Champions League final group games: join us for updates on all 18 matches

Key events

GOAL! Aston Villa 2-0 Celtic (Rogers 5)

It’s two for Villa, and two for Rogers, who lashes a spectacular one into the top right. Oh Brendan. Back to his bad ways in Europe.

GOAL! Inter 1-0 Monaco (Martinez 3). Denis Zakaria clips Marcus Thuram from behind. Penalty. Lautaro Martínez hammers it home.

GOAL! Aston Villa 1-0 Celtic (Rogers 3)

Jacob Ramsey tears down the left and crosses low for Morgan Rogers, who can’t miss from six yards. What a start at Villa Park!

Aston Villa 0-0 Celtic. A great chance for Hyunjun Yang to release Reo Hatate clear through on goal, but he overhits the pass woefully. Villa’s high line getting away with one.

A distinct lack of first-minute goals. Probably shouldn’t moan about this. In lieu of early drama, here’s John Parry: “My prediction is that the most fun will come in the final five minutes, when some team somewhere, relaxing into slowing the game down with a two-goal lead, blows the lot affecting some other teams half a continent away.”

Here we go, then. It’s on. I’m going in. Good luck everyone.

The teams are out! Of the 36 currently doing their stretches, politely listening to corporate anthems, shaking hands, tossing coins and swapping pennants, only 11 are sure of their fate. Liverpool and Barcelona are definitely through to the last 16; Bologna, Sparta Prague, RB Leipzig, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Sturm Graz, RB Salzburg, Slovan Bratislava and Young Boys already know the jig is up. Everyone else pensive, in their special place. A kind of hush, all over the continent tonight. The calm before the storm. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.

Up the Villa! Photograph: David Davies/PA

Pre-pandemonium postbag. “The nonsense of the new Champions League format spilling into January means that Man City cannot field their expensive new striker to help them get over the line. Meanwhile, while Eintracht Frankfurt are virtually over the line in the Europa League, they must surely be also mildly [word redacted by Family Website editor] at losing their top scorer before the job is fully done” – Ben Chia

“Before you say ‘Liverpool are disrespecting European heritage and the opposition with this outrageous rotation’, I say Slot has earned the right to field what could still be a competitive side” – Michael

“Raheem Sterling then. He’s got a certain fund of goodwill to draw on, but it’s running out a bit quicker than must be comfortable for him; and you sense he feels it, and wants to do something to top up the credit. But what? He’s 30 and never a great runner anyway. He can dribble and move his legs about in mysterious ways, but so could Nicolas Pépé, and see where that got him. He knows he’s there on sufferance. He’s been through a lot, and deserves better. May he score a double hat-trick tonight, before the waters close over him” – Charles Antaki

Man City v Brugge team news

Manchester City: Ederson, Nunes, Stones, Akanji, Gvardiol, Kovacic, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Silva, Foden, Haaland.
Subs: Ortega, Carson, Grealish, Savinho, Wright, Alleyne, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee.

Club Brugge: Mignolet, Seys, Ordonez, Mechele, De Cuyper, Onyedika, Jashari, Talbi, Vanaken, Tzolis, Jutgla.
Subs: Romero, Vetlesen, Van de Heuvel, Vermant, Nilsson, Skoras, Nielsen, Jackers, Siquet, Spileers, Sabbe.

Daniel Harris has all the details here ☟☟☟☟☟.

Girona v Arsenal team news

Girona: Lopez, Martinez, Tsygankov, Ruiz, Asprilla, Danjuma, Romeu, Juanpe, Frances, Martin, Yaakobishvili.
Subs: Gazzaniga, Danso, Van de Beek, Stuani, Miovski, Herrera, Solis, Portu, Comas, Clua, Kim, Artero.

Arsenal: Neto, Partey, Kiwior, Gabriel, Calafiori, Jorginho, Merino, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Sterling, Trossard.
Subs: Setford, Porter, Saliba, Tierney, Martinelli, Timber, Zinchenko, Havertz, Butler-Oyedeji, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Oulad M’Hand.

Arsenal are pretty much certain of a top-eight finish, so Mikel Arteta gives his starting XI a good old shoogle. Neto makes his first start in goal, with David Raya putting his feet up at home. Ethan Nwaneri, Raheem Sterling, Jacob Kiwior and Jorginho all start.

PSV v Liverpool team news

PSV: Benitez, Karsdorp, Boscagli, Obispo, Junior, Bakayoko, Land, Veerman, Saibari, Pepi, Til.
Subs: Drommel, Schiks, de Jong, Driouech, Babadi, Kuhn, Ledezma, Nagalo, Abed.

Liverpool: Kelleher, Bradley, Robertson, Quansah, Tsimikas, McConnell, Endo, Elliott, Chiesa, Danns, Gakpo.
Subs: Jaros, Davies, Nallo, Norris, Morton, Nyoni, Kone-Doherty, Mabaya, Morrison.

Liverpool make wholesale changes with top-two qualification guaranteed and a trip to Bournemouth this weekend uppermost in mind. Jayden Danns makes his first start up front, alongside the lesser-spotted Federico Chiesa. Andy Robertson is getting a run-out in central defence by the looks of it.

Aston Villa v Celtic team news

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Bogarde, Digne, Tielemans, Kamara, Bailey, Rogers, Ramsey, Watkins.
Subs: Olsen, Zych, McGinn, Duran, Nedeljkovic, Maatsen, Swinkels, Patterson, Young.

Celtic: Schmeichel, Johnston, Scales, Trusty, Taylor, Engels, McGregor, Hatate, Kuhn, Idah, Yang.
Subs: Sinisalo, Bain, Palma, McCowan, Nawrocki, Bernardo, Montgomery, Murray, Cummings, Ralston.

Ollie Watkins – reportedly the subject of a £60m bid from Arsenal – starts for Villa. Fellow transfer target Jhon Duran is on the bench. Celtic meanwhile fill the gap vacated by the departed Kyogo Furuhashi with Adam Idah.

Jeopardy Corner. Liverpool are guaranteed a top-two finish. Arsenal are almost certainly going to qualify automatically for the Round of 16. Aston Villa and Celtic – who face off in this week’s Battle of Britain – are shoo-ins for the play-offs, and both have a chance of a top-eight finish if things go their way. Manchester City, however, are in a spot of bother, so their must-win game with Brugge gets the full MBM treatment, courtesy of Daniel Harris. Please toggle between us to your heart’s content.

The mega-table, as it stands going into the final matchday. I can categorically state that we will not be updating this every time a goal goes in. We love doing things for you, but there are limits.

Preamble

Welcome to chaos. There are 36 clubs playing 18 fixtures to determine which eight qualify automatically for the Round of 16 and which 16 go into the play-off round. Here are those fixtures …