Champions League matchday five: all you need to know
Friday, November 17, 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: Bayern München, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur
Could qualify on matchday five: Barcelona, Basel, Beşiktaş, Chelsea, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester United, Porto, Real Madrid, Roma, Sevilla, Shakhtar Donetsk
Cannot finish in top two: Anderlecht, Celtic, Feyenoord
The matches*
Group E: Spartak Moskva v Maribor (18:00CET), Sevilla v Liverpool
Group F: Napoli v Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester City v Feyenoord
Group G: Beşiktaş v Porto (18:00CET), Monaco v RB Leipzig
Group H: Borussia Dortmund v Tottenham Hotspur, APOEL v Real Madrid
Group A: CSKA Moskva v Benfica (18:00CET), Basel v Manchester United
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain v Celtic, Anderlecht v Bayern München
Group C: Qarabağ v Chelsea (18:00CET), Atlético Madrid v Roma
Group D: Juventus v Barcelona, Sporting CP v Olympiacos
*All kick-offs 20:45CET unless otherwise stated
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
- Winner takes all
Liverpool v Sevilla and Basel v Manchester United are both games where each team knows a win would take them through (in fact a draw would be OK for United) regardless of the other result in their group. Shakhtar, Roma and Barcelona are just a point away while victory would suffice for Madrid and Chelsea, also without having to worry about what happens elsewhere.
- Big names in danger
Atlético have made it through the group stage four years in a row, reaching two finals. Dortmund have done so five seasons running. But both will be out if Atlético lose to Roma (or draw, should Chelsea avoid defeat) and Dortmund cannot beat Spurs (or regardless should Madrid win). Also in peril are Napoli and Monaco, who knocked out Dortmund to join Atlético in last season's semi-finals.
- APOEL hark back to glory days
APOEL's greatest European moment was taking on Real Madrid in the 2011/12 quarter-finals. Now they can make a bit more history when they host the reigning European champions knowing victory would take them within two points of Madrid. Given the events of matchday four, when Tottenham inflicted Madrid's first group defeat since 2012, while APOEL completed home and away draws with Dortmund, any Cypriot confidence would not be entirely misplaced.
- New goal
Anderlecht, Celtic and Feyenoord's hopes of progress in this competition are now over but their European seasons are far from finished. Feyenoord know that as long as they stay within three points of Napoli they could overtake the Italians when they welcome them on matchday six – but as the Dutch champions have lost all their matches and their next opponents Manchester City have a 100% record, their task is anything but straightforward. Celtic are three points above Anderlecht in their section so the Belgian side must stay in touch with the Scottish club ahead of the pair's matchday six encounter in Glasgow.
- Goals STILL continue to flow
With 48 more goals last time out, the total of 204 in this group stage is creeping – in fact soaring – ever closer to the record of 292 from 1999/2000. Meanwhile Dortmund's group-best tally of 21, set last season, is under severe pressure from Paris, who are already up to 17 and also on course to be the first team to keep six clean sheets.
