Champions League Matchday 7 Preview

The most hectic part of the group stage has arrived. With only two matchdays to go, it is truly make or break time for many teams.

This airtight UCL table makes it so a loss can be very costly while a win will just keep a team alive. Take Inter Milan for example; last Matchday they found themselves second only two points behind leaders Liverpool. However, after failing to beat Bayer Leverkusen they dropped down to sixth place and have to win their next two games in order to guarantee a spot directly into the Rounds of 16. On the other hand Stuttgart won only their second game in this UCL campaign, but only managed to move up from the 27 to 26 place in the table.

1. Liverpool 15
2. Barcelona 13
3. Arsenal 12
4. Leverkusen 12
5. Aston Villa 11
6. Inter 10
7. Brest 10
8. Lille 10
9. Dortmund 10
10. Bayern 10
11. Atletico Madrid 10
12. Milan 10
13. Atalanta 9
14. Juventus 9
15. Benfica 9
16. Monaco 9
17. Sporting 8
18. Feyenoord 8
19. Club Brugge 8
20. Real Madrid 8
21. Celtic 7
22. Man City 7
23. PSV 7
24. Dinamo Zagreb 6
25. PSG 4
26. VfB Stuttgart 4
27. Shakhtar Donetsk 4
28. Sparta Praha 4
29. SK Sturm Graz 3
30. Girona 3
31. Crvena zvezda 3
32. RB Salzburg 3
33. Bologna 1
34. RB Leipzig 0
35. Slovan Bratislava 0
36. Young Boys 0

Key Fixtures

Tuesday

Atletico Madrid vs Leverkusen

Tuesday’s fixture between Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen as a direct trip to the Rounds of 16 is on the line. The defending Bundesliga champions travel to the Spanish capital as they face Los Colchoneros while both teams look to qualify to the next round.

Before Jan. 18 loss against relegation battling Léganes, Atletico Madrid were top of the league and on a 15 game win streak in all competitions (with their last loss coming in Oct. 27 against Real Betis). Diego Simeone’s men look to get back on track against in-form Bayer Leverkusen, however, the key losses of Jose Gimenez and potentially Alexander Sorloth could be a sure setback for the Spanish club.

Bayer Leverkusen on the other hand are second in the Bundesliga (only four points behind Bayern), and are on a 13 game win streak. Despite having Victor Boniface on the sidelines due to injury, Florian Wirtz will look to be Leverkusen’s key man once again as he has already recorded 23 goal contributions in 28 games this season.

This fixture is truly a clash of fine margins. Following this matchday, Bayer Leverkusen will face Sparta Praha while Atletico will face RB Salzburg, who have four and three points respectively. Neither team has bought their ticket to the next phase of the UCL, nevertheless, direct qualification to the Rounds of 16 is still very much on the table for both teams. 

Although qualification is still possible, so is elimination. As mentioned before, a loss weighs more than a win in this format of the Champions League; a win for either team could mean qualification, but a loss could prove to be detrimental for either club.

Wednesday

Wednesday’s key fixture sees 25th placed PSG host 22nd placed Manchester City. Both teams have had similar seasons so far: they struggled in Europe and their subpar form translated over to their league form. 

Now both PSG and Man City look to be back on track; with the Parisians having won eight straight games since their game against RB Salzburg and the Citizens have won four out of their last five games.

Similarly, both teams will have to make due without their newest signings. PSG recently signed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli while Manchester City signed Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt and Abdukodir Khusanov from RC Lens; none of which will be available until the next phase of the Champions League.

Elimination is still on the table and both teams look for damage control after their disastrous start to their UCL campaign. 

Players to look out for

Serhou Guirassy

One of the best players this season has gone relatively under the radar. Serhou Guirassy has scored or assisted in every Champions League game he has played for Borussia Dortmund.

The Guinea international has six goals and two assists in six UCL matches and will prove to be key for BVB as they look to secure a pass to the next phase against Bologna.

Guirassy has failed to replicate his form domestically, having seven goals and one assist in 15 games. However, with Dortmund’s recent three game losing streak BVB will surely rely on his European form.

Underdogs

Lille

Lille currently find themselves third in Ligue 1 and eighth in the Champions League. The French club is in the midst of an airtight fight for a spot in the top eight, while Liverpool look to guarantee it. Liverpool have the home advantage (Anfield is notoriously one of the toughest atmospheres to play in); however, with Edon Zhegrova and Johnathan David, Bruno Genesios’ men look to upset the Champions League leaders.