Champions League: What do Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool need on matchday five?
English clubs return to Champions League action this week in the hope of securing their places in the last 16, although that task is looking a good deal easier for some than others.
Here is what is at stake for Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Man City: The Premier League leaders can ensure that they qualify as Group F winners with victory at Lyon on Tuesday, but even a draw will send them into the Champions League’s knockout stage.
City have shrugged off the surprise defeat in their group opener at home to Lyon with three subsequent wins, scoring 11 goals in the process.
The French side are City’s nearest challengers but have not managed a victory in this competition since that upset at the Etihad Stadium, drawing all of their matches since.
Man Utd: A smash-and-grab 2-1 triumph at Juventus on matchday four has put United in a strong position to reach the last 16 for only the second time in five years.
They can clinch qualification on Tuesday by beating Young Boys, as long as Valencia don’t emulate United’s heroics in Turin and sink Juve.
Top spot in Group H looks a stretch for Jose Mourinho’s dysfunctional bunch, however, and the Italians will move out of reach with a game to spare if they win and United fail to take three points against their Swiss visitors.
Tottenham: Nothing less than a win against Inter Milan at Wembley on Wednesday will do for Spurs if they are to avoid a group stage exit.
Even then they will probably need to beat Barcelona at Camp Nou in their final Group B game next month to reach the last 16. In short: the odds are against them.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men have paid for dropping five points from winning positions in fixtures with Inter and PSV Eindhoven.
Inter arrive in London with 10 wins from their last 13 matches in all competitions, although Tottenham have momentum from Saturday’s 3-1 demolition of Chelsea – widely considered their best display of the season so far.
Liverpool: A shock defeat at Red Star Belgrade in the last round of games has left Jurgen Klopp's men sweating and blown Group C wide open.
With four teams separated by just two points, it’s the closest group in the competition and any of the sides could conceivably progress, although it seems likely to be two from the Reds, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain.
Wednesday's trip to France is arguably Liverpool’s toughest assignment, even if PSG have had injury concerns over superstars Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
A win would book a place in the last 16 for last year’s runners-up, provided Red Star don’t prevail in Naples.
A draw or defeat could leave Liverpool needing to beat the Italians by two goals in their final fixture to go through.