22.02. (Wed) 20:45 Basel - Bayern Munchen

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

BASEL Sommer Steinhofer, Abraham, Dragovic, J.Park Shaqiri, Huggel, G.Xhaka, F.Frei Streller, A.Frei

BAYERN MUNICH Neuer Rafinha, Boateng, Badstuber, Lahm Luiz Gustavo, Alaba Muller, Kroos, Ribery Gomez

Basel are at near full strength for the visit of Bayern Munich with only Philipp Degen and Scott Chipperfield missing with thigh injuries. Markus Steinhofer is set to continue at right-back.

Valentin Stocker and Giles Yapi have both returned to fitness yet the two midfielders are expected to start the game on the bench. Benjamin Huggel, Alexander Frei, Granit Xhaka and Marco Streller are all a booking away from suspension.

Jupp Heynckes is expected to stick with the same starting line-up that could only manage a 0-0 draw away at Freiburg in the Bundesliga at the weekend.

Thomas Muller will be given the nod ahead of Arjen Robben while David Alaba will deputise for Bastian Schweinsteiger in the centre of midfield. With Daniel van Buyten injured, Jerome Boateng will continue in the centre of defence. Breno and Diego Contento remain absentees for the Bavarians.

DID YOU KNOW

• Basel have reached the last 16 of the competition on only one occasion preciously, in the 2002-03 campaign.

• The Swiss club's star player, Xherdan Shaqiri, will be up against his future employees on Wednesday evening, with the winger set to join the Bavarian outfit in the summer for a reported €10 million.

• Basel conceded 10 goals in the group stages of the Champions League - more than any other team who qualified for the round of 16.

• Bayern Munich will host this season's Champions League final at their Allianz Arena in May.

• The Bavarians defeated Basel at St Jakob-Park in September 2010 when the sides last met, with Bastian Schweinsteiger grabbing both of their goals in a 2-1 win.

• Mario Gomez has six goals so far in the Champions League this season, one behind top scorer Lionel Messi.

Prediction

Basel have surprised many with their impressive performances in Europe this season but Bayern should have enough quality and experience to see off their dogged opponents. It will be a tight one, but expect a narrow away win for Jupp Heynckes' men.

Editor's Prediction

Basel 1-2 Bayern

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22.02. (Wed) 20:45 Olympique Marseille - Inter

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

MARSEILLE Mandanda Azpilicueta, Diawara, Nkoulou, Morel Kabore, Cheyrou Amalfitano, Valbuena, A. Ayew Brandao

INTER Julio Cesar Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Nagatomo Zanetti, Palombo, Cambiasso, Poli Sneijder Milito

The biggest blow for Marseille boss Didier Deschamps is the absence of France international attacker Loic Remy, who suffered a hamstring injury and will not be available for the first leg. However, striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has resumed training and may start on the bench after missing the 1-1 draw with Valenciennes.

The versatile Stephane Mbia is unlikely to feature despite being close to a comeback to full fitness. Alou Diarra picked up a knock and was substituted at half-time on the weekend, but there is an outside chance he could recover in time and retain his place as one of the two defensive midfielders for the clash in France.

Meanwhile, Inter coach Claudio Ranieri will be looking to halt his side's slide and has nearly a full squad available as centre-back Walter Samuel is expected to return after recovering from a thigh strain to line up alongside Lucio. Meanwhile, midfielder Dejan Stankovic and striker Diego Milito seem to have overcome bouts of flu that kept them out of the 3-0 loss to Bologna.

Ranieri hinted that playmaker Wesley Sneijder could be dropped to the press, but the Dutchman has been included in the 22-man match squad while Ricky Alvarez has been left out.

The Serie A side also revised their Champions League squad list after the winter break, so striker Diego Forlan, as well as midfielders Angelo Palombo and Andrea Poli are all now ready and hoping to make their European debuts for the club.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Marseille, despite being held to a 1-1 draw with Valenciennes on Saturday, have won 12 of their last 15 matches going into this first leg clash.

• Deschamps' Monaco defeated Ranieri's Chelsea in the semi-finals of the 2003-04 Champions League, the former losing in the final to Jose Mourinho's Porto.

• OM have a balanced record against Italian sides (W5 D4 L5) over 14 encounters.

• Inter have lost five of their last six matches in all competitions, only scoring during the 4-4 draw with Palermo.

• Forlan has scored just once in 11 Serie A appearances since joining the Italian club during the summer from Atletico Madrid.

• The last time these sides met in Europe, Inter were defeated by OM in the quarter-finals of the 2003-04 Uefa Cup by a 2-0 aggregate score.

Prediction

While OM have been on a good run as of late, they have often been unable to produce positive results on home soil in big matches this season - losing to Arsenal and Olympiakos in Europe and recently drawing 2-2 with Lyon on the domestic stage - OM will be favourites, but Inter have shown resolve in the Champions League this season and could grind out a result away from home.

Editor's Prediction

Marseille 1-1 Inter

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22.02. (Wed) 18:00 Manchester City - Porto

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PROBABLE LINEUPS

Manchester City Hart Richards, Kompany, Savic, Kolarov Milner, Toure, Barry, Johnson Aguero, Dzeko

Porto Helton Mangala, Maicon, Rolando, Pereira Gonzalez, Moutinho, Fernando J. Rodriguez, Hulk, Varela

Manchester City have no fresh injuries, with Roberto Mancini able to choose his line-up from a full squad of players. Sergio Aguero got the winner against the Portuguese side last time around and therefore may be in consideration for a starting place at the Etihad Stadium.

