The Champions League group stage is ending – the last participants in the playoffs will be determined on December 12 and 13. Global bookmaker 1xBet talks about the layouts ahead of the finishing round.
Group A
No one expected that after 5 rounds, Manchester United would be in last place in the group. Before the start of the group stage, the Red Devils and Bayern looked like the undisputed favorites. Now, to qualify for the playoffs, Erik Ten Hag’s team needs to beat the Germans at home and hope that Copenhagen and Galatasaray will draw in a parallel match. United is famous for its comebacks, and this is exactly the moment when you need to show character. The Munich team had already guaranteed themselves first place, but they were in such crazy shape that ready to beat everyone in a row. The winner of the parallel match guarantees himself an exit from the group from second place.
Group B
Having defeated Lens 6-0 in the 5th round, Arsenal guaranteed themselves first place in the group. PSV beat Sevilla, losing 0-2 during the match and will join the English in the playoffs. The main fight in Quartet B will be for a consolation ticket to the Europa League. Sevilla will only be satisfied with a victory, but the French miss European competitions and are unlikely to want to interrupt their journey in 2023. Will the fairy tale of Franck Haise’s team, which played in Ligue 2 three years ago, continue?
Group C
Real has confidently won all five matches and is calmly awaiting the draw for the 1/8 finals, but the intrigue in the group is still alive. Braga still has a chance to advance to the next stage, but to do this, it needs to beat Napoli away with a difference of 2 goals. The mission seems impossible, but anything can happen in the Champions League!
Union Berlin is failing the season but can still qualify for the Europa League with a new coach. What is needed for this? : beat Real and hope that Braga will lose to Napoli.
Group D
In the 6th round, Inter will try to take first place in the group from Real Sociedad at the Giuseppe Meazza. If the points are equal, the Basques have a better goal difference, so last year’s finalist will only be satisfied with a victory. RB Salzburg and Benfica do not qualify for the Champions League playoffs but will compete for a spot in the Europa League. The Eagles need to win against the Austrians by at least two goals, but their terrible defensive performance leaves them little chance.
Group E
Atlético and Lazio have guaranteed themselves access to the Champions League playoffs, and Feyenoord will play in the Europa League in the spring. Celtic no longer claims anything but will try to slam the door loudly in the home match against the unmotivated Rotterdamers. The main intrigue of the last round will be the fight for first place in the group. Only a victory on the Madrid field will guarantee Laziale an easier opponent in the playoffs. However, Diego Simeone’s team is not ready to give up their leadership. Moreover, this season, Mattress Makers are quite capable of pragmatically achieving the required result.
Group F
Immediately after the draw, Quartet F was called the “group of death”, and this epithet was fully justified! Borussia Dortmund, in a tough fight, guaranteed itself access to the playoffs, but the battle for the second spot will be scorching. Of the trio of Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle and Milan, only one team will continue to compete in the elite tournament. The Parisians have the most favorable situation. A victory over Borussia away guarantees them access to the next stage from first place, and a draw in the Newcastle v Milan match will ensure Mbappe’s team the playoffs even with a negative result in Dortmund. The situation for the Magpies and Rossoneri is more complicated: to reach the 1/8, they need to win and hope Borussia Dortmund does not lose to Paris Saint-Germain.
Group G
Manchester City beat all the competitors in the group, and RB Leipzig already guaranteed themselves second place. In the battle for the Europa League, Young Boys beat Crvena zvezda, and the sixth round turned into a formality. The main intrigue remains: with what goal score will City super-scorer Erling Haaland finish the group stage? So far, the Norwegian has “only” five goals in the tournament, but in Serbia, he has every chance to catch up and overtake PSV’s Luuk de Jong, who scored 7 goals.
Group H
Barcelona has already guaranteed itself access to the 1/8 finals and will probably play with a reserve team in the last round against Antwerp to avoid injuries to leading players. For the second spot in the playoffs, a fierce struggle will unfold between Porto and Shakhtar. The Ukrainian team beat Barcelona and believes in its strength, but the Dragons left no chance for Shakhtar away and are ready to repeat their success at home. Porto would be happy with a draw, but the fans are confident that their favorite team will only play to win.Follow the best European teams’ performance and place bets on the Champions League sixth-round matches with the reliable bookmaker 1xBet!
