Tuesday, September 14, 2010

UEFA Champions League preview

Group A:

Werder Bremen v Tottenham Hotspur
  • This is the first time that these two clubs have met in a competitive game.
  • Werder have lost three of their four competitive games against English teams, but the last time they played against one, they defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the 2006/07 Champions League group stage.
  • Bremen have qualified for the Champions League in six of the last seven seasons.
  • Tottenham have never competed in Champions League since its foundation in 1992/93.
  • Spurs were the first British team to win a European club competition when they won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1963.
  • If Naldo, Mertesacker and Pizarro fail to return for this match, Werder would miss almost a hundred Champions League matches worth of experience (Naldo 24, Mertesacker 16, Pizarro 57).
  • Mikael Silvestre spent nine years in the Premier League with both Manchester Utd and Arsenal and has already played Tottenham 17 times (11 wins, only three defeats). He won the 2008 Champions League with the Red Devils.
  • When the Spurs' new signing Rafael van der Vaart played for Hamburg, he scored more goals against Werder than against any other side; three, all away from home.
  • Bremen have scored four goals in each of their last three European ties played at home.



FC Twente v Inter Milan
  • This is the first meeting between Twente and Inter Milan in a European competition.
  • Twente have never before competed in Champions League; they have been eliminated at the qualification stage in the last two years.
  • Internazionale are undefeated in seven European games against Dutch teams (five wins, two draws), and have won all of their last three matches.
  • Inter have only lost one of their last eight Champions League games (seven wins). Only Barcelona were able to defeat them last season (group stages 0-2; semi-final 0-1).
  • Diego Milito has scored Inter's last three Champions League goals, including two against Bayern Munich in the final.
  • After Jose Mourinho left for Real Madrid, Rafael Benitez took charge of Inter in June 2010. Benitez won the 2005 Champions League after the Reds defeated AC Milan 6-5 on penalties in the Champions League final.
  • Wesley Sneijder assisted more goals (6) than any other player in the 2009-10 Champions League.
Group B:

Lyon v Schalke
  • This will be the first-ever competitive match between Olympique Lyon and Schalke 04.
  • This is the eleventh consecutive season that Lyon have competed in the Champions League. The club has reached the knockout stages in each of the last seven seasons.
  • Lyon have lost each of their last three Champions League games, but have only lost one of their last seven Champions League home games (four wins, two draws) - their last game against Bayern Munich (0-3).
  • Schalke have lost all of their last three Champions League games and have won only one of their last nine fixtures in the competition (six defeats, two draws).
  • FC Schalke have only won two away games in their entire Champions League history (nine defeats, three draws).
  • Felix Magath won the 1983 European Cup with Hamburger SV and scored the winning goal in the final against Juventus.
  • Raul is the most prolific goal scorer in Champions League history, having scored 66 goals in 127 matches for Real Madrid. He has won the Champions League three times in his career (1998, 2000, 2002).


Benfica v Hapoel Tel Aviv
  • This will be the first competitive meeting between Benfica Lisbon and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
  • Tel Aviv have never before played a competitive against a Portuguese team. Benfica have only once before been up against a team from Israel: the second round of the 1998/99 CL qualifiers had them face Beitar Jerusalem (6-0 at home, 2-4 away).
  • Both clubs competed in the Europa League last season. Hapoel were eliminated by Rubin Kazan in the last-32 (0-3 A, 0-0 H) while Benfica were eliminated by Liverpool in the quarter-finals (2-1 H, 1-4 A).
  • Hapoel have scored 13 goals in their six Champions League qualifying matches. They have, however, only scored one goal in their last four non-qualifying European games.
  • Benfica have only lost one of their last 10 European matches (seven wins, two draws).
  • Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo's 26 goals in 29 appearances last season were the most in the Liga Sagres. He was tied with Claudio Pizarro for being Europa League's most prolific striker (nine goals).
  • In the first leg of Tel Aviv's Champions League playoff at Salzburg, goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama converted a penalty after three minutes (1-0; final result 3-2). He scored five league goals for Hapoel last season.

Group C

Manchester United v Rangers
  • Manchester United have won and kept a clean sheet in both of their previous meetings with Rangers (2003/04 Champions League). The Red Devils defeated Rangers 3-0 at home and 1-0 in Glasgow.
  • Rangers have won 53 league titles in Scotland (currently the world record) while Manchester United are tied with Liverpool with 18 Premier League titles.
  • Manchester United have only lost one of their eight European matches against Scottish teams (five wins, two draws). Only Celtic have been able to defeat United; in the 2006/07 group stages (0-1).
  • Rangers haven't been able to win any of their last 10 Champions League games (three draws, seven losses). Their last victory came back in October 2007; 3-0 at Lyon.
  • The Gers have failed to score a goals in six of their previous 12 European matches against English sides - none of these 12 matches have seen them score more than two goals.
  • Manchester United have only lost one of their last 26 Champions League home games (19 wins, six draws).
  • Rangers posted the worst shooting accuracy of any team in the 2009/10 Champions League, hitting the target with just 32% of their attempts.
  • Man Utd scored a joint-competition high seven headed goals in the 2009/10 Champions League.



Bursaspor v Valencia
  • Bursaspor won the Turkish league championship for the first time last season and will be making their debut appearance in the Champions League.
  • Valencia have only lost one of their six European matches against Turkish clubs.
  • Bursaspor's greatest continental success came back in the 1974/75 Cup Winner's Cup, where they reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Dynamo Kiev (0-1 at home, 0-2 away).
  • Valencia have only lost one out of their last 24 European competitive games, including playoffs (nine wins, 14 draws).
  • The last time that Valencia competed in Champions League, they were eliminated in the group stages.

