20-10 2010 20:45 Twente - Werder

Getting Stronger

Twente were somewhat surprising Eredivisie champions under the reign of Steve McClaren last season, and after losing their English coach they’ve only just started to replicate their title winning form. 

Nevertheless, the Tukkers are unbeaten domestically and have suffered only at the hands of four draws, and they picked up a useful point against European champions Inter on the opening evening of action to maintain an interest in Champions League progression ahead of this meeting with Werder Bremen.

Denny Landzaat scored the only goal of the game against struggling Feyenoord to give the Reds an important weekend victory, which has kept them in touch at the summit of the Eredivisie. After a somewhat sluggish start to the season, five wins in seven games have kept them within sight of PSV and Ajax in first and second respectively.

In a tough Champions League group, Michel Preud'homme’s side nearly caused a sensation by recovering from a goal down to take the lead against Inter at home, but they ceded their advantage before the half-time whistle. Against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, the Enschede club were overwhelmed 4-1. Ironically it has been Dutch players who have undone them on each occasion, with Wesley Sneijder grabbing the Nerazzurri’s opener and Rafael van der Vaart imperial in London.

As Werder don’t have any Netherlands stars in their ranks, the hosts will take that as a good omen ahead of what is sure to be a fascinating encounter.

Comeback Kids

Werder Bremen enjoyed something of a charge to reach third spot in the Bundesliga last season, and they also waited until the last possible moment before snatching a Champions League spot away from Sampdoria in the play-offs. Thomas Schaaf will therefore not be overly perturbed by his side leaving themselves work to do to secure a place in the last 16; they are used to comebacks.

WB’s propensity to come from behind was evident against Spurs in their opening group stage encounter. The side who likes to make life hard for themselves fell 2-0 down but recovered strongly to earn a share of the spoils at the Weserstadion. Inter, however, had too much nous to allow the Bundesliga outfit the same leeway.

Going into the match against Twente, recent history is on the side of the Germans. It’s not nine months ago that the sides were paired in the Europa League knock-out stages, and though Werder lost 1-0 in the Netherlands, they roared through 4-2 on aggregate thanks to a stunning home victory.

Still, sporting director Klaus Allofs isn’t totally convinced by his side at present. “The trend of the last couple of games is positive. However, we can and have to play better,” he told the club's official website after the weekend success over Freiburg. “I especially hope that we can play calmer and more poised.

“It would be best would be to improve right away on Wednesday in the Champions League game against Twente.”

Such a dramatically sharp improvement is unlikely, and but against a side who have lost 11 goals in seven games, nothing should be totally ruled out.

TEAM NEWS

Twente
 
Emir Bajrami and Bart Buysse will both miss out because of ankle injuries. Meanwhile, Marc Janko, Theo Janssen and Dwight Tiendalli have all recently returned to action following physical complaints.

Werder

Sebastian Boenisch is missing until the early part of 2011 due to knee cartilage problems. Naldo is also missing because of an issue with that joint.

Daniel Jensen, Claudio Pizarro, Torsten Frings and Clemens Fritz make up a lengthy list of first team players able to feature against Freiburg after previously suffering from problems.

Prediction

Unbeaten at home in the Eredivisie since November 1, 2008 – a record 34 games – Twente will be extremely tough opposition to overcome at De Grolsch Veste. They are on a positive run domestically and will be especially confident after holding Inter to a 2-2 draw at the venue. Werder Bremen, meanwhile, are showing signs of regaining their feet after a difficult start to the campaign, but even a draw would have to be regarded as a positive result in this fixture.

Twente 2-2 Werder Bremen

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20-10-2010 20:45 Olympique Lyonnais - Benfica

Getting Stronger

While Olympique Lyonnais enjoyed a period of unrivalled domination in France during the 2000s, they also established themselves as one of Europe’s elite clubs, never reaching the pinnacle of the continent’s game but always putting themselves forward into the mix. The last 16 once again beckons after two wins from two matches, and four points from their Benfica double-header would surely be enough to carry them into the knock-out stages.

