Uefa Champions League Groups A to D conclude on Wednesday night and we take a look at selected matches involving teams bidding to reach the Round of 16
Let's start with a look what teams need to do to go through, visit Uefa.com
Group A
As far as the top 2 positions are concerned Group A is done and dusted with PSG assured of top spot and Real Madrid will finish as runners up. That leaves Club Brugge (home to Real Madrid) and Galatasaray (away to PSG) to fight it out for third spot and entry into the Europa League. As it stands Brugge have 3 points, 1 more than Gala but the circumstances of how this group stands leads me to look elsewhere for a betting interest.
Group B
It's the same story in Group B where Bayern's foot perfect record has secured top position and Spurs, who visit Munich, will join them in the last 16. Olympiacos need to win at home to Red Star Belgrade to pip their opponents to the Europa League place but it's not a game I plan to get involved in.
Group C
Although Manchester City have wrapped up top position in Group C things are much more interesting in this quartet with the 3 other clubs still in contention to take the runners up spot.
Dinamo Zagreb are third in the group with 5 points and they will be hoping Manchester City won't be at full tilt given they have already got the job done. I just wonder how City will play this with recent Premier League results way below par but I would fall short of opposing them and focus purely on the Shakhtar v Atalanta game.
Shakhtar are currently second with 6 points and they have home advantage against Atalanta who are in fourth place with 4 points. Shakhtar were 2-1 winners when the teams met in Italy on Matchday 2 and since then they have drawn 3 consecutive matches, at home to Dinamo (2-2) and away to the same opponent (3-3) before what could be a crucial point in Manchester (1-1).
Atalanta lost their first 3 group matches before opening their account with a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City on Matchday 4. Last time out they saw off Dinamo 2-0 in a home game and if they win here and Dinamo fail to fail to beat City then Atalanta will progress. Their away form is the concern as Atalanta conceded 4 goals in Zagreb and 5 in Manchester.
I'm going to work on the assumption that Atalanta will still be in some sort of contention at half time and we will see at least 2 goals in the second half.
Bets: Shalhtar v Atalanta, 2nd half total goals over 1.5 goals at 8/10
Group D
Our final port of call is Group D which will be topped by Juventus regardless of how they get on away to Bayer Leverkusen. The Bundesliga side must turn Juve over and also hope that Lokomotiv, who can finish no higher than third, can take something from their visit to Atletico Madrid. It could still be a tall order for Leverkusen even though Juve have already achieved their aim and preference is for the match taking place in Madrid.
Atletico have not been at their best this season but I fancy they can get over the line in the race for the runners up position by seeing off Lokomotiv Moscow. Since a win in Leverkusen on Matchday 1 Lokomotiv have suffered 4 successive defeats, conceding twice in each game. Atletico's 2-0 win in Moscow came courtesy of 2 second half goals but this time the La Liga side are taken to register at least 1 goal in each half.
Bets: Atletico Madrid To Score In Both Halves ? Yes at 9/10
