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Europe Champions League Round 8

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spkutano

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Man City vs Brugge Preview


Manchester City vs Club Brugge Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Manchester City:
Ederson; Lewis, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol; Silva, Kovacic; Foden, De Bruyne, Savinho; Haaland

Club Brugge:
Mignolet; Sabbe, Mechele, Ordonez, De Cuyper; Jashari, Onyedika; Talbi, Vanaken, Tzolis; Nilsson

Manchester City will welcome Club Brugge to the Etihad Stadium in the last round of UEFA Champions League. The Citizens sit on the 25th place on the table and their situation is clear - they need victory in the last round. Even a draw means elimination. The last results in the competition are far from optimistic. They lost 4:2 from PSG, lost 2:0 from Juventus, played 3:3 with Feyenoord and lost 4:1 to Sporting Lisbon. As You could see, Man City have collected just one from the possible 12 points. City are struggling in all competitions. They are out of the battle for the first place in the Premier League, even the Top-4 finish isn't guaranteed. Previously they were eliminated from the League Cup. On Saturday they managed to beat Chelsea and the players confidence could be higher. Some pundits were joking Guardiola surely sleep better now. Nevertheless, Champions League elimination is the last thing he need. A victory here is crucial. Five players are struggling with injury - Rodri is long-term injury victim and his absence is the key reason for the bad results. Winger Jeremy Doku has missed the last two games against PSG and Chelsea due to injury and the hope is that the injury Doku has sustained isn’t too serious and he can hopefully return for the Premier League fixture against Arsenal next weekend. Oscar Bobb and Ruben Dias remain out. New signings Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov are ineligible to play here.

Club Brugge sit on the 20th place with 11 points. They will definitely reach the knock-out stage if remain unbeaten here. Depending on other results, the Belgian side could qualify even with a defeat. However, Club Brugge are in very good form at the moment. They are unbeaten on the last 19 matches across all competitions. Coach Nicky Hayen is doing an excellent job and the fans are satisfied with the latest performances. Club Brugge already beat Premier League opposition. Hans Vanaken scored the only goal and secured an important victory against Aston Villa in November last year. Nevertheless, playing against Manchester City is a different story. The Belgian outfit suffered two heavy defeats during the 2021 group stage, when they lost 4:1 and 5:1. Some fans are afraid the history could be repeated, but the fact they kept clean sheet against Juventus in Turin a week ago is definitely a good sign. Coach Haven has almost all players available, but one who could miss the game is a significant one. Captain Hans Vanaken missed the weekend's draw with Kortrijk due to illness and is rated as doubtful for the trip to Manchester.

Manchester City vs Club Brugge Prediction:

This is a crucial Champions League fixture for Manchester City. It is simple, they must beat Club Brugge on Wednesday night to book their place in the knock-out phase of the competition. Everything else is a catastrophe. Guardiola's players will attack from the very first whistle and I believe they will score. But at the same time, it will be very difficult not to concede. City received 13 goals on the last four Champions League matches. The Citizens conceded 4 goals from PSG, 2 from Juventus, 3 from Feyenoord and 4 from Sporting Lisbon. Considering the fact that Club Brugge have scored on each of their three away matches in the group, I think it is possible both teams to score here.

Manchester City vs Club Brugge Pick: Both teams to score - Yes @ 2.01 with Pinnacle
 
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Barcelona vs Atalanta Preview:

Possible starting lineups:

Barcelona:
Szczesny; Kounde, Cubarsi, Garcia, Balde; Gavi, Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Raphinha, Lewandowski

Atalanta:
Carnesecchi; Djimsiti, Hien, Scalvini; Ruggeri, Ederson, Pasalic, Zappacosta; Samardzic; Retegui, Lookman

Barcelona will welcome high-flying Atalanta to Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in the last round of Champions League group stage. The Blaugrana are second on the table, while the guests are seventh and they will try to secure an automatic Last-16 berth. Atalanta are definitely capable to upset any team in Europe, though Barca are in excellent form at the moment. They won the last two matches across all competitions. Furthermore, Barcelona were very efficient, scoring 12 goals on the mentioned two games. The Catalans beat Benfica 5:4 and then Valencia 7:1 on Sunday. The atmosphere in the squad is very good, while the players confidence is high. However, they are just third in La Liga, big seven points behind the leaders Real Madrid. Coach Hansi Flick is feeling some pressure as Barcelona fans are not satisfied with the second place. In addition, Flick has some injury worries. Defender Inigo Martinez is sidelined with a hamstring issue, while Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are long-term absentees. Dani Olmo is rated as doubtful with a calf problem. On the positive note, Pedri has recovered from illness.

Atalanta are currently seventh with 14 points, but everything depend on the last round's results. A defeat from Barcelona almost certainly means no automatic placement in the knock-out phase. Even a draw could not be enough. Nevertheless, the current form in Europe is good, three wins and just one defeat on the last four matches in the Champions League. Atalanta beat Sturm Graz with 5:0, Young Boys 6:1 and Stuttgart 2:0, but suffered a narrow 3:2 defeat to Real Madrid. Playing against Spanish clubs is historically a big problem for Atalanta. They have failed to win any of their last five Champions League matches against Spanish opposition, losing four of them. Atalanta are solid domestically. During the weekend they beat Como, coached by the former Barcelona star Cesc Fabregas. Mr Gasperini is without defender Odilon Kossounou and forward Gianluca Scamacca due to injury. Midfielder Marten de Roon is rated as doubtful and will be assessed on Wednesday. He was forced off against Como due to a head injury. Isak Hien served a one-match suspension at the weekend, but he is eligible to play in Europe.

Barcelona vs Atalanta Prediction:

Barcelona are in excellent form, they have won six and drawn one of their seven competitive matches in 2025. They will try to secure another victory in their first-ever competitive meeting with Atalanta. The Blaugrana will finish first in top spot if Liverpool fail to take anything from their away meeting with PSV Eindhoven. But Atalanta also need the points, they will try to remain between Top-8 on the table to avoid play-off round. Mr. Gasperini is experienced tactician and he know how to upset the big guns. Last season Atalanta won 3:0 at Anfield, it is dangerous to underestimate them. However, Barcelona look too strong at the moment. It won't be easy, but Barcelona should win here.

Barcelona vs Atalanta Pick: Barcelona to win @ 1.73 with Pinnacle
 
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