Champions League Opta Facts - Match Day 6

Statistics and facts to help your football betting are available every week at Sta Sam Ti Reko courtesy of Opta Sportsdata, Europe's leading provider of sports performance statistics.

Group A:

Werder Bremen v Internazionale

• Bremen have entertained Inter in the Champions League on two previous occasions drawing the first and winning the last encounter on home soil.
• Bremen have lost none of their 13 home European matches against Italian opponents, winning seven and drawing six.
• Bremen have only kept one clean sheet in their last eight Champions League games on home soil.
• Inter must better Tottenham's result against Twente if they are to finish top of Group A.
• Werder Bremen are already eliminated from Europe; even if they beat Inter and Twente lose, the German side have a poorer head to head record against the Dutch side.
• Samuel Eto'o and Wesley Sneijder have created the joint-most chances from open play (16 each).
• Eto'o has scored or assisted 10 of Inter's 12 goals in the Champions league this season.
• Werder Bremen have won just one of their last 12 Champions League matches.

FC Twente v Tottenham Hotspur

• Tottenham will win the group if they can match or better Inter's result against Werder Bremen
• Twente have already qualified for the Europa League as their superior record in the head to heads against Bremen.
• Twente have committed 95 fouls, more than any other team in the Champions League.
• Marc Janko has committed 22 fouls, more than any other player in the Champions League.
• Peter Crouch has scored three goals from just four shots on target for Spurs in the Champions league this season.
• Roman Pavlyuchenko has scored three goals from just five shots on target in the Champions League.
• Spurs have won four penalties, more than any other team, but missed two of them
• Twente have conceded three penalties, more than any other team in the competition.

Group B:

Lyon v Hapoel Tel Aviv

• Lyon have already qualified for the Last 16 as they have a superior head to head record over Benfica.
• The French side can win the group if they beat Hapoel and Schalke fail to beat Benfica, otherwise they will finish second.
• Hapoel will qualify for the Europa League if they beat Lyon and Benfica do not beat Schalke as the Israeli side have a better head to head record against the Portuguese club.
• Lyon have only lost one of their last nine Champions League matches at Stade Gerland.
• Lyon have only failed to score in one of their last 15 Champions League home matches.
• Hapoel have lost their last three European games against French sides, scoring one goal in each of those games.
• Only two teams have fired in fewer than the 34 shots Hapoel have mustered in the campaign so far.
• This is only the first time Lyon have been drawn against a side from Israel in European competition and they won the first match 3-1 in Tel-Aviv.

Benfica v Schalke 04

• Schalke have failed to score in their last six Champions League away games.
• Schalke scored two goals from only three shots on target against Benfica on Match Day 2.
• Schalke will top the group if they beat Benfica, or if Lyon fail to beat Hapoel Tel Aviv.
• If Hapoel fail to beat Lyon, Benfica will play in the Europa League after Christmas.
• If Benfica do not win and Hapoel defeat Lyon, then the Portuguese side will be eliminated from Europe altogether.
• Carlos Martins has five assists in this season's Champions League, more than any other player.
• Schalke have only won two of their 13 Champions League away matches.
• Benfica have only lost one of their last seven Champions League home games.

Group C:

Manchester United v Valencia

• There were just three shots on target in the match between United and Valencia at the Mestalla, two for the English champions.
• Man Utd have to avoid defeat to finish top of Group C, while a win for Valencia would see the Spanish side win the pool.
• United have picked up just two yellow cards, fewer than any other team in the Champions League.
• Aritz Aduriz has mustered five headers on target in the Champions League, more than any other player this season.
• Man Utd have only allowed four shots on target from inside the penalty area against them in the Champions League, fewer than any other side.
• The Red Devils could be the first team ever to go through a Champions League Group Stage without conceding a goal.
• Man Utd have lost just one of their last 28 Champions League matches at Old Trafford.
• Valencia have only lost one of their last seven Champions league away games.

Bursaspor v Rangers

• Rangers have already qualified for the Europa League, while Bursaspor's European campaign will end after this match.
• Rangers have committed 46 fouls, fewer than any other side in the Champions League.
• If Bursaspor lose this match by four goals or more, they could record the worst ever Champions League Group Stage performance, "beating" the current worst record held by Spartak Moscow set in 2002-03. The Russian side lost all six games and recorded a goal difference of -17.
• Steven Naismith has been fouled 23 times, more than any other player in the Champions League.
• Rangers have only won one of their last 17 Champions league away games.
• Only Partizan have converted a lower percentage of shots into goals in this season's Champions League than Bursaspor.
• Rangers have only won one of their last 15 Champions League matches.
• Rangers have only scored six goals in their last 12 Champions League games and not more than once in any of those matches.

