The UEFA Champions League group stage is reaching its climax, with only two matchdays left to decide who will advance to the knockout phase. Some teams have already secured their qualification, while others are still fighting for their chances. Here are the possible line-ups and team news for Wednesday’s games.
Paris vs Manchester City: A rematch of last season’s semi-final
The two teams met in the semi-final of the 2022/23 Champions League, with Manchester City winning 4-1 on aggregate. Paris will be looking for revenge, as well as securing their place in the round of 16. They are currently second in Group A, one point behind City, who have already qualified.
Paris has some injury concerns, with Kylian Mbappé, Marco Verratti, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Sergio Ramos all doubtful for the game. They will also miss Presnel Kimpembe, who suffered a hamstring injury in their 3-1 win over Nantes on Saturday. On the other hand, Manchester City has a relatively fit squad, with only Kevin De Bruyne and Ferran Torres unavailable. Jack Grealish is also expected to miss the game due to an unspecified issue.
The possible line-ups are:
Paris: Navas; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Gueye, Paredes, Herrera; Messi, Mbappé, Neymar
Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Rúben Dias, Laporte, João Cancelo; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Gündoğan; Mahrez, Foden, Sterling
Liverpool vs Porto: A chance for the Reds to seal their top spot
Liverpool have been dominant in Group B, winning all four of their games and scoring 15 goals. They have already qualified for the next round, but they will want to secure their first place with a win over Porto. The Portuguese side are third in the group, three points behind second-placed Atlético Madrid. They need to win and hope that Atlético loses to Milan to keep their hopes alive.
Liverpool have some injury problems, with Harvey Elliot, Roberto Firmino, Joe Gomez and Curtis Jones all sidelined. They also have doubts over Diogo Jota, Naby Keïta, James Milner, Divock Origi, and Andrew Robertson, who all missed their 4-0 win over Arsenal on Saturday. Porto has a relatively clean bill of health, with only Ivan Marcano out with a foot injury. They will also miss their captain Sérgio Oliveira, who is suspended for the game.
The possible line-ups are:
Liverpool: Alisson; Williams, Konaté, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Fabinho, Henderson; Salah, Minamino, Mané
Porto: Diogo Costa; Wendell, Mbemba, Pepe, João Mário; Uribe, Sérgio Oliveira, Luis Díaz, Otávio; Taremi, Evanilson
Atlético Madrid vs Milan: A do-or-die game for both sides
Both Atlético Madrid and Milan are in danger of missing out on the knockout stage, as they are third and fourth in Group B respectively. Atlético have four points, while Milan have only one. Both teams need to win to keep their chances alive, while also hoping that Liverpool beat Porto. A draw or a loss for either side could spell the end of their campaign.
Atlético has some suspension and injury issues, with Felipe, João Félix, and Kieran Trippier all out of the game. They also have doubts over Ivan Šaponjić, who has a thigh problem. Milan has more serious injury concerns, with Mike Maignan, Ante Rebić, Alessandro Plizzari, Júnior Messias, and Fikayo Tomori all ruled out. They also have doubts over Franck Kessié, who missed their 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on Saturday.
The possible line-ups are:
Atlético Madrid: Oblak; Carrasco, Savić, Giménez, Hermoso, Vrsaljko; Koke, Llorente, Lemar; Griezmann, Suárez
Milan: Tătărușanu; Kalulu, Romagnoli, Kjær, Theo Hernández; Kessie, Tonali; Saelemaekers, Brahim Díaz, Leão; Ibrahimović
Other games to watch out for
The other games on Wednesday are:
- Leipzig vs Club Brugge: Leipzig are bottom of Group A, with only one point. They need to win and hope that Paris loses to City to have any chance of qualifying. Club Brugge are fourth, with four points. They also need to win and hope for a favorable result in the other game to stay in contention.
- Shakhtar Donetsk vs Inter Milan: Shakhtar is third in Group D, with three points. They need to win and hope that Real Madrid loses to Sheriff Tiraspol to have a chance of qualifying. Inter are second, with seven points. They need to win and hope that Real Madrid drop points to secure their qualification.
- Real Madrid vs Sheriff Tiraspol: Real Madrid are top of Group D, with nine points. They need to win or draw to qualify for the next round. The sheriff is fourth, with six points. They need to win and hope that Inter loses to Shakhtar to have a chance of qualifying.
