UEFA Champions League Preview: Borussia Dortmund's ledge; Barcelona ...

UEFA Champions League's group stage is back on Tuesday, with Groups E through H kicking off the tournament's fifth match day. With special focus on the day's big match in Dortmund, here's a preview of the week's first eight games: NOW OR NEVER FOR LAST YEAR'S FINALISTSBorussia Dortmund (6 pts., Germany) vs. Napoli (9 pts., Italy)Kickoff: 2:45 p.m. Eastern, Westfalenstadion, Dortmund

In 24 hours, it could all be over. Borussia Dortmund, runners up in last year's tournament, might be out. If Arsenal wins at home to Marseille and BVB fails to beat visiting Napoli, they're done. They're headed toward Europa league.

It all seems so fickle. Dortmund is supposed to be one of the best teams on the globe, yet their in danger of missing Champions League's Round of 16? If Champions League is about identifying the best of the best, separating the wheat from the chaff, then how is BVB, a team that blew through Arsenal in London, so close to being on the outside looking in?

This isn't Manchester United two years ago, when the Red Devils couldn't get out of their group. Even though that team would compete for a title in England, they just weren't that good (relative to Europe, of course). And this isn't last year, when Chelsea dropped into Europa League as defending champions. That was far from one of the best teams in Europe.

Borussia Dortmund's plight is different. They're just at the confluence of bad luck and bad timing. The luck part involves their group, where the presence of Arsenal and Napoli means one titan is going to go. The timing is in their recent downturn, one that involved a loss at home to Arsenal. It's the only bad game they've played in Europe, but thanks to that failure and a red card in Naples (that led to a 2-1 defeat), Dortmund's in a win-or-else situation. Europa League is within sight.

The good news: Napoli's not exactly hitting on all cylinders. They struggled last match day at home to Marseille before losing back-to-back games in league: at Juventus (3-0) and at home to Parma (1-0). November's brought the partenopei's first swoon under Rafa Benítez, with last year's Serie A runners up now forced to visit Dortmund without star attacker Marek Hamsik (foot injury).

Now the bad news: Dortmund haven't won a game since Nov. 1, outscored 6-1 over the span of three losses. Napoli has already beaten BVB once this tournament, and Dortmund could also play an entirely second choice defense. Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels, and Marcel Schmelzer are out, while Lukasz Piszczek is just returning from multiple hip operations.

With this in mind, how does Napoli approach this match? Knowing Dortmund need a win, they can be reversed and play on the counter, with their willingness to play without the ball helping them in the teams' initial meeting. But if BVB are patient against that approach, they can limit the exposure of their suspect defense while betting on the quality of Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to produce the goal they need.

"Everyone has to be there tomorrow, every position," Rafa Benítez said at Monday's press conference. It wasn't the most inspiring of observations, but it did betray the Napoli boss's stay of mind. "I expect the midfielders to help out the defense and when we are in possession our defense has to support our attacks. I expect a cohesive team effort."

MUCH DRAMA, LITTLE CHANGEBasel (5 pts., Switzerland) vs. Chelsea (9 pts. England)Kickoff: 2:45 p.m. Eastern, Camp Nou, Barcelona Other gamesFollow @richardfarley All matches kickoff at 2:45 p.m. Eastern with the exception of Zenit vs. Atlético. Played in St. Petersburg, that match will start at 12:00 p.m. Eastern.

Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp's views were less technical.

"We are highly focused and cannot be knocked off course so easily," the BVB boss said, addressing questions about his team's form.

"Maybe two 'crisis-stricken' clubs will meet now. In the end hopefully nobody will notice that on the pitch."

Elsewhere in Group F, Arsenal (even with Napoli on top of the group with nine points) have their easiest match of the phase, hosting a Olympique Marseille side they beat in France to open the competition. Needing to out-point Dortmund on Tuesday to clinch a spot in the knockout round, the Gunners kick off at 2:45 p.m. Eastern at the Emirates Stadium in London.

Chelsea's opening loss at home to Basel had the potential to shake up Group E's dynamics, but two matches from the end of the phase, we could see the group's top two spots locked down. If Chelsea win in Switzerland, they'll claim first in their group. If second place Schalke do the same at Steaua Bucharest (2:45 p.m. Eastern, National Arena, Romania), the Germans will be locked into their spot, too. With six points, the German club holds a slight edge on Basel, who they host to close group stage.

Basel's post-Stamford Bridge swoon for the potential lack of drama. Whereas points won in London could have helped vault them send Schalke to Europa League, the Swiss champions followed their upset with a loss and two draws, only taking two points from their home-and-home with Steaua. Their inability to do more against the group's bottom dwellers will likely cost them a chance to make the knockout round.

"The pressure is on Basel, not us," José Mourinho said, his Monday press conference giving the Chelsea manager a chance to give his assessment of Group E's landscape. "[W]e can qualify tomorrow and Basel, even if they win, still have to play a final match in Gelsenkirchen. So for them the situation is difficult, which shows clearly that after the first match we did our job and they didn't."

All of which leads to a likely anti-climax. Whereas it once seemed Basel's win in London could increase the heat on Schalke, now the Swiss champions carry the strange distinction of having taken more points from Chelsea than Steaua. And as a result, their hopes for knockout round soccer could end on Tuesday.

Group G Zenit St. Petersburg (5 pts., Russia) vs. Atlético Madrid (12 pts., Spain), Petrovsky Stadium, St. Petersburg - One of two perfect teams in the competition, Atlético have already sewn up first in this group. Whether Diego Simeone sees that as a reason to let up remains to be seen. In Monday's press conference, the Argentine emphasized "the hunger to win and the desire to play classy football" are the most important aspects of this game. If that means some of his second string will get the calls, a Zenit club trying to beat Porto to second place will be thankful. Porto (4 pts., Portugal) vs. Austria Wien (1 pt., Denmark), Estadio do Dragão, Porto - An almost fully healthy Porto should be able to improve on the 1-0 win they earned in Austria, though they go into Tuesday's game after a rare instance of dropping points at home in league (1-1, Nacional). Austria Wien, conversely, posted their biggest league road win in nine years with a 5-0 victory at Admira, though their form will likely be less important than Porto's readiness. The Dragons struggled in the first half in Vienna before eventually claiming full points. If they can build on that experience, they'll stay alive ahead of their pivotal final day match in Madrid. Group H Ajax (4 pts., Netherlands) vs. Barcelona (10 pts. Spain), Amsterdam ArenA - Lionel Messi recorded a hat trick in the teams' first meeting, though the Argentine international will miss the trip to Amsterdam, out until 2014 with a hamstring injury. Still, Gerard Martino's team is heavily favored to get the point they need to clinch the group. If Ajax can hold them to a draw, they'll stay alive into their final group stage match at the San Siro. Without that point, the Dutch champions league their fate in Milan's hands. Celtic (3 pts., Scotland) vs. Milan (5 pts., Italy) - Closing group play against Barcelona, this is practically a must-win for Celtic, who are only two points from out of second despite sitting last in Group G. Win and they'll likely sit second ahead of a stage-closing visit to Barcelona. Milan, winless in seven and floundering in Serie A (13th place) can actually clinch a knockout round spot with a win and a loss from Ajax, but given their slump and the hostile environment, the Rossoneri may be happy with a point and a chance to clinch second place two weeks from now in Italy.

Picking a Champions League Group Stage Best XI

The UEFA Champions League group stage is quickly coming up to the important final couple of games, where qualifying teams for the knock-out stages will be decided.

