Desperate Bayern on verge of Champions League exit

Bayern Munich's five year association with the knockout stages of the Champions League will come to an end on Tuesday if they fail to win away at Deportivo Coruna.

While Manchester United, AC Milan and Barcelona can afford to rest their big names having qualified with two games to spare, Bayern must find a way to beat a team who won 3-2 at the Olympic Stadium in the first round of Group G matches.

Bayern have reached the quarter-finals at least in each of the last five seasons, twice reaching the final and lifting the trophy in 2001.

But they have only one point from four games this time and will have to win in Spain without inspirational goalkeeper and captain Oliver Kahn, who pulled a thigh muscle in last week's 2-1 defeat at AC Milan.

Deportivo, on six points, should have been through already but after blowing an early lead to lose 3-1 at RC Lens last week they still have work to do.

They warmed up with a 2-1 away win over Rayo Vallecano in the Spanish League on Saturday while Bundesliga leaders Bayern could only draw 3-3 at home with lowly Hanover.

Lens will hope Milan rest their big names for the trip to France, something Manchester United are definitely doing for their game against Maccabi Haifa on Tuesday.

Milan striker Filippo Inzaghi, however, will hope to play as he seeks to score in his sixth successive Champions League game, matching the record set by Manchester United's Ruud van Nistelrooy last season.

On Sunday, United travelled to Cyprus, where their game is being played because of security concerns in Israel, with only a handful of first team players.

That will please Maccabi, who with three points can still qualify, but Bayer Leverkusen (six points) and Olympiakos Piraeus (three), who meet in Germany, might not have much sympathy with Alex Ferguson and his "tired" squad.

Juventus and Dynamo Kiev are locked together at the top of Group E on seven points, with Feyenoord (five) and Newcastle United (three) also still in the hunt.

Juve host Feyenoord while Kiev travel to Newcastle, both on Tuesday.

Barcelona, safely through with maximum points, visit Club Bruges, second in Group H on five points, with the Belgians hoping that they will be able to strengthen their position against the relaxed Spaniards.

Galatasaray (four) will expect to beat Lokomotiv Moscow (one) in Istanbul to keep up the pressure.

On Wednesday, defending champions Real Madrid need to beat AS Roma in Spain to secure the qualification that already looked in the bag when they led AEK Athens last week before slipping to a 2-2 Group C draw.

Roma, on five points, remain favourites to join the nine-times champions in the second phase but AEK can move to seven points with a home win over Genk.

Liverpool host Valencia in an attractive-looking Group B tie, with the English premier league leaders much-improved from when they lost 2-0 in Valencia back in September.

The Spaniards, who thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-1 on Saturday, lead the group with 10 points, three more than second-placed Liverpool.

The group's other game, between Spartak Moscow and Basel, has been postponed until November 6 as a mark of respect for the victims of the Moscow siege.

Arsenal will hope to bring an end to a three-game losing streak -- two domestic losses either side of last week's home reverse at the hands of AJ Auxerre -- when they visit Borussia Dortmund in Group A.

The English side, with nine points, are still favoured to advance, though Dortmund, on seven points, are hard on their heels.

Auxerre are back in contention after the shock win at Highbury took them to four points. They will want to keep that momentum going at PSV Eindhoven (two points).

Group D remains wide open with all four teams still in contention.

Olympique Lyon lead the way with seven points and are at home to Ajax Amsterdam (five). Inter Milan, also on five, are at home to Rosenborg Trondheim (three).