The revamped format for the 2024/25 Champions League has already produced some intriguing talking points for each of La Liga’s four representatives.
Barcelona are best placed to secure an automatic spot in the last-16, but Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will also fancy their chances of making progress.
By contrast, Girona have struggled to get to grips with the competition, although they still have time to redeem themselves before the end of the league phase.
With that in mind, read on as we look at the latest state-of-play for Spain’s quartet of Champions League teams, starting with Barcelona.
Barcelona
Sports bettors who love to bet on matches in-play would have had some fun when Barcelona visited Red Star Belgrade in their fourth outing.
Barca took an early lead before being pegged back by the home side, but they eventually powered clear of the Serbian outfit to secure a 5-2 victory.
The bookmakers fancy them to record another win in their next game against Brest, rating them as 1/6 shots to add another three points to their tally.
However, it is worth noting that the Ligue 1 team are unbeaten in the Champions League and it would be foolish to underestimate their chances of upsetting the odds.
They have triumphed at Red Bull Salzburg and Sparta Prague this season and clearly have no fears about travelling away from France.
Despite this, the manner of Barcelona’s emphatic 4-1 home victory over Bayern Munich in October suggests they could go a long way in the Champions League.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have made a stuttering start to the defence of the Champions League title and face an extremely tough test in their next fixture.
They head to Liverpool with six points from their first four matches and desperately need to take at least a point to keep themselves in contention for a top eight finish.
Liverpool are the only side with a 100 percent record after four games and will be confident they can secure another victory against the reigning champions.
They have looked much improved under manager Arne Slot, who has seamlessly slipped into the role after replacing Jurgen Klopp in the hot-seat during the summer.
Madrid will take heart from their recent record against Liverpool, having recorded seven wins and one draw in their last eight competitive meetings.
While a draw would not be a bad result on this occasion, a victory would undoubtedly boost Madrid’s chances of booking an automatic spot in the last-16.
Atletico Madrid
Atletico have had a roller-coaster ride in the Champions League, winning their opening game against RB Leipzig before being defeated by Benfica and Lille.
However, they gave their hopes of progressing to the knockout stage a massive boost by securing a 2-1 victory at Paris Saint-Germain in their fourth fixture.
A trip to Sparta Prague is next on the agenda and they look a good bet at odds of 7/10 to record their third victory in the competition this season.
Sparta have picked up four points from their first two matches, but have subsequently been beaten by Manchester City and Brest.
While they have the ability to be tough opponents on home soil, this will likely be the type of game where Atletico’s resilience will stand them in good stead.
They still have a couple of winnable-looking games to come and could sneak into a top eight spot if everything falls into place.
Girona
Girona were defeated by PSG and Feyenoord in their opening two games, before getting a win on the board at home to Slovan Bratislava.
However, a disappointing 4-0 defeat at PSV Eindhoven in the last game has left Girona floundering in 29th position in the league standings.
They need to finish 24th or above to keep their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive and have the chance to boost their prospects in their next fixture.
Sturm Graz have lost four out of four in the Champions League and have rarely looked like ending their barren run in the competition.
Girona have produced some positive results in La Liga over the last couple of weeks and should possess too much quality for the Austrian side.
Despite this, with games against Liverpool (H), AC Milan (A) and Arsenal (H) still to come, Girona are unlikely to progress beyond the league phase.