Group D

Barcelona v Panathinaikos
  • Panathinaikos have visited the Camp Nou twice and have lost both times, conceding eight goals in the process.
  • The last time that Panathinaikos clashed with Barca was in the 2005/06 group stages, where they were beaten 0-5 - their heaviest-ever CL defeat alongside 0-5 v Manchester United in 2003.
  • The best Panathinaikos have managed on Spanish soil is a draw in 12 games (at Villarreal), losing the other 11 and scoring just six goals.
  • Barcelona have won all five of their home games against Greek teams, scoring 21 and conceding only twice.
  • The last time that the Catalan side lost their opening Champions League game in a season was back in 1997/98 - 2-3 v Newcastle.
  • Last season, the Athens side were eliminated from the Champions League playoffs by Atletico Madrid (2-3 H, 0-3 A).
  • Including new arrival David Villa, seven players from Spain's starting XI in the World Cup final against the Netherlands are under contract at Barcelona.
  • Barcelona posted the best passing accuracy figures in the Champions League, completing 89% of their passes.

FC Copenhagen v Rubin Kazan

  • This is the first time that these teams will clash in a European competitive match.
  • FC Copenhagen have never lost a European match against a Russian side (two wins, one draw).
  • Copenhagen have progressed past the qualifiers (BATE Borisov 0-0 A, 3-2 H) as well as the playoffs (Rosenborg 1-2 A, 1-0 H) on their way to competing in Champions League for the third time.
  • Rubin have won the Russian league title in the last two seasons - they are the club's first two domestic league titles.
  • Last season, Rubin were eliminated from the Champions League group stages, despite winning five of their six points in matches against Inter Milan and Barcelona.
  • In their last participation in the Champions League group stages (2006/07), FC Copenhagen were undefeated a home; defeating both Manchester United and Celtic and drawing with Benfica.



Group E

Bayern Munich v Roma
  • This is the first time that Bayern and Roma will clash in Champions League, but Bayern eliminated Roma from the 1985 Cup Winners' Cup at the quarter final stage (2-0 H, 2-1 A).
  • This will be the 20th time that Bayern face an Italian side in the Champions League. They have won just five of their previous 19 encounters.
  • Bayern played five matches against Italian teams last season: Juventus in the group stage (0-0 H, 4-1 A), Fiorentina in the last-16 (2-1H, 2-3A) and Inter Milan in the final (0-2).
  • Bayern Munich have only lost one of their seven Champions League matches against Italian teams in the Allianz Arena (three wins, three draws). AC Milan won 2-0 at Munich on April 11, 2007 and went on to win the trophy.
  • Roma have never been held to a draw in a European match played in Germany (five wins, nine defeats).
  • The Italian giants have only won two of their last 11 matches in Germany (nine losses).
  • FC Bayern scored the most goals in the Champions League last season (21), alongside Manchester United and Arsenal.
  • Only Lionel Messi scored more Champions League goals last season (eight) than Ivica Olic (seven, like Cristiano Ronaldo).
  • Arjen Robben was Bayern's most prolific striker last season, having scored 23 goals in 37 competitive matches.

CFR Cluj v Basel
  • This is the first competitive meeting between Cluj and Basel and neither side have played a team from their opposition's country before.
  • Basel qualified with victories over VSC Debrecen (2-0, 3-1) and Sheriff Tiraspol (1-0, 3-0) while Cluj were directly seeded as Romanian champions.
  • Basel won the Swiss championship in both 2008 and 2010, and were also able to win the Swiss Cup in the same seasons.
  • Cluj have won the Romanian championship in 2008 and 2010, and were also able to win the Romanian Cup in the last three consecutive years (2008 through 2010).
  • On the last occasion that CFR Cluj played in the Champions League (2008/09), the Romanian side had the best tackle success rate in the competition - 83%.
  • Basel were last in the Champions League group stages in 2008/09, where they won just one point, scored only two goals and conceded 16.
  • In 2008/09, Basel converted just 3.9% of their chances; the lowest rate in the competition.



Group F

Marseille v Spartak Moscow
  • Marseille have won three out of four European matches against Spartak Moscow.
  • Spartak's greatest international success was reaching the 1990/91 European Cup semi-final - from where they were eliminated by Olympique Marseille.
  • Marseille were the first team to win the Champions League when it was founded in 1992/93 (1-0 v. AC Milan).
  • Last season, Marseille won their first championship since 1992. Their first championship in 18 years was the ninth in the club's history (not including their revoked league title in 1993).
  • Spartak have only won two out of their previous 19 European matches against French sides (13 defeats, four draws).
  • Olympique Marseille have won four out of five home games against Russian sides (one defeat).
  • Marseille manager Didier Deschamps has won the Champions League twice as a player, in 1993 at OM and in 1996 at Juventus. He lost the 2004 Champions League final, where he managed Monaco, to FC Porto.

Zilina v Chelsea
  • These clubs have already met in the Champions League; in the third qualifying round of 2003/04, when Chelsea won 2-0 and 3-0.
  • Chelsea have won all four of their matches against Slovakian sides with a cumulative score of 9-0.
  • This will be Chelsea's eighth successive season in the Champions League.
  • Last season, Chelsea were eliminated from the last-16 by Inter Milan (1-2, 0-1) who later went on to win the trophy. Inter were managed by former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho.
  • Zilina have won seven Slovakian championships, five of them in this century (1928, 1929, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010).
  • Three men at Chelsea have previously won the Champions League: Jose Bosingwa and Paulo Ferreira (2004 at Porto) as well as manager Carlo Ancelotti (2003 and 2007 at AC Milan).
  • Zilina's home games are played in the Champions League's smallest venue: Zilina's "Pod Dubnom" stadium only has a maximum capacity of 11,181 seats.



