Galatasaray to play tough must-win game in Paris

ISTANBUL

Galatasaray will pursue its slim chances of continuing its European campaign in the Europa League when it plays an away game in the Champions League Group A against Paris Saint Germain on Dec. 11.

Galatasaray has not won 10 Champions League matches and is fourth in the group on two points, one behind Club Brugge, which snatched a late draw in Istanbul fortnight ago. That means Galatasaray cannot finish in the top two and will be confirmed in fourth place if it loses to PSG.

To claim the third spot and a berth in the Europa League competition, the Istanbul club needs to win and hopes Club Brugge fails to defeat Real Madrid at home.

PSG, on the other hand, has picked up 13 points from its five matches, winning the first four, including a 1-0 victory at Galatasaray on Oct. 1 thanks to Maurco Icardi’s goal early in the second half. The French club has an unassailable five-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid.

Galatasaray is on a long winless European run, having failed to grab a victory in its last 12 games, losing eight of them, since beating Lokomotiv Moscow in the first game of last season’s Champion League campaign.

The Turkish champion has scored only one goal in this season’s group stage, the lowest total in the competition.

Also on Dec. 11, Bayern Munich can become only the seventh team to win all six games in a Champions League group stage as it welcomes a Tottenham side it put seven goals past in the first half of the Group B competition.

Bayern has won its first five games to make sure of first place with a game to spare, while Spurs have 10 points, five less than their German rivals, but are nevertheless certain to finish second.

Spurs will not want for motivation in Munich having lost 7-2 in north London on Oct. 1, the first time they had conceded seven goals at home in their 137-history.

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid Atletico plays Lokomotiv Moscow, needing a victory to guarantee second place in Group D and a spot in the last 16.

Anything less at the Wanda Metropolitano and the Spaniards will have to match what Bayer Leverkusen manage at home to Juventus, which is unlikely to be at full pelt having already won the group.

In Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb must win and hope for help from elsewhere as it rounds off its Group C campaign at home to group winner Manchester City looking to join its visitor in the round of 16.

While City has an unassailable five-point lead at the top of the standings, Dinamo is third on five points, one behind Shakhtar Donetsk and one ahead of Atalanta. Dinamo will therefore go through if it beats City and Shakhtar does not win at home against Atalanta.