As we go into match-day 4 of the 2017/18 Champions League, seven sides are close to mathematically securing a place in the last 16 of the competition.
These are the series of results needed for the seven teams in question to progress in the tournament:
Group A
A win for Manchester United over Benfica with a FC Basel win in st. Jakobs Park against CSKA will see Mourinho's men advance. This combination would also see the Swiss outfit secure a place in the last 16 who are three points ahead of CSKA.
Teams on the cusp of a last 16 place: Manchester United abd FC Basel.
Grupo B
We're confronted with a similar situation in Group B where a PSG win at home against Anderlecht will see the Ligue 1 side progress with Bayern Munich being able to join them with a win over Celtic in Glasgow.
Teams on the cusp of a last 16 place: PSG and Bayern Munich.
Grupo C
Group C is slightly more complex: A Chelsea win away to AS Roma will ensure a place in the next stage for the side from London SW6. A home win for the Serie A side would see them move closer to a last 16 place with their trip to Madrid to face Atleti in match-day becoming of vital importance. To ensure a "match-ball", Atlético Madrid have to beat Qarabag this evening.
Next round candidate: Chelsea.
Champions League
| Table | PTS | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2Roma | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 3Atlético | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 4FK Qarabag | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
*Update 31 de octubre de 2017
Grupo D
Grupo D is a mirror image of that of A and B with a win in Greece enough for Barça to stake a last 16 spot. Juventus will also progress by defeating Portuguese outfit Sporting de Portugal in Lisbon.
Next round candidates: Barcelona and Juventus.
Champions League
| Table | PTS | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barcelona | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2Juventus | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 3Sp. Portugal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Next matches | |
|---|---|
| Olympiacos - Barcelona | M-31/10 20:45 |
| Juventus - Barcelona | X-22/11 20:45 |
| Barcelona - Sp. Portugal | M-05/12 20:45 |
*Update 31 de octubre de 2017
This, however is football with unpredictability always at the fore. Many of the seven sides will potentially have to wait for match-day 5 before sealing their place in the next round of the tournament.
