A brand new period of Champions League soccer is upon us. The league part begins on Tuesday, 36 sides enjoying eight video games between now and late January, all battling for a top-eight berth that ensures them a primary knockout spot (or if not that a spot within the prime 24). With 144 video games forward of us, you’d must be some type of maniac to attempt to predict precisely how the league desk will look on the morning of Jan. 30, proper? Sure, sure you’d.

Proper, we had greatest get into this. There’s a variety of soccer to foretell.

Watch Champions League motion all season lengthy on Paramount+, CBS and CBS Sports activities Golazo Community.

Matchday 1

• Juventus 2, PSV Eindhoven 1
• Younger Boys 2, Aston Villa 2
• Bayern Munich 3, Dinamo Zagreb 0
• Actual Madrid 2, Stuttgart 0
• Milan 0, Liverpool 2
• Sporting 2, Lille 1
• Bologna 1, Shakhtar Donetsk 1
• Sparta Prague 1, Salzburg 0
• Manchester Metropolis 2, Inter 0
• Paris Saint-Germain 3, Girona 1
• Membership Brugge 0, Borussia Dortmund 0
• Celtic 2, Slovan Bratislava 1
• Feyenoord 1, Bayer Leverkusen 2
• Crvena zvezda 1, Benfica 0
• Atalanta 2, Arsenal 2
• Atletico Madrid 0, Leipzig 1
• Monaco 0, Barcelona 2
• Brest 2, Sturm Graz 1

About the one spherical of fixtures we will have some semblance of an concept about. The primo video games pit the very best of England towards a few of Italy’s brightest lights however the two Milan sides shall be doing very effectively certainly to get something out of their conferences with Manchester Metropolis and Liverpool. Atalanta have extra trigger for hope when Arsenal come to city, nearly definitely with out Martin Odegaard. 

Matchday 2

• Salzburg 2, Brest 0
• Stuttgart 0, Sparta Prague 0
• Dortmund 3, Celtic 1
• Barcelona 3, Younger Boys 0
• Inter 2, Crvena zvezda 0
• Leverkusen 1, Milan 1
• Arsenal 2, PSG 0
• PSV 2, Sporting 1
• Slovan Bratislava 0, Man Metropolis 4
• Shakhtar 2, Atalanta 1
• Girona 1, Feyenoord 0
• Liverpool 3, Bologna 1
• Leipzig 2, Juventus 1
• Benfica 1, Atletico Madrid 0
• Dinamo Zagreb 2, Monaco 1
• Lille 1, Actual Madrid 3
• Aston Villa 0, Bayern Munich 1
• Sturm Graz 2, Membership Brugge 0

It may not take so long as you’d anticipate for the Champions League desk to stratify with lots of the main contenders to win all of it securing prime positions from the outset. To an extent that’s merely a operate of favorable scheduling; Stuttgart and Lille, as an illustration, will maintain little concern for holders Actual Madrid. A facet to regulate among the many main pack may simply be Leipzig. Dani Olmo may need gone however the real star of final season, Xavi Simons, returned and a facet that ended 2023-24 very effectively have made equally spectacular strides in 2024-25. If, as predicted, they’ve six factors from conferences with Atletico Madrid and Juventus then they could be the true darkish horses of this competitors.

Decrease down the desk it appears extraordinarily believable that Atleti will do this Atleti factor within the group levels, staggering out of the blocks, totally intent on being dramatic to the final. In some ways this can be a competitors tailor made to save lots of Diego Simeone’s later stage sides from themselves, the kind that enables them to fade the autumn stoop that hit them so firmly in 2022. Milan appear to be they’ve work to do early within the Serie A season they usually profile as one other workforce who might take time to come back good. Frankly, even a degree from their first two video games must be thought of successful.

Matchday 3

• Milan 3, Membership Brugge 1
• Monaco 2, Crvena zvezda 0
• PSG 3, PSV 1
• Actual Madrid 2, Dortmund 0
• Arsenal 3, Shakhtar 0
• Juventus 2, Stuttgart 0
• Aston Villa 1, Bologna 1
• Girona 3, Slovan Bratislava 0
• Sturm Graz 0, Sporting 2
• Atalanta 2, Celtic 0
• Brest 1, Leverkusen 4
• Barcelona 3, Bayern Munich 2
• Man Metropolis 4, Sparta Prague 1
• Leipzig 1, Liverpool 2
• Atletico Madrid 1, Lille 0
• Benfica 1, Feyenoord 2
• Salzburg 1, Dinamo Zagreb 0
• Younger Boys 1, Inter 3

Regardless of my reward for Leipzig above, anticipate their bandwagon to be momentarily slowed by Liverpool, who look firmly like a Champions League contender within the extraordinarily early days of Arne Slot. That matchup and Bayern Munich’s go to to the Nou Camp are the marquee video games of the third week and it appears affordable to hope that, given each groups could be fairly assured of prime eight berths regardless of the end result, we see a purposeful, front-footed contest.

