© Imago
Sporting Lisbon will look to get their Champions League campaign back on track when they face an RB Leipzig side who have already been eliminated.
Back-to-back defeats in this competition to end 2024 saw Sporting plummet down the standingswhile Leipzig are rooted to the bottom, with six defeats from six.
We say: RB Leipzig 2-3 Sporting Lisbon
Entertainment is often assured when Leipzig are involved, but none of that has gone in their favour in this Champions League campaign so far.
A few weeks ago, Sporting were losing every time they took to the field, but results have steadily improved and they will feel confident of returning to form on the continent here to make sure of their spot in the knockouts.
> Champions League preview: RB Leipzig vs Sporting Lisbon
© Imago
Brest will resume their fairytale Champions League campaign when they travel to neutral Gelsenkirchen to face Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday evening.
The competition debutants remain unbeaten in Europe this season and are already assured of a spot in the knockout round, while Shakhtar need two wins to have any chance of progression.
We say: Shakhtar Donetsk 1-3 Brest
Only Atalanta, Feyenoord and Liverpool have won more points away from home in the league phase than Brest, so travelling to some of Europe’s elite has not been daunting at all, and they will be in an expectant mood in Germany.
Shakhtar have quite literally been out in the cold for over a month, with no competitive action since mid-December, and they have been largely disappointing in Europe, with the ongoing war seriously affecting their ability to deal in the transfer market, weakening the squad year-on-year.
> Champions League preview: Shakhtar vs Brest
© Imago
Still on track for a Champions League playoff place, Celtic welcome basement side Young Boys to Glasgow for their penultimate League Phase encounter on Wednesday evening.
While Brendan Rodgers’s men are potentially just one triumph away from sealing a knockout spot, their pointless visitors are already consigned to an early elimination.
We say: Celtic 3-0 Young Boys
Celtic are just one goal away from reaching double digits at home in the 2024-25 Champions League – not since the 1970-71 season have they hit the 10-goal mark in Europe’s top tier on their own patch – and Rodgers’s men should reach that milestone with ease on Wednesday.
Young Boys might have a new face at the helm, but they remain vulnerable at the back and do not possess the firepower up front to counteract their dismal defending.
> Champions League preview: Celtic vs Young Boys
© Imago
Hovering just outside the coveted top eight spots in the Champions League league phase table, Bayern Munich square up to Feyenoord at De Kuip in Wednesday’s intriguing showdown.
Vincent Kompany’s men strolled to a 5-1 crushing of Shakhtar Donetsk in their final European engagement of 2024, while their hosts have 10 points to their name and also occupy a playoff place.
We say: Feyenoord 1-3 Bayern Munich
Goals at both ends of the field are a guarantee whenever Feyenoord play in the Champions League, and that theme should continue on Wednesday, albeit more to Bayern’s benefit.
Kompany’s men are facing off against a side with a ravaged midfield and low confidence stores amid a difficult domestic period, and the Bundesliga leaders have our backing to win this one with ease.
> Champions League preview: Feyenoord vs Bayern
© Imago
Still in the mix for a precious top-eight finish, AC Milan will aim to continue their Champions League success streak at Girona‘s expense on Wednesday.
Four straight wins have taken the Italian giants onto 12 points with two games to play, while Girona’s meagre tally of three sees the debutants languishing in the elimination places.
We say: AC Milan 2-1 Girona
Both sides will keep travelling in opposite directions, as Milan have won their last four Champions League games and Girona have lost the last three.
The hosts may be hit-and-miss, but they are always tougher to beat at San Siro, where the home fans should celebrate another victory.
> Champions League preview: AC Milan vs Girona
© Imago
Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City meet at the Parc des Princes in arguably the most important game across matchday seven of the league phase in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
Many would have expected this to be a dead rubber at the beginning of the competition, but it has since taken on huge importance for both after dreadful starts on the continent.
We say: Paris Saint-Germain 1-2 Manchester City
Once City get back into their groove, they are a formidable opponent for anybody, and when push comes to shove, they usually deliver, and they will fancy their chances of virtually confirming a playoff place this week with a game to spare.
PSG will be no pushovers by any means, though, despite sitting down in 25th, as their eight-game winning streak shows, but City will be a level above all of the opponents they have faced during that run.
> Champions League preview: PSG vs Man City
> Savinho or Doku to complement in-form front three? Man City predicted XI vs. PSG
> Will Hakimi, Dembele, Marquinhos return? PSG predicted lineup vs. Man City
> Ake, Stones latest, Rodri, Bobb sidelined: Man City injury list for PSG clash
> ‘A real hunger to rectify mistakes’: Favourites assessed before PSG vs. Man City
© Imago
Closing in on automatic qualification for the last 16, Inter Milan will resume their Champions League campaign on Wednesday, when they visit struggling Sparta Prague.
Inter’s 13 points from six games puts them on track to avoid the playoffs, while Sparta’s modest tally of four leaves them in the elimination places.
We say: Sparta Prague 0-2 Inter Milan
Sparta Prague have spent 60% of their Champions League games trailing this season, while Inter have been behind for less than 1% of theirs so far.
That demonstrates the gulf between the two sides, so Italy’s reigning champions should stroll to maximum points and potentially eliminate their hosts.
> Champions League preview: Sparta Prague vs Inter Milan
© Imago
On the cusp of sealing their place in the last 16 of the Champions League, Arsenal‘s final home match of the league phase sees the Gunners take on Dinamo Zagreb in Wednesday’s Emirates encounter.
The Gunners have only been out-performed by Liverpool and Barcelona in this season’s league phase so far, while their Croatian visitors sit just inside the unseeded playoff positions and are now under the wing of a World Cup-winning captain.
We say: Arsenal 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb
No other team in the Champions League has performed as well at home as Arsenal have since the start of last season, and the Gunners are still yet to concede from open play in the 2024-25 competition.
Arteta’s men may be going through a sticky patch at the minute, but they will surely take care of business without a fuss on Wednesday evening, as Cannavaro is subjected to a losing start as Dinamo Zagreb boss.
> Champions League preview: Arsenal vs Dinamo Zagreb
> Time to ditch the Partey experiment? Predicted Arsenal XI vs. Dinamo Zagreb
> How bad is Saliba’s issue? Arsenal injury list for Dinamo Zagreb
© Imago
Real Madrid will look to ease the pressure on themselves in the Champions League when they host Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday night.
It has been a worrying start for the reigning champions, who looked in danger of missing out on the knockouts entirely at one point, but a win here will all but secure a spot in the top 24.
We say: Real Madrid 4-0 Red Bull Salzburg
Salzburg have been on the receiving end of quite a few bruising scorelines in this season’s Champions League, and this is now the toughest challenge they have faced, so another ugly result could be incoming.
Real are huge favourites to win here, and should make little fuss in doing so to put breathing space between themselves and the clubs challenging to make it into the top 24.
> Champions League preview: Real Madrid vs Salzburg
> Mass casualties in midfield, at right-back: Real Madrid predicted lineup vs. Salzburg
> Camavinga, Tchouameni set to miss out? Real Madrid injury, suspension news vs. Salzburg
