Champions League: Big challenges ahead for our Belgian teams

Matchday 6 of the Champions League is about to kick off, and Belgian fans are in for a treat. In addition to two exceptional clashes for our Pro League clubs, we’re delighted to see Real Madrid and Manchester City face each other once again.

Union SG vs Marseille

After their impressive win away at Galatasaray on Matchday 5, Union Saint-Gilloise now have 6 points and remain in the race for the round of 16. A direct qualification via the top 8 is out of reach, but the Brussels side, currently 25th, can still target the top 24 and hope to qualify through the knockouts.

Their opponents of the day also have 6 points and sit 21st thanks to goal difference. Should Union win at home, they would move ahead of Marseille and head into the festive season virtually in the knockout stage.

But beware, OM are anything but pushovers. The Marseille side have endured a brutal schedule. After facing Real Madrid (2-1 loss), Ajax (4-0 win), Sporting Lisbon (2-1 loss), Atalanta (1-0 loss) and Newcastle (2-1 win), Marseille must still travel to Bruges and host Liverpool after facing Union this Tuesday.

We can count on both supporter groups to set the stands on fire, but who will dominate on the pitch? It’s time to place your bets!

Club Brugge vs Arsenal

Another impossible mission in Bruges. After FC Barcelona, it’s Arsenal’s turn to visit the Jan Breydel Stadium. Few believed Brugge could hold their own against Barça, yet the Blauw en Zwart managed to secure a 3-3 draw against the Blaugranas. Unfortunately, the trip to Lisbon that followed was far less successful, ending in a 3-0 defeat.

Now an even tougher challenge than Barça awaits Club Brugge: hosting Arsenal. Quite simply, the Gunners are currently the best team in Europe. The only side with a perfect record of 5 wins in 5 Champions League matches, Arsenal also won their top clash against Bayern Munich (3-1) on Matchday 5. Will Brugge pull off the miracle of handing Arteta his first dropped points in Europe this season?

Real Madrid vs Manchester City

Finally, Real Madrid will also meet a familiar Champions League rival on Wednesday. As happens almost every season, Real and Manchester City will face off once again. This time, the match will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The timing makes this encounter completely unpredictable, as both teams have delivered inconsistent performances lately. Sometimes dominant, sometimes clearly lacking ideas. What version of each side will we see this time? One thing is certain: City will have to neutralize Europe’s top scorer, Kylian Mbappé, if they want to avoid watching him score another hat-trick against them, as he did last season.

Betting on the Champions League

Like every week of competition, get a +100% LIVE BetXtra every evening for 15 minutes, 3 best odds on the stars of each evening, a quiz with €2,500 to win and the Circus Champions Challenge.