[EU] Champions League 2007/2008 (59 Viewers)
- Thread starter JCK
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good..because i heard that he might have missed the Sevilla game because of that.thanks for clearing that up.
moRATti doesn't have a heart.
Congrats to Fred, Turk and those whose team won - except the huns! I couldn't believe it! They won by one goal again and again it was a PK!
:rofl2: at inter! I hope Fenerbahce do well.
at ibra getting booked.
Congrats to Fred, Turk and those whose team won - except the huns! I couldn't believe it! They won by one goal again and again it was a PK!
:rofl2: at inter! I hope Fenerbahce do well.
at ibra getting booked.
Congrats to Fred, Turk and those whose team won - except the huns! I couldn't believe it! They won by one goal again and again it was a PK!
Maldini Wants Sixth Champions League Title
Milan legend Paolo Maldini is hoping for a perfect end to a glittering career by lifting the UEFA Champions League for a sixth time next May.
The Rossoneri captain is set to retire at the end of this season after almost a quarter of a century as a Milan player. The defender incredibly made his debut for the club way back in January 1985 and has since gone on to make well over 800 appearances.
“To win it for a sixth time would be a dream,” the 39-year-old told uefa.com. “It is one of my objectives and I will keep fighting for it in my last season.
“The Champions League represents the most prestigious trophy for a European footballer. Therefore I would love to close my career by winning the trophy.
“This is obviously a very ambitious and difficult objective but Milan have shown they are good at making the impossible happen.”
Maldini also revealed how proud he was to be named Defender of the Year in the UEFA Club Football Awards in Monaco last month.
“I have to say it is a bit of a surprise because I have certainly had better seasons,” Maldini admitted.
“However the fact we won the trophy has certainly helped me win this award. Having never managed to win it before, I am quite proud to get it at the age of 39.”
During his illustrious career, Maldini has won seven Scudetti, five Champions League titles, two World Club Cups and one Coppa Italia among many other trophies. He is also the Italian record cap-holder, having represented the Azzurri on 126 occasions. The defender played in four World Cups and three European Championships and without question will go down in history as the best defender of his generation.
goal.com
Milan legend Paolo Maldini is hoping for a perfect end to a glittering career by lifting the UEFA Champions League for a sixth time next May.
The Rossoneri captain is set to retire at the end of this season after almost a quarter of a century as a Milan player. The defender incredibly made his debut for the club way back in January 1985 and has since gone on to make well over 800 appearances.
“To win it for a sixth time would be a dream,” the 39-year-old told uefa.com. “It is one of my objectives and I will keep fighting for it in my last season.
“The Champions League represents the most prestigious trophy for a European footballer. Therefore I would love to close my career by winning the trophy.
“This is obviously a very ambitious and difficult objective but Milan have shown they are good at making the impossible happen.”
Maldini also revealed how proud he was to be named Defender of the Year in the UEFA Club Football Awards in Monaco last month.
“I have to say it is a bit of a surprise because I have certainly had better seasons,” Maldini admitted.
“However the fact we won the trophy has certainly helped me win this award. Having never managed to win it before, I am quite proud to get it at the age of 39.”
During his illustrious career, Maldini has won seven Scudetti, five Champions League titles, two World Club Cups and one Coppa Italia among many other trophies. He is also the Italian record cap-holder, having represented the Azzurri on 126 occasions. The defender played in four World Cups and three European Championships and without question will go down in history as the best defender of his generation.
goal.com
Ibra to miss PSV test?
Christian Panucci is out of Roma’s visit to Manchester United, while there are injury concerns for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Champions League resumes with the second Matchday of the group phase on Tuesday evening.
Roma travel to Old Trafford and have brought along Simone Perrotta and Alberto Aquilani, who are both doubts due to minor injuries.
However, Panucci is definitely out of the game with a continuing back problem, left behind along with Marco Cassetti and Rodrigo Taddei.
Inter welcome PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night in a must-win game, but their star striker Ibrahimovic is unlikely to feature.
He was stretchered off during the 4-1 win at Roma on Saturday and admits his chances of recovery are slim.
“It was a stud that left a small hole in my foot,” he explained. “It is swollen and we have to look at it further, but I don’t know if I can make it.”
With Julio Cruz suspended and Adriano and Cesar Aparecido left off the Champions League list, Roberto Mancini’s only options upfront would be Hernan Crespo and David Suazo.
Inter also have Nicolas Burdisso, Ivan Cordoba and Douglas Maicon suspended from last season’s Mestalla melee.
Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira are injured, while Nelson Rivas is temporarily on hiatus as doctors investigate a heart condition.
The Colombian collapsed during a training session and was diagnosed with a slight arrhythmia.
Roma squad: Aquilani, Antunes, Barusso, Bertagnoli, Brighi, Curci, Cicinho, De Rossi, Doni, Esposito, Ferrari, Giuly, Juan, Mancini, Mexes, Perrotta, Pit, Pizarro, Tonetto, Totti, Vucinic.
channel 4
Christian Panucci is out of Roma’s visit to Manchester United, while there are injury concerns for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Champions League resumes with the second Matchday of the group phase on Tuesday evening.
Roma travel to Old Trafford and have brought along Simone Perrotta and Alberto Aquilani, who are both doubts due to minor injuries.
However, Panucci is definitely out of the game with a continuing back problem, left behind along with Marco Cassetti and Rodrigo Taddei.
Inter welcome PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night in a must-win game, but their star striker Ibrahimovic is unlikely to feature.
He was stretchered off during the 4-1 win at Roma on Saturday and admits his chances of recovery are slim.
“It was a stud that left a small hole in my foot,” he explained. “It is swollen and we have to look at it further, but I don’t know if I can make it.”
With Julio Cruz suspended and Adriano and Cesar Aparecido left off the Champions League list, Roberto Mancini’s only options upfront would be Hernan Crespo and David Suazo.
Inter also have Nicolas Burdisso, Ivan Cordoba and Douglas Maicon suspended from last season’s Mestalla melee.
Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira are injured, while Nelson Rivas is temporarily on hiatus as doctors investigate a heart condition.
The Colombian collapsed during a training session and was diagnosed with a slight arrhythmia.
Roma squad: Aquilani, Antunes, Barusso, Bertagnoli, Brighi, Curci, Cicinho, De Rossi, Doni, Esposito, Ferrari, Giuly, Juan, Mancini, Mexes, Perrotta, Pit, Pizarro, Tonetto, Totti, Vucinic.
channel 4
CL Matchday 2: The Italian Challenge
On paper the Italian teams face an extremely difficult task if they are to improve on their Champions League results from matchday one.
A fortnight ago, Roma and Milan enjoyed emphatic victories, Lazio grinded out a less than impressive draw, while Inter were hugely disappointing in defeat.