Group D:

Barcelona v Rubin Kazan

• Barcelona are guaranteed to win Group D.
• Lionel Messi has fired in 15 shots on target, the joint-most in the Champions League along with Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Barcelona have only allowed seven shots on target against them in the Champions league, the joint-fewest along with Marseille.
• Rubin Kazan are the last away team that won at the Camp Nou in the Champions League, beating Barcelona 2-1 on 20^th October 2009.
• Barcelona have scored in their last 13 matches since any team prevented them from scoring; that team was Rubin Kazan in a 0-0 draw.
• Rubin Kazan are unbeaten against Barcelona, winning once and drawing twice.
• Rubin have won only two, but lost only three of their 11 Champions league matches.
• Barca have the best passing accuracy in the Champions league, completing 91% of their distribution.
• Only Manchester United have conceded fewer goals than the two shipped by Rubin Kazan this season.

FC København v Panathinaikos

• København scored two goals from just two shots on target on their visit to Greece on Match Day 2.
• Panathinaikos have fired in just 10 shots on target, fewer than any other side in the Champions League.
• Not only have the Greek side fired in the fewest shots, only two teams in the Champions League have a worse conversion rate, helping them to the joint-lowest tally of goals in the competition.
• Prior to this season, København's only match against a Greek team was a 1-0 home defeat by Panathinaikos in the 2007-08 UEFA Cup.
• Panathinaikos have played four matches against Danish opposition in Europe, winning two and losing two of those meetings.
• Only Zilina have posted a worse shooting accuracy figure than the 30% of attempts on target mustered by København.
• Panathinaikos have won none of their last seven Champions league matches and failed to score in the last four.
• Only 18% of Panathinaikos' passes have been long (over 30 yards) a lower percentage than any other team in the Champions League.

Group E:

Bayern Munich v FC Basel

• Bayern have only played four matches against Swiss opposition in Europe, winning three and losing one.
• Basel have played five matches in Europe against German sides and won none, losing three and drawing two, but they have scored in all five matches.
• Bayern have only lost one of their last 13 Champions League home matches and have won the last six in a row.
• Basel have only won two of their 11 Champions League away matches.
• Bayern have posted the worst crossing success rate in the Champions League, finding a team-mate with just 9% of their crosses.
• Alexander Frei has been caught offside 11 times, more than any other player in the Champions league.
• Bayern have recouped six points from losing positions in the Champions league, more than any other team.
• Mario Gomez has scored six goals from just seven shots on target in the Champions League.

CFR Cluj v Roma

• Roma fired in 11 shots on target when they entertained Cluj at the Stadio Olimpico.
• Cluj met Roma in the 2008-09 Champions League Group Stage, losing 1-3 at home to the Italian side.
• Roma's only defeat in five games in Europe against Romanian opposition came with a 1-2 home defeat against Cluj in September 2008.
• Cluj have won just one of their five Champions League home matches.
• Roma have not kept a clean sheet in their last 12 Champions League away games.
• In Roma's last seven Champions League away games, they have either scored three or failed to score.
• Roma have only kept two clean sheets in their last 22 Champions League matches.
• Cluj have scored a joint-competition high four headed goals.

Group F:

Ol. Marseille v Chelsea

• Chelsea fired in 15 shots compared to Marseille's 21 when they met at Stamford Bridge on Match Day 2. The Blues hit the woodwork three times during that game,
• Marseille have lost their last four Champions League matches against English opposition.
• Chelsea and Marseille have played three games in Europe, with the home team winning on each occasion while the away side failed to score.
• Chelsea's last six Champions League matches against French teams have alternated between draws and wins.
• The Blues have only won one of four Champions League trips to France.
• Chelsea could become only the fifth team to win all six matches of a Champions League Group Stage if they win this match, after AC Milan (1992/93), Paris SG (1994/95), Spartak Moscow (1995/96) and Barcelona (2002/03).
• Chelsea have only lost one their last 10 Champions League matches away from home.
• Chelsea have already won the group and Marseille are guaranteed to finish as runners up.
• Nicolas Anelka has scored five goals from just seven shots on target.

MSK Zilina v Spartak Moscow

• Zilina didn't manage a single shot on target when they visited Moscow on Match Day Two, while Spartak fired in 11.
• If Zilina lose this match by three goals or more, they could record the worst ever Champions League Group Stage performance, "beating" the current worst record held by Spartak Moscow set in 2002-03. The Russian side lost all six games and recorded a goal difference of -17.
• Spartak have won only three of their last 28 Champions League matches and just two of the last 15 away from home.
• Spartak will finish third in the group regardless of the final match day and will play in the Europa League after Christmas.
• Zilina have allowed their opponents 46 shots on target against them, more than any other team in the competition.
• Zilina have hit the target with just 27% of their shots, a lower percentage than any other team in the competition.
• Zilina have conceded more goals than any other team in the Champions League - 17.
• Only Manchester United (two bookings) have picked up fewer yellow cards than Zilina in this season's Champions League.

