23-11-2010 20:45 Basel - CFR 1907 Cluj

Teetering

By the fifth round of Champions League fixtures, neither Basel nor Cluj would have considered themselves in with a significant shot of progression to the last 16, yet a win on Tuesday evening for either of these sides would keep the door to the knock-out rounds open at least until the final game.

Basel are playing for their European lives, stationed at the foot of the table having suffered a damaging loss in Romania on the opening day of action. The Swiss side’s group stage campaign got off to a nightmare start in Transylvania as they fell two goals down in the opening 15 minutes and could not recover, despite a tally from Valentin Stocker.

That opening match would have been considered a ‘must-win’ in the RotBlau camp, but unexpected ground was made up in Rome. A stirring performance from the Swiss side allied with an under par showing from the Italians resulted in an unexpected 3-1 success, though the Lupi’s 3-2 win in Basel three weeks ago leaves Thorsten Fink’s side teetering.

Defeat on Tuesday night will leave Basel eliminated. Both Cluj and Roma will be out of reach due to superior head-to-head records, rendering their final encounter against Bayern Munich little more than an exhibition. Victory, however, could potentially open the door to the knock-out stages, though Basel’s recent form has been unimpressive, progressing in their domestic cup competition at the weekend only on penalty kicks against second tier side Servette.

Clinging On
 
For Cluj, the stakes are high. Victory on Tuesday evening would leave them going into the final round of fixtures with their destiny in their own hands, no matter what happens between Bayern Munich and Roma. Yet, the Romanians have managed to sneak into this position despite losing three successive matches.

Their importance of their victory over Basel in Matchday 1 is not incredibly apparent. Twice they have succumbed to the charms of Bayern Munich, including a 4-0 mauling at home three weeks ago, and they have also lost to Roma.

But it’s not just been in Europe that Sorin Cartu’s club has struggled. Though a tally of 23 league points in 16 matches has been garnered, this represents their worst start to a season since 2004, and over the course of their last 24 matches in all competitions, nine have been lost – hardly a record befitting champions.

At the weekend, the Feroviarii were again left frustrated. A goal from Roberto De Zerbi after just 26 seconds gave them the quickest lead in the Romanian top flight this season, but it was squandered when Eric Pereira of Gaz Metan Medias was allowed to level barely 10 minutes later. There would be no further scoring.

It’s something of a miracle that Cluj are still quite so competitive in this group, but they’ll certainly try to make the most of their good fortune on Tuesday night.

TEAM NEWS

Basel

After being dropped to the bench at the weekend, Alexander Frei should be given a starring role in attack for Thorsten Fink’s side.

Genseric Kusunga is not expected to play due to a tendon problem but Cameroon international Jacques Zoua made his first appearance in over two months at the weekend.

Marco Streller, who is out until 2011 due to injury in any case, and Valentin Stocker are both suspended.

Cluj

Yssouf Kone won’t be involved as he is a long-term absentee having endured knee ligament damage early in the campaign. Gabriel Muresan has a leg injury that has afflicted him for the last two months.

Prediction

Basel will want to pick up at least one point in front of their home fans in this campaign, but without Streller and Stocker it will be a difficult ask. There is certainly plenty of quality in their side and on paper they should be superior to their guests, but a tight encounter is likely.

Basel 2-0 CFR Cluj

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23-11-2010 20:45 Auxerre - Milan

The Audacity Of Hope
 
When the draw for the Champions League was made, Auxerre were salivating at the prospect of meeting European heavyweights Real Madrid, Milan and Ajax. Though the rhetoric from the players was largely upbeat about the challenges that lay ahead, there could be little doubt that AJA were the group minnows. Their heads are on the chopping block with four games played, but equally they’re not out of the race for the last 16 yet.

Jean Fernandez’s men have picked up only three points. Those came at home last time out against Ajax, when they defied a nasty injury situation to overcome the Dutch side 2-1 thanks to goals from Frederic Sammaritano and Steeven Langil. Only two points behind second placed Milan, victory on Tuesday could conceivably take the French side second.

Sammaritano is certainly not approaching the game with a defeatist attitude, stating to Foot01: “If we manage to start the match well, knowing that the fans at the Abbe-Deschamps will inspire us, nothing is impossible.