This round, both Roma and Milan encounter their most taxing matches of the group, while the pressure is also on Lazio, and especially Inter to get their first wins on the board.
Roma
After a sensational start to the season, Roma have come off the rails a bit in the past couple of weeks. This time a fortnight ago, Roma had won their first four games of the season in all competitions without even conceding a goal and were just about to continue that record with a dominant 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev in Group F.
However the problems then started on September 23 in the home Serie A match with Juventus. The Romans led 2-1 and were in complete control. However completely out of the blue, Vincenzo Iaquinta grabbed an 87th minute equaliser to end Roma's perfect start to the campaign.
Questions were asked of the Giallorossi's mental strength. In the past, Roma have always been a little suspect on the psychological side of the game - when things are not going their way or the going starts to get tough, they tend to go missing. Coach Luciano Spalletti promised that the setback against Juventus would not affect his squad but their subsequent two results suggest otherwise.
Roma first drew 2-2 away at Fiorentina, which to be fair, is by no means a disgrace. However, then followed a 4-1 pummelling at home by Scudetto-rivals Inter. In this game the Giallorossi demonstrated all the naive and self-destructive qualities that are so usually associated with them, by first having Ludovic Giuly sent off and then completely collapsing in the second-half.
Roma face a daunting task if they are going to turn these three results around. There are not many more difficult games than playing Manchester United at Old Trafford. Talismanic captain Francesco Totti has spoken of revenge after the Red Devils thrashed Roma 7-1 in last season's Champions League quarter-final.
However it remains to be seen if Roma have mentally recovered from that humiliation. History would tell us that this is unlikely to be the case and Man Utd also go into the game in good form as they have won five consecutive Premiership games without conceding a goal.
Milan
Milan's problems are going from bad to worse. Many of the newspapers around the Italian peninsula have officially described the Rossoneri as in 'crisis'. The team have gone five league games without a win and on Sunday they put in a hugely disappointing display during the 1-1 draw with Catania. This result leaves Milan seven points behind rivals and league-leaders Inter and their hopes of winning the Scudetto seem all but over already.
Everyone seems to have an explanation for Milan's poor league form. Some say the squad is too old, others argue that Milan simply do not care about winning the Scudetto and are just interested in trying to retain their Champions League.
The problem to me seems simple. Yes the team is ageing slightly but Milan are really only one or two strikers away from having an awesome team. The Rossoneri are struggling badly for goals with only five in their last five league games, two of these being penalties. Pippo Inzaghi is still good, but he is 34 now and can't play every week.
Alberto Gilardino is simply not good enough, while Ronaldo is constantly injured. The Milan hierarchy made a big mistake in not purchasing a top-class, proven striker in the summer. Milan have the best midfield in Europe, the best player in the world in Kaka but they have no one up front.
In Europe things are always different. Everyone remembers how much Milan struggled last season in Serie A but that team went on to record magnificent victories against the likes of Bayern Munich and Man Utd on the way to winning the Champions League.
Another team Milan faced last campaign on route to Athens was tomorrow's opponents Celtic. The Rossoneri drew 0-0 at Celtic Park in the first round knockout stage before edging out the Hoops 1-0 in the second leg at San Siro, courtesy of a sublime solo goal by Kaka.
Milan face a difficult task if they are to win in Scotland. Celtic have a simply awesome home record in Europe and the Bhoys fans are among the best in the world and really get behind their team. Nevertheless if there is any team to do it, it is Milan. The Rossoneri seem to forget their domestic troubles when in Europe but my gut instinct is that this will end in a draw.
Inter
Just over a week ago Inter were supposedly in a crisis themselves and newly-departed Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was being linked with taking over from Roberto Mancini. Inter had just drawn 2-2 with Serie A whipping-boys Livorno, following on from a miserable 1-0 defeat to Fenerbahce in the Champions League a few days earlier.
How quickly things change in football. Mancini is now the toast of the blue-and-black side of Milan and was openly hailed by President Massimo Moratti for his 'tactical mastery' after Inter then recorded emphatic 3-0 and 4-1 victories over Sampdoria and Roma respectively. The powerful Nerazzurri machine seems to be back to its best and the weekend success in Rome has seen Inter roar back to the top of the Serie A standings.
Despite their dominance in Serie A, Inter do seem to struggle in Europe. This was highlighted during the matchday one defeat to Fenerbahce, when the Nerazzurri were totally outplayed by the Turkish champions. Inter seem to lack that bit of creative spark required in the Champions League. They are a powerful and efficient outfit but technically in midfield they seem to be missing something and their city-rivals Milan are on a different level in this respect.
Inter desperately need to get the three points at home to Dutch champions PSV on Wednesday. The 1988 European Cup winners got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start by overcoming CSKA Moscow 2-1 and they will be coming to San Siro to play for the draw. It will be up to Inter to prove wrong the doubters who say that they do not possess the game to succeed in Europe.
Lazio
Lazio are having a miserable season with just one win from six games in Serie A and two wins from nine in all competitions. At the weekend the Biancocelesti stuggled to a barely-deserved 1-1 draw at bottom-club Reggina. To put this result into perspective, four days earlier the Amaranti had been thrashed 4-0 by a virtual Juventus reserve team, however Lazio required a late, 30-yard screamer from Aleksander Kolarov just to earn a point.
In the Champions League, Lazio's form has not been much different. The team struggled to even qualify for the group-stages after a close-fought victory over Dinamo Bucharest, a tie they were behind in for most of the two legs. They then opened up proceedings in Group C with a fortuitous 1-1 draw away at Olympiakos. The Biancocelesti were thankful for a rare Luciano Zauri goal to salvage a point at the Giorgios Karaiskakis Stadium, after Luciano Galletti had given the Greeks a deserved lead.
On Wednesday Lazio face a daunting task if they are to record their first win of the group stages. Spanish giants Real Madrid are the visitors in town and few are expecting the Biancocelesti to get a result, especially as star-striker Tommaso Rocchi is a doubt for the game with an ankle injury.
Madrid have won five out of six in La Liga and currently sit top of the standings. They also opened up their Champions League account with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen on matchday one. Despite this impressive start to the season, Madrid have been looking very suspect in defence and have been slightly fortuitous to win their last two league games against Betis and Getafe without conceding a goal.
Lazio may feel they can get at Los Merengues backline if they put them under pressure and La Nazionale captain Fabio Cannavaro is certainly not the same player in the white of Real Madrid as he is in the blue of Italy. Nevertheless a Lazio victory still seems a long-shot.
goal.com
On paper the Italian teams face an extremely difficult task if they are to improve on their Champions League results from matchday one.
A fortnight ago, Roma and Milan enjoyed emphatic victories, Lazio grinded out a less than impressive draw, while Inter were hugely disappointing in defeat.
