UEFA Champions League 2024/2025

[Trollheart]

Trollheart's Tip for the Title

Sure, it's early yet, but my money would be on Liverpool to win it. They've performed consistently well, are the only English team to have a perfect winning record, have the least amount of goals against them - just the one - shared only with Arsenal and Sporting, and have scored the second-highest tally, only behind Barcelona (who are in 6th place), Villa (in 8th, and from whom they just took top spot) andLille, who are all the way down in 14th. Given their performance in the Premier League, too, added to their long experience in this competition, a manager who almost seems not to know how to lose, and the general air of euphoria and resurgence around the club, I think it will be hard to beat them.

Mind you, don't discount Brest, absolutely flying in their first-ever tournament, and if and when they come up against Liverpool I imagine that will be some match. The big hitters - your Barcelonas, your Bayerns, your Reals and your Man Cities - have all failed to impress, and I don't see them making up the ground on Liverpool. YNWA!

[Trollheart]

As for predictions for Matchday 5, let's see. Who are likely to hit the jackpot

In the next match and who will come out the


Sparta Prague v Atletico Madrid: Fresh off their victory over PSG, the Spanish will surely want to keep up the pressure, and 23rd position will obviously not do them, so they will be looking to advance up the table. Sparta Prague had the tits beaten off them, sorry were beaten by Brest, and still have just the one win, languishing in elimination position on the table, but I couldn't see them rising to the occasion here.

Prediction: Atletico to win.

Slovan Bratislava v AC Milan: Another no-hoper, the Slovakians are rooted to the very foot of the table without a single point, whereas Milan beat Real and will want to capitalise on that. Should be an easy win for the Italians.

Prediction: Victory to Milan.

Bayer Leverkusen v Red Bull Salzburg: May not be the walkover for the Germans that it would have been previously. Salzburg finally won tonight, impressively beating Feyenoord 3-1, and Bayer themselves were defeated by Liverpool 4-0. The Germans are at 13th and only have the two wins. I would expect they'd be able to add a third though. Can't see Salzburg coming good against them.

Prediction: Bayer to win.

Young Boys v Atalanta: Would anyone bet on the Swiss team winning? Not me. They may score (marginally possible) but they've proven they can't hold a lead, whereas the Italians won tonight.

Prediction: Atalanta to win.

Barcelona v Brest: This may not be the foregone conclusion it would at first seem. I mean, we are talking a titan of the competition versus the new boys, but the new boys have not only been making serious inroads into this Champions League and now sit fourth with three wins and a draw, but the Spanish giants are three places below them with... three wins and a draw. Yes, Barca have a superior goal tally, but I would say there'll be more about this match than you might expect, and it could turn out to be one of the matches of the day (sorry).

Prediction: Not gonna call it

Bayern Munich v Paris Saint-Germain: This is easier to call, on the face of it. While the Germans have underperformed, they're still winning more matches than PSG, and are eight places above them. I imagine a win for Bayern here.

Prediction: Bayern to win

Inter Milan v Leipzig: The best performing of the Italian teams, currently fifth with four wins out of four, versus the poorest of the German ones, 32nd with no wins? Surely not hard to call this one!

Prediction: Inter to win

Manchester City v Feyenoord: Both teams well beaten tonight, both will be looking to improve their standing, City at 10th with 3 wins, Feyenoord at 21st with two, but my money would be on the English team.

Prediction: Man City to win

Sporting CP v Arsenal: The Gunners will, like their Manchester rivals, want to start climbing the table again, while Sporting have taken a huge English scalp and probably fancy another.

Prediction: Draw

Red Star Belgrade v VfB Stuttgart: Another one that's hard to call. Neither team have done particularly great in the competition so far, but Red Star haven't won a game and are one from the bottom, while Stuttgart are 26th with two wins. Probably expect the Germans to take this.

Prediction: Stuttgart to win

Sturm Graz v Girona: Sorry Austrians but if it's a match-up between one of your country's teams and anyone, I'll go for the other guy. Out of in total 8 games played by Austrian sides, only 1 game has been won, whereas Girona have managed at least one and are four places above Sturm Graz.

Prediction: Girona to win

Monaco v Benfica: Without a single loss or even draw, four wins and sitting third in the table, Monaco seem very likely to proceed. Benfica, way down in 19th place, have just the one win.

Prediction: Monaco to win

Aston Villa v Juventus: I would certainly hope my lads would be anxious to scrub out the embarrassing defeat by Club Brugge tonight, and start making their way back to the top. Juventus though are only three places below us, but with just the one victory. Plus we're at home so hopefully Villa Park will cheer us on to glory.

Prediction: Villa to win (did you expect anything else?)

Bologna v Lille: The Italians haven't won a match yet, and I don't see them starting here, against a Lille team who are 17 places above them.

Prediction: Lille to win

Celtic v Club Brugge: The Scots will want to keep going, now that they've won their second match, and though Brugge took us down, that was- only on the back of a penalty. Other than that, it's their only win and they're at 22nd while Celtic are 7 places higher.

Prediction: Celtic for the win.

Dinamo Zagreb v Borussia Dortmund: Dinamo grabbed a victory tonight to add to their other two, whereas Dortmund only have two, but the Germans are 9 places above the Croatians.

Prediction: Draw

Liverpool v Real Madrid: Has to be one of the ties of the tournament so far. Liverpool will want to maintain their 100% win record and keep top spot, but Real will be stinging from that defeat to AC Milan, and are unlikely to be easy to get past. Still, I think the English team can do it.

Prediction: Liverpool to win

PSV Eindhoven v Shakhtar Donetsk: Does anyone think this is in doubt? Despite the Ukrainians gaining their first ever victory tonight, they're down the bottom and PSV are likely to blow them away.

Prediction: PSV to win.