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Wenger eyes unbeaten record Arsene Wenger maintains he will not disrespect the Champions League by fielding a side incapable of beating Olympiacos in their final group match.
With qualification already assured for the last 16 and top spot, Tuesday night's clash in Athens is of little consequence to the Gunners. However, who qualifies behind them is still up for grabs, with even bottom club Borussia Dortmund not completely out of contention.
Arsenal have been in this position before two seasons ago, when Wenger elected to send a young side out to Greece with an average age of just 21 - the youngest ever in the Champions League - and resulted in a 1-0 defeat. While the Gunners boss did not rule out another similar squad selection, Wenger maintains whatever starting line-up runs out at Karaiskakis Stadium will be able to give their hosts a game.
"First, the priority is to respect the competition and to win our game. That is what I will try to do," the Arsenal manager said. "I will go with a side who has experience and give the chance as well to some young players. "I have done that against Manchester City [in the Carling Cup quarter-final], and you could see the team was really up for it.
"The target is to respect the competition, win our game and finish the group stage unbeaten." Wenger feels his squad deserve great credit for their achievements in Europe this season. "We haven't lost a game up until now and I believe we had a very difficult group," he said.
"Dortmund are certainly the best side in Germany at the moment, Olympiacos and Marseille are not easy games and when you look at where we had to come from against Udinese [in the play-off], I feel we can be quite satisfied with the way we managed to get through."
Arsenal may be safely into the knockout stages with a match to spare, but the same cannot be said for Barclays Premier League rivals Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United. Tottenham, meanwhile, look unlikely to progress through from the group stage of the Europa League.
While many would happily revel in some Schadenfreude, Wenger feels a scenario of the Gunners as England's only representatives in the knockout stages of Europe's elite club competition would not be a positive outlook.
"It would be a little bit of a disadvantage [in the Premier League], but that is a catastrophic scenario for England and would basically harm our places in Europe for the future," the Arsenal manager said. "That is what you don't want - that you go from four to three [Champions League places].
"Hopefully that will not happen. "Of course the teams like Manchester United would then focus on the FA Cup and the [domestic] championship, but lets see - I don't think that will happen."
Test of nerve for Man United Manchester United face a test of nerve next week against a side who have already embarrassed them once in the Champions League.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side need a point against Basle in Switzerland - defeat would mean United failing to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since 2005. Even if victory is achieved however, United look likely to finish second in Group C, meaning they will be in severe danger of landing a last-16 tie against the strongest teams in Europe such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
Benfica are in pole position to top the group, with their last match against Otelul Galati, who have lost all five of their games so far. United though will settle for second place given the scare Basle gave them in September. At Old Trafford, Basel were within a couple of minutes of inflicting a unique defeat on United - it would have been the first time in Ferguson's time that they had lost a match where they had been two goals ahead.
As it was, Ashley Young's last-gasp header made it 3-3, but it still prompted fierce criticism of his players by the United manager. If they are looking for favourable portents, United can look back to 2002 when they last played Basel in Switzerland.
It all looked to be going wrong when Christian Gimenez's first-minute strike gave Basle the advantage and the score stayed like that until the second half when two Ruud van Nistelrooy goals and another by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in a seven-minute blitz secured victory. United winger Nani insists there are no nerves ahead of the match.
He said: "We're used to this kind of pressure and we have enough experience to go to Basel and win." United will have to play better than in September when Basel captain Marco Streller said he could not believe how easy it was to break through their defence.
Streller said: "I was really surprised at how many chances we got, as we were playing against one of the best teams in the world. "Manchester did not have their best day and we had a really good day. In the end Man U were lucky we didn't win there." "We really believe we can qualify from this group."
English sides must improve in Europe, says Ferguson 5 December 2011
Sir Alex Ferguson believes that English teams must raise their standards to remain competitive in the Champions League.
A team from the Premier League has featured in the final of the tournament in six of the last seven years, but now three of the four teams who qualified for this season's edition of the competition are fighting to qualify from the group stage.
Arsenal have managed to confirm top spot in Group F and will go through irrespective of their result against Olympiakos. But Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United are still battling for the right to continue into the last 16.
