║ UEFA Champions League 2013/2014 ║

[BayernMunich]

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[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Steaua Bucharest v Basel
20 October 2013

Steaua Bucharest will be striving for their first UEFA Champions League group stage win since 2006 when they host Basel on Tuesday.

The Romanian champions have faced Chelsea and Schalke so far this season in Group E and were defeated in both games, conceding a total of seven goals in the process without scoring.

Steaua will be looking to take their domestic form into the Champions League after winning eight and drawing one of their first nine matches of the campaign to set the pace at the top of the table.

A 4-0 away victory at Viitorul Constanta on Friday proved to be the perfect preparation for the visit of Basel.

The form of Italian attacker Federico Piovaccari has played a significant part in the side's successful start to the season as he has scored five goals in seven league appearances, but Basel head to Bucharest in a confident mood.

Murat Yakin's side are also sitting at the top of their own domestic league with 25 points from 12 games and their away form has been a particular highlight in recent weeks.

The Swiss champions have played 11 matches in all competitions on the road and are yet to lose, with their last five away fixtures ending in victory.

Basel's start to this season's Champions League, though, has been mixed. A 2-1 victory at Chelsea on matchday one was the first time they have won a competitive match in England, but Basel's good work was undone by 1-0 defeat against Schalke last time out.

The match will be remembered more for a Greenpeace protest against Champions League and Schalke sponsors Gazprom, but the Germans left Switzerland with all three points thanks to Julian Draxler's second-half strike.

Yakin will be able to rely upon a full-strength squad for the trip. Giovanni Sio is serving a domestic suspension, but he is free to play in Europe, while Marcelo Diaz will be available after returning late from international duty.

Steaua coach Laurentiu Reghecampf also has no pressing injury concerns and has been boosted by the return of star midfielder Alexandru Chipciu, who played his first match since May in the win over Viitorul.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Schalke v Chelsea
20 October 2013

Chelsea head to Germany to face Schalke on Tuesday hoping to pull themselves level on points with the UEFA Champions League Group E leaders.

The Bundesliga side have made a superb start to their continental campaign, picking up a 3-0 home win over Steaua Bucharest on matchday one, and a 1-0 victory at Basel a fortnight later.

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea, meanwhile, bounced back from a 2-1 opening-game defeat to the Swiss champions in the best possible way last time out - cruising to a 4-0 win in Romania.

That loss against Basel in September is their last defeat in any competition, with the West London club currently second in the Premier League following a 4-1 win over Cardiff City on Saturday.

Schalke's domestic campaign has faltered, however, with Jens Keller's men picking up just four victories from their opening nine fixtures, although they head into this clash off the back of a 3-2 win at Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday in which they were forced to come from behind twice.

The sides have met at this stage of the UEFA Champions League on one previous occasion - in 2007 - when Chelsea came away with a point from a goalless draw at the Veltins-Arena, having beaten the German side 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Both eventually qualified from that group, with Chelsea going on to lose the final on penalties to Manchester United.

Schalke will be looking to their top domestic goalscorer Adam Szalai to find his shooting boots in Europe, while Julian Draxler will aim to maintain his record of having scored in both matches in the group stages so far.

But the Bundesliga's fifth-placed side have a lengthy injury list to contend with, including striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who is set to miss three to four months with a knee injury that will require surgery.

Midfielder Marco Hoger was also forced off in the weekend win with a knee injury and is now a major doubt.

For Chelsea, Ashley Cole is a fitness concern after missing England's final two FIFA World Cup qualifiers and his club's win at the weekend with a rib injury, while Andre Schurrle was also absent for the Cardiff match due to a muscle problem in his leg.

Victory by one goal would be enough to send Chelsea above Schalke in the group.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund
20 October 2013

Arsenal will be looking to maintain their perfect start to Group F when they host Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League.

Arsene Wenger's side have enjoyed a fine start to their European campaign, with a 2-1 win away at Marseille being followed up by a 2-0 success at home to Napoli.

Last year's runners-up Dortmund, meanwhile, went down 2-1 in Naples on the first matchday, before responding with a 3-0 triumph over Marseille, although they will be without coach Jurgen Klopp for Tuesday's game as he serves the second of his two-match touchline ban.

The hosts come into the game in fine form domestically and are currently top of the Premier League, having taken 19 points from their seven matches since an opening-day defeat at home to Aston Villa.

Klopp's side have been in similarly impressive early-season form in the Bundesliga, having won seven and drawn one of their opening nine Bundesliga games, with just a 2-0 loss at Borussia Monchengladbach blighting their record.

The two sides last met at the same stage two years ago, when they shared a 1-1 draw in Germany before two Robin van Persie goals gave Arsenal a 2-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's home record against German sides is strong, with Wenger's side winning nine and losing just three of the past 13 fixtures, although they did taste defeat at home to Bundesliga outfits twice last season, 2-0 to Schalke in the group stage and 3-1 to eventual winners Bayern Munich in the second round.

Dortmund, winners of the competition in 1997, return to the city where they lost the final last year, and the last time they took on English opposition they drew 1-1 with Manchester City in the group stage on the way to that final appearance.

