UEFA Champions League

The business end of the Champions League group stages is well and truly upon us with just two rounds of games left, and you can catch all the action on ...

Shakhtar's circumstances are unprecedented and it seems they are not suffering the adverse effects of playing away from their homeland, perhaps no surprise when they have been playing away from their home city since 2014. As Madrid streak away into the distance this comes down to a battle between Shakhtar Donetsk and RB Leipzig, one that will be decided in Warsaw on November 2. That would take things down to the wire in Group E but home advantage would surely favor Milan and in particular Chelsea. Antonio Conte's side seem intent on making a favorable group as much of a challenge as possible, briefly threatening to throw away a two goal and one man advantage over Eintracht Frankfurt. This cast of Premier League strays and post-prime big names have a fighting spirit that drove Sporting to distraction and could well be enough to get them the four points that should take them into the knockout rounds alongside Tottenham. The Czech champions are a better side than their record suggests and it is easy to imagine them taking advantage of an Inter defense that has looked vulnerable even as they have gotten back to winning ways. It would be unwise to discount the fighting spirit of Diego Simeone's players but right now that might be all they have. This is by far the most intriguing group left standing in the Champions League, one where there are serious question marks over every team, even a Club Brugge side who are through, topping their group without a single goal conceded. [Sign up now](https://www.paramountplus.com/?cbscidmt=sports&ftag=PPM-03-10bea1c&promo=uefa22) with code UEFA22 for one month free for new users and don't miss any of the action. At their best they could absolutely win out in Group A, albeit not by the margin to wrestle top spot off its current incumbents. 1 Who will be the 16 teams fighting to be in Istanbul come June and which sides will gatecrash the Europa League?

The 2022-23 UEFA Champions League group stage is here and is taking center stage as heavyweights collide across Europe as they aim to reach the last 16.

Juventus vs Paris (3:00) Frankfurt vs Marseille (3:00) Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan are together in the “group of death,” while Tottenham were handed a (relatively) easy draw with Eintracht Frankfurt, Sporting CP and Marseille in Group D. Ajax vs Liverpool (3:00) Benfica vs Juventus (3:00) Or will the Premier League giants continue to reach the final (at least one PL team has reached four of the last five finals with two all-English finals in the last four) and go one better this season?

Jurgen Klopp's side travel to Amsterdam to play against Ajax at the Johan Cruyff Arena, with qualification on their mind.

[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5XstioL80j5xvix2FgayOv?si=c6005a65bcb245e7) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlFklV55ZttMuLE6hf3FdA) Firmino & Martial To Return?](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/match-coverage/manchester-united-v-liverpool-team-news-firmino-martial-to-return) [Manchester United v Liverpool: Key Matchups [Breaking: New Long-Term Contract Given To Academy Chief Alex Inglethorpe](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/news/breaking-new-long-term-contract-given-to-academy-chief-alex-inglethorpe) [Manchester United v Liverpool Team News Roberto Firmino](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/match-coverage/manchester-united-v-liverpool-key-matchups-luis-diaz-mohamed-salah-roberto-firmino) [Report: Casemiro Has 'No Chance' For Manchester United's Match Against Liverpool](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/nonlfc/report-casemiro-has-no-chance-for-manchester-uniteds-match-against-liverpool) ['He Plays Against Manchester United, 100 Per Cent' - Pundit Predicts Liverpool Youngster To Start Big Match](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/interviews/he-plays-against-manchester-united-100-per-cent-pundit-predicts-liverpool-youngster-to-start-big-match) [Jurgen Klopp's Conversation With Darwin Nunez About Headbutting Incident](https://www.si.com/soccer/liverpool/match-coverage/jurgen-klopps-conversation-with-darwin-nunez-about-headbutting-incident) If Napoli beat Rangers (as they would be expected) and Liverpool draw - then Jurgen Klopp's side have to accept a runners-up position in Group A, meaning potentially a more difficult opponent in the last-16.

Who's likely to start, who might be left out and who is unavailable? UEFA.com predicts all the line-ups for UEFA Champions League Matchday 5.

Juste (thigh) Misses next match if booked: Bailly Misses next match if booked: Hasebe Misses next match if booked: Morita Misses next match if booked: Sabitzer Misses next match if booked: Hincapie Misses next match if booked: Savić Misses next match if booked: Lundstram Misses next match if booked: none Misses next match if booked: Politano Misses next match if booked: Neymar Misses next match if booked: Mount

Here's a look at betting odds and picks for Matchday 5 of the Champions League Group Stage, including Barcelona vs. Bayern.

Liverpool (-120 odds) Wednesday, 3 p.m. Ajax (+300 odds) vs. Sevilla (-230 odds) vs. Rangers (+1200 odds) Wednesday, 3 p.m. Napoli (-450 odds) vs. Germain (-1100 odds) vs. Celtic (-120 odds) vs. Juventus (+285 odds) Tuesday, 3 p.m. Benfica (+100 odds) vs. Tottenham (-225 odds) vs. Barcelona (+135 odds) vs. Atletico Madrid (-125 odds) vs.

The penultimate matchday of the UEFA Champions League group stage arrives as multiple teams look to book a spot in the last 16 over the next two days.

A victory plus a Sporting defeat will give the French side a place in the last 16. A win will assure them a place in the knockouts. Sporting cannot be guaranteed a top two finish, though they will be restricted to Europa League at best if they lose and Marseille wins. A win for either side will see them finish at least third at the expense of the other, who will end up in last place. They will not be able to finish second if they do not better Porto’s result. The Portuguese champions can join their opponents in the next round should they win and Atletico Madrid loses the other game. Salzburg cannot win the group regardless of the result, but will progress if they win and Milan fails to do the same. Last season’s [Europa League finalists](https://playingfor90.com/2022/05/17/europa-league-final-frankfurt-rangers/) cannot finish in the top two. Unbeaten through four games and having yet to concede, the Belgian champions face Porto knowing a point will see them finish top. The latter will finish bottom if they lose and the other game is drawn. Manchester City will face Borussia Dortmund at the Westfallenstadion, knowing a point will see them top the section. As for Shakhtar, they will enjoy knockout football in the UCL or UEL should they avoid defeat.

Napoli and Bayern Munich are the only teams who are currently set to qualify with a 100% record. Article continues below.

TBC The draw for the 2022-23 Champions League knockout phase will happen on Monday November 7, 2022.

UEFA Champions League returns this week as group stage continues. Yellow card and suspension rules explained for football tournament.

Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan); Sergio Gomez (Man City) and Pavel Bucha (FC Viktoria Plzn) were all given red cards in the last round of Champions League fixtures and there are another host of players with indirect or yellow card suspensions. Manchester City and Chelsea will also play away games as they face Dortmund and RB Salzburg respectively. This week, they will travel to Napoli to face the current group leaders while