Everything you need to know about today’s 4 Champions League games.
The excitement is building as the Champions League teams return for Matchday 4 and the games on Tuesday are eagerly awaited. With the first results already in their impressions, it is expected that the continuation will be decisive, because every point is decisive for the qualification to the next stage. We are half way there now…
Eindhoven-Girona (19:45): Dutch supremacy or Spanish surprise?
PSV (2 points), after an unexpected victory in the league, are looking for the victory that will give them a boost. With a record of 7-14-17 against Spanish teams, the Dutch side are well aware of the challenges facing Spanish football, although against Sevilla – their last Spanish opponents - they managed to collect 4 points in the groups. For their part, Girona (3 points) will try to get a positive result, which will be the first away from home, as they were beaten by Paris Saint-Germain in their first away game.
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Possible XIs according to UEFA:
PSV Eindhoven: Benitez; Karsdorp, Flamingo, Boscagli, Dams; Tillman, Till, Saibari; Lang, De Jong, Bakayoko
Sixth: Dest (knee), Veerman (groin), Lozano (muscle), SchΕκτός (hamstring), Nagalo (shoulder)
At the border of the card: Mauro Junior
Girona: Gazzaniga; Martínez, Krejčí, David López, Dall, Gutiérrez; Herrera, Oriol Romeu, Van de Beek; Arches, Gil
Sixth: Ruiz (knee), Asprilla (muscle), Danjuma (hamstring), Alejandro Francés (knee), Martín (groin), Portú (ankle), Misehouy (ankle).
At the border of the card: No
Slovan Bratislava-Dinamo Zagreb (19:45): Historic competition
Slovan (0 points) will host Dinamo Zagreb (4 points), with the Croats leading tradition. Dinamo Zagreb have eliminated Slovenia in two previous European meetings (1969/70 and 2000/01 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup) and have an unbeaten
Bologna-Monaco (22:00): A critical battle
Bologna (1 point) are looking for their first success in this year’s Champions League, hosting Monaco (7 points). The Italian team have yet to score in this year’s competition, leaving them at a disadvantage. On the other hand, Monaco, although they have only won three games in 13 games (3-3-7) against Italian teams, have attacking talent and will want to take advantage of the Italian team’s weakness in defense and get the positive result that will be. keep in the high places of the standings, so undefeated!
Bologna: Skorupski; Posch, Beukema, Lucumi, Miranda; Moro, Freuler, Fabbian; Orsolini, Castro, Doye
Monaco: Majecki; Vanderson, Singo, Kehrer, Caio Henrique; Camara, Golovin; Akliouche, Minamino, Ben Seghir; piston
Dortmund-Sturm Graz (22:00): German supremacy
Borussia (6 points) welcomes Austrian champions Sturm Graz (0 points) in a game where the German team is the favourite. Dortmund have an excellent record against Austrian teams, with a record of 4-1-1. Sturm, despite their defensive consistency, have yet to pick up a point and have a disappointing 1-0-
Celtic-Leipzig (22:00): Scotland’s will and Germany’s persistence
Celtic (4 points) host Leipzig (0 points), and the two teams met again recently. The German side hold the lead, having won three of their last four encounters. Although Celtic are in a better position in the points table with four points, they need a win to stay on course for qualification, but the visitors also need the three points, or risk losing out on the next step.
Liverpool-Leverkusen (22:00): Xabi Alonso… returns home
Anfield hosts one of the most exciting games of the season as Liverpool (9 points) take on Leverkusen (7 points). Xabi Alonso returns to the pitch of his glory days and will now have to hurt his beloved team if Bayer Leverkusen are to stay at the top of the table. On the contrary, the “Reds” showed that they are unstoppable this year. First in the Premier League and shared the penthouse in the Champions League with Aston Villa. The two English teams
Lille-Juventus (22:00): Confrontation between Franco-Italian
Juventus (6 points) travel to France to face Lille (6 points), with both teams needing a win to keep up their bid for direct passage to the last 16. Lille have a good record against the Italian side, having won half of their 12 matches (6-2-4). Juventus have not had a good run against the French teams as they have lost three of their last four games.
Lille: Knight; Mandi, Diakité, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson; Bouaddi, André; Zhegrova, Gomes, Sahraoui; David
Sixth: Thiago Santos (knee), Haraldsson (foot), Mbappé (groin), Cabella (crowd)
suspicious: Meunier (muscular)
At the border of the card: David
Juventus: Perine; Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, Cabal; McKennie, Thuram, Locatelli; Weah, Vlahović, Conceição
Sixth: Danilo (suspended), Bremer (knee), Milik (knee), Nicolás González (crowd)
suspiciousι: Douglas Luiz (hamstring).
