CSKA Moscow still have a chance of making it to the next round of the Champions League but will need a good result in Tuesday's match at Besiktas.
Although Besiktas are technically still in contention for second place in Champions League Group B, a spot in the Europa League seems to be a more realistic target for the Turkish outfit.
Besiktas did well in recent league games and have not lost a domestic match since September. The Istanbul side currently occupy third place, level on points with the top two.
CSKA Moscow are no longer active in the domestic league, as the Russian competition recently ended. The Muscovites finished the season in fifth place, making this Champions League participation a one-time experience.
CSKA beat Besiktas 2-1 when the two sides met in Russia in September. A Besiktas win could allow them to surpass CSKA for third place, depending on the result of the match.
The situation changes when Wolfsburg lost their match to Manchester United and Besiktas win. Three teams would then be level on points, and all games versus Manchester United would be disregarded to determine which team is to secure second place.
For CSKA, it is vital that Wolfsburg drop points against Manchester United as the Germans have the better head-to-head record versus the Russians.
Besiktas manager Mustafa Denizli will have to do without a number of players, as Ridvan Simsek, Filip Holosko, Erkan Zengin and Hakan Arikan are all out injured. Ibrahim Toroman recently fractured his nose and it is still uncertain whether he is fit to play.
CKSA are without Chilean Mark Gonzalez, who is struggling with an ankle problem. Daniel Carvalho, Nika Piliev and Guilherme are doubtful.
It will likely be an extremely close match in Istanbul, where a draw seems to be the most probable outcome.
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