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Complete Match Highlights here. Towards the end of the video you can see Napoli's keeper De Sanctis scrambling back to his empty goal post to clear the ball away from making it 4-2.
Champions League Group A wrap: Bayern hold off Napoli, City cruise 3 November 2011
A double from Yaya Toure edged Manchester City closer to the Champions League knock-out stages, while Bayern Munich also won in Group A. City coasted by under-siege Villarreal 3-0 in Spain, while Bundesliga leaders Bayern held on for a 3-2 over Napoli in Munich to all-but assure their own progression.
Visitors City proved superior throughout the game at El Madrigal, as Mario Balotelli scored on his return to European action following his three-match ban for his Europa League dismissal against Dynamo Kiev last season.Roberto Mancini rested in-form duo Micah Richards and Sergio Aguero, while Stefan Savic, Samir Nasri and Balotelli all started.
Villarreal boss Juan Garrido - hit by injuries to Marcos Senna, Cani and Christian Zapata, as well as long-term knee victim Guiseppe Rossi - brought Mateo Musacchio, Hernan Perez and Joselu into the team.The La Liga side began the game by defending deep, as if to make a statement that a draw would suffice.
City's Spaniard David Silva looked lively early on, linking up well with Balotelli and Yaya Toure and using his quick feet to cause the home team problems.Villarreal’s best opportunity of the half came when Jonathan De Guzman delivered a perfect long-range ball to Joselu, but the striker’s poor touch saw him lose the ball and City goalkeeper Hart collected.
Just before the 30-minute mark, Toure put Mancini’s men 1-0 up.Silva intercepted a pass by Rodriguez and the Spaniard charged forward to create an opportunity for Toure, who finished calmly to the left of Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez.The goal changed the dynamics of the game, and City began to dictate the play while the home fans at El Madrigal became quiet.
Moments before the end of the first half, Silva was involved in City’s second goal.The Spain international spotted Balotelli just outside the box, and the striker was fouled by Musacchio and a penalty was awarded.There was only one man who was going to take the penalty, and Balotelli stepped up and coolly dispatched the ball into the bottom corner.
Silva was replaced by Adam Johnson on the 65th minute, but Villarreal looked a demoralised team and their problems were further exacerbated as City grabbed their third goal of the game.On the break, Balotelli threaded a square pass to Toure and the Ivorian, with great composure, passed the last defender and slotted the ball past the keeper.
In Munich, Bayern appeared to be coasting to victory against Serie A club Napoli when Mario Gomez's superb hat-trick put them 3-0 up shortly before half-time.But Federico Fernandez headed Ezequiel Lavezzi's free-kick home just before the break to offer Napoli a lifeline, and the sending off of right-back Juan Camilo Zuniga for a second bookable offence failed to stop them clawing another back through Fernandez on 79 minutes.
Holger Badstuber also saw red for Bayern, but Jupp Heynckes's men held on to ensure they are odds-on to qualify for the knock-out stages.They lead Group A on 10 points, with City second on seven and Napoli third on five.
Champions League Group B wrap: Inter extend lead 3 November 2011
Inter Milan closed in on Champions League progression with a 2-1 win at home to Lille on Wednesday, as Trabzonspor and CSKA Moscow drew.Argentine centre-back Walter Samuel opened the scoring for Inter, heading home from a corner 18 minutes into the match at San Siro.
The Ligue 1 visitors enjoyed one of their rare chances through Belgian danger-man Eden Hazard, who saw his shot from the edge of the box palmed clear by Luca Castellazzi.Lille’s only other meaningful effort in the first half came from Moussa Sow, but his strike sailed harmlessly wide from long range.
Diego Milito missed a chance to make it 2-0 early in the second half, wasting the good work of Dejan Stankovic.Argentine striker Milito then blew a three-on-one opportunity, shooting tamely into the arms of Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau.
