There may be no doubts surrounding the teams that will progress from Group F, but with two of the European game’s current super powers locking horns in a match that will ultimately decide who clinches top spot and a more favourable tie in the knock-out stage, there will still be plenty of eyes on Barcelona’s midweek clash with Paris Saint-Germain at the Camp Nou.

Somewhat surprisingly for a group containing four-time Champions League winners Barcelona, it is the visitors who currently sit top of the table courtesy of their thrilling 3-2 win over the Catalonian club at the Parc des Princes. However, with Barcelona dominating the majority of the possession and creating more chances in that game, the hosts will be eager to make amends this time out.

With Lionel Messi and Edison Cavani, the match is being billed by many as a clash between two of the continents’ most in-form strikers, but it is perhaps worth noting that with the exception of the reverse fixture in September, the CL campaigns of both clubs have largely been built on defensive solidity with both teams conceding just four goals and Barca leading by three clean sheets to two.

Couple that with the fact that a draw will be enough to clinch top spot for PSG and that the French champions are currently on a 22-game unbeaten run in all competitions and there certainly looks a bit of value on backing the draw at 16/5 rather than steaming into a home win at a more miserly 1/2. The caveat to that, of course, is that neither side has failed to score in a CL group game this season, so those considering this market may be more tempted to risk the 15/2 on it finishing 1-1.

Regardless of how you cut it, the fact remains that this will be a very different encounter from the last time the two teams met with group supremacy completely up for grabs – and with the onus for the visitors likely to be on containment rather than adventure this time out, it may prove a shrewd investment to bank on this being a far tamer affair and back there being under 1.5 goals at 10/3.