Champions League Predictions

Bologna’s debut season in the Champions League is not going well, as the team is the only one without a goal so far. The Italian team had a chance for more points, but in the end, they only got one after a draw with Shakhtar. Bologna has conceded just five goals, and all four games ended with under 2.5 goals. Meanwhile, Lille are fighting for a playoff spot after taking home seven points from Real, Atletico and Juventus. Only the success over the Colchoneros in Madrid, on the other hand, ended with three or more goals. I expect a few goals today as well, with Bologna a solid host and Lille in phenomenal form.

In recent years, Celtic has not performed particularly well in Europe, but at the moment, it has a real chance to fight for the Champions League playoffs. The Celts lost badly 1:7 to Borussia Dortmund, but in the remaining three games, they took 7 points with a goal difference of 8:1. The Scottish champion scored those eight goals in home matches against Sloan Bratislava and RB Leipzig. Expectations are for another success at home against Brugge, who surprisingly beat Aston Villa in the last round and is now with 6 points in their asset. Both teams are in good form, but I expect the home factor to be the key to success.

In the first round, Dinamo Zagreb lost 2:9 to Bayern Munich but managed to rise, and three games later, it has 7 points in its assets. Dinamo managed to beat Slovan and Salzburg, and against Monaco, conceded 2 goals in a draw. The Croatian champion can dream of moving forward, and today, it is not doomed against Borussia Dortmund. BVB had a relatively easy schedule, beating Brugge, Celtic and Sturm Graz, and against Real Madrid they suffered a historic collapse from 0-2 to 5-2. In the games of both teams so far, about 20 goals fell and today I don’t think we will be disappointed.

Liverpool – Real Madrid is one of the greatest European clashes in football history. “Merseysiders” are doing great in the tournament, and they are the only ones who can continue with wins. However, “Los Blancos” are pushed to the wall after surprising losses to Lille and Milan. However, it is Real Madrid who play in their favourite tournament, where they last lost to today’s opponent in 2009 and beat them in seven of the eight games that followed. Vinicius is not available for Carlo Ancelotti, and that will give Kylian Mbappé the opportunity to take the lead role in the Spanish grands’ attack.

Bayern Munich and PSG are far from the top eight in the Champions League standings. A loss for the French champion in Munich today would even put it at risk of fighting for a place in the extra play-offs. PSG has played four poor games so far, losing to Arsenal and Atletico Madrid. Bayern also lost twice, but at least at home it is unbeaten. I don’t expect too many goals today, as only one of PSG’s games in the tournament ended with more than two goals. Two of Bayern’s four games ended at 1-0.

Manchester City is on a run of five consecutive losses and will look to end that streak at home to Feyenoord. The team’s defensive performance has been tragic, with as many as 14 goals being conceded in this period. Over the weekend, the Citizens lost 0:4 to Tottenham at home, and in their last Champions League match, they lost 1:4 to Sporting in Portugal. Feyenoord’s matches in the tournament are among the highest-scoring ones, and the team has seven goals on its account, failing to score only at home to Bayer Leverkusen.

Atletico Madrid is among the disappointments so far in the Champions League and with only 6 points from 4 games. For the Colchoneros today is one of the easier games in theory, but an opponent like Sparta Prague cannot be underestimated. However, Atletico looked in form and arrived in Prague with five consecutive wins in all competitions, including one 2-1 over PSG in Paris. All four of the Spanish team’s games in the tournament have ended with more than 2.5 goals, and that goes for three of Sparta’s matches.

PSG and Atletico Madrid are among the disappointments in the new Champions League format and, after three rounds, are in real danger of being left out of the knockout stage. The French champion won with a late goal against Girona and showed nothing of value against Arsenal. A new disappointment followed after the 1-1 draw with PSV in Paris. Atletico, on the other hand, beat RB Leipzig and surprisingly lost to Benfica and Lille. However, Diego Simeone loves matches with big rivals, and I expect him to remain satisfied with the final result. I don’t notice why PSG deserve to be placed as such a big favourite.

