The new year will bring a lot of great football in the Champions League. What to look forward to in the best competition in the world?

The New Year is here and with it the Champions League will soon return to the scene. The best club competition has already prepared some great matches for us this time in the eighth round and we definitely have something to look forward to.

RB Leipzig – Manchester City

An interesting duel. Manchester City are traditionally one of the favourites for the overall win and would like to finally break their bad luck. However, Leipzig, who are playing sympathetically, will not want to lay down their arms and get a bit further again after a long time.

The Citizens, however, should be able to secure promotion. The attacking assassin Erling Haaland has good experience with Leipzig, scoring 6 goals in 4 games. However, Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku should trouble their opponents.

Club Brugge – Benfica

Probably the least attractive double match on paper. Benfica Lisbon managed to squeeze into the first place of the table ahead of PSG and was rewarded by drawing Bruges. However, they showed their great quality in the group.

Still, Benfica should be the favourites, especially if they can keep their World Cup stars like Enzo Fernandez and Goncalo Ramos.

Liverpool – Real Madrid

One of the two most attractive matches and a repeat of last year’s final. Like last year (PSG), Real Madrid were unlucky to get the toughest possible opponent from the second basket in the eighth round.

Real Madrid should be the slight favourite as Liverpool have not had a good autumn. However, there is still plenty of time until February and Liverpool can get their act together over the winter period. Clash of the Titans.

AC Milan – Tottenham

A pretty evenly matched duel that could end either way. It will hugely depend on whether AC Milan manage to keep Rafael Leo, without him the chances would drop down rapidly.

Tottenham are probably the slight favourites, but it’s really not that hot.

Frankfurt – Napoli

Probably the second least attractive game after Bruges and Benfica, at least on paper. But Napoli left Liverpool behind in the regular group and played fantastic football.

Frankfurt have also shown themselves in a good light, and after winning the Europa League they are also eager to succeed in the LM. The favourite is Naples, if of course they keep their form from the autumn.

Dortmund – Chelsea

Extremely evenly matched 50-50, maybe with a few extra percent for Chelsea. Dortmund can trouble the big favourites, especially if Jude Bellingham stays in the squad.

Chelsea are in a slight Graham Potter-style rebranding after the sacking of Thomas Tuchel, and so far it’s not going quite ideally. Open game.

Inter – Porto

Porto dominated their group with Atlético Madrid, Leverkusen and Brugge and deservedly moved up from first place. Inter Milan await there, having left Barcelona behind in the group.

The match is fairly open, with no major favourite. However, Portuguese clubs have been going from strength to strength recently and Porto and Benfica are proof of that.

PSG – Bayern

With the Real-Liverpool match the second biggest showpiece of the eighth round. A clash of two heavyweights where looking for a favourite is also pointless. PSG is already desperate to dominate the Champions League, only to complicate their situation with second place and therefore an eight-final tie with Bayern.

The question will also be how comfortable Mbappé, Messi and Neymar, who finished the World Cup in different states of mind, will be. It will also be interesting to see which goalkeeper Bayern will bring in to replace the injured Neuer.

Source: UEFA