One third of the intrigue

Before the final round of the Champions League group stage, the matches of which will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, the vast majority – 12 – of the play-off participants is known. Only four tickets to the 1/8 finals remain vacant, and eight clubs will fight for them. Moreover, half represents one quartet – group D.

Group A

In this group, in fact, all the places have already been distributed. Napoli can lose the top line to the one who also guaranteed himself a performance in the 1/8 finals “Liverpool”only if he loses to him by a margin of at least four goals, and “Ajax”to give away the third – along with a ticket to the play-offs of the Europa League – Glasgow Rangers, you need to concede at least a bigger goal. The intrigue here comes down to whether the Neapolitans will be able to complete the group stage without loss. There have been ten such impeccable campaigns in the history of the Champions League, and they were held by eight clubs, including Spartak in the fall of 1995.

Group B

“Bruges” and “Porto” already in the 1/8 finals of the Champions League, and “Atletico” and Bayer will fight in absentia for the opportunity to play in the playoffs of the Europa League. The German club needs the Spanish to lose points against Porto. In the event of the defeat of Atlético, Bayer will have enough of a draw in the meeting with Club Brugge.

Group C

In this quartet, all the teams before the final round are placed in the final places not even in fact, as in group A, but de jure. Bayern advanced to the playoffs from first place, “Inter” – from the second, “Barcelona” went to the Europa League, and “Victoria” lost European cups. For Munich, meanwhile, a tournament record is at stake in their match against Inter. Like Napoli, they can make it through the group stage with six wins in six meetings. If this happens, Bayern will be the first club in the history of the Champions League, which has succeeded in such a triumphant march as many as three times.

Group D

This group looks like some kind of absolute anomaly compared to the rest. She’s all intrigue. Leader “Tottenham” ahead of the outsider “Marseilles” by two points, and between them with an equal number of points are located “Sporting” and “Eintracht”. In the layouts, the devil will break his leg. Tottenham, which meets on the road with Marseille, can no longer fall below third place, and a draw will definitely be enough for it to enter the play-offs of the Champions League. The French club will definitely not have enough for this (the maximum is for the play-offs of the Europa League), but any victory will take it to the 1/8 finals. The position of Sporting in a sense, oddly enough, is even more privileged, perhaps, than that of Tottenham. In any case, it will also be enough for him to play a draw, but his match with Eintracht will take place in Portugal. In this scenario, Sporting will overtake the Londoners (if they lose to Marseille) and the Frankfurters thanks to the best performance in head-to-head meetings. Eintracht, like Marseille, is satisfied only with a victory.

Group E

Chelsea no one will deprive the first place, and the fate of the second will be decided in the Italian battle “Milan” and “Salzburg”, in which the draw of the Milanese is tantamount to success. The Austrian club, having lost, may say goodbye to European competition: a victory over Chelsea will give Zagreb “Dynamo” spring in the Europa League.

Group F

In this quartet the situation is similar. “Real” already in the play-offs of the Champions League, and another ticket is at stake in the match Shakhtar With “Leipzig”. The German club has a three-point handicap, but the Ukrainian club, which defeated a competitor in the starting round with a score of 4:1, will have enough of any victory.

Group G

Here everything is crystal clear, as in group C. The existing hierarchy (“Manchester city” – the first, “Borussia” – second, “Seville” – third, “Copenhagen” – fourth) nothing will break.

Group H

Juventus not so far from the very shameful European Cup failure. Two group leaders PSG and “Benfica” — out of reach for him. And the Turints, who play at home with the Parisians, have the same number of points as “Maccabi” from Haifa, hosting Lisbon. And it is ahead of Juventus in the fight for the third position not even by the results of personal meetings, but by the difference of goals. True, the gap is significant: the falling Italian giant has six balls better. But, whatever one may say, even a draw in a meeting with PSG is fraught with disastrous consequences for Juventus. After all, it won’t come as a surprise if Maccabi manages to deal with a not-too-motivated Benfica.

Alexey Dospekhov