Group G:

AC Milan v Ajax

• Ajax have won three of the nine meetings with AC Milan in the European Cup and Champions League, but none of the last five since they won the 1995 Champions League final.
• AC Milan have only won one of their last seven Champions league games at San Siro.
• Ajax have only won one of their last 16 Champions League away games, losing the last three.
• Ajax are already eliminated from the Champions League but they will qualify for the Europa League if they match Auxerre's result.
• AC Milan haven't won back to back Champions league games since November 2007.
• Ajax have only won one of their last eight Champions League matches.
• Ajax have only won one of the last 14 European matches against Italian opposition (1-0 vs Fiorentina in February 2009).
• Ajax suffered their biggest ever home defeat in European competition last time out at home to Real Madrid (0-4).

Real Madrid v Auxerre

• Real Madrid have only lost one European match at home to a French team (Paris St Germain March 1994).
• Auxerre have not kept any clean sheets in nine Champions League away matches.
• Madrid have kept three clean sheets in their last four Champions League matches at the Bernabeu.
• No team outside the top four leagues (Italy, England, Germany & Spain) has won away in the Champions League at Real Madrid since Ajax in November 1995.
• If Madrid win this match, they will beat their best ever performance in a Champions League Group (2001-02 2^nd group stage where they earned 16 points with a goal difference of +9).
• Real Madrid have only lost one of their last 10 Champions League matches, but that was against a French side (Lyon).
• Real Madrid have already won the Group and Auxerre have been eliminated from the Champions League.
• The French side can seal a Europa Cup place if they better Ajax's result.
• Cristiano Ronaldo has scored six goals in his last six Champions League games against French opposition.

Group H:

Arsenal v Partizan Belgrade

• Arsenal have failed to score in four of their last five Champions League games played in December.
• There were three penalties in the game when Partizan entertained Arsenal (two for Partizan), two of which were saved.
• Arsenal fired in 17 shots, 13 of which were on target against Partizan in Belgrade.
• Arsenal have conceded exactly one goal in each of the three matches played against teams from Belgrade in European competition.
• No team from continental Europe has won away at Arsenal in the Champions League since Inter beat the Gunners 3-0 in September 2003 - a run of 36 games with the only defeats coming against English sides (Chelsea and Manchester Utd).
• Only two teams (Barcelona and Manchester United have scored more than once in 32 Champions League games at the Emirates, with 21 sides failing to score at all.
• The Gunners have averaged 3.7 goals per game and never failed to score more than once in their last seven Champions League matches at the Emirates Stadium.
• Partizan have lost all five Champions League away matches and scored only one goal.
• If Arsenal win they will progress to the Last 16 and they almost certainly will win the group if Braga beat Shakhtar (Braga have a -14 goal difference to make up on the Gunners on the head to heads).
• No team has ever won their first three Champions League Group games and failed to qualify for the next stage.

Shakhtar Donetsk v Sporting Braga

• The last team to beat Shakhtar on their own ground in the Champions League was a Portuguese side, Sporting Lisbon in last season's Group Stage.
• Shakhtar have played Portuguese opposition four times in Europe, never winning at home, drawing the first two and losing the last pair of matches.
• Shakhtar need to avoid defeat or lose by less than a four-goal margin if they are to progress to the Last 16.
• If Shakhtar avoid defeat, they will win the group.
• Braga must better Arsenal's result in the other match, or beat Shakhtar by at least a four-goal margin if they are to progress to the Last 16.
• This is already Shakhtar's best performance in a Champions League Group, beating the nine points they gained in 2008-09.
• In each of their five Champions League matches, Shakhtar have failed to score in one half of the match.
• Shakhtar have won six of their last seven Champions League matches.
• Eduardo has scored three goals from just five shots on target for Shakhtar Donetsk.

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07-12-2010 20:45 Barcelona - Rubin

Time To Breathe

It’s fair to say that Barcelona endured a stressful weekend, and Pep Guardiola’s men will be looking forward to a pressure-free encounter against Rubin Kazan, which will see the Catalans seek revenge for a shock defeat at Camp Nou incurred last season.

Saturday night’s fixture against Osasuna became something of a farcical affair. Barca thought the encounter had been postponed to the Sunday when they left for Pamplona by train and bus due to a walkout by airport staff all around Spain. It soon became clear that this was not the case and the Blaugrana faced a mad rush to get to the Reyno de Navarra in time to play.

Having just reached the stadium in time, Barca pulled out a performance that belied the travel chaos that had gone before it, picking up a 3-0 victory, which was inspired, of course, by Lionel Messi.

Messi has since been placed in the final three for the Ballon d’Or award along with team-mates Andres Iniesta and Xavi, highlighting the talent in Barcelona’s ranks, as if that was required after the recent Clasico smashing of Real Madrid, which produced a performance from la Blaugrana of the highest quality.

There was talk earlier this season that Barcelona had lost some of their magic, but that has now firmly been pushed to one side as their top players find their very best form and the goals start to flow in all kinds of difficult circumstances.

