The qualification issues have all but been decided in Groups E to H of the UEFA Champions League, with only two places still up grabs on the final matchday this Wednesday.
In Group E Roma, Manchester City and CSKA Moscow are all tussling for second place behind Bayern Munich, while Group G rivals Sporting Lisbon and Schalke will be keeping a very close eye on each other’s progress when they make respective trips to Chelsea and Maribor. The day’s other big game is the Camp Nou showdown between Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, with top spot in Group F at stake.
Wednesday’s fixturesGroup ERoma-Manchester City
Bayern Munich-CSKA Moscow
Bayern Munich-CSKA Moscow
Group GChelsea-Sporting Lisbon
Maribor-Schalke
Maribor-Schalke
Match of the dayRoma-Manchester City, Stadio Olimpico, RomeCity are back in contention for a place in the knockout rounds following their 3-2 comeback win over Bayern Munich in their last outing, a victory they owed to Sergio Aguero’s stunning hat-trick. If they are to finish second behind the Bavarians, however, the English side need to win in Rome and hope CSKA Moscow do not to likewise in Munich. Failing that, a score draw will take them through provided that the Russian club lose. Manuel Pellegrini’s side will be hampered, however, by the absence of the suspended Yaya Toure and the injured Aguero, who has been in princely form of late, scoring 14 goals in his last 15 Premier League appearances.
Roma have lacked the defensive solidity they showed last season, a shortcoming mainly due to Mehdi Benatia’s departure for Bayern and the lengthy absence of Leandro Castan, who has just undergone brain surgery. One department where the Italian side are not lacking options is up front, where Gervinho has the ability to unsettle any defence and Miralem Pjanic, Adem Ljajic and the great Francesco Totti – now the oldest goalscorer in the competition – all pose a threat from distance. Encouragingly for Roma, they have won their last three home matches against Premier League opposition, while City have never won in Italy in four attempts, having drawn two and lost two.
Elsewhere* PSG need a draw from their visit to Barcelona to top Group F, while the hosts, who will be without the suspended Rafinha and Dani Alves, need three points to head the section and become only the third side to record 150 Champions League victories. Real Madrid lead the way with 224, with Bayern Munich second on 165.
* Sporting Lisbon need at least a point from their trip to Chelsea, who are already through but suffered their first defeat of the season in all competitions on Saturday, a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle. If their recent away record is anything to go by, however, the odds are against Jose Mourinho’s compatriots reaching the next round. Sporting have won just once on their last 17 European road trips.
Did you know?* One win out of six. That is Barcelona’s record against PSG over the years, that solitary win coming in the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final. Both the club’s current coaches were on Barcelona’s books at the time. Luis Enrique started the game, while Laurent Blanc had to be content with a seat in the stands.
* The 100 club. Should Xabi Alonso run out for Bayern against CSKA, it will be his 100th Champions League appearance and will take Spain level with England as the only countries with six players to have chalked up a century of matches in the competition.
The stat
19 out of 19 - Real Madrid have never failed to reach the knockout rounds in their 19 appearances in the competition. Next on the list are Bayern Munich with 18 appearances, having missed out only once, back in 2003.
19 out of 19 - Real Madrid have never failed to reach the knockout rounds in their 19 appearances in the competition. Next on the list are Bayern Munich with 18 appearances, having missed out only once, back in 2003.
On this daySix years ago today, Bruno Alves and Lisandro Lopez got on the scoresheet as Porto beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Estadio Dragao to secure the club’s place in the last 16 of the 2008/09 competition. The Portuguese giants beat Atletico Madrid on the away-goals rule in the round of 16 before going down 3-2 on aggregate to Manchester United in the last eight.
Player to watchPortugal midfielder Nani has rediscovered his best form since returning to Sporting, the club where he made his breakthrough. After arriving at Manchester United in 2007, the enterprising midfielder made an able replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo and was named the club’s Player of the Year in 2011, when he also featured in the Premier League Team of the Year. Nani’s fortunes waned at Old Trafford in the seasons that followed, and he was shipped out on loan to Sporting as part of the deal that saw Marcos Rojo move to United. Now 28, Nani is enjoying a new lease of life at his old stamping ground, having scored four goals and served up two assists for Sporting in this season’s competition, as many as he managed in 49 Champions League matches for United.
What they said“You have to have a special player if you want to win something. In our case, that player is Sergio Aguero, and when he’s in this kind of form he makes things possible,” Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany.
Have your sayCan CSKA Moscow spring a major surprise and qualify from Group E?
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