Group G

AC Milan v Auxerre
  • These teams met in the first round of the UEFA Cup 25 years ago. It was only Auxerre's third European match, they won at home 3-1 before Milan won their own home game 3-0 and eliminated Auxerre.
  • Milan have won the Champions League three times (1994, 2003, 2007) and have competed in a total of 139 matches, Auxerre have only played in 14.
  • 1996/97 was the first time that Auxerre competed in the Champions League, and it was their best ever European season. They were eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual winners Borussia Dortmund.
  • Milan haven't won any of their last five home games in the Champions League - most recently losing their round of 16 game against Manchester United (2-3) last season.
  • Auxerre have won three out of seven away games (four defeats) in the Champions League - in Glasgow (Rangers), Amsterdam (Ajax) and London (Arsenal).
  • The last time that Milan were eliminated from the Champions League in the group stages was in 1999/00, when they were behind Hertha BSC and Chelsea.
  • Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri was voted ‘Manager Of The Year‘ in 2009 and 2010 in Italy. Allegri made his first professional league appearance in June 1989, playing against AC Milan.
  • Milan's Clarence Seedorf is the only player other than Samuel Eto'o that has won the Champions League with three different teams (Ajax 1995, Real Madrid 1998, Milan 2003 and 2007).
  • Ronaldinho‘s first ever competitive appearance in European football was in August 2001 for PSG against Auxerre (Ligue 1), the game ended 1-1.

Real Madrid v Ajax
  • These sides have met six times in the Champions League/European Cup with Ajax winning the last four. Real's only victory over Amsterdam was in October 1967 (43 years ago).
  • In their 15 seasons in the Champions League, Real have never been eliminated in the group stage - but they have been knocked out in the round of 16 in each of the last six seasons.
  • This is the first time since 2005/06 that Ajax have qualified for the Champions League, despite winning only one of their four qualifiers (three draws).
  • In Real Madrid, AC Milan and Ajax there are three former Champions League/European Cup winners in Group C. Between them they have won 20 out of 55 Champions League/European Cups.
  • This game has echoes of the World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands. Five players from Spain play for Real (Casillas, Arbeloa, Raul Albiol, Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso) while four Dutch players represent Ajax (Stekelenburg, van der Wiel, de Zeeuw and Ooijer).
  • Cristiano Ronaldo, who was the joint-second top scorer in the Champions League last season with seven goals may miss this game due to injury. Ronaldo only missed one Champions League game last season, a home game against AC Milan that Real lost 2-3.
  • Luis Suarez scored in three of Ajax' four Champions League qualifiers this season. His new strike partner Mounir El Hamdaoui was the top goalscorer in the Eredivisie in 2008/09.
  • Ajax will be the first club that Martin Jol has managed in the Champions League. Real are the fourth club that Jose Mourinho has managed in the competition - after Porto, Chelsea and Inter.
  • Real Madrid conceded three penalties in last season's Champions League, more than any other team (two of them after fouls by Iker Casillas).


Group H:

Arsenal v Braga
  • This is the first time that these clubs have met in a European match.
  • Braga have only won one out of eight matches against English clubs (six defeats, one draw). Braga defeated Portsmouth 3-0 in 2008/09.
  • Braga, runners-up in the Portuguese league last season, have qualified for the Champions League for the first time while the Gunners have appeared in the last 13 consecutive editions of the competition.
  • Braga's greatest European success to date was reaching the UEFA Cup round of 16 in 2006/07 and 2008/09.
  • Arsenal have only lost one of their last 30 Champions League home games (20 wins, nine draws).
  • Nicklas Bendtner has scored four goals in his last three Champions League appearances.
  • Lima and Matheus scored six of their team's nine goals in the qualifiers for the group stages, with the former scoring a hat-trick against Sevilla away.
  • Eduardo, who kept goal for Portugal in all four of their matches at the World Cup in South Africa this summer, has left Sporting Braga for Genoa.
  • The Gunners recorded the best shooting accuracy of any team in the 2009-10 Champions League, finding the target with 58% of their shots.


Shakhtar Donetsk v Partizan Belgrade
  • These two clubs met in last year's Europa League group stage. Shaktar won at home 4-1 and progressed to the next round with 13 points. Partizan won the return match but were eliminated with only three points.
  • Donetsk's greatest success in Europe so far was winning the 2009 UEFA Cup after defeating Werder Bremen 2-1 (AET) in the final.
  • Partizan competed in the 1977 European Champions' Cup final and were up 1-0 against Real Madrid but eventually lost 1-2.
  • Donetsk have won the Ukrainian championship five times in the last nine years (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2010) and qualified automatically for the group stage.
  • Belgrade have won the Serbian championship in the last three seasons but still had to go through three qualification rounds. The beat Pjunik Erevan, HJK Helsiniki and RSC Anderlecht (after penalties).
  • Partizan's Brazilian attacker Cleo scored in each of his club's six qualifiers, netting a total of eight goals.

14.09. 2010. Championship Preview

Barnsley v Leeds United
  • The last four league meetings between these sides have seen 17 goals scored in total.
  • This will be the 50th meeting between these sides in all competitions, Leeds have won 19 and Barnsley 15 with 15 draws rounding off the record.
  • The Tykes have won both home matches in the league this season, keeping a clean sheet in both.
  • Leeds are on a run of three straight wins in the Championship, only Cardiff (four) have gone as long.


Bristol City v Watford
  • The Robins have failed to win their last eight home games against Watford in the league.
  • The last three games between these sides at Ashton Gate have ended level.
  • Despite only having played at Ashton Gate twice this season, City have conceded more home goals (six) than any other Championship side.
  • Watford are unbeaten in their last three away games in the Championship, winning twice.

Doncaster v Norwich
  • Norwich have won six of their eight league games against Doncaster, with their only defeat coming in their first league encounter back in 1935.
  • The last time the sides met was in the 2008/09 season, when four of the five goals in the two games were scored in the second half.
  • Billy Sharp has scored from the spot in both of Rovers' home games this season.
  • All but one of the Canaries' eight league goals this season have come in the second half, with three coming in the 90th minute.

Hull v Derby
  • Four of the last six league meetings between the sides have ended level.
  • In 26 meetings in all competitions since the Second World War, there has not been one goalless draw in this fixture.
  • The Tigers have found the net just once in their last four league games.
  • Both teams have lost three of their last four league games, drawing one.