With the race for the Spanish crown currently top of their priority list, it would be a surprise to see Barca, who have already won top spot in Group D, turn out with a full strength side on Tuesday, given that they face a busy festive period.

A Time For Action

Rubin Kazan return to the scene of arguably their greatest ever success on Tuesday evening when they travel to Barcelona. On October 20, 2009, they made a similar journey and returned victorious, having picked up a 2-1 victory courtesy of goals from Aleksandr Ryazantsev and Gokdeniz Karadeniz. Ultimately their efforts were futile as they crashed out of the Champions League in third place, and a similar fate could befall them in midweek, even if they earn a victory.

Coach Kurban Berdyev, who has been stripped of the attacking talents of Alejandro Dominguez and Aleksandr Bukharov, is a typically defensively minded tactician, and this has shone through in Rubin’s entire campaign to date. Their five games have produced only four goals, with their 1-0 victory over Copenhagen in Russia last time out a particularly stale affair.

Domestically the 2010 campaign has already ended for the Ruby, who will be involved in the Champions League again next season, albeit in the third qualifying round, after finishing behind Spartak Moscow and CSKA Moscow in the Russian Premier League. Again their negative attitude was apparent as they were held to 13 costly draws, which left them 10 points off the title-winning pace.

There will come a time for action on Tuesday evening as this is a match that they quite simply have to win. Rubin will certainly be taken out of their comfort zone, but Barcelona will not be tempted to sit back and so the visitors’ counterattacking instincts could be allowed to flourish. A repeat of last season’s triumph should not be expected, but it shouldn’t be written off either.

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Dani Alves, Xavi, David Villa, Pedro and Seydou Keita are rested, but Gabriel Milito is missing due to injury. Marc Bartra, Andreu Fontas, Thiago Alcantara, Jonathan dos Santos and Victor Vazquez are involved.

Rubin

Carlos Eduardo and Aleksandr Orekhov are both absent because of knee problems. Vitali Kaleshin is one booking away from a ban.

Prediction

This is a surprisingly difficult tough match to call because Barcelona will likely rotate their side heavily for what is ultimately a meaningless match for them. Even Barca’s reserves have no shortage of quality and will want to catch the eye of coach Pep Guardiola, however.

Barcelona 3-1 Rubin Kazan

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07-12-2010 20:45 FC Kobenhavn - Panathinaikos

Win And Go Through

Copenhagen are on the verge of constructing history as a win tonight against Panathinaikos will see them through to the second round of the Champions League. The Danish champions have been one of the most impressive teams in Europe so far this campaign and are keen to carry on their European adventure.

Stale Solbakken's side are currently second in Group D with seven points from five matches. They cannot win the group but a win tonight at the Parken Stadion will ascertain the second place for them even if Rubin Kazan defeat Barcelona at Camp Nou as they are a point clear of the former Russian champions.

Even a draw will be enough as long as Rubin fail to register a win in the other game in the group but Solbakken is taking no chances and wants his side to bag all three points.

"We have to win tomorrow as Barcelona will rest players, increasing the chances of a Rubin Kazan upset," explained Solbakken. "After struggling to play up to our standards in the league following our meeting with Barcelona [the 1-1 draw on Matchday 4] I feel we are back on track and full of confidence.

"The match in Russia against Rubin Kazan [a 1-0 defeat] was the turning point as I feel we produced an excellent display and certainly deserved at least a point. Since then we have looked sharp, been scoring goals and looked organised defensively."

Final Chapter Of Greek Tragedy

Panathinaikos have been eliminated from the Champions League and will finish at the bottom of Group D come what may. With just a couple of points from five games, the Greek champions have been a disaster in Europe this campaign that was epitomised by their 3-0 defeat to Barcelona in Athens on Matchday 5.

However, coach Jesualdo Ferreira is taking this game seriously and wants to bow out in style. The Shamrock are doing quite well in the Greek Super League and are currently level on points with leaders Olympiakos, Which means that they will try to transfer some of that form to Europe.

"A Greek team has never finished last in a Champions League group with only two points and we must do our absolute best to ensure that is not going to happen this year," stressed Ferreira."We have professional pride and will be fighting all the way for victory in Copenhagen.

"And last, but not least, there is a lot of money at stake.''

TEAM NEWS

Copenhagen

Dame N'Doye returned from a groin injury at the weekend and Martin Vingaard and Antonsson have recovered their fitness. Hjalte Norregaard and Martin Bergvold are long-term injury concerns.

Panathinaikos

Giourkas Seitaridis and Sidney Govou have been left behind in Greece and Sebastian Leto remains absent with a knee problem.

Prediction

Panathinaikos have nothing to play for and are demoralised at the moment, which means that this is Copenhagen's game to lose. The Danish champions have looked strong at home and it appears very much likely that they will win tonight and qualify for the second round of the Champions League.