He made amends by tapping home Inter’s second on 65 minutes, following a driving run by veteran Javier Zanetti.The encounter was by no means one-sided, but it took an error from Thiago Motta on the edge of his area to gift Lille a lifeline.
Brazilian substitute Tulio de Melo converted the simple chance, and as the visitors closed to within a goal, the final seven minutes took on an unexpectedly tense air.Inter successfully navigated the closing exchanges, with victory moving them to nine points with two matches remaining.
CSKA and Trabzonspor are four points behind the leaders, level on five points, following a 0-0 stalemate in Turkey.Lille prop up the group with just two points from their four matches.
Champions League Group C wrap: United go top after Benfica slip 3 November 2011
Manchester United eased past Otelul Galati, capitalising on Benfica's slip-up to FC Basel to go top of Champions League Group C.
An early goal from Antonio Valencia and a deflected Wayne Rooney effort gave Manchester United an hard-earned 2-1 win against the stubborn Romanian outfit, while Basel kept their hopes of progression to the knockout stages alive after stealing at point in their 1-1 draw at Benfica's Estadio do Luz.
The three points leaves Alex Ferguson's side top of Group C and level on points with Benfica, though Dorinel Munteanu's men proved a stern test for the English Premier League champions at Old Trafford.
Starts for Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov meant Rooney was given a midfield role against Otelul, while Rio Ferdinand and Brazilian full-back Fabio also featured in the line-up.The hosts - in the first home game since their 6-1 humbling by rivals Manchester City on October 22 - came out firing, with the visitors allowing Berbatov to trot forward and pass to the overlapping Phil Jones.
The defender continued down the right flank before crossing for Valencia to tap home from close range to open the scoring after just eight minutes.A rare appearance for Owen was abruptly curtailed when he came off after only 11 minutes to be replaced by Javier Hernandez.
Hernandez had several attempts but his only real chance on goal ended up well wide of goalkeeper Branko Grahovac’s net on 30 minutes. The stopper had to be alert shortly after when a marauding run from Fabio from inside his own half caught out the Otelul defence, with only an excellent sliding challenge from Cristian Sarghi preventing more danger.
Jones had an effort deflected soon after, but the visitors took hope from their defensive efforts and when a loose pass from Valencia allowed Ionut Neagu to bare down on goal, only a slight deflection from Ferdinand and a good save from David De Gea kept the hosts in the lead.
The threat from Jones did not diminish and a bounding run down the right flank midway through the second half nearly resulted in another chance for Hernandez, but the hanging cross was too high for the Mexican.United's one-goal lead seemed likely to remain until the 87th minute, when a long-range effort from Rooney deflected off Sarghi and left Grahovac with no chance of saving the shot.
The 2-0 scoreline may have been harsh on the visitors, but Manchester United now move into pole position in Group C on eight points.They capitalised on Benfica's slip to visiting Swiss champions Basel, with the Portuguese outfit taking the lead after just four minutes through Rodrigo's perfect half-volley from Nico Gaitan's header.
Benfica had the edge for vast periods of the match, but Basel claimed a point when veteran Australian left-winger Scott Chipperfield got behind the hosts' defence and crossed for Benjamin Huggel to drive home.Benfica are second in the group and trail United only by goal difference, with Basel three points in arrears.
Champions League Group D wrap: Real through, Ajax second 3 November 2011
Real Madrid defeated Lyon 2-0 on Wednesday to book their place in the Champions League knock-out stages, while Ajax beat Dinamo Zagreb 4-0.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 99th and 100th goals for Real to help the club end their Stade Gerland curse with a first victory in five matches away to Lyon. The result leaves the Spanish side on 12 points at the top of Group D and maintains their 100 per cent record in the competition, with Real yet to concede a goal in their opening four fixtures.
Eredivise side Ajax are second with seven points, three ahead of Lyon, following their comfortable victory at home to Dinamo.Visitors Real took a deserved lead in the 24th minute of the match, as Ronaldo found the net with a free-kick from just outside the penalty area.