“If we win, we will be completely revived in the race. It is true that this will be complicated, because we started with three defeats in the Champions League. Milan leads the Italian championship and are a great team.”

AJA are right to carry confidence into this encounter. After a woeful start to the season they are presently one of France’s most in-form teams, though they could only draw 1-1 with Saint-Etienne at the weekend.

Mentally Tough

While Auxerre have recently found their feet, Milan have been up and running since a three-match winless streak in Serie A was ended by a 1-0 home win over Genoa. Admittedly the Rossoneri would suffer defeat away to Real Madrid, while a tie in Amsterdam against Ajax wasn’t too smart either, but domestically they’ve been almost flawless since the autumn really took hold.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side came incredibly close to being the first to upset Jose Mourinho’s Blancos three weeks ago. A couple of goals from Filippo Inzaghi turned the match in the favour of the Rossoneri after Gonzalo Higuain had given the guests the lead, but a 94th minute strike from Pedro Leon denied the Italians.

Victory would have seen il Diavolo on the very brink of the knock-out stage, but as things stand they are very much in the mix to finish third should results go awry. There is little evidence that such a catastrophe is likely, with 1-0 wins over Inter and Fiorentina domestically highlighting the progress that has been made by the club over the last few months.

“We have reached a mental balance that is also evident in training during the week,” Allegri told the media after Sunday’s hard-fought success over the Viola. “Credit must be paid to the boys at the back who rolled up their sleeves and battled when the visitors looked to come back at us.”

If such an attitude can be found again on Tuesday, Milan have to be considered favourites to pick up the points as they boast technically superior players to their hosts.

TEAM NEWS

Auxerre

Delvin N’Dinga and Jeremy Berthod will both need checks after coming off early against Saint-Etienne at the weekend. Anthony Le Tallec hopes to return for the match against Real Madrid, which last season’s top scorer Ireneusz Jelen is still missing too. Alexandre Licata and Yaya Sanogo are other attacking players sidelined, while right-back Cedric Hengbart is out too.

Milan

Andrea Pirlo has been ruled out because of a thigh problem, while a similar issue keeps Massimo Oddo sidelined. Alexandre Pato has a knee problem and won’t travel. Luca Antonini and Filippo Inzaghi are the other absentees.

Prediction

Although Auxerre are improving, the best they can realistically achieve in midweek is a draw. The Rossoneri boast experience unparalleled in the French side’s ranks, plus their recent form has largely been flawless. Even in Burgundy they should have too much for their hosts, but it’s likely they’ll have to fight for their win, as was the case in Italy.

AJ Auxerre 0-1 Milan

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23-11-2010 20:45 Ajax - Real

Hope For Bite

In the week building up to El Clasico, Real Madrid could be forgiven for taking their eye off the ball, but coach Jose Mourinho will want his men to be fully concentrated on Tuesday evening when they go to Amsterdam to meet Ajax on Champions League duty.

The hosts are very much in touch with Milan as they battle for second place, but equally they could yet be overcome by an Auxerre side who claimed three points from the Dutch club. Martin Jol’s men go to Italy in the final week and will want to have at least a chance of finishing in the top two when they step onto the San Siro pitch.

It’s likely that if their candle is to burn into the final week of action they’ll need to produce a stronger performance than they mustered against los Blancos on Matchday 1. The Dutchmen were barely involved in the game at the Bernabeu and in truth the 2-0 scoreline was a flattering reflection on the route the match took.

Ajax had a derby of their own to contend with at the weekend, earning a 0-0 draw against a PSV Eindhoven outfit who top the table having scored 43 goals in only 15 fixtures. The encounter will be most remembered for Luis Suarez’s bite on Otman Bakkal, but the Uruguayan will hope that in midweek he can provide the metaphorical teeth for the Godenzonen to nip los Blancos.

The Best Team In The World?

Jose Mourinho was snapped up by Real Madrid in the summer primarily because of his proven ability to win the Champions League, having scooped the crown with Porto and Inter. The Portuguese tactician has los Blancos playing like potential champions at present, having guided them through an unbeaten start to the competition on all fronts.

Talk is starting to drift towards next Monday’s fixture against Barcelona, but the club from the Spanish capital are playing hard in each fixture at present, overcoming a potentially awkward hurdle against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday evening by smashing the Basques 5-1. Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed himself a hat-trick and the headlines, but there were contributions from Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Ramos too.

