After seven days of entertainment, the UEFA Champions League stage comes to a dramatic conclusion on Wednesday with 13 games at a time, each with a certain significance as the path to next spring’s final becomes clear.
While Arsenal and Bayern Munich are already through to the round of 16 and a handful are guaranteed at least a place in the knockout stages, there is still a lot to play for — and plenty of questions to be answered by European officials. Can Manchester City end their campaign in the top flight after last week’s defeat at Bodo/Glimt? Will Inter remind viewers of their credentials as regional heavyweights with a win against Borussia Dortmund? Are Napoli in trouble? Are Tottenham Hotspur about to go into overdrive?
The CBS Sports team takes its best shot at answering those questions and predicts what Game Day 8 — and the entire Champions League season will play out.
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Champions League games
To end the surprise
James Benge: Monaco — Currently well placed in 21st place and finishing the competition at home, it is unfortunate for Monaco that they are running against a Juventus side that is starting to get a bit under Luciano Spalletti. While they are by no means the kind of powerhouses that should be competing in the top eight, there is enough talent in this team to be good in the top 24. He fears that their inability to beat Pafos away and Tottenham at home could seriously hurt Sebastien Pocognoli’s men.
Pardeep Cattry: Napoli – When Antonio Conte starts complaining in public, the end is usually near. The vibes are not very good for Napoli after a 3-0 thrashing by Juventus at the weekend, which could put them out of the race for the Serie A title and ensure that the vibes are not so good heading into matchday 8 in the Champions League. Combine that with the fact that Chelsea, despite a turbulent season, are doing very well in Europe, Napoli could crumble under the pressure on Wednesday and see their hopes of progressing in the competition disappear, too.
Francesco Porzio: Napoli – I don’t really know if it’s a surprise or not, but I don’t see Antonio Conte’s team going through to the playoffs. The Azzurri have been hit hard by injuries and the Italian coach has expressed his disappointment about the current situation on several occasions over the past few weeks. With two wins, two draws and three defeats including a 6-2 loss to PSV, Napoli are already being considered one of the biggest disappointments of the Champions League season.
Chuck Booth: Monaco – Despite the good wins during the league so far, eliminating Galatasaray and Bodo / Glimt while taking a point from Manchester City, the French side is a good example of a team that did not do enough against the surrounding teams. Beating Pafos and things would have been different but facing Juventus on the last day with many teams able to get past them set Monaco disappointed at home.
A surprising top eight finisher
James Benge: Chelsea — Holding eighth place as it stands, Chelsea have one of the toughest jobs on the team sheet with 13 points. On paper it could be a viable name though given Napoli’s shaky form in Serie A and the Champions League. If there’s a team with a style to clear the air in big games like this it’s probably Liam Rosenior’s, whose midfielder should be able to carry himself to the hosts and set the stage for a crucial, crucial victory.
Pardeep Cattry: Tottenham – Thomas Frank’s side can’t beat Premier League strikers West Ham United and Burnley but the teams in central Europe are a good match for them. Not only are they on pace to progress but to spare their aggrieved fans two more games by progressing to the round of 16, although Frank’s side appear to lack the vision and quality to do much damage in their home league. Their results probably look bad for some of their rivals but Spurs won’t care, and neither should they.
Francesco Porzio: Tottenham – Thomas Frank’s side are in a good place in the European competition as they are in fifth place with 14 points after seven games and will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the last game of the league stage. With the German side already eliminated from the Champions League, Spurs can hold on to strong hopes of avoiding the playoffs next month.
Chuck Booth: Tottenham – Center back FC can’t keep up with this, can they? The team already won the Europa League last campaign while finishing 17th in the Premier League last season, and even with their faltering, Thomas Frank has got enough out of the team to comfortably finish in the top eight and secure a place in the Last 16 and much-needed income for the club. It’s really strange because now it depends on who they will meet in the playoffs, Tottenham may be a team that teams don’t want to face as the players have time to get back to health.
A team in trouble but not to worry
James Benge: Barcelona — The battle for the top 8 will likely be decided on goal difference and if there is one thing Barcelona can do it is run into goals. Copenhagen are not to be taken lightly and you can only hope they strike more often at the other end if Hansi Flick releases any sort of handbrake he may have placed on the Catalans this season. Even if there is going to be a bang, it is Barca who have the most intimidating arsenal.