This round, both Roma and Milan encounter their most taxing matches of the group, while the pressure is also on Lazio, and especially Inter to get their first wins on the board.
Roma
After a sensational start to the season, Roma have come off the rails a bit in the past couple of weeks. This time a fortnight ago, Roma had won their first four games of the season in all competitions without even conceding a goal and were just about to continue that record with a dominant 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev in Group F.
However the problems then started on September 23 in the home Serie A match with Juventus. The Romans led 2-1 and were in complete control. However completely out of the blue, Vincenzo Iaquinta grabbed an 87th minute equaliser to end Roma's perfect start to the campaign.
Questions were asked of the Giallorossi's mental strength. In the past, Roma have always been a little suspect on the psychological side of the game - when things are not going their way or the going starts to get tough, they tend to go missing. Coach Luciano Spalletti promised that the setback against Juventus would not affect his squad but their subsequent two results suggest otherwise.
Roma first drew 2-2 away at Fiorentina, which to be fair, is by no means a disgrace. However, then followed a 4-1 pummelling at home by Scudetto-rivals Inter. In this game the Giallorossi demonstrated all the naive and self-destructive qualities that are so usually associated with them, by first having Ludovic Giuly sent off and then completely collapsing in the second-half.
Roma face a daunting task if they are going to turn these three results around. There are not many more difficult games than playing Manchester United at Old Trafford. Talismanic captain Francesco Totti has spoken of revenge after the Red Devils thrashed Roma 7-1 in last season's Champions League quarter-final.
However it remains to be seen if Roma have mentally recovered from that humiliation. History would tell us that this is unlikely to be the case and Man Utd also go into the game in good form as they have won five consecutive Premiership games without conceding a goal.
Milan
Milan's problems are going from bad to worse. Many of the newspapers around the Italian peninsula have officially described the Rossoneri as in 'crisis'. The team have gone five league games without a win and on Sunday they put in a hugely disappointing display during the 1-1 draw with Catania. This result leaves Milan seven points behind rivals and league-leaders Inter and their hopes of winning the Scudetto seem all but over already.
Everyone seems to have an explanation for Milan's poor league form. Some say the squad is too old, others argue that Milan simply do not care about winning the Scudetto and are just interested in trying to retain their Champions League.
The problem to me seems simple. Yes the team is ageing slightly but Milan are really only one or two strikers away from having an awesome team. The Rossoneri are struggling badly for goals with only five in their last five league games, two of these being penalties. Pippo Inzaghi is still good, but he is 34 now and can't play every week.
Alberto Gilardino is simply not good enough, while Ronaldo is constantly injured. The Milan hierarchy made a big mistake in not purchasing a top-class, proven striker in the summer. Milan have the best midfield in Europe, the best player in the world in Kaka but they have no one up front.
In Europe things are always different. Everyone remembers how much Milan struggled last season in Serie A but that team went on to record magnificent victories against the likes of Bayern Munich and Man Utd on the way to winning the Champions League.
Another team Milan faced last campaign on route to Athens was tomorrow's opponents Celtic. The Rossoneri drew 0-0 at Celtic Park in the first round knockout stage before edging out the Hoops 1-0 in the second leg at San Siro, courtesy of a sublime solo goal by Kaka.
Milan face a difficult task if they are to win in Scotland. Celtic have a simply awesome home record in Europe and the Bhoys fans are among the best in the world and really get behind their team. Nevertheless if there is any team to do it, it is Milan. The Rossoneri seem to forget their domestic troubles when in Europe but my gut instinct is that this will end in a draw.
Inter
Just over a week ago Inter were supposedly in a crisis themselves and newly-departed Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho was being linked with taking over from Roberto Mancini. Inter had just drawn 2-2 with Serie A whipping-boys Livorno, following on from a miserable 1-0 defeat to Fenerbahce in the Champions League a few days earlier.
How quickly things change in football. Mancini is now the toast of the blue-and-black side of Milan and was openly hailed by President Massimo Moratti for his 'tactical mastery' after Inter then recorded emphatic 3-0 and 4-1 victories over Sampdoria and Roma respectively. The powerful Nerazzurri machine seems to be back to its best and the weekend success in Rome has seen Inter roar back to the top of the Serie A standings.
Despite their dominance in Serie A, Inter do seem to struggle in Europe. This was highlighted during the matchday one defeat to Fenerbahce, when the Nerazzurri were totally outplayed by the Turkish champions. Inter seem to lack that bit of creative spark required in the Champions League. They are a powerful and efficient outfit but technically in midfield they seem to be missing something and their city-rivals Milan are on a different level in this respect.
Inter desperately need to get the three points at home to Dutch champions PSV on Wednesday. The 1988 European Cup winners got their Champions League campaign off to a winning start by overcoming CSKA Moscow 2-1 and they will be coming to San Siro to play for the draw. It will be up to Inter to prove wrong the doubters who say that they do not possess the game to succeed in Europe.
Lazio
Lazio are having a miserable season with just one win from six games in Serie A and two wins from nine in all competitions. At the weekend the Biancocelesti stuggled to a barely-deserved 1-1 draw at bottom-club Reggina. To put this result into perspective, four days earlier the Amaranti had been thrashed 4-0 by a virtual Juventus reserve team, however Lazio required a late, 30-yard screamer from Aleksander Kolarov just to earn a point.
In the Champions League, Lazio's form has not been much different. The team struggled to even qualify for the group-stages after a close-fought victory over Dinamo Bucharest, a tie they were behind in for most of the two legs. They then opened up proceedings in Group C with a fortuitous 1-1 draw away at Olympiakos. The Biancocelesti were thankful for a rare Luciano Zauri goal to salvage a point at the Giorgios Karaiskakis Stadium, after Luciano Galletti had given the Greeks a deserved lead.
On Wednesday Lazio face a daunting task if they are to record their first win of the group stages. Spanish giants Real Madrid are the visitors in town and few are expecting the Biancocelesti to get a result, especially as star-striker Tommaso Rocchi is a doubt for the game with an ankle injury.
Madrid have won five out of six in La Liga and currently sit top of the standings. They also opened up their Champions League account with a 2-1 win over Werder Bremen on matchday one. Despite this impressive start to the season, Madrid have been looking very suspect in defence and have been slightly fortuitous to win their last two league games against Betis and Getafe without conceding a goal.
Lazio may feel they can get at Los Merengues backline if they put them under pressure and La Nazionale captain Fabio Cannavaro is certainly not the same player in the white of Real Madrid as he is in the blue of Italy. Nevertheless a Lazio victory still seems a long-shot.
goal.com
Mancio sees PSV threat
Inter boss Roberto Mancini is wary of the threat that PSV will pose on Tuesday evening and believes that Serie A form doesn’t enter into the equation.
