SEDARA OLUWADARA
Champions League Group H is still wide open, but on matchday No. 5 the group could be sorted.
Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica are top of Group H going into matchday No. 5, and both clubs could achieve progress to the last 16.
Benfica will host Juventus at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night with the chance to punch their ticket to the knockout stage.
The Eagles are aiming for a second straight season of playing Champions League football after Christmas.Juventus are standing in Benfica’s way of qualification, and they are desperate for a win.
The Bianconeri are third in the group with three points from four games.
They are level on points with fourth-place Maccabi Haifa and in a fight just to finish third.Benfica won the reverse fixture against Juventus, as they came from a goal down to win 2-1.
Juventus’s Arkadiusz Milik scored in the fourth minute for Juve but a 43rd-minute penalty from Joao Mario put the teams on level terms.
David Neres added a second just after halftime as Benfica won.The Eagles are fresh off a 1-0 win against FC Porto in a top-of-the-table clash in the Primeira.
Benfica are now in control of the Primeira title as life continues to get better under first-year manager Roger Schmidt.
Max Allegri has several players on the injury list at Juventus and could be limited on options for matchday No. 5. Midfielders Leandro Paredes, Angel Di Maria, and Paul Pogba.
Only Pogba is back in training at the moment, as Paredes and Di Maria aren’t due back from injury until November.
Defenders Bremer and Mattia De Sciglio are both out of the match and will return in November.