Arsenal could be boosted by the inclusion of midfielder Santi Cazorla, who made his return from injury in the weekend Premier League win over Norwich after an ankle problem, while full-back Bacary Sagna has also overcome a hamstring complaint picked up in the win over Napoli - although Wenger faces a selection poser over whether to risk both for a second game in quick succession.

The quartet of Theo Walcott (abdomen), Abou Diaby (knee), Lukas Podolski (hamstring) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee) are all long-term absentees and are unlikely to feature.

For Dortmund, goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller is available again after serving a one-game suspension for a red card picked up in the defeat to Napoli, while Lukasz Piszczek (hip) and Ilkay Gundogan (spine) remain long-term injury worries.

Marcel Schmelzer (thigh) and Sebastian Kehl (ankle) have not played since September, although the former was on the bench for the 1-0 win over Hannover on Saturday.

Sven Bender (groin) and Jonas Hofmann (knee) also both featured in that game, although both have been carrying knocks so may not be risked.

Marco Reus (ankle) came through the weekend win by scoring the winner and should play some part.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Marseille v Napoli
20 October 2013

Marseille go into their game with Napoli on Tuesday knowing defeat will put them on the brink of elimination from the UEFA Champions League.

Elie Baup's men failed to take a single point from their opening two Group F games, suffering defeats against Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

Napoli are one place ahead of Marseille in the standings after following up their win over Dortmund with a 2-0 loss at Arsenal last time out, and will be eager to get back on track in their battle for progression to the knock-out stages.

And they should be confident of earning a result at the Stade Velodrome, where Marseille have won just two of their last six encounters in continental competition.

Both those victories came in the UEFA Europa League against weaker opposition, and Rafael Benitez's side - who head into the clash on the back of their first Serie A defeat of the season against Roma on Friday - will fancy their chances of getting back to winning ways in France.

Gonzalo Higuain is likely to be key to Napoli's hopes, with the Argentina international striker having scored four times for the club since joining from Real Madrid in July - including the opener in their 2-1 success over Dortmund last month.

Still, the visitors' away record in the Champions League is far from impressive, with Napoli tasting victory in just one of their last five games on their travels.

Marseille should take heart from that statistic, and will hope that striker Andre-Pierre Gignac can produce his best form as they seek their first points of the competition.

Gignac scored 18 goals in all competitions last season, but has found the net just three times so far this term.

Meanwhile, Benitez has a near fully-fit squad to choose from, with winger Juan Zuniga the only absentee.

Dimitri Payet is poised to return to the Marseille side after the winger missed Friday's 1-0 defeat to Nice through suspension, providing Baup with a full complement of players.

Marseille's last victory in the Champions League came in 2012 as they beat Inter in the last 16, and Baup will hope his side can replicate that surprise win as they aim to keep their qualification chances alive.

 

[BayernMunich]

Porto-Zenit St Petersburg Preview: Hulk returns to face former employers

The Brazilian made himself a hero among hosts' supporters but he could come back to haunt them when the Russians travel to Portugal

Porto will look to keep former player Hulk quiet when he returns to the Estadio do Dragao with Zenit St Petersburg on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old spent four seasons with the Portuguese club, scoring 54 goals in 99 league appearances, before moving to Russia in September 2012.

He has already scored in the Champions League this season, but Luciano Spalletti's men have picked up just one point from their two games in Group G so far.

After losing to Atletico Madrid in their opener, they drew 0-0 against Austria Vienna, with Tuesday's tie likely to be a close one between the sides placed second and third in the group.

Both are top of their domestic leagues and, while Porto have never lost at home against Russian opposition in the competition, Zenit have the better head-to-head record.

The Russian Premier League outfit won the sides' first meeting 3-1 in 2011 before the reverse group-stage fixture ended 0-0.

Porto have gone 50 matches unbeaten in the league though, and the Primeira Liga champions also won all four of their home fixtures in last season's Champions League.

However, they were beaten at home by Atletico last time out and if they are to bounce back from that disappointment, they are likely to need striker Jackson Martinez on top form.

The Colombia international has scored seven times in the league this season, as well as once in the Champions League.

Zenit, on the other hand, have lost four of their last five away games in the Champions League group stages and will be without midfielder Axel Witsel after he was sent off against Austria Vienna.

Both sides come into the game off the back of domestic wins, with Porto beating Trofense 1-0 in the Taca de Portugal on Saturday and Zenit downing reigning Russian champions CSKA Moscow 2-0 on Friday thanks to goals from Roman Shirokov and Hulk.

Russia international Shirokov is another danger that Paulo Fonseca's men will need to be aware of, as he has scored five times in the Champions League this season, including a hat-trick in their 4-1 play-off win over Pacos de Ferreira, which took place at Porto's Estadio do Dragao.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Austria Vienna v Atletico Madrid
20 October 2013

Atletico Madrid will hope to bounce back against Austria Vienna on Tuesday after their 100 per cent start to the season was curtailed.

Diego Simeone's side went down 1-0 at Espanyol on Saturday, the first Liga fixture they had failed to win since May, a run stretching nine games.

