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CSKA Moscow should be thrown out of Champions League - Carlisle
Oct 31, 2013 10:10:00 AM
The former Burnley player believes the Russian outfit should be kicked out of Europe's elite club competition following their supporters' racist abuse towards Yaya Toure
CSKA Moscow should be expelled from the Champions League for their fans' racist chants, according to ex-PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle.
The Russian club were sanctioned by Uefa on Wednesday over abuse aimed at Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure in the sides' Group D clash last week - won 2-1 by the Premier League outfit.
Toure reported the chants to referee Ovidiu Hategan, who requested a message to be sent to supporters over the public address system asking them to stop. However, this was not done, resulting in the sacking of Uefa's venue director for the game.
CSKA will play the next Champions League game at the Arena Khimki, against Bayern Munich on November 27, with a section of their stadium closed - the set punishment for a first offence of fan racism set down by Uefa in new guidelines that were created in May.
A second offence would result in a full stadium closure, and a third could lead to a points deduction or expulsion - which Carlisle believes is too long to wait.
"I think that, in a situation like that, it should be tournament expulsion," he told Perform.
"That might sound dramatic but the reason I think that is because if that incident happens here and it's 100 yards in any direction from the football ground, and the person, or group of people, committed that offence, they would be arrested and prosecuted.
"So, I don't understand why, just because it's in a football ground, that different rules are at play.
"I don't think that the sanctions we have in football at all, are anywhere near adequate."
Carlisle was happy to see Uefa stick to their guns and reprimand the Russian club, although he called for tighter measures to be established, in order to effectively prevent future incidents.
He explained: "I'm happy in so far as they've actually done what they said they would do and investigated it efficiently, reached a decision and sanctioned according to the guidelines they've got there.
"Uefa have acted appropriately in this situation."
However, when asked if the punishments were enough, he added: "No, nowhere near, you can you be happy only in so far as Uefa have acted from the incident and investigated it accordingly.
"The extent of the sanctions in my opinion are nowhere near enough because there is no way the consequences will be felt by the perpetrators.
"Closing a section of the stadium will just mean they will sit in another part of the stadium for one game and there is no reason for CSKA Moscow or the fans who committed the offence to address their actions or address the issue at hand."
The Hoops midfielder will now serve an additional two-match suspension for fouling Barcelona's Neymar, ruling him out of crucial clashes against Ajax and Milan
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown has had his appeal against an additional two-match Champions League ban rejected.
The suspension was imposed by European football's governing body on top of the one-match ban he received for a straight red card for a foul on Barcelona's Neymar.
Having already missed the Group H fixture at home to Ajax, Brown will also be unavailable for the return match in Amsterdam on Wednesday, and the showdown with Milan at Celtic Park on November 26.
On the decision, manager Neil Lennon said: "It's been turned down, we didn't win the appeal.
"It's disappointing. We felt we had a good case and felt the ban was excessive.
"It's a blow for us but Scott will have to deal with it."
Liverpool chairman Werner confident of Champions League qualification
By Peter Hanson14
Nov 1, 2013 1:07:00 PM
The American believes the Reds are on track to claim a top-four finish and qualify for European football, while also admitting the importance of challenging for major honours
Liverpool chairman Tom Werner believes the club are on track to claim a top-four finish in the Premier League this season.
The Anfield outfit are looking to secure Champions League football for the first time since 2009, falling well off the pace last season with a seventh-place finish.
But Liverpool have shown vast improvement this term and trail league leaders Arsenal by just two points ahead of the two sides' meeting at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
And Werner - who is also chairman of newly-crowned Major League Baseball World Series champions Boston Red Sox - is optimistic Brendan Rodgers' men can challenge for European football.
"We know how much it means to our fans to get to the top of the Premier League and get back into the Champions League," Werner is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
"I just want to keep going in the right direction.
"We entered into this crazy world of football because we wanted to bring more trophies into the trophy room at Anfield.
"Our performance on the pitch has improved this year. Things are all looking good.
"It is a terrific league. There are so many teams bunched up at the top. It is going to be a dogfight."
The Reds travel to north London to face Arsene Wenger's side on Saturday afternoon before hosting Fulham at Anfield the following week.
Olympiacos FC have a mission "to save lives and protect the future of our children" after announcing a two-year partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF.
Christian Karembeu presents Olympiacos's new UNICEF-branded shirt
Olympiacos FC have announced they have entered a two-year partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, and will wear the charity's logo on their shirts.
Olympiacos and UNICEF have come together to raise funds and awareness for UNICEF's 100% Campaign to immunise children not currently reached by vaccination programmes. The Greek club's new UNICEF-branded jersey was worn for the first time in the UEFA Champions League Group C game at SL Benfica on 23 October.
The Piraeus side's president Evangelos Marinakis explained: "With the help of our club, it is anticipated that the lives of more than 50,000 children will be saved. Once again, despite the financial crisis in Greece, Olympiacos are reaching out to those in need. We call on all Greeks to stand by us and put the well-being of children worldwide first."
Olympiacos's strategic adviser, former player Christian Karembeu, added: "I have worked with UNICEF in the past and I'm well aware of their mission and goals. We are working with one of the most well-known non-profit organisations in the world, with which we are proud to say we share the same values, in an effort to save lives and protect the future of our children."
UEFA.com has the key statistics about matchday four, including FC Bayern München's winning run and contrasting records for Club Atlético de Madrid and Real Sociedad de Fútbol.
