(Football news) Barcelona face an uphill task to qualify for the round of 16 as they have to beat Bayern to ensure qualification. Julian Nagelsmann's side are already guaranteed to finish first, while Barca are in a two-way fight with Benfica for second place in Group E. No team in the 2021-22 Champions League has scored more goals than Bayern (19) in the group stages, with them scoring at least two goals per game and subsequently scoring five against Dynamo Kiev and Benfica at the Allianz Arena already. Barcelona sit two points above Benfica in second spot but they have a worse head-to-head record and Benfica will certainly be confident of beating Dynamo Kiev, so Xavi's side are at a large risk of settling for Europa League football this season. Barca do not exactly carry confidence either, as Real Betis handed Xavi’s first defeat of his reign as Barcelona manager and ended his six-game unbeaten run across all competitions.
For Bayern, Joshua Kimmich, Michael Cuisance and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting are still under COVID-19 protocols and will most likely miss the match, Lucas Hernandez suffered an ankle injury against Dortmund and he too might be doubtful for the fixture. As for Barcelona, Ansu Fati will not be fit for Wednesday's game along with Martin Braithwaite, Sergio, Pedri and Sergi Roberto also on the out for the visitors. Gavi was taken to hospital after suffering a head injury against Real Betis and he too will remain a doubt for this all important fixture.
Manchester United have already guaranteed themselves a position in the round of 16 as the winners of Group F, they will be hoping to end the group stage on a positive note against Young Boys at Old Trafford. Ralf Rangnick made the perfect start to his reign as Man United interim manager as they won 1-0 against Crystal Palace. It will be fascinating to see what the team can achieve this season under Rangnick, with the German's high-pressing brand of football and will be hoping to see the same against Young Boys. Man United have not shown their best form this season and actually lost their opener away to Young Boys, but since then they have picked up 10 points from their last four matches.
For United, they will be without Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba for the Champions League while Edinson Cavani, Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard are all doubtful for this fixture. One thing is certain that Rangnick will make wholesome changes and give playing time to the players who have hardly got playing time this season. For Young Boys, David von Ballmoos, Cedric Zesiger, Christian Fassnacht, Jean-Pierre Nsame, Ulisses Garcia and Felix Mambimbi will all miss the match through injury.
With the top two spots in Champions League Group G still up for grabs, Red Bull Salzburg host Sevilla and Wolfsburg play Lille in a group which is going right till the last match. In Group G, any one can qualify depending on the results as currently Lille lead the group with 8 points, followed by Salzburg in second with 7 points, while their Spanish counterparts are down in third with 6 points and Wolfsburg are fourth but still have a chance of qualification with 5 points. For Salzburg, they will remain second as their fate is in their own hands with a victory guaranteeing them a place in the last-16 and a draw would also see off the threat of Wolfsburg at least, as they have greater head-to-head goal difference. For Sevilla, nothing more than a victory will do as they are more likely heading into the Europa League if they draw or lose against Salzburg.
The Spanish side will be without Marcos Acuna, Erik Lamela Suso, Jesus Navas and Youssef En-Nesyri on the important trip to Austria. As for Salzburg, Bernardo, Bryan Okoh, Maximilian Wober and star player Zlatko Junuzovic continue to struggle with heel pain, and will most likely miss this fixture.
The other matches are:
- Zenit vs Chelsea
- Juventus vs Malmo
- Benfica vs Dynamo Kiev
- Atalanta vs Villareal
- Wolfsburg vs Lille