While some teams have great all-round strength, there have certainly been a number of stand-out players who deserve to feature in a combined XI of the group stage.

Here's our XI of the tournament so far...

Goalkeeper

EuroFootball/Getty Images

Atletico Madrid keeper Thibaut Courtois doesn't always get the headlines he deserves, but he has been in exceptional form once more this season.

The on-loan Chelsea man has conceded just twice in four games so far, despite Atleti conceding an average number of shots per game similar to the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona (also conceded two each) and Bayern Munich (just one conceded).

The Belgian keeper is an excellent shot-stopper, has good positional skills, takes the ball well in the air and has shown a great level of consistency.

Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Right-back

Philipp Lahm could technically fit in almost anywhere in the team, such is his ability, but we'll keep him in his more accustomed role of right-back.

The Bayern captain is very strong in defence, offers plenty to his team going forward, has a non-stop engine to keep running all game and offers the composure on the ball that many other top midfielders lack.

In short, he's almost a perfect playmaker from full-back, and Bayern utilise him to great effect.

Centre-backs

In the middle of the defence is Brazilian duo Marquinhos and Miranda.

It's tough to argue with Marquinhos' inclusion; so far he has performed superbly for PSG after arriving this summer, making more defensive clearances than any of his team-mates while featuring in every game and netting two goals to boot.

Harry Engels/Getty Images

The teenage Brazilian is certainly showing why PSG were so keen to splash out such a big amount of money on him.

At Atletico Madrid, Miranda has been the rock ahead of his goalkeeper ensuring Courtois remains protected.

He has continued his exemplary form from last season into this and remains a key part of Atleti's challenge on domestic and continental fronts.

With a 100% record so far, Atletico's defence has been just as impressive as the team's free-scoring attack.

Left-back

Alex Grimm/Getty Images

Another Bayern name now, David Alaba.

The Austrian is going about proving himself one of the top attacking full-backs in world football today, with plenty of neutrals already believing he is the outright best on the left side.

Alaba, who can also play in midfield, has scored twice, assisted once and averages more than two shots a game in the Champions League-not bad from defence.

Central midfield

The double pivot in midfield features Aaron Ramsey and Angel Di Maria, which might be a little overly offensive, but it recognises two very good players who have noticeably upped their games this term.

Ramsey has saved some of his best and most important Arsenal performances for the Champions League, including two goals and an assist.

Di Maria of Real Madrid has been having to play at his maximum level just to keep his place in the side after another big summer of expenditure, but he has featured both from his usual right flank and in a more central role of late.

He has racked up four assists in just three starts, the joint-highest tally in the competition so far, and continues to prove his worth to the Spanish side.

Wide right

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Arjen Robben of Bayern Munich is one of the most in-form players around and certainly has been over the past eight months or so.

Cutting in on his favoured left foot from the right flank, he's a real danger on account of the whip he generates in his shots, his ability to dribble past defenders and the spaces he opens up for team-mates by dragging defenders out of position.

No. 10

Toni Kroos has been nothing short of amazing in midfield for Bayern in this season's Champions League.

Whether operating behind the forward or slightly deeper, he's simply irrepressible in the team setup, where he is expected to maintain possession, press quickly and help create scoring chances.

Out of 355 attempted passes so far in his four appearances, he has completed a thoroughly ridiculous 97% of them-misplacing just 10. Kroos has developed into a star man for his team and helps make everything happen around him.

Wide left

Cristiano Ronaldo. Obviously, who else? Arguably the most in-form player on the planet this season up until his recently attained injury, Ronaldo has been in scintillating form in the Champions League, leading all players in scoring with eight goals in just four games.

His abilities need no introduction, with Real Madrid with a great chance of winning any game that he simply takes to the field in.

All eyes will be on whether he walks off with a Ballon d'Or this year with the Portuguese forward certainly doing everything possible at the moment to stake his claim.

Centre-forward

Zlatan Ibrahimovic takes centre-stage in the attack, with his seven goals in four games so far making him the highest-scoring striker so far.

Ibra hit four goals against Anderlecht and has been in stunning all-round form for PSG.

The French side can be seen as an outsider for the title come the end of the season, and with Zlatan in such terrific form there is no reason why they won't be a real force to contend with in the knock-out stages.

Celtic aim to increase Milan's woe to keep Champions League hopes alive

Should Celtic keep their Champions League dreams alive with victory over Milan, they would also plunge the Rossoneri even further into crisis.

Milan had cause to be grateful for some respite when landing in Glasgow on Monday evening. Some 400 furious supporters prevented the team bus from departing San Siro after the 1-1 draw with Genoa on Saturday. It took until midnight and for senior players, including Kaká, to address the irate crowd before calm was restored.

"Speaking to fans wasn't a huge burden for me," Kaká said. "It is not something I am used to but as one of the senior players I have to get used to responsibility."

The unrest is understandable. Milan sit 13th in Serie A, four points above the relegation zone and 20 adrift of the leaders, Juventus. Massimiliano Allegri's team have not won away from home all season or at all in their past seven matches.

"It is only normal that the fans are disappointed but they are not the only ones," Allegri said. "The staff and the players share that disappointment. We have to do better. We have three objectives: to qualify from the Champions League group stage, in Serie A we have to improve and we have the Coppa Italia. Any other problems, the players don't have to worry about. They just need to stay focused."

It seems apt that the infamous character of Mario Balotelli is caught in the midst of the turmoil. He and his team-mates have been branded "brats" by Milan's ultras, a theory hardly likely to subside amid reports Balotelli turned up late for training on Sunday.

On Monday morning the Milan vice-president, Adriano Galliani, who had pleaded with fans to ease off with their protests, insisted Balotelli would not be sold. For supporters of Manchester City, this will seem a familiar scenario.

"I think he'll enjoy it, you know," said the Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, of Balotelli's appearance in Glasgow. "I have seen him play at Old Trafford. City won 6-1 and he scored two and played brilliantly.

"He played brilliantly the other night despite all the negative headlines coming out of the game. He missed a penalty but his play in general was really good. He is so strong and his first touch was very good. I think he had 13 attempts on goal, didn't score but, with the fact he was making chances for himself or getting on the end of things, he looked a top, top player."

When reminded of Balotelli's negative alter ego, Lennon added: "I hope that Balotelli turns up tomorrow rather than the other one but you just never know."

In general, Lennon is wary of pointing to Milan's troubles as a reason for hope. "The Champions League is important for Milan in a lot of ways," he explained. "I just feel that with the players they have and the mentality of the club then if they can prevail in the group stages their form will pick up automatically.

"They have got a calibre of player and they like these nights. They like the Champions League and they have got the pedigree; they've got a backroom staff that have got four or five Champions League medals. So the whole structure of the club is geared towards the Champions League. It might not be a vintage Milan team but it's still an excellent side. They dominated the game against Genoa. For large passages of the game, Milan were excellent."

In the specific context of Group H, Celtic know that they must win to retain aspirations of reaching the last 16. Should that happen and Ajax fail to defeat Barcelona, Celtic will head to their final group match at Camp Nou with their fate in their own hands.

"It is win or bust for us," Lennon said. "I would like us to play really strongly at home and give the supporters something to really shout about. Whether that's enough on the night remains to be seen.

"I will be looking more to the performance than the result. If we win the game and don't play well I will still be obviously delighted. But I am looking for a really strong performance as well."