Ipswich v QPR
  • Ipswich have won their last four fixtures against QPR.
  • Rovers have failed to score in their last three visits to Portman Road.
  • In five games this season, Ipswich have won as many league matches (three) as they did in their first 22 last season.
  • This fixture sees a clash between two of the three sides who are still unbeaten in the Championship this season.
  • Jamie Mackie has scored in four of the Hoops' five league games this season.

Leicester v Cardiff
  • These sides met five times last season, with Cardiff securing three wins and the Foxes two.
  • Peter Whittingham scored in four of the five clashes last term.
  • All four of Leicester's league goals this season have come in the second half.
  • Cardiff have won four straight league matches for the first time since October 2006.

Middlesbrough v Burnley
  • These sides have not met since the 1994/95 season when Boro won 2-0 at home and 3-0 away, John Hendrie scored all five of those goals.
  • There has only been one goalless draw in the last 25 meetings between these outfits in all competitions.
  • Only Portsmouth (one) have scored fewer goals than Middlesbrough (two) in the Championship this season.
  • With five goals, Chris Iwelumo is top scorer in the Championship this season: in 2008/09 15 of his 16 Championship goals came before the end of November.

Millwall v Reading
  • Reading have won their last three games against Millwall, scoring nine and conceding just one in the process.
  • The Royals have won three of their last four at the New Den.
  • The Lions have scored 26 goals in their last eight league games at the New Den.
  • Reading have scored before half-time in five of their last six league matches.

Preston North End v Nottingham Forest
  • Preston are unbeaten in 10 home games against Forest in the league, winning the last three.
  • There has only been one away win in the last 17 encounters between these teams.
  • No side has conceded more goals than Preston (11) in the Championship this season.
  • Forest's last four league games have ended 1-1.
  • Nottingham Forest are without a win in their last 12 matches on the road in the Championship.


Sheffield United v Scunthorpe
  • Scunthorpe are unbeaten in the last five meetings with the Blades, winning both games last season.
  • Sheffield United have failed to score in their last two home games against the Iron.
  • The Blades have kept a clean sheet in four of their last five league matches at home.
  • Scunthorpe have kept only one clean sheet in their last 11 away matches: though this did come in a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane.


Swansea v Coventry
  • The last three games between these sides have seen just one goal scored in total.
  • Three of the last four games between the sides at Swansea have been goalless.
  • The Swans have conceded just one goal in their last six league games at home.
  • The Sky Blues have won none of their last seven away matches in the Championship.

Crystal Palace v Portsmouth
  • Pompey are unbeaten in seven games against Palace, including a win in the League Cup (on penalties) earlier this season.
  • The Eagles have failed to win any of their last four home games against Portsmouth, losing three of them.
  • Palace are on a run of four straight league defeats, the longest in the Championship.
  • Pompey have hit just one goal in the Championship this season.

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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 Werder - Tottenham Hot.

Werder Ready To Wreck Redknapp dream
Werder Bremen host a Tottenham side on Tuesday looking forward to their first taste of action in the Champions League proper.

The German side, who have qualified for Europe’s best club competition in six of the last seven seasons, have a number of key players with Champions League experience ahead of the start of this year’s competition, with three of their squad - Per Mertesacker, Naldo and Claudio Pizarro - making over 100 appearances in the tournament between them.

Despite boasting well-known names around European football, Werder have had a mixed start to their Bundesliga campaign. After finishing third in the league last year, they currently sit 10th in the table - though only three games have been played - after recovering from a shock 4-1 defeat to Hoffenheim on the opening day of the season to beat Koeln 4-2 and gain a creditable draw away to Bayern Munich.

Over the last couple of years Werder have had to part with arguably their best player of the previous season. Following the 2008-09 season, when they were losing UEFA Cup finalists, they sold Diego to Juventus, while they allowed World Cup 2010 star Mesut Oezil to join Real Madrid this summer. Wesley has been brought in this summer to bolster their midfield options and will be one of many players hoping to ruin Spurs’ day.

Time To Compete At Highest Level
While Werder qualified for the group stage of the tournament with a play-off win over Sampdoria, Tottenham made sure of progression the hard way after overturning a 3-0 deficit just 30 minutes into their first leg away to Young Boys to win 6-3 on aggregate, to secure their place in the Champions League group stage for the first time since its introduction.

Harry Redknapp’s role in Spurs’ success over the last couple of years cannot be overlooked. With a squad based largely on the same players that were at the club before his arrival, the former Portsmouth boss has turned a team who had just two points from eight Premier League games when he took over in 2008 into Champions League participants who have a serious chance of progressing to the knockout stage.

Tottenham looked as though they would have a good start to the season results-wise when the fixture list was announced, but that hasn’t been the case. The London club drew 0-0 at home to Manchester City on the opening day of the season and followed that up well with a 2-1 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium. However, two disappointing results have followed as they lost 1-0 at home to lowly Wigan Athletic before drawing 1-1 at newcomers West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

Despite their indifferent start to the season, Spurs look set to launch a challenge for a Champions League spot once again this year - a case strengthened by the summer captures of William Gallas and Rafael van der Vaart. They face a tough battle on the European front, however, as not only Werder Bremen, but Italian champions Inter and Dutch champions Twente also stand in their way.

TEAM NEWS

Werder Bremen

The big news for the hosts is that centre-back Per Mertesacker will be out for the next month with a broken eye socket.

Mertesacker’s partner at the back Naldo is also missing with a knee injury, which means former Manchester United and Arsenal defender Mikael Silvestre will continue in defence.

Meanwhile, Torsten Frings, Tim Borowski, Aaron Hunt and Claudio Pizarro look set to start after shaking off slight knocks.

Possible starting XI: Wiese; Fritz, Proedl, Silvestre, Pasanen; Borowski, Frings, Bargfrede; Marin; Hunt, Pizarro.

Tottenham

Spurs were hit with a massive blow on Saturday as it was feared Luka Modric could be out for some time, but his leg injury is not as bad as first feared and he could play a part in Germany.

Jermain Defoe will miss the game after being ruled out for three months with torn ligaments, while Michael Dawson is sidelined for two months with a knee injury.

