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Manchester United and Arsenal close in on next round

Hamburg - Premiership sides Arsenal and Manchester United could on Wednesday make sure of advancing to the knock-out stages of the Champions League with victories in their group phase matches.



 

 

 United, who drew with Arsenal in a top of the table Premiership clash on the weekend, have nine points from their three matches in Group F and welcome Dynamo Kiev to Old Trafford.

 A victory will see them through to the next stage, irrespective of the outcome of the game between second-placed Sporting Lisbon and Roma.

 Veteran Welsh international Ryan Giggs is keen to see his side through to allow them to focus on their Premiership campaign.

 "We've got to finish the job off as quickly as we can," Giggs told Manchester United radio.

 "Then, come the Roma and Lisbon games, the manager can give players who haven't played some time on the pitch and that could become important for the Premiership."

   "All teams in Europe have dangerous players and Kiev have experience, but if we apply ourselves and play like we did in Kiev, we should be OK."

   Kiev will be coached by former Arsenal defender Oleg Luzhny, who has taken over from head coach Jozsef Szabo, who only took over the coaching in September, but has now stepped down because of a heart condition.

 In Group H Arsenal face a difficult away task at Slavia Prague. The Gunners, who have won their three matches thus far, would also advance with a victory.

 Their French coach Arsene Wenger has decided that he will stick with goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, who was criticised for Manchester United's second goal in the 2-2 draw.

 "I believe in sticking with one goalkeeper," Wenger told the Arsenal website. "You cannot tell him: 'No matter how many mistakes you make, you'll always be my goalkeeper.' But you have to give him at least two games."

   Wenger said that he would not bring back German international Jens Lehmann at the moment. "Lehmann was injured and Almunia has done extremely well since then for 10 games on the trot. I didn't want to disturb the side and until now, he has done very well."

   The other match in the group sees Sevilla - who on Saturday beat Real Madrid 2-0 - away to Steaua Bucharest.

 Sevilla have serious injury problems with Javi Navarro and Jose Luis Marti all missing.

 Sevilla boss Manolo Jimenez is considering resting Luis Fabiano or Frederic Kanoute, bringing in Aleksandr Kherzhakov or Javier Chevanton.

 Kherzhakov has been moaning recently about his lack of opportunities, and has even threatened to return to Russia.

 The top game on Wednesday sees Barcelona at home to Glasgow Rangers in Group E.

 The two sides top the group with seven points from their three matches, while Olympique Lyon, who are at home to VfB Stuttgart, have three points.

 Barcelona have won all of their home matches so far, in La Liga and in Europe. Coach Frank Rijkaard, never an aficionado of "rotations" is unlikely to change the team that thrashed Betis 3-0 on Sunday.

 This means that Ronaldinho, who scored two on Sunday, will have another chance to reclaim his status as Camp Nou idol, whilst Thierry Henry will have another chance to prove to the faithful that he is running into form.

 Rangers though, arrive in Barcelona full of confidence, having played to a goalless draw with the La Liga side in Glasgow.

 Forward Kris Boyd, who did not play in the first game, scored for Rangers in their 2-0 victory against Inverness on the weekend and is hoping that coach Walter Smith will give him a run in the Nou Camp.

 Boyd believes that Rangers can return to Scotland with another draw - a result that would ensure them of qualifying at least for the UEFA Cup if Stuttgart fail to beat Lyon. A victory for either side would see them advance.

 "We are looking forward to the game. We got a draw against Barca at Ibrox and hopefully we can go to the Nou Camp and get something there as well.

 "It will be a totally different match but it will still be a case of 11 players against 11 players. We would have bitten somebody's hand off if you had given us the kind of start we have had before the campaign began.

 "We are close to qualifying but we aren't there yet. We are not through but hopefully we can go to Barcelona and close out the group."

   Group G remains wide open, with just two points separating top- placed Inter Milan from third-placed PSV Eindhoven.

 The Dutch side are away to Fenerbahce, who are second in the group on five points, one more than PSV, but one less than Inter. Eindhoven travel to Istanbul with stand-in coach Jan Wouters, who took over after Ronald Koeman joined Valencia.

 Wouters will be without injured Ibrahim Afellay and Eric Addo, who has suspended for four games after spitting at a Fenerbahce player in the first match, which ended in a draw.

 Also suspended is Inter's Argentina defender Nicolas Burdisso, who earlier this year received a six-game suspension and will serve his fourth game against CSKA Moscow.

 Inter will also be without Portuguese international Figo who is to undergo an operation on a fractured fibula, but must still count as favourites to stay top of the group with a win against the Russians.

DPA


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