Franck Ribéry scored in Bayern's 5-0 defeat of Plzeň on matchday three
Tuesday's games
Group A (Real Sociedad de Fútbol v Manchester United FC, FC Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
• United have not won away in Europe since a victory at SC Braga on 7 November last year. Jagoba Arrasate's La Real are looking to avoid setting a club-record sequence of four straight defeats in Europe.
• Shakhtar's last home success over Bundesliga opposition came against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1980/81 UEFA Cup first round when Mikhail Sokolovski earned them a 1-0 first-leg win, although the ensuing 3-0 loss in Germany meant it was in vain. Leverkusen went down 2-0 in Ukraine last November at FC Metalist Kharkiv in the UEFA Europa League group stage.
Group B (Juventus v Real Madrid CF, FC København v Galatasaray AŞ)
• Juventus have won the last five meetings between the sides in Turin – in the other encounter in northern Italy, the first between the teams, Madrid triumphed 1-0 in a 1961/62 European Champion Clubs' Cup quarter-final first leg.
• Galatasaray have lost just three of their last 20 European away fixtures, winning ten.
Group C (Paris Saint-Germain FC v RSC Anderlecht, Olympiacos FC v SL Benfica)
• While PSG have scored 12 times and conceded only once in winning their first three games, Anderlecht have shipped ten goals and are still waiting for their first goal and point.
• Olympiacos and Benfica met in Piraeus in the 2008/09 UEFA Cup group stage, the Greek side prevailing 5-1.
Group D (FC Viktoria Plzeň v FC Bayern München, Manchester City FC v PFC CSKA Moskva)
• Although Plzeň lost at home to Manchester City on matchday one, they had won ten of their preceding 11 home fixtures in UEFA competition. Bayern are enjoying their best run of form on the road in Europe since posting six straight away victories in their triumphant 1995/96 UEFA Cup campaign. Including last season, they have won four in a row in the UEFA Champions League – and five of their last six.
• This is City's first home encounter with Russian opposition while CSKA have visited England four times in the past decade – earning a draw on three of those trips, most recently 3-3 at Manchester United in the group stage on 3 November 2009.
Wednesday's games
Group E (Chelsea FC v FC Schalke 04, FC Basel 1893 v FC Steaua Bucureşti)
• Chelsea have recorded five victories and a draw at home to German opponents. Schalke won 2-0 in London against Arsenal FC in last season's group stage but that was their first success on English soil after a draw and four defeats.
• Basel have won two of their three home games against Romanian clubs, but lost the last one. Steaua drew on their first two visits to Switzerland, before being beaten on their two most recent trips.
Group F (Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal FC, SSC Napoli v Olympique de Marseille)
• Dortmund, who are chasing their eighth straight home victory in the UEFA Champions League, have never lost on their own ground to English teams, winning four of the seven contests. Arsenal are unbeaten in their last four away games in Germany.
• Before matchday three and their 2-1 triumph at Marseille, Napoli had scored only two goals in six games with Ligue 1 clubs. OM went down 2-1 at FC Internazionale Milano in the 2011/12 round of 16 – their first reverse in Italy in four matches – but went through on away goals after a 1-0 home win.
Group G (Club Atlético de Madrid v FK Austria Wien, FC Zenit v FC Porto)
• Atlético will qualify for the knockout rounds for the first time since 2008/09 with another victory and will also set a club record for consecutive wins in Europe's elite competition. Prior to this season their best sequence was three straight victories, posted in their inaugural European Champion Clubs' Cup campaign of 1958/59.
• Porto's away record against Russian sides is W4 D0 L1. Zenit have already won at home to one Portuguese team this term, having seen off FC Paços de Ferreira 4-2 in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League play-off to complete an 8-3 triumph. Moreover, they have never lost at home to visitors from Portugal, their stats reading W4 D1 L0 – including a 3-1 defeat of Porto in the 2011/12 group stage.
Group H (FC Barcelona v AC Milan, AFC Ajax v Celtic FC)
• The 3-0 semi-final home loss to Bayern in May is Barcelona's sole reverse in their last 23 UEFA Champions League home fixtures. Milan lost twice in Spain last season, going down 1-0 at Málaga CF in the group stage in addition to their 4-0 defeat at Barcelona in the round of 16 second leg; they have not won on any of their last five visits to the country.
• Ajax have won just three of their last ten matches in UEFA competition in Amsterdam, losing five. Celtic hope to avoid a third successive European away defeat this season.
The Netherlands international remains unavailable due to injury and will miss Tuesday's match against Plzen
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola will have to make do without the services of Arjen Robben for this week's Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen as the Dutchman remains sidelined due to injury.
Robben picked up a hamstring problem against Hertha Berlin last week and consequently missed the 2-1 Bundesliga win over Hoffenheim on Saturday.
The 29-year-old was initially expected to be match fit again in time for Tuesday's Group D clash against Plzen, but Bayern have now announced on their official website that Robben will remain in Munich to continue working on an individual training programme.
The winger has been a key figure for Bayern so far this season, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances in all competitions.
Bayern currently sit atop of their Champions League section with nine points from three games and will qualify for the knockout stages with a win over Plzen.
Jack Wilshere to miss Arsenal's trip to Dortmund due to ankle injury
• Midfielder rolled his left ankle in training last week
• Kieran Gibbs has calf strain and also set to miss out
David Hytner
The Guardian, Sunday 3 November 2013 23.01 GMT
Jack Wilshere receives treatment during Arsenal's Champions League defeat by Borussia Dortmund and is set to miss Wednesday's return game in Germany. Photograph: Barcroft Media
Jack Wilshere is expected to miss Arsenal's Champions League tie at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday as he struggles with his latest injury to a foot. The midfielder rolled his left ankle in training last Thursday and was forced to sit out the 2-0 home win over Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.
