Champions League preview

CAIRO – 31 October 2017: The UEFA Champions League will start on Tuesday evening with eight matches that may decide the qualifiers for the 16th round.

Group C contains Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Roma and Qarabag FK. It is the most complicated group this season as the three biggest clubs contend for the two qualifying tickets.

Atletico Madrid has yet to win a match in the Champions League. Atletico`s victory tonight is the only way to keep chances in their hands.

Two draws with Qarabage and Roma, with one defeat to Chelsea, placed Atletico in a very critical position. Atletico have lost both Koke and Yannick Carrasco this match due to injury.

In Italy, Roma hosts Chelsea at the Olympic stadium and both are looking for a victory to make their job easier in the next rounds. Roma obtained a 3-3 draw with Chelsea two weeks ago at Stamford Bridge.

"In London we saw a beautiful Rome and I want to see the same mentality at the Olympic stadium," said Eusebio Di Francesco, Roma`s coach.

In Group D, Paris Saint Germain, hosts Anderlecht on Tuesday and they are looking to score a win that qualifies them to the next round.
PSG, such as Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona and Besiktas have won all three matches and have done so with the best performance of all participants, scoring 12 goals and without conceding any.

Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich`s striker, will not play against Celtic in their match in Germany tonight.

Celtic has opened doors, however small, to dream of a miracle. This miracle involves winning at Munich or, at least, not losing. A draw would bring them closer to third place in the group, qualifying them for the Europa League.

In Group A, Manchester United hosts Benfica in a match that will officially send them to the next round.

Jose Mourinho rearmed Manchester United’s morale last year with the winning of the Europa League. Despite the defeat in the European Super Cup against Real Madrid in August; this season he maintains a clean career in the coveted return of United to the Champions League.

United will face Benfica only three days after having won a hard-fought victory in the Premier League against Tottenham. Mourinho capped with controversial gestures to the cameras, silencing his fiercest critics.

Basel, unbeaten in the Champions League, faces CSKA Moscow and hopes to seal a victory over the Russians to qualify to the best 16 in the next round.

In Group D Barcelona, leading with nine points, and Juventus, second with six points, had the chance to finish their journey earlier than expected and secure victories against Olympiacos and Sporting Lisbon respectively.