UCL preview: City on brink of KO

Sport360 staff 13:17 24/11/2014
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  • Go big or go home: Manchester City need a win in order to survive their Champions League group.

    Manchester City welcome Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday needing a win to stay in contention for a last-16 place, while in Germany, Chelsea go to Schalke, now managed by ex-Blues midfielder and boss Roberto Di Matteo.

    GROUP E
    CSKA Moscow (RUS) v Roma (ITA)

    A win for the Russians, behind closed doors as they serve a spectator ban, will put them in pole position to qualify for the knockout round behind group winners Bayern Munich.

    CSKA will be buoyed by their 2-1 win at Manchester City last time out and will be desperate to avenge a 5-1 loss to Roma in their tournament opener.

    Roma, like CSKA on four points after four games, will secure qualification if they win and City fail to defeat Bayern.

    The Italians warmed-up for the trip to Moscow with a come-from-behind 2-1 win against Atalanta while Russian champions CSKA have lost their last two domestic games. Roma are missing on-loan defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa who has a thigh injury.


    Man City (ENG) v Bayern Munich (GER)

    English Premier League champions City, with just two points from four games, will be eliminated if they lose while a draw will keep their hopes alive only if there is also a draw in Moscow.

    Only two teams have taken two points or fewer from their opening four group games and still managed to progress from this stage of the Champions League — Lokomotiv Moscow (2002/03, 1 point) and Porto (2004/05, 2 points).

    City lost 1-0 to Bayern in the first meeting between the two sides and go into the match without the suspended Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, both of whom were sent off during the defeat by CSKA Moscow.

    Group winners Bayern have a perfect 12 points from four games and are boosted by the return from injury of midfield star Bastian Schweinsteiger.
         
    GROUP F
    Apoel Nicosia (CYP) v Barcelona (ESP)

    Apoel have enjoyed mixing it with the big boys in Group F, even though they have little to show for their efforts beyond a single point and just one goal, along with three 1-0 defeats.

    Despite being in the middle of a 13-match unbeaten league run, even home advantage in Cyprus can afford them little hope of overcoming the might of Barcelona, who are already assured of their place in the last 16, while all eyes will be on Lionel Messi as he aims for a record-breaking 72nd Champions League goal.

    Barca will take comfort from the fact that the Cypriots have never beaten Spanish opposition, and Messi and Co., fresh from a 5-1 drubbing of Sevilla, can expect a comparative stroll even without the injured Andres Iniesta, but it is unlikely to be enough to see them overhaul group leaders Paris Saint-Germain.

     Enjoy ten magical Messi goals: http://t.co/bWSDhdOXPc Plus the making of Messi: http://t.co/WUv8IcyWwD pic.twitter.com/Ow7zvDPOfj

    — Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 21, 2014

     Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Ajax (NED)

    This is a fixture which has anti-climax written all over it, with Paris Saint-Germain already assured of a place in the last 16 and Ajax eliminated without having won a single match.

    PSG are 31 matches unbeaten at home in UEFA competition, dating back to November 2006 and will be expecting to improve on the 1-1 draw in Amsterdam in their opening group match.

    Ajax have lost three of their last four matches in France and old boy Zlatan Ibrahimovic, back in action after a two-month injury lay-off, is likely to be in no mood to let them off the hook this time as the French league leaders look to win their eighth game in a row in all competitions, even though Ajax have won five of their last six and scored four times in four of their last five.
         
    GROUP G
    Schalke (GER) v Chelsea (ENG)

    Schalke coach Roberto Di Matteo faces the Chelsea team he guided to their first ever Champions League crown in 2012. 

    Since taking over at the Veltins-Arena, the former Italian midfielder has lifted the club up to sixth in the Bundesliga following a 3-2 weekend victory over second-placed Wolfsburg. 

    Chelsea are riding high at the top of the Premier League and unbeaten in all competitions as Jose Mourinho looks to guarantee qualification and win the group with one match to play.
         
    Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Maribor (SLO)

    Slovenian champions Maribor have been the surprise of the pool having lost once in four outings and drawing three as they travel to Lisbon and a make-or-break fixture against Sporting. 

    A victory in the Portuguese capital, combined with a Chelsea win over Schalke, would mean the outsiders could reach the knockout phase for the first time with a result in their final match at home to Schalke. 

    Sporting, who have failed to build on their 18 domestic titles since their last triumph in 2002 and have just the 1964 Cup Winners’ Cup as their sole European trophy, are just one point behind Schalke and in control of their own destiny if they can win their final two matches. 
         
    GROUP H
    BATE Borisov (BLR) v Porto (POR)

    BATE Borisov need to beat already qualified Porto in Belarus and hope Athletic Bilbao do them a favour against Shakhtar if they are to keep their knock-out round hopes alive.

    However, after conceding 18 goals in their three group defeats so far — with only a 2-1 home win over Athletic punctuating their defensive ineptitude — perhaps just keeping the score down would be a more realistic target.
         
    Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) v Athletic Bilbao (ESP)

    Shakhtar Donetsk will be hoping Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano is on goal-scoring form as they go in search of the single point needed to secure a place in the knock-out rounds when they host Athletic Bilbao.

    Adriano has already plundered nine goals in this competition as his side blasted 12 past BATE Borisov in their last two games.

    A point would ensure Shakhtar cannot be overtaken by BATE, while Athletic have already been eliminated after picking up only a single point from their opening four matches.

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