Groups E through H close out UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday, and while there are still second round and Europe League stops to be decided in three of the groups, all attention will be one Group F, a historically deep group where all four teams could not only advance but also win the group.

With apologies to Group E – from which Fiorentina and Lyon will advance (in some order) while Liverpool will go to Europa, let’s get straight to Group F.

Group F

Barcelona goes to Dinamo Kyiv leading the group with eight points, their hosts sitting in fourth with five. Dinamo will need a win to stay in Champions League (though a draw could get them into Europa if Rubin Kazan loses at the San Siro). To win the group, they will need to win by at least three against a Barcelona side that has not left behind the trepidation of missing out on the second round but has also regained their health. This weekend at Deportivo la Coruña, the only regular missing for Barcelona was Yaya Touré. Needing only one point to guarantee advancing to the second round, Barcelona is a safe bet in Kyiv, though no guarantee.

Tied at second with six points each, Internazionale and Rubin Kazan face-off in the San Siro. Internazionale currently wins the tie-breaker by virtue of their away goal in the clubs’ 1-1 draw in Kazan. Obviously, if one of these teams wins, they will advance to the second round, but if it’s a draw, things get confusing. A nil-nil, and Inter advances on the away goal. A 2-2 or more goals, Rubin goals through, by the same rule. A 1-1 and, given the teams would have the same goal differential, Inter would go through on the fifth tie-breaker: goals scored in all matches.

There are only six tiebreakers. The sixth: UEFA coefficient (which Inter would also win).

The Europa League possibilities get even more complicated with a group that’s only separated by three points. If Barcelona wins in Kyiv, everything’s very straight forward, but given how this group has played out, we should almost expect a Kyiv win.

Group G

Sevilla is through to the second round no matter when. The question is whether they win the group. Welcoming last place Rangers to the Sanchez Pizjuan, the are likely to get the one point they’d need to win a tiebreaker with Unirea (who sit two points back with 8). Rangers have only pride to play for, eliminated from the possibility of advancing into either European tournament.

Stuttgart and Unirea play in Germany to determine the other club who will advance. Stuttgart needs a win, whereas Unirea need only a result. Having fired coach Marcus Babbel at the weekend, Stuttgart is in relative turmoil, sitting near the bottom of the Bundesliga.

In their first meeting, Stuttgart got a point in Urziceni, but with Unirea having gotten a surprise three from Sevilla two weeks ago, they look poised to continue surprising the group to claim one of the two second round spots.

Group H

Arsenal is at Olympiacos with nothing to play for, not only having ensured advancing but also the group’s top spot. The Greek champions need at last a point, as they lose the tiebreaker with Standard Liege, who sit three points back in third place.

Standard hosts AZ Alkmaar, another club who have changed managers. Ronald Koeman’s poor league results seem him replaced (temporarily) by Belgian national team coach Dick Advocaat, who will look to get the Dutch champions into Europe at a Belgian club’s expense.

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