Bayern desperate for victory over AC Milan
Bayern Munich's bid to avoid an embarrassing first phase exit from the Champions League will be put to the test this week when they host AC Milan at the Olympic Stadium.
Bayern Munich's bid to avoid an embarrassing first phase exit from the Champions League will be put to the test this week when they host AC Milan at the Olympic Stadium.
Winners in 2001, when they lifted Europe's most coveted trophy for the fourth time, Bayern have made a dismal start to their current campaign with just one point from two games.
A defeat to Carlo Ancelotti's men on Tuesday, probably accompanied by a comfortable home win for group G rivals Deportivo Coruna over Lens, would leave Bayern in a desperate state.
Milan would be top on nine points, followed by Deportivo on six, with Bayern and Lens on one apiece -- with half the first phase over.
The omens do not look good either, with the German league leaders losing 2-1 to Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday despite their opponents being down to 10 men for nearly an hour.
"I expect a win from my team," coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said after a crisis meeting with the players. "We have to use that game to show where we stand. We must take three points."
Deportivo are the only Spanish club not currently top of their group, with holders Real Madrid leading group C.
Real should take three easy points from their trip to AEK Athens, who have two 0-0 draws to their credit so far.
It will be a more important night for rivals AS Roma, who get a chance to put their campaign firmly on track by beating Belgian outsiders Genk.
After losing to Real and drawing with AEK, Roma could leapfrog into second place with a win -- helped by the return of inspirational captain Francesco Totti from a two-match suspension.
Totti's importance to Roma was underlined on Sunday as he blasted a hat-trick in their 3-2 Serie A victory over Brescia and Fabio Capello will be looking for more of the same.
Valencia face Basel, one of the two surprise packages in this season's competition with Maccabi Haifa.
The Swiss side coached by former Tottenham Hotspur manager Christian Gross held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Anfield last week to stay second in group B on four points.
However, they will struggle away to a Spanish side currently playing exquisite football and deservedly top after two wins without conceding a goal.
Liverpool will be counting on a Basel defeat and a home victory of their own over a fairly poor Spartak side to join the Swiss double winners on four points.
Like Totti, Liverpool's Michael Owen also scored a hat-trick at the weekend and the England striker's return to form could not have come at a better time for manager Gerard Houllier.
Spain's other representative, Barcelona, should beat a Lokomotiv Moscow side who have already lost 2-0 at home to Galatasaray. The Turks should cement their second place in group H in a home game against Club Brugge.
Manchester United are set to reach nine points at Old Trafford against erratic Olympiakos Piraeus, whose 6-2 drubbing of last season's finalists Bayer Leverkusen looks even more of a freak result after their 3-0 defeat by Maccabi Haifa last week.
Maccabi, playing their home games in Nicosia, face a Leverkusen side looking desperately for their first points in group F.
England's other two representatives have had sharply contrasting fortunes with Arsenal riding high at the top of group A after two wins and Newcastle United rock bottom of group E after two defeats.
Arsenal, who looked to have cured last season's travel sickness by thumping PSV 4-0 at Eindhoven last week, are away to Auxerre. The Dutch host Borussia Dortmund.
Newcastle are ripe for a third consecutive loss away to Juventus, while UEFA Cup Feyenoord holders host Dynamo Kiev.
In a tightly-contested group D, leaders Inter Milan take on Olympique Lyon at San Siro, while Ajax Amsterdam travel to Rosenborg Trondheim.