The big Champions League match on Wednesday is at the Giuseppe Meazza between Inter and Arsenal. The bookmakers even beat the odds on both teams, but for me personally, the hosts remain the favourite. They did not lose at the Etihad and created countless situations through their successes over Crvena Zvezda and Young Boys. Arsenal are also goalless, having been impressed by a quiet home win over PSG. However, the Gunners recently played in the Lombardy region, and after an extremely poor game, they came away with a 0-0 draw with Atalanta. I don’t expect a much better performance today.

A real classic is coming to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday – Real Madrid vs Milan. For the Whites, it will be the first game after the Barcelona fiasco, and a rematch in front of the fans is a must. Real have been unconvincing enough so far in the tournament, but in their two home games, they have scored eight goals, and three of them have come on the account of Vinícius. Milan arrives in Madrid with an asset of only three points and a rather poor game since the beginning of the season. I expect a definite success for the hosts and an active role of Vinicius in the match.

The duel between Sloan Bratislava and Dinamo Zagreb is crucial for both teams. This is a chance to earn points, and three of them will give the Croatians a huge chance to dream of an elimination phase. The hosts, on the other hand, are chasing their first point. I expect open and attacking football with plenty of chances in front of both goals. In five of the six matches of the two teams in the tournament so far, at least 10 corners have been easily executed, although most of them were for their opponents.

After two rounds, Arsenal have 4 points in the Champions League, and today, in theory, should add an easy 3 to its assets. The Gooners have definitely not been convincing enough since the start of the season, losing to Bournemouth at the weekend, and we also saw poor games against Atalanta and Brighton. However, Shakhtar Donetsk would hardly trouble the Gooners at the Emirates, even with the personnel problems ahead of Arteta. The Ukrainians have failed to score in their first two games, and Arsenal’s defence is one of the best in Europe.

With a phenomenal start to the season, Aston Villa is ready to fight not only for another place in England’s Top 4 but also for a Champions League breakthrough. The team is one of seven with two wins from two games, with the latest coming over Bayern Munich. Interestingly, the Villans have yet to concede a goal, and today’s opponent hasn’t posted one yet. Bologna started with a point against Shakhtar and, at the beginning of the month, lost 0:2 in England to Liverpool.

PSG is definitely one of the big disappointments in the Champions League so far. The French side came into their home game sluggishly against Girona and won with an own goal at the very end. In England against Arsenal, on the other hand, we saw a total disappointment and a 0:2 loss. Against PSV, however, I think it is time for PSG to show what they are capable of with young French talent in their squad. Of course, PSV is without a lost point so far in the Eredivisie, but in the Champions League, the team has only one in their asset and has already conceded four goals.

In a repeat of the Wembley final, Real welcome Borussia to Madrid. At the end of last season, the Whites triumphed 2-0, and today it is logical to win again. However, they lost 0:1 to Lille in the previous round and were utterly unconvincing against Stuttgart in their first game. Dortmund, on the other hand, is the leader after two wins and 10 goals scored. Today, however, I expect a very different match from the Germans, and contrary to expectations, I think that the shots will not be very numerous.

Aston Villa and Bayern Munich have 3 points each after the first round in the Champions League. The Germans are the overwhelming favourites in the duel, but Unai Emery has much more experience than Vincent Kompany. Usually, the meetings of both teams offer a lot of shots, but I’m not sure that both managers will bet on their offensive style today. The opponents are in good form, but Kompany’s challenges are yet to come, and today’s will be one of them.

In the first round of the Champions League, Benfica and Atletico Madrid won their matches 2-1. The Portuguese side won the first leg away to Crvena зvezda, while the Spaniards overcame RB Leipzig with a winning goal in the 90th minute. Atletico got 8 corners in their match. As an away side, however, the Los Colchoneros are much more modest in this respect and have only 12 corners in total in four La Liga games. Benfica, on the other hand, has only got one corner in Serbia.

In recent years, Monaco has managed to maintain a high level, and the new season is off to an excellent start. The team shares first place with PSG in Ligue 1 and in the Champions League started with a win. The Monegasques outplayed and deservedly beat Barcelona 2-1, although it happened with a man more on the pitch. Today, the expectations are for three more points against Dinamo Zagreb, who lost 2:9 to Bayern Munich. That defeat was part of three in a row for the Croatians, which is extremely rare for them.

