Champions League, here are the play-offs with three Italian teams on the pitch: programme and TV times

Bologna, 10 February 2025 – The single-group stage has been archived, with its verdicts, for Italy the elimination Bologna, it's play-off time to access the Champions League round of 16. The teams that finished from ninth to twenty-fourth place will be on the field and there will be three teams involved in Serie A. The play-offs do not award points in the ranking, but sending all three forward (Atalanta, Juve and Milan) is essential to accumulate more points from the round of 16 onwards and to have, also next season, the fifth team in the Champions League. For now Italy is second, but with a narrow margin over Spain and it looks like a tough battle until June. There will be eight matches scheduled between Tuesday and Wednesday for the first leg of the playoffs (the return leg is played in a week) that will send eight teams to the round of 16 to complete the picture with those who qualified directly in the single group. Not only the matches of the Italian teams, which we will analyze shortly, but also a stellar challenge between two former winners of the competition. In fact, the difficulties encountered in the group by Real Madrid and Manchester City led to an unfair draw and the two teams will face each other in the play-offs, leading to a first sensational early elimination.  

The games

Manchester City-Real Madrid is certainly one of the most anticipated matches of the play-off round, in an almost eternal challenge between Guardiola and Ancelotti, two who know a thing or two about winning the Champions League. One of the two, however, will have to say goodbye to the dream and the first leg is scheduled for Tuesday at 21pm in England, while the return is set for Madrid next week. There will also be a challenge between star strikers like Haaland versus Mbappè: it will be fun. Not just City and Real, because the calendar is interesting with Monaco-Benfica making the prediction uncertain, as well as Sporting Lisbon-Dortmund, two opponents of Bologna in the group (draw and victory for the rossoblù), while Psg and Bayern, against Brest and Celtic, should have an easier time. Then there are the Italian teams. Juve faces the Dutch champions PSV, Atalanta the Belgians of Bruges and the Milan the always difficult Feyenoord.

Juve-Psv

Il psv The reigning Dutch champions are experiencing a period of decline. While they advanced to the next round of the Dutch Cup in the quarter-finals against Feyenoord, they have been caught up at the top of the league from Ajax, with the lancers tied on points but with a game to make up. PSV's score in fact reads three draws, one defeat and one victory in the last five. The three to three with Nec and the one to one at home with Willem allowed the lancers to come back and for the Juve there seems to be a chance of progressing to the next round despite a difficult group finish between a draw in Bruges and a home defeat against Benfica. The Dutch also have a problem up front with the centre-forward's knee injury Pepi, but we will have to pay attention to the offensive wings Long left and Bakayoko on the right, valued at 20 and 40 million by transfermarkt. In midfield, Tillman he had an ankle injury in mid-January, so it should be the turn of the former Bologna player Schouten drive the median together with Ferryman. In defense, Boscagli leads, while for the wing there is also the ex Roma Karsdorp card.

Feyenoord - Milan

The first curiosity that comes to mind in the play-off between Feyenoord and Milan is certainly the recent transfer of Santiago Gimenez to the Rossoneri. As soon as he landed in Serie A, the Mexican striker scored in Empoli but until a few days before he was scoring for the Rotterdam team, who will now have to rely on the Japanese Ueda or Argentinean Carranza to replace him. A significant loss. The dangers, however, are on the external attackers with Paixao, Osman and Moussa to give quality. In midfield the leader is without a doubt Timber, the captain (valued at 32 million euros by transfermarkt), while in defence the linchpin is David Hanko, Juve's objective for June, but also watch out for Facundo Gonzalez, a former Juventus player. In the league, however, it is not an exciting season for Feyenoord who is fifth, behind even Az Alkmaar, with a 12-point gap from Ajax and the last five games speak clearly with three defeats, a draw and a victory.

Club Brugge - Atalanta

Accessible challenge for Atalanta of Gasperini, despite being without three forwards like Lookman, Scamacca and Maldini. In front of the Club Brugge, who secured qualification with the last available spot and thanks only to goal difference (-4 against Dinamo Zagreb's -7). The Belgians are tough at home, tied with Juve and victory with Sporting and Aston Villa, but in the championship they are second and are travelling six points behind in the face of a Genk which appears to be heading towards the title. Up front they have three interchangeable centre forwards (Nilsson, Jutgla and Vermant), while the most notable talent is that of the left winger Tzolis (12 goals in the season). In midfield the team relies on the Nigerian Onyedika (valued at 16 million euros), while in defense Ordonez and De Cuyper are the best performers. In goal there is the experience of the 36-year-old Mignolet.

TV schedule and times

One match at 18.45:21, three at XNUMX:XNUMX. This is the schedule for the two-day Champions League. Sky will also provide the Champions League Goal Live, in addition to broadcasting seven of the eight scheduled matches (also available for streaming on Sky Go and Now TV). Milan will instead be an Amazon exclusive.

Tuesday February 11 Brest-Psg 18.45pm Sky Sport 1, 201, Sky Sport 251. Manchester City-Real Madrid 21.00pm Sky Sport Football, 202, Sky Sport 253 Juventus-Psv 21.00pm Sky Sport 1, 201, Sky Sport 252 Sporting Lisbon-Borussia Dortmund 21.00pm Sky Sport 254. Wednesday February 12 Club Bruges-Atalanta 18.45pm Sky Sport 1, 201, Sky Sport 251. Feyenoord-Milan 21.00pm Amazon Prime Celtic-Bayern Munich 21.00pm Sky Sport Calcio, 202, Sky Sport 252, TV 8. Monaco-Benfica 21.00pm Sky Sport 253. Read also - Napoli, no escape: Udinese stops Conte on one to one