New Delhi: The UEFA Champions League returns tonight with another set of exciting fixtures as matchday five of the season gets underway later tonight. With the format having been changed this year, there are a number of fresh and interesting match-ups on offer for the fans. The all new league phase has seen some shocks and upsets while some teams are punching way above their weight.
As we prepare for the upcoming matches, let’s take a look at how the tournament has shaped till now. There are five teams till now that are yet to open their account this season in Europe’s premier competition and there are also five teams that still remain unbeaten after the first four games of the season. Inter Milan boast the best defence in the competition currently having not conceded a single goal till now while Serbian side Red Star Belgrade have the worst defensive record, having conceded 16 goals till now.
Conversely, Barcelona are the team heading into the matchday having scored the most goals with 15 in the season and joining them on the opposite end of the spectrum are BSC Young Boys and SK Strum Graz, both of whom have scored just a solitary goal this season. Heading into the latest matchday of the UEFA Champions League, let’s take a look at how the teams sit in the first ever League table of the tournament.
League Phase Standings of the UEFA Champions League
The standings at the halfway point of the league phase 👀#UCL pic.twitter.com/4jRHTj92uZ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 6, 2024
Now that we’re at the halfway stage of the league phase, the UEFA Champions League table is starting to take shape and give a decent idea about which teams are well placed to qualify and which teams in in danger of being knocked out. The top 8 teams after Matchday 8 will be the ones to qualify for the knockouts directly while teams placed between 9-24 will play a two-legged play-off and the winners will join the top 8 teams in the knockouts. The teams that finish lower than 24 will see their European adventure end prematurely.
Current league leaders, Liverpool are in excellent form and sit top of the table having maintained a 100% win record till now and are the only team to do so. Sporting CP haven proven to be a surprise package till now and after beating Manchester City on matchday four, they sit comfortably on second. French side Stade Brest and Premier League side Aston Villa, both competing in the UEFA Champions league for the first time, find themselves in the coveted top eight spots currently.
Surprisingly enough, European giants like Manchester City, Juventus, and Arsenal find themselves outside the top eight as they occupy the 10th, 11th, and 12th spot on the table respectively. Six-time winners Bayern Munich and defending champions Real Madrid, both sit at lowly 17th and 18th positions in the table and need to buckle up soon. As things stand, French champions PSG are set to miss out on qualification as they occupy the 25th position on the table and so are German side RB Leipzig, who are 32nd in the league, having not gained a single point till now.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 fixtures
We’re back! 😄#UCL pic.twitter.com/Iuzl8V7qnR
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 25, 2024
With the UEFA Champions League now heading into the second half of the league phase, matchday five of the season is set to bring us some exciting fixtures which are set to raise the excitement levels and have a more significant impact on the qualification scenarios. In the headline clash on Tuesday, Bayern Munich take on PSG at home while Sporing CP, fresh off thrashing Manchester City, take on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
On Wednesday, Liverpool welcome Real Madrid at Anfield in what is a must win match for the defending champions against the best team in the tournament, on current form. New comers Aston Villa, after suffering a shock defeat on matchday four, play host to Italian giants Juventus while AS Moncao have a chance to move to the top of the table, if other games go in their favour, as they play host to Benfica.
As the UEFA Champions League returns tonight after a long break, let’s take a look at how the league phase of the UEFA Champions League has panned out till now! Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
