Post by Salem6 on Nov 4, 2003 18:22:46 GMT
LONDON (AP) -- Real Madrid and Juventus are the only teams with perfect records in the Champions League -- and they both keeping getting better.
Nine-time European champion Real Madrid moved atop La Liga over the weekend with an impressive 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Ronaldo scored twice to break a three-game scoring slump, and David Beckman was back after missing two games with a hamstring injury.
That's bad news for Partizan Belgrade, which hosts Real on Tuesday.
Defending Italian champion Juventus, pumped up after drawing 1-1 with European champion AC Milan on a late goal by Marco Di Vaio, stayed tied for the top spot with their northern rivals.
That puts heat on Spain' Real Sociedad as it braces for La Juve on Wednesday in San Sebastian.
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United also have tough games in the fourth rotation. And Arsenal, winless in eight Champions League games, must win -- or else.
In the full schedule:
Tuesday: Manchester United vs. Rangers; Panathinaikos vs. Stuttgart; Partizan vs. Real Madrid; Porto vs. Marseilles; Besiktas vs. Sparta Prague; Lazio vs. Chelsea; Celta Vigo vs. Ajax; Brugge vs. AC Milan.
Wednesday: Bayern Munich vs. Lyon; Celtic vs. Anderlecht; Arsenal vs. Dynamo Kiev; Inter Milan vs. Lokomotiv; Monaco vs. Deportivo; PSV vs. AEK Athens; Olympiakos vs. Galatasaray; Real Sociedad vs. Juventus.
Real Madrid has nine points to lead Group F. The Spaniards squeaked by Partizan 1-0 two weeks ago, but should be better prepared this time with Ronaldo leading the league with eight goals.
"When you have Ronaldo in attack and Iker (Casillas) in goal and the rest of the team works hard ... that decides things," Beckham said.
Partizan's Ljubinko Drulovic is ready for the worst.
"Real has a magnificent team," he said. "It's not a disgrace to lose to Real Madrid."
In the other Group F match, Marseille plays at Porto.
Juventus goes to Real Sociedad leading Group D with nine points. Real has six.
Unlike Juve, which salvaged a 1-1 draw over the weekend with a late goal, Real Sociedad gave up an 81st-minute strike to settle for a 3-3 draw against 10-man Barcelona at San Sebastian's Anoeta stadium.
"I'm worried that my team is letting in a lot of goals," said Sociedad's French coach Raynald Denoueix. "I also think it's a matter for finishing up front, because we could have scored more goals."
In the other group match, tail-end teams Galatasaray and Olympiakos play in Greece and a need a result to stay in contention.
AC Milan was upset at home by FC Brugge 1-0 two weeks ago, leaving Group H wide open. Coach Carlo Ancelotti won't have striker Filippo Inzaghi and defender Serginho -- both injured -- for the return leg in Belgium. Jon-Dahl Tomasson is expected to replace Inzaghi and play alongside Andriy Shevchenko.
Brugge has been on the skids since upsetting AC Milan with two successive losses to weak Belgian sides.
Group H leader Ajax -- six points -- plays at bottom side Celta Vigo.
"We've come through a lot of close game, and the faith that that can happen again is definitely there," said Ajax coach Ronald Koeman.
Celta suffered its third league loss at home over the weekend, prompting loud, nasty jeering.
"If the crowd is not with us, Ajax will beat us," Celtic coach Miguel Angel Lotina said.
Inter Milan, tied atop Group B with Dynamo Kiev with six points, is home to Moscow's Lokomotiv. Inter should be boosted after new coach Alberto Zaccheroni picked up his first victory -- 2-0 in the league Sunday over Chievo with goals from Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba.
Arsenal is in big trouble in Group B after losing two weeks ago at Dynamo Kiev.
The Gunners are winless in their last eight Champions League games, and this time they're home to Dynamo. If Inter wins and Arsenal loses again, the English league leaders will make an embarrassing exit.
Arsenal will be without injured midfielder Patrick Vieira.