With late shots, Real Madrid beat Stuttgart 3-1 in a very even Champions League first-round match. Today could be even more challenging for the Whites away to French side Lille. The Mastiffs started with a red card and a 0:2 loss to Sporting Lisbon. However, I expect the visitors to control the game and a few corners in this encounter.

Liverpool won 3:1 against Milan in the first round of the Champions League, and today they have another match against an Italian opponent. Bologna is a debutant in the tournament and played a good first game against Shakhtar Donetsk but was unlucky not to score in a goalless draw. The visitors made a great past season, but after several outgoing transfers, it is normal to see a drop in their form. I don’t think Bologna has a chance to do anything today at Anfield against one of Europe’s most titled clubs.

RB Leipzig and Juventus are definitely among the teams that have demonstrated the most solid defence since the start of the season in the Top 5 of the European competitions. The Bulls have conceded a goal in just one of their Bundesliga matches, while the Bianconeri have yet to concede a goal in Serie A. Surprisingly for me, the first meetings of both teams in the Champions League tournament ended with more than 2.5 goals. I expect today to be different and the defensive play to prevail.

Austrian champion Sturm Graz returned to the Champions League with a 1:2 loss to Brest. The French debutant in the tournament was the much better team on the field, but this is still the third of last season in Ligue 1. Sturm Graz have won in only 5 of their last 25 European home games, and it seems that their own ground doesn’t help them that much. However, I expect it to be the key to Wednesday’s success over Brugge. The Belgians are off to a mediocre start to the season, losing 0:3 at home to Borussia Dortmund.

Atalanta missed out on beating Arsenal in their first Champions League game. The Goddess was the better team on the pitch, and Retegui missed a penalty for the final 0:0. This left the Italian team with only two wins in seven official matches. In some of them, Atalanta have been very solid in defence, as I expect will be the case in today’s match against Shakhtar. The Ukrainian team also finished 0-0 in their first meeting in the tournament. That happened away to Italian side Bologna.

As expected, Girona is doing below the level it demonstrated last season and has only two wins in nine official games. In the Champions League, the team started with a ridiculous loss to PSG in added time. In their historic first European home game, the Catalan team welcome Feyenoord. The Dutch side surrendered in just one half against Bayer Leverkusen, losing 0:4. Feyenoord has also underperformed since the beginning of the season, and after today’s game, I expect them to remain with 0 points.

Inter’s goal is to be among the top eight in the Champions League, and that is precisely why the point at the Etihad was extremely valuable. Today, success is a must at home against Crvena Zvezda. The Serbians quickly lost the game to Benfica at home, trailing 0:2 by the middle of the first half. In the second half, they were the more active team and at least scored a goal. However, it’s not easy to score at the Giuseppe Meazza, and that too against a defence that neutralizes Haaland.

PSV lost 1:3 to Juventus in the Champions League. The match definitely offered more scoring chances than expected, with the Dutch having as many as five spot-kicks. Today, they now need a must-win as they host Sporting. However, the Lions are on a run of eight consecutive wins and six games without conceding a goal. In their match of the tournament, they totally outplayed Lille and won 2-0. I’m expecting a great game between two teams whose chances are evened by the home factor.

The goal for Manchester City is a Champions League trophy, but it can be reached with less effort against opponents like Sloan Bratislava. The Slovaks lost 1:5 to Celtic in the first leg and are an even bigger underdog today. The timing seems right for rotations in  Guardiola’s lineup, and I expect the first goal of the game to be late. Definitely, the second half is expected to be much more offensive and score-wise, when maybe the home team will just play for their fans.

Arsenal didn’t start well in the Champions League, surviving a point against Atalanta. The Gooners showed nothing up front in Bergamo but scored 11 goals in their next 3 games. PSG got 3 points with a late goal for a minimal 1-0 over Girona, and were not particularly convincing against Reims and Rennes in Ligue 1. European matches are different, and Arteta rarely gets the best out of his players in the Champions League. I expect a cautious and scouting style from both teams in the first half.

