Barcelona are shaking, Atalanta and Salzburg have to fight – Champions League
At least the good mood did not lose Barcelona head coach Xavi before the short duel against Bayern. © APA / afp / CHRISTOF STACHE
On Wednesday evening it will be clear whether FC Barcelona has actually overridden the rules of the football Champions League. Because the Catalans are threatened with the incomprehensible: elimination in the group stage.
December 08, 2021
Author: cst / dpa / apa
If the Catalans, who have already qualified for the round of 16 and FC Bayern Munich, lose points, Benfica wins at home against bottom group Dynamo Kiev, if the disastrous sporting and economic elimination of the staggering big club after the group stage would be a certainty. Since the 2003/04 season, when Barca missed qualifying through the league, they have made it to the round of 16 every following year – including four titles, some of which were impressive, and five semi-finals.
Group F is close behind Manchester United. Atalanta and Villarreal deliver a “final” in Bergamo, one point is enough for the Spaniards to move up. Before their final appearance in Manchester, the Young Boys can no longer dream of reaching the last 16, but three months after the sensation in Bern (2-1) they are striving for a victory again – and hope for a defeat at Atalanta. This is the only way to overwinter Swiss people internationally. In Group H, defending champions Chelsea and Juventus fight a long-distance duel for group victory. Both teams have long since qualified for the knockout round.
Want in the round of 16: Ruslan Malinovsky and trainer Gianpiero Gasperini from Atalanta. © ANSA / PHOTO ATALANTA BC
Salzburg needed a point in the final group game at home against FC Sevilla to be the first Austrian team to reach the Champions League round of 16. In the extremely balanced Group G anything is possible – in the event of a defeat, in the worst case, even the European Cup.
Champions League: Wednesday’s games
Juventus – Malmö (6.45pm)
Zenit – Chelsea
Atalanta – Villarreal (21.00)
Bayern Munich – Barcelona
Benfica – Dynamo Kiev
Manchester United – Young boys
Salzburg – Seville
Wolfsburg – Lille