Claude Puel’s side have endured a very poor start to the season. After seven rounds of Ligue 1 fixtures, they were lying in place to drop through the trapdoor to the French second division, though two games and six points later OL would appear to be exiting their early season crisis.

The fans have rallied against their general manager over the last month, yet Sunday’s 3-1 victory over Lille should have pacified them for the time being. Though not in total control of that fixture, Lyon did manage to play what was unquestionably their best fixture of the domestic season, aided greatly by Lisandro Lopez’s second minute opener, which eradicated any nervousness the home side might have been feeling.

“Lyon are getting stronger. Players are recovering. We had a lot of juice left and will play again in three days against Benfica, and we’ll have to be strong. But right now, we’ll savour [our victory],” Puel told Canal+ after the weekend’s success.

For OL, the time for savouring victory is over, and the time for ensuring a spot in Europe’s best 16 is once again here.

Also Improving

Like Lyon, Portuguese champions Benfica have not had an easy start to their domestic campaign, and like les Gones, the Aguias are starting to recover the situation.

While Rui Costa’s side didn’t quite dip their toes in the murky pool of the relegation zone, they wandered up to the edge and had a good look in. Deciding the top of the table was far more to their liking, the Lisbon club have hence won four of their last five fixtures, lifting themselves to second, seven points behind pace-setters Porto.

In Europe, Benfica have not managed to continue this resurgence. Expected to blow away Hapoel Tel Aviv on the opening evening of competition, O Glorioso rather limped to a 2-0 success, fortunate that a number of chances presented to the Israelis were passed up. Against Schalke in Germany, the Portuguese would slip-up, going down 2-0 due to a pair of goals in the last 20 minutes.

Their prospects of reaching the last 16 certainly hang in the balance, and defeat at the Stade Gerland on Wednesday evening would wipe out any prospect of them topping the table. On the other hand, victory would blow the whole group open and leave everything to play for, but if that is to be achieved, Benfica must finally transfer their domestic form onto the European stage.

TEAM NEWS

Lyon

Jeremy Toulalan has been ruled out for les Gones following a recurrence of a slight hamstring problem in the first half of Sunday’s game. He joins Ederson and Cesar Delgado on the sidelines.

Jimmy Briand will be drafted back into the squad after missing the weekend’s fixture due to a one-match ban.

Benfica

Oscar Cardozo may be Benfica’s most potent goal threat, but he is also their greatest worry ahead of their trip to France. Ligament damage will keep him out of the fixture, so Alan Kardec will start.

Roderick, Fabio Faria and Ruben Amorim are all carrying problems, but Fabio Coentrao could return to action after missing out at the weekend due to a slight bump. The left-back failed to train with the main body of the squad on Monday.

Prediction

Both sides seem to be on the up after poor starts to their respective campaigns, which means this should be a closely fought match. Lyon have enjoyed a recent habit of being able to pull out performances when they’ve needed them most, and though they are by no means guaranteed to win this fixture, they should be favoured over a side in greater need of the points.

O. Lyon 2-1 Benfica

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20-10-2010 20:45 Panathinaikos - Rubin

Restoring Damaged Fortunes

Greek champions Panathinaikos have a very simple task on hand on Wednesday evening: win against Rubin Kazan at home. Pana have lost their opening two matches in the Champions League and are placed at the bottom of the group with no point.

A 5-1 humiliation to Barcelona at Camp Nou was followed by a shock 2-0 defeat to FC Copenhagen at home. A third successive loss in the group could just about spell the end of their adventure in Europe, given that they would have been beaten in two of their home fixtures and the remaining one would be against the mighty Barca.

The Shamrock are doing pretty well in the Greek Super League as they are just a point behind Olympiakos in second, and striker Djibril Cisse stresses the significance of an European victory, "You win you get an extra life; lose and you can wave goodbye to the Champions League.

"[Against Copenhagen] we didn't play as a team. We were too spread out, there wasn't enough cohesion to our play.''

Climbing Up The Ladder

Rubin Kazan commenced their Champions League quest on a note of disappointment as they went down 1-0 to FC Copenhagen in Denmark but recovered on Matchday Two when they drew 1-1 with Barcelona.

