Berlin (dpa) - Reigning English champions Manchester City and five-time European champions Liverpool face nervous matches this midweek as they try to salvage disappointing Champions League campaigns to reach the knock-out phase.
Liverpool, at home to Basel in Group B, know nothing less than a win will suffice while Manchester City are likely to need victory away to Roma
to avoid the exit in Group E.
Captain Steven Gerrard will return to the starting line-up for his side's win or bust tie on Tuesday having been benched for the weekend draw with Sunderland.
"Of course, he plays on Tuesday night," manager Brendan Rodgers said. "Stevie coming onto the field gives the world-class quality that the team needs."
Basel will hope for a repeat of the 2002 meeting between the sides when they progressed with a final day draw.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is planning to ring the changes in the other group match, a dead rubber against Ludogorets.
Real have already clinched top spot in the group with five wins. In addition, they will need to reserve some energy for Friday's Liga match at Almeria - and for the upcoming Club World Cup in Morocco.
"We are really looking forward to the Club World Cup. Winning that trophy would be a very special way to end the year," said right-back Dani Carvajal.
If they win on Tuesday Real will establish a new Spanish record of 19 straight wins in all competitions.
They are without injured midfielders James Rodriguez and Luka Modric, which could open the door for Sami Khedira.
Arsenal need victory at Galatasaray on Tuesday to have a chance of stealing top spot in Group D from Borussia Dortmund but manager Arsene Wenger will rest star forward Alexis Sanchez.
"You have to know when to rest him and when not but I think at the moment he plays at his peak on the edge. He will not go to Turkey," Wenger said.
Theo Walcott is also out through injury and Olivier Giroud is unavailable after Arsenal failed to register him when he was recovering from injury.
Dortmund, who picked up a much needed Bundesliga win against Hoffenheim Friday, will secure first place with a draw at home to Anderlecht.
"Our aim is not just to win the match and take our place in the last 16 as group winners, we also want and have to prove in this match that we've turned a corner," defender Nevan Subotic said.
Bayer Leverkusen have already qualified from Group C but will hope to secure top spot away to Benfica, while Monaco and Zenit St Petersburg meet in a shoot-out to progress.
Also Tuesday, Atletico Madrid try to guarantee top spot in Group A by avoiding a two-goal defeat away to second-placed Juventus.
Atletico currently have 12 points and Juve are on nine but the Italian champions could crash out if they lose while Olympiakos win away to Malmo.
On Wednesday, attention turns to the Italian capital where Roma take on Manchester City in the close race for second place in their group. They are each level on five points with CSKA Moscow, who face a difficult trip to confirmed group winners Bayern Munich.
"We must win. If we beat City we go through even if Moscow win," Roma's Ivory Coast international Gervinho told the Sun on Sunday.
"City have a lot more pressure than us given the expense they have undertaken to create this team. It's the Champions League that they desperately want."
And City are likely to be without injured star striker Sergio Aguero after the Argentine suffered suspected knee ligament damage at the weekend.
CSKA need to win away to Bayern and hope Roma do not win in the other match to progress. But Bayern, after another domestic victory on Saturday, are in no mood to slip up.
"We still want to win," Sebastian Rode told the club homepage. "It'll be another 70,000 crowd and we want to put on a show for them."
With top spot already assured in Group G, Chelsea will rest players for their match against Sporting Lisbon, with Diego Costa among those likely to sit it out.
Sporting will progress with a draw but should they lose, Schalke can pip them for second with a win away to Maribor.
"I'm looking forward to it," Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt said. "This is a final. We've had that quite a lot in the past and have often done well.
"The starting point is clear - we must win while Maribor also has to win to overtake us."
Barcelona host Paris St-Germain in Group F needing to win to top the group ahead of their French guests. Both sides are already qualified while Ajax and Apoel settle the Europa League berth.
"We are getting into another good run of victories, like at the start of the season. Now we have to continue like this," Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic said after Sunday's 5-1 destruction of Espanyol in the Catalan derby.
Leading the Barca attack will be Lionel Messi, who has put away hat-tricks in three of his last four matches.
In Group H Porto will go through first with Shakhtar Donetsk second, while Athltic Bilbao will look to secure Europa League football by avoiding defeat at home to BATE Borisov.