"There are some strong teams out there now, I think we may have to bring our game up a little bit and make sure we don't underestimate the group stages," said Manchester United manager Ferguson."We should have won our home game against Basel and because we didn't we now need to go there and make sure they don't beat us. We could find our casualness in the first game costs us."
Roberto Mancini's men are relying on outside help, as they need Napoli not to beat Villarreal in the final game of the group stage.Chelsea and Manchester United take on Valencia and Basel respectively, with the winner of each game certain to progress.
Now the Scot believes that the spending in other parts of Europe has seen some clubs grow in strength, putting forward a challenge to those that have regularly played in the knockout stage."You can see the amount of money that some of the Russian teams are spending and the number of Brazilians they have playing for them now," he said.
"Then you notice that Apoel Nicosia have qualified already, they are funded by a wealthy guy. I think they have only three Cypriot players, the rest are from other countries. And of course there's the team (Anzhi Makhachkala of Dagestan) that lives in Moscow but play a four-hour plane journey away."
"Their owner has just built them a brand new stadium, complete with all the roads leading up to it.""There is certainly some money around in the game, and over time it is bound to make a difference. It represents a different challenge for teams from this country."
´Nearly impossible´ to qualify, says Hummels 5 December 2011
Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels admits the German champions face a tough task to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
Dortmund need to beat Marseille by four goals in Tuesday's home game and hope that Arsenal defeat Olympiakos in order to qualify from Group F. And with their fate out of their own hands, Hummels feels it will be close to impossible to make it to the next round. "We know it's nearly impossible because Arsenal need to win in Piraeus and they've made it through to the next round - so I don't think they'll play their best team. I've told Per Mertesacker I'll kick him if they don't win there," Hummels said to uefa.com.
"If we'd won and Marseille had won as well on matchday four, it would still have been the same for us. We need to score four goals against Marseille at home; it's really difficult.""We need to have a really good game against Marseille, and a little help from Arsenal."Dortmund were beaten 3-0 by Didier Deschamps' men away from home in the reverse fixture.
Champions League Group E preview: Chelsea, Valencia battle to qualify 5 December 2011
Chelsea host Valencia as their hopes of progressing to the Champions League knockout stages go down to the wire on Tuesday.
The English Premier League outfit have endured an indifferent campaign, sitting fourth in the league after a 3-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday.
With Chelsea level on points with La Liga's Valencia, the clash at Stamford Bridge will decide who advances to the last 16 from Group E.Group leaders Bayer Leverkusen have already sealed their spot in the knockout stages and will be hot favourites to overcome Genk in Belgium.
If Chelsea and Valencia play out a scoreless draw, Andre Villas-Boas' men will advance having scored in the 1-1 result in Spain.Chelsea's best chance of progressing is courtesy of a win, something they will be aiming for at a home venue they have struggled at recently.
In their last four outings at home, Chelsea have suffered three losses, including their Carling Cup exit to Liverpool last week.The win over Newcastle was away from home, and featured stellar performances from Juan Mata, Daniel Sturridge and John Terry. Mata, 23, was impressive as his touch and vision created several chances, including Didier Drogba's headed opener.
Villas-Boas is under pressure at Chelsea, and failing to progress from the group will only put him under more heat with owner Roman Abramovich desperate to win a Champions League crown.Terry put in a strong stint at the heart of defence against Newcastle, while David Luiz struggled and was fortunate not to be sent off in the opening minutes.
They need to combine to stop star Valencia striker Roberto Soldado, who has netted five times this Champions League campaign.Chelsea have failed to make playing at home an advantage this season, but with their place on the line they will be desperate to power past Valencia.
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen will advance but can guarantee top spot with a win over strugglers Genk.Robin Dutt's team are unbeaten in five and face a Genk outfit searching for form after three consecutive defeats.
Champions League Group F preview: Dortmund fight for survival 5 December 2011
Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund are chasing an unlikely berth in the knockout stages of the Champions League on Tuesday.
Juergen Klopp's men, second to Bayern Munich in the league, need to defeat Ligue 1 outfit Marseille by four goals or more and hope Olympiakos lose at home to Arsenal in Group F.If the Greek side secures a draw against the English Premier League outfit, Dortmund need to win by five or more.
