Champions League: Can Real Madrid qualify for the last 16 today? What result do they need?
Carlo Ancelotti’s side are in Warsaw to face Shakhtar Donetsk knowing that a win would see them mathematically progress in the competition.
With the Qatar World Cup starting in November, all major leagues have been obliged to modify their schedules with the Champions League no different with the group stage games being condensed in a two month window.
Already in early October, we head into matchday four of the 2022/23 UEFA Champions League group stage and already a handful of teams are on the cusp of mathematically securing a place in the next stage of the competition with Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid one of those few sides.
The Italian coach takes his side to the Polish capital where they face exiled Shakhtar Donetsk, knowing that a win would be enough to secure a berth in the Round of 16 of the competition. Madrid’s objective is, however to lock down top spot in Group F and, in theory, secure an easier path in the knockout stage with ‘Los Blancos’ still having to travel to Leipzig with that tricky test coming in matchday 5 as they travel to Germany to face the Bundesliga side.
The top two sides from the group advance to the Champions League Round of 16 with the third placed team heading to the Europa League Round of 32.
Group F: matchday 4 fixtures
Shakhtar Donetsk-Real Madrid
Celtic-RB Leipzig
Group F: matchday 5 fixtures
RB Leipzig-Real Madrid
Celtic-Shakhtar Donetsk
Group F: matchday 6 fixtures
Real Madrid-Celtic
Shakhtar Donetsk-RB Leipzig