This additionally guarantees to be an important week for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Milan to start out constructing the factors to on the very least quell ideas that they won’t make the highest 24. For each that needs to be a reasonably routine project however one wonders what may occur if the latter have been to slide to a Membership Brugge facet who’ve confirmed to be frisky in previous Champions League iterations.

Matchday 4

• PSV 2, Girona 1
• Slovan Bratislava 1, Dinamo Zagreb 0
• Dortmund 2, Sturm Graz 0
• Liverpool 3, Leverkusen 1
• Actual Madrid 3, Milan 0
• Celtic 2, Leipzig 4
• Lille 1, Juventus 1
• Sporting 0, Man Metropolis 2
• Bologna 1, Monaco 0
• Membership Brugge 0, Aston Villa 2
• Shakhtar 0, Younger Boys 0
• Bayern Munich 2, Benfica 0
• Inter 1, Arsenal 0
• PSG 2, Atletico Madrid 2
• Feyenoord 1, Salzburg 1
• Crvena zvezda 1, Barcelona 3
• Sparta Prague 2, Brest 1
• Stuttgart 3, Atalanta 2

The league part goes to have work to do to win over the inherently conservative viewers that follows top-level European soccer. If it’ll catch on then one suspects the relentless motion within the desk would be the spur: in a single win alone in our state of affairs Aston Villa soar from a nervy thirtieth to 18th, seemingly effectively ensconced within the cadre of groups certain for a spot within the knockout spherical

After all, in actuality, nobody will really be secure, effectively anticipate the quartet from England and Spain who’ve received 4 from 4. On the midway level of what seems to be a effectively balanced league part solely three groups are winless and even Lille and Membership Brugge, who’ve only one level to their title, are solely a win away from drawing stage with Atletico Madrid and Milan in twenty third and twenty fourth.

Matchday 5

• Slovan Bratislava 1, Milan 3
• Sparta Prague 0, Atletico Madrid 1
• Bayern Munich 1, PSG 2
• Barcelona 2, Brest 0
• Inter 1, Leipzig 1
• Man Metropolis 2, Feyenoord 0
• Leverkusen 3, Salzburg 1
• Sporting 1, Arsenal 1
• Younger Boys 2, Atalanta 1
• Crvena zvezda 1, Stuttgart 1
• Sturm Graz 1, Girona 1
• Liverpool 2, Actual Madrid 2
• Celtic 1, Membership Brugge 0
• Dinamo Zagreb 1, Dortmund 2
• PSV 3, Shakhtar 1
• Monaco 2, Benfica 0
• Aston Villa 1, Juventus 1
• Bologna 0, Lille 0

It might not be the pure selection for viewers when Liverpool vs. Actual Madrid is on the opposite channel however there could also be no extra intriguing sport in week 5 of the league part than Celtic’s assembly with Membership Brugge in Glasgow. This new format could also be partly designed to get the largest sides face to face earlier within the competitors however the battle for the knockout rounds in locations ninth to twenty fourth might ship the true drama. Definitely for a workforce just like the Scottish champions, whose residence video games pit them towards the likes of Brugge and Slovan Bratislava, this format presents them an actual opening for the spring months. Equally video games like PSV vs. Shakhtar and Monaco vs. Benfica could be extra impactful than what occurs within the largest video games, although Inter’s assembly with Leipzig might find yourself being a play off for a prime eight berth.