Lennon, who hinted he will hand his Dutch winger Derk Boerrigter a first Champions League start, will also have Kris Commons available. Commons' home was targeted by robbers as he slept during the early hours of Sunday, with two cars stolen from his driveway.

"It was not a nice thing for Kris and his family to suffer,"Lennon said. "But I have spoken to him and he is totally focused on the game. What happened can be traumatic but Kris, being the strong-minded individual that he is, has brushed it all off."

Arsenal Vs. Marseille: Prediction And Preview For Key Champions League Clash

Arsenal could secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a game to spare if they claim victory over Marseille at the Emirates on Tuesday. It would be some accomplishment, on a par with their run at the top of the Premier League, if Arsene Wenger's side could navigate their way out of what is comfortably the toughest of this season's groups and arguably the most difficult Arsenal have ever faced.

José Mourinho asks Chelsea for brave Basel victory in Champions League

José Mourinho has called on Chelsea to secure their passage into the knockout phase of the Champions League with victory at Basel on Tuesday as his players enter a cluttered and pivotal period of the season where "only the brave can survive".

A victory at St Jakob-Park will claim Group E for the Europa League holders and allow Mourinho to rest key personnel for the final group game against Steaua Bucharest. Chelsea have nine fixtures in all competitions in December with Mourinho, sporting a repeat of his self-styled "going to war" crewcut from 2006, urging his players to prove their quality and stamp their authority on the campaign.

"This is a period I like, a period where the squad can play a role, not just the team," the manager said. "It's a period where I think only the brave can survive because it's so hard. We go into the Christmas period and the accumulation of matches is so high. We don't do it as a normal thing ... we do it as a special group with a special mentality, enjoying the situation and forgetting we don't have a Christmas like the Spanish, Italian and German players. But we have the pleasure of playing a period that's only for the brave.

"I always enjoyed this part of the year when I was in England, and I missed it when I was in Spain and Italy. We need a special mentality to cope with that situation. Nine matches, and one of them is the match against Steaua. Finish the job against Basel and we would ensure that, instead of having nine competitive matches, we only have eight. That would be important. That's our motivation, to kill the situation in the group stage and give us a bit of space in December."

Mourinho, who has Fernando Torres available again after a groin injury but has lost David Luiz to a bruised knee, admitted he had cut his own hair at the training ground last week while all but four of his players were absent on international duty. The savagely cropped style is similar to that sported seven years ago when he had embarked on his third and ultimately tempestuous campaign at the club by declaring: "Look at my haircut - I am ready for war."

This time the crop may more have reflected the tedium of the international window, even if he had felt compelled to send a selfie to his wife before venturing back home. "I did it myself down at the training ground," he said. "I asked Fernando to give me his machine [clippers], and I did it myself in front of the mirror. It's nice and cheap. Some people can't do what I did. In a couple of months, I'll have hair again. Some other people wouldn't ... I did send a picture of it to my wife before I arrived home to see if I'd be allowed in, and yes, there was no problem."

The desire to win the group should see Torres restored having missed three club matches with a groin injury sustained in training, though Juan Mata may once again be left stewing on the bench despite his manager praising his professionalism on the fringes. "That's a consequence of the squad we have because Juan deserves to play given the way he works and behaves," he added. "It's hard for them when they're not playing, and it's hard for me. I don't have a special pleasure leaving players out. I enjoy playing them and making them happy, but there's nothing I can do."

Basel, top of the Swiss league and unbeaten domestically since mid-August, won the group's opening fixture at Stamford Bridge only to struggle in the months since. There was an admission from their midfielder, Fabian Frei, that they would welcome even a point against the Londoners with one eye on securing Europa League qualification.

"If somebody tomorrow has to feel the pressure, it's not us," Mourinho said. "It's Basel because they are in a limited situation to qualify for the next round. This is a difficult game, but this Chelsea is better than the Chelsea that played at Stamford Bridge. Hopefully we can continue the good run we've had in the Champions League and finish the job."

VIDEO: Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey backs Bayern Munich for Champions League

Pep Guradiola's side triumphed last season at Wembley after dismantling Borussia Dortmund, and have started this campaign in ominous form.

"Real Madrid are scoring for fun at the moment and the quality of players they have says it all.

"Bayern Munich are always going to be strong and doing well, but whatever team you come up against, it will be difficult."

Ramsey was also happy to laud his team-mate Mesut Ozil, who has taken the Premier League by storm since his £42.5 million move from Real.

Arsenal to Face Marseille Youngsters in Crucial Champions League Encounter

Marseille coach Elie Baup has suggested he will field a team of younger players when his side face Arsenal in the upcoming Champions League fixture.

The Ligue 1 outfit have nothing left to play for in this year's competition, but Arsenal must produce three points if they are to maintain control of their destiny in their fight against Napoli and Borussia Dortmund for qualification into the knockout stages.

As reported by Chris Richards of the Mirror, Baup may take the opportunity to experiment:

We're eliminated from the Champions League but we need to show some good things. It will perhaps be the occasion for some young players to gain some experience.

Arsenal performed well to beat Marseille 2-1 during their first group game of the season, a match which saw Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey secure victory before Jordan Ayew's late penalty for the hosts.

Walcott recently returned from injury to feature for 20 minutes in the 2-0 win over Southampton, as reported by Sky Sports. He could come into contention for the crunch tie, while Marseille will be without the likes of Ayew and Dimitri Payet, per Richards' report.

Marseille currently occupy fourth in Ligue 1 and are 10 points off Paris Saint-Germain at the top. Even though the Gunners currently lead the Premier League by seven points, believes their next visitors will still offer a stern test in front of the Emirates crowd, as reported by the club's official website:

The main problem I see is that everyone thinks that it's not going to be an easy game for us to win. There is nothing at stake for Marseille because they have zero points but they are going to make things difficult for us.

Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images

Should Arsenal capture victory and Dortmund fail to beat Napoli at the Westfalenstadion, the Gunners would be guaranteed a place in the round of 16.

Failure to beat Marseille would ensure a difficult trip to Naples in the final match, ensuring there's plenty riding on the next encounter.

Arsene Wenger should be confident of comfortably toppling the French side, whether Baup fields a younger team or not. However, experience counts for plenty at Europe's top table, so experimentation on the part of Marseille can only be good news for Arsenal.

Champions League 2013: Fixtures, Schedule, Live Stream Info and Kick

The Champions League group stage is nearing its climax, with two fixtures remaining before we will know the makeup of the draw for the knockout rounds.

As ever, this week's games will draw attention from across the world as the best players in football gather for 16 games of high quality European football action.

With every game live to viewers in the United Kingdom, fans will continue to be blessed with an incredible choice of live action once more this week.

All games are broadcast live via Sky Sports, which means that all subscribers can also view any matches scheduled on a channel via the SkyGo application or website.

Any game shown via the red button can also be viewed on laptops or tablets via the Sky Events Centre web page.

Arsenal's tie with Marseille on Tuesday night can be viewed live on the ITV website's live streaming service, or on demand via .

Jamie McDonald/Getty Images

At 10 p.m. GMT on both evenings, Sky Sports 2 will also broadcast Champions League Goals, showing highlights of all of that night's action.

That programme, as well as subsequent re-broadcastings of the night's action will also be available to stream via SkyGo.

With only four of the competition's last 16 sides decided, a number of teams will hope to book their ticket to the next round with success this week to avoid a nervous final day of group stage action.