Wilshere did not train last Friday; he worked only in the gym on Saturday before the Liverpool game and the indications were that he would not travel to Germany with the squad.
The good news for Wilshere is that it is not the right foot, which was the one he damaged so seriously it cost him 17 months out of the game from June 2011. But he has also had problems with the left as a result, according to the manager, Arsène Wenger, of over-compensating to protect the right.
Wenger has tried to look after Wilshere this season, taking him out of the starting line-up, for example, against Fulham and Napoli; he has admitted to over-using him in the past. Yet there is a suspicion that Wilshere has not been 100 % fit.
He needed lengthy treatment to his right foot after a heavy landing in the home game against Dortmund two weeks ago and was eventually forced off. He claimed that he was fine but Wenger used him only as a substitute in the following game at Crystal Palace.
Wilshere returned to the starting XI against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup last Tuesday only to succumb to the ankle turn in training.
The England manager, Roy Hodgson, attended the Liverpool game and he was not only denied the chance to see Wilshere but also saw the left-back Kieran Gibbs limp off with a calf strain in the 78th minute. Gibbs is a selection doubt for Dortmund. "I will follow the medical advice [on Wilshere]," Wenger said. "He came in on Friday and was not available. We kept him out of the training. On Saturday he had a session but inside on the bike and we will see on Monday morning how he is."
UEFA Champions League Preview: Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayer Leverkusen
4 November 2013
Shakhtar Donetsk will be out for revenge when they host Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Mircea Lucescu's side were thumped 4-0 in Germany on matchday three in Group A, their joint heaviest defeat in the competition and Leverkusen's biggest win in the Champions League.
The result left Shakhtar in third place, two points adrift of Leverkusen in second and three behind leaders Manchester United.
After winning 2-0 at Real Sociedad in their opening game Shakhtar drew 1-1 with United at home before the comprehensive defeat to Leverkusen a fortnight ago.
Lucescu's charges have made an indifferent start to the defence of their Ukrainian Premier League title, currently lying second in the table, two points shy of leaders Metalist, having dropped 13 points from 15 matches, already two more than in the whole of last season.
They come into the game on the back of a disappointing 2-0 away defeat at Volyn, a result that ended a run of three consecutive victories in the league.
The last time Shakhtar hosted German opponents was in last season's round of 16, eventual runners-up Borussia Dortmund coming away with a 2-2 draw before sealing their place in the last eight with a 3-0 win in Germany.
Overall, Shakhtar have lost just once at home against German clubs, while Leverkusen have won two and lost three of their five trips to Ukraine.
Their most recent visit, in last season's Europa League group stage, ended in a 2-0 defeat to Metalist, a far cry from their visit to the same opponents in the same competition two years earlier, when they returned to Germany with a 4-0 victory.
Sami Hyypia's side have recovered well since a 4-2 defeat at Old Trafford on matchday one, seeing off Real Sociedad 2-1 at home in the next game before the win over Shakhtar.
If they prevail on Tuesday, it will be the first time Leverkusen have won three times in the same Champions League campaign since 2002, although they head into the match having lost their last league fixture, going down 1-0 at bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday.
That was just their second league defeat of a season, which sees them in third place after 11 matches, four points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen's top scorer Stefan Kiessling is expected to return after being rested from the starting XI on Saturday, while Emir Spahic missed that match with a back injury suffered on the eve of the game.
Levin Oztunali returned to training in the week after recovering from an ankle problem, while Stefan Reinartz has missed the last three matches with a heel injury.
For Shakhtar, Wellington Nem made his first-team debut in the 4-0 league win over Zorya at the end of October following knee surgery in August, but the Brazilian will not be available on Tuesday as he was not included in their Champions League squad.
Real Sociedad de Fútbol sit bottom of Group A but Jagoba Arrasate still believes they can beat leaders Manchester United FC, saying: "If we do things right, we can win."
by Iñigo Marín
from Anoeta
Real Sociedad de Fútbol may not have a point in Group A but coach Jagoba Arrasate believes they can beat leaders Manchester United FC at the Anoeta. "If we do things right, we can win," said Arrasate, who has been heartened by his side's improved domestic fortunes. United counterpart David Moyes has seen his own team's Premier League form improve and is hoping the visitors' European experience will work in their favour once more.
• La Real will be eliminated if they lose, and a draw will not be enough either should Bayer 04 Leverkusen beat FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
La Real
Jagoba Arrasate, coach
If we do things right and get close to our game plan we can win. This is the only thing on our minds. United have qualification in their sights and are playing away from home so we don't know how they'll approach [the game]. We have to try to play our normal game and take the initiative – if we can get close to doing what we want and do our jobs well, as we have been doing, I think we can get the better of United.
We've improved our league form – we've got more points and more goals now, so in that sense we are more confident. But I don't know if it's enough to close the gap with United that we saw at Old Trafford. United were superior in England although I think we can do things better.
They are the reigning champions of England, they have great players. I don't know if people are less respectful than they were or if they've been more ambitious against them because Sir Alex is no longer there [but] we know they're a very tough opponent. We respect them and we're really excited about trying to put in a good performance and beat them.
Weekend result
Saturday: Real Sociedad 5-0 CA Osasuna (Ansotegi 33, Iñigo Martínez 47, Griezmann 56, Castro 81, Seferovic 88)
Bravo; Carlos Martínez, Ansotegi, Iñigo Martínez, José Ángel; Elustondo, Pardo, Castro, Zurutuza (Xabi Prieto 63), Griezmann (Agirretxe 73); Carlos Vela (Seferovic 73).
