British sides trying ahead

    A high-quality debut within the trendy Champions League for Villa had a blip final Tuesday when a 1-0 defeat at Monaco put them exterior the automated locations for the spherical of 16 on objective distinction.

    A win, then, would put them in a robust place to keep away from a play-off, whereas a draw would suffice within the unlikely-looking occasion of Leverkusen dropping at house to eradicated Sparta Prague.

    Celtic must win and hope a number of outcomes go of their favour to progress mechanically, however they’re assured a play-off place and a constructive outcome might guarantee they end within the high eight of the 16 play-off groups, probably serving to them keep away from a gathering with stronger opponents on paper.

    Villa will likely be cautious of opponents who’re 10 factors clear in Scotland and have secured attracts at Atalanta and Dinamo Zagreb, though they might have loved analysing Celtic’s 7-1 thrashing at Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 2 and the truth that their solely defeat of their final 26 video games got here in a 3-0 loss at Rangers on January 2.

    Scotland midfielder and Villa captain John McGinn might make his first begin following a hamstring damage, having approaching as an alternative of their 1-1 draw at house to West Ham on Saturday.

    Stuttgart vs PSG: Pair push for play-offs

    PSG’s comeback towards Metropolis was their second successive Champions League victory and eased the strain on supervisor Luis Enrique round their European marketing campaign.

    A visit to opponents stage on factors with them and determined for a outcome to increase their very own marketing campaign, nevertheless, represents a probably powerful league part finale for the runaway French leaders, who will hope to finish the night as one of many high eight play-off groups moderately than reflecting on a shock.

    They misplaced 1-0 at Bayern Munich in a repeat of the 2019/20 Champions League closing outcome on their final journey to Germany on Matchday 5 and can hope for higher towards opponents 16 factors behind Die Roten in Germany.

    Stuttgart performed their first Champions League house sport in 14 years once they drew with Sparta Prague as a part of a blended marketing campaign at house, additionally dropping 2-0 to knockout stage contenders Atalanta and profitable 5-1 towards Younger Boys, who’ve misplaced seven out of seven.

    Luis Enrique rested the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and Joao Neves amongst six adjustments in PSG’s 1-1 draw at house to Reims on Saturday, with Bradley Barcola, Vitinha and Willian Pacho additionally more likely to return from the beginning this time.

    PSV vs Liverpool: Excellent league part for Reds?

    Earlier than Manchester Metropolis accomplished the feat final season, Liverpool’s 2021/22 squad had been the one English facet to get pleasure from an ideal Champions League group stage.

    With two additional video games within the preliminary part below the brand new competitors format, it will be one other vastly spectacular achievement for Arne Slot in his first season in cost if the Reds can win all of their league part video games.

    On a extra sensible stage, defeat for Liverpool would enable Barcelona to overhaul them by profitable at house to Atalanta, however Slot has identified that luck will play its half in whether or not ending first or second proves extra beneficial when it comes to round-of-16 opponents.

    With that commentary by Slot in thoughts, Liverpool could also be tempted to relaxation the likes of high scorer Mohamed Salah forward of their journey to in-form Bournemouth on Saturday (3pm).

    Prime of the Dutch Eredivisie, PSV ended a run of three immediately defeats in all competitions with a 3-2 win at eradicated Crvena zvezda and are all however mathematically assured of a play-off place, whereas they’d be counting on a string of different outcomes to have hope of going via mechanically with victory.

    Slot gained one in every of his final seven conferences with PSV throughout his tenure at former membership Feyenoord. The Farmers’ absentees embrace first-choice defender Ryan Flamingo as they put together to come across the Dutchman once more.

    Actual Madrid and Bayern in chasing pack

    Real Madrid are probably the most profitable crew within the historical past of the competitors and the 15-time champions alleviated any doubt over their place inside the highest 24 by profitable 5-1 at house to Salzburg on Matchday 7.

    The Spanish leaders be a part of six-time champions Bayern Munich, two-time winners Juventus and 2023/24 finalists Dortmund among the many groups who should win to have an opportunity of going via mechanically moderately than getting into the play-offs.

    Madrid have probably the most difficult-looking fixture of these 4 groups, being the one one of many quartet to play away once they journey to a Brest facet a degree forward of them and with designs of their very own on a top-eight end.

    Dortmund host Shakhtar Donetsk, who must win and hope for a sizeable objective distinction swing if they’re to remain within the competitors, and Bayern host Slovan Bratislava, who’re but to earn a degree.

    Juve have gained one in every of their final seven video games in all competitions and are at house to two-time champions Benfica, who’ve a slim probability of going out in the event that they lose.

    Arsenal vs Girona: Gunners might log out in fashion

    Arsenal are on the point of reaching the knockout stage for a second consecutive season, with solely a hefty defeat at eradicated Girona and heavy wins for the six groups instantly under them providing any probability of the Gunners getting into the play-offs.

    The 2005/06 finalists are six factors behind Liverpool within the Premier League and host Manchester Metropolis on Sunday (4.30pm), so supervisor Mikel Arteta may very well be considering resting gamers and Ben White, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard is probably not rushed again from accidents and, within the case of the captain, sickness.

    Relying on how Arteta views being seeded increased within the draw, he might also be concentrating on victory and a objective distinction swing of 4 so as to leapfrog Barca and end second.

    Competitors debutants Girona have misplaced their final three matches and their predicament has been compounded by damage doubts on the again over regulars Paulo Gazzaniga – who was in objective when Tottenham gained 2-0 at Arsenal within the 2018/19 EFL Cup – Miguel Gutierrez and Daley Blind.

    Eighth-placed in Spain, they’ve misplaced 4 in a row in Europe and gone greater than six hours with out scoring since their 2-0 win at house to Slovan on Matchday 3, giving them their solely Champions League factors to date.

    When are the Champions League knockout part play-offs?

    Groups ending between the highest and backside eight will enter two-legged knockout part play-off ties.

    The primary legs will happen on February 11 and 12, adopted by the return matches every week later. The draw to determine the ties will likely be held on January 31.

    When is the Champions League spherical of 16?

    The highest eight sides and the play-off winners will participate in spherical of 16 first-leg matches on March 4 and 5, adopted by the second legs every week later.

    The draw for the spherical of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will happen on February 21.





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