UEFA Champions League: Four midweek matches to watch

It is just match-day four in the group stage but it is already crunch time in the UEFA Champions League like PSG and Inter Milan, who need wins to stay in contention of making it out of their various groups.

Inter Milan v Real Madrid @San Siro @9pm on Nov.25

Inter Milan have to beat Real Madrid on Tuesday – it is that simple! Antonio Conte’s team is building the unenviable persona of needing to concede goals, just as they almost did against Real Madrid two weeks ago. Against Torino last weekend, Inter came back from two goals down to win 4-2. “We play well but always make some mistakes,” Lautaro Martínez told the UEFA website. Zinedine Zidane will be without Sergio Ramos and Federico Valverde, while Conte could be without Aleksandar Kolarov and Marcelo Brozovic.

Current Form: Inter Milan [W-D-L-D-D]; Real Madrid [D-L-W-W-D]

Head-to-head

03/11/20 UCL Real Madrid 3 – 2 Inter Milan

27/07/15 ICC Inter Milan 0 – 3 Real Madrid

26/07/14 ICC Real Madrid 1 – 1 Inter Milan

Prediction: Inter Milan 2-1 Real Madrid

PSG v RB Leipzig @Parc des Princes @9pm on Nov.24

Last season’s finalists, PSG are in great danger of not qualifying from Group H, where they sit third, with three points from three matches. And the camp is not a happy one, especially with Friday’s loss to Monaco, after taking a two-goal lead. All the German team, RB Leipzig, will target is a draw from Parc des Princes, while Thomas Tuchel will hope that his superstar duo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will be up for this one. Neymar, who came on as a substitute against Monaco, not scored in his last five UCL matches while Mbappe has not scored in seven games. Will PSG be knocked out in the group stage or will there be a renaissance?

Current Form: PSG [L-W-L-W-W]; RB Leipzig [D-W-W-L-L]

Head-to-head

04/11/20 UCL RB Leipzig 2 – 1 PSG

18/08/20 UCL RB Leipzig 0 – 3 PSG

18/07/14 CLF RB Leipzig 4 – 2 PSG

Prediction: PSG 2-1 RB Leipzig

Monchengladbach v Shakhtar Donetsk @Borussia Park @7pm on Nov.25

The winner here will have a greater chance of making it out of this group of death. Monchengladbach were perfect in the first meeting, smashing six goals past a stunned Shakhtar Donetsk team that had taken points off Real Madrid and Inter Milan. Shakhtar have been hampered by injuries and positive COVID-19 results and will miss Viktor Kovalenko has tested positive for COVID-19 with Ismaily, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Viktor Korniienko, and Maksym Malyshev still missing. Unfortunately for Marco Rose, the hat trick hero from the first leg, Alassane Plea is injured.

Current Form: Monchengladbach [D-L-W-W-D]; Shakhtar Donetsk [D-W-L-W-D]

Head-to-head

03/11/20 UCL Shakhtar Donetsk 0 – 6 Borussia M’gladbach

Prediction: Monchengladbach 2-1 Shakhtar Donetsk

Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow @Wanda Metropolitano @9pm on Nov.25

Diego Simeone’s team prepared for this encounter with a 1-0 win over Barcelona that showed hard work and a growing finesse in their offensive development with Joao Felix as the focal point but they have to be careful of a Locomotiv side who can use all three points to leapfrog the Spanish side into second place. Bayern are already runaway leaders in Group A, but second place is up for grabs, with Salzburg still hopeful if either of Atletico and Locomotive slip up. The Russian side will be without Fedor Smolov and Dmitri Barinov while Luis Suarez will be missing for Atletico because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Current Form: Atletico [W-W-D-W-W]; Locomotiv [W-L-D-L-L]

Head-to-head

03/11/20 UCL Lokomotiv Moscow 1 – 1 Atletico Madrid

11/12/19 UCL Atletico Madrid 2 – 0 Lokomotiv Moscow

01/10/19 UCL Lokomotiv Moscow 0 – 2 Atletico Madrid

15/03/18 UEL Lokomotiv Moscow 1 – 5 Atletico Madrid

08/03/18 UEL Atletico Madrid 3 – 0 Lokomotiv Moscow

Prediction: Atletico 2-1 Locomotiv