DORTMUND AND MILAN LOOK TO REACH LAST 16

Tense battles loom as teams jostle for final places in the KO stage of UEFA Champions League

FGroup E

ormer UEFA Champions League champions AC Milan of Serie A and Borussia Dortmund of the Bundesliga go into their final group matches needing a result in their respective games to ensure they continue their campaign for the trophy in the New Year.

Schalke and Basel really have everything to play for in a decisive outing for the German and Swiss sides. Basel is on eight points, one behind already-qualified Chelsea and one ahead of Schalke, meaning it could still finish atop the group should it win and Chelsea be held to a draw or lose. Schalke has to go for the victory to ensure it edges the Swiss out of the second qualifying spot in the group. One bad omen for Basel is that the last time it traveled to face German opposition it suffered a 7-0 hammering at the hands of Bayern Munich in the 2012 round of 16 second leg.

Chelsea has already qualified for the knockout stages, but still needs to beat the Romanians to guarantee pole position in Group E. Beaten 3-2 by Stoke in English Premier League action at the weekend, the west London side has now conceded six goals in its past two games. Coach Jose Mourinho reacted by giving his players a rare day off after the Stoke defeat, saying it would be “good for their heads”. Steaua is yet to register a victory in Group E, having notched up three draws and two defeats in its five games. In fact, the Romanians last won in Champions League action way back in September 2006, against Dynamo Kiev, a 22-game winless streak equaling that of Spartak Moscow (December 2000-November 2006).

Group G

The Austrian outfit will be bidding to bow out of the group stage with a face-saving first win. However, the Russian side is sure to go for the victory that would ensure it progresses even if Porto beats group winner Atletico Madrid in Spain. The host, though, is far from a sure bet at home, losing three European matches in a row – already an unwanted team record. Zenit, which despite being down to 10 men drew 0-0 in the home clash with Austria Vienna, is effective away from home and has won three of its four away games in this season’s competition. Zenit’s Belgian centerback Nicolas Lombaerts told uefa. com he believes the Russians are yet to show their best form. “We are motivated because we did not manage to qualify last season. I think we gave it away, we gave away points,” he said. “It is in our own hands now. It would be a shame if we give it away again. We have to give 100 percent for one more game and then we should be able to achieve it.”

The Spanish side has sailed serenely through qualifying and is guaranteed top spot even before hosting former champion Porto. In a delightful twist of fate Atletico can consign Porto to the Europa League just as the Portuguese side did to it in the 2008-09 campaign and the 2009-10 season to boot. Atletico beat Porto 2-1 in Portugal in their first meeting this season and is likely to repeat the dose again and confirm its status as a danger to the more established sides for the trophy.