Heurelho Gomes may not recover from his groin injury in time to regain his place, so Carlo Cudicini could continue in goal.

Possible starting XI: Cudicini; Corluka, Gallas, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Huddlestone, Bale; Van der Vaart; Crouch.


Prediction

Werder Bremen 2-1 Tottenham  


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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 Twente - Inter

Living The Dream

FC Twente are not a traditional powerhouse in the Netherlands but they have been a rising force in recent times. In 2009-10 under the guidance of former England coach Steve McClaren the Tukkers won the Eredivisie title for the first time in their 45-year history.

Twente will make their much anticipated debut in the Champions League on Tuesday when they take on Italian and European champions Inter at De Grolsch Veste. This is indeed a mismatch given the Nerazzurri's history and squad members but midfielder Wout Brama is confident of an upset at home.

"I'm looking ahead with a lot of excitement," the 24-year-old told Uefa.com. "It'll be hard but we have a chance. We always create chances at home. The most important thing is not to approach this match like it's a little bonus. It's the UEFA Champions League and we're the Dutch champions. We have to show that."

Starting All Over Again

It is taken for granted that one cannot win back-to-back Champions League trophies but Italian giants Inter will be looking to prove that notion wrong. Under Jose Mourinho the Beneamata accomplished a marvellous treble last season and defeated English champions Chelsea, Spanish champions Barcelona and German champions Bayern Munich on their way to conquering Europe.

However, with the departure of coach Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid in the summer, there has been doubt on whether the Nerazzurri can regroup under Rafael Benitez, who departed from Liverpool to take charge of Inter. Their comprehensive defeat to Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup combined with their less than impressive start to the new Serie A season in which they have taken four points out of two games has put Inter's credentials under doubt.

Nevertheless, Inter remain one of the strongest sides in Europe and in spite of losing striker Mario Balotelli to Manchester City will be expected to win Group A.



TEAM NEWS

Twente


Coach Michel Preud'homme is unlikely to field a 4-4-2 formation and could go with a 4-3-3 system. Midfielder Denny Landzaat could make the cut instead of forward Luuk de Jong.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Mihaylov, Roasles, Wisgerhof, Douglas, Tiendalli; Janssen, Brama, Landzaat; Ruiz, Janko, Chadli

Inter

Maicon is expected to return to the starting line-up after sitting out Saturday's game against Udinese because of a knock. Julio Cesar will be in goal while Javier Zanetti could be played in central midfield alongside Esteban Cambiasso instead at left-back, where Cristian Chivu is expected to start even though he was substituted at the weekend. However, Thiago Motta is out and Dejan Stankovic is struggling with an injury.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu; Cambiasso, Zanetti; Pandev, Sneijder, Eto'o; Milito


Prediction
Inter go into this match as favourites but the Beneamata must make sure that they remain solid at the back. A win for the Italian champions looks the most probable outcome but Twente may just eke out a draw.

Twente 1-1 Inter Milan

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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 Olympique Lyonnais - Schalke 04

Frustrating Start

Olympique Lyonnais and Schalke have both started their domestic campaigns in a highly disappointing fashion, despite ending last term as runners-up in their respective competitions, and approach that Champions League with some degree of trepidation.

For much of last term, OL toiled in Ligue 1 compared to their usual high standards. Vast summer investment failed to pay off domestically as Olympique de Marseille claimed the title, leaving Claude Puel’s side to make a late rally for second. Indeed, had it not been for les Gones’ strong performance in Europe, the former Lille and Monaco boss would have been under intense pressure to relinquish his position at the helm of the Rhone Valley side, and he already finds himself in a similar position this term.

One win in five Championnat matches has left Lyon seven points off the pace of surprise leaders Toulouse, yet there appears to have been little in the way of improvement from Lyon in the opening weeks of the season. At the weekend they grabbed the lead against Valenciennes thanks to youngster Jeremy Pied, but the visitors hit back after the break, consigning OL to another frustrating Saturday evening.

“Things just aren’t quite falling for us just now because we haven’t been that bad,” Jeremy Toulalan lamented to the media after the weekend’s setback.

“There's frustration but we must not lower our heads,” Puel indicated. “We will play every three or four days and that’s not bad.”

So often Lyon have raised themselves for the big European nights at Stade Gerland in recent seasons, and they will have to do just that if they are to strike a positive early blow towards progression in a tight looking group.

Lacking Harmony


If Lyon’s start to their Ligue 1 campaign has been mediocre, Schalke’s assault on the Bundesliga has been nothing short of catastrophic thus far as they have crumbled to three defeats in their opening three matches.

Hoffenheim were the latest side to take three points from die Koenigsblauen, claiming a 2-0 success on Friday evening. With a host of new faces introduced to the side over the summer months, it is little surprise that Felix Magath’s side have slipped in the early weeks of the season, though the sheer magnitude of their problems hadn’t been anticipated.

“We lacked the harmony on the pitch,” the coach explained after his side’s away loss, before trying to draw what few positives there were from the game. “Overall I am satisfied with the performance and the attitude of my team. The performance was an improvement over Hannover and Hamburg.”

It’s been three seasons since Schalke last graced the Champions League proper with their presence, and in 2007-08 they even managed to reach the quarter-finals after negotiating a group that involved Chelsea, Valencia and Rosenborg, only to succumb against Barcelona.

With names such as Raul and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar involved this season, the Bundesliga outfit have the billing to reach the knockout stages, but whether they have the cohesion is a whole other matter.

TEAM NEWS

Lyon


OL have been plagued with hamstring issues over the course of August, and many of these have yet to clear. Cris, who would have been banned from this match in any case, is one of those players suffering, while fellow defender Aly Cissokho won’t return in time to feature either. There have been some concerns voiced over Ederson’s career after he completely ruptured the muscle playing for Brazil earlier this season, and he will at least be missing until well into 2011.

Several first team players were benched at the weekend, giving them a useful breather before Tuesday’s big game.