Lyon nearly drew level against the run of play just before the interval.Bafetimbi Gomis slid the ball through to Yoann Gourcuff, who saw his effort expertly turned over by Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas.After weathering a brief period of Lyon dominance at the beginning of the second-half, Ronaldo scored his second of the evening and his 100th for Madrid.
Mouhamadou Dabo fouled the Portugal forward inside the box on 69 minutes, and Ronaldo duly dispatched the resulting spot-kick beyond Hugo Lloris and into the far corner of the net.Elsewhere, first-half goals from Gregory van der Wiel and Miralem Sulejmani put Eredivise champions Ajax in charge of their match at home to Serbian side Zagreb.
And Siem de Jong and Nicolas Lodeiro both netted in the second 45 minutes to seal a comprehensive victory at the Amsterdam Arena.The win puts Ajax on course to reach the knockout stages for the first time since 2005/06.
´No way´ Bayern were careless, says Heynckes 3 November 2011
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes denied his men were careless in their 3-2 victory over Napoli in the Champions League Group A clash.
The Bundesliga leaders raced into a three-goal lead courtesy of a first-half hat-trick from Mario Gomez at the Allianz Arena, but a brace from Federico Fernandez ensured a nervy end to the clash.
Speaking at a press conference in the wake of the game, Heynckes maintained that, even at 3-0, Napoli were never out of the game.
"There is no way we were careless after we went 3-0 up. I told the team before the game that it would be very difficult today," he said.
"Napoli never gave up, they have superb morale and are the top when it comes to fighting and running.""At this level, you get nothing for free and until today they had not lost a single Champions League game.
We have to be pleased that we won. Such games happen in Europe, maybe this will help bring expectations back down to earth."
Heynckes said he hoped his team could recover from absence of Bastian Schweinsteiger for up to six weeks with a collarbone injury: "We've always been able to replace injured players. I hope that we also succeed this time," he said.
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri saluted his players' fighting spirit after a 3-2 defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
Napoli were stunned by Bayern's rampant start to the game, finding themselves down 3-0 to the Bundesliga leaders after 42 minutes courtesy of Mario Gomez' hat-trick.
But the Serie A side fought its way back into the match through Federico Fernandez's brace and kept pushing in search for an equaliser until the very end.
Both sides finished with 10 men, with Juan Camilo Zuniga dismissed for Napoli in the 70th minute and Bayern's Holger Badstuber following him seven minutes later.
"We had an exceptional second half, even when we had 10 men and they had 11, we tried everything until the end," Mazzarri told Sky Sport Italia.
"We return to Naples happy, the only thing we cannot be happy with is that we lost. I could not have asked for more from my players."
"To come here and impose our game for a long period, in the stadium of the strongest team in Europe, together with Barcelona - that is something that not everyone can do."
The result ensures Napoli slip to third place in Group A on five points, with the home match against second-placed Manchester City on November 22 crucial in determining whether they will progress to the knockout stage.
I want to spend a bit more time rehabilitating and i'm still afraid of what would happen if someone tried to tackle me. But don't worry, we are second in the Premier League and just two points behind Zenit. The club can rely on Doumbia's free flowing goals to overtake the top spot soon.
Top sides aim for knockout spots Manchester United, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich will all be looking to secure their spot in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages on Tuesday night.
While Real Madrid, AC Milan and Barcelona have already confirmed their place in the round of 16 draw in Nyon on 16 Dec, several top sides still have much to do to make the next round of the Champions League. There will also be hopes from football romantics that relative minnows APEOL FC and Trabzonspor can spring a surprise on Europe's elite.
Roberto Mancini takes his charges back to his homeland when Manchester City travel to Italy to face Napoli in Group A. Napoli will be encouraged by their impressive 1-1 stalemate with the Citizens in their maiden group encounter.