They go into the clash in the Austrian capital facing a Vienna side who have not won in five games, a run that began with a shock 2-1 loss to third-tier Kalsdorf in the OFB-Cup.

Atleti have six points from their opening two games to top Group G, while Vienna are third after grabbing a point away to Zenit in the last round of fixtures.

Nenad Bjelica's side now stand in the way of a third straight Champions League win for the visitors, a feat they have not achieved since the 1958-59 edition.

The omens do not look good for former Real Betis midfielder Bjelica, however, Vienna have won just one of nine previous home ties against Spanish opposition, while Atleti won the only previous meetings between the two clubs - a first-round European Cup tie in 1970.

Recent form may encourage them, though, with the Austrian champions having kept clean sheets in four of their six continental games this term, only narrowly losing to Porto on matchday one.

Alex Grunwald (knee) remains a long-term absentee for the hosts and has been joined in the treatment room by Alexander Gorgon, who underwent knee surgery over the weekend and is expected to miss the remainder of the season.

Miranda (calf) and and Leo Baptistao (ankle) are unlikely to feature at the Ernst Happel Stadion, while Josuha Guilavogui and Oliver Torres missed the weekend trip to Espanyol, putting their involvement in doubt.

The venue may hold special memories for Atleti striker David Villa, who scored in Spain's penalty shootout win there in the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2008, although he missed out on a place in the final on the same ground due to injury as Luis Aragones' side lifted the trophy.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Celtic v Ajax
20 October 2013

Celtic look set to be without Kris Commons when they go in search of their first UEFA Champions League Group H win against Ajax on Tuesday.

The midfielder sustained a hamstring injury in Saturday's 1-1 Premiership draw against Hibernian and is not expected to feature against the Dutch side at Parkhead.

Commons has become a key player for the Scottish champions since his move from Derby County and if he is ruled out as expected, the 30-year-old's absence will be a major blow for manager Neil Lennon.

"Kris knew straight away, he felt a pull and signalled to us," Lennon said.

"We don't think it's a tear, but if it is a strain it's a couple of weeks, so it's definitely not looking good for Tuesday. Losing Kris is a huge blow. He has been fantastic for us this season.

"He's at the top of his game and in great physical condition, so if he is out it will be a big loss."

Celtic are bottom of Group H after losing their first two games against Milan and Barcelona without scoring a goal and Lennon knows they can ill afford to slip up again.

"We can't lose it, put it that way," the former Northern Ireland midfielder said.

"We are four points worse off in the group than we were at this stage last season. We have a bit of work to do.

"Home form is important to us, but Ajax are a very good side. Let's not beat about the bush.

"They will give us plenty to think about, plenty of problems. But we are at home and I think we will be confident enough to take the game to them."

As well as almost certainly being without Commons, the Glasgow outfit will be missing suspended captain Scott Brown following his red card against Barcelona.

Adam Matthews (shoulder) and former Ajax man Derk Boerrigter (ankle) are also ruled out, while there are doubts over Mikael Lustig (hip) and Emilio Izaguirre (illness).

Ajax will also be looking for their first win in the group after Mario Balotelli's last-gasp penalty denied them victory earlier this month.

Stefano Denswil looked to have snatched a late win for Frank de Boer's side when he gave them a 90th-minute lead, but Balotelli rescued a point for Milan when he converted a controversial spot-kick with the last kick of the game.

De Boer's side come into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw at FC Twente in the Eredivisie on Saturday

Ajax, who are third in the Eredivisie table just as they are in Group H, were victorious 1-0 on their last visit to Parkhead back in August 2001 but they have not won away from home this season.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Milan v Barcelona
20 October 2013

Milan and Barcelona will meet for the third UEFA Champions League edition in a row when they go head to head at San Siro on Tuesday.

The sides faced each other in the round of 16 last season, with Barcelona overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit to win 4-0 at Camp Nou on their way to the semi-finals.

That win for Milan in the opening fixture was their first over the Liga giants since October 2004, a run of seven fixtures.

Both clubs enjoy a storied past in Europe's premier club competition, meeting in the 1994 final when Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' were comprehensively dismantled by Fabio Capello's organised outfit 4-0.

Mario Balotelli is expected to miss the clash due to a thigh injury, while Marco Amelia will make his first appearance since April in goal, with Christian Abbiati (calf) injured and Gabriel, who played in Saturday's 1-0 win over Udinese, unregistered.

Daniele Bonera, Mattia De Sciglio, Giampaolo Pazzini (all knee) and Stephan El Shaarawy (foot) are also set to miss the clash as Milan's injury woes persist.

Manager Massimiliano Allegri bemoaned the number of players unavailable to him, but is regardless targeting a vital win against Gerardo Martino's side.

He said: "We're still waiting to get players back namely Pazzini, Bonera, De Sciglio and Balotelli.

"It'll be tough against Barcelona but we have the right requirements to do well.

"There are three points available on Tuesday and they'll be important to get out of the group."

Barcelona failed to win for the first time under their new manager on Saturday as they drew 0-0 with Osasuna, the first time in 64 Liga fixtures they have drawn a blank.