• La Real's third Liga win in four games – and their biggest in Spain's top flight since April 2003 – lifted them up to seventh in the standings.
Team news
Esteban Granero is a long-term absentee after he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on matchday one. Iñigo Martínez recovered from a strained hip flexor muscle to feature at the weekend.
United
David Moyes, manager
I feel we're playing better and getting some good results to go with it. Long may that continue. I won't take anything for granted. I have a lot of respect for Sociedad. We have to play well if we're going to get those ten points, which will get us over the line. We've got ourselves into a good position in the group and we have to try to maintain that. I think our experienced players have shown they're used to the Champions League and that's shown in the games. I hope that continues.
[On Adnan Januzaj] He gets kicked up and down in training every day. But he gets up. He has learned from the good professionals that he has got to get on with it and accept it. He only needs to look at Lionel Messi, who is probably the best in the world at getting kicked, getting up and getting on with it and continually producing magic all the time. I am not in any way comparing him to Lionel Messi but I am saying we hope the way he gets up after he has been kicked is the way Adnan continues to behave.
[On Javier Hernández] We need Javier. He's very good for us. He's scored a lot of goals over the last few years and he continues to do so, so we'll continue to use him. He scored a couple of good goals the other night [against Norwich City FC in the League Cup]. Hopefully that continues.
Weekend result
Saturday: Fulham FC 1-3 United (Kacaniklic 65; Valencia 9, Van Persie 20, Rooney 22)
De Gea; Rafael (Smalling 46), Vidić, Evans (Fellaini 46), Evra; Valencia, Jones, Cleverley (Kagawa 46), Januzaj; Rooney, Van Persie.
• United made it three wins out of three since the home game against La Real. Antonio Valencia scored his first league goal of 2013/14; Van Persie got his 128th in the English top flight, overtaking Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink as the league's top Dutch scorer.
Team news
The Fulham win took a toll in terms of injuries. All three half-time substitutions were injury-related and Jonny Evans (back) and Rafael (ankle) have not made the trip to northern Spain although Tom Cleverley (double vision) has recovered. Michael Carrick should return from the thigh injury that kept him out on Saturday. Danny Welbeck has not played since 19 October because of a knee problem.
Match fact
• La Real are looking to avoid a club-record sequence of four straight defeats in Europe
UEFA Champions League Preview: Juventus v Real Madrid
4 November 2013
Juventus' UEFA Champions League hopes hang by a thread going into Tuesday's showdown with Group B leaders Real Madrid.
Antonio Conte's men managed just two points from their opening three games and, with second-placed Galatasaray facing rock-bottom Copenhagen, a home defeat to Real could leave them five points adrift of a qualification spot for the last 16.
But Conte, who saw his side lose 2-1 at the Bernabeu, believes the home fans can make the difference.
"I hope the Juventus Stadium is going to be a boiling cauldron on Tuesday night, so that the fans can push us to victory," he told Juventus TV.
"We have already shown in Madrid what we can do.
"Madrid have been constructed to win their 10th European Cup, but we must not be afraid."
Juve were boosted on Saturday by the return from injury of influential forward Fabio Quagliarella, who played the last 15 minutes of the 1-0 win at Parma.
They will be without defender Giorgio Chiellini, though, after he was sent off in the reverse fixture last month.
The Serie A champions have lost just once in the league - a 4-2 defeat at Fiorentina, where they had led by two at the break - and have leaders Roma in their sights.
But at a club that has twice been crowned European champions, the demand to do well in continental competition is high.
Victory against a Real side that has reached the semi-finals in each of the last three seasons would signal Juve's intent, but Carlo Ancelotti's charges represent a substantial challenge to overcome.
The 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday, in which Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to take his season's tally to 22 in all competitions, came on the heels of a 7-3 triumph over Sevilla, underlining the visitors' goalscoring threat.
Ronaldo scored both goals in the meeting between the two sides in Spain, moving him into third in the competition's all-time scorers list.
The Portuguese is six shy of Barcelona's Lionel Messi and 15 short of overhauling Real legend Raul, who has 71.
Ancelotti's side will secure their place in the knockout stages with a victory.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Copenhagen v Galatasaray
3 November 2013
Galatasaray could take a big step towards qualification for the UEFA Champions League knock-out phase when they face Copenhagen on Tuesday.
Roberto Mancini's men sit second in Group B following their 3-1 win over the Danish champions in the last round of fixtures last month.
And the Turkish side travel to Scandinavia knowing that victory could move them five points clear of Juventus, who host group leaders Real Madrid.
Strikers Umut Bulut and Didier Drogba should be key for Mancini's side, having each scored two goals in the competition so far.
The duo will be confident of adding to their respective tallies against a Copenhagen side who have shipped eight goals and earned just one point in their first three group games.
However, Galatasaray have conceded one more goal than their counterparts, although the majority did come in the side's embarrassing 6-1 defeat to Real in their opening fixture.
The visitors are still without one of their main creative talents as midfielder Hamit Altintop misses out with a knee injury.
Despite Altintop's absence, the Istanbul club possess a plethora of attacking talent, with the likes of Wesley Sneijder and Burak Yilmaz also in their ranks.
Copenhagen - competing in the Champions League group stage for only the third time in their history - are likely to be reliant on strikers Igor Vetokele and Nicolai Jorgensen if they are to earn their first win of the this season's tournament.
