Yesterday and today. 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.
Just a quick note before I continue with the second part of this look at the Champions League Match Day 6. Yesterday the game, a pivotal Group B fixture between Galatasaray and Juventus was abandoned after only half an hour yesterday when a blizzard took barely ten minutes to cover the pitch and make the game unplayable. The match was abandoned on 31 minutes but of course it needs a conclusion. At 1pm today BST (8am ET) the game will resume and played until its conclusion. Depending on when you read this the game may already have found its conclusion.
(All kick offs are at 7:45 BST/2:45 ET).
GROUP E:
Chelsea v Steaua Bucurest
Chelsea are through but knowing the way Mourinho is he will not have been impressed with the campaign and will look for his side to finish the group stage in style. For Steaua it is just a case to fulfill its obligation of fixtures with the side already assured that it will not take any part in the European competition this season and that may be the danger for the home side. With nothing to lose they may play with the shackles off.
Schalke 04 v FC Basel
Schalke are in a great position in the final game with their fate in their own hands. A win, and only a win will see the German side progress to the final 16 of the Champions League. If the home side were to either tie the game or lose then it will be Europa League up next for them.
FC Basel the danger is that they know a tie will be enough for them and that is where the focus is. Basel like to attack and even though it may be dangerous they should trust their style to pull them through. This will certainly be one of the better matches to watch on Match Day 6.
GROUP F:
Marseille v Dortmund
It was a terrible campaign for the French outfit with not a single point registered so far this campaign. Today they get the chance to sign off against a Dortmund side whose Champions League progression may rely on the other result. That said, a win would be enough for the German side but the calculators will have to come out if they get anything less.
Napoli v Arsenal
For all the dominance Arsenal have had in the Premier League they are still not fully through to the last 16 as yet. A 3-0 win for example for Napoli here and a Dortmund win of any score will, by my calculations, see Arsenal drop into the Europa League.
GROUP G:
Atletico Madrid v FC Porto
I am really liking this group and other than Atletico, who are already qualified to the last 16, two others have everything to fight for. Even if Porto were to win they still may have to face Europa League competition but anything other than a win would mean Europa League as a certainty.
Austria Vienna v Zenit
Even if Vienna win by a ridiculous amount of goals and Porto lose they will be on the same amount of points they will still not progress as the head to head record between them and Porto favors the Portuguese side.
Depending on the other result Zenit could qualify without actually having to do anything but certainly a win would put their future in their own hands.
GROUP H
AC Milan v Ajax
It is winner takes all in this tie with the home side having all the advantages. Not only are they at home for this crucial fixture, but they also have a point advantage and so a tied game would be fine for them. The possibility does exist for Milan to finish top of the group but that would mean Celtic winning at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona v Celtic
The potential here is for Celtic to give a final good outing to their fans before they go back to the mundane and uneventful Scottish Premier League. The actuality is that I expect Barcelona to win this game and send the Scottish back empty handed.
