The action in the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League intensifies this week as Europe’s top clubs clash in a bid to be crowned the Kings of Europe. With high stakes and electrifying matchups on Matchday 4, fans are in for a thrilling spectacle. Here are some of the standout fixtures to watch as the journey to crown the kings of Europe unfolds.
Lille vs Juventus (November 5, 2024)
Lille have found themselves in dreamland after two impressive back-to-back wins over Spanish giants Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in their last two Champions League matches. These results have earned them 6 points out of a possible nine. This run of form has kept them unbeaten in their last 8 games (W5, D3), and they will head into this encounter against Juventus brimming with confidence and looking to put the visitors to the sword.
On the other hand, Juventus were winless in three matches before their 2-0 victory against Udinese on Saturday in the league. That win might provide them with enough of a boost for their encounter with Lille. If Thiago Motta’s men are to leave France with any points, their star striker Vlahovic will need to be firing on all cylinders.
Key Players: Jonathan David, Gabriel Gudmundsson (Lille); Dusan Vlahovic, Khephren Thuram (Juventus)
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen (November 5, 2024)
Liverpool face Bayer Leverkusen in what promises to be one of the biggest games of Round 4. Under Arne Slot, Liverpool are topping the Premier League table and remain unbeaten in the Champions League. The Reds’ resurgence has come as a surprise to fans and pundits alike, who expected new manager Slot to struggle initially. They head into this encounter with only one defeat across all competitions (W13, D1, L1).
Leverkusen, led by Anfield hero Xabi Alonso, will be aiming to inflict Liverpool’s second defeat of the season. Coincidentally, they were the last German team to walk away with all three points at Anfield. Leverkusen have also started the season impressively, with just one loss so far (W9, D5, L1). The German side will need to be at their best to secure a win at Anfield.
Key Players: Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool); Victor Boniface, Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
Real Madrid vs AC Milan (November 5, 2024)
When the two most successful clubs in the Champions League, with 22 UCL titles between them, face off, you know it’s always going to be a match full of tradition, history and bragging rights. Real Madrid welcomes AC Milan to the Bernabeu in what promises to be an exciting matchup. Carlo Ancelotti, himself a legend for AC Milan as both a player and manager, will be hoping to get the better of his former club. Real Madrid holds an impressive home record in UCL games, having won 17 of their last 18 encounters against Italian opponents. Vinicius Jr., at the center of a Ballon d’Or controversy, will be eager to silence his doubters in this encounter and he, along with his teammates, will also be looking to banish the memory of their last outing—a 4-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga.
AC Milan’s Champions League run this season hasn’t been impressive, with only one win, which came against Club Brugge. They’ll be hoping to leave Madrid with all three points, but as Borussia Dortmund found out in their last encounter, it will be difficult. Key to AC Milan’s chances will be Christian Pulisic, who has been crucial for them with key goals and assists. Paulo Fonseca will be counting on him, along with Rafael Leao and Alvaro Morata, to be at their very best for this fixture.
Key Players: Vinicius Jnr, Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid); Rafael Leao, Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
PSG vs Atletico Madrid (November 6, 2024)
Luis Enrique’s PSG have had a slow start to this season’s UCL campaign, winning just one of their three games so far (W1, D1, L1). Coincidentally, that win came against another Spanish side, Girona on Matchday 1. The French side will be hoping to return to winning ways at the Parc des Princes, with their attack being crucial to that effort. They have struggled to score, especially in the Champions League and will need to take their chances against Diego Simeone’s men.
Atletico, on the other hand, have not had a spectacular campaign so far either. In fact, they have lost their last two games to Borussia Dortmund and Lille, respectively. They also carry the unwanted statistic of just one win in their last 10 away UCL games (D2, L7). Simeone will be hoping his team doesn’t end up on the losing side for the third consecutive UCL game.
Key Players: Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola (PSG); Antoine Griezmann, Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)
Inter Milan vs Arsenal (November 6, 2024)
Italian giants Inter face Arsenal in one of the most exciting games of Matchday 4. Both teams have had unbeaten starts to their campaigns and are yet to concede a goal as well. Inter Milan will be hoping to take a page from Newcastle’s playbook ahead of this game by stifling Arsenal’s attack. Inter will be looking to leverage home advantage, having lost only twice in their last 14 home games in this competition (W10, D2, L2). One thing for sure is that Simone Inzaghi’s men will need to be at their best to claim all three points from the Gunners.
Arsenal, led by Mikel Arteta, have had a similar start to the campaign as Inter Milan. Arteta will be hoping his side doesn’t concede their first goal of the competition, though he may be concerned about the attack’s lack of clinical finishing in recent weeks. The 1-0 loss to Newcastle over the weekend reflects a dip in form, as they have gone winless in their last three Premier League games and have won only one of their last five away games (D2, L2). The Gunners’ defense will be crucial to avoiding defeat in this fixture.
Key Players: Lautaro Martínez, Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan); Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
Bayern Munich vs Benfica (November 6, 2024)
Vincent Kompany will be hoping Bayern bounce back in the UCL following a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona in their last outing. However, the German side should head into this fixture brimming with confidence after three consecutive domestic wins and an unbeaten record against their opponents, Benfica (W9, D3). They also boast a strong head-to-head record against Portuguese teams in this competition.
Benfica will be aiming for only their third win away to German opposition in 27 attempts. Although a tall order, it is not impossible. Benfica are on a fine run of form, though they lost their last UCL game 3-1 at home to Dutch side Feyenoord. Their recent form, combined with Bayern’s vulnerabilities at the back, could give them some confidence. Bruno Lage will be relying on players like Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Ángel Di María to cause Bayern some trouble.
Key Players: Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich); Aktürkoğlu, Ángel Di María (Benfica)