Probable Starting XI:
Lloris; Reveillere, Lovren, Diahkate, Kolodziejczak; Toulalan, Makoun; Briand, Gourcuff, Michel Bastos; Lisandro

Schalke

Due to Felix Magath’s tendency to rotate his side and formation, it’s difficult to predict exactly how Schalke will start, though what’s certain is that a groin problem keeps Christoph Metzelder out of action.

He joins a number of squad players on the sidelines, while the other big injury issue is 22-year-old right wing-back Atsuto Uchida, who has a broken toe.

Probable Starting XI:
Neuer; Sarpei, Plestan, Hoewedes, Schmitz; Jones, Matip; Farfan, Raul, Rakitic - Huntelaar


Prediction
Both teams are capable of far better than they’ve shown domestically, but Schalke seem to be toiling that bit more than Lyon, who will also be buoyed by their home support. The French team should therefore be seen as favourites to get their Champions League campaign off to a positive start, but their erratic nature means that nothing is guaranteed.

O. Lyon 2-1 Schalke 04

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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 Manchester Utd. - Rangers

Battle Of Britain Awaits...
Manchester United begin their Champions League adventure with a ‘Battle of Britain’ fixture against Rangers on Tuesday night.

But the game itself is slightly different from the exciting tag that goes with it, as the strength of the SPL as opposed to the Premier League, coupled with the Glaswegian giants’ money woes and their underwhelming record in England, make Sir Alex Ferguson’s charges the favourites to emerge victorious from this encounter.

The Red Devils have not had the best of fortunes in recent times, as their Premier League campaign has not begun in a strong manner. A 3-0 victory over West Ham United was sandwiched by draws against Fulham and Everton.

The draw with the Toffees was particularly hard to swallow, as Ferguson’s men shipped two goals during the dying moments of the game to drop two points at Goodison Park.

Off-field affairs have also cast a shadow over the club, as the media furore surrounding star striker Wayne Rooney – following reports concerning his personal life – saw the 68-year-old boss leave out the hitman for the trip to play his former club.

However, Ferguson has maintained that Rooney will play in this game, and the familiar hunting ground of Old Trafford should provide the forward with a good platform to let his football become the talking point once again.

Gers Are The Obvious Underdogs...
Rangers are clearly the underdogs in this clash, and face the difficult task of battling a United squad whose progression into the last 16 of the tournament is sometimes taken as a foregone conclusion.

It is also worthy of note that the home side have lost just once in their last 25 European nights at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’. The defeat was to Turkish side Besiktas, with some ‘credit’ going to the under-strength United line-up fielded on the day.

In the meantime, Gers have begun their SPL campaign in style by registering four victories in as many games played. This should give the current Scottish champions some confidence as they go into this game.

Rangers boss Walter Smith has expressed a considerable amount of respect towards the achievements of United, but insists that his charges will be looking forward to clashing with one of the most successful clubs in England.

"It's a great game to kick off the campaign with, and there's no question we couldn't have had a tougher one," he said. "Any footballer worth his salt would want to go and play at Old Trafford so it is a game that we will look forward to.

"They have a supreme pedigree when it comes to the Champions League and it is not often that they don't make it to the late stages.

"They achieve a great level of consistency in European competition, but we know all about them and it will be a challenge we look forward to."

In the meantime, veteran defender David Weir has vowed to give their opponents a run for their money as both sides begin their European campaign.

"We will try to make it as difficult as possible for Manchester United," he said.

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United


With a heated game against Liverpool coming up at the weekend, manager Sir Alex Ferguson could make a few changes to his line-up.

Rio Ferdinand has returned to fitness, and should resume his partnership with Nemanja Vidic in the heart of defence.

In the meantime, Luis Antonio Valencia could return to the starting line-up, having not played any part in the game against Everton. And, most importantly, Wayne Rooney will return to the front line for the first time following the turmoil in his personal life was uncovered by a Sunday newspaper.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar, Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Fletcher, Gibson, Park; Rooney, Berbatov.

Rangers
Kirk Broadfoot was injured during the recent game against Hamilton Academical, so Steven Whittaker should man the right full-back position.

Kenny Miller could be played as a lone striker, as manager Walter Smith could come out with a slightly defensive approach considering that his side are playing away to United.

The Gers' poor record in England could also be a factor, as a draw will be a welcome result for the Scottish champions.

Possible starting XI: McGregor; Whittaker, Weir, Bougherra, Papac; Lafferty, Edu, McCulloch, Davis, Naismith; Miller.


 Prediction


Man Utd. 3-0  Rangers  


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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 FC Kobenhavn - Rubin

Living On The Edge

Copenhagen have lived on the margins, but they’ve done just enough to qualify for the Champions League and will open up their group stage campaign with a difficult looking home fixture against reigning Russian champions Rubin Kazan.

Drafted into the competition at the third round stage of qualifying, the Danes were pitted against BATE of Belarus. After a scoreless draw in the former Soviet state, Stale Solbakken’s men raced into a 2-0 advantage at Parken before blowing it prior to the interval. Staring at a defeat on away goals, the Danish champions had Dame N'Doye to thanks for their progress as it was he who struck on the hour mark to send them through.

Against Rosenborg in the play-off round, the margins were even tighter. RBK commanded a 2-1 lead going into the second leg, but a late goal from Jesper Gronkjaer proved far more than a mere consolation as it combined with Solvi Ottesen’s strike in the Danish capital to power Copenhagen through to the group stage.

With eight Super League matches played domestically, Copenhagen already command a healthy five point advantage at the summit of the table, though they have played an additional game in comparison to the chasing pack. A 2-2 draw with Silkeborg at the weekend was hardly ideal preparation for this fixture, but Rubin Kazan really are the main event of the week.

Much To Achieve


Rubin Kazan may be about to lose their Russian crown to Zenit St. Petersburg, but they still have much to play for before their domestic season ends as the harsh winter gets a grip on the country. Gurban Berdiyew’s side must ensure that they’re involved in the competition again in the next campaign while concurrently waging a war to progress through to the knock-out stages of this year’s edition.

