Barca can still finish atop the table if the day goes their way
• 2 min read
The UEFA Champions League returns on Wednesday with Matchday 8 and it has the potential to be a historically chaotic day in terms of results that the sport has ever seen. All 36 teams will be in action as 17 games will take place simultaneously at 3 p.m. ET with so much left to be decided. Barcelona are already sitting in great shape with a place in the final 16 locked up, so what’s at stake for them on Wednesday?
Don’t miss any of the Champions League. As always, you can catch all of our coverage across Paramount+, CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network all season long.
Barcelona
Table position: 2nd
Points: 18
Matchday eight opponent: Atalanta
What’s needed: Top eight clinched; Can clinch top seed with win and Liverpool loss AND better goal difference than Liverpool
Hansi Flick’s men were handed quite a tough challenge to close out the league phase of UCL hosting Atalanta at home. While their place in the top eight is already secured, Barcelona will still want to win this clash because with a win and a Liverpool loss, Barca can finish top of the table due to goal difference. The highest-scoring team in Champions League play so far, Barcelona’s attack has been led by Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, putting crooked numbers past teams in their path. Atalanta have been one of the best defensive sides as well but stopping Barcelona is something that teams haven’t been able to do. In the only match of the final day featuring two sides currently in the top eight, there will be plenty of reasons to keep an eye on this.
UEFA Champions League: What Man City, Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern, PSG and others need to do on Matchday 8
Chuck Booth
How to watch and odds
- Date: Wednesday, January 29 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys – Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Watch: Paramount+
- Odds: Barca -133; Draw +320; Atalanta +290
Matchday 8 TV schedule
All times Eastern
| WEDNESDAY, JAN. 29 | TIME | HOW TO WATCH |
|---|---|---|
|
UEFA Champions League Today pre-match |
2 p.m. |
|
|
The Golazo Show |
3 p.m. |
|
|
Aston Villa vs. Celtic |
3 p.m. |
|
|
FC Barcelona vs. Atalanta |
3 p.m. |
|
|
Bayern Munich vs. Slavon Bratislava |
3 p.m. |
|
|
Brest vs. Real Madrid |
3 p.m. |
|
|
Dinamo Zagreb vs. AC Milan |
3 p.m. |
|
|
Borussia Dortmund vs. Shakhtar Donetsk |
3 p.m. |
|
|
Girona vs. Arsenal |
3 p.m. |
|
| Inter vs. AS Monaco | 3 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Net |
| Juventus vs. Benfica | 3 p.m. | Paramount+, CBS Sports Network |
| Bayer Leverkusen vs. Sparta Prague | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Manchester City vs. Club Brugge | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Lille vs. Feyenoord | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| PSV vs. Liverpool | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| RB Salzburg vs. Atletico Madrid | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Sporting CP vs. Bologna | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Stuttgart vs. PSG | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Sturm Graz vs. RB Leipzig | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
| Young Boys vs. Crvena Zvezda | 3 p.m. | Paramount+ |
|
UEFA Champions League Today post-match |
5 p.m. |
|
|
Scoreline |
6 p.m. |
|
|
The Champions Club |
7 p.m. |
Champions League standings
Key: Positions 1-8 qualify for round of 16 while positions 9-24 qualify for knockout phase playoffs and positions 25-36 are eliminated.
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | +13 | 21 |
| 2 | Barcelona | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 11 | +15 | 18 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 2 | +12 | 16 |
| 4 | Inter | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | +7 | 16 |
| 5 | Atletico Madrid | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 11 | +5 | 15 |
| 6 | AC Milan | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 9 | +4 | 15 |
| 7 | Atalanta | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 4 | +14 | 14 |
| 8 | Bayer Leverkusen | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 13 |
| 9 | Aston Villa | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 4 | +5 | 13 |
| 10 | AS Monaco | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 13 |
| 11 | Feyenoord | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 15 | +2 | 13 |
| 12 | Lille | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 13 |
| 13 | Brest | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 13 |
| 14 | Borussia Dortmund | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 1 | +8 | 12 |
| 15 | Bayern Munich | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 12 |
| 16 | Real Madrid | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 12 |
| 17 | Juventus | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 12 |
| 18 | Celtic | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 12 |
| 19 | PSV | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 10 | +1 | 12 |
| 20 | Club Brugge | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 11 |
| 21 | Benfica | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 12 | +2 | 10 |
| 22 | PSG | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 10 |
| 23 | Sporting CP | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 10 |
| 24 | Stuttgart | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 13 | -1 | 10 |
| 25 | Manchester City | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 8 |
| 26 | Dinamo Zagreb | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 8 |
| 27 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 7 |
| 28 | Bologna | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 5 |
| 29 | Sparta Prague | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 4 |
| 30 | RB Leipzig | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 14 | -6 | 3 |
| 31 | Girona | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 11 | -7 | 3 |
| 32 | Crvena Zvezda | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 12 | 22 | -10 | 3 |
| 33 | Sturm Graz | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 14 | -10 | 3 |
| 34 | RB Salzburg | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 23 | -19 | 3 |
| 35 | Slovan Bratislava | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 24 | -18 | 0 |
| 36 | Young Boys | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 23 | -20 | 0 |
