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After the first round of the UEFA Champions League group stage, the strongest European clubs are facing the final three decisive matches.
On a late Tuesday evening, eight matches will take place. Teams from groups A-D playing in front of their own fans will have some advantage, but the visiting teams are determined to fight for victory and 3 points.
Turin's Juventus vs Madrid's Real Both clubs met in the previous match, which took place at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium, and the hosts celebrated a minimal victory of 2-1. The fight lasted for the full 90 minutes, and Juventus deserved an equalizer, but the "royal" club managed to defeat the visitors at their own turf.
This time, the battle moves to the Turin team's stadium, which can accommodate 45 thousand spectators. The three points are vital for them, as they are currently in third place (2 points), with Istanbul's Galatasaray in second. The leaders of group B are already clear - Real Madrid players (9 points).
Over the past five meetings, Juventus has secured three victories and suffered two defeats. Meanwhile, Carlo Ancelotti's proteges have celebrated four victories and once lost to Barcelona at Camp Nou.
Duo, which Juventus defenders must especially protect (AFP photo.) Plzen's Viktoria vs Munich's Bayern The first match between the German and Czech teams took place at the Allianz fortress, where the Bavarians mercilessly crushed their opponents 5-0. Among the winners were David Alaba, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Gotze, and the best European footballer Franck Ribery twice.
Viktoria is the underdog in this group, and it is doubtful if the atmosphere of their fans will help them defeat the last season's Champions League winners, who continue to demonstrate excellent form both in the German Bundesliga championship and in this tournament, where they are ahead of Manchester City in second place with three points.
The different results of the participants in group D are obvious. Guardiola's team has won four out of the last five matches and played once to a draw. Plzen has two defeats, one victory, and also played for a draw.
Over the weekend, T.Muller and F.Ribery secured a victory in Germany (AFP photo.) San Sebastian's Real Sociedad vs Manchester United On October 23, in Manchester, the victors were the "Red Devils," who managed to defeat the Basque team returning to the most prestigious tournament in Europe.
So far, there are no clear favorites in group A, but Real Sociedad hasn't resisted anyone in the three matches played and have no points. Meanwhile, Man Utd players are leading with 7 points, but Bayer Leverkusen (6 points) and Shakhtar Donetsk (4 points) are close behind.
The form of the English champions is rapidly improving, as they have secured four victories and one draw in the last games. Meanwhile, under Jagoba Arrasate, the team has celebrated three victories and played once to a draw and once lost.
W.Rooney and other Man Utd players are getting ready for the match (Reuters photo.) Manchester City vs Moscow's CSKA The last match made headlines in Europe when fans of the Moscow team racially abused Yaya Toure, but this did not stop the Premier League runners-up from securing a victory, with Sergio Aguero scoring two goals.
As mentioned, in Group C, the "cityzens" are in second place. If CSKA secures a victory in Manchester, it would be envy of the Manuel Pellegrini-led club, but their home-field advantage and the support of numerous fans should help the English vice-champions celebrate their second consecutive victory.
The last five matches have been successful for the hosts at the Etihad Stadium, where they have defeated their opponents four times and lost once to the Chelsea club in London. The Moscow team's sporting form is also rapidly improving, as they have celebrated three consecutive victories and received a draw from Zenit St. Petersburg and the same Man City players. The goal-scoring Aguero is still hungry for goals (Reuters photo.)
Other matches taking place on Tuesday: - Donetsk's Shakhtar vs Leverkusen's Bayer - Copenhagen vs Istanbul's Galatasaray - Paris Saint-Germain vs Brussels' Anderlecht - Piraeus' Olympiacos vs Lisbon's Benfica
