Ashley Williams
LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 19, 2012: With 15 out of 16 qualification spots available, the top European soccer clubs will give it a full go on Tuesday and Wednesday night across the continent as fans lick their lips for a mouthwatering soccer gala.
Manchester United have already booked their last-16 spot in the UEFA Champions League 2012 while FC Porto and Malaga also did enough to get close to qualification on Matchday 4 but Group H still has a massive fight going on for the qualification as Galatasaray, Cluj, and Braga all three have a valid chance of joining Manchester United in the final 16.
Another big match on Matchday 6 is between defending champions Chelsea FC and Juventus in Group E as the English soccer giants will travel to Juventus Stadium in Turin with their last-16 qualification on the line.
The Group E is also presenting a very confused picture as only point separates the top three teams and any of them can qualify for the knock-out stage on the Matchday 6 but as happens in all the major tournaments in the world one of these two European soccer giants will be knocked out this week.
Chelsea FC are relatively better placed than Juventus but they seem to have lost their galore they exhibited early in the season as they have managed only two points in their last four games in the Barclays English Premier League.
Juventus on the other hand will have to defeat the reigning UEFA Champions after they recorded a 2-2 draw in London. If Juventus beat Chelsea FC then they will have to secure a draw in their final fixture to make sure they book their ticket to Shakhtar Donetsk. However, the Italian soccer giants have also struggled for goals dearly this season as the Serie A leaders were held for a goalless draw with Lazio this weekend.
Both the teams will have to find a way of scoring goals as this is where they will have to rise to the occasion. Chelsea FC have a good news as they will have Juan Mata and Oscar both back in the squad after Roberto Di Matteo rested the duo on Saturday’s EPL action while Belgian striker Eden Hazard has found some form as he struck a brilliant goal against West Bromwich Albion.
The other top game in the Group E on November 20, 2012 (Tuesday) is between Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjaelland where the Ukranian side has recently tasted defeat in their local championship after registering 15 victories on the trot. Shakhtar Donetsk are clear favorites against Nordsjaelland who are still looking for their first victory in the UEFA Champions League.
Interestingly enough, Nordsjaelland could still qualify into the last-16 stage if they record their first victory at the UEFA Champions League and then Chelsea FC defeat Juventus.
Group F will have two matches to be played on Tuesday where BATE Borisov will be up against Lille and the tough Valencia will take on the mighty Bayern Munich.
Valencia need a victory over Bayern Munich to book them a place in the last-16 round and even a draw would be enough if BATE Borisov are held by Lille to a draw.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich are in dire need of a victory in Spain and with BATE Borisov becoming the Belarusian soccer champions for seventh straight season on November 11 things are looking positive for the German giants.
Group G is another complicated group where Benfica are pitted against Celtic and Spartak Moscow will be up against FC Barcelona on Tuesday night.
FC Barcelona probably are the best-placed team in the Group G as all they require is a draw to qualify into the next stage of the UEFA Champions League 2012. Even a loss can’t hurt their chances but in that case they will have to rely on the result in the other match. Celtic, who defeated FC Barcelona in their last outing, also are in good position to qualify as a draw would suffice for them to join Barca in the last-16 stage if they score at least a goal and Barca don’t get defeated.
As far as Benfica are concerned, they are trailing the Celtic by three points and they must record a victory to stay in the hunt before their final round-robin clash against FC Barcelona.
Group H has one spot to be filled as Manchester United have already secured their berth in the final-16. The Red Devils will take on Galatasaray while Cluj will take on Braga on Tuesday night with all the three teams staying in the race to the knockouts.
Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League action also promises great thrill and euphoria for the soccer fans across the globe where FC Porto will take on Dinamo Zagreb and Dynamo Kiev will be up against Paris Saint-Germain in the Group A.
In Group B, Arsenal FC will be playing against Montpellier while Schalke 04 and Olympiakos will battle it out in the second game on Wednesday night.
Arsenal FC will have to defeat Montpellier to keep their chances alive in the competition while Schalke 04 are the best-placed side at the moment as they need only a draw to proceed.
The two matches in the Group C are Zenit Saint Petersburg vs Malaga and Anderlecht vs AC Milan where Malaga are almost certain to finish on top of the table but the rest of the three sides will still battle it out to stay in the hunt.
The Group D matches include Ajax vs Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City vs Real Madrid where Borussia Dortmund, who are leading the group, need only a draw to qualify while Real Madrid will join them if they beat Manchester City and Ajax don’t triumph.
It is important to mention here that the Manchester City have won the last three home matches against Real Madrid and it will be a tough task for Cristiano Ronaldo and company to achieve a victory there.
