Barcelona looking to start second phase with ninth win
Barcelona are seeking a ninth successive European win when they go to stuttering Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, though they are hampered by the loss thorough injury of captain Luis Enrique and Dutch defender Frank de Boer.
Barcelona are seeking a ninth successive European win when they go to stuttering Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, though they are hampered by the loss thorough injury of captain Luis Enrique and Dutch defender Frank de Boer.
The Catalans qualified for the second phase of the Champions League, which they start on Wednesday, winning two qualifying games against Legia Warsaw, followed by home and away victories in the first phase against Lokomotiv Moscow, Club Bruges and Galatassaray to make it eight wins out of eight.
Only three other clubs: AC MIlan (1992-93), Paris St Germain (1994-95) and Sprtak Moscow (1995-96) had previously won all their opening six first phase matches in the competition proper.
The return of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal has injected greater discipline into defence and midfield at the Nou Camp but the attack is still missing Rivaldo and Barcelona have dropped to eighth place in the Spanish league, seven points off the pace.
De Boer pulled a calf muscle in training on Tuesday, to join Luis Enrique whose Achilles injury will keep him out until the new year.
Last season's Champions League runners-up Leverkusen are in a sorrier state at home, lying 11th in the Bundesliga and coach Klaus Toppmoeller makes no secret of his priorities.
"The Champions League is all very fine but we have to fight against relegation at home. The Bundesliga has absolute priority," he said.
Toppmoeller is not overawed by Barcelona, after Leverkusen had two close matches with them in the first phase last season -- beating them 2-1 at home, and losing 2-1 away.
He says they did not overimpress him either when he watched them draw 0-0 with Real Madrid at the weekend.
"Barcelona are a great team but they are only human. They are vulnerable but we must not let them play. We must be aggressive and we must fight," Toppmoeller said.
England face Italy in two other matches on Wednesday with Bobby Robson's Newcastle United at home to Inter Milan in Group A and AS Roma hosting Arsenal in Group B.
Newcastle are on a high after a magnificent run-in to the second phase, losing their first three matches and winning their last three. But their form is inconsistent at best and they went down 5-3 to Manchester United last Saturday and lie eighth in the premier league.
Inter lost the Milan derby 1-0 at the weekend but have Argentine striker Hernan Crespo returning to partner Christian Vieri in attack after recovering from a trip to Japan on international duty.
Like Leverkusen in Group A their mind is also on domestic matters and the chance of securing the Serie A title for the first time since 1989.
English champions Arsenal also lost on Saturday 3-2 away to Southampton but they remain at the top of the league and even without Dennis Bergkamp, who fears flying and the injured Nwankwo Kanu, present a formidable line-up against the Romans.
Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord are likely to start up front with, Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Robert Pires in midfield.
Roma welcome back their wizard playmaker Francesco Totti without whom they seem to lose their way. Totti has been out with a knee injury for two weeks during which time they were trounced 3-0 by Parma.
They can also breathe a sigh of relief that Brazil captain Cafu has been passed fit for the squad after being out for 10 days also with a knee injury.
Valencia will miss winger Kily Gonzalez, out for three months after suffering ankle ligament damage last Sunday, but are still favourites to take the honours at home against Ajax Amsterdam.
Ajax just made it into the second phase and their defence still looks vulnerable. They are boosted by good news over Victor Sikora whose hamstring injury was not as serious as first though. The winger accompanied the side to Spain.