With Porto, Borussia Dortmund and Shakhtar Donetsk among those currently missing out on progression, excitement should be high as some of the biggest names in European football scrap for their very survival in the tournament.

Be sure to tune in and enjoy all the week's football action.

UEFA Champions League 2013: Fixtures and Predictions for Matchday 5

By Tom Sunderland on November 25, 2013

The Champions League makes its comeback this week in the penultimate round of group-stage fixtures, with many qualifying participants yet to find out their fate but so close to making it into the knockout phases.

Teams now nestled back into club matters following the international break, Europe's elite will clash once more in the hopes of claiming the points necessary to advance, Madrid, Barcelona, Munich and Manchester City having already sealed their progress.

Looking to the week ahead, read on for a complete breakdown of these predictions for 5, picking out several key encounters that promise to shape who qualifies from those respective pools.

UEFA.com

Bayer Leverkusen vs. Manchester United

Manchester United were handed one of their toughest group-stage draws of recent memory this season, and it's beginning to show in just how close Group A matters remain.

This week, David ' men travel to the with the hopes of tying up home-and-away results against Bayer , the English side having opened their European campaign with a 4-2 beating of their German counterparts.

Since that meeting, Hyypia's side have gone from strength to strength and now find themselves second to Munich in the rankings, capitalising on Dortmund's loss this weekend to creep further.

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Having said that, Bayer 's defence has been better away from home than anything else this season, but their average of 2.86 goals scored per home fixture poses issues for United, another team largely centred on their attack.

Prediction: Bayer 2-2 Manchester United

Borussia Dortmund vs. Napoli

With Arsenal taking a grip of matters in Group F, and Dortmund could turn out to be the outfits fighting for second spot, despite the fact that the former lie level on points with Wenger's side.

Just as they did against over the weekend, the Black and Yellows will be without the defensive talents of Mats , and Marcel this week, some defensive absences that could tell against the A title contenders.

For Arsenal, a draw between these two might be the most favourable outcome while they take on , and they might be fortunate in that vein.

FC Basel vs. Chelsea

Basel have a healthy history against Chelsea over the last year or so, having met in this year's competition after overcoming the Swiss champions in last year's Europa League.

That being said, it's never been a dull affair between the two, with both sides managing to get on the score sheet in every meeting.

This time around, Chelsea will have more motivation to achieve an away result, considering they can seal a top-two finish in Group E with another three points this week.

Basel have already been shown up at home by this season, and although they managed to claim a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in September, Jose Mourinho's side should have the ammunition to finish the job this time around.

Prediction: FC Basel 1-2 Chelsea

Manchester City's Joe Hart WILL play against Viktoria Plzen in Champions League

The England number one will get the nod in goal ahead of Costel Pantilimon on Wednesday evening

Recalled: Joe Hart

Joe Hart will be back in goal for Manchester City this week.

Hart was on the subs' bench for the fifth consecutive game as Costel Pantilimon got the nod for City's thumping 6-0 win against Tottenham yesterday .

But Blues boss Manuel Pellegrini confirmed the England number one will start in the Champions League clash against Czech side Viktoria Plzen.

"Joe Hart will play on Wednesday," Pellegrini told The Sun.

The Chilean is expected to make several changes to his starting line-up, given that City have already guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.

5 things to know about the Champions League

AP Sports Writer

A slew of top teams look set to join Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the draw for the last 16 of the Champions League after the fifth round of group matches this week.

Real Madrid, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain only require a point to advance, while wins for Manchester United and Arsenal could see the English pair emerge from testing groups to qualify for the knockout stage.

However, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, last season's beaten finalist, are the big names in danger of elimination with two group games left.

Here are five things to know about this week's matches in Europe's top competition:

---

ENGLISH REVIVAL

There was plenty of soul-searching and head-scratching in English football last season when only two teams from the lucrative Premier League - Man United and Arsenal - reached the last 16 of the Champions League.

The record looks like being put straight this time round.

Man City has advanced for the first time, and with two games to spare, while United, Arsenal and Chelsea all lead their groups heading into matchday five.

A point as Basel is enough for Chelsea to progress from Group E and Arsenal, buoyed by beating Dortmund away last time out, could qualify by beating point-less Marseille in Group F.

United's task looks the toughest. If it loses at German team Bayer Leverkusen, which has won its last eight home games in a row in the Champions League, United will likely take on Shakhtar Donetsk in a winner-takes-all match at Old Trafford in matchday six.

That would test the nerves of United manager David Moyes in his campaign in Europe.

---

SPANISH ARMADA

The Spanish league is set to place three teams in the final 16 of the Champions League - and considering their strong records this season, few rivals would want to cross their path.

Real Madrid hosts Galatasaray on Wednesday, looking to seal its spot in the knockout round along with Barca and Atletico.

The only doubt is whether Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit to play after he left Saturday's 5-0 thrashing of Almeria with a suspected hamstring injury.

Madrid demolished Galatasaray 6-1 in their first meeting in Turkey, and even without Ronaldo his teammates scored another four goals to roll over Almeria on the weekend.

Barcelona visits Ajax on Tuesday without star Lionel Messi, sidelined until January with a left hamstring tear, and several other injured players including goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Barcelona didn't miss its all-time leading scorer, however, on Saturday when Andres Iniesta steered it to a 4-0 win over Granada to remain unbeaten this season.

Atletico travels to Zenit St. Petersburg on Tuesday, coming off a 7-0 thrashing of Getafe. Diego Simeone's team has only lost one game in all competitions this campaign.

---

DORTMUND ON THE BRINK

Seven points behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and on the verge of failing to advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League - last season's finalist Borussia Dortmund could see its season unravel before the halfway mark.

Dortmund needs to win Tuesday against Napoli to revive its hopes of advancing from Group F. Otherwise, it will be a trip to the Europa League.

Juergen Klopp's team lost to Bayern 3-0 on Saturday, a scoreline too harsh on Dortmund, which was on even terms with Bayern until late in the match.

"I told my players they have five minutes to be depressed, then we have to carry on," Klopp said.

Associated Press writers Nesha Starcevic, Jerome Pugmire, Daniella Matar and Joseph Wilson contributed to this report.

In My Opinion

Orlando might not have David Beckham, but it has a stadium plan and it beat Miami to the punch for a Major League Soccer franchise. League commissioner Don Garber seems hopeful that by 2017 or 2018, Orlando City SC will have a rival in Miami.

Kim Bo-kyung headed in a stoppage-time equalizer to give Cardiff a 2-2 draw against Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday and deny David Moyes' team a chance to move into the top four.

Barcelona has been hit by another injury, with fullback Adriano ruled out of Tuesday's Champions League game at Ajax.

Manchester City: Joe Hart to return for Champions League tie

Last updated at 17:27 GMT

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP D: MANCHESTER CITY v VIKTORIA PLZEN

Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio 5 live

Continue reading the main story

Goalkeeper Joe Hart will start Manchester City's Champions League group match against Viktoria Plzen on Wednesday, says boss Manuel Pellegrini.

England number one Hart has not played for City since being replaced by Costel Pantilimon for their Premier League game against Norwich on 2 November.

The 26-year-old missed England's friendly against Chile but impressed against Germany last week.

City have already qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Hart was criticised after a number of errors, most notably in City's game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League last month and in England's victory over Scotland at Wembley in August.

Pellegrini dropped him after City lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at the end of last month, when a last-minute calamity involving Hart and defender Matija Nastasic allowed Fernando Torres to score the winning goal.

