Milan take on Chelsea; City, Madrid seek to seal last 16 spots

A look at what’s happening in the Champions League on Tuesday:

GROUP E

Salzburg didn’t expect to be leading a group containing Chelsea and AC Milan at the halfway stage, but the Austrian champion remains in first place, unbeaten with five points. A win at last-placed Dinamo Zagreb would go a long way to help Salzburg qualify for the knockout stages for the second year running. Dinamo is in last place, but only two points back. Milan hosts Chelsea with both teams on four points. Chelsea was much the better team in a 3-0 win over the Italian champion last week and had the luxury of resting star forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Raheem Sterling at the weekend.

GROUP F

Defending champion Real Madrid can virtually secure its spot in the knockout stage with a win against Shakhtar Donetsk, which is hosting the match in the Polish capital Warsaw because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Madrid enters the match with a five-point lead over Shakhtar, which it defeated 2-1 at home last week. Madrid has won 11 of its 12 matches in all competitions this season, with its only setback a scoreless home draw against Osasuna this month in the Spanish league. The Ukrainian side is a point clear of third-placed Leipzig, which visits winless Celtic in the other group match. Leipzig could overtake Shakhtar for the second qualifying spot by beating Celtic for the second time following a 3-1 victory last week in Germany.

GROUP G

Manchester City will qualify for the last 16 with two matches to spare by beating FC Copenhagen. City won the first match between them 5-0 at home last week and is unbeaten in all competitions this season. Erling Haaland has five of City’s 11 goals in the first three rounds. Borussia Dortmund is clear in second place, three points behind City but five ahead of third-placed Sevilla ahead of its match against the Spanish club. Dortmund hammered the Spanish team 4-1 away last week and salvaged a 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in a late comeback in Saturday’s ‘Klassiker.’ Coach Edin Terzic hailed the team’s mental strength, self-belief and sturdy defense. Dortmund will qualify with a win if City also beats Copenhagen. First-choice Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel could return after a month out with injury, but captain Marco Reus is set to miss out after an infection hampered his recovery from an ankle problem.

GROUP H

Benfica remains unbeaten in 16 matches in all competitions this season, with 14 wins and two draws, ahead of its trip to Paris Saint-Germain. Benfica and PSG are tied on seven points at the top of the group following their 1-1 draw in Portugal last week. Lionel Messi, who scored the opening goal of that game, will be missing at the Parc des Princes because of a minor leg injury, the French club said. Presnel Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes and Renato Sanches have also been ruled out. Juventus is four points back in third place and faces Maccabi Haifa.