Pardeep Cattry: Manchester City – Things continue to go wrong for Manchester City and it’s hard to put a finger on why, partly because they have all the tools they need to continue their deep run. Of course, they are overly reliant on Erling Haaland but Pep Guardiola’s side should not be underestimated – Haaland can start to heat up at any time and the good news for City is that our signing Rayan Cherki is likely to fill in as Mr. City aren’t perfect but will still be favorites in most of their matchups, and not just because of their pedigree.
Francesco Porzio: Barcelona – If you look at the standings going into the last matchday, Barcelona are out of the top eight just on goal difference but considering that they will face FC Copenhagen in the last game of the league stage and they can score more goals and avoid two more games in February, which is an important month in the LaLiga title race.
Chuck Booth: Manchester City – Losing Bodo/Glimt may have been the wake-up call City needed. They couldn’t offer anything on the counter attack, but for now, it’s about getting to the knockout stage, which they’ve already done. Once they arrive, new players Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi will be able to provide big clouds to a team that really needs them. While City still need to get Erling Haaland back to his peak, this is still a side that nobody will want to face.
A team that desperately needs to avoid the playoffs
James Benge: Manchester City — There is a lot of work to be done on many fronts as far as Pep Guardiola is concerned and the last thing he needs is two EFL Cup qualifiers, FA Cup and Premier League commitments, especially given the faltering form of late. Those recent results are also a warning sign of how bad things can go in 90 minutes for City, who are likely to have a tough time if they get Olympiacos, Monaco or Napoli.
Pardeep Cattry: Inter – The current Serie A leaders have everything they need to avoid defeat against Borussia Dortmund but if they can’t, the result will feel like a real indictment on their bonafides in Italy and Europe. Adding a few more games to the schedule won’t help the hot race for top spot in Serie A, while the chance to draw one of the most competitive teams to reach the play-offs could test Inter’s mettle — and spoil their season for the second year in a row.
Francesco Porzio: Inter – The Nerazzurri could face the playoffs in February even if they win against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, but that would be a big problem. With Inter locked in a title race with AC Milan in Serie A, and the Rossoneri not involved in European competitions, more work for the playoffs could actually apply to Massimiliano Allegri. More games could help AC Milan’s chances, making Inter’s participation in the playoffs the best news of their week.
Chuck Booth: Juventus – While their fortunes have improved of late, finishing between ninth and 11th in the league table could set the club up to face Napoli in the round of 16. This is especially bad if it is an Italian club due to familiarity with Antonio Conte. Given that Juve are a side where you never know which team will turn up on any given day, that makes a day out against Napoli a nightmare.
Favorite to win the race right now
James Benge: Arsenal — What is an incredibly obvious point to start with? Arsenal are on top and will likely become the first team to go 8-0-0 in the league stage. Apart from the mess that followed the defeat to Manchester United, they haven’t done too badly in the Premier League and the European games seem to be where Arsenal lose their inhibitions. Yes, they can’t dominate the league from the spring onwards like Bayern do but there is formidable depth in Mikel Arteta’s squad to combat that.
Pardeep Catty: Arsenal – As interesting as it would be to pick someone else, the Champions League title is clearly Arsenal’s to lose at this stage. That’s not to say there aren’t formidable opponents, Bayern Munich among the most obvious, and it’s not to say the Gunners have pulled out all the stops. A close look at Manchester United’s defeat on Sunday shows that they need to learn how to deal with adversity but even so, it is hard not to favor them over many of the teams they are likely to face on the road to Budapest. Their defense remains the best in Europe, and their key to winning this title for the first time.
Francesco Porzio: Bayern Munich – While Arsenal are probably the best team in Europe at the moment, Bayern Munich have a huge advantage as they have already secured the Bundesliga race by 8 points from Borussia Dortmund and can focus on the European competition, while Mikel Arteta’s side will have to pay close attention to the Premier League as well, as they have failed to increase their gap.
Chuck Booth: Arsenal — Until proven otherwise, the Gunners are the team to beat. The other sides chasing them have many questions, and while there is time to answer them, Arsenal’s defense leaves them at the top of the pile. Of course, Bayern Munich could return to their annual tradition of ending Arsenal’s hopes in the knockout stages of the competition, but without something like that, it feels like this is a losing battle for Arsenal as they chase the first UCL title in their history. Now they have to continue to respond to the pressure they are facing.