Pellegrini said it was a "difficult decision", but claimed the Shrewsbury-born goalkeeper "needed a rest".

Before Sunday's Premier League game against Tottenham, the Chilean said Hart would have to wait for his chance to reclaim his place from Pantilimon.

But after seeing his side thrash Spurs 6-0, Pellegrini said: "Joe Hart will play on Wednesday."

Hart's only appearance in goal since the Chelsea game was in England's 1-0 defeat by Germany at Wembley, where he made outstanding saves from Marco Reus and Mario Gotze in the second half.

National coach Roy Hodgson backed Hart to remain as his number one last month, though Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster was given his international debut in the friendly with Chile.

Borussia Dortmund's Champions League hopes in the balance as Bayern ...

After seeing Dortmund slump to a 3-0 home reverse to Bayern Munich, Andy Brassell assesses Jurgen Klopp's men Champions League hopes

Undone: Dortmund were deflated by Bayern's late burst

At the final whistle on a bitterly cold evening in Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, the home players looked stunned, deflated by a brutal late burst of Bayern Munich quality that definitively settled a match that was in the balance for most of the afternoon. The loyal fans standing behind the south goal making up the mighty Yellow Wall were still singing, of course, but Jurgen Klopp's normally ebullient side are in real need of a lift.

The reverse to Bayern was bad enough on its own, leaving Dortmund seven points behind the champions at the summit and seriously compromising their hopes of reclaiming the title - or at least of keeping Pep Guardiola's charges sweating into spring this time. Yet it threatens to have even further implications for the success of Dortmund's season, or otherwise.

This game marked the beginning of two crucial home games in four days for Die Schwarzgelb, with Napoli the next visitors in a Champions League tie that last year's losing finalists really need to win after the home defeat to Arsenal last time out. The problem is that at the point of the season when Dortmund should be at their strongest, they appear to be anything but.

Klopp's problems begin at the back, where the entire back four from the Wembley final were absent in the starting XI against Bayern. The heavy Dortmund involvement in Germany's win at Wembley shows how far this team has come, but the cost of such prestige has been ruinous.

While Bayern's Manuel Neuer and Philipp Lahm were allowed home for a few days with their feet up, five of Klopp's players started on Tuesday night, which ended with Marcel Schmelzer facing three weeks out and Mats Hummels ruled out until the new year.

Reus puddings: Dortmund were comprehensibly beaten by Bayern

So this week saw 34-year-old centre-back Manuel Friedrich - without a club since being released by Bayer Leverkusen in the summer having featured in only 11 league games last season - signed until the end of the campaign and pitched straight into the XI here, an experience he described as "surreal" after the game. Understandably, he looked rusty. 21-year-old Erik Durm, who came through the academy at Klopp's old club Mainz as a striker, looked all at sea at left-back, and new signing Sokratis held it together from the other centre-back slot for most of the game.

That fact that first-choice right-back Lukas Piszczek, out since summer after hip surgery, was rushed back to the bench after a brief run-out for the under-23s in practice game this week, showed exactly how pressed Dortmund are.

The current scratch defence may well play again on Tuesday, which will surely have Rafael Benitez rubbing his hands given that he has Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon and a host of other attacking talent at his disposal.

More concerning for Klopp ahead of Tuesday's crunch match is that his men seem a little short of their sparky selves. This was not a mere tale of defensive woe - the final two goals were cosmetic and a consequence of chasing a game they dared not lose.

Dortmund created enough to have got something out of Bayern but lacked the conviction to make the most of their opportunities. "We're not scoring decisive goals at decisive times," was how goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller put it after the game. With three successive defeats now, confidence seems low.

Up against it: Dortmund's Arsenal defeat leaves their European hopes in the balance

Robert Lewandowski missed two presentable chances to open the scoring, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan later hesitated fatally in front of goal when an equaliser loomed, after the returning Mario Gotze had opened the scoring.

Such tentativeness will not do for the resumption of the Champions League. Should Dortmund stall again on Tuesday when Benitez and company arrive, Arsenal's final group game trip to the San Paolo might look a lot less daunting than it threatens to be at present.

ITV secures Champions League highlights after losing live games to BT

ITV has secured the highlights of Champions League and Europa League matches from 2015-2018 after losing out in the bidding for the live rights to BT Sport.

The deal with Uefa will see a highlights programme covering all of the week's Champions League games on Wednesday nights and on Thursday nights for the Europa League.

Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport, said: "We are happy to have secured these highlights packages and to be able to bring them to a significant free-to-air viewership."

Landon Donovan to make TV analyst debut during next week's UEFA ...

Landon Donovan is following the lead of US national team teammate Tim Howard.

No, Donovan has no plans to grow a mammoth, caveman-like beard similar to that of Howard - at least, not that we're aware of.

Instead, the USMNT's all-time leader in goals scored and assists made will make his television analyst debut next week as a part of FOX Sports 1's UEFA Champions League coverage.

Landon Donovan will be a guest studio analyst for Fox Sports 1's Champions League coverage on Nov. 26 and Nov. 27.

- Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) November 22, 2013

Donovan will also preview his Champions League role on Monday night as part of the nightly show FOX Sports Live, which airs at 11 pm ET, according to a release from FOX Sports.

Donovan has always shown to possess a highly soccer-intelligent mind, as well as an uncanny way of speaking very directly and to the point. If he disagrees with something someone has said, he rarely shies away from expressing his side of affairs.

If the LA Galaxy star could just launch just one quality takedown of an Eric Wynalda theory while on-air, a fair portion of the American soccer public would likely be ready to welcome him with open arms as a regular on the panel.

If you recall, Howard joined NBC's Arlo White in the booth earlier this year for the call of a live Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City. White said then that it was one of the first instances that he could recall of a still current Premier League player making a foray into the broadcasting booth.

Donovan himself is quite excited for what next week holds.

Can't wait!! RT @FOXSports1: US & @LAGalaxy forward @landondonovan joins FOX Sports' soccer studio team as guest analyst on Nov 26&27 on FS1

- Landon Donovan (@landondonovan) November 22, 2013

CONCACAF Champions League: Portland Timbers may have 2013

The Portland Timbers might be participating in the next edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Or maybe not.

They'll need to wait until Dec. 13 to find out.

As first reported by SI.com's Brian Straus and confirmed by MLSsoccer.com, that's when the CONCACAF executive committee will decide whether to accept a new proposal for determining the USA's four berths into the CCL.

The proposal, originated by MLS back in January and submitted by the U.S. Soccer Federation for formal CONCACAF approval, outlines the following suggested criteria for dishing out the CCL berths, as confirmed by the USSF on Thursday:

1) MLS Cup winner 2) Supporters' Shield winner (team with best regular-season record) 3) Other MLS regular-season conference winner that is not the Shield winner 4) US Open Cup winner

The only difference from the current set-up? Instead of the MLS Cup runner-up earning a CCL spot, that ticket would instead go to the other regular-season conference leader that is not the Supporters' Shield winner, making the the top spot in each conference more valuable.

If a single MLS team occupies more than one of the slots, or a Canadian team captures one of the above titles (Canada has one CCL berth awarded to the Canadian Championship winner), the CCL berth would go to the next best US-based MLS team based on regular-season record.

The plan is now pending the CONCACAF executive committee stamp of approval on Dec. 13, when the regional soccer body will also determine whether the new criteria take effect with the 2014-15 or the 2015-16 edition.