At the border of the card: No
Sporting-Manchester City (22:00): And yet it is a derby
Both teams have seven points each so far in the competition and will be hoping to continue their unbeaten run, which will keep them alive in the hunt for direct qualification to the ’16’. The Portuguese team has only one win in the last 11 games they have played with an English club and that is against the “citizens”. The coincidence is that the Portuguese side have only beaten City once in 10 meetings (6-3-1). For Sport, their record with English teams is 10 wins, 8 games and 11 losses!
CP Sports: Israel; Debast, Diomande, Reis; Catamo, Hjulmand, Daniel Bragança, Quenda; Trincão, Gyökeres, Pedro Gonçalves
City of Manx: Ortega; Walker, Akanji, Aké, Guardiol; Kovačić, Gündoğan; Foden, Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes; Hallain
Real Madrid-Milan (22:00): The final European duel
We conclude with the highly anticipated match between Real Madrid (6 points) and Milan (3 points), two of the most successful teams in the history of the Champions League. With a total of 22 titles, the matchup is historic, although the Spaniards are clearly favored. Their last meeting was 14 years ago, and in H2H we have the perfect balance with six wins for each team, and three games ended in a draw.
Real Madrid: Monday; Vázquez, Militão, Rüdiger, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Mbappé, Vinícius
Milan: Magnan; Emerson, Thiaw, Pavlović, Hernández; Fofana, Reijnders; Chukwueze, Pulišić, Rafael Leão; Morata
Interview between the Time.news Editor and Champions League Expert
Editor: Welcome to our special segment on the Champions League. Today, I’m joined by [Expert’s Name], a football analyst with deep insights into European competitions. We’re looking forward to the Matchday 4 games. Let’s dive right in! How crucial are these matches for the teams involved?
Expert: Absolutely, these matches are pivotal! As we approach the halfway mark of the group stage, every point becomes critical for qualification. Some teams need victories to stay in contention, while others are looking to secure their spots early.
Editor: Starting with Eindhoven vs. Girona, PSV is in a bit of a tough spot with only 2 points. What should we expect from their performance against Girona, who are eager for their first away points?
Expert: PSV has a historical challenge when facing Spanish teams, with a record of 7 wins and 14 losses. However, having recently shown resilience in their domestic league, they’ll be confident going into this match. Girona’s situation is tough too; they’ve lost their opening away game and will need to step up significantly to secure a positive result. I expect this to be a tightly contested match.
Editor: Moving on to Slovan Bratislava against Dinamo Zagreb, with Slovan at zero points, how will they approach this game?
Expert: Slovan Bratislava is definitely under pressure. Dinamo Zagreb comes with a strong legacy in European competitions, and Slovan needs to find their rhythm to avoid an early exit. Their past matches against Croatian teams don’t favor them, so they’ll have to pull off a monumental upset.
Editor: Bologna faces Monaco at home, having not scored yet in the tournament. Is this a do-or-die situation for them?
Expert: It absolutely is! Bologna has struggled offensively, and that puts them at a severe disadvantage. Monaco, on the other hand, will aim to exploit this and maintain their position near the top of the group. If Bologna doesn’t score here, it will be doubly challenging for them to turn things around in future matches.
Editor: Now, the matchup of Dortmund against Sturm Graz looks like a classic case of German supremacy. What are the chances for Sturm Graz to clinch a shock result?
Expert: Dortmund is clearly the favorite. Their track record against Austrian teams is impressive. Sturm Graz hasn’t picked up any points yet, so their chances seem slim unless they can magically tighten their defense and find some attacking flair.
Editor: Celtic is up against Leipzig. Both teams need points here to keep their chances alive for qualification. What should fans look out for in this encounter?
Expert: Fans should expect a highly competitive match; both teams have everything to play for. Celtic will feel confident playing at home, but Leipzig has the upper hand historically. It will be essential for Celtic to capitalize early if they hope to secure the points needed for advancement.
Editor: Liverpool welcomes Leverkusen, featuring Xabi Alonso’s return to Anfield. How do you see this match unfolding?
Expert: This will be an electrifying encounter! Liverpool is in superb form, but Alonso knows their systems well, which could play a crucial role. However, given Liverpool’s confidence and home advantage, they certainly have the edge going into this match.
Editor: Lille faces Juventus, both with 6 points. This is a crucial match for both sides. What strategies do you think each team will employ?
Expert: Lille will look to exploit Juventus’s recent inconsistencies, especially away from home. Historically, Lille has performed well against Italian teams, which could boost their morale. Juventus will likely approach it with a solid defensive setup but will need to find ways to break through Lille’s backline effectively.
Editor: Thank you for your insights! This has been a fantastic discussion about today’s Champions League matches. We look forward to seeing how everything unfolds!
Expert: My pleasure! It’s always an exciting time during Champions League action—can’t wait to see the results!