The stylish Italian outfit boast of an unbeaten home record of ten matches after returning to European competition in 2008 for the first time in 13 years. German side Eintracht Frankfurt were the last side to defeat Napoli in their own backyard in December 1994.
The 2009 European champions suffered a disastrous 1-0 defeat to unfancied Turkish side Trabzonspor on matchday one thanks to a late strike from Ondřej Čelůstka. In fact, both sides faced off in the 1983/84 UEFA Cup first round and although Inter lost the first-leg 1-0 in Trabzon, they sailed through the next round with a 2-0 home win.
Trabzonspor tactician Şenol Güneş was the man between the sticks then during both legs against Inter. Bayern Munich will also take on Villarreal at home at the Allianz Arena, and will look for all three points to try to secure their position at the top of their group.
In Group C, Manchester United are aiming to sail through to the knockout phase for the sixth straight season when they tackle Portuguese outfit Benfica at Old Trafford. Both sides played out to a 1-1 draw in the opening group encounter in Lisbon.
The Red Devils have a formidable home record in ten matches against Portuguese opposition. They have won eight matches and drawn two without losing to any Portuguese side.
Benfica however, are unbeaten away from home this season in Europe. Paraguayan frontman Óscar Cardozo, who scored against United last time out, plundered in six goals in four ties against English opposition during the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League campaign and will be looking to continue his hot streak.
Otelul Galati will also welcome Basel in what could be a fight for third spot in Group C, as both sides look to be the victims of the Red Devils' and Benfica's superior pedigree.
In Group B, Trabzonspor travel to Inter Milan on the back of a 1-1 draw with Mansaspor in their Super Lig opener. The visitors will have to make do without Burak Yilmaz and Adrian Mierzejewsk, as the duo are both suspended. To complicate matters for the Turks, coach Senol Gunes will serve his first of a two-match touchline ban.
But Inter Milan boss Gian Piero Gasperini has his own troubles, as Diego Forlan is ineligible to play in the fixture, and to make matters worse, star playmaker Wesley Sneijder has been ruled out with a thigh strain. CSKA Moscow will also welcome Lille, who languish at the bottom of the group.
Last, but certainly not least, Group D leaders Real Madrid will welcome Dinamo Zagreb, who will be trying not to repeat their poor performance of ending their campaign without a single point once more.
An Angel Di Maria effort gave Jose Mourinho's men the win in their last encounter, despite the absence of the Portuguese from a touchline ban, and he will certainly relish yet another victory in Europe against the Croatina champions.
In a face-off between two of Europe's most historied clubs, Lyon will welcome Ajax Amsterdam in the Stade de Gerland. The Ligue 1 side have the chance to leapfrog Ajax into second spot in the group, and will be desperate for a home victory.
Grp A: Bayern Munich vs Villarreal Preview Bayern Munich have already put the disappointment of Saturday's Bundesliga defeat to Borussia Dortmund behind them.
The 1-0 loss to Dortmund was a blow in Bayern's bid to reclaim the domestic crown they relinquished to Jurgen Klopp's men in May but they remain two points clear at the summit.
They have found life equally straightforward in Europe, with three wins from their four Group A matches taking them clear of big-spending Manchester City. A draw against Villarreal would guarantee them a place in the knockout phase, while a win would secure them top spot should City fail to win at Napoli.
Coach Jupp Heynckes said: "We have big ambitions in the Champions League. "It is good that on Tuesday we already have the next game. "I think we have digested the defeat against Dortmund and I am confident that we can defend our leading position in the group."
Heynckes has come in for criticism for starting Arjen Robben against Dortmund despite the winger lacking match practice but the former Bayer Leverkusen boss says the Holland international will play against Villarreal.
"Arjen needs match practice. Of course he will play from the start," he said. Villarreal have lost all four matches in the pool and need to win and against Napoli on matchday six to stand any chance of clinching third place and a spot in the Europa League.