Rubin are currently third in Group D, three points behind Barca and five behind leaders Copenhagen, and will know that a win in Greece will vehemently increase their chance of qualifying for the second round.

Panathinakos’s defeat to Copenhagen in Athens will certainly give them reason to believe that they can script a Russian tragedy too on Wednesday evening.

However, coach Kurban Berdyev is wary of Pana’s strengths and explains, “We don't fear any one player but we have to be very careful against a team like Panathinaikos. They are one of the grandest clubs in European football and they have lots of Champions League experience.

“We will be watching all their players, not just one or two of them. I'm not going to say how we intend to play but we will be going for a result. I decided to take my players on a trip to the Acropolis – we must pay our respects to the cradle of our civilisation.”

TEAM NEWS

Panathinaikos

Sotiris Ninis could play a role on Wednesday after recovering from a foot problem while Giourkas Seitaridis too is fit. Jose Sarriegi is back but Sebastian Leto, Antonis Petropoulos, Cedric Kante and Sidney Govou have been sidelined. Gilberto Silva is suspended for the Greek champions.

Rubin Kazan

Roman Sharonov is out with a knee injury.

Prediction

This is a difficult game to call and Rubin will fancy their chances. However, Panathinaikos should have learned their lessons from the 2-0 loss to Copenhagen and may just edge past the Russians.

Panathinaikos 1-0 Rubin

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20-10-2010 20:45 Schalke 04 - Hapoel Tel Aviv

Resurrecting Their Campaign

Much was expected of Schalke after their massive summer signings but their poor start to the season in all competitions has forced them to play catch-up. At the moment the Royal Blues are third from bottom in the German Bundesliga, having picked up just five points from eight matches.

However, things have looked slightly better on the continental front as Felix Magath’s side have collected three points from a possible six in the Champions League. Defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in France on Matchday One was expected given their abysmal run of form in the league and was to a reasonable extent acceptable too as they were playing away from home; but on Matchday Two Schalke got the better of Benfica at home, winning 2-0.

Nevertheless, Schalke cannot be overly confident of a win against Israeli champions Hapoel Tel Aviv on Wednesday evening especially as since their defeat of Benfica they have failed to win either of their two league fixtures. Ivan Rakitic knows the significance of a win at the Veltins-Arena but is also wary of the task at hand.

"We've watched Hapoel on video and we've talked about them at length but also know some of their players quite well because Croatia played in Israel in a European qualifier recently,'' said the Croatia international. “A lot of the Hapoel players are in the national team and so I was able to identify a few strengths and weaknesses.''

Getting Off The Mark

Hapoel Tel Aviv are the least favourites of the four sides to go through to the second round from Group B and, as expected, have lost both their matches in the Champions League.

Placed at the bottom of the group having conceded five goals already, the Israeli champions will have to get something against Schalke in Germany to maintain any realistic chance of finishing in the top two. However, Hapoel will be encouraged by their weekend performance in the league as they defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0 in the derby.

Hapoel’s key player on Wednesday evening will be the highly rated striker Itay Shechter, who realises that they need to try to win and explains, "Playing well won't be enough. The time has come to take at least one point, if not three, in this competition.”

He added, "Schalke are an elite club with a big budget so a draw or a win would be good for us.
"The derby was the most important game for the club, a match that the fans waited for the entire season. I'm happy that we brought them pride and we maintained our dominance of the city. We are going to a match that is like the icing on the cake.''

TEAM NEWS

Schalke

Joel Matip has recovered from a bout of malaria and played at the weekend against Stuttgart while the previously injured Mario Gavranovic was only a substitute. Ivan Rakitic and Jefferson Farfan are fit to play but Levan Kenia, Tim Hoogland and Christian Pander are out.

Hapoel Tel Aviv

Avihay Yadin is doubtful for Wednesday evening’s game after suffering an ankle injury at the weekend. Mahran Lala is out after having undergone surgery on ruptured knee ligaments.

Prediction

Hapoel will be desperate for anything in Germany and so will be Schalke, who are in depressing form. The Israelis do have a chance but Schalke should just about edge them in the end.

