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The Champions League had a major break between Matchday 6 and 7, as it returns to action this week after a 1+ month hiatus. The slate kicks off on Tuesday with Aston Villa visiting AC Monaco and concludes on Wednesday with Paris Saint Germain hosting Machester City.
18 other games are kicking off between those two contests, so I’ve scanned the entire slate and provided my favorite Champions League picks for this week’s European contests.
The Champions League has 8 matchdays for the first time in its history, but these last two weeks have plenty of implications for the knockout round. Liverpool currently leads the table with a perfect 18 points after 6 games, while Barcelona sits in 2nd with 15 points. There are 6 clubs with 13 points, and Manchester City, PSV and Dinamo Zagreb hold the final 3 spots in the 24-club knockout competition with 8 points apiece. PSG, Girona and RB Leipzig all sit on the outside looking in, but there could be a few changes after these last two weeks.
There have already been plenty of notable matchups in this competition, and Matchday 7 is no different. On Tuesday, two matches are kicking off at 12:45 PM ET, most notably Aston Villa @ Monaco, while Bayer Leverkusen @ Atletico Madrid headlines the 8-game 3 PM ET slot. Wednesday’s card has Inter traveling to Sparta Praha and Brest @ Shakhtar Donetsk in the early 12:45 PM ET matches, and Manchester City @ PSG is the best of the 8-game slate at 3 PM ET. Let’s dive into my main Champions League predictions and picks for both days.
Tuesday’s Champions League action features key matchups as teams battle for qualification. With spots in the Last 16 on the line, the stakes are high across the slate.
Aston Villa’s European resurgence under Unai Emery has been impressive, with the team sitting 5th with 13 points. Ollie Watkins, in particular, has been in fine form, with 3 goals in his last 4 matches. Despite his domestic success, Watkins is still seeking his first Champions League goal, and this could be the perfect opportunity.
Monaco, now 16th in the standings, must rediscover their early-season form to stay in contention. With both sides involved in high-scoring matches, this clash promises plenty of action. Monaco’s defense has been porous, conceding six goals in back-to-back losses to Benfica and Arsenal, making Watkins to score 1+ goal a strong pick.
Bologna’s European struggles contrast sharply with their domestic form. Despite failing to win any of their six Champions League games and scoring just 1 goal, Vincenzo Italiano’s side have been tough to beat in Serie A. Dortmund’s defensive issues and inconsistency give Bologna a chance to turn their European campaign around. The hosts’ improved form makes this an intriguing matchup.
Bologna goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski has been a standout performer, keeping goals allowed under 2 in the majority of his home matches. Against a Dortmund side that’s won just one of their last eight matches and conceded nine goals in their previous three, Skorupski to allow fewer than 1.5 goals looks like a strong pick.
The Champions League League Phase continues Wednesday with pivotal matchups as teams vie for critical points in their final two games. The stakes are sky-high, with top-8 spots and knockout-round positions on the line.
AC Milan have turned their Champions League campaign around after a rough start, winning four straight to climb into contention for an automatic top-8 spot. Under new coach Sergio Conceição, Milan has built on their momentum, including an impressive victory over Real Madrid.
Expect them to keep the pressure against Girona, whose European hopes are all but over. Girona, struggling domestically and missing key players from last season’s success, are likely to rest players for their La Liga campaign. Milan’s Rafael Leão has been key, scoring in each of the last two UCL games and fresh off a goal against Como.
A showdown between pre-tournament favorites, both Manchester City and PSG have underwhelmed in the Champions League. City sit 22nd, just one point ahead of 25th-placed PSG, and both need back-to-back wins to secure a top-16 berth. Despite these struggles, both teams enter this match in electric form.
PSG lead Ligue 1 by nine points after a 2-1 win over Lens, while Manchester City’s 6-0 rout of Ipswich marked their fourth win in five games. Erling Haaland has been unstoppable, scoring in 3 of City’s last 4 matches and tallying 5 goals in 6 UCL appearances. With both teams averaging over three goals per game in recent outings, this matchup promises fireworks.
With top-tier clashes and plenty of drama on the horizon, Wednesday’s action is set to deliver. Will Milan continue their resurgence, and can Manchester City or PSG salvage their European campaigns? The answers will unfold under the lights.
Luke Lindholm is an avid basketball, baseball, football, hockey and soccer fan who specializes in writing promotional content for multiple sportsbooks and prediction-based articles across a variety of sports. His work has been featured on prominent websites including Sports Illustrated, Pickswise, Men’s Journal, TheStreet, Athlon Sports and more. He started as a college football handicapper for Pickswise in 2016 and is a current member of the Pickswise NFL handicapping team.