The Nerazzurri are off to a flying Serie A start and exuded authority as they thrashed Roma 4-1 at the Stadio Olimpico last weekend.
However, their European adventure didn’t start so well as Mancini’s men were humbled 1-0 by Turkish champions Fenerbahce in their opening Champions League fixture.
It is crucial that the Beneamata don’t repeat last season’s two consecutive defeats at the start of the competition and record a victory over the Dutch champions, but they have a tough test ahead.
“They are a different side to Fenerbahce,” explained Mancini. “They are a lot faster and they have quick players to run at you.
“It will be a very tough game, but we want to be at our best so that we get the crucial result. The Champions League is very different to the League and there’s added pressure as we lost in Turkey.”
Inter have the added problem of a squad shortage as they are without the suspended trio of Douglas Maicon, Nicolas Burdisso and Ivan Cordoba.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a foot injury, but the Swede is likely to at least take a seat on the bench for the San Siro battle.
Romanian star stopper Cristian Chivu is set to feature after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Inter squad: Toldo, Julio Cesar; Zanetti, Maxwell, Samuel, Chivu, Esposito; Stankovic, Figo, Jimenez, Dacourt, Cambiasso, Solari, Bolzoni, Puccio; Ibrahimovic, Crespo, Suazo
Seedorf: Actions not words
Milan midfield wizard Clarence Seedorf expects a struggle against Celtic on Wednesday and has called upon his teammates to ignore their doubters.
The Rossoneri made a positive start to their Champions League defence when they beat Benfica 2-1 in their first game of the campaign.
However, the Diavolo’s Serie A form has been dismal and four draws and a defeat in their last five League outings have left them facing a crisis.
The Press slated the stuttering giants after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Catania, but Seedorf still believes in his side.
“We mustn’t listen to voices from outside,” he told the club’s website. “We know exactly what we have to improve and we need to pick holes in our own performances because we have always been able to bounce back.
“It’s not a time for words, we just need to go out there as a united group. Just a matter of days ago against Palermo we played brilliantly, but we still lost because the big incidents went against us.
“Because we are European champions everyone plays harder against us. A lot of the time, the results don’t tell the true story.”
Celtic made Milan sweat in their last 16 clash last term and held them to a 0-0 draw at Parkhead before a late extra-time goal made the dfifference at the San Siro.
Having won the Champions League four times, Seedorf is one of most successful players in tournament’s history, but knows that he will be fully tested in Scotland.
“On Wednesday in Glasgow I am expecting a similar game to last year,” he continued.
“Celtic are a tough side who chase everything, they may have problems with absences up front, but generally they are in good shape.”
Goalkeeper Nelson Dida will travel with the squad and may take over from Zeljko Kalac after sitting out recent games with a shoulder injury.
Milan squad: Dida, Kalac, Fiori; Offredi, Bonera, Cafu, Favalli, Jankulovski, Nesta, Oddo, Simic; Ambrosini, Brocchi, Gattuso, Emerson, Gourcuff, Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf; Gilardino, Inzaghi
channel 4
Matchday 2 of this season’s Champions’ League kicks off on Tuesday evening with eight matches on tap across the continent. The action will range from Manchester to Moscow and some of the fixtures are purely mouth-watering propositions.
Group E
Lyon-Rangers
VfB Stuttgart-Barcelona
The Stade de Gerland is set to stage an important Group E match on Tuesday night, pitting Lyon against Rangers. Both sides enter the match as joint leaders of their respective leagues, however the two clubs had differing results on Matchday 1.
Lyon are coming off a rather tepid display, having gone down 3-0 at the Nou Camp to Barcelona. The six times Ligue 1 champions have recovered in domestic play after a poor start to their campaign, however they will have a tough time with their European recovery.
Lyon need a victory in this match to stay within striking distance in the group, as a defeat could be catastrophic to their prospects even at this early stage. Rangers meanwhile were disappointing in Scottish Premier League action at the weekend needing a second half penalty to draw with Motherwell.
On Matchday 1 though, Rangers picked up a big comeback win against Stuttgart at Ibrox, which has put the club well on their way to having a shot at the top two places.
Stuttgart meanwhile will be ruing the missed opportunity to pick up some points in Scotland a fortnight back, especially as they prepare for the arrival of Barcelona at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion. Barcelona were having a poor campaign by their high standards until they met Lyon two weeks back.
That victory has given the once embattled side a giant lift and since Frank Rijkaard’s side have since been a free-scoring machine, comprehensively beating, nay, routing, Sevilla, Real Zaragoza, and Levante. The Catalan side have scored 14 goals in their last 4 matches and couldn’t be in better form as they aim to make it two for two with a victory in Germany, and all that without Ronaldinho and Eto'o.
Should Stuttgart fail to get a result against the Spanish club, the defending German champions will find themselves with a huge hole to climb out of after only two Matchdays.
Group F
Manchester United-Roma
Dynamo Kiev-Sporting Lisbon
The last time Manchester United hosted Roma at Old Trafford it was during last season’s Champions’ League quarterfinals. It was then that United put on one of their best ever continental displays as they absolutely crushed Roma 7-1. Needless to say it was the Giallorossi’s worst ever European defeat and the capital side will be looking for some revenge for the pounding they received.
Roma don’t head into Tuesday’s clash in the greatest of form after enduring a heavy home defeat (4-1) to Inter Milan on Saturday, on the back of draws against Fiorentina and Juventus. That said, Roma efficiently disposed off Dynamo Kiev two weeks back, and a result in England would place the Italians as the favourites to win the group.
Manchester United meanwhile have reeled off six Premiership victories on the trot and have once again put themselves in position to challenge on all fronts (minus the Carling Cup now) this season. The 1-0 victory over Birmingham City at the weekend was their 6th time this season by that scoreline. After defeating Sporting Lisbon away on Matchday 1, United will be favourites to win this group.
In the group’s other match, Dynamo Kiev, with new coach Josef Sabo, host Sporting Lisbon at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev. Both sides lost on Matchday 1 to more illustrious opponents, and whoever loses this fixture could effectively be out of the running for the top two, if not third place as well.
Dynamo must make their home matches count, as they are notoriously poor travellers. Sporting, meanwhile, are looking to rebound after the defeat to Manchester United in their first match. They created numerous opportunities against the Red Devils but they lacked the cutting edge needed at this level to win matches. That, they must change.
Group H
Sevilla-Sparta Prague
Steaua Bucharest-Arsenal
Arsenal have been in scintillating form this season and will hope to continue their winning ways when they travels to Romania to take on Steaua Bucharest at the Stadionul Ghencea.
