Pep Guardiola’s Kevin De Bruyne problem and will Man Utd even need to kick a ball to go through? Questions ahead of the Champions League’s return
Elsewhere, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea are all in action looking to continue their charge to the next round
IT'S match-day five in the Champions League group stages and all five English clubs are either through already or on the verge of progressing to the last-16.
So things are looking rosy, so far...
But with two more games still to be played in the group stages, starting this week, check out the biggest talking points for the Premier League heroes.
From Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne dilemma, to Manchester United getting away without even kicking a ball, check out these five burning questions...
GROUP H - Borussia Dortmund v Tottenham
Three defeats in their last five games in all competitions and while the wheels aren’t exactly coming off the Tottenham train, it has stopped outside the station awaiting a platform.
It’s a wobble they need to address and quickly.
The good news for them is that they can secure top spot in the group if they match Real Madrid’s results against APOEL this week.
They can also afford to rest the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli...
They both looked way off the pace in the defeat against Arsenal and may still be struggling with the niggles that kept them out of the England friendlies recently.
But it’s huge game for the Germans.
They have to win to stand any chance of making it through to the next phase – and they’re yet to win a game in Europe this season.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: DRAW
GROUP F - Manchester City v Feyenoord
With a place in the last-16 secured with almost indecent haste, there’s every chance that Pep Guardiola will shuffle his pack of princes.
The likes of Danilo and the star of England’s Under-17 World Cup winners, Phil Foden, could see some game-time too. Claudio Bravo may even get to play. Crazy, I know.
City are unbeaten in their last 12 home fixtures in the Champions League (W9 D3).
PREM'S NO1 City, Spurs, Chelsea, United all make it into the top five most valuable squads in Europe
The only issue for Pep Guardiola in terms of leaving some of his star men out is that he won’t want to run the risk of not winning the group and City can do that with a victory here.
Pep might want to give De Bruyne a game though.
He’s a booking away from a one-match ban so he might be best served to pick one up here and sit out the last group game rather than leaving it to any later in the competition.
Cynical, I know, but you don’t want Europe’s best player missing when the going gets tougher, do you?
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: CITY WIN
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GROUP E - Sevilla v Liverpool
Cast your mind back to the first round of fixtures in this group and you’ll recall that 2-2 draw that these two sides played out at Anfield.
You may not, of course. I know I don’t, but then I’m getting on a bit.
It’s going to be just as tight this time around, with both sides guaranteed a place in the last-16 if they can win.
That, in theory, should make for an entertaining match, especially if Sevilla decide to go for it.
Which they might. Sevilla have won both their home games in Group E to date and they’ve won six of their last eight European home games, losing just one.
They also come in to this fixture on the back of a 23-match unbeaten match at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
Liverpool will want to wrap up their place in the last-16 as soon as they can but I’ve got a feeling they’re going to have to wait until their final game at home to Spartak Moscow to get it.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: DRAW
GROUP C - Qarabag v Chelsea
It was arguably Chelsea’s worst performance of the season when they were drubbed 3-0 by Roma at the Stadio Olimpico last time out.
But they’ve got the ideal opportunity to get back on track with a game against the team they put six goals past without reply when they met at Stamford Bridge in September.
Antonio Conte’s men need a win to qualify or they can progress with a draw if Atletico Madrid fail to beat group leaders Roma in the Spanish capital.
Qarabag, meanwhile, still have the slimmest of chances of bagging a top-two spot, having bagged draws home and away to Atletico.
They need a win, though. And they won’t get it.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: CHELSEA WIN
GROUP A - Basel v Manchester United
A draw for Mourinho’s men in Switzerland and they’ll win Group A.
But they may already know their fate before they kick off because if CSKA Moscow don’t win at home to bottom side Benfica in the early game, they’ll be through.
With a 100 per cent record so far and having conceded just one goal in their four games, it should be a fairly straightforward task for United.
Bolstered by the return of Paul Pogba and with the influential Zlatan Ibrahimovic back in business, Jose’s only absentees will be Phil Jones and Michael Carrick.
Although Eric Bailly is a doubt too.
But Basel have their own target and if they can pull off a famous win here they too will make the last-16 on account of their better head-to-head record with CSKA.
Just don’t put any money on it. Basel have lost three of their last four home games in Europe and been beaten in their last three games against English sides.
Expect a fourth defeat right here.
SUNSPORT PREDICTION: AWAY WIN