Copenhagen 2-0 Panathinaikos

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07-12-2010 20:45 Manchester Utd. - Valencia

United Looking To Progress As Group Winners

With both teams having already qualified for the knockout stage in the European competition, this fixture — on the surface — appears to be one that is a formality.

But the equation changes as the top spot in Group C is still up for grabs. And a defeat could see United relinquishing their position at the top, whereas any other result will see them progress as group winners.

But it will be a Herculean task for their opponents to play at an atmospheric Old Trafford and better a team that has not conceded a single goal in the tournament so far.

In fact, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will be the first team to have gone through the group stages in the Champions League without having their defence breached, should they manage to keep a clean sheet on Tuesday.

But as defensively adept as the Red Devils have been through the course of the campaign, they have only managed to score six goals in five games. Yet with Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov having resumed their partnership up front, this could all be subject to change.

But all said and done, all that the United are looking for is qualification and a draw will be enough to see them through. But with the match against Arsenal scheduled to take place only next Monday, the gaffer could field his first string side since they have had a rest owing to the cancellation of the fixture against Blackpool.

Edwin van der Sar said ahead of the game: “It is quite clear. We are through now but we want to get top spot in order to avoid any of the bigger teams in the earlier rounds. That is what we need to do against Valencia.”

In With A Shout

Beating a United side that is yet to concede in the tournament is the task that coach Unai Emery and his Valencia side have embarked on as they look to take the top spot and avoid the big guns.

Playing at Old Trafford will only add to the difficulty, but the free-scoring Spanish side will likely fancy their chances in England as they have already scored 14 goals in five games to date.

The players will also want to recover from the recent 2-0 defeat in the Primera Division at the hands of Real Madrid, so that a second consecutive adverse result will not dent their confidence.

But United have a relatively decent record against Spanish opponents, as they have eight wins, eight draws and only two losses from 18 games at Old Trafford. But the statistics show some encouragement towards the visitors as well, since Valencia are undefeated in their last five trips to England.

Emery, who is eyeing the top spot, said: “We have a tremendous opportunity with our great team.

“We have met our target to move to the second round, and now we want to be first.”

TEAM NEWS

Manchester United

The perennially injured Owen Hargreaves (hamstring) is still unavailable since his injury against Wolverhampton Wanderers, amid suggestions that the club could let him go for free during the summer.

Michael Owen(hamstring) has resumed training, but this game could be a little too early for him. And Antonio Valencia (ankle) remains sidelined and is only expected to return next year.

The recent Premier League game against Blackpool was cancelled due to bad weather, which would have been a timely rest for some of the club’s senior players. And with the Arsenal game almost another week away, manager Sir Alex Ferguson will likely field a strong team for this game despite its relative insignificance.

Possible starting line-up: Kuszczak; Rafael, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Park; Rooney, Berbatov.

Valencia

Cesar Sanchez and Miguel Moya are both sidelined with injuries, meaning Guaita will be between the posts for this encounter. Mehmet Topal and Manuel Fernandez also miss out.

David Navarro and Jeremy Mathieu are also recovering from injury, which puts coach Unai Emery in a slightly difficult situation.

Possible starting line-up: Guaita; Bruno, Costa, Maduro, Miguel; Albelda, Tino Costa, Pablo Hernandez, Mata; Soldado, Aduriz.

Prediction

Manchester United are strong at Old Trafford and this is likely to continue as a victory appears to be on the cards. But through the course of the victory, Valencia’s free flowing style of football may see them concede as well.

Man Utd. 2-1 Valencia

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07-12-2010 20:45 Bursaspor - Rangers

Still Looking For First Points

Bursaspor are looking to gain their first points in the Champions League after finally scoring their first goal in the competition while being destroyed by Spanish giants Valencia in the previous round of games two weeks ago.

The Turkish champions come into the tie on the back of a demoralising one goal defeat away to Besiktas, which saw them fail to apply pressure on current Turkish league leaders Trabzonspor, who have extended their lead to five points as a result of this week's fixtures.

The Green Crocodiles will also have to deal with the fact that they played Besiktas only two days before the Champions League fixture, in which they played the entire second half with only 10 men after playmaker Volkan Sen was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the space of one minute.

Victory Is Vital

The Scottish champions visit Turkey after being left in cold storage for the last two weeks, with their Scottish Premier League fixtures against both Dundee United and Hearts having been cancelled due to the extreme weather in Scotland over the last week.

Rangers go into the final game of their Champions League group knowing that a victory will help them secure a seeding place in the knockout stages of the Europa League, so that they can avoid some of the big guns which will include names such as Manchester City and Liverpool.

With third place secured, Walter Smith may look to rest striker Kenny Miller, who has been the Ibrox side’s workhorse, having had a lack of a partner in the Rangers forward line.

TEAM NEWS

Bursaspor

Bursaspor go into their final Champions League game without the services of Ali Tandogan, who is still out after sustaining a serious head injury that he received in the Turkish champions' 2-2 draw with Antalyaspor at the start of November.

