Crunch time in the Champions League

Ger McCarthy
 
THE opening phase of this season’s Champions League concludes over the next two evenings with Premier League clubs Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea battling for a place in the last 16.

Other established luminaries of European football including FC Porto, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund, Lyon and Ajax face nervy endings to their respective groups while less well-known clubs such as Trabzonspor, Lille, FC Basel and Zenit St Petersburg are also in with a chance of making the knockout stages of Europe’s premier football competition.

Chelsea v Valencia
TONIGHT’s Group E clash in Stamford Bridge represents a winner take all encounter to see who will most likely join Bayer Leverkusen in the next round of the Champions League. Andre Villas-Boas’ struggling side recorded a morale boosting 3-0 win over Newcastle at the weekend but failure to make the last 16 will surely cost the Portuguese manager his job if Roman Abramovich’s previous track record is anything to go by. A score draw will suffice for Valencia while Chelsea can progress with a 0-0, provided Leverkusen gain their expected win over Genk. The Spaniard’s ace striker Roberto Soldado is in terrific form but Chelsea will look to former Valencia playmaker Juan Mata for inspiration and hope Didier Drogba can add to the header he scored at St. James’ Park to help the Premier League side squeeze through. Home advantage should swing it for Chelsea, but only just.
Verdict: Chelsea
 
FC Porto v Zenit St Petersburg
GROUP G’s fixture between Porto and Zenit promises to be a cracker at the Estadio do Drago as the Portuguese side need a win to solidify a place in the next round. Vitor Pereira’s side is a point behind Zenit going into tonight’s must win game having lost 3-1 in St. Petersburg earlier in the competition. The talented Russians are seeking their first trip to the knockout stages of the Champions League and are undefeated in their last four European encounters having lost on the opening day to surprise package APOEL Nicosia from Cyprus. Currently sitting top of the Russian Premier League, Zenit manager Luciano Spalletti knows an away draw will suffice but the visitors must overcome an intimidating Porto atmosphere and nullify the free-scoring attacking tandem of Hulk and Kleberson to progress. Zenit St Petersburg’s recent upturn in European and domestic form should prove sufficient to earn a score draw before taking their place in the next round.
Verdict: Draw

Manchester City v Bayern Munich
ROBERTO Mancini’s side welcome Bayern Munich to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night with the visitors already guaranteed a berth in the last sixteen. Man City must defeat the Germans and hope Napoli fail to win at Villarreal on the same evening. The current Premier League leaders are in excellent form and coming off a 5-1 thumping of Norwich City to stay five points clear at the top of table. City and Munich’s previous encounter in the Allianz Arena which will always be remembered for Carlos Tevez’s apparent refusal to come on as a substitute which overshadowed a commanding victory for the Bundesliga outfit.
Manager Jupp Heynckes’ side regained the lead in the Bundesliga from Borussia Dortmund with a superb 4-1 victory at home to Werder Bremen at the weekend and have Mario Gomez and Franck Ribery in excellent form. City should still eke out a narrow victory tomorrow night but Villareal’s inability to contain a livewire Napoli attack means Mancini’s Champions League hopes for 2012 will ultimately end in disappointment.
Verdict: Man City
 
FC Basel v Manchester United
ALEX Ferguson’s side have a habit of making life difficult for themselves when it comes to playing in Europe. Manchester United travels to Switzerland on Wednesday night needing to avoid defeat to ensure their place in the knockout stages of this season’s Champions League. It should never have come to this considering United were drawn in a group with FC Basel, Benfica and Oletul Galati but disappointing two home draws (against Basel and Benfica) has seen qualification for the last sixteen come down to the final round of Group C fixtures. Benfica should prove too strong for Galati meaning FC Basel will require a victory over United to progress while a draw should suffice for the Premier League Champions. United have been far from impressive of late and need big performances from Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand to ensure qualification for the next round. United to win a high-scoring encounter and avoid missing out on the second round of the Champions League for the first time since 2005-06.
Verdict: Manchester United

Lille v Trabzonspor
BOTH Lille and Trabzonspor have the opportunity to make the last 16 of Europe’s top football competition in the Lille Metropole Stadium on Wednesday evening. Inter Milan have already sewn up top spot in Group B and are unlikely to lose in front of their passionate supporters at the San Siro for the visit of CSKA Moscow. Just a point seperates second placed Trabzonspor and third placed Lille going into tomorrow night’s crucial encounter and a win for either side will book their passage to the next phase. Moussa Sow has netted three times in the Champions League for Lille this term with star player Eden Hazard impressing in the centre of the park. Trabzonspor qualified for the competition after UEFA banned Turkish Champions Fenerbache but have only managed to score three times thus far suggesting Lille should have too much firepower and snatch the runners-up spot with a home win.
Verdict: Lille
 
Ajax v Real Madrid
THE meeting of Ajax and Real Madrid in the Amsterdam Arena on Wednesday night will evoke memories of previous titanic battles between two of Europe’s most decorated and illustrious clubs. Ajax hosts a Madrid side looking to finish off their group phase with a perfect record of six wins out of six. The Dutch Champions enter their final Group D fixture three points clear of third placed Lyon knowing only a heavy defeat to Jose Mourinho’s side coupled with a huge away win for in Zagreb for Lyon is the only way Frank de Boer’s team can miss out on a place in the last sixteen. Ajax’s trump card is their star midfielder Christian Eriksen from Denmark who has been in magnificent form this season and the Amsterdam club should be good enough to earn a draw and take their place amongst the rest of Europe’s elite in the knockout phase.
Verdict: Draw
 
Follow Ger on Twitter: @offcentrecircle

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