Juan Carlos Garrido's side have struggled domestically and in continental competition this season. But three successive clean sheets in the Primera Division suggest they may have found something to build on. Defender Gonzalo Rodriguez said: "The situation is not easy, but the team has come together and we are trying to find our way.
"Three games with a clean sheet was a key step and we have managed to do it. A Borja Valero goal was enough to give Villarreal a 1-0 win over Real Betis at the weekend, a result which lifted the Yellow Submarine up to 12th in the standings.
Grp B: Trabzonspor vs Inter Milan Preview Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia was delighted with his team's performance against Cagliari on Saturday and has called for more of the same at Trabzonspor.
A win in Turkey would see the Italians, who have a four-point lead in Group B, progress to the next round with a game in hand. The Nerazzurri end the group at home to CSKA Moscow on December 7.
"We need the three points tomorrow to reach the knock-out stages," Ranocchia told his club's official website www.inter.it. "It's an important step that we must take. "To qualify for the next round would allow us to fully focus on the domestic front."
The Nerazzurri are in buoyant mood after a solid display saw them beat Cagliari 2-1 at the weekend to record their third win in Serie A. Claudio Ranieri's side still has a lot of work to do if it is to compete for the scudetto this season. They are 16th in Serie A, 11 points behind league leaders Juventus.
"We are slowly getting back on track," Ranocchia said. "We have improved after the international break and we played good football against Cagliari. "It was an important result considering that we are still unlucky with injuries."
Inter suffered a setback ahead of their trip to Turkey with Dutch winger Wesley Sneijder ruled out with a thigh strain. Sulley Muntari and Maicon are also unavailable. However, Ranieri has recovered defenders Lucio and Yuto Nagatomo, who could feature on Tuesday.
Rivals Trabzonspor are confident they can end Inter's three-match winning streak in Europe and surprise the Italians again. The Turkish outfit beat Inter 1-0 at the San Siro in their group opener and are third, level on five points with CSKA. Senol Gunes' men are hoping to improve with respect to their goalless home draw against CSKA last time out.
"We were disappointed with that result," Trabzonspor defender Giray Kacar said. "We missed a chance to go second. Now we must beat Inter and we know we can do it. "We managed to do so in Milan and there is no reason why we cannot do it again this time in Trabzon."
Trabzonspor go into the encounter on the back of last weekend's 1-1 draw at Mersin that left them second in the Turkish Super Lig, four points behind Fenerbahce.
Grp C: Man United vs Benfica Preview Wayne Rooney was a notable absentee for the open section of Manchester United training on Monday morning ahead of their Champions League encounter with Benfica.
The England striker was part of the Red Devils side that won at Swansea on Saturday and was expected to feature on Tuesday night in a game United need to win to maintain hopes of topping Group C.
However, Rooney was missing when the United squad were put through their paces at Carrington, raising obvious fears about whether he will be fit to play.
There was no immediate word from United about whether Rooney was injured, with Sir Alex Ferguson likely to offer an update during Tuesday afternoon's routine pre-match press conference. Also absent was Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans.
Defender Chris Smalling and striker Danny Welbeck, who both missed the weekend trip to south Wales because of injury, trained in a small group away from the main session, although previously Ferguson had indicated Smalling might be fit for Tuesday's game.
Long-term absentees Michael Owen and Tom Cleverley were not present but there was some good news with defender Patrice Evra, who has been suffering from a virus, part of the 21-man group which trained normally.
Grp D: Lyon vs Ajax Amsterdam Preview Lyon coach Remi Garde admits his players are facing an uphill task in their Champions League match against Ajax.
Only a victory will do for Les Gones if they are to make it through to the last 16 for the ninth successive season. Back-to-back defeats against Group D leaders Real Madrid have left them third in the standings, three points behind Ajax with just two rounds of fixtures remaining. And Garde admits his team's performances have fallen below expectations so far.
