Champions League matchday six: all you need to know
Friday, December 1, 2017
Article summary
The matches, the ways to win, the links you need, the lowdown: welcome to our bitesize guide to Tuesday and Wednesday's UEFA Champions League action.
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The key info
Who's through, who can join them?
Through to round of 16: Barcelona*, Bayern München, Beşiktaş*, Chelsea, Manchester City*, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur* (*group winners)
Could qualify on matchday six: Atlético Madrid, Basel, CSKA Moskva, Juventus, Leipzig, Liverpool, Manchester United, Napoli, Porto, Roma, Sevilla, Shakhtar Donetsk, Spartak Moskva, Sporting CP
Vying for third: Anderlecht, APOEL, Borussia Dortmund, Celtic
Will finish fourth: Benfica, Feyenoord, Maribor, Monaco, Olympiacos, Qarabağ
The matches*
Group A: Manchester United v CSKA Moskva, Benfica v Basel
Group B: Bayern München v Paris Saint-Germain, Celtic v Anderlecht
Group C: Roma v Qarabağ, Chelsea v Atlético Madrid
Group D: Olympiacos v Juventus, Barcelona v Sporting CP
Group E: Liverpool v Spartak Moskva, Maribor v Sevilla
Group F: Shakhtar Donetsk v Manchester City, Feyenoord v Napoli
Group G: Porto v Monaco, RB Leipzig v Beşiktaş
Group H: Tottenham Hotspur v APOEL, Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund
*All kick-offs 20:45CET
How to follow
- Click on the match links for live coverage from our designated home and away reporters, starting the day before the game
- Get involved on social media with @ChampionsLeague on Twitter and Facebook – where we go live! – and uefachampionsleague on Instagram
- Live audio commentary and updates in our matchnight radio show on the official app or here from 19:30CET to 23:30CET on Tuesday and Wednesday – then download the podcast
- Where to watch: all of our TV partners
- Watch highlights of every game from 24:00CET on the night
Play and win
- Update your #UCL Fantasy Football team
- Guess the results with #UCL Predictor
- Vote and win on Thursday: Goal of the Week, Player of the Week, GIF of the Week
The big five: what to watch
- Will Ronaldo top the charts?
Cristiano Ronaldo goes into Real Madrid's home encounter with Dortmund top of the group stage scorers rankings with eight goals from his five games; with a hat-trick he would match his record tally of 11 from 2015/16, but if he fails to score, a treble would move Spurs' Harry Kane, Atlético's Wissam Ben Yedder or Paris pair Edinson Cavani and Neymar (who has scored on all five matchdays so far) into the No1 spot.
- The men they love to hate
Even if Neymar fails to outscore Ronaldo, he is in line for another accolade – after five games, he is the group stage's most fouled player, with 20 infringements against him (compared to ten for Lionel Messi and just four for Ronaldo). Neymar's closest rivals in this unusual race are Shakhtar's Marlos (16 fouls against) and Monaco's Fabinho and Juventus's Paulo Dybala (14 each).
- Two in line for maximum points
Paris and Manchester City are on course to finish the group stage with a maximum 18 points – an achievement only six teams have managed in the past. City must win at Shakhtar while Paris must get the better of Bayern, who have won all three of their Group B games since the return of coach Jupp Heynckes.
- United's doomsday scenario
Chances are, England will be the first nation to have five teams in the round of 16: Chelsea, Manchester City and Spurs are already through, with Liverpool and UEFA Europa League winners Manchester United set to follow, though José Mourinho's side could yet bow out. If they lose to CSKA Moskva by seven or more goals and Basel win, United would be the first team to win their first four group games and not progress.
- Group stage goals record under threat
We have had 256 in this season's group stage so far – an average of 51.20 per matchday – and need just 36 more to match the record of 292 scored in the 1999/2000 competition. If all 32 contenders chip in with a goal each on matchday four, we will be more or less there. Keep it up!