Liverpool, at home to Basel in Group B, know nothing less than a win will suffice while Manchester City are likely to need victory away to Roma
to avoid the exit in Group E.
Captain Steven Gerrard will return to the starting line-up for his side's win or bust tie on Tuesday having been benched for the weekend draw with Sunderland.
"Of course, he plays on Tuesday night," manager Brendan Rodgers said. "Stevie coming onto the field gives the world-class quality that the team needs."
Basel will hope for a repeat of the 2002 meeting between the sides when they progressed with a final day draw.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is planning to ring the changes in the other group match, a dead rubber against Ludogorets.
Real have already clinched top spot in the group with five wins. In addition, they will need to reserve some energy for Friday's Liga match at Almeria - and for the upcoming Club World Cup in Morocco.
"We are really looking forward to the Club World Cup. Winning that trophy would be a very special way to end the year," said right-back Dani Carvajal.
If they win on Tuesday Real will establish a new Spanish record of 19 straight wins in all competitions.
They are without injured midfielders James Rodriguez and Luka Modric, which could open the door for Sami Khedira.
Arsenal need victory at Galatasaray on Tuesday to have a chance of stealing top spot in Group D from Borussia Dortmund but manager Arsene Wenger will rest star forward Alexis Sanchez.
"You have to know when to rest him and when not but I think at the moment he plays at his peak on the edge. He will not go to Turkey," Wenger said.
Theo Walcott is also out through injury and Olivier Giroud is unavailable after Arsenal failed to register him when he was recovering from injury.
Dortmund, who picked up a much needed Bundesliga win against Hoffenheim Friday, will secure first place with a draw at home to Anderlecht.
"Our aim is not just to win the match and take our place in the last 16 as group winners, we also want and have to prove in this match that we've turned a corner," defender Nevan Subotic said.
Bayer Leverkusen have already qualified from Group C but will hope to secure top spot away to Benfica, while Monaco and Zenit St Petersburg meet in a shoot-out to progress.
Also Tuesday, Atletico Madrid try to guarantee top spot in Group A by avoiding a two-goal defeat away to second-placed Juventus.
Atletico currently have 12 points and Juve are on nine but the Italian champions could crash out if they lose while Olympiakos win away to Malmo.
On Wednesday, attention turns to the Italian capital where Roma take on Manchester City in the close race for second place in their group. They are each level on five points with CSKA Moscow, who face a difficult trip to confirmed group winners Bayern Munich.
"We must win. If we beat City we go through even if Moscow win," Roma's Ivory Coast international Gervinho told the Sun on Sunday.
"City have a lot more pressure than us given the expense they have undertaken to create this team. It's the Champions League that they desperately want."
And City are likely to be without injured star striker Sergio Aguero after the Argentine suffered suspected knee ligament damage at the weekend.
CSKA need to win away to Bayern and hope Roma do not win in the other match to progress. But Bayern, after another domestic victory on Saturday, are in no mood to slip up.
"We still want to win," Sebastian Rode told the club homepage. "It'll be another 70,000 crowd and we want to put on a show for them."
With top spot already assured in Group G, Chelsea will rest players for their match against Sporting Lisbon, with Diego Costa among those likely to sit it out.
Sporting will progress with a draw but should they lose, Schalke can pip them for second with a win away to Maribor.
"I'm looking forward to it," Schalke sporting director Horst Heldt said. "This is a final. We've had that quite a lot in the past and have often done well.
"The starting point is clear - we must win while Maribor also has to win to overtake us."
Barcelona host Paris St-Germain in Group F needing to win to top the group ahead of their French guests. Both sides are already qualified while Ajax and Apoel settle the Europa League berth.
"We are getting into another good run of victories, like at the start of the season. Now we have to continue like this," Barca midfielder Ivan Rakitic said after Sunday's 5-1 destruction of Espanyol in the Catalan derby.
Leading the Barca attack will be Lionel Messi, who has put away hat-tricks in three of his last four matches.
In Group H Porto will go through first with Shakhtar Donetsk second, while Athltic Bilbao will look to secure Europa League football by avoiding defeat at home to BATE Borisov.
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