This week represents the fourth games of the group stage in the Champions League and Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid find themselves in comfortable positions atop their respective divisions for now. But there is a sense of urgency amongst a number of other teams – including the team that Madrid will face on Tuesday. Here is a quick look at the four best Champions League games scheduled for this week.
Group B
Real Madrid vs. Liverpool
Tuesday, 2:45 PM ET
Odds: Real Madrid -425, Liverpool +1100, Draw +600
Real Madrid is comfortable atop Group B with nine points while the other three teams in the group are all tied with three. That includes a suddenly desperate Liverpool team that has struggled in both the Premier League and Champions League, and hopes to avoid another blowout loss. The post Luis Suarez era has been a troubling one and the arrival of Mario Balotelli has only made matters worse it seems. Liverpool will need Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic to play at an elite level against a dominant Real Madrid midfield to even stand a chance in this game, but even then they will have a tough time earning even a point against Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez, and company.
Pick: Real Madrid[divider]
Group A
Juventus vs. Olympiakos
Tuesday, 2:45 PM ET
Odds: Juventus -300, Olympiakos +1000, Draw +400
Top spot in Group A is still very much up for grabs but Juventus will need a win over Olympiakos to pull themselves in to a tie with their Greek rivals. Fellow Group a contender Atletico Madrid is currently tied with Olympiakos for first place with six points and is set to play Malmo in its next game. A loss for Juventus could potentially put them six points back of the top two spots in the group. Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has called out his players ahead of Tuesday’s game calling it a “mandatory victory” in Turin and they should be able to return the favor after losing 1-0 in their initial meeting with Olympiakos.
Pick: Juventus[divider]
Group E
Manchester City vs. CSKA Moscow
Wednesday, 2:45 PM ET
Odds: Manchester City -365, CSKA Moscow +1000, Draw +515
Manchester City is another team that has struggled in the Premier League of late and after an early exit from the Capital One Cup there are major question marks surrounding a club that is much more talented than their results would indicate. The talented striker trio of Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, and Stevan Jovetic has to do a better job of converting on their chances and a greater sense of urgency should help them against Moscow in what should be another entertaining game.
Pick: Manchester City[divider]
Group F
Ajax Amsterdam vs. Barcelona
Wednesday, 2:45 PM ET
Odds: Barcelona -273, Ajax +785, Draw +415
Coming off consecutive losses in La Liga has caused some overreaction in regards to Barcelona’s potential decline but the reality is they outshot Celta Vigo and hit the post three times in their latest 1-0 loss that was more the result of bad luck then poor play. Now they have a chance to get back on track in the Champions League against an Ajax team that is clearly a class below them so look for Lionel Messi and company to pull out a convincing victory.
Pick: Barcelona
