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Chelsea: All in for the CL
Top 2 Should Make It Through in Group E
The Tuesday night games start with Group E with the top two in the group meeting in Spain where a draw would qualify both for the knock-out stages.
Manchester United and Villarreal have been the strongest teams in the group and both should be in the knock-out stages but whether it happens on Tuesday night is up for grabs.
Both clubs met on match day 1 of this seasons Champions League with the stalemate not being breached in a 0-0 score at Old Trafford. That result again would see both through and leave Aalborg and Celtic fighting for the Uefa Cup slot.
These two clubs meet in Denmark where yet again, the terrible away form of Celtic will be under scrutiny as the club searches for their first Champions League away win in the Group stages. Celtic domestic form has been spectacular of late with 11 straight victories but the two clubs drew 0-0 at Celtic Park this season and there is a psychological barrier for Celtic to overcome on their travels.
Group F also sees Bayern Munich and Lyon on the brink of knock-out round qualification as both clubs sit a handy five points ahead of Fiorentina with only six points up for grabs.
The Italian side welcome Lyon in a match that they must win to have any chance of qualifying but if the French champions can secure anything, they will guarantee theirs and Bayern’s progress. Regardless of what Lyon do, Bayern Munich face Steau Bucharest at home and if they win, their progress will be rubber-stamped. A 1-0 win in Bucharest gave Bayern all three points when the clubs last faced each other and will start as strong favourites to do so again.
Arsenal Madness’ Possible Impact on Group G
Group G is closer with the top three clubs separated by just three points and the leaders, Arsenal, experiencing a crisis at the moment. Two league defeats in a row and a mauling at Manchester City has compounded the in-fighting caused by William Gallas mouthing off about his team mates in public.
Gallas was dropped for the game on Saturday and has been stripped of the captaincy but he may feature in the match versus Dynamo Kiev. If Arsenal can put their troubles behind them with a victory they will guarantee a top two finish in the group but on current form, who can say if that is entirely likely.
Porto travel to Turkey to play Fenerbahce knowing a win will keep their chances of playing in the Champions League knock-out games very high and if the right result comes through from London, the Portuguese club could find themselves qualified by the end of the night.
Juventus Look to Bounce back
The Tuesday night action is completed by group H, with Juventus holding a four point lead at the top of the group as Real Madrid lie in second on six points. The Spanish champions are away to BATE Borisov where they will be confident of picking up three points and increasing the pressure on Juventus.
Juventus lost to Inter Milan in Serie A at the weekend and they face a tough trip to Zenit St Petersburg, who are showing stronger form than they did at the start of the campaign. A home victory will narrow this group considerably going into the last round of fixtures and this is something that Juventus will be hoping to avoid.
Group A the Tightest
Wednesday night sees Group A coming back into action and with three points dividing top from bottom, this group is probably the tightest in this season’s competition.
Champions League runners-up Chelsea head the pack on seven points and face a trip to Bordeaux knowing a failure to win could see them knocked off the top whereas a draw could place them in a perilous position. Chelsea face FC Cluj in their last game at home which should see them pick up enough points to make the knock-out round but if they fail to win in France, nerves may start to affect them.
The other match sees Roma travel to play FC Cluj, no doubt looking for revenge after the small club shocked Roma, and most of the football world, with a spirited triumph in Rome earlier on this season.
Group B sees Inter Milan at the top but the battle between Anorthosis Famagusta and Panathinaikos for the qualification slot is the main focus of the group. The Cypriot side are at home to Werder Bremen and a positive result will firmly increase the pressure on their Greek counterparts who are in Italy to take on Jose Mourinho’s team. It is not inconceivable that the Cypriots could see results go in their favour this week and consign their rivals to the Uefa Cup race with German team Werder Bremen, who have been largely disappointing this season so far.
Lisbon Match – No Pressure
Group C sees Barcelona and Sporting Lisbon already qualified, with Barca seven points clear of the third placed team whereas Sporting Lisbon are just the six ahead but have a superior head to head match-up against Shahktar Donetsk. This makes the game in Lisbon between the two clubs a more relaxed affair but the other game still has the incentive of Uefa Cup qualification for both teams to play for. A home win will see Donetsk playing Uefa Cup games in the New Year and will leave Basle at the bottom of the group.
Group D Straightforward
Group D is another group where the top two teams are virtually assured of their places with both clubs holding a five point gap over the teams in joint third place. As Athletico Madrid and Liverpool are both at home in this round of fixtures, the odds on them both qualifying are high, especially given the fact that both clubs managed away victories when they last faced their next opposition. PSV Eindhoven travel to Spain whereas Marseille will be the visitors to Merseyside. If either of the away clubs can grab a point on their travel, it could give them a massive edge for qualifying for the Uefa Cup stages.
With so much up for grabs, this weeks Champions League action looks set to be a thrilling affair and no doubt a lot of celebrating and commiserating going on as some clubs triumph and others see their European dreams over for another year.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