Second-placed Marseille can avoid any drama by winning and sealing their spot, while Arsenal have already booked their place in the last 16.Dortmund are unbeaten in their last nine league outings, but they have struggled to kick-start their Champions League campaign.
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski, Japan international Shinji Kagawa and Paraguay forward Lucas Barrios will need to play their part if Dortmund are to somehow get through the tight group with a comprehensive win at Signal Iduna Park. In five Champions League matches, they have scored just four times – a far cry from the two goals a game they average in Bundesliga.
Despite being winless in their last three outings in Group F, Marseille are still heavy favourites to advance.They too have struggled for goals, but attacking duo Loic Remy and Andre Ayew will pose a threat up front for the Dortmund defence.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have secured a spot in the round of 16 and are likely to give several fringe players much-needed game time. Francis Coquelin could replace Alex Song in midfield, while Morocco international Marouane Chamakh is likely to start up front to give the in-form Robin van Persie, who tops the Premier League goal-scoring charts, a rest.
Arsenal eased past Wigan 4-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, extending their unbeaten run to seven matches, six of which they have won.If Arsene Wenger chooses to rest several of his key players, it could open the door for the Greek side to take second spot in the group.
Marseille are still in prime position to advance, but they will need to contend with a desperate and attacking Dortmund side.
Champions League Group G preview: Porto and Zenit face off 5 December 2011
Liga Sagres champions Porto must beat Zenit St Petersburg if they are to advance to the Champions League knockout stages.
Vitor Pereira's Porto, winners of the Europa League last season, host the Russians in Group G on Tuesday needing three points to progress.Cypriots APOEL Nicosia have booked their place in the last 16, but if they falter at home to winless Shakhtar Donetsk, they may surrender top spot.
Porto, who are a point behind Zenit, suffered a 3-1 loss when the sides met earlier this campaign after midfielder Roman Shirokov netted a brace.A draw will not be enough at Estadio do Dragao, and Kleber and Hulk, who have each netted six goals in the league, will need to cause problems up front.
Hulk has led their scorers in the Champions League, and the highly-rated Brazilian who set up Colombian James Rodriguez's goal in Russia will be a key if Porto are to win.Zenit, the runaway Russian Premier League leaders, may again be without top-scorer Alexander Kerzhakov because of injury.
Meanwhile, APOEL Nicosia are aiming to secure top spot in the group when they host Shakhtar Donetsk.Currently on a four-match unbeaten run, APOEL, the first Cypriot team to reach the last 16 in Champions League history, will be relying on Brazilian striker Ailton Jose Almeida to continue impressing.
The former Copenhagen goal-scorer has netted three of APOEL's six goals in the Champions League this campaign, and Ivan Jovanovic will be keen to ensure his side stays undefeated in the group. Argentine Esteban Solari has been the key contributor in their league campaign, finding the net on five occasions.
Bottom of the group with just two points, last season's quarter-finalists Shakhtar will be looking to salvage some pride.Brazilian striker Luiz Adriano has scored seven goals in the Ukrainian Premier League, leading all Shakhtar players, and will be counted on to add to his two-goal Champions League tally.
Champions League Group H preview: Big guns set to experiment 5 December 2011
Barcelona and AC Milan are sure to rest first-team players on Tuesday having ensured qualification from Group H in the Champions League.
Pep Guardiola's team are on track to defend their title, certain to finish top of the group after a 3-2 win at the San Siro late last month.With a huge La Liga clash against Real Madrid on Saturday, Guardiola will rest several of his regulars against BATE Borisov in preparation for the encounter against Jose Mourinho's men.
Their unbeaten record to start their European campaign will be on the line at Camp Nou on Tuesday, but even a weakened Barca team are likely to cause the Belarusian's problems.The likes of Pedro, Jonathan Dos Santos and Isaac Cuenca, who scored in La Liga on Saturday, are certain to want to impress Guardiola.
After a 5-0 thrashing of Levante in the league, Guardiola said 13 of his players would get a rest - including star trio Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi. BATE Borisov are playing for a spot in the Europa League, needing to clinch third place in the group to continue their European adventure.