Matchday 6

• Dinamo Zagreb 2, Celtic 1
• Girona 0, Liverpool 1
• RB Leipzig 2, Aston Villa 0
• Atalanta 1, Actual Madrid 3
• Leverkusen 3, Inter 2
• Membership Brugge 1, Sporting 0
• Shakhtar 0, Bayern Munich 3
• Salzburg 1, PSG 2
• Brest 2, PSV 1
• Atletico Madrid 3, Slovan Bratislava 0
• Lille 1, Sturm Graz 0
• Dortmund 2, Barcelona 1
• Milan 2, Crvena zvezda 0
• Benfica 1, Bologna 0
• Arsenal 3, Monaco 1
• Juventus 1, Man Metropolis 1
• Feyenoord 2, Sparta Prague 0
• Stuttgart 2, Younger Boys 1

Some of the pivotal rounds of the league part, coming because it does forward of a six-week festive break, seems like leaving the battle for a top-eight berth fascinatingly poised. Take a look at this snapshot of the groups inside three factors of one another from fifth to thirteenth:

On the very pinnacle, Manchester Metropolis, Actual Madrid, Liverpool and Barcelona look to be well-placed for prime eight berths albeit not ready the place they will but afford to use up factors. There’s related drama within the excessive teenagers and 20s, a clutch of six groups stage on six factors and separated from qualification solely by purpose distinction. A lot of this format is unknown however one factor we will predict with confidence is that there shall be loads up for grabs come 2025.

Matchday 7

• Atalanta 3, Sturm Graz 1
• Monaco 1, Aston Villa 1
• Liverpool 2, Lille 0
• Atletico Madrid 2, Leverkusen 1
• Benfica 0, Barcelona 1
• Membership Brugge 2, Juventus 2
• Crvena zvezda 2, PSV 3
• Bologna 2, Dortmund 2
• Slovan Bratislava 1, Stuttgart 0
• Leipzig 3, Sporting 0
• Shakhtar 2, Brest 1
• PSG 1, Man Metropolis 3
• Actual Madrid 4, Salzburg 2
• AC Milan 2, Girona 2
• Arsenal 4, Dinamo Zagreb 0
• Celtic 2, Younger Boys 1
• Feyenoord 1, Bayern Munich 3
• Sparta Prague 0, Inter 2

At this stage of our prediction, 4 groups have assured top-eight berths and within the course of certified for the spherical of 16: Manchester Metropolis, Actual Madrid, Liverpool and Barcelona. Leipzig are prone to be a part of them too. In the meantime, Juventus are absolute locks for the knockout spherical whereas it’s unlikely that the likes of AC Milan or Celtic will transfer up or down in a significant manner.

Liverpool’s qualification could be nice information for PSV, not solely out of the highest eight race however definitely effectively positioned to get seeding within the knockout rounds. In the meantime, a workforce like Younger Boys is perhaps all the way in which down in thirty second however beat Crvena zvezda and they might discover themselves on eight factors, maybe sufficient to squeak by way of.

Matchday 8

• Bayern Munich 3, Slovan Bratislava 0
• Dortmund 1, Shakhtar 1
• Barcelona 2, Atalanta 2
• Inter 1, Monaco 0
• Man Metropolis 3, Brugge 1
• Leverkusen 2, Sparta Prague 0
• Juventus 0, Benfica 0
• Dinamo Zagreb 1, Milan 1
• Lille 2, Feyenoord 2
• PSV 1, Liverpool 0
• Salzburg 1, Atletico Madrid 2
• Sporting 2, Bologna 0
• Younger Boys 1, Crvena zvezda 0
• Aston Villa 2, Celtic 2
• Girona 0, Arsenal 2
• Brest 1, Actual Madrid 1
• Sturm Graz 0, Leipzig 0
• Stuttgart 1, PSG 2

Nicely look, in case you’ve obtained this far, you may wish to see the desk, will not you?

Just a few ideas earlier than we name it quits on this inevitably doomed experiment. By means of a number of drafts of this, I preserve discovering myself Celtic’s comfy inserting, reminding myself with each further try that it is not regular for the Scottish champions to glide into the enterprise finish of European soccer. What can I say? I just like the look of their residence video games. Maybe there are a number of too many attracts for the likes of Aston Villa and Bologna too.

Equally, there could be some overindexing of a handful of home video games earlier than the worldwide break. Are RB Leipzig actually the workforce that their first three video games urged they is perhaps? When the fixtures have been unveiled the likes of Bologna, Benfica and even perhaps Girona did not appear to be a workforce prepared for the Champions League. Within the decisive moments of this competitors, they’re going to have had greater than half a season to play themselves into kind.

One factor I’m assured will occur is a state of affairs akin to the almighty melee for eighth place and a assured spot within the final 16. It might not be fairly as dramatic as this seems on paper, a purpose or two in any path swinging qualification in direction of any of 4 groups, in the end separated by simply purpose distinction. Sixth and seventh may also get dragged into the equation. Nonetheless, a query to finish this on: if it does certainly go right down to the previous few seconds of the league part, would anybody actually decide towards Bayer Leverkusen?