The Gunners strolled to a 3-0 victory against Sevilla, and will fancy their chances of taking full points against the Romanian side. Steaua, meanwhile, tasted defeat in Prague two weeks ago and will have to be at their best in order to snatch anything from Arsene Wenger’s side.
Finally, Sevilla play their first ever Champions’ League match at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan when they battle Slavia Prague. Seville are in a mini-crisis at the moment having lost four matches in a row in all competitions. Juande Ramos will hope that a return to European action will reverse the tide as the Andalucians aim to get rolling in this group.
Slavia couldn’t be playing this match at a better time and if they can pick up a point from this fixture surely the Czechs will have a say in how this group turns out.
goal.com
Inter boss Roberto Mancini is wary of the threat that PSV will pose on Tuesday evening and believes that Serie A form doesn’t enter into the equation.
The Nerazzurri are off to a flying Serie A start and exuded authority as they thrashed Roma 4-1 at the Stadio Olimpico last weekend.
However, their European adventure didn’t start so well as Mancini’s men were humbled 1-0 by Turkish champions Fenerbahce in their opening Champions League fixture.
It is crucial that the Beneamata don’t repeat last season’s two consecutive defeats at the start of the competition and record a victory over the Dutch champions, but they have a tough test ahead.
“They are a different side to Fenerbahce,” explained Mancini. “They are a lot faster and they have quick players to run at you.
“It will be a very tough game, but we want to be at our best so that we get the crucial result. The Champions League is very different to the League and there’s added pressure as we lost in Turkey.”
Inter have the added problem of a squad shortage as they are without the suspended trio of Douglas Maicon, Nicolas Burdisso and Ivan Cordoba.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a foot injury, but the Swede is likely to at least take a seat on the bench for the San Siro battle.
Romanian star stopper Cristian Chivu is set to feature after recovering from a shoulder injury.
Inter squad: Toldo, Julio Cesar; Zanetti, Maxwell, Samuel, Chivu, Esposito; Stankovic, Figo, Jimenez, Dacourt, Cambiasso, Solari, Bolzoni, Puccio; Ibrahimovic, Crespo, Suazo
Seedorf: Actions not words
Milan midfield wizard Clarence Seedorf expects a struggle against Celtic on Wednesday and has called upon his teammates to ignore their doubters.
The Rossoneri made a positive start to their Champions League defence when they beat Benfica 2-1 in their first game of the campaign.
However, the Diavolo’s Serie A form has been dismal and four draws and a defeat in their last five League outings have left them facing a crisis.
The Press slated the stuttering giants after last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Catania, but Seedorf still believes in his side.
“We mustn’t listen to voices from outside,” he told the club’s website. “We know exactly what we have to improve and we need to pick holes in our own performances because we have always been able to bounce back.
“It’s not a time for words, we just need to go out there as a united group. Just a matter of days ago against Palermo we played brilliantly, but we still lost because the big incidents went against us.
“Because we are European champions everyone plays harder against us. A lot of the time, the results don’t tell the true story.”
Celtic made Milan sweat in their last 16 clash last term and held them to a 0-0 draw at Parkhead before a late extra-time goal made the dfifference at the San Siro.
Having won the Champions League four times, Seedorf is one of most successful players in tournament’s history, but knows that he will be fully tested in Scotland.
“On Wednesday in Glasgow I am expecting a similar game to last year,” he continued.
“Celtic are a tough side who chase everything, they may have problems with absences up front, but generally they are in good shape.”
Goalkeeper Nelson Dida will travel with the squad and may take over from Zeljko Kalac after sitting out recent games with a shoulder injury.
Milan squad: Dida, Kalac, Fiori; Offredi, Bonera, Cafu, Favalli, Jankulovski, Nesta, Oddo, Simic; Ambrosini, Brocchi, Gattuso, Emerson, Gourcuff, Kaka, Pirlo, Seedorf; Gilardino, Inzaghi
channel 4
Matchday 2 of this season’s Champions’ League kicks off on Tuesday evening with eight matches on tap across the continent. The action will range from Manchester to Moscow and some of the fixtures are purely mouth-watering propositions.
Group E
Lyon-Rangers
VfB Stuttgart-Barcelona
The Stade de Gerland is set to stage an important Group E match on Tuesday night, pitting Lyon against Rangers. Both sides enter the match as joint leaders of their respective leagues, however the two clubs had differing results on Matchday 1.
Lyon are coming off a rather tepid display, having gone down 3-0 at the Nou Camp to Barcelona. The six times Ligue 1 champions have recovered in domestic play after a poor start to their campaign, however they will have a tough time with their European recovery.
Lyon need a victory in this match to stay within striking distance in the group, as a defeat could be catastrophic to their prospects even at this early stage. Rangers meanwhile were disappointing in Scottish Premier League action at the weekend needing a second half penalty to draw with Motherwell.
On Matchday 1 though, Rangers picked up a big comeback win against Stuttgart at Ibrox, which has put the club well on their way to having a shot at the top two places.
Stuttgart meanwhile will be ruing the missed opportunity to pick up some points in Scotland a fortnight back, especially as they prepare for the arrival of Barcelona at the Gottlieb-Daimler Stadion. Barcelona were having a poor campaign by their high standards until they met Lyon two weeks back.
That victory has given the once embattled side a giant lift and since Frank Rijkaard’s side have since been a free-scoring machine, comprehensively beating, nay, routing, Sevilla, Real Zaragoza, and Levante. The Catalan side have scored 14 goals in their last 4 matches and couldn’t be in better form as they aim to make it two for two with a victory in Germany, and all that without Ronaldinho and Eto'o.
Should Stuttgart fail to get a result against the Spanish club, the defending German champions will find themselves with a huge hole to climb out of after only two Matchdays.
Group F
Manchester United-Roma
Dynamo Kiev-Sporting Lisbon
The last time Manchester United hosted Roma at Old Trafford it was during last season’s Champions’ League quarterfinals. It was then that United put on one of their best ever continental displays as they absolutely crushed Roma 7-1. Needless to say it was the Giallorossi’s worst ever European defeat and the capital side will be looking for some revenge for the pounding they received.
Roma don’t head into Tuesday’s clash in the greatest of form after enduring a heavy home defeat (4-1) to Inter Milan on Saturday, on the back of draws against Fiorentina and Juventus. That said, Roma efficiently disposed off Dynamo Kiev two weeks back, and a result in England would place the Italians as the favourites to win the group.
Manchester United meanwhile have reeled off six Premiership victories on the trot and have once again put themselves in position to challenge on all fronts (minus the Carling Cup now) this season. The 1-0 victory over Birmingham City at the weekend was their 6th time this season by that scoreline. After defeating Sporting Lisbon away on Matchday 1, United will be favourites to win this group.
