Champions League predictions: Man Utd and PSG on the brink in Gameweek 6
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 22 Jan 2024 14:11 GMT
- 8 min read
The Champions League group stage concludes on Tuesday and Wednesday with a series of thrilling matchups that will decide the fate Europe’s leading clubs.
Manchester United and PSG are two of the teams at risk of elimination from the competition, with a thrilling match in store at Old Trafford, where Bayern Munich will be seeking to bounce back after a thumping weekend loss.
The Parisians, meanwhile, travel to Borussia Dortmund knowing that anything but a win could leave Kylian Mbappe making his Europa League debut in 2024.
Newcastle and Milan are waiting to take advantage of any slip, with the St James’ Park side having apparently run out of steam because of an injury crisis in recent days.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are seeking to round out a successful group stage with a tough trip to PSV, last season’s runners up Inter host Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid tackle Lazio at the Wanda Metropolitano.
We've used BetMGM's Golden Goals to put our predictions together - the UK's largest free to play score prediction game, with a guaranteed £5k weekly payout. Each Champions League match week, six games are available on Golden Goals and this week's are:
- Man Utd v Bayern Munich
- PSV v Arsenal
- Inter v Real Sociedad
- Newcastle v Milan
- Atletico Madrid v Lazio
- Dortmund v PSG
Man Utd vs Bayern Munich
Man Utd go into their final Champions League group stage match against Bayern Munich without much confidence of qualifying for the knockouts. The Red Devils must beat the Bundesliga champions at Old Trafford and hope that Galatasaray’s game with Copenhagen ends in a draw in order to progress to the final 16.
Bayern are coming off the back of a humiliating 5-1 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in the German league, so arguably there could not be a better time to play them.
However, Man Utd are enduring something of a slump of their own, having lost 3-0 to Bournemouth over the weekend in the Premier League - a match that’s been something of a nadir for Erik ten Hag and his second-season woes.
Rasmus Hojlund’s form in front of goal in the Champions League could be the difference here, however.
Prediction: Man Utd 2-1 Bayern Munich
Man Utd are capable of winning this game with Hojlund the line. It also ties in with their general game-to-game inconsistency this season, while Leroy Sane will be a huge boss for Bayern on Tuesday. Man Utd are not the favourites by any measure but they could nick the victory at Old Trafford 2-1, yet still fall out of the competition owing to Galatasaray earning three points over Copenhagen.
PSV v Arsenal
Arsenal and PSV Eindhoven have both already qualified for the Champions League last-16 and top spot has been sealed by the Gunners, so the final game in Group B will therefore likely be more of a training exercise than a full-blooded affair.
That being said, PSV will be out for revenge after their humiliating 4-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium in Matchday One.
Mikel Arteta’s side showed their clinicalness back in September and while PSV weren’t on the end of a completely dominant display, it was clear that Arsenal ran the show.
The Dutch giants have won eight games in a row in all competitions, however, and are unbeaten since that loss at the Emirates.
Furthermore, PSV have won all 15 of their Eredivisie games this term and will be looking to upset the apple cart against a team who were fortunate to beat Luton Town last week and suffered a narrow defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
Prediction: PSV 1-1 Arsenal
Although there was a difference in class when these sides met earlier in the competition, PSV are in flawless form.
They haven’t lost a competitive home match since August 2022 and they beat Arsenal 2-0 at The Philips Stadion when they faced off in the Europa League group stage last year.
Inter v Real Sociedad
Inter Milan and Real Sociedad are two of the most in-form teams in world football, which is why they have both secured qualification for the Champions League knockout stages and are currently unbeaten in the competition.
They are level on 11 points at the top of Group D, meaning first place and a seeded spot in the last-16 draw are both up for grabs at San Siro.
Inter’s domestic form is exemplary and the only reason blemish on their Serie A record this campaign is the shock 2-1 loss to Sassuolo back in late September.
As for Sociedad, they’re a little way off the pace in Spain and currently sit in fifth place - 12 points behind high-flying league leaders Girona.
But, Imanol Ilguacil’s side are a joy to watch and the tactical battle between him and Inzaghi will be fascinating to watch on Tuesday night. Given the reverse fixture saw Inter muster just one shot on target, the Italian giants will be looking for a more dominant display in front of their home fans.
Prediction: Inter 2-1 Real Sociedad
Inter have arguably been the best team in Europe so far this season and Inzaghi has managed to replace the departed Edin Dzeko, Milan Skriniar and Marcelo Brozovic superbly.
Marcus Thuram is the perfect foil for Lautaro Martinez and that strike duo may prove too much for Sociedad in front of a raucous home crowd. The San Siro atmosphere will play a role in this result and it may see Inter narrowly clinch top spot.
Newcastle v Milan
Newcastle are enduring a tough spell approaching the halfway point of the season. They have conceded seven goals in their last two matches.
However, the Magpies have often impressed in Europe this term and the fact they have what is the easiest Group F match on paper as their final encounter at St James’ Park will be a boost for them. They must win and hope Paris Saint-Germain fail to pick up three points to go through.
AC Milan have not won away from home since early October but you can bet Stefano Pioli’s side will be up for this one.
What will be crucial is getting the first goal and settling nerves - the best thing for the away side will be to silence the home crowd by finding the net early doors.
Prediction: Newcastle 3-3 Milan
Newcastle could let the size of the occasion get to them in this one, while their plethora of injuries will be a huge issue. Both clubs know that just a point will not be enough so this could well be a high-scoring occasion. This could well be a frustrating evening for both teams, though.
Atletico Madrid v Lazio
First place in Group E is on the line when Atletico Madrid host Lazio at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday.
Atleti start this match as strong favourites after two home victories, albeit their triumph over Celtic was eased thanks to a controversial early red card to their visitors in that match.
So long cast as purely defensive masters, Diego Simeone’s side have scored more goals than any other club in Champions League, with the exception of Arsenal and Manchester City, who have also netted 15.
Lazio, meanwhile, have been workmanlike to this point of the competition. None of their three victories have come with any sense of comfort but they have been masters of leaving it late. Only two of their seven goals have been scored before the 80th minute.
When these sides met in Rome, it took a dramatic equaliser from goalkeeper Ivan Provedel to level the match for Mauricio Sarri’s side, and it is that effort that keeps the group alive going into the final game of the pool.
Prediction: Atletico Madrid 2-0 Lazio
Atleti’s greater experience in matches such as this, plus their strong home form, should guide them to victory without too many problems. Expect Simeone to play this match in a pragmatic manner, and the Argentine rarely gets it wrong in these situations.
Dortmund v PSG
Dortmund are already through to the last 16 of the Champions League but to guarantee top spot in the group they must avoid defeat to PSG on Wednesday. The catch? PSG need victory to guarantee themselves a spot in the knockout stages.
PSG have been poor on the road so far, losing heavily away to Newcastle and then against to Milan, and they have generally been victims of some rather uneven form under Luis Enrique. The trend has generally been upwards, though, and the fact that they have been battling some significant injury problems has been overlooked.
Dortmund, meanwhile, have yet to concede a goal at home in the competition, while away wins against the Magpies and Rossoneri have seen them qualify. Top spot has to be their aim, though.
BVB are winless in their last three matches, though, and played much of their encounter against RB Leipzig on Saturday down to 10 men, which was an experience that will only have drained their energy.
Prediction: Dortmund 1-3 PSG
With everything on the line, look for Kylian Mbappe to lead his PSG side to victory at one of Europe’s most intimidating venues. Dortmund have outperformed in Europe, so look for them to be relegated into second place at the last.
