Eight sides are already through to the last 16, led by holders AC Milan [ Images ], the team they beat in last season's final, Juventus [ Images ], nine-times winners Real Madrid [ Images ] and Manchester United [ Images ].

But half the slots for the next round draw on December 12 are still vacant in what has been a tight qualifying campaign.

Nowhere have things been closer than in Group A, where Celtic, Anderlecht and Olympique Lyon [ Images ] all have seven points each and Bayern Munich [ Images ] are just a point behind.

Bayern, who won the last of their four European titles in 2001, have home advantage against Anderlecht while Lyon host Celtic at the Stade Gerland on Wednesday.

Group B is similarly wide open before Lokomotiv Moscow [ Images ] (8pts) head for Highbury to face an Arsenal [ Images ] side (7pts), who are back from dead after taking one point from their opening three games.

Former group leaders Inter Milan [ Images ] (7pts) travel in the opposite direction to take on Dynamo Kiev (6pts).

Monaco are already through to the next round from Group C but should at least get a point at winless AEK Athens.

Assuming they do, Deportivo would only need to avoid a 2-0 defeat or worse by PSV Eindhoven to join them.

Real Sociedad are at home to Galatasaray to decide who joins Juventus in the knockout stage from Group D and who joins all the other third-place finishers in the draw for the third round of the UEFA [ Images ] Cup.

DOUBLE ADVANTAGE

The Spanish club will have a double advantage, with both the crowd and a two-point lead over the Turks behind them.

Qualification from Groups E and F has already been decided with VfB Stuttgart and Manchester United meeting for first-place honours on 12 points apiece in the former, and Real in little danger of being knocked off the top by Porto in the latter.

Big-spending Chelsea [ Images ] (10pts) have already booked their place in the last 16 from Group G.

But Claudio Ranieri's [ Images ] men want revenge for a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge [ Images ] against second-placed Besiktas (7pts) in a match which UEFA has switched from Turkey to Gelsenkirchen, Germany [ Images ] in the wake of last month's bombings in Istanbul.

Sparta Prague and Lazio, on five points apiece, can still hope for a victory in the Czech capital on Tuesday that could be worth a qualifying slot.

Holders Milan have already won Group H hands down and could afford to play a second string side against Celta Vigo (6pts) at the San Siro.

However, the rest of the group is wide open with second-placed Ajax Amsterdam (6pts) travelling to neighbours Bruges (5pts) in search of a money-spinning place in the next round.