They need an unlikely win over Barcelona and for Viktoria Plzen to lose at home to AC Milan to take third place. Massimiliano Allegri's men travel to the Czech Republic having lost just one of their past 11 outings in all competitions.Goalkeeper Marco Amelia is expected to start in place of the injured Christian Abbiati, while Alessandro Nesta is still missing.
Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be keen to add to his four Champions League goals, but how much game time he gets in a clash that has no bearing on standings remains to be seen. Pavel Vrba will have close to a full squad to choose from with centre back Marian Cisovsky returning from suspension for the Czech champions.
The 1-0 win over BATE Borisov on the last matchday could prove decisive in Viktoria Plzen claiming a spot in the Europa League.They have scored just twice in five Champions League games, with Slovak striker Marek Bakos netting both of their goals. Neither of the minnows are expected to record wins over Barcelona and AC Milan, who are among the favourites to win the Champions League.
Champions League Group A preview: City aim to keep dream alive 6 December 2011
Manchester City's Champions League hopes go on the line on Wednesday when they host Bayern Munich, with Napoli in pole position to progress. Napoli are one point ahead of City in the race for second position in Group A, and the Italian side face point-less Villarreal in Spain in their final game.
Napoli have a better-head-to-head record against Roberto Mancini's side, courtesy of their 2-1 win at Stadio San Paolo on November 22, meaning City need to beat Bayern at Etihad Stadium while hoping Villarreal can take points off Napoli.
In City's favour will be the fact Bayern have already secured progression to the last 16, meaning they could opt to field a team below full strength, but that is offset by the fact Villarreal will finish bottom of the group, and thus have little to play for themselves.
Mancini has publicly rated his team's chances of progress at 30 percent, and seems to be preparing for life in the Europa League in the New Year."We should try to beat Bayern Munich and we should hope that Villarreal can do a good game against Naples," Mancini said.
"But also if we don't go through in the Champions League, our life continues - we play in the Europa League and we will try to win the Europa League; it won't change anything.""We did everything, we did some mistakes probably in this group but this can happen."
City head into the match in sparkling form, riding high on top of the English Premier League and coming off a 5-1 thrashing of Norwich on Saturday.They will, however, be without left-back Aleksandar Kolarov who has a groin problem, with Frenchman Gael Clichy a chance to deputise.
Bayern are also in solid form, with a 4-1 win over Werder Bremen helping them reclaim top spot in the Bundesliga, and Dutchman Arjen Robben managed half an hour as he continues to battle back to full fitness after a groin operation.
Napoli, meanwhile, will head into their clash with Villarreal as favourites, with the Spanish side yet to claim a point in this year's tournament.Villarreal are also struggling in La Liga, languishing in 15th place after their 1-0 loss to Racing Santander on Saturday. Walter Mazzarri's Napoli side are in fifth place in Serie A after Saturday's 4-2 win at home to Lecce.
Champions League Group B preview: Trio battle for second 6 December 2011
Three teams will fight it out for second place in Champions League Group B with CSKA Moscow, Lille and Trabzonspor all capable of advancing.
Inter Milan have already secured their progression by winning the group, but with just one point separating the other three sides the nerves will be jangling on Wednesday when CSKA visit Inter and Trabzonspor head to Lille for the final round of matches.
Turkish side Trabzonspor are in second place on six points, with Lille and CSKA Moscow on five apiece.Lille are in third place because of their superior head-to-head record against the Russians. CSKA Moscow can qualify second in the group with a win against Inter, but only if Lille and Trabzonspor play out a draw.
CSKA have not won in five games and have lost their past three, with a 2-0 home loss against Lille in the Champions League bookending two 2-1 losses in the Russian league.Although Inter have already won the group, history will be against CSKA with no Russian team having ever won on Italian soil in the Champions League.
Ivory Coast striker Seydou Doumbia leads all CSKA scorers with 23 goals this season in the Russian league and four in the Champions League, including both goals in their 2-2 draw against Lille on September 14.Doumbia missed the 2-0 loss to Lille in their last Champions League outing due to suspension and will be keen for goals on Wednesday.
