Borussia Dortmund top Group F on seven points following back-to-back victories over Newcastle United, while third-placed Milan sit just two points behind after toppling Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month. With qualification for the Champions League's last 16 to be decided over the last two matchdays, a quartet of clubs are separated by just three points heading into the penultimate round of Group F fixtures. After coming from behind to beat Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month, with goals from Rafael Leao and Olivier Giroud securing maximum points, Milan knows a win at San Siro would put them within touching distance of reaching the knockout round for the second season in a row. While that will be no easy feat against an in-form Dortmund, last season's semi-finalists - who had lost 3-0 to PSG in France - now have their destiny in their own hands: back-to-back victories over the German giants and then Newcastle would guarantee a top-two finish.

AC Milan recently returned from a welcome international hiatus having taken just two points from their previous four domestic matches, with an unpredictable Fiorentina side providing their opposition on Saturday evening. Hit by absences up front, 15-year-old forward Francesco Camarda became the youngest player in Serie A history upon his arrival from the bench, as Milan edged to a 1-0 win over Fiorentina thanks to a Theo Hernandez spot-kick just before the break. With Giroud and Leao both missing, Stefano Pioli's team failed to score in open play, and with only two goals in four Champions League games this season, questions about their attacking power linger. Now set to host Borussia Dortmund in Europe's top club tournament for the second time since a 1-0 defeat in the 2002-03 campaign, Milan have lost just one of their last 16 home games against German opponents in UEFA competition, winning 11 times in the process. 

After they most recently met Milan, in last month's barren draw on home turf, Dortmund's tally of one point from their first two matches left the Bundesliga side staring at an early exit. However, BVB have since turned things around, and they reached the Group F summit thanks to back-to-back victories over Newcastle - most recently winning 2-0 in Germany to take charge of their own fate. Niclas Fullkrug and Julian Brandt struck in both halves to secure maximum points against Newcastle, and for the first time in their history, BVB have gone four straight Champions League home matches without conceding a goal. Borussia Dortmund will head to Italy's second city seeking to win three consecutive games in the competition for the first time since 2020, despite some poor form at home, where they sit 10 points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.

Following the weekend's 4-2 defeat of Borussia Monchengladbach, in which Germany striker Fullkrug was on target again as BVB battled back from two goals down, head coach Edin Terzic has overseen only three losses in 18 games this season; however, his team has lacked their former fluency up front. Dortmund fell further behind in the title race after taking just one point from three Bundesliga games before the international break, but progress in Europe would definitely polish their credentials and give them plenty to look forward to in 2024. 

(Image: Sporty Trader)