Despite a strong start to the season, some Barcelona’s injuries had an impact in two losses. The first of these was at Monaco in the Champions League, and the second a few days ago in La Liga. Today, however, an opponent arrives in Catalonia that is far from even the own level demonstrated in recent years. Young Boys is running in the penultimate place in the Swiss Super League. The team showed nothing in the first match against Aston Villa in the tournament and deservedly lost 0:3.

After the 1:1 draw at the Allianz Arena, Bayer Leverkusen have a new game to prove that the past season was not a fluke. The Aspirins defeated Feyenoord 4:0 in just one half of play in Rotterdam, and today, they have to face a terribly wobbly Milan team against Liverpool. But after that, the Rossoneri played two solid games and wins over Inter and Lecce. Since the start of the season, both teams have been more efficient in the first half, and I expect a goal spectacle by the break.

Borussia Dortmund and Celtic started with convincing victories in the Champions League but in the role of serious favourites.The Yellow-Blacks defeated Brugge 3-0, although the first goal fell in the 76th minute. In three of their last four games, the team scored at least three goals, but we should not forget the 1:5 fiasco against Stuttgart. Celtic have nine wins in nine games since the start of the season and have scored 33 goals, with Sloan Bratislava being thrashed 5-1.

Salzburg and Brest will try to somehow get into the Top 24 of the Champions League. The Austrians lost badly, 0:3, to Sparta in Prague. There were six corners in total in that game, and only two of them went in the Bulls’ favour. Brest, on the other hand, achieved a historic first European victory, beating Austria’s champion Sturm Graz 2-1. In this match, corners were seven in total and six of them were in favour of the Reds.

Stuttgart and Sparta Prague were among the most impressive teams in the first round of the Champions League. The Germans lost 1:3 to Real Madrid but played a very strong game in which they came close to a draw. The Czechs, on the other hand, returned to the Champions League with a resounding 3-0 win over Salzburg. In today’s match, the German vice-champion is definitely the favourite, and its matches offer a lot of offensive and efficient football. I expect Sparta to get points at home, but away, it will be much more difficult.

On the eve of the start of the major championships, Monaco defeated Barcelona 3-0 in a friendly played in Catalonia. Today, however, I expect the Blaugrans to take revenge in an official Champions League match. Great football is played by Hansi Flick’s boys as they have scored 11 goals in their last two La Liga games. Monaco’s performance since the start of the season in Ligue 1 has also been impressive, but it’s time for Barcelona to start proving themselves in Europe again.

In mid-August, Atalanta played a very brave first half in the UEFA Super Cup final against Real Madrid, but lost. The hosts have the power to get something out of today’s game, especially with Arsenal’s upcoming match against Manchester City on Sunday. I’m expecting a tactical clash, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Atalanta is the team that will attack more in the more time of the match.

Atletico Madrid has already failed to win twice in the first five rounds of La Liga, but Diego Simeon’s squad is very strong, and ambitions could be high. Once again, we see an extremely strong performance in defence, with four clean sheets. The same can be said for RB Leipzig, who have already beaten champions Bayer Leverkusen and have not conceded a goal in two of their three league games.

Brest is an absolute debutant in European tournaments, and in its first Champions League match, it welcomes Austrian champion Sturm Graz. The visitors have much more European experience, but the hosts remain the favourites. However, the start of the season for Brest has been rather poor, with three losses and only three points in four rounds. Sturm Graz, on the other hand, came into the match with an excellent scoring form and a run of five consecutive wins.

Crvena zvezda took on Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League playoffs to book their place in the main draw, where they start with a match against Benfica. Zvezda is a well-known, strong home side in European club tournaments, and the Eagles have failed to win in both of their away games in the Portuguese championship this season. A great atmosphere awaits us in Belgrade, which I expect to help the hosts to a point in this encounter.

Dutch vice-champion Feyenoord started the season poorly, with just a win and three draws in the Eredivisie. The team conceded a goal in each game and scored five in their only success. Europa League finalist Bayer Leverkusen thrashed Hoffenheim 4-1 at the weekend, with all three of the team’s Bundesliga matches ending with five goals in them. We can’t get bored with the Aspirins’ games, and I think we are in for another goal show today.