Schalke 04 2-1 Hapoel

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20-10-2010 20:45 Manchester Utd. - Bursaspor

Fergie's Conundrum

The explosive stories over Wayne Rooney's desire to leave Manchester United mean that Sir Alex Ferguson's team selection will be anticipated with baited breath at Old Trafford.

Rooney made a spectacular debut for United against Turkish opposition when he scored a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Fenerbahce in 2004 but may well find himself on the bench, as he was for the 2-2 draw with West Brom on Saturday.

United will head into the game with caution, despite topping Group C with four points while Wednesday night's visitors are yet to get off the mark. Ferguson's side have made an unconvincing start themselves to their European challenge this season but recorded a vital 1-0 victory at closest rivals Valencia last time out thanks to a sweet strike from Javier Hernandez.

The Red Devils suffered their first home defeat in European competition for four years last season against Turkish opposition when they were beaten 1-0 by Besiktas.

The Only Way Is Up

Bursaspor will take heart from United's uninspiring goalless draw with Rangers last time they played a Champions League match at Old Trafford, but it would take quite a turnaround in their fortunes for the Turkish champions to become challengers in the group.

They have lost their last six European games without scoring a goal and have not scored in any of their five away matches in Europe.

Bursaspor are in good form domestically, topping the league in Turkey with 20 points from eight games, but Ertugrul Saglam's side have lost both of their Champions League fixtures. They were thrashed 4-0 at home in their opener against Valencia and then lost 1-0 at Rangers.

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson faces a dilemma over who to play in midfield after Ryan Giggs picked up a hamstring injury in the 2-2 draw with West Brom on Saturday.

Midfielder Owen Hargreaves is not ready to make his long-awaited comeback from knee problems after picking up a calf injury while Ji-Sung Park is unlikely to play because of a knee problem.

Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia is still four months away from returning from a broken ankle.

Possible starting XI: Van der Sar; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Nani; Berbatov, Rooney.

Bursaspor

Winger Volkan Sen is expected to return to the Bursaspor side as they seek their first points of their Champions League campaign at Old Trafford.

The Turkey international was dropped for the match against Karabukspor at the weekend as punishment for travelling to the United States without permission.

Possible starting XI: Ivankov; Tandogan, Erdogan, Stepanov, Vederson; Volkan Sen, Ergic, Insua, Batalla, Ipek; Yildrim.

Prediction

It is almost impossible to predict what will happen at Old Trafford at the moment but United's experience in the Champions Leaugue and their far superior quality should come through for a comfortable victory.

Man Utd. 3-0 Bursaspor

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20-10-2010 20:45 Barcelona - FC Kobenhavn

Confident Mood

After two rounds of fixtures, Group D doesn’t have the complexion many felt it might. Barcelona lie second in the standings, boasting an acceptable four points, but it is Danish champions Copenhagen who are making the running presently, commanding two victories from two attempts. If the Danes are to maintain their lead at the top of the section, it will take an almighty effort in the Catalan capital on Wednesday.

Barca have shown signs of fragility at home this season. Already they have lost to unfancied Hercules, and they were held to a draw by Mallorca prior to the international break. For 45 minutes of Sunday’s clash against Valencia, the Blaugrana looked deeply unsteady, but they were imperious in the second period, rallying from a goal down to claim a 2-1 success.

“We’re happy and it gives us confidence for the upcoming matches,” Andres Iniesta declared to the media after the fixture.

Meanwhile, coach Pep Guardiola has explained his belief that fatigue isn’t a physical phenomenon but a mental one. He praised his team for their resilience after the Valencia clash on Saturday, picking out Iniesta for special praise due to the number of successive games the Spain international has played.

Barcelona will again have to rouse themselves for Wednesday’s clash, as Copenhagen have already proven themselves not to be a force underestimated.

In Terrific Form
 
It’s been a case of so far, so good for Copenhagen in the Champions League, as they have done enough to pick up maximum points after two fixtures. Rubin Kazan were beaten by a Dame N’Doye header on the opening evening of action, and this was followed up by a highly impressive 2-0 success away to Panathinaikos, setting the Danes up nicely for qualification.