The Italian surprised some people by fielding a strong side for the first leg but, with the Citizens now holding a 2-1 advantage, they are expected to make some changes on Wednesday while still naming enough quality show they are taking the game seriously. Adam Johnson and James Milner are in line to start.

For Porto, the current Europa League holders, defender Danilo suffered knee ligament damage after the 20-year-old clashed with Yaya Toure in the first leg and will therefore be missing for six weeks. Vitor Pereira is again without long-term absentee Emidio Rafael and the ineligible Marc Janko so is likely to just make the one change.

DID YOU KNOW?

• The clash will be City's 50th Uefa Cup/Europa League game, in that time they have conceded 48 goals.

• A number of players in Mancini's ranks who have played against Porto before including Nigel De Jong and Vincent Kompany while at Hamburg and Sergio Aguero with Atletico Madrid. Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Kolo Toure also all faced the Portuguese giants for Arsenal, and were very successful winning one tie 6-2 on aggregate.

• City boss Mancini (pictured right) was Sampdoria's captain when they met Porto in the 1994-95 Uefa Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final. He scored the only goal to take the game to a shoot-out, which they won.

• The Italian's record as a manager against Porto reads two wins, two draws and two losses, losing 4-1 on aggregate in the Uefa Cup semi-finals with Lazio but progressing from the last 16 in with Inter Milan.

• Porto's record against English sides is unfavourable, having played 28, won just six, drawn eight and lost 14. They have never won on their travels to England.

• The visitors have won the Europa League the last two times they have been in it, last season and in the then-named Uefa Cup in the 2002-03 season.

• The Portuguese side knocked out the Citizens' rivals Manchester United on their way to Champions League success in the 2003-04 season, a match which is remembered for Jose Mourinho's famous touchline celebration.

• Porto last lost a two-legged tie in the 2000-01 quarter-final in a 2-0 aggregate defeat by Liverpool.

• Both clubs were in the Champions League at the start of the season but finished third in their groups, despite being expected to reach the latter stages and both very much in with a chance of their domestic league titles.

• The winners will face Legia Warsaw or Porto's Liga rivals, Sporting Lisbon, in the next stage.

Prediction

Porto go into the match a goal down and therefore and so will probably try and get at the English side right from the off, whilst it is likely we will see a more conservative approach from City. However, sitting on that advantage for the whole match would be a dangerous tactic for Mancini to employ, with Porto ready to pounce on any signs of complacency.
The Italian will definitely have one eye on the Premier League situation, with a match against Blackburn on Saturday to remember, and therefore is likely to name some of his second string players. Nevertheless the Citizen's have so much strength in depth that whatever side the 47-year-old picks they should have enough to hold on to their advantage.
They Etihad has been a fortress this season and it will certainly take some effort from the visitors to overturn the goal deficit, I think City's two away goals could prove crucial with the scores looking like they will be close on the night.

Editor's Prediction

Manchester City 1-1 Porto

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Ligue 1 Opta Facts - 22 February

Caen - Auxerre

Caen are unbeaten against Auxerre since their return to L1 last season (one win and two draws).
Auxerre have not scored a single goal in their last three Ligue 1 trips to Caen.
Benjamin Nivet has scored in each of his last two L1 matches against Auxerre; his four goals at the Michel-d'Ornano Stadium this season have been penalties.
Six of Caen's 12 goals at home in the league this season have been penalties.
Caen have the worst home record in Ligue 1 this season, only collecting 11 points from 11 matches.
Only PSG have been awarded as many penalties as Caen in L1 this season (seven).
Auxerre have not won any of their last six L1 matches, only Sochaux and Lorient are currently on worse runs in the top flight.

St Etienne - Lorient

Saint Etienne have lost 55% of their league encounters with Lorient (six of eleven), their worst ratio against any top flight opponent.
Lorient have won their last three trips to St Etienne in Ligue 1, scoring eight goals whilst only conceding two.
St Etienne have won seven of their last 10 league fixtures.
St Etienne have not won any of their last seven league matches against Lorient, registering a draw and six defeats.
Lorient have not won any of their last eight Ligue 1 matches, their worst run since the 2008/09 season when they went on a ten game run without a win.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has never scored for St Etienne at their Geoffroy-Guichard ground in L1: 17 matches without a goal.
82% of Lorient's league goals have been scored in the second half (18 of 22) the highest ratio in this season's L1.

Sochaux - Lille

Lille have only won one of their last 34 L1 matches away to Sochaux, suffering 22 defeats and registering 11 draws.
Only one of Sochaux's last 71 shots in Ligue 1 has resulted in a goal.
Five of Lille's last six L1 trips to Sochaux's Stade Bonal have ended in draws.
Lille have only lost one of their last 15 away games in Ligue 1.
Sochaux have only scored one goal in their last eight league games.
Mathieu Debuchy is the highest scoring defender in L1 this season (five goals).
Sochaux have not won any of their last 10 Ligue 1 matches (seven defeats and three draws), currently the worst run in France's top flight.

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