Champions League Clubs Jockeying for Knockout Seeding Ahead of Decisive Matchdays

Champions League storylines remain dominated by the new league-phase table taking shape and clubs already eyeing decisive Matchday 7 and 8 clashes, with AS USA and UEFA outlining heavyweight ties like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern, Barcelona, Liverpool, and PSG all jockeying for seeding ahead of the knockout rounds. According to UEFA’s fixture lists, Ajax, for example, resume their campaign away to Villarreal in January before hosting Olympiacos, part of a tight race for the final qualification spots.

There is key disciplinary news at the top level: ParisFans reports that UEFA has reduced PSG defender Lucas Hernandez’s European ban from three games to two after the club’s appeal, meaning he only misses the trip to Sporting Portugal and will be back for the crunch home game against Newcastle, a significant boost to Luis Enrique’s defensive options in Europe.

On the women’s side, Juventus confirm through their official site that, after progressing from the UEFA Women’s Champions League league phase, the Bianconere are rotating the squad in domestic cup action but insist their European ambition remains intact, with coach Massimiliano Canzi emphasizing that facing former champions Wolfsburg in the play‑offs is a challenge they believe they can meet.

Across the major leagues, Champions League stars continue to shape domestic races. Real Madrid’s official channels highlight Kylian Mbappé’s latest goal against Sevilla in La Liga, which pulls him level with Cristiano Ronaldo’s club record of 59 goals in a calendar year, underlining his Ballon d’Or–level form heading back into Europe. ESPN and TNT Sports both focus on Jude Bellingham and Mbappé combining to power Madrid’s 2–0 win, a reminder of how central they will be in the latter stages of the Champions League.

In England, NBC Sports and Sky Sports show Manchester City returning to the top of the Premier League with a home win over West Ham, while Liverpool edge Tottenham and Arsenal grind out a late victory at Everton, keeping all three Champions League contenders locked in a fierce title and top‑four battle. Aston Villa’s official site notes Unai Emery’s side chasing a tenth straight league win against Manchester United, pushing for a Champions League place of their own.

In Spain, Goal reports Barcelona coach Hansi Flick publicly slamming FIFA’s The Best XI as a “joke” after top Champions League scorer Raphinha was left out, adding fuel to the ongoing debate over how individual awards value European performances.

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