Primarily a defensively focussed side, Rubin have lost only eight goals in their 20 RPL fixtures to date, a figure that cannot be bettered by any side in the league on a goals-per-game basis. Nevertheless, their tally of just 24 goals for is rather mediocre and is testament to a shift away from the more offensive side of 2009.

The Tatarstan outfit made quite a splash in their first season of Champions League football, despite ultimately being eliminated from the top tier competition in the group stage. Drawn cruelly against defending champions Barcelona and title-winners in waiting Inter, Rubin matched their opponents almost blow-for-blow, claiming a historic victory over Barca in Camp Nou and giving themselves a chance of progression until the very last day.

Hostilities with la Blaugrana will be resumed over the course of the next three months, and with Panathinaikos posing the other problem for the Russians, they’ll be keen to start with a victory over the team who look like being the pool’s weakest side. Comfortable 3-0 victors over Amkar Perm at the weekend, confidence should be high.

TEAM NEWS

Copenhagen


Christian Bolanos debuted at the weekend on the right flank but is liable to cede his place to the more experienced Jesper Gronkjaer.

Morten Nordstrand, who was operated upon six weeks ago, is back in training but isn’t expected in the first team for a good period yet. He will be the only absentee in the home ranks. Club captain Hjalte Norregaard is fit again.

Probable Starting XI:
Wiland; Pospech, Ottesen, Antonson, Wendt; Vingaard, Kvist, Claudemir, Gronkjaer; N’Doye, Santin

Rubin Kazan


Salvatore Bocchetti looks likely to start after coming off the bench against Amkar Perm and nearly scoring with his first touch of the game.

Aleksandr Ryazantsev is liable to be ruled out but a press conference on Monday evening will confirm his injury status, while experienced Turkey international Gokdeniz Karadeniz looks set to be left out to ensure that three Russians are on the field.

Rubin vary between a 4-4-1-1 and a 4-4-2 formation, and Obafemi Martins will only start if it is the latter of these two systems selected.

Cesar Navas is banned.

Probable Starting XI:
Ryzhikov; Kuzmin, Orekhov, Bocchetti, Ansaldi; Kasaev, Noboa, Eduardo, Gorbanets; Medvedev, Martins


Prediction
Winning away from home in Europe is never an easy trick, though Rubin Kazan did so spectacularly in Barcelona last season. Equally, they lost to Dynamo Kyiv and Milan on their travels, so the RPL outfit certainly won’t take the midweek trip to Denmark for granted. They should have just a little too much class for their opponents, and will run out narrow victors in a tightly contested game.

Copenhagen 0-1 Rubin

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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 Bursaspor - Valencia

Crocodile Walk

Bursaspor will make their Champions League bow on Tuesday night, when they host Valencia at the Bursa Ataturk Stadium.

The Bursa club claimed a shock Super Lig title success last season, fending off the challenge of better fancied clubs such as Galatasaray, Fenerbahce and Besiktas to claim the crown in a thrilling conclusion that saw them overhaul Fener on the very last day of the campaign. Previously, the Green Crocs had simply been experienced makeweights in the upper echelons of the Turkish game, having picked up their only previous major honour in the form of the 1986 national cup – now they are champions.

Coach Ertugrul Saglam has been credited with a good deal of the success of Bursaspor, whom have gone from strength to strength since he was introduced to the side in the early part of 2009.

The Crocs were not short on firepower last season, scoring 65 goals in their league campaign, though interestingly not one single player in their side managed to get an individual tally greater than eight. Incidentally, should they find the net against los Che on Tuesday evening, watch out for their unique ‘Crocodile Walk’ celebration, which was introduced to the club by late Ugandan forward Majid Musisi.

Already back on top of the Super Lig at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, having claimed four wins from a possible four matches, Bursaspor are ready to attempt to try and transfer their remarkable success to the European scene.

It Won’t Be Easy


Like Bursaspor, Valencia have made a perfect start to their domestic campaign, though Unai Emery’s men have only played two matches in the Primera Division. On the opening weekend of action los Che sent a warning shot to their rivals for the third Champions League spot by hammering Malaga 3-1 away from home, a result that was followed up by a narrow 1-0 success over Racing Santander at the Mestalla at the weekend.

Now the Spaniards can turn their attention towards Europe, content with their early season form. Drawn in a group alongside Manchester United, Rangers and their midweek opponents, Valencia would be strongly fancied to progress in one of the top two slots, though Mehmet Topal has been quick to warn that his countrymen won’t roll over easily.

“If we think it's going to be an easy game, we're wrong,” he told Super Deporte. “Also, when the stadium is full, the fans in Turkey, creating a very hot and forceful atmosphere. The Turkish teams rely heavily on their fans and the Turkish fans are special on these occasions.”

Hedwiges Maduro, who grabbed the decisive strike at the weekend, has already explained to Goal.com that Valencia’s form at the Mestalla will be key to their campaign. “We are in a nice group,” he stated in late August. “All home games, we should win easily. Each team will find it difficult in the Mestalla.”

Emery certainly won’t be content to have his side approach their next fixture against Manchester United off the back of a defeat, and after two morale-affirming victories los Che will be aiming for maximum points in Turkey.

TEAM NEWS

Bursaspor


Turkey international Ozan Ipek is the major concern for the home side as he has not been able to train fully during the build up to this game because of an ankle issue. Former Malaga defender Milan Stepanov has been taking part in only light training sessions of late, while Gokcek Vederson is another to have been handled with care. All three are expected to feature.

Probable Starting XI: Ivankov; Tandogan, Stepanov, Erdogan, Vederson; Ergic, Cimsir; Sen, Batalla, Ipek; Yildirim

Valencia


Los Che have been hit by a significant blow in that Ever Banega has been ruled out for a month after suffering an ankle problem in a challenge with Papakouli Diop at the weekend.