La Liga sensation Girona will make their Champions League debut today at one of the strongest clubs in the tournament in over a decade. PSG have started the new season in Ligue 1 with a bang and are averaging 4.0 goals per game without Mbappe. Girona, on the other hand, conceded four goals to Barcelona on Sunday in their second loss in the first five rounds. The other was to Atletico Madrid, and it was clear that the team does not have the strength to fight against the strongest in Spain this season either.

Celtic has six wins in six games since the start of the season and has conceded just one goal. With this excellent asset, the Bhoys welcome Champions League debutant Slovan Bratislava. The Slovaks made it all the way from the first qualifying round to the main stage of the tournament. In exactly 15 official matches, the only loss was conceded by Žilina. The hosts are an absolute favourite in the game, but the visitors have demonstrated excellent defending at the right moments in qualifying, and I expect them to make it difficult for their opponent.

Champions League finalist Borussia Dortmund kick off the new campaign with a visit to Club Brugge. The two teams have had four meetings between them in the groups of the tournament in recent years, with the Germans having three wins and without conceding a goal. To date, the class remains in favour of the visitors from Dortmund, and I expect them to win, despite Club Brugge’s four consecutive victories in the Belgian elite.

In a repeat of the 2023 final, Manchester City welcomed Inter in the first leg of the Champions League. Erling Holland is in phenomenal form, but today’s opposition defence is one of the strongest in Europe. In their two home games so far, Manchester City have fallen behind early on. This could be fatal against an opponent like Inter, and I expect a lot of careful action from both teams in the opening minutes.

With their phenomenal performance in Serie A, Bologna earned the right to be one of the five debutants in the Champions League. In the new season, the team is still without a win, finishing three times in goal-goal draw and conceding a heavy loss by Napoli. Shakhtar Donetsk is one of the regular participants in the tournament of the rich. The Ukrainian team usually participates in results matches in Europe, and over the weekend, won 5-2 against Karpaty Lviv in the Ukrainian league.

Sparta Prague went through three opponents to reach the Champions League stage. Almost the same can be said for Salzburg, who took on Twente and Dynamo Kiev. Both teams have shown great form since the start of the season, if we exclude Red Bull’s loss to Rapid at the beginning of the month. Both teams’ chances of progressing are minimal, and I expect a real spectacle in the match between them.

Today Vincent Kompany will make his Champions League debut as a coach. Bayern Munich welcome Dinamo Zagreb in perhaps the most anticipated clash of the first round. In 2015, the Bavarian colossus twice beat this rival to nil, but today, I think they will concede a goal. Bayern has won three games in the Bundesliga and conceded a goal in two of them. Dinamo, on the other hand, have beaten Qarabag in two games to be here, and I think they will have their moment at the Allianz Arena.

Milan – Liverpool in Istanbul is perhaps the most famous final in the period of the old Champions League format, and today a new era begins. Both clubs have new managers in charge who have yet to prove themselves. After four rounds in Serie A, Milan has shown great goal-scoring power, but only a few days ago, they recorded their first win, coming against Venezia. Liverpool, on the other hand, lost to Nottingham 0-1 and at Anfield. The forces in the clash are more equal than the odds present it.

On their return to the Champions League, German runners-up Stuttgart will visit the Santiago Bernabeu. The Germans start the new season with a lot of goals, but as many as seven cashed in. Real Madrid, on the other hand, has three wins and two draws in La Liga, but the difficulties are evident, and over the weekend, Real Sociedad was defeated after two penalties. Surely, Stuttgart will not be as offensively minded as Germany, especially with the problems that Mbappe and his teammates are having in front of the goal.

Since the start of the season in Portugal, Sporting have been phenomenal. The champions have five wins and a goal difference of 19:2. I expect the Lions to carry this form into the Champions League, where they welcome Lille. “The Mastiffs have three losses in a row, the latest 0:1 to newcomer Saint Etienne in Ligue 1. As an away side, they lost both qualifying matches against Fenerbahce and Slavia Prague, but still, good results at home were enough for promotion in the main phase.