Inter won 3-2 in their first encounter in Moscow thanks to a late winner from substitute Mauro Zarate.Claudio Ranieri will be without centre-back Lucio after the Brazilian sustained a thigh strain in Inter's 1-1 draw at Trabzonspor on November 22 while defender Andrea Ranocchia is also doubtful after suffering a thigh injury in training.
Walter Samuel will continue to deputise for Lucio against CSKA.Inter have been disappointing so far in Serie A and are just two spots above the relegation zone.After keeping their Champions League hopes alive with a 2-0 win against CSKA last time out, Lille will be looking to leapfrog second-placed Trabzonspor with a win at home.
Lille striker David Rozehnal is suspended and with Tulio de Melo pulling his hamstring in their 2-0 win over Brest, manager Rudi Garcia will have to hope Marko Basa can come back from his shoulder injury. Eden Hazard will continue to lead the line up front for Lille.
Trabzonspor will be looking for a win but a point would be enough to qualify if CSKA do not win at Inter.Trabzonspor have not won in their past three matches and have fallen to sixth in the Turkish league.
Champions League Group C preview: United chase win in Basel 6 December 2011
Manchester United head to Basel on Wednesday in the unusual position of not having sewn up their place in the Champions League knockout stages.
With just one match remaining for sides in Group C, Sir Alex Ferguson's team are level on nine points with Benfica at the top of the group with Basel a point further back in third. Benfica, who have a superior head-to-head record against both United and Basel, are already through and will wrap up top spot in the group with a win at home against Romanian club Otelul Galati, who are yet to claim a point.
This means all the intrigue on Wednesday comes down to whether Basel can defeat Ferguson's side to secure a berth in knockout stages. Ferguson will be without Javier Hernandez, who suffered ankle ligament damage during United's 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, and Michael Carrick is suspended for the fixture. Centre back Nemanja Vidic, however, is free to resume after serving a two-match ban, and Danny Welbeck made an appearance off the bench at Villa Park after overcoming a hamstring injury.
Basel will be looking to qualify for the knockout stage for just the second time in their history, and they will take heart from the 3-3 draw they secured at Old Trafford on September 17. Swiss striker Alexander Frei said that result had given the squad, who are six points clear on top of the Swiss Super League, belief in their abilities at the highest level of European Football.
"The guys are really proud we got a 3-3 draw and it is something that will stay with them for the rest of their careers," he told the UEFA website."But the way I see it, it was more important for the future in general - when it happens, it's absolutely amazing and something we may never experience again at Basel, but it shows that we have a future in UEFA competition."
Champions League Group D preview: Lyon search for goals - and a favour 6 December 2011
Ajax are in the box seat to go through from Champions League Group D, but Lyon are still an outside chance to progress. With Real Madrid having already secured top spot in the group, Ajax are three points ahead of Lyon in the fight for second place, with the Eredivisie team hosting Real Madrid and Lyon visiting Dinamo Zagreb in the final round of fixtures.
Ajax and Lyon have drawn both their previous matches 0-0, and the Dutch side are seven goals better off than their French opponents.That means Lyon must win handily in Zagreb, while hoping Real Madrid crush Ajax to such an extent that their goal differential can be overhauled.
In Lyon's favour is the fact Real have been in menacing form in front of goal recently, scoring 23 goals from their past five matches.Jose Mourinho's side are also chasing history of a sort on Wednesday, needing to win their final match to become just the fifth team to go through a group stage without dropping a point.
Mourinho seems set to hand starlet Jese Rodriguez his competitive first-team debut, with the 18-year-old included in the squad for the clash at Amsterdam ArenA.Ajax boss Frank de Boer could be without playmaker Ismail Aissati, who came off during their 4-1 win over Excelsior on Saturday with an ankle problem.
Gregory van der Wiel is nursing a slight groin complaint, but Kenneth Vermeer should be available to start for the Dutch giants.Kaka, who missed over a month of football for Real with a calf problem, could be ready for more game time after coming on as a late substitute in their 3-0 win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
Lyon coach Remi Garde could be missing centre back Dejan Lovren for the trip to Zagreb, with the Croatian injuring a thigh in the warm-up for his team's 3-2 win over Toulouse on Sunday.