Travelling in the Champions League has previously proven to be a problematic experience for Copenhagen. During the 2003-04 season, they slumped in all three of their away games, losing by an aggregate of 7-1. Even in the qualifying stages they struggled away from home, going down against Rosenborg 2-1 and stifling BATE Borisov to a scoreless draw. Camp Nou will therefore be a highly intimidating venue, despite their recent Greek success.

At home on Sunday, Stale Solbakken’s side received a huge boost of confidence as they smashed Odense 5-0, partly on the back of a hat-trick from Cesar Santin, whose work was done for the day after little more than the hour mark.

With 10 wins from their opening 12 fixtures, it’s already looking that Copenhagen are the champions elect of their homeland, but though they are not in the habit of losing, picking up even a point in midweek would have to be considered a major achievement against one of the world’s best club sides.

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has a number of injury problems heading into this encounter, with Xavi, who played at the weekend, once again liable to be on the sidelines due to his knee problems. The influential midfielder has been doing recovery work and will face a fitness test. Meanwhile, Carles Puyol has only been training lightly and Gabi Milito will miss two weeks of action due to a thigh strain.

Copenhagen

Morten Nordstrand and Solvi Ottesen are both included in a 21-man squad that travels to Spain, though the former hasn’t played since March and the latter hasn’t featured since the middle of September.

Martin Bergvold remains absent due to a knee injury.

Prediction

Though Copenhagen go into this match higher ranked in Group D than their hosts, it would take a remarkable performance for them to steal even a point away from Camp Nou. They’ve proven themselves to be a decent defensive unit already in this campaign, not conceding in the group stage as yet, but they’ve not come up against a force such as Barcelona. La Blaugrana should ultimately ease to another victory.

Barcelona 3-0 Copenhagen

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Tiket 20-10-2010

Panatinaikos - Rubin	0-2
Rendžers - Valensija	3+
Šalke 04 - Hapoel Tel Aviv	1
Tvente - Verder	3+
Balkan Bet		8.04

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20-10-2010 20:45 Inter - Tottenham Hot.

Benitez Living With Mourinho Hangover
  
Rafael Benitez is enjoying a fairly successful start to life with his new side, with Inter lying in third place after seven games.

However, reports suggest that a number of the squad are unhappy with the Spaniard’s methods, but Benitez no doubt has the edge against Redknapp in Champions League experience and that, along with the home advantage, could well be the difference between the sides.

Samuel Eto’o is in sparkling form, topping the Serie A and Champions League top goal scorer charts but after receiving racial abuse at the weekend to the extent that the league match against Calgari had to be stopped for three minutes, his mental state could be under question.

Even so, the Cameroonian’s predatory instinct will be relied upon more than ever as Inter suffer from a long injury list.

Spurs Get Fighting Spirit Back

The game all Tottenham fans were looking forward to when this season’s Champions League draw was made was the trip to the San Siro to face holders Inter.

It is by far Spurs’ toughest test in the group stage and Harry Redknapp will be relishing the challenge that awaits his players after two impressive performances so far in the competition.

The north London side have enjoyed an air of consistency to their Premier League form in recent weeks after the disappointment of losses to West Ham United and Wigan Athletic, and will be proud of coming from behind to win against Aston Villa and Fulham, and the previous experience of Rafa Benitez's tactical nous will also come in handy.

Unfortunately Redknapp will be without the vastly influential Rafael van der Vaart who misses the game through suspension after receiving a red card against FC Twente last time out.

TEAM NEWS

Inter

Diego Milito, Esteban Cambiasso, Mancini and McDonald Mariga are all definitely ruled out of Wednesday’s game.
Thiago Motta and Jonathan Biabiany are also doubts after suffering knocks against Calgari at the weekend.

Possible starting XI: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Chivu; Zanetti, Sneijder, Stankovic; Chukwuma, Eto'o, Coutinho.

Tottenham

Along with the suspended Rafael van der Vaart, Spurs will also be without captain Ledley King, who came off in the first half against Fulham on Saturday with a groin strain, and long-term absentees Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson.