"I believe in the team and that we have the potential to do it, but if I tell you that we will win the Champions League, you will tell me that I'm completely crazy," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Bayern leads Group A with five points -- only one better than Lyon and Anderlecht. Celtic is two behind. Bayern lost 2-0 to Schalke on Saturday and is home against Lyon.
Bayern drew 1-1 with Lyon in the last rotation, and midfielder Sebastian Deisler is doubtful with a thigh injury for the rematch.
Celtic, with four straight home wins in the Champions League, hosts Anderlecht.
Chelsea, leading Group G with six points, plays at Lazio. The Blues rallied to beat the Roman side 2-1 in the last rotation. Lazio hopes to use a win over Chelsea as a springboard to next weekend's Rome derby vs. Roma.
Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo is doubtful against his old club with a groin injury. French Defender Marcel Desailly is likely to be left out of the starting lineup with a back injury.
Lazio coach Roberto Mancini will be without injured veteran goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi and goes with backup Matteo Sereni. Dutch defender Jaap Stam is also doubtful.
Man United and Stuttgart are tied atop Group E with six points.
United is home to Glasgow Rangers in Part II of the "Battle of Britain." United won 1-0 in Glasgow two weeks ago.
Rangers, already missing midfielder Ronald de Boer and forward Steven Thompson, could be without defender Fernando Ricksen (ankle) and midfielder Christian Nerlinger (calf).
United manager Alex Ferguson, who once coached Rangers manager Alex McLeish at Aberdeen and played for Rangers, won't have England midfielder Paul Scholes (groin).
Rangers ended a five-match winless string last week with victories over Scottish sides Forfar and Partick.
"We think that we can do something in Manchester because now the confidence is OK," Rangers Spanish striker Mikael Arteta said.
Stuttgart, which has allowed just two goals in 11 Bundesliga games, travels to Panathinaikos.
"This will be a real test for us," Stuttgart coach Felix Magath said.
In Group C, Monaco hosts Deportivo La Coruna, and PSV hosts AEK Athens. Deportivo leads with seven points, while Monaco has six. PSV has three, and AEK one.
Source:-
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/soccer/11/03/bc.eu.spt.soc.champions.ap/index.html
Nine-time European champion Real Madrid moved atop La Liga over the weekend with an impressive 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Ronaldo scored twice to break a three-game scoring slump, and David Beckman was back after missing two games with a hamstring injury.
That's bad news for Partizan Belgrade, which hosts Real on Tuesday.
Defending Italian champion Juventus, pumped up after drawing 1-1 with European champion AC Milan on a late goal by Marco Di Vaio, stayed tied for the top spot with their northern rivals.
That puts heat on Spain' Real Sociedad as it braces for La Juve on Wednesday in San Sebastian.
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester United also have tough games in the fourth rotation. And Arsenal, winless in eight Champions League games, must win -- or else.
In the full schedule:
Tuesday: Manchester United vs. Rangers; Panathinaikos vs. Stuttgart; Partizan vs. Real Madrid; Porto vs. Marseilles; Besiktas vs. Sparta Prague; Lazio vs. Chelsea; Celta Vigo vs. Ajax; Brugge vs. AC Milan.
Wednesday: Bayern Munich vs. Lyon; Celtic vs. Anderlecht; Arsenal vs. Dynamo Kiev; Inter Milan vs. Lokomotiv; Monaco vs. Deportivo; PSV vs. AEK Athens; Olympiakos vs. Galatasaray; Real Sociedad vs. Juventus.
Real Madrid has nine points to lead Group F. The Spaniards squeaked by Partizan 1-0 two weeks ago, but should be better prepared this time with Ronaldo leading the league with eight goals.
"When you have Ronaldo in attack and Iker (Casillas) in goal and the rest of the team works hard ... that decides things," Beckham said.
Partizan's Ljubinko Drulovic is ready for the worst.
"Real has a magnificent team," he said. "It's not a disgrace to lose to Real Madrid."
In the other Group F match, Marseille plays at Porto.
Juventus goes to Real Sociedad leading Group D with nine points. Real has six.