Failure not an option for Villas-Boas 6 December 2011
The thought of failing to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League has not even entered Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas' mind.The Blues face La Liga outfit Valencia on Tuesday evening at Stamford Bridge and need either a win or a scoreless draw, and for Leverkusen to avoid defeat to Genk, if they are to progress to the next round of games in Europe's most coveted tournament.
The west London outfit could only manage a 1-1 draw in the corresponding fixture, which would see them dumped out of the tournament if they were to repeat that scoreline."It's irrelevant what the game represents to me," Villas-Boas said.
"It represents, for this club, the continuation in this competition or not.""Our mindset is to continue in the competition, so we approach the game with maximum care and with confidence.""We cannot speak about going out. We have to focus on the match. I haven't thought about it. Let's just wait and see what happens.""I'm not going to answer any questions about what it might mean. My focus is on the game, not what's going to happen after it."
The Portuguese manager has already admitted that the team have only themselves to blame after throwing away the lead in all three Champions League away games, putting their destiny in the competition at stake."But those details made the difference. We have made mistakes and paid heavily for them, suffered against the run of play," he said.
"That has all left us in matchday six and still having work to do to qualify. The destiny of both teams is here and everything is at stake.""We want to try and solve those mistakes.""The clean sheets we've had in the Premier League in the last two matches were a good start. If we do that again we know we'll go into the last 16."
Klopp vows to attack against Marseille 6 December 2011
Borussia Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp admits his side face a tough task to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League.The Bundesliga team sit fourth in Group F with four points from five games and need to beat Marseille by four goals or more on Tuesday night to still have a chance of progressing.And Klopp has stressed that they will start their final group game at home against the French side with attacking intentions.
"Our position is what it is. We have to win to stay in Europe and we have to win by a big margin to stay in the Champions League. We have brought this situation on ourselves and now we have to face it," Klopp said."To win by a big margin you have to take the lead first. We have to enter this in a very attacking mood, but cannot all start running into their area, or we will play into their hands."
"A lot of things are possible in football, but we cannot sit here today and say we will just walk over Marseille.""It is difficult to play even more attacking football than we usually do. We cannot enter the game with just attackers and three defenders."On the other hand, Marseille - who lie second in the group - will secure progression to the last 16 if they bag the full three points from the match."
"However, if they only manage a draw, they will have to rely on Arsenal beating or holding Olympiakos to a draw in the other match."We should look to ourselves. We could have had things another way if we had not lost the last match against Olympiakos," coach Didier Deschamps said."We let a big chance slip away against Olympiakos, but now we have another one."
"It doesn't matter that much now what Arsenal do and what Arsene Wenger decides to do. We have it in our own hands. At half-time, we can maybe think about the result in the other game, but it is always best to look at yourself.""Dortmund's position is not so complicated - they have to win big to still be playing in the Champions League after winter. We know that they have an attacking side with lots of quality. We expect another big Champions League game."
Marseille recorded a 3-0 win at home over the Bundesliga champions in the reverse fixture.
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has hit back at criticism from Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge over his club's spending.The English Premier League leaders face a must-win game against the Bundesliga side in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Rummenigge, Bayern president Uli Hoeness and Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer have been critics of City because the problems the Etihad Stadium side may face when UEFA's financial fair play rules take effect next season.But Mancini, speaking on Tuesday, said he cannot understand why Rummenigge is so critical of his club.
"I don't know what has happened with us, but I think Manchester City are working towards the financial fair play in the next two years, but I don't understand," the Italian said."I don't know what happened. I want to ask him tomorrow. People like Rummenigge know about football, they were incredible players, but I don't know why."
In an interview this week, Rummenigge urged UEFA to take 'strict penalties' against City and Mancini.City must win the Group A clash and hope La Liga side can Villarreal can upset Serie A outfit Napoli to book a place in the last 16. Mancini also said it was 'important' for striker Carlos Tevez to leave the club, with the Argentine rumoured to be joining Serie A champions AC Milan.
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany expects Bayern to play a strong side at Etihad Stadium, despite having already sealed progression."I expect Bayern to put out a strong team tomorrow - that is one of the characteristics of such teams, that they always want to win," he said.