In the group’s other match, Dynamo Kiev, with new coach Josef Sabo, host Sporting Lisbon at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev. Both sides lost on Matchday 1 to more illustrious opponents, and whoever loses this fixture could effectively be out of the running for the top two, if not third place as well.
Dynamo must make their home matches count, as they are notoriously poor travellers. Sporting, meanwhile, are looking to rebound after the defeat to Manchester United in their first match. They created numerous opportunities against the Red Devils but they lacked the cutting edge needed at this level to win matches. That, they must change.
Group H
Sevilla-Sparta Prague
Steaua Bucharest-Arsenal
Arsenal have been in scintillating form this season and will hope to continue their winning ways when they travels to Romania to take on Steaua Bucharest at the Stadionul Ghencea.
The Gunners strolled to a 3-0 victory against Sevilla, and will fancy their chances of taking full points against the Romanian side. Steaua, meanwhile, tasted defeat in Prague two weeks ago and will have to be at their best in order to snatch anything from Arsene Wenger’s side.
Finally, Sevilla play their first ever Champions’ League match at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan when they battle Slavia Prague. Seville are in a mini-crisis at the moment having lost four matches in a row in all competitions. Juande Ramos will hope that a return to European action will reverse the tide as the Andalucians aim to get rolling in this group.
Slavia couldn’t be playing this match at a better time and if they can pick up a point from this fixture surely the Czechs will have a say in how this group turns out.
goal.com
That would be fucking sweetness if it was true.
Champions League Wednesday Taster: Groups A-D
Matchday 2 of this season’s Champions’ League continues on Wednesday evening with another eight matches across the continent from Groups A-D.
There are games in Lisbon and Liverpool, Valencia and Rome, Bremen and Trondheim, Glasgow and Istanbul.
And arguably the most intriguing ties are those in Rome, Valencia and Glasgow.
Lazio host Real Madrid, Valencia have a re-match with Chelsea following last season's quarter-final, and Celtic have another crack at Milan, who beat them 1-0 on aggregate last season in the first knockout round, a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Glasgow being followed by the San Siro return settled by Kaká three minutes into extra time.
What's in store in each of the groups?
Group A
Besiktas-Porto
Liverpool-Marseille
Besiktas embarked on their first Champions League campaign for four seasons on Matchday 1 but it ended in disappointment as they went down to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Olympique Marseille. Meanwhile Porto and Liverpool were involved in a 1-1 draw that was frustrating for both sides but the more so for Porto as they had home advantage and saw their opponents reduced to 10 men from the 58th minute when Jermaine Pennant was invited to leave the pitch, which he did so with great reluctance, after a show of petulance.
For the Turkish side, Wednesday's clash in Istanbul will be the first time the Inönü Stadium has hosted Portuguese opposition. Besiktas are currently bottom of Group A but at this stage that is a far from insurmountable problem. But domestically they lost 2-1 away to rivals Galatasaray on Saturday, which was not the greatest preparation for opponents as potentially difficult as Porto. It was their first defeat in the Super league this season, and left in third place behind leaders Gala and second-placed Sivasspor.
Porto maintained a perfect start to their domestic season at the weekend, beating Boavista 2-0 at home to remain top of SuperLiga, five points clear of Maritimo with a record of played six, won six. They will travel to Istanbul buoyed not only be their current form but also the memory of their one other meeting against a Turkish team in European competition. That was a Uefa Cup
fourth round tie in 2002/03 against Denizlispor. Porto, under Jose Mourinho, won 6-1 at home and drew 2-2 away.
Last season's runners-up Liverpool welcome another French side to Anfield after having eliminated Toulouse comprehensively in the third qualifying round. Now it is Group A leaders Marseille travelling to Marseille, complete with former Liverpool players Djibril Cisse and Boudewijn Zenden.
On Matchday 1, Liverpool took a point away from Estádio do Dragão after surviving most of the second-half at a numerical disadvantage, while Marseille achieved their first home win of the season in any competition with that 2-0 victory against Besiktas.
Marseille returned to Ligue 1 action at Auxerre on 22 September but victory against Besiktas did not kick-start their season, Auxerre winning 2-0. Marseille have still won only once in nine Ligue 1 games this season and are struggling down in 17th place.
The stalemate with Porto was the middle one of three successive draws by Liverpool, who then got back to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Reading in the League (Carling) Cup and Saturday's 1-0 Premier League win at Wigan. The Reds remain unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, and will be favourites to beat Marseille at Anfield.
Group B
Rosenborg v Schalke 04
Valencia v Chelsea
Rosenborg already have one unique claim to fame this season: their battling draw at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago proved to be Chelsea's last game under Jose Mourinho. The Norwegian champions well deserved their point, but they followed that game by losing 2-0 at home to Sandefjord then 4-3 away to Fredrikstad and are in an undistinguished 7th place in Norway's Tippeligaen.
Now they welcome Bundesliga side Schalke to the Lerkendal stadium, where they enjoy a good record against German opposition. Rosenborg are unbeaten in three home games in club competition against Bundesliga opponents (Bayern Munich twice and Borussia Dortmund).
Schalke will be looking to break that pattern - and they need to after going down 1-0 at home to Valencia on Matchday 1. Schalke are unbeaten in the Bundesliga but trail leaders Bayern Munich by four points in second place because they’ve drawn four of their eight games. However, they've won their last three domestic league games without conceding a goal.
Their conquerors on Matchday 1, Valencia, are in outstanding form. After, surprisingly losing 3-0 at home to Villarreal on the opening day of the Primera Liga season, Los Che have won all five subsequent games and are third, a point behind leaders Real Madrid. They also beat Schalke on Matchday 1 in this competition, but since the group draw was made the visit of Chelsea has been the fixture most keenly anticipated.
There will be a quest for revenge in the air at the Mestalla on Wednesday because last Spring a 90th-minute strike by Michael Essien completed a Chelsea comeback, helping the Blues to a 2-1 win in Valencia and a third Champions League semi-final in four seasons. For Los Che it was a disappointing end to their fifth quest to win the competition after they'd earned a promising 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, David Silva's superb strike being cancelled out later on by a Didier Drogba header.
Chelsea are now without their charismatic manager Mourinho - and alsi without a Premier League win, or goal, since August. Avram Grant is struggling to hold things together amid poor form, injuries, suspensions and fan hostility, so a trip to the always intimidating Mestalla at this time is hardly what the Blues would wish for themselves.
Group C
Lazio v Real Madrid
Werder Bremen v Olympiakos
First in Spain plays 12th in Italy as Lazio host Real Madrid in one of the night's most attractive fixtures. Defending Spanish champions Madrid are unbeaten in six Primera Liga games so far this season, having won five of them; and they are also unbeaten in four previous visits to Rome's Stadio Olimipco.
