On Tuesday evening, the 6th round of the UEFA Champions League will take place, featuring the last and decisive matches of the group stage.
Today, teams from groups A-D will be aiming to secure their ticket to the knockout stage. A total of eight matches will be played in stadiums all over Europe.
"Kobenhavn" – Madrid "Real" The first meeting between these teams ended in a comfortable victory for Carlo Ancelotti's players. The "royal" club scored four goals at the "Santiago Bernabeu" stadium, with Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo each finding the back of the net twice. However, the Danish champions will be playing at their home ground this time, and a win is crucial.
In group B, the situation is clear only in terms of determining the winner. "Real" has secured their place in the knockout stage with 13 points and the first place. The battle for the second ticket is still ongoing, but Turin's "Juventus" are in a better position than the players from Copenhagen, leading by two points. The Danish team needs a win in the upcoming match and must hope for a misstep by the champions of Serie A.
"Real's" leader is back and preparing for the match (SIPA photo.) "Manchester United" – Donetsk "Shakhtar" The first clash in Donetsk ended in a draw, and it seems fair. The result in Ukraine was 1-1, with goals scored by Danny Welbeck ("Manchester United") and Taison ("Shakhtar"). This match is particularly important for the players of "Shakhtar," who have yet to secure their place in the next stage.
In group A, the "Red Devils" already have their ticket in hand, but not the first place, so a victory is equally important. Holding the second position in group A, Donetsk has 8 points and a minimal lead over Leverkusen's "Bayer," who, with a victory against San Sebastian "Real Sociedad" and a stumble by "Shakhtar," would advance to the knockout stage.
"Man Utd" disappoints their fans in England (REUTERS photo.) Munich "Bayern" – "Manchester City" Last season's Champions League winners celebrated a convincing victory of 1-3 over "Man City" in the first match. The victorious team saw goals from Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller, and Arjen Robben, while Alvaro Negredo scored a consolation goal for the "City" players.
Both clubs have already secured their spot in the round of 16, but the winner of the group is still unclear. Manuel Pellegrini's team has 12 points in hand, and a victory against Bayern would mean three points, which, if achieved, would bring the English vice-champions level with "Bayern," determining the group leader by goal difference. Meanwhile, the group D outsiders, Moscow's CSKA and Plzen's "Viktoria," are fighting for third place and a spot in the Europa League.
A heated match at the "Etihed" stadium (AP photo.) Istanbul's "Galatasaray" – Turin's "Juventus" The first match between the champions of Italy and Turkey ended in a score draw. In this clash, "Galatasaray" saw goals from Didier Drogba and Umut Bulut, while "Bianconeri" had Arturo Vidal (from the penalty spot) and Fabio Quagliarella on the scoresheet. The match in Istanbul promises to be intense, as a win is crucial for both teams, although Roberto Mancini's players remain in a challenging position.
In the mentioned group B, the leader is clear, but "Juventus" (6 pts), "Galatasaray" (4 pts), and "Kobenhavn" (4 pts) all have a chance to stay in the second position in the group. Antonio Conte's men in Turkey cannot afford to lose and must await a positive result for "Real" in Denmark. Three points are vital for the Istanbul team in this match, and securing a victory against "Juventus" would also require a draw or a victory for the Madrid team.
The Turks in Istanbul "warm up the sauna" for "Juventus" (ANADOLU AJANSI photo.) Other matches taking place on Tuesday:
Lisbon's "Benfica" – Paris Saint-Germain Piraeus "Olympiakos" – Brussels "Anderlecht" Plzen's "Viktoria" – Moscow CSKA San Sebastian "Real Sociedad" – Leverkusen "Bayer"