"I can't imagine that they would come here and want to get beat, if they want to then we will be happy about it, but I would be surprised.""Then again, do we need them to play a weaker team to win the game? I don't think so."
Champions League Group E wrap: Chelsea through in emphatic fashion 7 December 2011
Chelsea eased the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas with a 3-0 victory over Valencia to qualify top of Champions League Group E.Didier Drogba opened the scoring from close-range after just three minutes to set them on their way, before Ramires capitalised on a moment of laziness from Victor Ruiz to add a second midway through the first half.
Having been set free by a glorious through-ball from Juan Mata with 15 minutes remaining, Drogba made no mistake to wrap up a significant victory for the Blues, one that, coupled with Genk's draw with Bayer Leverkusen, saw them win Group E on a night that could have seen them crash out of the competition.
It took the hosts just three minutes to score the opener; Juan Mata picking the ball up on the left of the penalty area and slipping it to Drogba, who took a step forward and lashed it towards the net, with Alves getting a hand to it but not enough to divert it from the goal.
The Spaniards nearly replied instantly, with Tino Costa’s pass into Alba, who came in with a fine run from the left and rattled the crossbar with his shot.David Albelda then tested Petr Cech with a magnificent strike from 25 yards out, curling deliciously towards the top corner before the Czech goalkeeper intervened.After 20 minutes the Blues extended their advantage, with the irrepressible Drogba blazing forward then playing Ramires through.
The Brazilian bore down on goal and took advantage of Ruiz’s hesitancy to take the ball round the centre-back and bury a simple finish.Valencia resumed their travails after the break, bringing on Aritz Aduriz after 10 minutes to partner Roberto Soldado up front as they changed formation in the hopes of breaching the hosts' stubborn defence.
With Villas-Boas beginning to make changes with a view to shutting the game down, Drogba was set free with a perfect through-ball from Mata behind him and, with both centre-backs taken out of the equation, passed the ball into the net in a cool finish.
Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen were denied top spot in the group after they were held to a 1-1 draw away at Genk.With their spot in the last 16 already confirmed, Leverkusen could be forgiven for taking it easy in Belgium, but they were stunned into action on the half-hour mark when Jelle Vossen put Genk ahead with an expertly taken volley.
It looked as though the Germans would be returning home empty-handed until Eren Derdiyok connect with Sidney Sam's low cross and fired home an equaliser with just over 10 minutes to go.Tuesday's results mean Chelsea finished the group stage with 11 points, one clear of second-placed Leverkusen and three ahead of Europa League-bound Valencia.
Champions League Group F wrap: Late heroics save Marseille 7 December 2011
Marseille staged a miraculous comeback to come from two goals to win in Dortmund and qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.That was despite Olympiakos' 3-1 win over Arsenal, which the Greeks thought had sent them through from Group F.On a dramatic night, Marseille started on seven points, one ahead of Olympiakos, while Dortmund propped up the group with four.
A win for the Ligue 1 side would have been enough to send them through, but they made a poor start in Germany with Polish captain Jakub Blaszczykowski giving Dortmund a 20th-minute lead.That advantage was doubled just 12 minutes later when Mats Hummels scored from the penalty spot, although Marseille pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time when Loic Remy converted Morgan Amalfitano's assist.
But as the second half went on, the French side seemed less likely to earn the win they needed for progression.That was until the 85th minute, when Andre Ayew headed in the equaliser from a corner and just two minutes later, Mathieu Valbuena scored a goal fit to win any game.
The midfielder gathered the ball outside the box before he bent a superb effort into the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations among the players and manager Didier Deschamps on the touchline.They held on for all three points as Dortmund finished last in Group F with just four points, while Marseille snuck into the last 16.
The French side's victory was heartbreaking for Olympiakos, who thought they were through after beating Arsenal 3-1 in Piraeus.Rafik Djebbour handed the Greeks a 16th minute lead before a calamitous error from Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone - who was subbed on after 25 minutes - led to their second.Mannone rushed out of his box to head a loose ball, but only found David Fuster with his effort, who lifted the ball back towards goal.
