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On Wednesday, the UEFA Champions League group stage continues. This evening, the strongest European teams will continue to seek victories and move closer to securing a spot in the round of 16.
Yesterday, matches from groups A-D were played in the tournament, and today eight more matches will be played in the Old Continent, where the leaders of groups E-H do not intend to drop points.
"Barcelona" – "Milan" As usual, both clubs met in the previous match where no winner was decided. The referee recorded a draw at the "San Siro" stadium. The match was closely contested and this result is probably the most fitting, but the Catalans promise to "stoke the fire" for the team from the fashion capital at the "Camp Nou" stadium.
In the last group of the tournament, there is still nothing clear, although Gerardo Martino's players have a 2-point advantage over the nearest competitors. "Milan" is currently in second place, with Glasgow Celtic (3 points) closing in on them. Amsterdam's Ajax has only managed to secure one point in the three matches played and remains at the bottom.
"Barcelona" is in excellent sports form this season. In their last five matches, they have secured three wins and played two draws, while Massimiliano Allegri's team has celebrated just one victory, suffered two losses, and played two draws.
"Chelsea" from London – "Schalke" from Gelsenkirchen The support of their fans and the stadium did not help the German club in their last match, where they suffered a 0-3 defeat to the "Blues". Fernando Torres, unstoppable among the winners, scored two goals, but the Spaniard will not be available at Stamford Bridge due to injury.
In Group E, it seems that there is also no clear favorite. Both of these teams have 6 points each. They are followed by "Basel" (4 points), while Bucharest's Steaua almost has no chance left. Without a doubt, the main contenders to advance to the next stage are "Schalke" and "Chelsea."
"The Aristocrats," until the weekend, showcased excellent sports form in the English Premier League matches, but they were defeated 2-0 by Newcastle, led by Jose Mourinho, thus halting their winning streak. Meanwhile, the team from Gelsenkirchen suffered two losses in the last five matches and won three.
"Borussia Dortmund" – "Arsenal" from London Probably many chose this pair as the most interesting among all eight Champions League matches. Today, this match also should receive the most attention. "Borussia" triumphed last time at the "Emirates" stadium with a minimal margin, as Robert Lewandowski scored the winning goal.
This group is called the "Group of Death" as it features two other similar strength teams. "Arsenal," "Borussia," and "Napoli" – clubs with 6 points each as they continue to fight for a spot in the round of 16. A victory for any of them will mean a significant step towards securing the first place.
The results of Arsene Wenger's and Jurgen Klopp's teams are very similar. In the last five matches, the "Gunners" secured four victories and suffered one defeat, while "Die Schwarzgelben" have one less win but two losses, both at their home ground. R.Lewandowski could once again cause trouble for the Arsenal goalkeeper.
"Napoli" – "Marseille" The strengthened "Napoli" eleven defeated "Marseille" by a minimal margin two weeks ago in the Champions League. The French team played at home, but that did not help them secure a victory or any points in the group.
As mentioned earlier, the team from Naples, along with "Arsenal" and "Borussia" in Group F, has 6 points each, while "Les Phoceens" failed to secure any points in three matches. Marseille almost has no chance of claiming at least the second spot, while Rafael Benitez's team will try to secure an important 3 points in Italy.
"Napoli" had a successful start to the season, and their good form continues. In the last five matches, they secured four wins and suffered a defeat to Roma. "Marseille" has been performing poorly lately, with four losses and one draw in the same number of matches. The leaders of the Napoli team are G.Higuain and M.Hamšik.
Other matches taking place on Wednesday: - "Zenit" St. Petersburg – "Porto" - Ajax Amsterdam – Glasgow Celtic - Atletico Madrid – Austria Vienna - "Basel" – Bucharest Steaua"