"We have to beat Ajax," he said. "It's all or nothing. "Our problem has not been our ambition, but our game. "It's a different kind of competition on Tuesday (to Ligue 1) and sometimes we do not always have enough power in the Champions League."
Garde will have Dejan Lovren available for selection following a thigh injury, while Maxime Gonalons (calf) could also return. Remy Vercoutre (foot), Anthony Lopes (ankle), John Mensah (calf) and Yannis Tafer (foot) are all long-term absentees. A yellow card for Kim Kallstrom would see the Sweden midfielder supended for Lyon's final group match against Dinamo Zagreb.
Ajax coach Frank de Boer will be without Derk Boerrigter (back), Dmitri Bulykin (calf) and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (ankle) for the trip to France. Siem de Jong is also sidelined with a thigh injury.
The Amsterdam club did not have the ideal preparation for the match, throwing away a 2-0 lead against NAC Breda to draw 2-2 in the Eredivisie at the weekend. But De Boer remains hopeful they can improve on that performance at the Stade Gerland.
"I saw a very good Ajax for 75 minutes," he said on www.ajax.nl. "We dominated, had chances and gave little away. "But in the last 15 minutes we were careless and made the wrong decisions. At 2-0 up you think you are going to win, but it ended 2-2.
"Of course that hurts, not just for myself and the fans but also the players. "But we will take on Lyon on Tuesday and we must build on the good things I saw against NAC."
Fergie: Rooney will be fit to play 22 November 2011
Sir Alex Ferguson said Wayne Rooney should be fit to face Benfica in the Champions League despite missing training on Monday.
Manchester United had 24 outfield players present during the training session, but Rooney was not one of them.
However, Ferguson ruled out a serious injury and he expected the striker to be fit for Tuesday's match at Old Trafford, which could secure United's progress to the knockout stages as group winners if they win.
"We've got one or two knocks from Saturday," Ferguson said."Jonny Evans has some tightness in his hamstring but will hopefully be okay tomorrow.""Wayne's got a few knocks and missed training today but should be okay."
"Chris Smalling trained this morning but won't be available for tomorrow – he should be okay for Saturday (against Newcastle) and Anderson is out injured."Sir Alex also mentioned how important it is for United to win the game and top the group."It's a big game," he said.
"We recognise it's a real European game with history between Benfica and ourselves.""Probably the bonus coming out of it is if we do finish top (of the group). One issue is the teams you’ll play but the other one is the second leg is at home at Old Trafford."
"It's always an advantage so it's always been our intention to finish top. That's not always been the case as we've finished second several times but, with the quality of the teams, it does not make a great difference.""It could make a little difference and the main advantage, to my mind is having the second leg at Old Trafford."
Iniesta out of crunch clash with Milan 21 November 2011
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League Group H encounter against AC Milan.
The midfielder picked up a thigh injury in Saturday's 4-0 La Liga win over Zaragoza and Barca's website confirmed that Iniesta has not been included in the match squad for the crunch clash at San Siro.
The 27-year-old came off the bench after 56 minutes and lasted until the final whistle, but complained about pain in his left thigh afterwards.
Barca are also without Adriano Correia, Ibrahim Afellay and Daniel Alves while Iniesta's absence is a further blow for coach Pep Guardiola.
Both clubs have already qualified for the last 16 stage of the competition.
They are now just fighting for first place in the group, a position Barca currently hold by two points over the San Siro giants.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will not risk Kaka for their Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb at the Bernabeu on Tuesday.
The former AC Milan man is still struggling with a leg injury he sustained last month against Real Sociedad and is one of a long list of players missing from the squad.
Ricardo Carvalho, Angel Di Maria, Marcelo and Alvaro Arbeloa will all be absent for Zagreb's visit.
"I cannot say my formation, but the players who have spoken in the press conferences this week will be starting," Mourinho said.
"Kaka still has a little problem, but he has overcome the injury. We do not want him to return to the pitch unless he is 100 per cent."
