Over the next two days. the remaining Champions League qualification places will be decided and then teams not making it find out if they will drop into the Europa League or just out of European competition all together. For the top two sides, it is important to see which position, either first or second, they will get.
The placing will determine their draw with everyone who finishes at the top getting drawn against the teams who have finished second, and that is the dilemma for a few of the sides as they enter into the last day of Group competition.
(All kick offs are at 7:45 BST/2:45 ET).
GROUP A:
Manchester United v Shakhtar Donetsk
The current Premiership Champions have been stuttering a fair bit in the domestic competition but have already qualified for the next round. Any points at this game for the Red Devils will secure the top spot for them. What might be a danger for Moyes is to have the urge to rest a few players and lose the game which would see them then possibly face Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid or PSG.
For Mircea Lucescu, the Shakhtar boss, the challenge is clear. A win at Old Trafford will see them qualify and anything else and they will have to look across the continent and hope their result is the same or better than that of Bayer Leverkusen.
Real Sociadad v Bayer Leverkusen
Real Sociadad have nothing to fight for this afternoon, except a little bid of pride in front of their home support. A single point all campaign means that they go into this game knowing already that they will not be participating in any European competition in the new year. The continued absence of Granero will not help as the visitors arrive.
Leverkusen boss, Sami Hyypia, knows that a victory here may still not be enough to get his team over the line and continued participation in the Champions League but of course will be the expectation. That said a tie may be enough but that is dependent on the result in Manchester.
GROUP B:
FC Copenhagen v Real Madrid
Real Madrid have already qualified, and no matter what results happen in Group B today will finish top of the pile. The question is can FC Copenhagen get the victory they need to give them a chance of sneaking in the Champions League second spot? The answer is no because no matter the result of the other Group B game Copenhagen will not have the head to head record to overtake either side even if they finish level on points.
Galatasaray v Juventus
Mancini faces off against Tevez again in a game both must win to secure Champions League progression. A tied game might be enough to secure both sides European football in the new year but in that case Real Madrid would need to win. With that scenario Juventus would progress into the Champions League while Galatasaray would drop down to the Europa League. The dilemma for boss Roberto Mancini is that with a victory this afternoon he will progress out of the Group stage but at the expense of his boyhood club.
GROUP C:
Benfica v PSG
Whatever happens today Benfica will be in European football next year. Whether it will be a continued participation in the Champions League or dropping down in the Europa League will not be know until the full time whistle in Lisbon.
The fact that the game is at home and against a Paris Saint-Germain already qualified must be a boost to the coach Jorge Jesus but it will be dependent on how Laurent Blanc and the visitors approach the game.
Olympiacos v Anderlecht
Things are a little more clear cut initially for Olympiacos, a win will see them continue in the Champions League. Anything other than that and they will have to hope PSG hadn’t already started their winter break. I expect the home side to win though and therefore consign Benfica to the Europa regardless of their result.
GROUP D
Bayern v Manchester City
Manchester City can potentially still get top spot in this Group, but I doubt they will. The two sides weekend results suggest that although both will qualify from the group there is still a gap between the two sides. Will Joe Hart return to the City line up for this last game? I think it would be a smart move by Pellegrini but we shall wait and see.
Plzen v CSKA
The funny thing is that despite being heralded as the whipping boys in the Group the hosts today still have the chance to progress to the Europa League. They would have to do something they haven’t done so far in the Group and win but certainly if one big final effort could be mustered then today is the day.
It would be interesting to see how the Plzen manager will handle this game, which is his last in charge before taking the reigns of the Czech National side. Can he secure a European route for the minnows? It would be an amazing story, but not out of the realms of possibility.
