Keep up with the last set of matches that will take place on Matchday 6 of the 2023–24 UEFA Champions League group stage.
Champions League Matchday 6: Game-by-game preview
Tuesday, December 12
Sevilla vs. Lens (18:45)
The defeats they suffered on Matchday 5 rendered both of these teams ineligible for the UEFA Europa League, but Sevilla must win to keep the French team from competing. Coach Franck Haise of Lens stated, “We can see that we’re growing with every match, in both the good and bad moments.”
“If we can manage to create some more memories for a club that hasn’t been in Europe for many years, with many inexperienced players, and an inexperienced club in general at this level, then I hope we can.”
Arsenal vs. PSV Eindhoven (18:45)
Although he was happy that Arsenal defeated Lens 6-0 to take first place in the section, Mikel Arteta has tasked his players with continuing their winning performance. “I’m overjoyed,” he declared. We were in a position to win the group and qualify. We’ve done it quite well.
The players should be commended greatly. The task that we had to complete in February was being present. The group must now continue to improve and remain dependable.”
It would undoubtedly be the kind of advancement Arteta is hoping for if they could avoid making the same mistakes as they did in the Europa League group stage last season, where they were defeated at PSV despite ensuring their qualification to the round of 16.
Bayern vs. Manchester United (21:00)
To advance to the round of 16, United needs to defeat the defending Group A champions and hope that the other match in this group ends in a draw. Bruno Fernandes, the midfielder, is adamant that if they sharpen their decision-making from the 3–3 draw at Galatasaray, they can go one step further.
“We must remain alert and recognize that the goal is to find the best pass to the free player, attempt to deliver the ball to the person in the best position, and avoid taking the risk ourselves. The team must come first,” he stated.
Galatasaray versus Copenhagen (21:00)
After winning at Manchester United and drawing at Bayern, Copenhagen has picked up four points from their past two games. If they defeat Galatasaray, they will definitely advance to the round of sixteen.
After the draw in Munich, midfielder Rasmus Falk expressed his excitement for this decisive match by saying, “It was such an important point for us, so we can finish the job at home.”
To stay in the Champions League is our aim. There will be chaos in the match against Galatasaray. To maintain our spot in the competition, we’ll do everything it takes to meet our needs.”
Braga vs. Napoli (21:00)
Despite playing an hour with just 10 men, Braga winger Álvaro Djaló was upbeat as the Portuguese team maintained their hopes of qualifying with a 1-1 draw against Union Berlin. “Even with just ten players, we managed to work very well collectively and get a point,” he stated.
“Qualification is difficult; Napoli are a complicated opponent, but we will maintain our identity, play eye-to-eye, and go to Italy to win in what will be an all-or-nothing match.” However, Napoli just needs a draw to secure their spot in the round of 16.
Real Madrid vs. Union Berlin (21:00)
After defeating Napoli 4-2, Real Madrid is guaranteed to finish first. Therefore, it’s all about Union as they finish their first Champions League campaign with a thrilling tie, knowing that a position in the Europa League is still up for grabs.
Midfielder Robin Gosens asked, “What could be better than playing against Real Madrid in front of 70,000 fans at the Olympiastadion?” “We need to give it our all against Real Madrid in order to attempt to qualify for the Europa League. Playing at home against Real, a team that personifies the Champions League, is all or nothing.”
Real Sociedad vs. Inter (21:00)
Real Sociedad and the Italian powerhouse are battling it out for first place; with 11 points apiece, both teams have already qualified. Imanol Alguacil is gloating over this rivalry. “You can imagine what it means, can’t you, to be able to go into the last matchday depending on yourself?” the coach of La Real stated.
“The best news is that. We haven’t dropped a game yet in a formidable and challenging Champions League group, which indicates that the team is performing and battling at a high level. We’re going to make it, but it won’t be easy. Let’s see whether we can maintain this level.”
Benfica vs. Salzburg (21:00)
After their thrilling 3-3 draw with Inter, Benfica can yet surpass Salzburg for third place, as game hero João Mário considered before focusing on their last task.
“This is a reflection of our campaign in the Champions League this season,” he stated. We have suffered greatly as a result of our missteps, and that is how this competition works.
A very slim probability of qualifying for the Europa League exists. That is our goal, and we will not give up because if we can play Salzburg and have a first half like this one against a formidable team like Inter, then you have to attempt to do the same against them.”
