Having squandered numerous chances to clinch their knockout stage place, Benfica and Napoli face a Champions League showdown tonight knowing they will only have themselves to blame if they are eliminated.

The Group B match could easily have been one of the numerous dead rubbers in the final week of the group stage but, instead, the two favourites have everything to play for with Besiktas lurking menacingly in the background.

Napoli’s place looked a formality after they won their first two games in the group and there was even an outside chance that they could have clinched their place in their third match.

Yet, clearly missing injured striker Arkadiusz Milik, Napoli’s campaign went off the rails and they have taken only two points from their subsequent three games in the group, including a goalless draw at home to Dynamo Kiev last month.

Benfica, meanwhile, let slip a 3-0 lead at Besiktas and were held to a 3-3 draw in their last game, missing out on the win that would have sent them through.

The Portuguese champions also conceded a last-minute equaliser when they were held 1-1 at home by Besiktas in their first meeting with the Turkish side earlier in the group.

As a result, the two group favourites go into today’s game level on eight points from five games in the table while Besiktas, who face a frigid trip to eliminated Dynamo Kiev, are lurking a further point behind and could still win the group.

A draw would be enough to send Napoli through on their head-to-head record as they beat Benfica 4-2 earlier in the group, while the Portuguese side must win to avoid having to depend on the other result.

Both teams will qualify if Besiktas lose but the Istanbul side, for their part, must beat Dynamo to qualify without worrying about the outcome of the Benfica-Napoli match.

Last 16 slots

Twelve of the places in the last 16 have already been settled and all the other teams who will be playing today, in Groups A, C and D, already know whether they have qualified or not.

Napoli enjoyed an encouraging 3-0 win over Inter in Serie A on Friday evening when they managed to rediscover the flowing football that they had played at the start of the season.

Benfica, on the other hand, suffered their first league defeat of the season when they went down 2-1 at Maritimo, although they are still two points ahead of Sporting Lisbon at the top.

“The defeat had to come some time, but we know that on Tuesday (today) we have a game in our home that we have to win,” said coach Rui Vitoria.

“There is no time for regrets.”

Group A

Playing today
Basel vs Arsenal
Paris SG vs Ludogorets

Already played
Basel vs Ludogorets - 1-1
Paris SG vs Arsenal - 1-1
Arsenal vs Basel - 2-0
Ludogorets vs Paris SG - 1-3
Arsenal vs Ludogorets - 6-0
Paris SG vs Basel - 3-0
Basel vs Paris Saint Germain - 1-2
Ludogorets vs Arsenal - 2-3
Arsenal vs Paris SG - 2-2
Ludogorets vs Basel - 0-0

Group B

Playing today
Benfica vs Napoli    
Dynamo Kiev vs Besiktas

Already played
Benfica vs Besiktas - 1-1
Dynamo Kiev vs Napoli - 1-2
Besiktas vs Dynamo Kiev - 1-1
Napoli vs Benfica - 4-2
Dynamo Kiev vs Benfica - 0-2
Napoli vs Besiktas - 2-3
Besiktas vs Napoli - 1-1
Benfica vs Dynamo Kiev - 1-0
Napoli vs Dynamo Kiev - 0-0
Besiktas vs Benfica - 3-3

Group C

Playing today
Barcelona vs B. M’gladbach    
Manchester City vs Celtic

Already played
Barcelona vs Celtic - 7-0
Man. City vs Bor. M’gladbach - 4-0
Bor. M’gladbach vs Barcelona - 1-2
Celtic vs Manchester City - 3-3
Celtic vs Bor. M’gladbach - 0-2
Barcelona vs Man. City - 4-0
Bor. M’gladbach vs Celtic - 1-1
Manchester City vs Barcelona - 3-1
Celtic vs Barcelona - 0-2
B. M’gladbach vs Man. City - 1-1

Group D

Playing today
B. Munich vs Atletico Madrid    
PSV Eindhoven vs FC Rostov

Already played
Bayern Munich vs FC Rostov - 5-0
PSV vs Atletico Madrid - 0-1
Atletico Madrid vs B. Munich - 1-0
FC Rostov vs PSV Eindhoven - 2-2
Bayern Munich vs PSV - 4-1
FC Rostov vs Atletico Madrid - 0-1
Atletico Madrid vs FC Rostov - 2-1
PSV vs Bayern Munich - 1-2
FC Rostov vs B. Munich - 3-2
Atletico Madrid vs PSV - 2-0

Tomorrow

Group E
B. Leverkusen vs Monaco    
Tottenham vs CSKA Moscow

Standings: Monaco 11; B. Lever-kusen 7; Tottenham 4; CSKA 3.

Group F
L. Warsaw vs Sporting Lisbon    
Real Madrid vs B. Dortmund

Standings: B. Dortmund 13; R. Madrid 11; Sporting 3; L. Warsaw 1.

Group G
Bruges vs Copenhagen    
Porto vs Leicester City

Standings: Leicester 13; Porto 8; Copenhagen 6; Bruges 0.

Group H
Juventus vs Dinamo Zagreb    
Lyon vs Sevilla

Standings: Juventus 11; Sevilla 10; Lyon 7; Dinamo Zagreb 0.

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