5️⃣ things to look out for in Wednesday's Champions League action 💫 | OneFootball

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After four sensational games on Tuesday, the Champions League returns tonight for the last remaining first leg play-off clashes.

Here's what to look out for.

⚔️ Match of the Day

We've got a plethora of interesting matches across Europe tonight but the undoubted headliner comes from Glasgow.

Celtic host Bayern Munich in their first Champions League knockout game for over a decade.

The last time the Scottish giants made it past Christmas in Europe's top club competition was back in 2012/13.

In fact, Celtic have never actually won a knockout game in the Champions League with their previous win in a two-legged tie coming in 1988/89, in the old European Cup days.

It's a huge occasion for everyone at Parkhead and one that Celtic will fancy themselves in.

Impressive victories against Slovan Bratislava, Young Boys and RB Leipzig have all come at home this term with that infamous Paradise crowd giving Brendan Rodgers' side the edge.

With news on Monday that star forward Daizen Maeda had his suspension for this game successfully appealed, the Hoops will be extra buoyant as they host a Bayern outfit who have been nothing but middling in this competition so far.

🔎 Team to Watch

📸 Alessandro Sabattini - 2025 Getty Images

Atalanta just missed out on safe passage through to the last 16 a few weeks ago, failing to claim a top eight place by a single point.

Their 2-2 draw at Barcelona saw Aston Villa claim the final automatic place, meaning the Italian side now have to make it past Club Brugge in the play-off round.

That will be easier said than done with the Belgian outfit impressing - especially at home - in the league phase.

But if there's one team you can count on for goals, entertainment and a place in the last 16 from the play-offs it's this Atalanta vintage.

Gianpiero Gasperini's side have been nothing short of superb both domestically and in Europe so far this season, putting five goals past both Sturm Graz and Verona in the space of three weeks.

And in striker Mateo Retegui, La Dea have a forward in the form of his life right now.

🔥 Player to Watch

There's having a good start to life at a new club.

And then there's Mike Biereth's last few weeks at Monaco.

The Denmark youth international has had a fascinating career up to this point and was perhaps something of a surprise purchase by the French side in January.

But Biereth has paid back Monaco's faith in him with four goals in his first four games.

The 22-year-old was born in London to Danish and Bosnian parents and came through the Fulham and then Arsenal youth academies.

Loan spells at RKW Wallawijk and Motherwell produced a few goals before Sturm Graz took a punt on the forward last year.

Biereth spent just 18 months in Austria, scoring twice in this season's Champions League, before Monaco paid €13m for his services last month.

The rangy striker has been named in Monaco's squad for the knockouts and could well continue his fine form in front of goal against Benfica later today.

👀 Potential upset

It's fair to say that both Feyenoord and Milan come into Wednesday's encounter in crisis mode.

The Italian side are heading to the Netherlands with up to eight first-teamers out through injury.

Feyenoord meanwhile sacked their head coach, Brian Priske, on Monday despite beating Sparta Rotterdam in the derby on Saturday.

The man who replaced Arne Slot over the summer has struggled to get the Stadionclub up to pace with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven domestically.

In Europe though, it's been a slightly different story with the Eredivisie outfit pulling off one of the big shocks in this season's competition.

Their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in January was a genuinely sensational three points and if the atmosphere is comparable to that night, the Rossoneri could very well struggle here.

One added wrinkle to that however is striker Santiago Giménez, who scored against Bayern for Feyenoord but who has now joined Milan and could make his European debut for the club here.

📊 Fascinating stat

Celtic's record against European football's very best isn't anything to write home about. In fact, the Scottish side have won just one of their last 21 games against clubs who have won the European Cup/Champions League. That came against Feyenoord in December 2023.

Could that record change against Bayern tonight?

📸 Alexander Hassenstein - 2025 Getty Images