Martino has an almost full squad to choose from, with only Jordi Alba and Ibrahim Afellay (both thigh) unavailable due to injury.

Carles Puyol is likely to continue at centre-back, having made his first appearance since last season's 4-0 win over Milan at Osasuna on Saturday.

One man particularly keen to have a good game will be German referee Felix Brych, who will enter the contest having made headlines for all the wrong reasons in the Bundesliga on Friday as he awarded Bayer Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling a goal, despite the ball clearly passing through a hole in the side-netting on its way in.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: CSKA Moscow v Manchester City
21 October 2013

Manchester City will aim for their third successive win when they travel to face CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

City bounced back from a home defeat against Bayern Munich in their second Group D game with consecutive 3-1 Premier League wins over Everton and West Ham.

The response from Manuel Pellegrini's squad after their chastening loss to the reigning European champions has been impressive, and they will be aware of the importance of gaining a positive result in the Russian capital.

City - who have failed to make it out of the group stages of the Champions League in the past two seasons - sit ahead of third-placed CSKA only on goal difference, and striker Sergio Aguero says Wednesday's match is must-win fixture for his side.

"We have to win, don't we? It's an important three points because then we play them at home," Aguero told CityTV.

"We won against West Ham away in the Premier League and now we have to win away in Moscow as well. We have to continue."

Pellegrini rotated his squad in Saturday's win at Upton Park, which came thanks to an Aguero brace and a late David Silva effort.

He selected an entirely different back four to the team that won against Everton, although that was slightly enforced by the absence of captain Vincent Kompany (thigh).

Kompany is still sidelined, as is fellow centre-back Martin Demichelis (knee), while Jack Rodwell (hamstring) has played just once this season as he battles for fitness.

City's Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo has netted four goals in his last five matches for club and country, leaving Pellegrini with a selection headache over who is to partner Aguero, with Bosnian Edin Dzeko an unused substitute at West Ham.

Concerns over the state of the pitch at Arena Khimki - which is being used by CSKA as their Luzhniki Stadium is rebuilt for the 2018 FIFA World Cup - saw UEFA inspect the venue after weeks of heavy rain.

CSKA were forced to play their last Champions League home fixture against Viktoria Plzen - which they won 3-2 - in St. Petersburg but a repeat will not be on the cards after UEFA were satisfied with the condition of the pitch.

"We don't know what the condition of the pitch will be. We hope that UEFA allowed them to play the game there because it is a good pitch," Pellegrini said.

CSKA have won none of their last five league fixtures, form that has seen them drop to sixth in the Russian Premier League.

They lost 2-0 to title holders Zenit on Friday, in a match that saw Ivorian striker Seydou Doumbia return from a hamstring injury.

Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev (knee) missed and is in doubt for City's visit, as is Alan Dzagoev (hamstring), while Latvian midfielder Aleksandrs Cauna (toe) will definitely miss the clash.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Bayer Leverkusen v Shakhtar Donetsk
21 October 2013

Bayer Leverkusen's terrific home record in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League will be tested by Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday.

Leverkusen have won their last seven fixtures at the BayArena in the group stages of Europe's premier club competition and manager Sami Hyypia will be hopeful of extending that against their Ukrainian opponents.

The German side have made their best ever start to a Bundesliga season, posting seven wins in nine matches - form that sees them sitting third in the table, just a point behind leaders Bayern Munich.

Their latest win was shrouded in controversy though, with Stefan Kiessling awarded a goal for a header that ended up in the net via the side netting in their 2-1 win at Hoffenheim on Friday.

Although Hoffenheim have called for a replay, that appears unlikely, despite Hyypia offering his apologies afterwards.

"Obviously it feels a little uncomfortable winning like that. I can't do anything about it (though). It's the referee who makes the decisions," Hyypia said.

The furore surrounding Kiessling's goal took the attention away from Leverkusen winger Sidney Sam, who capped another excellent performance with a goal.

Sam has scored 10 in 14 appearances this season, with seven coming in the Bundesliga, and his form has helped Kiessling, who had been expected to shoulder the bulk of the scoring duties this season.

Leverkusen won their last Champions League fixture, defeating Real Sociedad 2-1 thanks to Jens Hegeler's stunning injury-time free-kick, which was the club's 100th goal in the Champions League.

Lars Bender (thigh) is still an injury worry for Leverkusen, but South Korea winger Son Heung-Min will be raring to go after he was an unused substitute at Hoffenheim.

Shakhtar top Group A with four points from their two matches and they will enter the match on the back of a seven-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Shakhtar have scored 10 goals in their last two Ukraine Premier League fixtures, with Argentine forward Facundo Ferreya scoring a hat-trick in their 7-0 demolition of Arsenal Kiev earlier this month.

They sit second in the league – a crown they have won seven times in the last 10 years – and have progressed through the group stages of the Champions League in the last two seasons.

Despite losing the likes of Fernandinho, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Willian in the close-season, Brazilian trio Luiz Adriano, Alex Teixeira and Douglas Costa have continued to perform for manager Mircea Lucescu.

New signings Fred and Bernard – who arrived from the Brazilian Serie A for a combined fee of more than £35 million – have settled well and after snaring a point against Manchester United in their last Champions League fixture, Shakhtar will be confident of ending Leverkusen's superb home record.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich v Viktoria Plzen
21 October 2013

Arjen Robben will aim to create history by scoring in Bayern Munich's UEFA Champions League clash against Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday.

The Dutchman has scored in Bayern's last five Champions League fixtures, a streak that includes their 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2012-13 final at Wembley in May.

Only three players in the history of Europe's premier club competition have scored in six successive fixtures and Robben will aim to join Marouane Chamakh, Burak Yilmaz and Cristiano Ronaldo in achieving the feat.

The reigning champions will enter their Group D home game against the Czechs as heavy favourites after their superb start to the season.

Bayern top the Bundesliga with seven victories from nine matches and have easily won both of their Champions League fixtures, particularly impressing in a 3-1 win at Manchester City earlier this month.

The Bavarian giants have scored in their last 31 games and survived a scare to defeat Mainz 4-1 on Saturday.

Bayern's 33-match unbeaten streak in the Bundesliga came under threat when Shawn Parker's goal helped Mainz to the lead at the break.

However, Mario Gotze came on at half-time and helped to change the match, as two goals from Thomas Muller and additional strikes from Robben and Mario Mandzukic carried Pep Guardiola's side to victory.

Winger Franck Ribery was rested as a precaution, but the Frenchman is likely to be fit for Wednesday's clash.

"It's nothing serious. I wanted to play, but the doctor said it was too much of a risk," Robben said.

Brazil defender Dante was substituted in the win over Mainz with an ankle injury and will be out at least a fortnight. Thiago Alcantara also has an ankle problem and is unavailable together with fellow midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri (hamstring).

Defender Jerome Boateng is suspended following his red card in Manchester and although midfielder Javi Martinez has returned to training following groin surgery, Wednesday's match will come too soon for him.

Viktoria Plzen sit second in the Czech top flight, six points behind Sparta Prague but undefeated in their 11 league matches this season.

Plzen have lost each of their Champions League fixtures, succumbing to a 3-0 home defeat against Manchester City before CSKA Moscow beat them 3-2 earlier this month.

Centre-back Marian Cisovsky missed both of those defeats due to a calf injury but returned in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Sparta Prague.

Cisovsky was the equal top-scorer in Champions League qualification, netting five goals.

David Limbersky, another member of Plzen’s defence, has not played in almost a month due to a thigh injury and is set to miss out again.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Manchester United v Real Sociedad
21 October 2013

Manchester United will hope to ease the growing pressure on manager David Moyes when they face Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Moyes will be hopeful the UEFA Champions League fixture serves as a distraction to his players, who have won just two of their last six matches in all competitions.

United have made their worst start to a league season since 1989 and as a result the pressure has heaped on new boss Moyes, who saw his side held to a 1-1 draw against Southampton on Saturday.

They have performed well in the Champions League though, following up a 4-2 home win over Bayer Leverkusen with a hard-earned 1-1 draw at Shakhtar Donetsk earlier this month.

Wayne Rooney's strike against Leverkusen means he is now Britain's all-time leading scorer in the Champions League with 29 goals.

The match could be crucial for United, with a home defeat potentially fatal given they face tricky trips to Sociedad and Leverkusen in their final three matches of Group A.

United have lost their last two home fixtures against Spanish sides – to Real Madrid in the round of 16 in last year's Champions League and to Athletic Bilbao at the same stage of the 2011-12 UEFA Europa League.

And they have won just one of their last six meetings against La Liga teams at Old Trafford, although that was a 1-0 success against Barcelona in the semi-finals of the 2007-08 UEFA Champions League, which they went on to win.

Tom Cleverley (calf) and Rio Ferdinand (groin) missed Saturday's draw against Southampton and are in doubt for Wednesday's match.

Real Sociedad registered a much-needed win on Saturday, winning 2-1 at Valencia to end a winless run of eight matches in all competitions.

That result lifted them to 11th in La Liga and highly-rated French attacker Antoine Griezmann – who scored in the victory – hopes it inspires them to an Old Trafford upset.

"We're not going (to Manchester) merely as tourists. We are going as a quality side who will be trying to win three points that will help us to continue in the tournament," Griezmann said.

"We will analyse what we did well last Saturday and look to repeat that."

Real Sociedad have lost both of their Champions League matches, with a 2-1 defeat at Leverkusen earlier this month particularly heart-breaking, as Jens Hegeler scored a stunning free-kick in stoppage time for the winners.

They need a victory and will be thankful midfielder Xabi Prieto returned from a thigh injury on Saturday.

Midfielder Esteban Granero – who is on loan from QPR – is a long-term absentee with a serious knee injury.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Real Madrid v Juventus
22 October 2013

Juventus face a tough ask in their bid to win their first UEFA Champions League match of the season when they travel to Real Madrid on Wednesday.

In a meeting of two of the true giants of European football, Juventus will be desperate for a win that would keep them in second position in Group B.

Juve have been held to 1-1 and 2-2 draws against FC Copenhagen and Galatasaray respectively and will enter the fixture off the back of a disappointing 4-2 loss at Fiorentina on Sunday.

First-half goals from Carlos Tevez and Paul Pogba looked to have Antonio Conte's side cruising, but Fiorentina – who were inspired by a hat-trick from Giuseppe Rossi – scored four times in the last 25 minutes to inflict Juve's first defeat of the season.

Conte hopes his side can respond quickly and denied claims that they were focusing on Real Madrid in the build-up to their trip to Florence.

"We lost a game that we dominated for 70 minutes. We were home and dry and had more than one opportunity to score the third goal," Conte said after the defeat.

"I don't think our focus was already on Real Madrid, otherwise we would have got our overall approach wrong."

Defender Stephan Lichtsteiner (thigh) and midfielder Simone Pepe (thigh) have been ruled out of the fixture.

And Juventus' injury worries do not stop there, with strikers Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella (both thigh) also set to miss out.

Nine-time winners Real Madrid have won both of their Champions League fixtures this season, thrashing Galatasaray 6-1 before easing past FC Copenhagen 4-0.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored five goals in those two matches, making him the competition's leading scorer.

The Portuguese star – who was top scorer last season with 12 goals – has now scored 24 goals in his last 20 Champions League appearances.

Ronaldo's 56 career strikes in the competition also see him fourth in the all-time scorers list.

World-record signing Gareth Bale has made just four appearances for Real since joining from Tottenham but returned from a thigh injury in the club's 2-0 win over Malaga on Saturday.

He is expected to feature against Juventus, while midfielder Xabi Alonso has returned to training following a broken foot.

The match will come too soon for Alonso but the news of his return will be a significant boost for Real, who can move a step closer to qualification for the Round of 16 with another victory.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Galatasaray v FC Copenhagen
22 October 2013

Galatasaray will hope to put their poor start to the season behind them when they host FC Copenhagen in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The Turkish Super Lig champions won their first match in eight on Saturday, with Wesley Sneijder's double giving them a badly needed 2-1 home win over a 10-man Karabukspor.

The result lifted them to 10th in the table, and new manager Roberto Mancini is sure to demand more from his squad as the season goes on, starting with their Group B UEFA Champions League encounter against the Danes.

Sneijder has scored just seven goals since moving from Inter in January, and president Unal Aysal said it was about time the Dutchman started performing.

"Sneijder produced the type of performance (against Karabukspor) that we expected from him for the first time," Aysal said.

"Naturally, we have high expectations of him. We have waited for this for months."

The match - which will be Galatasaray's 250th in UEFA competition - will give them a chance to respond to a dreadful performance against Real Madrid in their last home outing in the Champions League.

Galatasaray were embarrassed as Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 6-1 victory in Istanbul.

They improved in their second fixture, with Umut Bulut's 88th-minute equaliser giving them a point in a 2-2 draw at Juventus.

Copenhagen have recovered from a poor start of their own, winning three of their last four matches in the Danish Superliga.

That has seen them climb to sixth in the table, although a 3-0 home triumph against Aalborg on Sunday saw them keep their first clean sheet in 18 matches.

Copenhagen only qualified the group stages of the Champions League after Galatasaray's rivals, Besiktas, were kicked out for their involvement in a match-fixing scandal.

Stale Solbakken's side lost their play-off to Lille - 2-1 on aggregate - but were placed in Group B after Besiktas were punished.

The last time they were involved in the group stages of the Champions League, Copenhagen reached the round of 16 against the odds.

A similar performance is unlikely this time around, but a surprise win at the out-of-form Galatasaray would boost their chances.

They made a bright start to their Champions League campaign, claiming a surprise 1-1 home draw against Juventus, but were beaten 4-0 at Real Madrid in their last fixture.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Benfica v Olympiacos
22 October 2013

Benfica will look to bounce back from a drubbing at the hands of PSG when they host Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

The Group C clash in Lisbon gives Benfica the perfect chance to respond to a disappointing 3-0 defeat in their previous Champions League fixture.

Jorge Jesus’ men, beaten finalists in the UEFA Europa League last season, were humbled in the French capital.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice in the first 30 minutes, while Marquinhos also scored an early goal as the Ligue 1 champions cruised to victory.

Benfica are unlikely to be the only side taught a lesson by PSG this season, but the manner of the defeat will have dented their pride.

The Portuguese outfit opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 home win over Anderlecht and will hope to translate some of their recent league form into Europe's premier club competition.

After a slow start, Benfica have won three of their last four league fixtures and climbed to third in the Portuguese top flight.

However, strikers Miralej Sulejmani and Lazar Markovic are both struggling with thigh problems and Jesus has other injury problems to contend with.

Rodrigo has missed plenty of football while fellow knee injury victim Eduardo Salvio is not expected to return in 2013.

Olympiacos followed up a 4-1 home Champions League loss to PSG with a convincing 3-0 win at Anderlecht as Kostas Mitroglou netted a memorable hat-trick.

Incredibly, Mitroglou has scored three times in four different games this season and boasts 13 goals for his club in all competitions.

He was on target in a 4-1 win Greek Super League win at Platanias on Saturday, a result that saw Olympiacos remain top of the table.

Mitroglou is now third in Olympiacos' all-time European scoring standings, with 12 goals, and Greece manager Fernando Santos has urged the Portuguese public to take the chance to watch the in-form striker.

Santos said: "Go to 'Da Luz' to watch him play against Benfica. He has an uncanny ability of sensing goalscoring opportunities. It's not easy to find a player with his characteristics."

Olympiacos have gone 27 games without a draw in European competition, a run dating back to August 2009, while goalkeeper Roberto has saved a penalty in each of their two group fixtures this season.

Gaetan Bong (groin), Holebas (quadriceps) and Machado (knee) are all likely to miss the trip to Portugal, but Olympiacos can take heart from their terrific league form as they seek to cause another upset on the road.

 

[BayernMunich]

UEFA Champions League Preview: Anderlecht v Paris Saint-Germain
22 October 2013

Paris Saint-Germain will look to extend their unbeaten streak in the UEFA Champions League to 11 matches when they visit Anderlecht.

The Ligue 1 champions will travel to Brussels for Wednesday's clash in buoyant mood, having not tasted defeat over 90 minutes in Europe's premier club competition for more than a year.

PSG were knocked out of last year's Champions League by Barcelona at the quarter-final stage, but exited on away goals after both legs were drawn.

Laurent Blanc's side have made a superb start to their current Champions League campaign, with wins over Olympiacos and Anderlecht putting them top of Group C.

Thiago Motta – who has completed more passes than anyone else in this season's group stage – scored a double in the 4-1 win in Greece.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was then on target twice in a 3-0 success against Benfica earlier this month as PSG continued to impress.

PSG are considered to be among the favourites to win the competition, with their strike force of Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi likely to pose problems for any defence.

They have scored in each of their last 28 matches, the last time they were held coinciding with their last defeat in regulation time.

That came in March, when Grzegorz Krychowiak's second-half goal gave Reims a shock 1-0 victory.

PSG did bow out of the French Cup at the quarter-final stage in April, but that came as a result of a penalty shootout loss to Evian TG.

Brazilian Marquinhos has scored in both of PSG's Champions League outings this season and will be hoping to continue his good form, while midfielders Motta and Marco Verrati are available again following suspensions.

However, PSG will be without defender Thiago Silva, who is still struggling with a hamstring injury, Javier Pastore and Christophe Jallet.

In stark contrast to PSG's run in the Champions League, Anderlecht have won just two of their last 10 matches in the competition.

They have also lost both of their Group C fixtures this season, following up a 2-0 reverse at Benfica with a particularly disappointing 3-0 home defeat against Olympiacos.

Qualification for the round of 16 already appears a tough ask for the Belgian side, who have made their worst start to a league season in 15 years.

They did win on Friday, however, with Chancel Mbemba's first goal for the club aiding a 2-0 victory over Mons that left Anderlecht fifth in the Pro League.

Young midfielder Youri Tielemans played a full 90 minutes against Mons and is set to feature again when PSG visit.

Tielemans became the third-youngest player to feature in the Champions League when, at the age of 16 years and 148 days, he started against Olympiacos.

Silvio Proto (ankle) is likely to miss out for Anderlecht, while Ronald Vargas (knee) is not expected to recover from surgery until next month.

 

[Inzaghi]

Monday October 21 2013

Milan call up Balotelli

By Football Espana staff

Milan have called up Mario Balotelli to their squad to face Barcelona in the Champions League tomorrow night.

The Italian international was a doubt for the fixture having struggled to recover from a thigh injury sustained whilst on duty with his country last week.

However, on from Max Allegri’s assessment that the striker may make the match with Barcelona at San Siro on Tuesday night, he has been included in Milan’s 20-man squad.

Milan squad to face Barcelona: Amelia, Coppola, Andrenacci (N.60), Abate, Constant, Mexes, Silvestre, Zaccardo, Zapata, Birsa, De Jong, Emanuelson, Kakà, Montolivo, Muntari, Nocerino, Poli, Balotelli, Matri, Robinho

 

[BayernMunich]

Mourinho keeps players in the dark over line-up for Schalke showdown

By Alex Smith24
Oct 21, 2013 8:57:00 PM

The Portuguese is keeping his line-up secret for tactical reasons, while he had encouraging words for Samuel Eto'o after the striker broke his Blues duck at the weekend

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has kept all of his players bar John Terry in the dark over who will be starting against Schalke in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

The Portuguese has informed the veteran centre-half that he will play in Gelsenkirchen but will not disclose the remainder of his line-up until shortly before kick-off.

"I know but the players don't know," Mourinho told reporters on Monday. "[With] only two days in between matches, I didn't train tactically for the game so the players don't know, so it's a principle I want always to keep.

"When they don't know I don't like to say. I have to make an option for tomorrow [Tuesday] - I have to make a choice between David [Luiz] and Gary [Cahill].”

Schalke have won both their opening European fixtures this season, while Chelsea have won one and lost one.

And Mourinho is expecting a tough tie against the side currently fifth in the Bundesliga, especially with left-back Ashley Cole still recovering from a rib injury.

"It's difficult for a team to be at maximum power, to play a match without somebody missing through injury or suspension," the two-time Champions League winner said. "They miss a couple of players but us too.

"Ashley Cole is an important player for us and is not playing. That's not a big deal. A team is a squad, not 11 players, and they have a squad with players to replace.

"What's the difference between [Jefferson] Farfan and [Christian] Clemens or [Max] Meyer, between [Marco] Hoger and [Roman] Neustadter? It's a good team, a good opponent, and hopefully we can be better than them.

"We play now two matches against the strongest opponent in the group and need points over these two matches. That's obvious. Tomorrow we have a game and we want to win and are going to try to win."

Mourinho also spoke of Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto'o, who netted his first Premier League goal for Chelsea against Cardiff City on Saturday.

"Cardiff was good for him, not just for the goal but for his contribution," he added. "His movement was very good; in the first half when Cardiff was compact and closed he was the one in attacking positions with better movement and participation.

"It's the goal that gives him the confidence, the extra motivation he needs, so normally now he is happier. He's a very good player."

 

[BayernMunich]

Allegri spells out size of task for Milan

Published: Monday 21 October 2013, 20.12CET

AC Milan "are getting used to facing Barcelona" according to coach Massimiliano Allegri but he knows that will not make it any easier for the Rossoneri on Tuesday.

by Alessandro Massimo
from Milan

Massimiliano Allegri had time for a smile as he spoke about Milan's big test against Barcelona

Massimiliano Allegri believes that AC Milan are "getting used" to playing against FC Barcelona as he steeled his side for their latest UEFA Champions League encounter with the Spanish title holders whose own coach, Gerard Martino, reflected on a big week ahead.

Milan
Massimiliano Allegri, coach
It will be a fascinating game for everybody. We need to play with courage and sacrifice against the best team in the world to get three points and increase our chances of qualifying. We must try to make as few mistakes as possible. Barcelona will have the ball more than us, so we have to play a game similar to last year's home tie [in the last 16 which Milan won 2-0].

Since the arrival of Neymar, they have changed in attack because the Brazilian gives them more depth. We need to be patient for 100 minutes – we are getting used to facing Barcelona.

Mario Balotelli is feeling better. We'll see after training whether he will be able to play. We hope to have Mattia De Sciglio back for the match against Parma FC [at the weekend]. Philippe Mexès and Nigel de Jong are available.

Weekend result
Saturday: AC Milan 1-0 Udinese Calcio (Birsa 22)
Gabriel; Abate, Silvestre, Zapata, Constant; Poli, Montolivo, Muntari (Nocerino 86); Birsa (Niang 68); Matri (Kaká 77), Robinho.

• Without the suspended Mexès and De Jong, Milan won for the third time in eight Serie A games. Like in their previous home match against UC Sampdoria, Valter Birsa scored the only goal, this time with a wonderful strike from the edge of the box.

Team news
Balotelli came through training on Monday after a thigh problem had kept him out against Udinese. Christian Abbiati missed Saturday's victory with a calf injury as Brazilian goalkeeper Gabriel, who is not in Milan's UEFA Champions League squad, and Matías Silvestre made their club debuts.

Barcelona
Gerardo Martino, coach
Milan will play to win, and it will not be a formality for us. We are up against a team with a great tradition, they're too big an institution to take lightly so we'll start thinking about Real Madrid [Barcelona's opponents next weekend] on Wednesday. It will be a tough match. We're facing a very important club, we feel a big responsibility, but we feel the same feelings in every game.

It will be a week of important games but it's not crucial for our season because it's a long campaign and there are many tough matches still to come. That said, we know that with a good result tomorrow we'll have practically wrapped up our place in the last 16. We have to play as we know how, giving away little space and stopping Milan's counterattacks.

On Saturday [against CA Osasuna] we didn't get a good result but we played well. I'm sure that we will not be affected by that result. The performance is more important than the result.

Weekend result
Saturday: CA Osasuna 0-0 FC Barcelona
Valdés; Montoya, Puyol, Bartra, Adriano; Iniesta, Busquets, Xavi (Messi 68); Rodríguez (Tello 75), Fàbregas, Neymar.

• Barcelona's club-record eight-match winning start in the Spanish Liga ended in Pamplona. They were one shy of Real Madrid CF's league best of nine victories at the start of a campaign, achieved in 1968/69. The goalless draw was the first time in 65 games that Barcelona had failed to score in the top flight.

Team news
Carles Puyol made his first appearance since March at Osasuna after recovering from knee surgery, while Lionel Messi was a second-half substitute following a hamstring problem. Javier Mascherano, who strained a hamstring on 24 September, was on the bench.

Match fact
• Milan won 2-0 at San Siro in the first leg of last season's round of 16 encounter, Kevin-Prince Boateng (57) and Sulley Muntari (81) the scorers. Barcelona hit back, however, with four unanswered goals at the Camp Nou, Messi (5, 40), David Villa (55) and Jordi Alba (90) securing a 4-2 aggregate success.