The pair have netted 11 goals between them in all competitions so far, Jorgensen scoring the opener in their surprise 1-1 draw with Juventus in September.
Stale Solbakken's men should take heart from that performance, and will hope that their forward line can help them to a similar result in front of their home fans at Parken.
Thomas Delaney is the hosts' primary absentee, the midfielder unable to take part due to suspension.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Paris Saint-Germain v Anderlecht
3 November 2013
Paris Saint-Germain host Anderlecht on Tuesday hoping to continue their stroll into the UEFA Champions League knock-out stages.
The Ligue 1 club have won each of their three Group C fixtures so far, scoring a total of 12 goals and conceding just one.
However, the scorer of six of those goals - Zlatan Ibrahimovic - remains a doubt for the visit of the Belgian champions after a short spell on the sidelines with inflammation of the knee. That said, an on-court kickabout with tennis star Novak Djokovic at the Paris Masters on Saturday suggests he is on the road to recovery.
Laurent Blanc's side hammered Anderlecht 5-0 in the reverse fixture a fortnight ago, leaving John van den Brom's men bottom of the group with no points and no goals.
On the subject of goals, Anderlecht were the second-lowest scorers in last season's competition.
Defeat in Tuesday's fixture, combined with a victory for either side in the meeting between Olympiacos and Benfica, would leave Anderlecht unable to qualify for the next round.
In contrast to the Belgian club's poor strike rate, PSG are five away from scoring 100 European Cup goals and will feel they have chance of reaching that milestone against Anderlecht following their sensational display at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.
The French champions currently sit atop Ligue 1 and have not lost in the competition since March 2 when they fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Stade de Reims, which is also the last time they failed to score.
Anderlecht's poor European form is also being reflected in their domestic campaign, lying five points adrift of Belgian Pro League leaders Standard Liege.
To make matters worse, top scorer Matias Suarez has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in training. Guillaume Gillet could also miss Tuesday's encounter after suffering a gashed knee in a 1-1 draw with Standard on October 27.
Thiago Silva is back in training for PSG following a hamstring injury, but is unlikely to be risked on Tuesday.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Olympiacos v Benfica
3 November 2013
Olympiacos and Benfica will be battling it out for second place in UEFA Champions League Group C when they meet in Piraeus on Tuesday.
The two sides met in Lisbon in the last round of European fixtures, with the Greek club claiming a credible 1-1 draw, but they were only seven minutes away from victory when Oscar Cardozo cancelled out Alejandro Dominguez’s first-half opener.
After three matches in the competition, both sides have four points, but Michel's Olympiacos sit ahead of Benfica due to their neutral goal difference.
Benfica's last trip to the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium saw them on the wrong end of a 5-1 hammering in the 2008-09 UEFA Cup group stage, but they head to Greece in good form this time around.
Their only defeat in their last 12 matches in all competitions came with a 3-0 loss at Paris Saint-Germain on Champions League matchday two, while their most recent league fixture ended in a 3-0 away win at Academica on Friday.
Benfica coach Jorge Jesus was satisfied with the win in Coimbra, but ahead of the return to Champions League action he insisted that the club are not prioritising any one competition over another.
He told Sport TV: "The Portuguese league is very important to us, but we make no distinction between one and another competition.
"Our attitude is always the same. We want to win all the competitions and all are important."
Attacker Enzo Perez added: "We now have a decisive match in the Champions League that can decide many things and we want another positive result."
Benfica will have to keep Kostas Mitroglou quiet if they are to keep their hosts at bay, with the Greece international in the form of his life after scoring 16 times - including four hat-tricks - in all competitions so far this season.
Like the Portuguese club, Olympiacos head into the encounter in good form after only one defeat from their last 16 matches in all competitions, with that solitary loss also coming against PSG.
In two of their last three matches, the Greek champions have scored five, with OFI and Fokikos on the wrong end of those defeats, while Saturday's derby with Panathinaikos saw them claim a 1-0 win, with Mitroglou netting the winner late on.
The hosts have a few injury concerns to contend with as Gaetan Bong (foot and hamstring), Paulo Machado (knee) and Ariel Ibagaza (groin) are expected to miss out, while Dominguez (thigh) and Michael Olaitan (hamstring) are doubtful.
Benfica coach Jesus, meanwhile, also has fitness problems to take into consideration, with Guilherme Siqueira, Lazar Markovic, Miralem Sulejmani (all thigh) and Eduardo Salvio (knee) all concerns.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Manchester City v CSKA Moscow
4 November 2013
All eyes will be on Manuel Pellegrini's goalkeeper selection for Manchester City's UEFA Champions League clash with CSKA Moscow.
The Chilean ended Joe Hart's run of 123 consecutive Premier League starts when he opted to go with Costel Pantilimon in the 7-0 victory over Norwich City on Saturday.
Hart's position came under threat following a spate of mistakes for club and country, with Pellegrini finally deciding to take him out of the firing line.
City's qualification prospects from Group D would be greatly improved by a victory over their Russian visitors on Tuesday, but it remains to be seen who will be in goal for the hosts.
Pantilimon, who has kept three clean sheets in as many appearances this season, has not played in the competition since appearing in a qualifying match for Poli Timisoara in 2009.
The reverse fixture between the two sides in Russia, which City won 2-1, was overshadowed by Yaya Toure's claims that he had been racially abused by the home fans.
UEFA sanctioned CSKA, who will be forced to close part of their stadium for their next home Champions League tie, and both clubs will hope to move on from the unsavoury incident.
Vincent Kompany will play no part in the match as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury, which will come as good news to the away side.
