Champions League Projections

GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Jan. 29 – the finale of the inaugural UCL league phase, Fifa rejects an independent human rights monitor, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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FIXTURES

UEFA Champions League, 20:00 / 15:00. Barcelona vs Atalanta. Barcelona are on a six-game winning run in the UCL, while Atalanta have won their three away matches in the league phase. Bayern Munich vs Slovan Bratislava. Bayern had three consecutive European victories before a 3-0 loss to Feyenoord. Meanwhile, Slovan have lost all their league phase matches, conceding 24 goals in seven. Manchester City vs Club Brugge. City are still unbeaten in their last 33 UCL home games within 90 minutes, but Brugge have avoided defeat in their last 20 matches across all competitions. See the full list of Champions League fixtures here.

Results…

• EFL Championship: Portsmouth 0-1 Millwall (League Table)

TOP TALKING POINTS

Champions League Projections

The final matchday of the inaugural Champions League league phase is set to be played on Wednesday (Jan. 29). All 18 fixtures will be played simultaneously, with teams fighting for a spot for automatic qualification to the round of 16 (top eight) or the play-off rounds (nine-24). See the current league phase table here.

Liverpool and Barcelona are the only two teams mathematically guaranteed to be in the top eight. Opta predicts that Arsenal, Inter Milan, Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, AC Milan and Aston Villa will join them. Atalanta are also contenders, being just one point behind Villa. Lille are the only other team with a reasonable chance of achieving an automatic qualification spot, though they would have to beat Feyenoord and rely on other results going their way.

The play-off round is predicted to be filled by Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Brest, Real Madrid and Juventus. PSV, Celtic, Club Brugge, Sporting and Benfica are also extremely likely to make the play-off round. Manchester City will only secure a spot in the play-off round if they secure a win over Brugge.

FIFA Rejects Independent Monitor

Fifa has rejected calls for an independent monitor to assess migrant workers’ conditions in Saudi Arabia ahead of the 2034 World Cup. The governing body says the measures that it currently has in place—which are unclear—are sufficient.

Last month, a local trade union requested an independent monitor in response to what it described as Saudi Arabia’s “alarming record” on human rights. The union also called for the end of the kafala system of labour (learn more here).

An estimated 10 million migrant workers are currently resident in Saudi Arabia. They are expected to make up most of the workforce required to deliver the extensive World Cup infrastructure. Saudi Arabia’s World Cup bid outlined building 11 entirely new stadiums, expanding transport networks and an estimated 185,000 hotel rooms, a doubling of current capacity.

La Liga vs Barcelona

La Liga president Javier Tebas said the league has “evidence” to deregister Barcelona’s Dani Olmo and Pau Victor. This comes after both players were granted provisional registration by the Spanish national sports council (CSD) until it made a definitive ruling.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga initially rejected Barcelona’s request to register the players, citing the club’s breach of the league’s financial rules. While Barcelona sold VIP boxes for their new stadium to increase their spending cap, the league doesn’t allow players to be registered twice in the same season. The Catalan club also filed the paperwork three days late.

Tebas confirmed at the Madrid Sports Press Association gala that the league is putting resources behind deregistering both players. Given the likelihood of appeals from both parties, it’s unclear whether the saga will be resolved before the end of the season.

POLL

Editor’s note: The four short-listed clubs lead the league phase table before Matchday 8’s fixtures.

ON THE BALL

Europe

> Ange Postecoglou is expected to be given the chance to save his job amid mounting calls for Tottenham to sack the 59-year-old (More) | West Ham have won a £3.6m legal battle with the London Stadium landlords (More) | Arsenal win their appeal against Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card (More)

> A helicopter crash in which five people were killed at Leicester City's King Power Stadium was an accident, an inquest jury has concluded (More)

> Lyon coach Pierre Sage has been fired despite leading the French league club out of a crisis last season (More)

> Borussia Dortmund executives held a meeting with Ralf Rangnick about him taking over as their new head coach (More / in German)

Americas

> Brazilian club Santos are a step closer to signing Neymar after the 32-year-old terminated his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal by mutual consent (Previous Write-up)

> MLS Productions, the league’s media and broadcast production arm, will move to the WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut (More) | Inter Miami has released its preseason 2025 tour schedule (More)

Rest of the World

> Victor Boniface was absent from Bayer Leverkusen’s training today as a proposed move to Saudi Arabia moves closer (More)

> The president of the Saudi Pro League says there’s a possibility (unconfirmed) that a club could offer around €300m for Vinicius Jr next summer and €200m net per season salary for the player on a five-year contract (More)

ROUTERS’ VOICE

Yesterday’s Poll: Is it ever acceptable for managers to criticise their players in public? 

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👏 Absolutely... (49%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ 🙅 Nope... (48%)

⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other... (3%)

Your punditry takes:

• 👏 J.P: “They definitely should be able to call out toxic behaviour from players. Some players get caught up in the media hype and start to think they’re invincible, even when their performances aren’t backing it up. However, managers should be aware this can go both ways and the manager isn’t always going to be the one in the right.”

• 🙅 K.P: “No way, it’s the same as a worker being chastised in front of his/her colleagues. Keep it behind closed doors and work on a solution to the concerns. Motivate not castrate.”

• ✍️ W.D: “It should only be done in the rarest of circumstances such as when the player’s performance or behaviour is so egregiously poor or reprehensible that a lack of public criticism could be perceived as approval.”

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GAME FACE ON

Question: Two players have won five Champions League/European Cup trophies without ever playing for Real Madrid in their careers. Which club did they both win the competition with?

Bonus: Can you name the players?

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

Champions League (20:00 / 15:00)

• Aston Villa vs Celtic

• Barcelona vs Atalanta

• Bayer Leverkusen vs Sparta Prague

• Bayern Munich vs Slovan

• Borussia Dortmund vs Shakhtar D

• Brest vs Real Madrid

• Dinamo Zagreb vs AC Milan

• Girona vs Arsenal

• Inter Milan vs Monaco

• Juventus vs Benfica

• Lille vs Feyernoord

• Man City vs Club Brugge

• PSV vs Liverpool

• RB Salzburg vs Atletico Madrid

• Sporting vs Bologna

• Sturm vs Leipzig

• Stuttgart vs PSG

• Young Boys vs Red Star

Answer

AC Milan. Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta.