Jostled and tightened over two months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the group stage of the Football Champions League offers its outcome on Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 December.
Nine teams have already qualified for the round of 16, which will take place in 2021: Bayern Munich (group A), Manchester City and Porto (group C), Liverpool (group D), Chelsea and Sevilla (group E), Dortmund ( group F), Barcelona and Juventus (group G).
Seven clubs, including PSG or Real Madrid, have yet to validate their ticket.
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A near-final in three of the eight groups
Qualifying for the round of 16 in a single match: this is the exciting scenario that awaits six teams in groups A, D and F. The posters are rather enticing for lovers of fine play: Lazio Rome-Bruges on Tuesday, Salzburg -Atletico Madrid and Ajax Amsterdam-Atalanta Bergamo on Wednesday.
- Salzburg-Atletico, the Madrilenians must not lose
In Group A, ultra-dominated by the reigning European champion, Bayern Munich, Atletico has six points, RB Salzburg only four. The latter therefore absolutely needs a victory against Madrilenians accustomed to prestigious courses in the competition (finalists in 2016, semi-finalists in 2017, quarter-finalists in 2020).
The Austrians have the advantage of receiving on this last day. In the first leg, the Spaniards narrowly won, 3 to 2, by equalizing in the 52e minute of play before scoring the winning goal in the 85e.
Owned by a famous brand of energy drink, RB Salzburg have never crossed the first round of the Champions League and their best European performance dates from 2018, a semi-final of the Europa League lost to Marseille.
- Ajax-Atalanta, a romantic poster
Two of the most attractive – and most unexpected – teams of the past two seasons face off on Wednesday. With budgets infinitely more modest than those of the big teams used to reigning terror in the competition, Ajax and Atalanta have enchanted the crowds with the game.
Based on training for the Dutch club and on a smart low-cost recruitment policy for the second, this sporting ambition led Ajax to the semi-finals in 2019 while Atalanta, for its first participation, reached the quarter-finals this year.
The Bergamasques, eliminated by PSG in the Final 8 in August in Lisbon, only need a draw when they travel to Amsterdam. Not sure that calculus is in the DNA of this team. In the first leg, the two clubs separated in a spectacular draw, 2-2.
- Lazio-Bruges, back to the future
Here again, Lazio must simply avoid defeat on Tuesday, when the Belgian club received it, to reach the round of 16. In Group F, led with ten points by Borussia Dortmund who travel to St. Petersburg, the Romans are in second place with nine points, followed by Bruges, third with seven points.
If successful, Lazio could do a double blow: qualify for only the second time in its history for a round of 16 (quarter-finalist in 2000) and finish first in the pool, a significant advantage for the draw by lot.
But the Belgians are ninety minutes from an even greater feat. A victory in Rome would open the doors to a level they have not attended since 1991, when the competition was still called the European Cup of Champion Clubs. Bruges was even a finalist in 1978, beaten by a goal by the great Liverpool (1-0). In the prehistory of European football, long before the Bosman ruling, named after the ex-player of Liège rival, Standard.
Threesome for Group H, that of PSG
No final but two for the group of Manchester United, PSG and RB Leipzig. These three clubs are tied for the lead with nine points. Behind, the Turks of Istanbul Basaksehir occupy the last place with three points.
Defeated twice in five games, PSG turned its European season on the positive side last week by winning in Manchester (3-1). Thanks to this success acquired in the last twenty minutes, Neymar’s teammates are in an ideal position. Tuesday, they only need the point of the draw against the weakest team in the pool to play their round of 16 in a row.
In the event of a surprise defeat against Demba Ba’s teammates, PSG would have a final chance to get through this group stage: it would then require a victory for Leipzig or Manchester in the other match. To avoid any miscalculation, the easiest way is still to beat the Istanbul club.
To qualify, RB Leipzig, unhappy semi-finalist this summer in Lisbon, must aim for victory at home against Manchester United or a draw on one condition: that of an unexpected setback for the Parisians against the Turks.
Manchester United can afford a draw, regardless of the outcome of PSG.
Everything is still possible for the four teams in Group B
In Group B, which features Mönchengladbach, Shakthar Donetsk, Real Madrid and Inter Milan, the four teams are all still vying for a place in the round of 16.
You may have lost twice against Shakhtar Donetsk, won only two of your first five games and still claim a place in the round of 16. Author of a sluggish and worrying start to the season, in La Liga (4e with three defeats already) as in the Champions League, Zinédine Zidane’s Real Madrid has the opportunity to avoid the sinking on Wednesday by receiving the German club from a certain Marcus Thuram.
A victory would avoid any apothecary calculation to the Spaniards. A draw could even be enough to qualify them if, in the other meeting, Inter win in front of Donetsk. An Italian victory which would at the same time be useless for the Lombard club, European champion in 2010. For its part, Inter must absolutely win and hope for a victory of one of the clubs in the other match.
If successful at Madrid, Mönchengladbach is certain to put in a huge performance by eliminating the thirteen-time trophy-holding club. A draw is also enough for the German club, who reached the European Champion Clubs’ Cup final in 1977.
As for the Ukrainians of Shakhtar Donetsk (quarter-finalists in 2011), they are sure to qualify if they win in Milan and can even settle for a draw, only if Real Madrid fail to win. at home against the German club. A real puzzle, but a joy for lovers of suspense.