The winner of the CONCACAF Champions League advances to the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup which takes place every December.

Mexican club Monterrey will represent the region in Morocco this December, when they will do battle against the world's other regional champs - including Europe's Bayern Munich and South America's Atlético Mineiro - for the world title.

The knockout rounds of the 2013-14 CCL will begin in March, with three MLS clubs - the LA Galaxy, Sporting KC and San Jose - all facing Liga MX teams in the quarterfinals.

ITV wins rights to Champions League highlights

ITV has secured the TV rights to highlights of Uefa Champions League and Europa matches, weeks after losing the live rights to BT Sport.

Separately, BT Sport and Sun publisher News UK have struck a deal for the internet and mobile clip rights to highlights of Champions League and Europa League matches from 2015/16.

The three-year deal will be some consolation to ITV, which is facing losing a large proportion of its live football from 2015, programming considered extremely valuable to advertisers for which the broadcaster charges a premium for TV ad space.

"We are happy to have secured these highlights packages and to be able to bring them to a significant free-to-air viewership," said the ITV director of sport, Niall Sloane.

ITV said that it also has the rights to extensive highlights that it will show on ITV.com and via mobile.

The broadcaster is also set to lose the TV deal for the FA Cup, for which it holds the rights until the end of the 2013/14 season, which will be taken over by the BBC and BT Sport in a four-year deal.

The broadcaster retains the rights to England's international World Cup and European Championship qualifying matches and friendlies until 2018.

Under the terms of the three-year digital highlights deal BT and News UK - which also publishes the Times and Sunday Times - will have the rights to show highlights clips of 146 Champions League and 205 Europa League matches on mobile, tablet, laptop, desktop as well as apps.

Earlier this month BT paid almost £900m for the live TV rights to Champions League and Europa League matches, at the expense of BSky and ITV.

"BT Sport has already pledged to make UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League action far more accessible and affordable for customers," said the chief executive of BT Consumer, John Petter. "The addition of clips rights means that fans need not worry about missing any of the vital moments from matches."

News UK said that its deal, for an undisclosed sum, covers rights in the UK and Ireland.

The News UK chief executive, Mike Darcey, said that the deal with UEFA was "groundbreaking" and "proved that our renowned news brands are the only choice for sports fans in the digital era".

From next Wednesday subscribers to the Sun's £2-a-week digital service will also be able to catch action from the Scottish Premiership.

In January News UK paid more than £30m in a three-year deal to show Premier League football highlights on mobile devices and the internet.

News UK also has a four-year deal for the FA Cup running from the 2014/15 season, which will allow it to provide clips of goals to online and mobile users immediately after they are scored.

ITV holds the digital rights for this season's tournament but News UK is in negotiations to take over the last year of the broadcaster's contract.

* To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".

* To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on and .

Champions League: ITV retains rights to European highlights

Last updated at 17:47 GMT

Television highlights of the Champions League and Europa League will remain on ITV after the broadcaster secured a three-year deal to run from 2015.

News UK, owner of the Times and Sun newspapers, will share internet and mobile clip rights with BT Sport.

ITV learned this month that it will lose the live rights to both competitions in two years' time.

BT Sport won them in an exclusive £897m three-year deal, announced on 9 November, and set to run from 2015.

The pay-TV broadcaster - which has pledged to show some matches free-to-air, including the final - will be able to show live all 350 European fixtures per season.

ITV, which has been the free-to-air broadcaster of the Champions League since its inception in 1992, currently shares live rights to the competition with Sky Sports. It shares Europa League live rights with BT Sport and ESPN.

Under the new television deal, Sky will be unable to show the Champions League for the first time since 2003.

The contract for mobile and internet clip rights, like the television deals, will run for three years from 2015. It will allow the Sun, the Times and the Sunday Times to show action from the competition on its digital platforms.

Champions League Transport You to 'Ebiza' on Paradise

Latest single from Parisian duo is Balearic almost down to its title A place where we could go: Champions League

Champions League are ready for your "League of Their Own" profile headlines. The Paris pair has shared only a handful of tracks, but each has demonstrated a knack for gleaming, tropical-temperature electronic pop, beginning with Saint Etienne-descended city-repper "Paris Is Our Playground" but continuing through the luxuriant yearning of "If You Needed Reassurance" and Vini Reilly-crystalline guitar patterns of "My Dears." Latest offering "Ebiza" works in a similar zone, but it's the duo's most ecstatic (and "ecstatic") song yet - the title might appear to suggest the new Ibiza is virtual, but then, no, "We rollin' on e's, baby, Ebiza." The "e" might also stand for Swedish pop savants the Embassy, whose strummy sample confections Champions League kick further downfield here. Dancing with molly, this is their League - this is their rules. And they can't stop.

Kolo Toure: Liverpool's target is to win the Champions League

Kolo reveals that the club's ultimate aim is not only to get back into the Champions League, but to bring the trophy back to Liverpool

Bring it back: Kolo Toure says Liverpool are targeting another Champions League trophy

Liverpool defender Kolo Toure has outlined Liverpool's plans to win the Champions League title.

The club have not qualified for the competition since 2009, and Toure says that Liverpool's target is not only to qualify for the Champions League, but to once again bring back the trophy to Merseyside.

He also claims that he chose to move to Liverpool because of their European potential, to help him overcome the heartbreak on narrowly missing out on winning the trophy when he was at Arsenal.

In an interview conducted by LiverpoolFC.com and beamed live around the world via a Google Hangout, Kolo said:

"That's why I came to Liverpool, I knew I would have the chance to play the Champions League again.

"We have started well in our target to go as far as we can and then try and win this trophy. The Champions League is an amazing tournament to play in, and to be able to play that again with Liverpool will be fantastic.

"Honestly, for me, I played a final with Arsenal against Barcelona, I was 15 mins from the title, we were wining 1-0 but we lost 2-1. It was tough, it was difficult."

Kolo Toure was brought into the Liverpool setup as a replacement for club legend Jamie Carragher, who retired at the end of last season.

The Ivorian, who recently helped seal his country's place at the World Cup with a win over Senegal, paid tribute to Carragher:

"I spoke to the manager [when I joined Liverpool], he knew what I was capable of doing, but I said 'Jamie is Jamie, nobody can be like Jamie', but I just came here and tried to bring what I could bring.

"When you join the club you are part of it, you join something special.

"You come and you see the fans singing before the game, this football club is a special football club."

Recently Published

The Ivory Coast centre-back is chatting to fans and you can see what he has to say on the Reds' season here

Previous Articles

The former Liverpool midfielder was rumoured to be interested in joining his old club, but has now signed a contract extension at the Bernabeu

See more stories you'll love

You've turned off story recommendations. Turn them on and we'll update the list below with stories we think you'll love ( how we do this).

Recommended in Sport Why? Football tickets Most Read in Sport

See more stories you'll love

You've turned off story recommendations. Turn them on and we'll update the list below with stories we think you'll love ( how we do this).

Recommended on the Mirror Why?

Arsenal could face Napoli behind closed doors in Champions League

Arsenal expect to learn on either Thursday or Friday whether the potentially decisive Champions League group tie against Napoli at the Stadio San Paolo will be played behind closed doors.

Uefa have almost concluded their investigation into the crowd trouble that marred Napoli's home win against Marseille two weeks ago and the fear in Naples is that the governing body will make an example of them and impose a ban on all supporters for the final Group F fixture against Arsenal on 11 December.