Unlike Juve, which salvaged a 1-1 draw over the weekend with a late goal, Real Sociedad gave up an 81st-minute strike to settle for a 3-3 draw against 10-man Barcelona at San Sebastian's Anoeta stadium.
"I'm worried that my team is letting in a lot of goals," said Sociedad's French coach Raynald Denoueix. "I also think it's a matter for finishing up front, because we could have scored more goals."
In the other group match, tail-end teams Galatasaray and Olympiakos play in Greece and a need a result to stay in contention.
AC Milan was upset at home by FC Brugge 1-0 two weeks ago, leaving Group H wide open. Coach Carlo Ancelotti won't have striker Filippo Inzaghi and defender Serginho -- both injured -- for the return leg in Belgium. Jon-Dahl Tomasson is expected to replace Inzaghi and play alongside Andriy Shevchenko.
Brugge has been on the skids since upsetting AC Milan with two successive losses to weak Belgian sides.
Group H leader Ajax -- six points -- plays at bottom side Celta Vigo.
"We've come through a lot of close game, and the faith that that can happen again is definitely there," said Ajax coach Ronald Koeman.
Celta suffered its third league loss at home over the weekend, prompting loud, nasty jeering.
"If the crowd is not with us, Ajax will beat us," Celtic coach Miguel Angel Lotina said.
Inter Milan, tied atop Group B with Dynamo Kiev with six points, is home to Moscow's Lokomotiv. Inter should be boosted after new coach Alberto Zaccheroni picked up his first victory -- 2-0 in the league Sunday over Chievo with goals from Christian Vieri and Alvaro Recoba.
Arsenal is in big trouble in Group B after losing two weeks ago at Dynamo Kiev.
The Gunners are winless in their last eight Champions League games, and this time they're home to Dynamo. If Inter wins and Arsenal loses again, the English league leaders will make an embarrassing exit.
Arsenal will be without injured midfielder Patrick Vieira.
"I believe in the team and that we have the potential to do it, but if I tell you that we will win the Champions League, you will tell me that I'm completely crazy," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
Bayern leads Group A with five points -- only one better than Lyon and Anderlecht. Celtic is two behind. Bayern lost 2-0 to Schalke on Saturday and is home against Lyon.
Bayern drew 1-1 with Lyon in the last rotation, and midfielder Sebastian Deisler is doubtful with a thigh injury for the rematch.
Celtic, with four straight home wins in the Champions League, hosts Anderlecht.
Chelsea, leading Group G with six points, plays at Lazio. The Blues rallied to beat the Roman side 2-1 in the last rotation. Lazio hopes to use a win over Chelsea as a springboard to next weekend's Rome derby vs. Roma.
Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo is doubtful against his old club with a groin injury. French Defender Marcel Desailly is likely to be left out of the starting lineup with a back injury.
Lazio coach Roberto Mancini will be without injured veteran goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi and goes with backup Matteo Sereni. Dutch defender Jaap Stam is also doubtful.
Man United and Stuttgart are tied atop Group E with six points.
United is home to Glasgow Rangers in Part II of the "Battle of Britain." United won 1-0 in Glasgow two weeks ago.
Rangers, already missing midfielder Ronald de Boer and forward Steven Thompson, could be without defender Fernando Ricksen (ankle) and midfielder Christian Nerlinger (calf).
United manager Alex Ferguson, who once coached Rangers manager Alex McLeish at Aberdeen and played for Rangers, won't have England midfielder Paul Scholes (groin).
Rangers ended a five-match winless string last week with victories over Scottish sides Forfar and Partick.
"We think that we can do something in Manchester because now the confidence is OK," Rangers Spanish striker Mikael Arteta said.
Stuttgart, which has allowed just two goals in 11 Bundesliga games, travels to Panathinaikos.
"This will be a real test for us," Stuttgart coach Felix Magath said.
In Group C, Monaco hosts Deportivo La Coruna, and PSV hosts AEK Athens. Deportivo leads with seven points, while Monaco has six. PSV has three, and AEK one.
Source:-
sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/soccer/11/03/bc.eu.spt.soc.champions.ap/index.html