There is just one match day left in the Champions League, and there are still several teams who are hoping for magical moments on the pitch to get into the knockout rounds of the biggest club tournament in the world. Tuesday will provide one last chance to succeed for the teams at the top of the bracket to get into the Round of 16.
These Champions League duels will go down Tuesday, December 5, with all of the kickoffs taking place at 2:45 p.m. ET. The Chelsea/Atletico Madrid match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1, while the Manchester United/CSKA Moscow affair can be seen on FOX Sports 2.
Champions League Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Benfica ( +190 ) vs. FC Basel
Manchester United ( -275 ) vs. CSKA Moscow
Bayern Munich ( +150 ) vs. PSG
Celtic ( -115 ) vs. Anderlecht
Chelsea ( +115 ) vs. Atletico Madrid
AS Roma ( -1000 ) vs. Qarabag
Barcelona ( -300 ) vs. Sporting Lisbon
Olympiaco ( +1100 ) vs. Juventus
On one blush, the best match of the entire Champions League week is between Bayern Munich and PSG at the Allianz. However, the draw really didn't do any favors for the neutral observers by making this match the last one of the group. Instead of this match being a huge spectacle, it's a duel that is a lot more like an exhibition.
Still, Bayern Munich really needs this match mentally, if nothing else. PSG was a 3-0 victor when these two teams met in Paris, and Bayern Munich has consistently been chasing ever since that point through the fall. If the Reds get blown out again, it's going to be hard for them to get off the mat if they have to see the Parisians again in the knockout rounds.
At least PSG and Bayern Munich know they're going to be playing into January. The same can't be said yet for Atletico Madrid or Juventus.
The Atleti are as good as gone, in fact. They're sitting on six points heading into the last match day of Group C against Chelsea, and they're going to need to win that match and pray that Roma gets upset by Qarabag to advance.
However, Atletico Madrid has no one to blame but itself for being in this spot. The team drew not just once, but twice against Qarabag. The Azerbaijani side only has one goal and no points in its other three matches against Chelsea and Roma, and that's why Atletico Madrid is set to drop into Europa League.
Juventus is in a far different situation. Clearly, The Old Lady is set to move into the last 16 once again, but there are still very real possibilities out there where it might not.
Juventus is a huge favorite at Olympiacos. The Greek side has been overmatched as is usually the case in the Champions League, and it shouldn't put up a fight after losing 2-0 in Turin. Still, if Juventus slips and even gets just a point, Sporting Lisbon can steal the last spot in Group D. The chances of that happening, though, are slim, especially with the Portuguese teams having to go to the Nou Camp.
Group A is where all the drama could lie on the penultimate day of the UCL group stage. Manchester United, FC Basel and CSKA Moscow have all beaten up Benfica and taken maximum points from the Portuguese side. A Basel win at home against Man U a couple weeks ago set the stage for this finale.
CSKA Moscow is still trailing, but it can advance if it betters the result that Basel has on the last match day. The Russian side, though, has to travel clear across Europe to Manchester while Basel travels to Benfica. Still, with Benfica playing for respectability, it would love to spoil the party for Basel and keep the door open for CSKA to go through.
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