Arsenal do not expect Uefa to order the exclusion of fans and are pressing ahead with their usual plans to look after the supporters who want to travel.

Napoli's 3-2 win over Marseille put them joint top of the group with Arsenal but there was fighting between rival fans outside the San Paolo. Ten people were injured and riot police had to intervene. Flares were set off inside the stadium and there were complaints about Napoli's organisation of the event.

The San Paolo creates one of the most passionate atmospheres in European football and Napoli would not want to be without their fans for a tie that could hold the key to their qualification. Before Arsenal's visit, the Italian club travel to Dortmund to play Borussia on Tuesday of next week. Arsenal face Marseille at home on the same evening. Dortmund sit three points behind Arsenal and Napoli.

Wojciech Szczesny, meanwhile, is confident that Arsenal's current squad is strong enough to extend their excellent start to the Premier League campaign and challenge for the title without further significant strengthening during the January transfer window.

The London club's defeat at Manchester United just before the international window trimmed their lead at the top to two points ahead of the visit of third-placed Southampton to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. That loss was only a second in 11 games this term, and a fifth in 30 matches over the calendar year, with the team's new-found consistency cause for future optimism.

Arsenal have clearly benefited this term from the club record £42.5m arrival of Mesut Özil from Real Madrid, with Arsène Wenger expected to add further to his options in January to maintain the club's challenge.

The Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler, a long-standing target, has indicated he would not be willing to move mid-season but the London club are expected to pursue a forward to compete with Olivier Giroud, and interest is retained in Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.

"I wouldn't say we have proved anyone wrong and passed all the tests, and I can't say that until we get our hands on a trophy in May," Szczesny said. "But what is important is what we believe in, and we believe that we are good enough with the players we have got and the work we are doing to win the Premier League.

"We have shown that to people over the last six months or so. We know that if we just carry on doing the same thing, we will show people that this team and these players are good enough to win a trophy without any extra additions or the extra work people are talking about. We certainly believe we can do it.

"It's been almost 12 months really because it is not only this season we've been doing well. It was the last two or three months of last season, where we went unbeaten for a few games [they lost once in 16 league games].

"We are confident that we see the quality is there and we know that, when we play at our very best and do it consistently well, we can beat anyone, basically. A couple of years ago there was a case of not being consistent enough, individually or as a team, but now you can see that whoever comes into the team does a fantastic job. It seems to be bringing results. If we are at our best we will win a trophy."

Southampton, unbeaten in eight league games stretching back to August and a side who have already won at Liverpool and drawn at Old Trafford, will provide a stern test of those credentials at the Emirates with their trio of England players - Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez - all expected to feature.

"But we have to make sure we keep our form going and not just rest on our laurels and think we've done it now," added Szczesny. "We need to make sure we continue doing what we have been doing recently and keep getting the results."

Champions League Group Stage Statistical Report 2013/14

The Champions League group stages are well under way as we edge closer to the business end of the tournament-the knockout rounds-and some teams are building up momentum.

Bayern Munich have been rampant, as have Atletico Madrid and their city neighbours, Real. It's been a season of change for many clubs in Europe this season, including Manchester City, Bayern and Paris Saint-German. Improvement in performances and style of play have seen all three easily progress through their opening four matches, collecting 31 points between them.

PSG have gone under a huge reconstruction, and their new style of play shows. The Parisians have completed 2700 passes in the Champions League so far, more than anyone else. Bayern Munich, who have also changed their style of play under Pep Guardiola, are ranked second with 2633.

Thiago Motta holds the highest number of completed passes in the tournament so far, having completed 460 passes at an accuracy of 91 percent. To prove how much PSG have changed, we only have to compare last season to this.

On average last season, PSG completed 329 passes per game, but this season under Laurent Blanc, they average an astonishing 675 completed passes. A huge change in playing style.

The French champions have also been the most clinical team in front of goal, converting 31 percent of their chances so far. Blanc has transformed PSG, turning them into a real challenger for Europe's biggest prize this season.

squawka.com/teams/juventus/stats

While PSG have been the most efficient, Juventus, the Italian champions, are the complete opposite. Juve have created the second-most chances in the tournament so far (65), only Bayern have created more (79). Despite their creativity, the Italians have a chance conversion rate of 9 percent having scored just six goals.

Carlos Tevez is the club's top scorer domestically with six goals, but the Argentine is yet to score in Europe this season. In fact, Tevez has not scored in European competition since leaving Manchester United in 2009.

Juve are clearly struggling in front of goal and it may be down to the fact that their main man is not scoring enough. The Italians are certainly creating enough chances; they need to be more clinical if they're to advance from the group.

Another side, like PSG and Bayern, who have changed things around are Man City. Under Roberto Mancini, City failed to make it out of the group stages on each occasion but, under Manuel Pellegrini, they have achieved it first time around. This is thanks mainly to the form of Sergio Aguero, but their away form has improved dramatically.

They have already outscored both previous European campaigns, scoring 11 this season, four more than 11/12 and two more than last season. They've done that in two games fewer.

And before this season, City had picked up one win on the road in the Champions League; this time around, they've grabbed six points.

Domestically, City have collected four points away from home, but in Europe they have a 100 percent record. This, clearly, is the key to their success in the group stages so far. The Etihad has always been a difficult place for teams to go but it is their away form that he seen them advance from the group with two games remaining.

Moving onto the "Group of Death" now, where three teams ( Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli) are all locked on nine points from their four matches. Nothing has separated them so far, and the group is set to go down to the wire.

One team from the trio could actually fail to make the knockout stages of the competition but finish on 12 points, a figure good enough to win most groups. It is so tight that just 22 goals have been scored which is the average amount of goals in any other group this season.

Marseille, who sit bottom of Group F, have been the team involved in the most entertaining matches, though. In their four matches, 14 goals have been scored. It has been quite a dogged group thus far with Marseille's Andre Ayew receiving the most fouls in the tournament, having been fouled 16 times.

Arsenal have not been very creative so far but have been clinical. They've had to fight their way through matches and the fact that Bacary Sagna has won more headed duels (16) than Robert Lewandowski (15) would back that point up.

Sliding back over to Bayern and Man City's group, though, to find the worst team in the competition is needed.

Viktoria Plzen have been shambolic, conceding 12 goals and scoring just two. They're averaging three goals conceded per game which is the worst in the tournament, alongside CSKA Moscow, the fourth side in the group. Their minus-12 goal difference is, predictably, the worst in the Champions League this season and it looks set to get even worse.

Plzen's duels aren't easy on the eye, either. They've won just eight aerial duels in their own penalty area; only Ajax and Copenhagen have won fewer. If Plzen do return to the Champions League next season, they'll be praying for an easier group and will be hoping things don't go as badly as this season.

That sums up the quarterly report of the 2013/14 Champions League season. PSG and Bayern Munich are passing teams into submission, while the Parisians are deadly in front of goal-Zlatan Ibrahimovic has seven goals in just four matches.

Atletico Madrid have impressed, too, but Juventus have been completely disappointing. If they do not start converting chances in their next game they will face elimination and humiliation. It is not a difficult group, on paper, so they should be doing much better than sitting bottom without a win.

The competition is well under way, but there is still so much more to come.

Bergara upbeat for Champions League

Real Sociedad midfielder Markel Bergara claims he is upbeat about his team's Champions League prospects, even if it means qualifying through La Liga again.

