This year’s Champions League has been one of the most entertaining ones. Not because the league system was introduced but because small teams have outperformed the big clubs.
Be it Atalanta, Feyenoord, Lille, or Brest, small clubs are well on their way to the Round of 16 and qualification. On the other hand, some European giants like Real Madrid, Juventus, Manchester City, PSG, and Bayern Munich may still be in doubt to qualify for the next stage.
That said, there’s only one matchday left in the league phase of the Champions League. Below, I’m going to discuss how the big clubs may perform on the last matchday of the Champions League.
So, let’s start with the current European champions first:
Manchester City
The current Champions League winners sit in the 25th place, outside the qualification zone. They will face Club Brugge, which’s in 20th position with 11 points. Note that even if City wins this fixture, they’ll only have 11 points. And, it’s safe to say that City’s hope for a direct qualification to the Round of 16 has vanished with their last defeat against Paris Saint Germain.
While City’s run till now has been awful as per their standards, Club Brugge may have highly impressed the footballing pundits. Simply because even if they secure a draw against City, it may be enough to get them past the league stage.
Considering that Pep Guardiola knows how important this fixture is, I’m all set with my high-speed Spectrum Internet to online stream this fixture. I believe Pep’s men in blue will give their hearts out on the pitch. Plus, City’s comprehensive win against Chelsea may give them a boost before going into the season-defining fixture.
Real Madrid
To be honest, Real Madrid has done well in the last two Champions League fixtures. First, they defeated Atalanta away and demolished RB Salzburg 5-1 at home. And, these two wins may have placed them in a possible position to qualify for the qualification round.
That said, their last fixture is against Brest, and they may want to win this feature to lock their place in the qualification round. Also, Real Madrid fans would hope that Dortmund, Bayern, and a few other teams above them lose points. And if that happens, Real Madrid may defy all odds and directly qualify for the Round of 16. But still, they have to beat Brest first which I believe is very much possible.
Paris Saint Germain
I’d say Paris Saint Germain (PSG) deserves the 22nd spot on the table. Apart from their last victory over Manchester City, PSG hasn’t really fired up in the Champions League. Nevertheless, PSG has a shot at the qualifying round now, but considering their recent form, VfB Stuttgart may be a trouble.
Although PSG should go for a win in this fixture, a draw may also do the trick for them. But in that case, PSG may also rely on City’s fixtures as they’d hope that Club Brugge secures a win or at least a draw.
Anyway, I believe it’s going to be a nail-biting contest between two superb teams who’ve shown average performances in the Champions League this year.
Bayern Munich
One might say that Bayern Munich has already qualified for the qualifying round. Yes, it may be true, as they have 12 points and are in 15th place on the table. But can they directly qualify for the Round of 16 and skip that extra qualifying round?
Bayern was humiliated by Feyenoord in the last fixture, and this time, they’re going to face another underdog: Slovan Bratislava. This team is the second last on the points table, with zero wins in seven games.
While it’s highly likely that Bayern is going to win this match, they may still not directly qualify for the Round of 16. It’s because teams above Bayern have pretty easy fixtures, and most of them are already a point ahead. Nevertheless, Bayern’s journey may not end in the league stage as they should easily qualify for the next leg of the tournament. And if they get lucky somehow, we might see them directly in the Round of 16.
Juventus
Although Juventus are 17th on the table with the same points as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, they may not directly qualify for the Round of 16. It’s because they’re up against Benfica, the same team that thrashed Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
If I analyze Juventus’s recent performances, they’ve recently lost against Napoli. Plus, they’re nowhere near the top three in Serie A. So, ideally, Juventus should go for a win, but even if they draw against Benfica, I’d say it’s a fair result for them.
In a nutshell, multiple teams’ Champions League campaigns are in disarray and hopes of qualification hanging by a thread. Only time will tell which team can pull off a miraculous turnaround!
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