On Matchday 1, Real Madrid marked their 300th European Champion Clubs' Cup/League match by beating Werder Bremen 2-1 at Santiago Bernabéu. Lazio, meanwhile, were drawing 1-1 in Piraeus against Olympiacos.
Draws have been the story of Lazio's season to date. They've drawn four of their six Serie A games to date, including Sunday's 1-1 draw away to Reggina. On the same day, Real beat Getafe 1-0.
Lazio coach Delio Rossi, in his first season in European competition as a player or a manager, rested several players against Reggina with this test against Real in mind. Rossi said: "I wanted to rest a few players because we had played many games in quick succession recently... We know it will be extremely difficult against Madrid but we are ready."
After losing 2-1 to Madrid on Matchday 1, Werder Bremen will be anxious to get poinys on the board in Group C, while Olympiacos will want to build on their opening day 1-1 draw against Lazio. But the Greek side will be burdened by a statistic they would dearly love to bury. They have gone 31 consecutive away matches in the Champions League without winning. Twenty-four of those matches have ended in defeat, with seven draws, so they will be up against it in Bremen.
Werder have had a decidedly mixed season so far. After starting with a heavy Cup defeat by Bayern Munich, Bremen have won four, drawn two and lost two Bundesliga games, and lie fifth, six points off the pace. Their results have included a 4-1 victory over champions Stuttgart and a 4-0 home defeat by Bayern. But on Saturday they beat Arminia Bielefeld 8-1 so should be in the right mood for Olympiacos.
The Greek side have played just three games in the Ethniki Kategoria, winning one and drawing two, and are seventh with five points to leaders AEK's nine. After hearing about Bremen's 8-1 win on Saturday, Olympiacos coach Panagiotis Lemonis said: "We need to make our plans with calmness ahead of the encounter with Bremen on Wednesday. The Uefa Champions League encounters are totally different from any league match."
Group D
Benfica v Shakhtar Donetsk
Celtic v AC Milan
Benfica's Spanish coach José Antonio Camacho will be looking to guide his team to their first points in this year's campaign after they lost 2-1 to Milan on Matchday 1. Shakhtar Donetsk's Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu will happily settle for a similar result to the one his side against Celtic on the same night - a 2-0 victory.
This game is a reunion for the two coaches Lucescu and Camacho, who have met in three games previously. They first crossed paths as players in the 1975-76 European Cup, when Camacho's Real Madrid beat Lucescu's Dinamo Bucharest 4-1 at home before losing 1-0 in the second leg. When they next met, Lucescu was coach of Romania, who took a point off Spain - for whom Camacho was still a player - in the 1984 European Championship finals.
Benfica drew 0-0 with Sporting at the Estádio da Luz on Saturday, a result that did neither club much good in their pursuit of Liga leaders Porto. However, the Lisbon Eagles have now gone 27 league matches without defeat.
In Ukraine, a 3-1 win at Metalurh Zaporizhya on Saturday kept Shakhtar Donetsk nine points clear of Dnipro at the top of the Premier League, with 31 points from 11 games.
Celtic, having lost to Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 1, will be looking to avenge defeat in last season's first knockout round as last season's Champions League winners Milan return to Glasgow. The Rossoneri took all three points from their opener against Benfica.
This will be Milan's 200th European Champion Clubs' Cup/League game - and their seventh meeting with Celtic in European competition. In their six previous games, Celtic have yet to win after drawing three games and losing the rest. Of their previous meetings in Glasgow, two ended 0-0 with the other producing a 1-0 win for Milan.
Celtic are back on top of the Scottish Premier League after beating Dundee United 3-0 on Saturday. The Bhoys have won six, drawn one and lost one of their eight games and lead Old Firm rivals Rangers on goal difference. In Serie A, Milan are struggling by their lofty standards. Four draws and a defeat from their last five games see them way down in 11th place, with only half the points that leaders, defending champions and city rivals Internazionale have racked up.
It was Inter whom Celtic famously beat to win the European Cup final 40 years ago. Milan, meanwhile, are second only to Real Madrid in terms of final triumphs in Europe's premier club competition.
goal.com
Matchday 2 of this season’s Champions’ League continues on Wednesday evening with another eight matches across the continent from Groups A-D.
There are games in Lisbon and Liverpool, Valencia and Rome, Bremen and Trondheim, Glasgow and Istanbul.
And arguably the most intriguing ties are those in Rome, Valencia and Glasgow.
Lazio host Real Madrid, Valencia have a re-match with Chelsea following last season's quarter-final, and Celtic have another crack at Milan, who beat them 1-0 on aggregate last season in the first knockout round, a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Glasgow being followed by the San Siro return settled by Kaká three minutes into extra time.
What's in store in each of the groups?
Group A
Besiktas-Porto
Liverpool-Marseille
Besiktas embarked on their first Champions League campaign for four seasons on Matchday 1 but it ended in disappointment as they went down to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Olympique Marseille. Meanwhile Porto and Liverpool were involved in a 1-1 draw that was frustrating for both sides but the more so for Porto as they had home advantage and saw their opponents reduced to 10 men from the 58th minute when Jermaine Pennant was invited to leave the pitch, which he did so with great reluctance, after a show of petulance.
For the Turkish side, Wednesday's clash in Istanbul will be the first time the Inönü Stadium has hosted Portuguese opposition. Besiktas are currently bottom of Group A but at this stage that is a far from insurmountable problem. But domestically they lost 2-1 away to rivals Galatasaray on Saturday, which was not the greatest preparation for opponents as potentially difficult as Porto. It was their first defeat in the Super league this season, and left in third place behind leaders Gala and second-placed Sivasspor.
Porto maintained a perfect start to their domestic season at the weekend, beating Boavista 2-0 at home to remain top of SuperLiga, five points clear of Maritimo with a record of played six, won six. They will travel to Istanbul buoyed not only be their current form but also the memory of their one other meeting against a Turkish team in European competition. That was a Uefa Cup
fourth round tie in 2002/03 against Denizlispor. Porto, under Jose Mourinho, won 6-1 at home and drew 2-2 away.
Last season's runners-up Liverpool welcome another French side to Anfield after having eliminated Toulouse comprehensively in the third qualifying round. Now it is Group A leaders Marseille travelling to Marseille, complete with former Liverpool players Djibril Cisse and Boudewijn Zenden.
On Matchday 1, Liverpool took a point away from Estádio do Dragão after surviving most of the second-half at a numerical disadvantage, while Marseille achieved their first home win of the season in any competition with that 2-0 victory against Besiktas.
Marseille returned to Ligue 1 action at Auxerre on 22 September but victory against Besiktas did not kick-start their season, Auxerre winning 2-0. Marseille have still won only once in nine Ligue 1 games this season and are struggling down in 17th place.
