THE NATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2011
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NATION SPORT
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE...UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE...
Mancini confident of Villarreal double
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ITH four points from City’s opening three matches, Roberto Mancini thinks that just five more from the next three could be enough to secure progress in the Champions League. Group A has been every bit as hard as many predicted and it gets no easier, even with Villarreal missing former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi, who will be absent for six months with a knee injury. Juan Carlos Garrido’s team mocked their status as the group’s also-rans with a sound performance at the Etihad Stadium and Mancini has previous experience of their ability to laugh at the odds, having seen his Inter side dumped out of the Champions League quarter-finals by them five years ago. Mancini has also noted the fact that United have been held to goalless draws in their two trips to El Madrigal in recent years but a positive result is essential before closing the group with a trip to Napoli and a home game against Bayern Munich. “We go for a win but Villarreal is a difficult place to go,” he said. “I played there with Inter and we lost and United have played there many times and I don’t think they have won there. “I am very sorry for Rossi but
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AYERN Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has indicated that Napoli must not be taken lightly in Wednesday’s Champions League contest. “We respect Napoli, who have a very lively squad, capable of causing us problems,” Rummenigge told Sky Sport Italia. “We should be focused and we know it will not be easy to play against them, we want to win to get closer to the Round of 16.” The Bundesliga leaders maintained their place at the top of the Champions League Group A with a 1-1 draw at the Stadio San Paolo earlier in the month.
Playing at the Allianz Arena is expected to give Bayern Munich a slight advantage on Wednesday, but the club’s chief has told his players to be fully alert against the in-form Serie A side. “At the San Paolo, Napoli gave us a hard time, they are not an opponent to underestimate,” he concluded. Bayern Munich heads into Wednesday’s game on the back of a 4-0 trouncing of Nurnberg. The Bavarian giants’ supremo said that the Italian side will not be easy opponents and advised the players to be alert from the first whistle on Wednesday in the Champions League
Quartet set to miss City clash
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•Samir Nasri of Manchester City tussles for posession with Cani of Villareal during the UEFA Champions League Group A match I think Villarreal remain a top team. When we started the season we wanted to improve on last year and if it’s possible,
we want to go to the second stage of the Champions League. “We are more confident
because we did well in the last 10 days, played three or four games very well. We still want 10 points but nine may be enough.”
AVB: We don’t need Euro escape NDRE Villas-Boas insists Chelsea do not ‘need a break’ from the UK in order to bounce
Rummenigge: Bayern must not underestimate Napoli
back from their nightmare week. The Blues make the Champions League trip to Genk for their next Group E
•Villas-Boas
encounter tonight. The last seven days have seen the Blues under siege, with Saturday’s 5-3 Premier League defeat to Arsenal adding to their humiliating loss at QPR, three more red cards, the John Terry racism allegations, two - potentially three - Football Association fines and a supporter revolt over their stadium plans. Away from much of the glare of the past week, although a Champions League game ensures they will still remain somewhat in the spotlight. But Villas-Boas denied suggestions a midweek getaway would do his side good amid the club’s most turbulent period since he took charge this summer. “No, I don’t think so, it’s nothing to do with it,” he said. Beating Genk could see
Chelsea qualify for the Champions League knockout stages with two Group E games to spare, providing Valencia do not defeat Bayer Leverkusen in tonight’s other match. A draw in the latter game could be the ideal result for Villas-Boas’ men, who travel to Leverkusen in their penultimate match for what could be a group decider. “We can get in a very, very good position if we can win our game, of course waiting to see what happens in Valencia-Leverkusen,” Villas-Boas added. “But we also have a chance of qualifying if Leverkusen win. “We have to find winning ways straight away in the next competition and then again, when we meet in the Premier League, find the winning ways.”
I L L A R R E A L midfielder Cani will miss Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Manchester City and is set to be sidelined for around six weeks after suffering a sprained right knee. He suffered the injury during Saturday night’s game with Rayo Vallecano, the Primera Division club have confirmed, and team-mates Marco Ruben, Javier Camunas and Marcos Senna may also be forced out of the clash with Roberto Mancini’s Premier League leaders. Argentina striker Ruben was forced out of the action just after half-time with an adductor injury, making him a doubt for next weekend’s league game with Espanyol, according to the Villarreal website. Meanwhile, Camunas, who replaced Cani, may not feature in the City match because of a lower leg injury, and veteran midfielder Senna will be rested for the next week as a precaution after feeling a twinge in his hamstring against Rayo. Villarreal are hoping that Senna will be able to use the upcoming international
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not counting on the Spaniard for the game. “Javi will not have enough time to recover, I am almost sure,” the coach told the press after the victory against Olhanense. The 57-year-old then praised Nemanja Matic, who will deputise in midfield, saying: “Matic and Rodrigo were the players who were at a higher level against Olhanense. “Matic was the man of the match.”
•Cani
Ballack in doubt for Valencia
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ICHAEL Ballack could be doubtful for Bayer Leverkusen’s visit to Champions League Group E opponents Valencia after fracturing a bone in his nose during the 1-0 Bundesliga win over rock-bottom Freiburg on Friday. Ballack scored the only goal of the game after just two
Garcia out of Benfica´s home clash with Basel ENFICA coach Jorge Jesus has revealed that Javi Garcia will take no part in Wednesday’s Champions League match against Basel. The former Spain Under-21 international hurt his right leg in a practice session earlier in the week and was forced to sit out Saturday’s 2-1 league victory against Olhanense. It was expected that Garcia would recover in time for the match against the Swiss side, but Jorge Jesus indicated he is
break to get back to full fitness. The latest injuries add to the headache facing Villarreal coach Juan Carlos Garrido, who was already missing star strikers Giuseppe Rossi and Nilmar. Rossi will be out of action for around six months after suffering a serious knee injury against Real Madrid in midweek, while Nilmar is still on the comeback trail after undergoing an operation to remove a knee cyst at the start of the month.
minutes to boost his side’s flagging league campaign, only to be forced off in the 65th minute after a clash with Freiburg’s Jan Rosenthal. The injury has placed doubt over the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich star’s participation in today’s clash at the Mestalla Stadium, where the hosts will be looking to claw back their current deficit. At the group’s halfway stage Chelsea sit top on seven points, with Leverkusen second on six and Valencia third on two. Belgian side Genk sit bottom with a point.
FIXTURES •Ballack
Tuesday St Petersburg v Shakhtar Donetsk BATE v AC Milan Plzen v Barcelona Apoel Nicosia v FC Porto Arsenal v Marseille Borussia Dortmund v Olympiacos Valencia v Bayer Leverkusen Genk v Chelsea Wednesday Lyon v Real Madrid Ajax v Dinamo Zagreb Man Utd v Otelul Galati Benfica v Basle Trabzonspor v CSKA Moscow Inter Milan v Lille Bayern Munich v Napoli Villarreal v Man City