The Russian Premier League outfit can ill-afford to lose if they are to reach the last 16, with last month's defeat to City their second in three group games.
CSKA have progressed past the round robin phase in their last two attempts, and reached the quarter-finals in 2009-10, but need a positive result on Tuesday to continue that pattern.
Since the loss to Pellegrini's side, CSKA have arrested an alarming slide in their domestic form, ending a five-match winless run with back-to-back victories over Krasnodar and Volga, leaving them fourth in the table.
Manager Leonid Slutsky can call upon a number of attacking prospects to trouble City, including Serbian midfielder Zoran Tosic, who broke the deadlock in their previous meeting before City hit back through a Sergio Aguero double.
Up front, Seydou Doumbia carries CSKA's most potent goalscoring threat, with six goals in nine league appearances.
Preview: Viktoria Plzen vs. Bayern Munich, UEFA Champions League | Bayern should win easily
By Phillip Quinn @philneezy on Nov 4 2013, 10:30
Bayern Munich will look to stay at the top of Group D in the UEFA Champions League when they travel to the Czech Republic to face Viktoria Plzen.
Tuesday's Champions League match in the Czech Republic is a big one for Bayern Munich. A win by the Bavarians, coupled by a Manchester City win over CSKA Moscow, will move Bayern into the knockout rounds of the Champions League as they attempt to defend their "Champions of Europe" crown.
Bayern tied the Bundesliga record for most consecutive matches unbeaten this past weekend, and they will tie FC Barcelona for the Champions League's record of most consecutive wins at nine. While records are a plus, being able to clinch advancement to the group stages with two matches remaining would be ideal.
We all have expectations that Bayern will walk the match, and they should. Will it match the 5-0 scoreline in the reverse leg in Munich? Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless of what this team may have shown you previously, it's not easy to score five goals in a single match. Bayern will also have to do this match without the services of Arjen Robben, who remains out with his groin injury
In some interesting news, let's turn to Grudnik for information about Plzen's stadium and match tickets for fans:
Plzen's home stadium seats a whopping ... are you ready for this ... 11,700 people for CL games. Regular league games crams a gargantuan 13,000 in the stands.
Due to the extremely limited amount of space, traveling Bayern fans got a mind-boggling 600 tickets, of which 450 went to away season ticket holders, and another 100 to VIPs and sponsors, leaving a mere 50 tickets for public consumption. Up to 3000 fans are expected to follow the team to the Czech Republic, so the town will be under siege.
UEFA Champions League preview: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Manchester United edge close to last-16
Defending champions Bayern Munich as well as former winners Real Madrid and Manchester United are on the verge of making the Champions League pre-quarters on Tuesday.
Agence France-Presse | Last updated on Monday, 04 November 2013 15:19
Paris: Defending champions Bayern Munich as well as former winners Real Madrid and Manchester United are on the verge of making the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.
Group A
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) vs Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Both these sides suffered league defeats at the weekend -- Shakhtar going down 2-0 at Volyn Lutsk, which was the third defeat on the road for Mircea Lucescu's men, while Leverkusen were embarrassed 1-0 by rock-bottom Eintracht Braunschweig to fall four points behind Bayern Munich.
Leverkusen's fit-again Lars Bender, who signed a contract extension in midweek, received a late red card for his second bookable offence while Stefan Kiessling, Sidney Sam and Heung-Min Son were all on the bench at the start.
The Germans won the first tie between the two sides last month, a comprehensive 4-0 home win which put them on six points, one behind Manchester United.
Shakhtar, who were quarter-finalists in 2011, have not beaten a German side at home in Europe since seeing off Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1980/81 UEFA Cup.
Real Sociedad (ESP) vs Manchester Utd (ENG)
United can virtually ensure their last 16 place with victory in Spain after a 1-0 home win over Sociedad, playing in the tournament for the first time in 10 years, in Manchester moved them onto seven points from three games.
But David Moyes's side have doubts over the fitness of Jonny Evans, Rafael da Silva and Tom Cleverley, who were all replaced at half-time in Saturday's 3-1 win at Fulham.
"It will be a difficult test against (Real) Sociedad," said Moyes.
"To go and play against any side in Spain who have qualified will be a hard test, but we will go over there and try and get a good result that will continue our good form in the group."
Sociedad have scored just once in three Champions League games so far and are without a point but warnmed up for Tuesday with a confidence-boosting 5-0 home win over Osasuna.
Jagoba Arrasate's side are looking to avoid setting a club-record sequence of four straight defeats in Europe.
Group B
Juventus (ITA) vs Real Madrid (ESP)
Real Madrid have nine points from three games after a Cristiano Ronaldo double ensured a 2-1 win over Juventus last time out and they need just a point in Turin to make sure of a last-16 place.
Nine-time winners Madrid have scored in all their last 19 Champions League away fixtures, losing only four but Juventus have won the last five meetings between the sides in Turin.
Juventus are in third place and with that position in mind coach Antonio Conte rested Andrea Pirlo in Saturday's 1-0 win at Parma before the veteran midfielder replaced Claudio Marchisio.
Ronaldo has scored seven times for Real Madrid in the Champions League this season just one off the record held jointly by Ruud van Nistelrooy, Filippo Inzaghi and Hernan Crespo.
On Saturday, Real beat Rayo Vallecano 3-2 with a Ronaldo double and a Karim Benzema header as Gareth Bale laid on two goals for the second consecutive game.
Real will be without left-back Fabio Coentrao after he limped off with an ankle injury. Xabi Alonso is also a doubt but Raphael Varane will return at the heart of the defence after being rested against Rayo.
