The UEFA Champions League is back on Tuesday and Wednesday this week after a three-week breather.
This is crunch time because several teams can secure a spot in the next round with as many as two games to spare, while for others, it might as well be the opposite.
The boys will gradually get separated from the men so let’s take a look at who can qualify and who can’t.
Group A
Ps – Team – Pts
1 – Bayern – 9
2 – Atletico Madrid – 4
2 – Lokomotiv Moscow – 2
4 – Salzburg – 1
Bayern Munich will be through to the knockout stages if they beat Red Bull Salzburg. They could afford to draw if Lokomotiv Moscow does not beat Atletico in the other game.
Three points for Bayern Munich in their game at the Allianz Arena will be enough to see them through to the knockout stages. If Lokomotiv Moscow do not defy the odds to beat Atletico Madrid at the Wanda Metropolitano, the Germans could be home and dry with a draw. So it’s safe to say that Hansi Flick’s men are hardly under any real pressure in Group A.
Group A Fixtures
Wednesday – (both at 21:00 WAT)
- Atletico Madrid v Lokomotiv Moscow
- Bayern Munich v Red Bull Salzburg
Group B
Ps – Team – pts
1 – Borussia M’Gladbach – 5
2 – Shakhtar Donetsk – 4
3 – Real Madrid – 4
4 – Inter Milan – 2
None of the teams in Group B can qualify for the next round or get eliminated on Matchday 4.
Group B Fixtures
Wednesday 25th November 2020
- B. M’Gladbach v Shakhtar Donetsk (18:55)
- Inter Milan v Real Madrid (21:00)
Group C
Ps – Team – pts
1 – Man City – 9
2 – FC Porto – 6
3 – Olympiakos – 3
4 – Marseille – 0
A draw will be enough to qualify English club Manchester City for the knock out stages when they play Olympiakos in Athens on Wednesday.
Ligue 1’s Marseille, on the other hand, will have their run come to and abrupt end if they lost to FC Porto
Group C Fixtures
Wednesday 25th November 2020
- Olympiakos v Manchester City (18:55)
- Marseille v Porto (21:00)
Group D
Ps – Team – pts
1 – Liverpool – 9
2 – Ajax – 4
3 – Atalanta – 4
4 – Midtjylland – 0
2019 champions, Liverpool, will qualify for the Round of 16 with three points at Anfield against Italian opposition Atalanta. A point could also be enough as long as Midtjylland – who will be eliminated if they lose – do not lose to Ajax.
Group D Fixtures
Wednesday – (Both at 21:00 WAT)
- Liverpool v Atalanta
- Ajax v Midtjylland
Group E
Ps – Team – Pts
1 – Chelsea – 7
2 – Sevilla – 7
3 – Krasnodar – 1
4 – Rennes – 1
Former champions Chelsea could qualify for the knockout stages as long as Sevilla avoid defeat when they take on Krasnodar on a frozen Tuesday night in Russia.
A win for Sevilla will leave Chelsea needing just a draw off Rennes to qualify.
If Chelsea beat Rennes, a draw in the group’s other game will be enough to see them qualify. If the Russian side Krasnodar beat Sevilla, Chelsea will have to wait.
Wins for Chelsea and Sevilla would qualify both teams for the next round and leave Krasnodar and Rennes out.
Group E Fixtures
Tuesday – (both 18:55 WAT)
- Rennes v Chelsea
- Krasnodar v Sevilla
Group F
Ps – Team – pts
1 – Borussia Dortmund – 6
2 – Lazio – 5
3 – Club Bruges – 4
4 – Zenit St Petersburg – 1
None of these teams can secure a spot in the knockout stages yet, but Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg could get knocked out if they lose against Lazio and Borussia Dortmund get a win.
Group F Fixtures
Tuesday – (Both 21:00 WAT)
- Borussia Dortmund v Club Bruges
- Lazio v Zenit St Petersburg
Group G
Ps – Team – pts
1 – Barcelona – 9
2 – Juventus – 6
3 – Dynamo Kyiv – 1
4 – Ferencvaros – 1
Barcelona needs to avoid defeat to qualify for the next round. Same as Juventus, but the Italians would need Barcelona to win too.
Barcelona can as well qualify with a draw as long as Juve avoid defeat.
Dynamo Kyiv and Ferencvaros at the bottom of the table would need every result to go their way to stand any chance.
Group G Fixtures
Tuesday – (both 21:00 WAT)
- Dynamo Kyiv v Barcelona
- Juventus v Ferencvaros
Group H
Ps – Team – pts
1 – Man. United – 6
2 – RB Leipzig – 6
3 – PSG – 3
4 – Basaksehir – 3
When the draws were done, this was tagged the group of death, and rightly so, it has turned out to be one of the closest.
Manchester United will do their course of qualifying for the next round a lot of good if they can avenge a defeat suffered three weeks ago at Istanbul Basaksehir, this time at Old Trafford, but they cannot clinch a knockout place this week.
With placings determined by head-to-head record rather than goal difference, they could even end the day outside the top two if they lose to Basaksehir.
Group H Fixtures
Tuesday – (both at 21:00 WAT)
- Manchester United v Istanbul Basaksehir
- Paris St-Germain v RB Leipzig
Juve all the way
Definitely, Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester United.