Key Champions League matches to watch this week

European football returns this week with the likes of Manchester United still yet to seal qualification, while teams like Chelsea, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City battle it out for top spot in their respective groups.

Here are the top games to watch out for this Champions League week.

Villarreal vs Manchester United

Everything is far from concluded in Group F as Manchester United and Villarreal both sit on seven points. Atalanta are on five as they meet with Young Boys and with them expected to win, the winner of the clash between the top two sides likely means they go through to the knockout rounds.

It’s also the first game without Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the Red Devils and all eyes will be on them to see how they bounce back after conceding 11 goals in their last three league games.

Chelsea vs Juventus

Juventus and Chelsea battle it out for the side looking to take top spot. Juventus have already qualified and beat the Blues last time they met, putting them top and Chelsea second. It’s no problem for Thomas Tuchel’s men, however, who will still qualify even with a defeat here as they are not expected to be overtaken by Zenit, who are six points off them.

Regardless, it’s an enticing encounter with two of Europe’s heavyweights.

Manchester City vs PSG

In what is perhaps the tie of the round, Manchester CIty will welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Etihad in a carbon copy of last year’s Champions League semi-finals second leg. That game, Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez ran the show as they triumphed 2-0 to progress to the final with Chelsea by a 4-1 aggregate scoreline.

Kevin De Bruyne will miss this game due to isolation back in Belgium and it leaves the game wide open for PSG to unleash all their arsenal not long after Lionel Messi just bagged his first Ligue 1 goal for the French giants.

Messi also scored his only other goal with PSG in the reverse fixture and he has a fantastic record against City and away to English clubs. At the same time, this game is near enough a winner takes all for top spot with Club Brugge and RB Leipzig barely putting up a fight.

Atlético Madrid vs AC Milan

AC Milan are doomed in their return to the Champions League and they cannot mathematically make it through unless they win both of their remaining games and hope Atletico Madrid and Porto pick up a mere point in their final two games. It does mean the Italian giants have to win here or they may not even get into the Europa League via the best third-placed sides.

Atletico Madrid, however, need to win here as Porto are sitting in second and as they meet with Liverpool in Group B, it’s fair to say that this is their best chance at progression right here and anything but three points would be a disaster against a winless Milan.