The stalemate with Porto was the middle one of three successive draws by Liverpool, who then got back to winning ways with a 4-2 victory over Reading in the League (Carling) Cup and Saturday's 1-0 Premier League win at Wigan. The Reds remain unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, and will be favourites to beat Marseille at Anfield.
Group B
Rosenborg v Schalke 04
Valencia v Chelsea
Rosenborg already have one unique claim to fame this season: their battling draw at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago proved to be Chelsea's last game under Jose Mourinho. The Norwegian champions well deserved their point, but they followed that game by losing 2-0 at home to Sandefjord then 4-3 away to Fredrikstad and are in an undistinguished 7th place in Norway's Tippeligaen.
Now they welcome Bundesliga side Schalke to the Lerkendal stadium, where they enjoy a good record against German opposition. Rosenborg are unbeaten in three home games in club competition against Bundesliga opponents (Bayern Munich twice and Borussia Dortmund).
Schalke will be looking to break that pattern - and they need to after going down 1-0 at home to Valencia on Matchday 1. Schalke are unbeaten in the Bundesliga but trail leaders Bayern Munich by four points in second place because they’ve drawn four of their eight games. However, they've won their last three domestic league games without conceding a goal.
Their conquerors on Matchday 1, Valencia, are in outstanding form. After, surprisingly losing 3-0 at home to Villarreal on the opening day of the Primera Liga season, Los Che have won all five subsequent games and are third, a point behind leaders Real Madrid. They also beat Schalke on Matchday 1 in this competition, but since the group draw was made the visit of Chelsea has been the fixture most keenly anticipated.
There will be a quest for revenge in the air at the Mestalla on Wednesday because last Spring a 90th-minute strike by Michael Essien completed a Chelsea comeback, helping the Blues to a 2-1 win in Valencia and a third Champions League semi-final in four seasons. For Los Che it was a disappointing end to their fifth quest to win the competition after they'd earned a promising 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, David Silva's superb strike being cancelled out later on by a Didier Drogba header.
Chelsea are now without their charismatic manager Mourinho - and alsi without a Premier League win, or goal, since August. Avram Grant is struggling to hold things together amid poor form, injuries, suspensions and fan hostility, so a trip to the always intimidating Mestalla at this time is hardly what the Blues would wish for themselves.
Group C
Lazio v Real Madrid
Werder Bremen v Olympiakos
First in Spain plays 12th in Italy as Lazio host Real Madrid in one of the night's most attractive fixtures. Defending Spanish champions Madrid are unbeaten in six Primera Liga games so far this season, having won five of them; and they are also unbeaten in four previous visits to Rome's Stadio Olimipco.
On Matchday 1, Real Madrid marked their 300th European Champion Clubs' Cup/League match by beating Werder Bremen 2-1 at Santiago Bernabéu. Lazio, meanwhile, were drawing 1-1 in Piraeus against Olympiacos.
Draws have been the story of Lazio's season to date. They've drawn four of their six Serie A games to date, including Sunday's 1-1 draw away to Reggina. On the same day, Real beat Getafe 1-0.
Lazio coach Delio Rossi, in his first season in European competition as a player or a manager, rested several players against Reggina with this test against Real in mind. Rossi said: "I wanted to rest a few players because we had played many games in quick succession recently... We know it will be extremely difficult against Madrid but we are ready."
After losing 2-1 to Madrid on Matchday 1, Werder Bremen will be anxious to get poinys on the board in Group C, while Olympiacos will want to build on their opening day 1-1 draw against Lazio. But the Greek side will be burdened by a statistic they would dearly love to bury. They have gone 31 consecutive away matches in the Champions League without winning. Twenty-four of those matches have ended in defeat, with seven draws, so they will be up against it in Bremen.
Werder have had a decidedly mixed season so far. After starting with a heavy Cup defeat by Bayern Munich, Bremen have won four, drawn two and lost two Bundesliga games, and lie fifth, six points off the pace. Their results have included a 4-1 victory over champions Stuttgart and a 4-0 home defeat by Bayern. But on Saturday they beat Arminia Bielefeld 8-1 so should be in the right mood for Olympiacos.
The Greek side have played just three games in the Ethniki Kategoria, winning one and drawing two, and are seventh with five points to leaders AEK's nine. After hearing about Bremen's 8-1 win on Saturday, Olympiacos coach Panagiotis Lemonis said: "We need to make our plans with calmness ahead of the encounter with Bremen on Wednesday. The Uefa Champions League encounters are totally different from any league match."
Group D
Benfica v Shakhtar Donetsk
Celtic v AC Milan
Benfica's Spanish coach José Antonio Camacho will be looking to guide his team to their first points in this year's campaign after they lost 2-1 to Milan on Matchday 1. Shakhtar Donetsk's Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu will happily settle for a similar result to the one his side against Celtic on the same night - a 2-0 victory.
This game is a reunion for the two coaches Lucescu and Camacho, who have met in three games previously. They first crossed paths as players in the 1975-76 European Cup, when Camacho's Real Madrid beat Lucescu's Dinamo Bucharest 4-1 at home before losing 1-0 in the second leg. When they next met, Lucescu was coach of Romania, who took a point off Spain - for whom Camacho was still a player - in the 1984 European Championship finals.
Benfica drew 0-0 with Sporting at the Estádio da Luz on Saturday, a result that did neither club much good in their pursuit of Liga leaders Porto. However, the Lisbon Eagles have now gone 27 league matches without defeat.
In Ukraine, a 3-1 win at Metalurh Zaporizhya on Saturday kept Shakhtar Donetsk nine points clear of Dnipro at the top of the Premier League, with 31 points from 11 games.
Celtic, having lost to Shakhtar Donetsk on Matchday 1, will be looking to avenge defeat in last season's first knockout round as last season's Champions League winners Milan return to Glasgow. The Rossoneri took all three points from their opener against Benfica.
This will be Milan's 200th European Champion Clubs' Cup/League game - and their seventh meeting with Celtic in European competition. In their six previous games, Celtic have yet to win after drawing three games and losing the rest. Of their previous meetings in Glasgow, two ended 0-0 with the other producing a 1-0 win for Milan.
Celtic are back on top of the Scottish Premier League after beating Dundee United 3-0 on Saturday. The Bhoys have won six, drawn one and lost one of their eight games and lead Old Firm rivals Rangers on goal difference. In Serie A, Milan are struggling by their lofty standards. Four draws and a defeat from their last five games see them way down in 11th place, with only half the points that leaders, defending champions and city rivals Internazionale have racked up.
It was Inter whom Celtic famously beat to win the European Cup final 40 years ago. Milan, meanwhile, are second only to Real Madrid in terms of final triumphs in Europe's premier club competition.
goal.com
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