Champions League Group Stage Match Day 2

Champions League action returns with some mouth watering fixtures lined up for tonight. After a pulsating Match Day 1 of group stage where we saw plenty of action with a plethora of goals and some shocking results, action resumes in group E, F, G and H tonight.

The Big Match: Arsenal v/s Napoli
Rafael Benitez’s red hot Napoli travel to Arsene Wenger’s Premier League leaders Arsenal in tonight’s biggest fixture with both the teams knowing very well that a second win in as many matches will go a long way in deciding who survives the Group of Death (Group F) of this season’s Champions League. The other encounter of Group F is between last season’s beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund and Olympic Marseille with both teams eager to open their account after Match Day 1 defeats.

In Group E, after a disappointing home loss in the first game against FC Basel, Chelsea would like to bring their campaign right back on track when they visit Romanian champions Steaua Bucharest. In the other match of Group E, Schalke 04 travels to Switzerland to play against the dangerous FC Basel. Basel and Schalke will each be aiming to add to their winning starts in the Champions League when they meet at the St. Jacob’s Park.

In Group G, arguably the most dangerous team at this moment in Europe, Atletico Madrid are in action against the perennial darkhorse Porto in Portugal. Fresh from their memorable first league win in 14 years against their arch enemy Real Madrid, Atletico would like to continue their winning streak against Porto, who are themselves no pushovers. The other match is between Russian Zenit St. Petersburg and Champions League debutants Austria Wien. The Russian side will be hoping to continue their good run of form at home in Europe, having won five of their last six and lost just one of their last 23 at the Petrovsky Stadium in continental action.

In Group H, Barcelona will be without Lionel Messi as they seek to avoid another upset against Celtic in the Champions League on Tuesday. His absence is a major blow for the Catalans, with Messi having helped himself to a hat-trick as Barca brushed Ajax aside 4-0 in the Group H opener. Last November, Neil Lennon’s men sprung a huge shock at Celtic Park when they secured a famous 2-1 triumph over the four-time European champions. The other game is between Ajax Amsterdam and AC Milan. The two footballing giants have won the top European competition 11 times between them but, with Barcelona looking strong favourites to win Group H already, Ajax and Milan will hope to land an early blow in what could be a race for the second qualification spot.