Copenhagen (DEN) vs Galatasaray (TUR)
Galatasaray won the first match 3-1 in Istanbul to put themselves in second spot in the table, five points behind Real but two ahead of Juve and three up on Copenhagen.
The Danes drew 1-1 with Juve and lost 4-0 at Real Madrid while Galatasaray recovered from their opening 6-1 drubbing to the Spaniards to draw 2-2 with Juventus in Roberto Mancini's first game as coach.
Copenhagen's home record in the tournament gives some cause for optimism -- in eight matches, they have lost only to Chelsea and have beaten Manchester United and drawn with Barcelona in previous years.
For Galatasaray, Copenhagen holds special memories -- in 2000, a Fatih Terim-led team overcame Arsenal on penalties in the UEFA Cup final.
Group C
Paris Saint Germain (FRA) vs Anderlecht (BEL)
The French side can qualify for the knockout stages for the second successive year with victory over an Anderlecht team they walloped 5-0 in their previous encounter a fortnight ago to make it three impressive wins from three games in an admittedly easy group.
The only good news for Anderlecht is that there are doubts over whether Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who scored four in the first match, will be fit as he was rested for the 4-0 Ligue 1 win over Lorient last Friday -- extending PSG's unbeaten Ligue 1 run to 23 -- with an inflamed knee.
Anderlecht are searching for their first point and first goal of the campaign while their last away win in the Champions League came in the 2005/06 season at Real Betis.
Olympiakos (GRE) vs Benfica (POR)
A lot at stake in this match as with both on four points, and Anderlecht on zero, they are battling for the runners up spot and a place in the last 16 or the third-place finish that guarantees a spot in the Europa League knockout stage, a competition in which the Portuguese outfit reached the final last season only to lose to Chelsea.
The sides drew 1-1 in Lisbon, and Olympiakos will be looking to repeat their 5-1 win the last time they hosted Benfica in the Champions League in the 2008/09 campaign.
Three Benfica players remain from that thumping including striker Oscar Cardozo, who was only on the bench that night but will be hoping to lead the line on Tuesday. Similarly Kostas Mitroglou should be up front for the hosts and eager to add to his tally of goals, having earlier this term become the first Greek player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, admittedly against the porous Anderlecht defence.
Group D
Manchester City (ENG) vs CSKA Moscow (RUS)
City made heavy weather of beating the Russian outfit a fortnight ago in a match overshadowed by a racism controversy but look in sharper form after a 7-0 demolition of Norwich on Saturday, their biggest win in the top flight since 1968.
Victory over the Russians would all but assure them of reaching the knockout stages for the first time after two flops under Roberto Mancini.
The Italian's successor, Chilean Manuel Pellegrini showed his ruthless side when he dropped Joe Hart from the Norwich game and Romanian Costel Pantilimon may well keep his place for the CSKA game.
City's talismanic central defender and captain Vincent Kompany is still struggling with a thigh injury and missed the Norwich game. CSKA come into the game on the back of a come from behind 2-1 win over Volga with impressive Ivorian striker Seydou Dumbia on the scoresheet.
Viktoria Plzen (CZE) vs Bayern Munich (GER)
The Germans are proving as unbeatable as PSG are, their 2-1 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday equalling the Bundesliga record for the longest unbeaten run, levelling the 36 matches unbeaten Hamburg achieved between January 1982 and January 1983.
Victory on Tuesday, and CSKA failing to win at City, will see the holders qualify for the last 16.
However, not all is rosy in the Munich camp as they are still struggling to impose themselves early in their matches.
"Obviously it's not such a wonderful situation," said Mario Goetze, who caused Pilsen all sorts of problems once he came on in the second-half of their match a fortnight ago, which ended in an easy 5-0 win for the German side.
Plzen have an impressive home record in the competition winning 10 out of 11 before City beat them this season.
Bayern, though, are closing in on their record of successive away wins in the competition, six on their way to winning the 1996 title, as victory on Tuesday would be their fifth in a row.
Galatasaray AS's Fernando Muslera could miss two Group B games with a broken toe while a recurring thigh injury keeps Wesley Sneijder out of the FC København trip.
Fernando Muslera is looking at a three-week absence at Galatasaray
Galatasaray AS goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and midfielder Wesley Sneijder will miss Tuesday's UEFA Champions League visit to FC København, with injuries ruling both players out of action for two to three weeks.
The 27-year-old Muslera broke a toe after tangling with Fanis Gekas in Friday's 2-1 Super League win against Konyaspor, struggling on until the final whistle before a scan revealed the extent of his problem. He will sit out the FCK game, Sunday's derby fixture at Fenerbahçe SK and potentially the matchday five meeting with Real Madrid CF. Eray İşcan, who underwent knee surgery in September, is likely to deputise in Muslera's absence.
Sneijder may prove harder to replace, with the 29-year-old coming off after eight minutes of the Konyaspor match after a recurring injury to his right thigh flared up. The Dutchman has improved significantly since the arrival of new Galatasaray coach Roberto Mancini, with a goal in the Netherlands' 2-0 FIFA World Cup qualifying victory against Turkey on 15 October the start of a hot streak; he registered in all three of his club's subsequent games, twice against Kardemir Karabükspor and then once against København and Kayserispor.
Galatasaray are second in Group B with four points from their first three fixtures.
Dutch correspondent Berend Scholten explains that not too much should be expected of a youthful AFC Ajax side, though all hope of progressing is not yet lost.