Younes Kaboul could return from a knock to fight for a place in central defence with Sebastien Bassong and William Gallas.

Redknapp will no doubt opt for a 4-5-1 formation as his team lines up away from home, and Crouch will be hoping for a starting berth to ruin his former manager Rafa Benitez’s night.

Possible starting XI: Gomes; Hutton, Gallas, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, Palacios, Bale; Modric; Crouch.

Prediction

Spurs will know that they have a chance to come away from the San Siro with a point but I believe the size of the occasion will over-awe some of Tottenham squad, especially if they go behind early.
The absence of van der Vaart is a big miss and it will prove vital come the final whistle.

Inter Milan 3-1 Tottenham

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20-10-2010 20:45 Rangers - Valencia

Defence Is The Key For Rangers

The Ibrox side have yet to concede a goal in this season’s Champions League. Walter Smith’s men are coming off of a second half comeback against Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League, where the champions came from a goal down to score four without reply to remain at the top of the table, above rivals Celtic.

Although the game against Valencia is vital, Smith has to look forward to the crucial Old Firm game on Sunday against second-placed Celtic, so the Rangers gaffer will want to make sure that the injury list at Ibrox does not increase.

The former Scotland manager knows that a home victory on Wednesday will give the Gers the best possible platform for a last 16 place in the Champions League.

He spoke about the possibility of qualification, saying: “The Champions League is an unforgiving environment but the next game is vital for us in terms of European football in the New Year. If, and it's a big if, we could manage to beat Valencia at home, I think that would go a long way to securing some kind of European football after January.”

Valencia Looking To Bounce Back

The Spanish side make their way to Scotland after a 2-1 defeat away to Barcelona at the Nou Camp, which was Valencia’s first defeat in the Primera Division since May. Unai Emery’s men will be looking to put on a similar performance at Ibrox as they did against Barca, but with a different outcome.

Valencia are now sitting in third place in the league after some fantastic performances with what is a different team compared to last season, with the loss of star players such as David Silva and David Villa.

They understand that a victory in Glasgow would help them towards their expected qualification after they suffered a one goal defeat at home to Manchester United in their previous Champions League fixture.

Valencia know that three points is a must from their visit to Ibrox, with midfielder Juan Mata saying: “It will be a very important game against Rangers, but I don’t think it will be decisive because there are still three matches to go after the one in Glasgow. We have back-to-back games against Rangers and we will try to win them and put ourselves in a strong position to qualify from the group. We still have a margin of error, but we don’t really want to fall any further behind them.”

TEAM NEWS

Rangers

Goalkeeper Allan McGregor returns for the Ibrox side after serving a one-match ban in their home league fixture against Motherwell on Saturday.

Lee McCulloch will be on the sidelines for Walter Smith’s men after sustaining a groin injury during the first half of Scotland’s Euro 2012 qualifying game against Spain.

Also unavailable for the SPL champions will be James Beattie, who has a thigh problem, as well as young striker John Fleck who is still out after suffering a recurrence of the hamstring injury he picked up in pre-season.

Defender Kirk Broadfoot may return after missing the Motherwell game due to a foot injury.

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

Valencia
 
The Spanish side will visit Ibrox without the services of both Mehmet Topal and Joaquin who are suffering from ankle injuries.

Portuguese defender Miguel is also unavailable after sustaining a thigh injury in training a week ago, along with Dutch star Hedwiges Maduro, who tore his left hamstring at home to Manchester United in their last Champions League game.

The good news for Unai Emery is that he has been able to welcome back midfield playmaker Ever Banega, who came straight back into the side at the Nou Camp on Saturday after returning from an ankle injury that kept him out for a month.

Possible starting line-up: Sanchez; Bruno, Navarro, Costa, Matheiu; Topal, Banega, Tino Costa, Mata; Hernandez; Aduriz.

Prediction

Rangers will be looking for at least a point from this fixture after their victory against Bursaspor in their previous Champions League game, while Valencia will be wanting to get back on track after defeat to Manchester United and should secure victory.

Rangers 1-2 Valencia

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