The Green Crocodiles could also be without defender Ibrahim Ozturk, who was taken from the field during Bursaspor’s 1-0 defeat away to Besiktas.

Ertugrul Saglam may be wanting to make changes for the meaningless game for the Turkish side after they were forced to play their away game at Besiktas on Sunday afternoon.

Possible starting XI: Ivankov; Wederson, Aziz, Erdogan, Keceli; Ergic, Svennsson, Batalla, Volkan Sen; Yildirim, Bahadir.

Rangers

The Scottish champions welcome back defender Madjid Bougherra, who has recovered from a hamstring injury in order to make the trip to Turkey.

Walter Smith’s side will also have to do without Kirk Broadfoot due to a foot injury, while Sasa Papac is not fit enough to be selected for the Champions League fixture as he recovers from a head injury.

The Ibrox side still have long-term absentees Andy Webster (hamstring), Maurice Edu (knee), Kyle Lafferty (hand) and Nikica Jelavic (ankle) as Smith’s side look to claim their second win in this season’s competition.

Possible starting XI: McGregor; Foster, Weir, Bougherra, Whittaker; Weiss, Davis, Hutton, McCulloch, Naismith; Beattie.

Prediction

Bursaspor will be looking to reward their supporters after what has been a terrible campaign for the Turkish champions, in which they have only scored one goal. Rangers, however, will be fresh, after having not played since their last Champions League fixture against Manchester United.

Bursaspor 0-2 Rangers

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07-12-2010 20:45 Olympique Lyonnais - Hapoel Tel Aviv

Uncertain

It’s all to play for in Group B, with Olympique Lyonnais still holding out hopes of finishing atop the section after slipping to two defeats in succession after a promising start saw them win all of their opening four matches. If they are to achieve that feat, they must best Hapoel Tel Aviv on Tuesday and hope that Schalke fail to overcome Benfica in Portugal.

Lyon have rarely served to play decisively this season and have almost pushed themselves into the top two of this pool by default as their opponents have been almost equally as erratic. Their uncertain form hasn’t simply consigned itself to continental competition, and for a good deal of the Ligue 1 season they were sitting in the bottom half of the standings.

OL have composed themselves to some extent domestically and have moved to within touching distance of the top of the league, though that’s been achieved in a rather unconvincing style too. Claude Puel’s men have muddled their way by opponents, with Saturday’s 2-1 victory in Montpellier an excellent example of the kind of win they’ve achieved.

Les Gones grabbed an early lead but once their opponents had settled into the game and drawn level it seemed that they would be lucky to escape with a point. Deep in stoppage time young left-back Timothee Kolodziejczak crossed for Lisandro Lopez to bury a shot into the corner of the net, giving Lyon three welcome if rather undeserved points.

Benfica and Schalke have been good enough to exploit the clear defensive weaknesses of OL, which French teams have failed in recent times, so Puel must first think about keeping things tight at the back on Tuesday evening.

Belying Expectations

When Hapoel Tel Aviv were drawn in a difficult looking Group B, they were considered to be the whipping boys. The Israelis may presently be at the foot of the standings, but they have proven more competitive a side than they were given credit for at the outset. Indeed, Eli Guttmann’s unit still have the opportunity to reach the Europa League should they win in France and Benfica fall at home to Schalke.

Three defeats from their opening three games painted a rather bleak picture of the Red Demons, though they had acted competitively against the Portuguese and French particularly. A 3-1 reverse in Gelsenkirchen seemed to slam the final nail into the club’s coffin in Matchday 3, but they rallied to hold die Koenigsblauen in Israel. Building on that, they achieved a magnificent 3-0 victory over Benfica a fortnight ago.

Eran Zahavi struck either side of a Douglas da Silva effort for the hosts as they shocked the Encarnados, who were expected to pick up three points in the Israeli capital. By no means were the hosts dominant, but they took their chances impressively while the luckless Portuguese floundered with their greater volume of possession and chances.

Hapoel have played themselves into a position from which they are still competitive on the final day of action, and that in itself is something of an achievement. Going strong in the Israeli Premier League, the Workers will at the very least gain a good deal of experience for another potential tilt at Europe’s premier competition next season.

TEAM NEWS

Lyon

Cris was able to return at the weekend after tendonitis had ruled him out for a couple of weeks, though Yoann Gourcuff is still toiling with a knock picked up against Schalke and won’t play. Jeremy Toulalan is involved again after a thigh problem kept him out at the weekend.

Aly Cissokho and Pape Diakhate were unable to play due to suspension at the weekend but will return to the rearguard on Tuesday.

Ederson, Cesar Delgado and Clement Grenier are all sidelined.

Hapoel

Romain Rocchi and Mahran Lala are both out due to injuries, though Salim Toama and Gal Shish have both recently overcome problems to feature.

Dedi Ben-Dayan is banned after crossing the disciplinary threshold.

