Table of Contents
The last match day of the Champions League League phase is almost here, because all 36 teams start on Wednesday 22 February at 3 p.m. Paramount+. With only Liverpool and Barcelona who have received places in the top eight of the table, there is plenty to play for, since things are coming to an end, especially with teams such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain who fight to the knockout phase reaches.
With the shift from a traditional group stage to the new Swiss format of the Champions League, these upcoming matches will be different from everything we have seen before with teams that shift by the minute while goals arrive on the last day of the competition phase. That is why it is a good chance to take a look at what the games are to keep an eye on Wednesday, because it will be a Topsy-Turwy ride.
5. Barcelona vs. Atalanta
The place of Barcelona in the last 16 may already be beaten, but with a victory and a loss of Liverpool there is a chance that the men of Hansi Flick can end up as the number one team in the inaugural competition phase. Hearing history is always tempting and it is also intriguing to have a chance in the best path to the final. But making the trip to Spain will be a formidable opposition in Atalanta. The Italian side needs a victory to guarantee a place directly in the round of 16, and depending on how things go, a draw can be sufficient. Atalanta has one of the best defenses in the tournament and can test Barcelona’s high -flying attack in what a tense collision will be.
4. Lille vs. Feyenoord
Level on 13 points, both teams are in the knockout phase of the tournament, but they are also only of the top eight based on target difference. That is why a victory for both can be crucial in their chances of reaching the last 16. In a competition with some of the best strikers of Concacaf in the Canadian international Jonathan David and the Mexican international Santiago Gimenez, a regional rivalry will also be shown. For teams that would have been happy to just reach the knockout phase, the reward of a TOP-Acht would be a good achievement.
3. Juventus vs. Benfica
Looking at these names on paper, this is not a match that is expected to be closer to the bottom of the table, but Juventus cannot find the back of the net and Benfica cannot hold leads and these teams see sitting 17th and 21st, respectively. Juventus has protected a place in the knockout phase, but Benfica is one of the parties that will worry that a loss can see them from the knockouts missing for the second season. The campaigns of both teams started well before they developed in chaos, so that they are looking for victories to reverse the vibes and save themselves.
2. Manchester City vs. Club Brugge
Win and you love the knockouts. The goal here is simple, but where it becomes fascinating, is that the winner will probably take the place of the loser in the knockout phase. A draw only helps Bruges because the city needs a victory to even have a chance on the top 24, something that shows how much a disaster has been their campaign. The hosting of Bruges feels at home as a competition that should easily win the city, but nothing is easy for the men of Pep Guardiola this season and that is why they are even in this situation. Missing it would be a historic moment when City was a regular side in the round of 16, and much deeper, but they are not the only European power in danger.
1. VFB Stuttgart vs. PSG
The situation of PSG would be worse without their recent victory on the city, but that does not mean that they are on their way to sail smoothly in a heavy road to one of the most popular teams in UCL Play. Stuttgart has won three games on the leap to reverse their own prospects, now in 24th place during their very first Champions League campaign. PSG is in 22nd place on 11 points and a draw can be enough to see them on goal difference, but leave things to chance to end in the heartache. Both teams can easily score, but when it comes to defending, there is a lot to be desired, the goals will fly and the bet cannot be higher.