Champions League match day preview

Nordsjaelland vs. Chelsea

In the game where Roberto Di Matteo will definitely give rest to several major players, the Blues should easily take 3 points. Daniel Sturridge misses the trip to Denmark as he still has not recovered from hamstring injury. Nordsjaelland lost the first round game against Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0, and seems to have little chances for competing in the group.

BATE Borisov vs. Bayern Munich

Bayern have celebrated nine consecutive victories in the last nine matches this season and despite missing Robben and Gomez in today’s game, it is unlikely the Belarusian club can stop the German powerhouse.

CFR Cluj vs. Manchester United

Sir Alex Ferguson did not take Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes with the team to Romania, claiming that Carrick did not feel well. United coach also explained that Ryan Giggs caught a minor virus and Paul Scholes was left in England due to exertion of completing the full 90 minutes in the game against Tottenham. If the Red Devils take 3 points in the game, they will be one step away from the knock-out stage – a much better result after last season’s exit at the group stage.

Spartak Moscow vs. Celtic

The Scottish representative in the Champions League faces Spartak at the Luzhniki Stadium, which is famous for its artificial surface. Celtic manager Neil Lennon stated that the pitch would not be a problem for his team. The coach also underlined that currently Russian football is stronger than Scottish, claiming: ‘There are some big clubs here in Moscow alone and you have Anzhi Makhachkala who are ploughing a lot of money into the game as well’.

Spartak lost 3-2 to Barcelona in their opening game and now is focused on grabbing their first points in the tournament.

Benfica vs. Barcelona

Before the game with Barcelona, Benfica coach Jorge Jesus said he is aware that his side faces a very strong opponent, claiming: ‘Any coach who says his team can share possession equally in a match against Barcelona is a ‘liar’. Barcelona always get between 60 and 70 percent of possession and we are going to have to run a lot’.

Juventus vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

Juventus is expected to have a tough game in Turin. Assistant coach Massimo Carrera underlined, that the Ukrainian side is very strong from technical stand and Mircea Lucescu knows Italian football very well. Carrera said the match is crucial for Juve to progress further in the tournament.

Shakhtar manager Mircea Lucescu praised Andrea Pirlo, mentioning that he trained him when he worked at Brescia. The coach stated: ‘Pirlo development has been exceptional and I am convinced that, with all he has done last year in the league and for Italy, he deserved to win the Ballon d’Or.’

Valencia CF vs. Lille OSC

Despite facing injury problems in the squad, Valencia aims to secure their first points in Group F, playing against LOSC Lille that lost its opening match to BATE 3-1. Lille had a terrible start both in the French championship and in the Champions League, conceding more goals per game that in previous season. Yet Lille manager Rudi Garcia claimed ‘We must not abandon or doubt our system – we need to change a few things and improve our efficiency”.

Galatasaray vs. Sporting Braga

After losing to Manchester United, the Turkish team will try to get points. Fatih Terim already claimed, that ‘three points are more important than entertaining football’. Galatasaray coach stated his team has their own style, but cannot show it in every game. For Braga the match can be a turning point that will show whether the team can expect to reach knock-out stage of the tournament.