Prediction

Though Lyon have struggled in Europe lately, their defeats have come away from home. Hapoel, on the other hand, have thrived in Israel but may get something of a shock when they get to the cold heart of France. OL should be good enough to win, but it might be surprisingly hard work.

O. Lyon 3-1 Hapoel

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07-12-2010 20:45 Benfica - Schalke 04

Finish On A High

Benfica would have expected to be strong enough to progress through to the knock-out stages of the Champions League, but events mean that the Lisbon club have fallen short, paying for erratic away form. Instead, the Europa League beckons, but only if they earn a positive result against a Schalke team who need to win to claim top spot.

Though the Aguias picked up a 2-0 victory over Hapoel Tel Aviv on the competition’s opening evening, the tone was set for their group stage three weeks later when they went down 2-0 against Schalke. A similar reverse in France against Olympique Lyonnais was to prove decisive, despite beating OL 4-3 in early November.

For all that their poor performances on the road have cost them vital points, it is that victory against les Gones that they will live to forget. Leading 4-0, Jorge Jesus’ men were cruising to victory but took their foot off the pedal and would allow the Frenchmen to draw sufficiently close to give them a head-to-head advantage.

If there was disappointment in the manner they finished the last 15 minutes of that encounter, this would pale into insignificance as they went down 3-0 in Israel only a fortnight later, finishing off any lingering hopes of the last 16.

With Porto already well clear domestically, it’s been a disappointing conclusion to 2010 for the Reds, who will seek to finish the year strongly and attack 2011 with renewed vigour.

No More Crisis-Talk

Schalke have impressively managed to forget their domestic worries when playing in Europe so far this season. Die Koenigsblauen may linger just above the relegation zone in the Bundesliga, but they’re heading to the last 16 of the Champions League. Yet Felix Magath’s men want to progress in style, and in order to maximise their chances of going deeper in the competition must aim for first spot.

Victory against Benfica is therefore necessary, and the Gelsenkirchen side approach the game with a good deal of confidence having picked up a 2-0 success over Bayern Munich at the weekend. However, they’ve been especially erratic away from home, with a 5-0 loss against Kaiserslautern a reminder of just how frail a side Schalke can be.

“If we continue to play like this, there will be no more of this crisis-talk,” Magath commented after the weekend’s victory. “We have had a miserable start. The team had to find itself, but now and then we will see such games.”

With goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in inspired form between the posts and Raul starting to find his feet in a creative role just behind a central striker, the signs are that Schalke are improving. They’ve already proven this when playing at home, now they need to do so on the road, and the door is open for just that in Lisbon.

TEAM NEWS

Benfica

Pablo Aimar, Oscar Cardozo and Airton are all back training after recent injury concerns. Alan Kardec isn’t involved in the squad.

Schalke

Junmin Hao, Tim Hoogland and Levan Kenia are all training after a variety of problems. Christian Pander returned against Bayern Munich after suffering from muscular problems that ruled him out for over a year, but he’s not registered to play in the Champions League.

Jefferson Farfan isn’t in the squad due to a suspension.

Prediction

Neither of these sides have been particularly noted for their consistency this season, with the German outfit particularly erratic. Given the unpredictable nature of the two sides, a draw would look unlikely, but which team to win is something of a toss of the coin. With Benfica have won their two previous home games, they should be favoured, but only if they go out with the intent of winning.

Benfica 2-1 Schalke 04

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07-12-2010 20:45 Werder - Inter

Playing For Pride

Werder Bremen have already been eliminated from the Champions League group stage and have nothing but pride to play for. With just two points from five matches, the German side have relinquished all hopes of even finishing third and dropping to the Europa League.

Werder are struggling in the Bundesliga too as they are in mid-table and played out a goalless draw with Wolfsburg at the weekend. Therefore, the Green-Whites will be buoyant to round off their Champions League campaign with a victory over the European champions.

Werder have never lost to an Italian opposition at the Weserstadion and coach Thomas Schaaf will be looking to maintain that record. Indeed, the 49-year-old stresses that they will go all out for a victory tonight.

"The match tomorrow is very important for us even though we're out of the competition," Schaaf enthused. "It's a big game and we're very happy to take on the titleholders. It's a big challenge for us and we want to not only compete with Inter, but to win.

"We have to give up making plans for this season and only look ahead to our next match – this is tomorrow and we want to win. I'm angry about the fact that we are already eliminated from this competition, and I know I'm going to be even angrier when I'm sat at home next year watching the big matches on TV."

Topping The Group

Inter may have already qualified for the second round of the Champions League from Group A but the Italian and European champions will very much like to finish top and try to avoid a fellow European heavyweight in the Round of 16.

At the moment the Beneamata are second with 10 points - level with Tottenham Hotspur but second on head-to-head record. A win for against Werder in Bremen could see them win the group if Spurs lose or draw with Twente.