The Italian goalkeeper's effort to clear the ball can only be described as horrendous as he tried to kick instead of catching, only to miss the ball and get thin air as Fuster's shot bounced in.Yossi Benayoun pulled one back with a well-taken volley on 57 minutes, but Olympiakos sealed their win with Francois Modesto's tap-in after Olof Mellberg's header crashed into the woodwork late on.
Modesto's goal came just a minute from time and kick-started celebrations, with the players and fans thinking they had qualified.But the news from Dortmund soon filtered through and celebration turned into commiseration as a group of stunned players stared at the big screen in disbelief.
Champions League Group G wrap: Porto out after scoreless draw 7 December 2011
Portuguese champions Porto were eliminated from the Champions League after they could only muster a 0-0 draw against Zenit St Petersburg. Needing a victory to secure a spot in the next round from Group G, Porto applied pressure in the Russian midfield at the beginning of the match, barely allowing their visitors to breathe.
Two goalmouth opportunities, a strike from Djalma and a header from Hulk, showed the Porto’s intent early on.Porto continued to tear through their competition, with their front three causing havoc, especially through the wing play of Djalma. Their midfield continued to hold 60 per cent of the total possession.
Playing without top striker Aleksandr Kerzhakov who was ruled out with a nagging ankle injury, Luciano Spalletti's visitors had trouble holding the ball up in Porto's midfield.Relying on quick counterattacks with the intent of releasing Danny with a killer pass, the Russians could not unlock Porto's effective offside trap.
The second half seemed to begin differently as Zenit held a lot more possession than in the first period.However, a Porto counterattack brought dominance back to the Portuguese side; a pacy run from James ended with the prodigy finding Hulk in the box. The Brazil international crossed the ball dangerously across Malafeev's goal and narrowly missed a sliding Djalma.
Malafeev continued to keep his team in the competition after the experienced keeper made a brilliant save from a 25-yard strike from Joao Moutinho.A scrambling Porto attempted all they could to best their Russian opposition, but fell apart near the end of the match as their Champions League hopes went up in smoke.
Zenit celebrated their progression alongside Cypriot outfit APOEL, who became just the third team to win a group with less than 10 points after they lost their final match 2-0 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk. After having the better of the chances in the first half, Shakhtar finally broke the deadlock on 62 minutes through Luiz Adriano, who finished off from close range after Vyacheslav Shevchuk's cross.
They put the game out of APOEL’s reach in the 79th minute when Fernandinho unleashed a rocket that could only be fumbled by goalkeeper Pardo into the path of Yevhen Seleznyov, who coolly slotted the ball round the helpless keeper and into the net.
Champions League Group H wrap: Barca´s next generation shine 7 December 2011
Barcelona beat BATE Borisov 4-0 while Viktoria Plzen scored two late goals to claim a 2-2 draw against AC Milan in the Champions League.A youthful Barca outfit were far too good for their Belarusian opponents at the Nou Camp as the reigning La Liga champions finished Group H unbeaten.
With their qualification as group winners already confirmed, Pep Guardiola chose to select a young side with an average of just 23. But despite that, Barcelona cruised to victory and they played in a similar way to their more experienced team-mates, highlighting just what an outstanding football philosophy the club possesses.
Guardiola's side knocked the ball around with ease and after Rafinha and Sergi Roberto went close, the latter broke the deadlock.The sweeping move involved Thiago and Pedro and Roberto applied a cool finish to give Barcelona the lead on 35 minutes.
That advantage was doubled with half an hour to play, when Montoya opened his account and three minutes later Pedro produced a sensational finish with his heel at the near post to make it 3-0.Pedro got his second for the night from the penalty spot with 10 minutes remaining as Barca finished the group stage with 16 points from six matches.
The other Group H match saw Viktoria Plzen produce a terrific comeback to win themselves a spot in the Europa League.Alexandre Pato and Robinho scored just after half-time for Milan and with five minutes to go it seemed like they would cruise to a comfortable win.
But Plzen had other ideas, with David Bystron and Michal Duris both scoring late on as they secured a famous draw in Prague.The point will give them inspiration ahead of the Europa League, which they will enter as a result of finishing third in the group.