Jagoba Arrasate's men earned their first group point when holding Manchester United to a goalless draw two weeks ago but remain bottom and four points adrift of third-placed Shakhtar Donetsk.

However, the San Sebastian outfit can keep their faint hopes alive if they beat the Ukrainians next Wednesday and United overcome Bayer Leverkusen in the other game.

"We know we must win both games in the Champions League and that's what we'll be trying to do, because we have a squad capable of being in Europe," the 27-year-old told a Press conference.

"Years like the last one only come round once in a while, although we must think that if we've done it once then we can do it again. Nor do I see any other team fighting for the same objectives that is superior to us.

"Even so, we are involved in three competitions and must give them all the same importance. In La Liga we must take things game by game, knowing we have to get as many points as we can to fight for Europe.

"In the Copa del Rey we have the same hopes and are aware that the game against Algeciras is a potential banana skin. We must fight to the death or we'll get nothing."

Bergara believes the international break has arrived at a good time for the La Real players to recharge their batteries, particularly after playing seven games in 20 days, while he feels home form can be crucial in the coming weeks.

"The rest will be good for us and give everyone time to think about things, but this Saturday we'll be starting another marathon.

"In the last few years we've been very good at Anoeta and are getting points there this season. To achieve our aims we have to be very strong at home and take the points from games like Celta this weekend.

"We are coming off a break, so there is no excuse, but they will also want to win so we'll see what happens," he added.

Play and compete for prizes in the world's most entertaining Fantasy Football Game. Select your favourite players from Europe's top 5 leagues, including Messi, Ronaldo, David Silva and Pepe Reina.

Champions League boost for Arsenal as Borussia Dortmund confirm defensive ...

The German club are reportedly fuming after Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer were injured on international duty

Out: Schmelzer and Hummels' injuries mean Dortmund are missing their first-choice back four for two crucial games this week

Arsenal's chances of qualifying for the knockout phase of the Champions League have received a boost in the shape of a Dortmund injury crisis.

Jurgen Klopp's men have been rocked by a broken foot for Mats Hummels that will see him out for the rest of the year, as well as a calf strain that looks set to rule out Marcel Schmelzer for three weeks.

This could have grave implications for their Champions League push, with just two games remaining in their three-way battle with Arsenal and Napoli.

Moreover, they now have to negotiate a massive Bundesliga game with Bayern Munich this weekend without ANY of their first-choice back four.

Right-back Lukasz Piszczek has not played since May, while central defender Neven Subotic is out for six months with a knee ligament injury.

Dortmund host Napoli next Tuesday knowing a win is vital to revive their hopes of qualifying for the last 16.

Lure of Champions League sold Holmbert Fridjonsson on Celtic move

Holmbert Fridjonsson can't wait for a taste of Champions League action with Celtic.STV

New Celtic signing Holmbert Fridjonsson says the lure of the Champions League is just one of the factors that helped to convince him to join the Scottish champions.

The Icelandic forward will join in January after formally completing his £100,000 move from Fram Reykjavik.

Speaking exclusively to STV, Fridjonsson said competing in Europe's premier club competition played a part in his decision: "Yeah of course [Champions league football is important].

"Celtic is a big club and when they come in it is hard to say no.

"I was buzzing [when I heard about Celtic's interest]. It was just brilliant. I had an offer from Holland but I thought Celtic was a much better choice."

An Under-21 international, Fridjonsson scored 12 goals in 23 appearances for his club in the 2013 season and will talk at a media conference on Wednesday.

His representative, Olafur Gardarsson, spoke to STV on Tuesday, about the player's possible impact in Glasgow.

"He is a striker that scores goals," said Gardarsson. "I think he is a very promising player, to say the least.

"He is very delighted. He went on trial with a club in Holland and he liked it there. But he liked it here. He felt very welcome and he obviously was liked by [Neil] Lennon, so he is very pleased.

"He is confident. He knows he has to work hard and the season in Iceland was over two months ago. So he is not match fit. He knows he has to work hard and it is not easy to walk into a club like Celtic. But he will do his best."

Related articles

BT ready for more 'eye

BT Sport is ready to invest more "eye-watering sums" and has its eye on the next Premier League TV rights, BT TV's chief executive, Marc Watson, has warned.

Watson said the £897m splashed out by the telecommunications giant on 2015-18 Champions League rights was "worth every penny" despite Sky's claims BT had paid over the odds.

He insisted there is room for BT and Sky in the marketplace but said his company was willing to spend even more on sports rights to cement its position.

Watson even suggested Fifa is welcome in his office any time if it wants to explore an alternative to the BBC and ITV for the World Cup on free-to-air television.

Watson, speaking at the UnitedCity sports summit in Manchester, said: "We have been able to afford some pretty eye-watering sums because it drives a position in a big and lucrative market, and we are in a position to invest more.

"I know that some have questioned how much we have paid for football rights, especially in the last couple of weeks, but the truth is that money makes a difference in a highly competitive market and we only pay what we think the rights are genuinely worth to us and we hope that's enough to win it.

"The losers always say the winners have overpaid but we know we wouldn't have won it for less, and what we have got with the Champions League are some of the best matches on the planet and they are worth every penny.

"It is too early to say what we will do in terms of the next Premier League rights. We are a big business and we generate a lot of free cashflow, and if we think this is working for us and we see something that drives the business forward then we are in a position to invest."

Watson said BT had experienced a surge in the number of broadband subscribers and regards the expansion of super-fast, fibre-optic broadband as the key to people changing TV viewing habits.

He tried to downplay the rivalry with Sky, however, insisting there was room for two - but perhaps not three - major live sports broadcasters in a market where "football is king".

David Kerr, the managing director of British Eurosport, had referred to the next Premier League rights battle as "a seismic clash, almost a do-or-die situation".

However, Watson said: "We don't have to steal Sky's share in the market to thrive. The market is definitely big enough for two.

"At the moment we put ourselves as being a strong second in the market and we are comfortable with that. I believe there is room for two strong sports broadcasters in the UK market."

In terms of the World Cup, under British law the finals have to be available on free-to-air television. That would be possible on BT's platforms though Watson admitted it is difficult to see beyond the BBC and ITV.

He added: "They [Fifa] are welcome in my office any time. We will look at all opportunities but I think getting the World Cup off BBC and ITV would be a challenge."

Mathieu Flamini cites Champions League final loss as reason for Arsenal return

The Frenchman, who was part of the side that lost against Barcelona in Paris, re-joined the club on a free in the summer after being released by AC Milan.

And he admits his desire to reach the Champions League final again with Arsenal prompted his decision to return to north London.

"That's totally what I'm thinking," Flamini told arsenal.com

"Of course I've got great memories here but I also have some regrets. Going to a Champions League Final, especially in Paris, and losing it is something you never forget.

"It's something you keep in the back of your head and something you want to fight to forget. The only solution is to replace it maybe one day with a title or coming back to the final.

"I came back here because I really had the feeling that I had unfinished business with Arsenal. I'm here because I really want to win titles.

"I'm very motivated and I know this club's ambitions are very high from everyone - players, management, the team and the fans. Now it's in our hands."

The 29-year-old also dropped a clear hint that he may finish his career with the Gunners.

He added: "I'm really happy here, so why not? It's a very important club for me. I really see myself here for a long time. In football, everything is possible.

"For now, I'm focused on the present and on the short term. With the short future, I'm talking about this season because we have big ambitions and we really want to do very well here."