The Champions League group stage will come to an end this week and the round of 16 contestants will finally be revealed. Here is how Groups A and B stand heading into the final match day.
Group A
Manchester United has already clinched a spot in the next round with 11 points in five games. Shakhtar Donetsk sits in second with eight points while Bayer Leverkusen has seven. United hosts Shakhtar for what could determine the top spot in the entire group. A draw in this game clinches a top seed for United while a tie would also have the same result. Shakhtar needs a win to stay alive; a draw would leave the team susceptible to a Bayer Leverkusen victory over Real Sociedad. If Leverkusen manages that victory, then the German side would have 10 points; Donetsk would only have nine with a draw and would be relegated to the Europa League.
If Leverkusen draws and Shakhtar loses then the teams would be tied on points. In this scenario, head-to-head matchups would decide the winner. Bayer Leverkusen managed a 4-0 win and 0-0 draw against the Ukrainians and would thus be the team to advance.
Prediction: Manchester United wins while Bayer Leverkusen draws.
Group B
With 13 points, Real Madrid has not only clinched a spot in the next round, but has complete control over the top seed. Copenhagen, which will play Madrid on Tuesday, can only finish in third with a favorable result; the team is eliminated from the next round of the Champions League.
The game to watch is the match between Galatasaray and Juventus as the scenario is quite straight forward. The Italian side has six points while the Turkish team only has four. A win puts Galatasaray through while a draw puts Juventus into the next round.
Prediction: Galatasaray ties with Juventus.
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