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It's going to be a wild day of soccer as Wednesday will see 18 Champions League matches kick off simultaneously. As the league phase comes to an end, all of those matches, except two, will have a direct impact on who makes it into the playoff stage and who is on the outside looking in. Such meaningful stakes are a dream for betting on matches because combining the narratives with numbers can lead to exciting results.
So let's take a look at some of the best bets for the final matchday:
RB Salzburg-Atletico Madrid: First half over 1.5 goals (+138)
Only being on 15 points, Atletico Madrid are one of many teams that have to go for a victory to ensure their place in the top eight. In previous years, that would mean that they'd look to score early and sit 10 men behind the ball for the remainder of the match but that's where this team differs from previous sides under Diego Simeone. Allowing 11 goals in only seven UCL matches, they can't be trusted to defend a 1-0 lead even while facing a RB Salzburg side who are out of contention so scoring early and often will be the way to ensure victory.
Aston Villa-Celtic: Adam Idah to have 1+ shots on target (-120)
In another match where the stakes are high, Aston Villa can make it into the top eight with a victory and some help while Celtic also have an outside shot if things break their way. Both Brendan Rodgers and Adam Idah have Premier League experience so facing a team like Villa away from home is a chance to show what they can do. Villa have done a good job limiting chances but for shots, all it takes is one and that can cash.
Juve-Benfica, BVB-Shakhtar, Lille-Feyenoord to draw (+6351)
Okay, this is one to just sprinkle a very small figure on, but it's a big one as we're reaching matches that all have high stakes in them. Because of teams pushing, the final days of group stages can feature a lot of draws especially when stout defenses are involved. Benfica would want to win to secure their place in the top 24 but unless something goes awry, a draw with Juventus is enough for both of them. Dortmund are already into the knockouts and unlikely to make it to the top eight while facing a Shakhtar side that need a win to even have a chance at top 24. Dortmund could lose that but the more likely scenario is a draw. Lille and Feyenoord also have a shot at the top eight but will be playing more not to lose than to win which is why this parlay is worth a small shot to close things out.
Matchday 8 TV schedule
All times Eastern
| WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29 | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
|---|---|---|
UEFA Champions League Today pre-match | 2 p.m. | |
The Golazo Show | 3 p.m. | |
Aston Villa vs. Celtic | 3 p.m. | |
FC Barcelona vs. Atalanta | 3 p.m. | |
Bayern Munich vs. Slavon Bratislava | 3 p.m. | |
Brest vs. Real Madrid | 3 p.m. | |
Dinamo Zagreb vs. AC Milan | 3 p.m. | |
Borussia Dortmund vs. Shakhtar Donetsk | 3 p.m. | |
Girona vs. Arsenal | 3 p.m. | |
| Inter vs. AS Monaco | 3 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Net |
| Juventus vs. Benfica | 3 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Network |
| Bayer Leverkusen vs. Sparta Prague | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Manchester City vs. Club Brugge | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Lille vs. Feyenoord | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| PSV vs. Liverpool | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| RB Salzburg vs. Atletico Madrid | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Sporting CP vs. Bologna | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Stuttgart vs. PSG | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Sturm Graz vs. RB Leipzig | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Young Boys vs. Crvena Zvezda | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
UEFA Champions League Today post-match | 5 p.m. | |
Scoreline | 6 p.m. | |
The Champions Club | 7 p.m. |
Champions League standings
Key: Positions 1-8 qualify for round of 16 while positions 9-24 qualify for knockout phase playoffs and positions 25-36 are eliminated.
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | +13 | 21 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 11 | +15 | 18 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 16 |
| 4 | Inter | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 16 |
| 5 | Atletico Madrid | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 15 |
| 6 | AC Milan | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 15 |
| 7 | Atalanta | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 4 | +14 | 14 |
| 8 | Bayer Leverkusen | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 13 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 13 |
| 10 | AS Monaco | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 13 |
| 11 | Feyenoord | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 13 |
| 12 | Lille | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 13 |
| 13 | Brest | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 13 |
| 14 | Borussia Dortmund | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 1 | +8 | 12 |
| 15 | Bayern Munich | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 12 |
| 16 | Real Madrid | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 12 |
| 17 | Juventus | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 12 |
| 18 | Celtic | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 12 |
| 19 | PSV | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 12 |
| 20 | Club Brugge | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 11 |
| 21 | Benfica | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 10 |
| 22 | PSG | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 10 |
| 23 | Sporting CP | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 10 |
| 24 | Stuttgart | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 10 |
| 25 | Manchester City | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 8 |
| 26 | Dinamo Zagreb | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 8 |
| 27 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 7 |
| 28 | Bologna | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 5 |
| 29 | Sparta Prague | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 4 |
| 30 | RB Leipzig | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -6 | 3 |
| 31 | Girona | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 3 |
| 32 | Crvena Zvezda | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 22 | -10 | 3 |
| 33 | Sturm Graz | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 14 | -10 | 3 |
| 34 | RB Salzburg | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 23 | -19 | 3 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 24 | -18 | 0 |
| 36 | Young Boys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 | -20 | 0 |
