We announce the hottest 1st-round matches of the main European club tournament.
New format
The Champions League has undergone significant changes. The group stage has been abolished, and 36 teams will compete in the main stage instead of 32. Each club will play 8 matches, and the playoff participants will be chosen based on the results in the phase table. The 8 best squads will automatically receive tickets to the round of 16. The 16 teams from 9th to 24th inclusive will play in the knockout phase playoffs.
Milan v Liverpool, September 17
Paulo Fonseca failed to win his first 3 matches as the Rossoneri’s head coach. In each of them, Milan conceded 2 goals, and there are already rumors that the club leaders, Rafael Leão and Theo Hernandez, are disrespectful to the Portuguese specialist. It will be difficult for the Italians to stop Liverpool, which confidently started the season under Arne Slot’s leadership – the Reds demonstrate great play in attack and defense. The Dutch manager also uses substitutions wisely to prevent the players from exhaustion.
Odds: W1 – 3.985, X – 4.05, W2 – 1.932
Manchester City v Inter, September 18
English champions vs Italian champions — you won’t find a better signboard. Inter is motivated to avenge their failure in the 2023 Champions League final, and their leaders perform well. Still, Man City has started the season confidently and is not used to losing points at home. Also, don’t forget that we will see a clash between magnificent center forwards Erling Haaland and Lautaro Martinez.
Odds: W1 – 1.551, Х – 4.775, W2 – 6.21
Atletico Madrid v RB Leipzig, September 19
4 years ago, Los Colchoneros lost to RB Leipzig in the Champions League quarterfinals. Now, Atletico will play in front of their home crowd, and they have Julian Alvarez! However, the Red Bulls have gained much experience in European struggles in recent years and are above Atletico in the UEFA rankings. A few weeks ago, Leipzig interrupted Bayer’s famous unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga, which lasted for over a year. In that game, the team was losing 0-2 in the 45th minute and managed to get an away victory. Underestimating an opponent with such a character could be a real disaster for Atletico.
Odds: W1 – 1.9, Х – 4.025, W2 – 4.155
Atalanta v Arsenal, September 19
The Bergamo team has lost Gianluca Scamacca and Giorgio Scalvini, while one of the Arsenal leaders, Martin Ødegaard, as well as newcomers Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori, are also injured. Atalanta, which is considered the game underdog, may benefit from the opponent’s demanding schedule. On September 15, Arsenal will play against Tottenham, and three days after the visit to Bergamo, they will compete with Manchester City.
Odds: W1 – 4.025, Х – 4.005, W2 – 1.932
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