The 2024–25 UEFA Champions League season starts on September 17 with top European teams such as Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Juventus. The SI Soccer editorial team gives its predictions for each match.
Prediction: Juventus 2–1 PSV (Braden Chalker)
In Juventus’ first Champions League match under Thiago Motta, the Old Lady will host the Eredivisie champions. Juventus are unbeaten in four matches in Serie A and have not conceded a goal. PSV are in perfect league form, having won their first five Eredivisie matches and scored 20 goals.
Several USMNT players could feature in the game, with Weston McKennie available for Juventus and PSV duo Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi available for the match. Motta’s side will do its job at home.
Prediction: Young Boys – Aston Villa 1-2 (Braden Chalker)
Unai Emery took Aston Villa back to the Champions League for the first time since the 1982/83 season. Young Boys failed to qualify for the knockout stages last season, but the Swiss Super League team had a difficult group in which Manchester City and RB Leipzig finished first and second respectively.
Ollie Watkins, who secured a resounding 3-2 win over Everton at the weekend, will be the difference maker at the Wankdorf Stadium.
Prediction: Real Madrid 2:0 VfB Stuttgart (Amanda Langell)
With Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni back from injury, Real Madrid should have no problem defeating Stuttgart, who are winless in their last six European matches.
Prediction: Bayern Munich – Dinamo Zagreb 3:0 (Max Mallow)
Vincent Kompany will take charge in his first Champions League game at home to Dinamo Zagreb, but will be without Sacha Boey and Josip Stanisic in defence. Kompany is likely to use Joshua Kimmich at right-back and Aleksandr Pavlovic in midfield.
Harry Kane will do what Harry Kane does best: score goals. The Bundesliga club gets a clear win at the start of its UCL season.
Prediction: Sporting CP – LOSC Lille 1:1 (Braden Chalker)
The meeting between Sporting and Lille ends with a tie at the start of their Champions League seasons.
Prediction: AC Milan 1–1 Liverpool (Dan Willis)
The best match of the day is between Paulo Fonseca and Arne Slot at the San Siro.
Slot may have had a better start at his club than Fonseca, but last weekend’s results may provide more insight into what to expect from this game. Liverpool lost at home to Nottingham Forest, which was Forest’s first win at Anfield in 55 years.
The Rossoneri picked up their first win of the Serie A season, beating newly promoted Venezia 4-0 thanks to a strong performance from USMNT captain Christian Pulisic. It will be a nerve-wracking game as both teams don’t like to concede the first goal, but there is more than enough star power on both sides to score goals.