"As for Sergio Ramos, I do not know if he will play on the flank, it all depends. He is playing brilliantly in a centre-back role."
Mourinho praised Lassana Diarra who will get the nod against the Croatian side.
"Lass is a starter and he can do everything, play in the middle, on the wings or as an offensive midfielder. He has character and he will play tomorrow," Mourinho said.
"We are top of the group with 12 points from four wins and we want to stay in first place. We want to play well tomorrow (Tuesday) and entertain the fans."
Real Madrid defeated Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 in their opening group fixture.
Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri is preparing for a stormy clash with Manchester City in Tuesday's Champions League Group A game.
The Italian knows his side face a tough battle against the Premier League leaders, who are in sensational form. Napoli, however, are looking to overturn the balance of power in Europe having drawn 1-1 at City in match day one.
"Clubs today are businesses and City are on the same level as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea," Mazzarri said."But, on the pitch, we will be there to fight and create problems for them. I am convinced we can hurt City and we will be playing for perfection."
"If we can play excellently in every area then I cannot see any reason as to why we cannot get a good result against such a great team as Manchester City.""However, we must not forget that this is a team who stuck six (goals) past Manchester United and then on Saturday strolled to a (3-1) win against Newcastle."
Mazzarri hopes his attacking trident of Marek Hamsik, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani show their skills at the San Paolo."Everyone must do what I ask of them and play a good game, but it's clear Hamsik, Cavani and Lavezzi are the players who can make a difference up front," he said.
Napoli are currently third in Group A and need a win to keep their hopes of reaching the last 16 alive.
Heynckes ready for tough Spanish defence 22 November 2011
Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes is confident of success against Villarreal in Tuesday's Champions League Group A match.
The Germans are eager to get back on track after losing 1-0 to Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Heynckes sees Villarreal as a chance to underline Bayern's lofty aspirations in Europe this term.
"We have big ambitions in the Champions League," the coach said at a press conference."It's good that on Tuesday we have our next encounter.""I think we have digested the defeat to Dortmund and I am confident that we can defend our leading position in the group."
Without revealing too much about his starting team, Heynckes said Arjen Robben is certain to feature in Munich."As soon as possible I need to get Arjen up to speed. He needs match practice. Of course, he will play from the beginning," he said.
"(Villarreal are a) top team in Spanish football and we will face very well-organised opponents, who will play with two rows of four in defence."
Bayern winger Franck Ribery then offered this assessment of the upcoming encounter, saying: "This is a very important game for us.""We want to do well and we must win it to remain in first place, which would give us an advantage for the first knockout round."
"The team have to play more aggressively against Villarreal. This did not work very well against Dortmund. We need to fight and we will."
Sam: Ballack crucial for Chelsea visit 21 November 2011
Sidney Sam believes Michael Ballack's presence will help Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League Group E clash with Chelsea on Wednesday.
Bundesliga outfit Leverkusen trail group leaders Chelsea by two points with two matches remaining, with the English Premier League club winning the home encounter between the two sides on September 13.
Former Germany captain Ballack spent four seasons at Chelsea before returning to Leverkusen in June 2010, having initially left the BayArena in 2002 to join Bayern Munich.
Sam is hopeful Leverkusen can improve on their showing against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in September, and believes Ballack's inside knowledge of his former club could prove crucial.
"Chelsea are a tight team; they are a team with big names. That's what characterises them. They are very robust and play well. They play the ball up front very quickly and directly," Sam told UEFA.com.
"They are a great team. We did quite well at Stamford Bridge and might have got a bit more, maybe a draw. But now we play Chelsea at home. We want to win the game and will give everything."
"Michael Ballack has international experience and is a great player, and he can help us young players. When it is not going too well, he is there and he pushes the team; he is a leader and any team could do with him. Of course, he has been giving us advice. Chelsea are his old club and he can help us."
