Real Madrid face off with Atalanta at Stadio di Bergamo
A true blockbuster of a Champions League contest will take place at Stadio di Bergamo on Tuesday evening, as the reigning champions Real Madrid head to an Atalanta BC outfit that are currently top of the Serie A table.
Real Madrid have struggled in Europe this season, picking up just six points from five matches to sit down in 24th spot in the Champions League table, while Atalanta are up in fifth, boasting 11 points from their first five games.
Atalanta are undoubtedly one of the finest teams in European football at this moment in time, and La Dea will enter this contest off the back of nine straight wins in all competitions, including a 2-1 success over AC Milan in Serie A on Friday, and they are currently at the summit of Italy’s top flight, boasting 34 points from their opening 15 matches.
Gian Piero Gasperini‘s side have also been impressive in the Champions League this season, picking up 11 points from their five matches courtesy of a record of three wins and two defeats, which has left them fifth in the table.
Atalanta are the reigning Europa League champions, but they look capable of making a serious impression in the Champions League this season, and a lot will be learned in the league phase, with a glamour clash against Barcelona also to come on January 29.
Real Madrid are only just clinging onto a playoff spot in the European Cup, and they have three more matches to come in the league phase of the competition, tackling Red Bull Salzburg and Brest in their two after this one.
Real Madrid really need a positive result on Tuesday, with a defeat unthinkable for the reigning champions considering their position in the table. Atalanta are a high-quality outfit, though, and we are finding it so difficult to back them to lose here; a draw is what has ultimately been settled on, and we are expecting it to be a brilliant game of football.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Liverpool seek a perfect run when they travel to Girona
Refreshed and raring to go after a weather-enforced domestic postponement, Liverpool seek a sixth win from six in the 2024-25 Champions League when they travel to La Liga upstarts Girona on Tuesday.
Arne Slot‘s men saw their proposed Merseyside derby with Everton called off at the weekend as 90mph+ winds battered British shores, while their hosts were comprehensively seen off by Real Madrid in La Liga.
Hoping to cook up a storm in the final Premier League Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, Everton and Liverpool both succumbed to Storm Darragh instead, as the historic meeting was pushed back to a later date while the nation grappled with gale-force winds and torrential rain.
Two points clear at the top of the 36-team table and already assured of a playoff place at the very least, Liverpool now endeavour to continue an Iberian resurgence; the Reds have won each of their last two Champions League games away to Spanish clubs after failing to triumph in any of the previous eight.
There is no doubting who the fresher set of legs will belong to on Tuesday, where Liverpool should make the most of their weekend break to put Girona to the sword without a hitch.
The hosts are ruing the absence of critical attacker Tsygankov and have struggled to mix with the European elite this season, a theme that we cannot see changing against the UCL leaders.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Aston Villa aim to improve their chances of qualification away to Leipzig
With one side aiming to improve their chances of qualification, and the other apparently bound for Champions League elimination, RB Leipzig will host Aston Villa on Tuesday night.
While luckless Leipzig have lost all five games so far, Villa have accrued 10 points and are still in the mix for a top-eight finish. After making a scintillating start to their first Champions League campaign – winning three times without conceding a goal – Aston Villa have added only one more point from their last two fixtures in Europe’s top club competition.
Amid a dramatic slump in domestic form, the Villans slipped to defeat against Club Brugge in Belgium and then settled for a goalless home draw against injury-depleted Juventus, costing them their top-eight spot in the league phase standings.
Nonetheless, Unai Emery‘s side have kept four clean sheets from five games so far, and the only time Emiliano Martinez has been beaten was by a Club Brugge penalty in quite bizarre circumstances.
Since being held by Juve last month, the Birmingham club have brought an end to a worrying eight-game winless run across all competitions, recently posting consecutive home triumphs against Brentford and Southampton in the Premier League.
Having pushed some continental heavyweights close without tasting success so far, Leipzig are overdue a first Champions League win of the season.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Bayer Leverkusen play host to Inter Milan
A clash between the reigning champions of Germany and Italy will draw global gaze on Tuesday evening, as Bayer Leverkusen play host to Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Inter are one of three teams still unbeaten in the league phase and lead Leverkusen by three points in the standings – with both on track for an automatic place in the last 16.
Seeking to reach new heights after securing a first Bundesliga title and claiming the DFB-Pokal for good measure, Leverkusen aim to reach the Champions League’s knockout rounds for the first time since 2016 and ultimately challenge for the trophy.
Xabi Alonso‘s side sit sixth in the table after five rounds, having put 10 points on the board so far: last time out, they bounced back from a 4-0 loss in Liverpool by thumping Red Bull Salzburg 5-0 on home turf, with star man Florian Wirtz bagging a brace before half time.
While Leverkusen may finally penetrate Inter’s rock-solid rearguard, their lack of a conventional striker could cost them a chance to defeat their Italian counterparts.
The Nerazzurri are past masters at soaking up pressure, and they have both the composure and confidence to strike hard on the counter.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
FIXTURES
Bayer Leverkusen 20:00 Inter Milan
