Champions League: Several teams looking to secure a place in the round of 16
Eleven out of the thirty-two teams that make up the group stage aspire to secure their spot in the round of 16 of the Champions League, two matchdays in advance, next Tuesday and Wednesday.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Basilea, Paris Saint Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Juventus, Manchester City, Besiktas, and Tottenham can all ensure their stay in the next round.
On the other hand, several teams can be left without mathematical options to progress in the tournament if they repeat negative scores: CSKA Moscow, Benfica, Celtic, Anderlecht, Qarabag, Sporting, Olympiacos, Maribor, Borussia Dortmund, or APOEL Nicosia.
Among the contenders aiming for early qualification, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint Germain, Barcelona, and Besiktas stand out. They reached the midpoint of the competition with a perfect record of wins that they want to extend in this fourth matchday.
Barcelona visits Olympiacos in Athens. Ernesto Valverde's team will qualify if they leave the city with three points and Juventus does not beat Sporting Lisbon. They will also qualify if they draw and the Portuguese representative loses.
Juventus can also secure qualification. They will do so if they win at the José Alvalade Stadium and Barcelona does not lose.
Manchester United can already reach the round of 16 if they beat Benfica and CSKA Moscow does not get three points in Basel. If Jose Mourinho's team draws, they need the Russian team to lose to seal the qualification.
Basel, second in Group A, can also qualify as long as they win and Manchester does not lose at Old Trafford.
Paris Saint Germain will also be in the round of 16 if they beat Anderlecht at Parc des Princes and Celtic does not beat Bayern in Glasgow. If the Scottish team loses, a draw will be enough for Unai Emery's team in their fourth match.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, will qualify if they win at Celtic Park and Paris Saint Germain does not lose at home against Anderlecht.
Chelsea, in Group C, is another team that can advance from the group stage in advance. They will be in the next phase if they win at the Stadio Olimpico.
Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, no longer has any margin for error. They host Qarabag, who can be eliminated if they lose and Roma wins. Diego Pablo Simeone's team is looking for their first victory in the Champions League to keep their expectations alive in the tournament.
Wednesday will witness the most exciting match of the fourth matchday. Wembley will host the clash between Tottenham and Real Madrid. Both teams, level on points at the top of Group H, can mathematically secure their qualification. The winner will be guaranteed to advance to the next round. A draw leaves the situation open for the quartet.
Dortmund, who host APOEL Nicosia, can be left without options if they lose and Tottenham and Real Madrid draw. The Cypriot representative can say goodbye to the round of 16 if they lose in Germany.
One point is enough for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, who visit San Paolo to face Napoli, who are playing a major part of their aspirations in Group F. Meanwhile, Shakhtar Donetsk, second in the group, hosts Feyenoord, who can be eliminated from the top two spots if they do not get three points from Ukraine.
Besiktas is the other team that can advance their qualification. If they beat Monaco in Istanbul, they will be in the round of 16. A draw will also be enough if RB Leipzig can get three points from Porto.
Group E is the most open, with Liverpool and Spartak Moscow at the top of the table, one point ahead of Sevilla.
The English representative hosts Maribor at Anfield, who can be left without options if they lose and Spartak Moscow can win at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan against Sevilla, who are playing a major part of their possibilities and are waiting for revenge after being humiliated in Moscow (5-1) in the third matchday of the tournament.
Source: EFE