However, it will be far from easy for Rafael Benitez's side who lost 3-1 to Lazio in Rome in Serie A on Friday and dropped 10 points off the pace in the league. The Nerazzurri remain in crisis and Benitez, who is under pressure, will attempt to win this match before flying his team for the Club World Cup in the UAE.

"We could finish first in the group and this would be better than being in second place, so we want to win tomorrow (Tuesday) and that's why we're here," enthuses Benitez. "It's good and important for the whole of Italian football that we stay as long as possible in the Champions League.

"I think we've done well so far. We cannot influence the match in Enschede but we can play for a victory here."

TEAM NEWS

Werder Bremen

Tim Borowski, Sebastien Boenisch, Naldo and Christian Vander are unavailable because of injuries. However, both Claudio Pizarro and Mikaël Silvestre are back to full match fitness and could feature tonight. Daniel Jensen and Marko Arnautovic too have been included in the 18-man squad.

Inter

Julio Cesar, Walter Samuel, Coutinho, Joel Obi, Maicon and Cristian Chivu remain on the sidelines because of injuries while Lucio, Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder have been left behind in Milan. Dejan Stankovic, who hobbled off the pitch against Lazio on Friday, has been left out of the 19-man squad too but Sulley Muntari is back to full match fitness.

Prediction

Werder have nothing to play for but they will certainly be motivated to round off their Champions League adventure with a victory. Inter remain knee-deep in crisis and it is unlikely that they will register a win in Bremen tonight. A scoring draw is the most likely result.

Werder Bremen 2-2 Inter Milan

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07-12-2010 20:45 Twente - Tottenham Hot.

Looking For Revenge

The last time these two met Spurs overcame Twente 4-1 thanks to at least one dubious penalty decision and a rollercoaster performance from Rafael van der Vaart who missed a penalty, scored a fantastic volley, and then got sent off.

The score-line was unfair on the Dutch champions as they threatened throughout, and have by and large impressed throughout this Champions League campaign. Unfortunately qualification is out of their hands, so revenge for that 4-1 defeat will be the order of the day for reigning Dutch champions.

With Ruiz sidelined, they will be looking to midfielder Theo Janssen to continue his fine form, after the Dutch international scored a brace against De Graafschap on Saturday to move joint-top of the Eredivisie with PSV and Preud'homme will be hoping for more of the same to regain some pride and register their first home win in the tournament.

"We Want To Finish Top"

Redknapp would have been delighted to wrap up qualification to the last 16 as soon as possible, and the 3-0 win over Werder Bremen last time out did just that.

Now it is all eyes on claiming that precious top spot.

“We want to finish top if we can. Inter Milan will go to Germany looking to win because that top position is important. Otherwise, it’s [the likes of] Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich [in the next round],” Redknapp said.

Spurs have enjoyed a debut season that is scarcely believable. They are joint-top scorers in the competition, enjoyed one of the greatest nights at White Hart Lane in recent memory when beating holders Inter 3-1, and, despite losing 4-3, the second-half hat-trick by Gareth Bale at the San Siro was a joy to behold. If progression to the last 16 in their debut season wasn’t good enough to round it all off, then topping such a tough group certainly would.

TEAM NEWS

Twente

Manager Michel Preud'homme will be without last-season’s top goalscorer Bryan Ruiz for the visit of Tottenham, after the Costa Rica suffered a knee injury during two weeks ago and will stay out of action until the turn of the year.

However, Preud-homme still has a plethora of attacking talent, much like their opponents on Tuesday, and will most likely call upon their 6ft 5in tall striker Marc Janko and Moroccan Nacer Chadli, who has two goals to his name so far this campaign.

Nicky Kuiper is the only other injury. The promising 21-year-old left-back tore his knee ligaments in October and has missed Twente’s last two Champions League games, with Peter Wisgerhof likely to come in.

Possible starting XI: Mihaylov; Rosales, Douglas, Wisgerhof, Tiendalli; Landzaat, Brama, Chadli, Janssen; De Jong, Janko.

Tottenham

Spurs, meanwhile, are down to the bare bones. Luckily these days at White Hart Lane even their 'bare bones' means they still have international players to call upon.

Aside from long-term absentees defenders Ledley King (knee) and Jonathan Woodgate (groin), Spurs will also be without inspirational midfielder Rafael van der Vaart (hamstring) and defender Younes Kaboul (hip), but the latter is expected to be fit for the visit of Chelsea on Sunday.

Michael Dawson was an unused substitute against Birmingham last Saturday, and could well make his long awaited return from injury, and therefore his Champions League group stage debut.

Possible starting XI: Gomes; Corluka, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Palacios, Modric, Bale; Crouch, Defoe.

Prediction

Redknapp will not let the visit of Chelsea on Sunday put his players off, and will stress to them the importance of claiming top spot. Leading on the head-to-head record and goal difference over Inter, a one-goal victory at De Grolsch Veste Stadium could snatch it, but with their defence just as leaky as their attack is potent, they will need to concentrate.

Twente 1-2 Tottenham

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