“This is the best team in the world by far,” defender Ramos explained to the media after the crushing victory over los Leones.

“It was a lopsided win but it wasn't as pretty as past matches,” Higuain admitted, reflecting upon a run that has seen Madrid, a side criticised for striking only six times in their opening five Primera Division matches,  score 27 in their last seven.

Winning the Champions League is los Merengues’ main goal this season, putting to bed nine years of hurt and giving the club a historic 10th title. In order to secure as simple a route through to the final as possible, winning the group is essential, and that can be achieved with a win on Tuesday, giving Mourinho the luxury of being able to rest players in the final match against Auxerre in a fortnight.

TEAM NEWS

Ajax

Urby Emanuelson (ankle) and former Barcelona player Oleguer (hamstring) are likely to require late checks to ascertain their fitness levels before Tuesday’s encounter. There is better news regarding Vurnon Anita and Siem de Jong, both of whom will be fit.

Young attacker Florian Jozefzoon will have exploratory surgery on a knee problem this week and faces several weeks out.

Nicolas Lodeiro and Kenneth Vermeer are long-term problems.

Real Madrid

Gonzalo Higuain picked up a back problem at the weekend and will miss this fixture. Ricardo Carvalho and Sami Khedira are also missing due to fresh issues.

Kaka, Ezequiel Garay and Fernando Gago are all long standing concerns.

Prediction

Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid are yet to lose, and the Portuguese coach will be determined to see his side maintain that record on Tuesday. With the Clasico still six days away, fatigue shouldn’t be an issue for los Blancos, who will go for the jugular and attempt to claim top spot in Group G once and for all. That should be attainable against a competitive Ajax outfit.

Ajax 1-2 Real Madrid

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23-11-2010 18:30 Spartak Moskva - Olympique Marseille

Great Opening
 
Arguably the week’s most important clash in the Champions League takes place at the Luzhniki Stadium, where Spartak Moscow will defend their advantage over an Olympique de Marseille side coming off a record victory in the previous round of games.

The venue for the final of the 2008 Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea, the Luzhniki is bracing itself for another dramatic evening of football. Spartak’s opening day victory in Marseille has them level on points with les Phoceens, giving Tuesday’s encounter vital importance. Win and Spartak are through, lose and it’s probable they’ll be out. A draw, however, would be of great benefit to the Russians, leaving them only needing to beat a weak Zilina team to progress.

With the ball firmly in their court, the Meat will turn out determined to put a place in the knock-out stages beyond all doubt, giving them the bonus of being able to relax for their post-season break just a little bit early as the RPL is due to shut down for the winter at the weekend.

European football is already assured for Spartak next season, though it comes in the form of the Europa League, which is undesirable once the top level has been tasted. If this term is to be prolonged in any meaningful way by Valery Karpin’s side, who lost a city derby against CSKA Moscow 3-1 at the weekend, they must pick up at least a point against les Phoceens.

Statistics count against the Russian unit somewhat; not only have they lost 13 of 20 matches against French opponents, they’ve only won once at home in Champions League action since a win over Arsenal in 2000.

Win Or Bust

Ligue 1 has an unusual look to it after 13 matches of the campaign, largely due to the inability of France’s big club’s to score victories on a consistent basis. Olympique de Marseille have been one of the chief culprits, starting the defence to their crown slowly, though it is undeniable that Didier Deschamps’ men have improved in recent weeks.

A winning mentality is important to the man once referred to as ‘the Water Carrier’, and he saw that from his players on Saturday evening as they scored a narrow 1-0 win in Toulouse. OM were far from pretty, but Andre Ayew’s late headed goal keeps them within touching distance of the summit of the league and maintains a domestic run of one loss in 15 games.

Continental football, and the Champions League group stage in particular, has proven a stumbling block for les Phoceens in the past, but the club is determined to do better this time around, and victory on Wednesday is essential to that goal.

“This season, the management decided to invest heavily in the transfer market to strengthen the team and allow them to pass the group round of the Champions League. Elimination would be a great disappointment, if not a failure for the club,” owner Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, ironically a Russian, indicated to the media.

