Bayern Munich, PSG in blockbuster contest
Allianz Arena will play host to a blockbuster contest in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with Bayern Munich welcoming Paris Saint-Germain, and both sides will be under pressure to pick up a positive result.
Bayern are down in 17th spot in the Champions League table, picking up six points from their four European matches this season, while PSG are 25th, with Luis Enrique‘s side only gathering four points from their opening four games.
Bayern will bring a six-game winning run into this contest, with Vincent Kompany‘s side responding excellently to their 4-1 defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League towards the end of October.
The Munich giants will enter this match off the back of a 3-0 win over Augsburg on Friday, and they are six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Bayern have had issues in the Champions League this term, losing to both Aston Villa and Barcelona, which has left them in 17th spot in the table on six points.
Bayern have been victorious in 12 of their last 14 matches against French opposition, while they have won 22 of their last 27 home Champions League fixtures, with their last European defeat on home soil actually coming against PSG in the quarter-finals of the competition during the 2020-21 campaign.
Both sides have had their problems in the Champions League this season, but Bayern are so strong at home, and it is difficult to back PSG to pick up a positive result on Tuesday night.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Inter Milan welcome Leipzig to the San Siro
Having made very different starts to their Champions League campaigns, Inter Milan and RB Leipzig will convene at San Siro on Tuesday evening.
While Inter are unbeaten and sit safely inside the top eight, their German counterparts have yet to pick up a point.
After kicking off their latest Champions League challenge with a gritty 0-0 draw at Manchester City – their nemesis in the 2023 final – Inter have since beaten Red Star Belgrade and Arsenal at San Siro.
Just before the international break, Inter came from behind to draw 1-1 at home with title rivals Napoli, and that is the only goal they have conceded in five matches.
With just one loss in 16 games this season, the three-time European champions will now encounter their 14th different German opponent to date, as they meet Leipzig for the very first time.
While Leipzig are preparing for their first Champions League contest on Italian soil, they have previously beaten both Napoli and Atalanta in the Europa League and will not be intimidated by a trip to Milan.
Even a steadfast Inter defence may be unable to keep Leipzig at bay for 90 minutes, given the visitors’ abundance of pace and finishing prowess.
Still, the Nerazzurri have more than enough nous to collect another three points, as they can also be ruthless in the final third.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Arsenal resume Champs League duties away to Sporting Lisbon
Having hinted at a winter revival with a morale-boosting Premier League success, Arsenal resume Champions League duties away to Portuguese titans Sporting Lisbon .
The Gunners put three past Nottingham Forest without reply over the weekend, while their hosts kicked off the post-Ruben Amorim era with a comprehensive 6-0 Taca de Portugal pummelling of Amarante.
A two-week reset was evidently what the doctor ordered for Mikel Arteta and co, as a near-perfect afternoon for Arsenal against a hitherto defensively sturdy Nottingham Forest saw the Gunners end their disheartening four-game winless run in the Premier League.
By virtue of suffering their first defeat – and conceding their first goal – of the new-look Champions League, Arsenal reside in 12th place in the 36-team rankings but are only two points off a place in the top eight, which would guarantee safe passage into the knockout rounds.
Arsenal can end Sporting’s perfect home record in 2024-25, but the Portuguese titans are too hot for any team to handle up front and can restrict Arteta’s men to just the one point in what should be a Champions League classic.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Barcelona welcome French outfit Brest
Barcelona will be aiming to record their fourth Champions League victory of the campaign when they welcome French outfit Brest to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Tuesday night.
Hansi Flick‘s side are sixth in the Champions League table, boasting nine points from their four matches in this season’s competition, while Brest are fourth, picking up 10 points from their opening four games in 2024-25.
Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Monaco in their Champions League opener on September 19, but they have won their last three in the competition against Young Boys, Bayern Munich and Red Star Belgrade, scoring 14 times in the process.
The Catalan side have won nine of their previous 14 home matches against French clubs in Europe, but they have only been victorious in eight of their last 19 European games in front of their own supporters.
Barcelona have already been beaten by Ligue 1 opposition this season and will certainly be wary of the threat that a talented Brest outfit could provide, but it would be a surprise if Flick’s side did not return to winning ways on Tuesday night.
Brest have surprised many with their excellent performances in the competition this season, but this will be a step-up in class for them, and we are finding it difficult to predict anything other than a Barcelona win.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
FIXTURES
Slovan Bratislava 17:45 AC Milan
Sparta Prague 17:45 Atlético Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen 20:00Red Bull Salzburg
