This is an important week for some of the big teams in Europe. Below is a breakdown of the big games coming up on Tuesday. Wednesday’s matches will be previewed tomorrow. This week is the last round of the group stages in the Champions League tournament It is either now or (as Liverpool found out)… the Europa League.
Juventus vs. Bayern Munich
This is a big match. I labeled this group as a toss up back in August when I dissected the Champions League draw. What do you know? It was! Bordeaux will top the group no matter what. So Juventus and Bayern Munich are battling for the 2nd spot to continue on in the competition. The advantage is clearly with Juventus as they are at home and all they have to do is avoid defeat. A draw simply won’t do for Munich and they will be hoping that Thomas Muller can add to his two goals in the competition. Catch this match on tape delay on Fox Soccer Channel at 5:00 p.m.
VfL Wolfsburg vs. Manchester United
This is not a huge match for United in the sense that they need it to qualify. They wrapped up qualification long ago. This match is important because this will determine if they end up group winners or not. With Chelsea and Arsenal both probably going to top their groups this means United will really want to top theirs. The reason for this is because of the next stage of the competition. Teams won’t be paired with other teams from their same federation. So if they finish 2nd they automatically can only play 6 of the group winners. This leaves Real Madrid and Barcelona as potential opponents in the next round and they would have to play the 2nd leg away. So look for United to attempt to try and avoid defeat at all costs. That is made all the more difficult by their decimated back line. Michael Carrick is expected to start in the center of defense. Catch this match live on Fox Soccer Channel at 2:30 p.m.
Marseille vs. Real Madrid
Should be a routine match for Real Madrid. They only need a point to ensure qualification to the next round. The only way for Madrid to be knocked out of the competition is if they lose by a score margin bigger than the 3-0 win over Marseille they notched earlier in the campaign. The interesting thing about this match is its implications on the rest of the group. If Madrid wins then A.C. Milan are automatically through to the next round. If Marseille manages to tie the Spanish giants and AC Milan some how manages to lose then the French team is through. Madrid will be without Kaka as he is still battling a groin problem. You can catch all the action in this match on Fox Soccer Channel at 7:00 p.m.
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