Wednesday, December 13
Young Boys vs Leipzig (18:45)
Nicolas Seiwald, a midfielder for Leipzig, thought back on their 3-2 loss to Manchester City, which solidified the Bundesliga team’s spot in the round of sixteen as runners-up in their group.
“It was so difficult to keep the intensity up over 90 minutes, and Manchester City pounced on that,” he stated. “The first half has shown us that we can keep up with top teams over 45 minutes; now we just have to do that over 90.
” With a Europa League match scheduled for the spring, Raphael Wicky’s team will not be under pressure. “We succeeded in achieving our goal of remaining in Europe by 2024,” the Young Boys coach stated. “I think we can be very proud of what we have done.”
Man City vs. Crvena Zvezda (18:45)
With top spot secured by City’s victory over Leipzig, Phil Foden, a midfielder, is excited about the match against Crvena Zvezda, who have been eliminated, without having to worry about qualifying. “It’s such a nice feeling to go into the last game [as group winners],” he stated.
“We should be happy where we are because we deserve to be stress-free and have fun. When you qualify early and the final game isn’t under pressure, it’s always good.” “The fault lies with all of us,” home coach Barak Bakhar stated in an attempt to instill some pride in his team’s final game. The fact that we placed last in the group is a failure.”
Lazio vs. Atletico Madrid (21:00)
In the Spanish metropolis, Lazio must triumph in order to rob Diego Simeone’s team of the top spot. The Argentinean coach is aware that Atlético has not won their area in their last six attempts and has only failed to qualify twice.
“It’s always important to finish as high as possible, but it’s been years since we’ve been able to reach the end [of the group stage] with this peace of mind,” he stated. Nicolò Rovella, a midfielder for Lazio, says his club is focused on winning the summit, stating, “We will play to win in Madrid.” The game will be very important.”
Feyenoord vs. Celtic (21:00)
Feyenoord will undoubtedly place third, so Celtic’s objective going into this matchup will be to at least secure a win to close out the group stage. Joe Hart, the goalkeeper, was candid about the Scottish team’s performance thus far in this campaign and the areas in which they still need to grow if they want to win this final game.
“It’s not just about playing good football; it’s about getting results,” he stated. “We’re not a 100-minute fighting squad in the Champions League, but I think we fight. We should go again as soon as the fatigue sets in.”
Paris vs. Dortmund (21:00)
Dortmund’s convincing 3-1 victory over Milan guaranteed them a spot in the round of 16, and if Paris wins this group and defeats the German team twice, they’ll join them.
Coach Luis Enrique stated, “The most important thing is to focus on ourselves.” “We can advance to the next round even if we lose, but if we win, we’ll come in first.
Although it’s extremely difficult, I think we can simplify things if we defeat Dortmund.” Mats Hummels, a defender for Borussia, maintains that his club would not back down from Enrique’s squad. “We want to get the first spot and avoid the crazy good teams,” he stated. “We don’t want to go out in the round of 16.”
Milan vs Newcastle (21:00)
These teams know they must win in order to have any chance of stealing a spot in the round of 16, so they will be closely monitoring the Paris score. Bruno Guimarães, a midfielder, is certain that the Magpies can overcome the obstacles and advance, stating, “We must maintain our faith.”
We still have one game at home, so let’s hope the crowd creates a fantastic atmosphere and we can pull through.” However, the message from the Milan camp is the same, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek envisioning a victorious comeback for England. “We need to remain hopeful we can do the job in Newcastle,” he stated.
Shakhtar Donetsk versus. Porto (21:00)
Both sides have nine points in Group H, and while Porto just needs a draw to advance, they have a little advantage going into their matchup for a last-16 spot. But according to the Ukrainian side, a fairy-tale ending is still possible.
“This is our small fantasy, but nobody expected us to be in the running for the knockouts coming into the final matchday. Defender Valeriy Bondar stated, “We hope to realize it,” while midfielder Oleksandr Zubkov commented, “We can allow ourselves to dream a bit.” It’s going to be an intense, pivotal game.”
Barcelona vs. Antwerp (21:00)
While the host team needs one point to avoid finishing the group stage with six losses, the visitors just need one point to secure first place. Barcelona’s defender Jules Koundé talked about how their 2-1 victory over Porto on Matchday 5 allowed them to qualify with one game remaining.
“We feel really satisfied, really happy to qualify for the knockout round after two straight seasons without staying in this competition,” he stated. “It’s demanding here in Barcelona.”