Jordi Alba and Vicente have not been convened in a 20-man squad named by Unai Emery, while Angel Dealbert hasn’t been selected either, despite being on the bench at the weekend.

Probable Starting XI:
Sanchez; Miguel, R. Costa, Navarro, Mathieu; Albelda, Maduro; Joachim, Dominguez, Mata; Soldado


Prediction
Playing at home will be a great leveller for Bursaspor, who will be confident of managing at least a draw on their Champions League debuts. Fuelled by sheer adrenaline, the home side should be able to make up for anything the lack in quality by strength of will and excitement, so it would be little surprise to see them really worry Valencia, despite being a far smaller name.

Bursaspor 1-1 Valencia

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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 Benfica - Hapoel Tel Aviv

Basking In Hype And Expectation

Pitted against Olympique Lyonnais, Schalke and Hapoel Tel-Aviv in Group B, Portuguese champions Benfica should be looking for a top two finish and qualify for the second round of the Champions League.

The Eagles have a very strong squad with Luisao, Javi Garcia, Pablo Aimar, Javier Saviola and Oscar Cardozo all having recovered their form and fitness last season. In the summer Benfica did lose winger Angel Di Maria to Real Madrid and midfielder Ramires to Chelsea, but they still retain a squad that plays entertaining and attacking football and can compete at the highest level.

Last season Benfica featured in the Europa League and reached the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by Liverpool. This time around the Portuguese champions have made a disappointing start to their league campaign as they are currently in 13th place with three defeats in the first four games but will look to bounce back against Hapoel on Tuesday.

Special Occasion

Israeli side Hapeol Tel-Aviv are one of just three teams from their country to ever compete in Europe's most coveted club competition. They qualifed for the group stage after defeating FC Salzburg 4-3 on aggregate in the play-off round.

Last season the Israeli champions reached the Round of 32 in the Europa League and gave a good account of themselves. This time in the Champions League the 13-time Israeli champions will look to get past the group stage and prove that they are not simply there to make up the numbers.

However, manager Eli Guttman has some pressing problems on his hands as his side are conceding more goals than they should this season. Against an attacking Benfica team that can score goals anytime Guttman has to see that his defenders maintain focus and discipline at the back all the time.

"I think it's about a 50-50 game," said Hapoel's Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, according to AP. "I mean, they are better than us, more organized, a side with more established players. But I think we are going there to represent Israel, we are going there to give a fight, to make this country known in European football."



TEAM NEWS

Benfica


Argentine winger Eduardo Salvio reportedly missed training on Monday while Brazilian forward Alan Kardec is also struggling with injury.

Probable Lineup (4-1-3-2): Roberto Gago, Maxi Pereira, Luisao, David Luiz, Coentrao; Javi Garcia; Martins, Aimar, Gaitan; Saviola, Cardozo

Hapoel Tel-Aviv

Striker Itai Shechter, who scored 22 league goals last season, is set to return to the starting line-up after injuring a hamstring last month. Dani Bondar could start at the back instead of Omri Kende.

Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Enyeama, Kende, D. Silva, Fransman, B. Dayan; Rocchi, Yadin; Shivhon, Zahavi, Vermouth; Shechter


Prediction
Benfica should emerge victorious in this game with ease. Their strikers Javier Saviola and Oscar Cardozo will be looking to bag goals for themselves.

Benfica 3-0 Hapoel

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14.09. (Tue) 20:45 Barcelona - Panathinaikos

Once More The Favourites

Barcelona have been the most successful and consistent Spanish club in the Champions League since the second half of the last decade. Having won Europe's most prestigious club competition in 2006, the Blaugrana won it again in 2009 and also reached the semi-finals last year.

This time too Pep Guardiola's team will start the Champions League as the favourites and indeed they remain the best and strongest team on the planet. With Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi all remaining the best in their respective positions and David Villa having already started to score for his new club, there are few challengers to Barca.

However, the Spanish champions have to be careful. Just like last season, this time too the Catalans have been pitted in a group where all the teams are reigning champions of their respective domestic leagues. At one point in the group stage in 2009-10, Barca looked as if they wouldn't qualify for the second round and having suffered a shock 2-0 defeat to minnows Hercules at Camp Nou on Saturday, Barca will aspire to bounce back on Tuesday.

Back In The Big Time

Greek champions Panathinaikos are back in the Champions League fold after an absence of one year and they will be looking to make the most out of it. With Barcelona in the group, the Shamrock will realise that winning it is going to be tough but they should aim for the runners-up spot.

Starting their European campaign against Barca at Camp Nou is not a beginning that the Greek giants would have wanted though. Of the 11 games they have played in Spain, Panathinaikos have lost ten and managed just one draw. When the two sides met in 2001-02 in the quarterfinals, Panathinaikos lost over two legs. In the group stage in 2005-06, the Greeks were hammered 5-0 at Camp Nou.

Nevertheless, Panathinaikos should take heart from the fact that two years ago they began their Champions League quest with a defeat but eventually ended up winning the group that also featured Italian powerhouse Inter.



TEAM NEWS

Barcelona


Carles Puyol has been passed fit to play against Panathinaikos and he is likely to start. Xavi, Daniel Alves, Sergio Busquets all should make the line-up after starting on the bench against Hercules on Saturday. Pedro too should return and striker Villa could be slotted in the middle rather than on the left.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Valdes, Alves, Pique, Puyol, Maxwell; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Villa, Pedro

Panathinaikos

Coach Nikos Nioplias is likely to go ahead with his 4-2-3-1 system in which Djibril Cisse will be the lone striker upfront. Sidney Govou should start, although former Barcelona midfielder Luis Garcia too could make the cut.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Tzorvas, Marinos, Kante, Boumsong, Vyntra; Gilberto Silva, Simao; Leto, Ninis, Govou; Cisse


Prediction
A win for Barcelona is certainly on the cards. The Blaugrana may have lost at home on Saturday but as they showed last season, under Pep Guardiola they have assumed a characteristic of bouncing back.

Barcelona 3-0 Panathinaikos