Spartak managed to claim a 1-0 win at the Stade Velodrome on Matchday 1 without so much as getting a shot on target in the match – their winner was a Cesar Azpilicueta own goal – so revenge is very much on the cards for an OM side who simply have to win.

TEAM NEWS

Spartak

There are a couple of fairly pressing injury worries for Spartak coach Valery Karpin. Captain Alex picked up a thigh muscle problem against Rubin Kazan on November 8 and hasn’t featured since, while Ari has been missing for nearly a month with a similar problem.

Sergei Parshivlyuk (ligaments) and Kirill Kombarov (ankle) won’t play.

Marseille

The positive news for Didier Deschamps is that he has been able to name Benoit Cheyrou in his squad to travel east. Cheyrou had previously been struggling with an adductor problem in his left leg.

A squad of 20 players travels to Russia, with only Hilton missing due to injury.

Prediction

The Luzhniki Stadium isn’t a venue that tends to favour Spartak, who could be without a couple of their most important players on Tuesday. They may have won in France, but Marseille were the more impressive side overall and will be hungry for revenge in Moscow. OM haven’t been playing especially well this season, but if they can rouse themselves for this fixture they can score a big result.

Spartak 1-2 Marseille

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23-11-2010 - 20:45 Sporting Braga - Arsenal

Bouncing back

Arsenal will be grateful for the opportunity of erasing Saturday's 3-2 defeat to Tottenham against a side they scored six past without reply on the opening night of the Champions League campaign.

Arsene Wenger's men let slip a two goal lead against arch rivals Spurs at the weekend and will be hoping to bounce back in style against Sporting Braga.

The Portuguese outfit may have been hit for six by Arsenal at the Emirates, but after their disastrous opening to their debut season in Europe's premier club competition they have shown character to recover after back to back wins against Partizan Belgrade.

Arsenal sit top of Group H but after defeat against Shakhtar in the Ukraine, the competition for the top two places has opened up.

Braga currently sit third on six points while Arsenal and Shakhtar are above them on nine points.

A famous win for Domingos Paciencia's men will blow this group wide open and the Gunners could struggle to qualify from a group which looked straight forward on paper.

But a side boasting the talents of Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie will feel confident heading to the Estadio Municipal de Braga for the first time in their history after Braga lost their last game 2-1 Victoria Guimaraes.

The north London side will attempt to follow in the footsteps of their neighbours Spurs who won 3-2 at the same stadium back in 2006 during their Uefa Cup campaign.

But with both sides coming into this game on the back of defeats and three points so vital in the race to the knockout stages, Arsene Wenger's side could be in for a harder night's work than in the corresponding fixture.

Champions League record beckons

Arsenal could break the record for the number of goals scored in the Champions League group stage. They have scored 15 goals in four group games so far and need another six to break Manchester United's record.

The Red Devils scored 20 goals during the first six matches of the 1998-99 campaign and went on to win the competition, along with the Premier League title and the FA Cup. After scoring six past the same opposition on the opening night of the campaign they will be hoping to get closer to the 12 year record.

TEAM NEWS

Braga

Braga boss Domingos Paciencia has a full strength squad to select from and his major decision will come in how he sets up his side to cope with a team that tore through them with ease at the Emirates.

Vandinho and Mossoro should start in the middle of the park but if the manager wants to strengthen his midfield and match up with Arsenal's three central midfielders, he has Leondro Salino in reserve.

Lima and Mattheus are expected to partner each other up front as Braga look to take the attack to Arsenal.

Possible starting XI: Felipe; Garcia, Moises, Rodriguez, Elderson; Alan, Valdinho, Mossoro, Luis Aguiar; Lima, Mattheus.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger is close to a full bill of health but is still without long-term absentees Abou Diaby, Aaron Ramsey and Thomas Vermaelen.

Manuel Almunia and Nicklas Bendtner could return to the squad after missing out on Saturday, while Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere could return to the starting line-up after starting on the bench against Tottenham.

Possible starting XI: Fabianski; Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Gibbs; Fabregas, Song, Wilshere; Walcott, Van Persie, Nasri.

Prediction

Arsenal should have enough to beat a Braga side who have struggled defensively in the Champions League. A comfortable victory and qualification for the last-16 is on the cards for Arsene Wenger's side.

Braga 1-3 Arsenal

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