Christian Poulsen is Ajax's odd one out
AFC Ajax's 2-1 defeat at Celtic FC on matchday three has led to some serious questions being asked at the Amsterdam ArenA.
Ajax are bottom of UEFA Champions League Group H and could be all but out of contention should they lose to Neil Lennon's side on home soil on Wednesday. However, should they win themselves and FC Barcelona defeat AC Milan, the situation would suddenly look a great deal rosier for the Eredivisie title holders. Maybe, just maybe, 'Overwinteren in Champions League' – translated as 'UEFA Champions League football after winter' – is not yet out of the question after all.
The Dutch press, though, made a pertinent point after that loss in Glasgow. Though it is Celtic who are nicknamed the Bhoys, it is a moniker that could equally apply to Ajax. Indeed Frank de Boer's starting lineup included two 19-year-olds (Viktor Fischer and Lucas Andersen) and, in total, ten of the starting XI were aged 24 or under. Only Christian Poulsen, 33, broke the mould.
Ajax are suffering a problem common to Dutch sides, who are often forced to cash in on their most talented players before they have had the chance to mature fully at their home clubs. Not since PSV Eindhoven in 2006/07 have an Eredivisie side been involved in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase.
De Boer described qualifying from the group stage as "possible with this squad", but that was before the departure of Christian Eriksen for Tottenham Hotspur FC. It is a void that De Boer is yet to fill. However, there can be little doubt that playing in Europe's premier club competition is teaching these young players some invaluable lessons … and fast.
For De Boer there was plenty of pride to be found from that defeat by Celtic: "If we play like that again in two weeks, then we will beat them in the Amsterdam ArenA. I really believe in that." Transmitting that faith to the players could just be the key to victory on Wednesday and – who knows? – maybe even 'Overwinteren in Champions League'.
The opinions expressed here are the writer's own and not those of UEFA.
After a 4-0 defeat at Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu underlined the importance of a strong response when the teams reconvene in Ukraine.
by Viktor Sharafudinov
from Donetsk
Mircea Lucescu underlined the importance of Tuesday's Group A encounter with Bayer 04 Leverkusen, saying his FC Shakhtar Donetsk side had to "put things right" after their 4-0 defeat in Germany last time out. Leverkusen counterpart Sami Hyypiä expects a Shakhtar response but is equally aware that another win would leave the visitors "very close to qualifying for the knockout stages".
Shakhtar
Mircea Lucescu, coach
Leverkusen risked fielding reserve players in their last Bundesliga match to give some first-choice players a rest, which shows their attitude to this game in Donetsk. Apart from their respect for Shakhtar, they are also a little bit wary of us.
This game is important for both teams in the competition for a place in knockout stages. A win in the first match has given them a major advantage, because head-to-head results are the first tie-break criteria; that's how we finished above Chelsea last year.
The result in Leverkusen didn't reflect what happened on the pitch. In the first half, they didn't create anything except for the move that led to Stefan Kiessling's goal, and before the break we were unlucky as Alex Teixeira missed the opportunity to equalise. Our task for the second half was to risk playing attacking football, but after the second goal we stopped doing the things that we spoke about. With the support of the Donbass Arena [crowd], we have to put things right.
We have several tasks. We want to rebuild the team, as I need to give the newcomers an opportunity to integrate into our style. At the same time, we need results in all the competitions we are taking part in. Shakhtar need to remain at the top of the Ukrainian league. However, this is no easy task.
Weekend result
Friday: FC Volyn Lutsk 2-0 Shakhtar (Memeshev 24 69)
Kanibolotskiy; Srna, Kucher, Kryvtsov, Ismaily; Stepanenko, Fred, Douglas Costa (Ferreyra 46), Bernard (Ilsinho 63), Eduardo (Taison 60); Luiz Adriano.
• Shakhtar suffered their third league defeat of the season – they were only beaten once in each of the previous two campaigns. The Pitmen have dropped 13 points in the league this season, two more than in the whole of 2012/13.
Team news
Lucescu expects to be without midfielder Bernard, who has not trained properly since Friday's trip to Lutsk, when forward Facundo Ferreyra suffered a knock that leaves a similar question mark hanging over him.
Leverkusen
Sami Hyypiä, coach
We have analysed the first game in Leverkusen. Our victory was fully deserved, but I think that everything will be different here in Donetsk. They're a very strong Shakhtar side and now they're playing at home, so I expect it will be a very difficult match for us.
Tomorrow we need to have our best and most experienced players on the pitch, as this game is decisive. If we will win, we'll be very close to qualifying for the knockout stage. Everyone knows how important this match is for us. We will field the best team possible. We know we can play better than we did against Braunschweig and we are happy to get an early opportunity [to make amends].
• Top scorers Sidney Sam and Stefan Kiessling as well as Son Heung-Min, were all rested from the starting XI against bottom-of-the-table Braunschweig. Kiessling had started the previous 60 Bundesliga matches, stretching back to January 2012, and when he did come on he missed a good chance at the death just before Lars Bender was sent off.
Team news
Defender Emir Spahić faces a late fitness test on a back injury that ruled him out of Saturday's game. Stefan Reinartz is missing due to a heel injury. Bender made his comeback after a month's absence at half-time on Saturday prior to his two bookings and dismissal.
Match fact
• Shakhtar go into the game seeking a first home victory over Bundesliga visitors in over 30 years. Their last success came against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1980/81 UEFA Cup first round when Mikhail Sokolovski earned them a 1-0 first-leg win, although the ensuing 3-0 defeat in Germany meant it was ultimately in vain.
