1
0
With the sixth fixture of the newly revamped Champions League almost upon us, several European football giants are on the brink of potential early exits.
Current holders, Real Madrid, Premier League champions Manchester City haven’t had it straightforward in this newly introduced 36-team league format of Europe’s elite competition. Meanwhile, French champions– PSG, are faltering worst among the four Ligue 1 representatives in the tournament as they’re currently placed 25th with 4 points from 5 games.
With only 24 clubs bound to move into the knockout phase, amongst which the top eight secures direct spots in the last 16, while the remaining 16 face off in a two-legged play-offs.
PSG is currently facing elimination from contention, while Kylian Mbappé’s Madrid team is placed just one spot higher, clinging to the last qualifying position. This week, both teams are on the road for their GW6 fixtures, with Madrid gearing up for a challenging match against Atalanta and PSG taking on Salzburg, which appears to be the easier task on Tuesday. PSG, despite an attacking lineup boasting Randal Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembele, Goncalo Ramos, and Bradley Barcola, PSG has managed just three goals in five league-stage games—a figure that ranks as one of the lowest in the tournament.
Winners from two seasons ago, Manchester City finds itself in 17th place with eight points– an amount deemed sufficient for advancement by statistical simulations. Nevertheless, a loss to Juventus on Wednesday could spell disaster for the struggling English Champions. In their past nine matches across all competitions, City has stumbled six times, drawn twice, and claimed only a single victory. This period includes two challenging Champions League outings—a notable 4-1 humiliation by Sporting Lisbon, alongside a bewildering 3-3 draw with Feyenoord after leading 3-0 with a quarter of the match remaining.
Liverpool remains the only club to have a perfect record of 15 points, firmly securing their spot in the knockout stage. On Tuesday, they will aim for a sixth consecutive victory in an away match against Girona.
Inter Milan, holding second place, heads into their match against Leverkusen yet to concede a single goal thus far in the tournament.
Another exciting fixture to see will be Barcelona’s visit to Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, as these teams sit in close proximity in third and fourth positions, respectively.
Arsenal, who are placed seventh in the Champions League group, will be looking to strengthen their position with a positive result against Monaco. With hopes pinned on the return of key defensive personnel like Gabriel and Italian, Riccardo Calafiori, the Gunners aim to overcome their injury setbacks and maintain momentum in Europe.
Real Madrid who have stumbled to three losses in five matches, now up against an Atalanta side that is yet to taste defeat and boasts a stellar defensive record, conceding only a single goal so far.
