They have not yet played their last group stage match which they already know they will be in the round of 16 of the Champions League in February. Eleven clubs have already secured their future in the competition and we will know the identity of the other five future participants in the next round at the end of the evening of Wednesday, December 8.
Three-way fight between Milan, Porto and Atlético
On Tuesday evening, all eyes will obviously be on the Parc des Princes, where Paris Saint-Germain will host Club Bruges with the hope of finally seeing the sparks fly. But the suspense will be elsewhere since the club of the capital is already certain to qualify in second position of group A. Tickets for the eighth have also already been given in groups C and D. Tuesday evening, the only hot spot will concern the group B.
Second place is open behind Liverpool who are guaranteed to qualify in first position and who are moreover only one victory away from becoming the first English team to complete a Champions League group stage with 100% of victories. AC Milan, FC Porto and Atlético de Madrid each have their chance to progress in the next round. Porto are one point ahead of their two rivals and welcome Atlético, when the Milanese will battle with Liverpool for a remake of the legendary 2005 final (3-3, won on penalties by the Reds) .
>> Find the group rankings in the 2021/22 Champions League
We will also have to keep an eye on Group D where Real Madrid and Inter Milan, already qualified, will compete to decide first place. The Merengues are two steps ahead but the Nerazzurri would take the lead in the event of success at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Everything remains to be done in the Lille group
The stakes will be much higher on the evening of Wednesday, which will deliver four of the five remaining sesames for the knockout phase. Half will be allocated to group G, that of LOSC and in which each of the four teams still has a chance to qualify and even to take first place.
Leaders before this sixth day, the Mastiffs are in a favorable situation, with one point ahead of Salzburg, two over Sevilla and three over Wolfsburg, their last opponent. But the door would close abruptly to the reigning French champion in the event of a loss to the German side, regardless of the outcome of the Salzburg-Sevilla clash.
In the event of a tie on points with Wolfsburg, Lille would find themselves behind in the game of particular confrontations. Same thing in case of a three-team tie with Salzburg and more in the equation. If the UEFA rules invite scholarly calculations, the situation is simple for Lille: it is absolutely necessary to avoid defeat. A draw would be enough to reach the knockout stages of C1 for the first time since 2006/07 and even to keep first place in the event of a draw in the other meeting of this group G.
Barça must avoid a historic road departure
The main lesson this week could be the elimination of FC Barcelona, which has not been absent from the eighth in the competition since 2003/2004. If the Blaugranas are virtually qualified thanks to their second place one day from the end and their two points ahead of Benfica, everything could tip into a distant duel with the Portuguese club on Wednesday.
Xavi’s players will travel to Munich to face the Bavarian ogre, who has left no crumbs for his opponents since the start of his European campaign (5 games, 5 wins) and who is guaranteed to finish first in his group . And while they will face this formidable opponent, Benfica will welcome a captivable Dynamo Kiev and above all guaranteed to finish last.
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If the Lisbonites win against Kiev, the Barcelona will have no other choice but to also win against Bayern because, in the event of a tie between the two competitors, it is Benfica which would pass in front of the game of particular confrontations. It must be said that the Eagles made it easier for themselves with their 3-0 victory at Camp Nou last September.