Champions League: Manchester Clubs Require Victories In Tight Groups

CSKA Moscow vs. Manchester United

CSKA Moscow welcome Manchester United to the Arena Khimki on Wednesday evening, as they look to make it two consecutive wins in their Champions League Group B campaign.

CSKA Moscow began their Champions League journey with an opening day 1-0 loss away to Wolfsburg, but came back well from that and were 3-2 victors in their second match against PSV Eidenhoven.

Now, Leonid Viktorovich Slutsky’s men face the task of facing an in-form Manchester United side, who will be buoyed by their 3-0 drubbing of Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.

However, CSKA Moscow will be equally confident for the tie, as they welcome Man United on the back of an end-to-end 3-2 victory at home to Ural S.R on Saturday; a result which leaves CSKA five points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League.

Manchester United meanwhile will of course arrive in high-spirits following their 3-0 victory over Everton on Saturday; a performance which displayed much of the football Man United fans have yearned to see from Louis Van Gaal’s men, but not too often seen it.

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However, like their hosts, Man United lost their first Champions League Group B game – 2-1 away to PSV Eidenhoven – meaning it was essential they got a win on gameweek two as they took on Wolfsburg at Old Trafford, wherein they ran out 2-1 winners on the night.

Now, United sit level with CSKA Moscow, PSV Eidenhoven and indeed Wolfsburg with each team so far having accrued three points from six available. Man United will be without the services of winger Ashley Young who is out with a calf problem.

Van Gaal will be hoping Wayne Rooney can build on his goal on the weekend – his first away Premier League goal in a staggering 1550 minutes.

Playing in Russia is always a tough task, but in such a tight group, Man United cannot afford to lose this match.

A draw would be a commendable result given the circumstances, and given their newly-enforced propensity to sit tight and counter when necessary, it should be enough to provide the three-time Champions League winners with enough to secure a draw in Moscow.

Manchester City vs. Sevilla

Manchester City welcome the Europa League champions Sevilla to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, as they look to build upon their latest Champions League Group D victory – a tight 2-1 win away to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Not dissimilar to city rivals Manchester United, Manchester City sit on three points following an opening day loss and a victory in game week two, in what is shaping up as a tight and intriguing group stage.

Loss to Juventus on day one was hard to take for Manuel Pellegrini’s men, who were consummately outclassed by the 2014/15 Champions League runners-up on the day, but convincingly bounced back with a 2-1 win away to Borussia Monchengladbach on day two.

Now, City sit in 3^rd place in the group, with a solitary goal keeping them below 2^nd place Sevilla, while Juventus are 1^st with six points from a possible six available.

Injuries remain at the fore of the headaches for Pellegrini, with the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Aleksandar Kolarov still out for the foreseeable future.

Sevilla meanwhile, sit in 2^nd place in Group D with one goal keeping them ahead of Manchester City in what is a tight and already tense group.

The Europa League winners for the last two consecutive seasons begun their current Champions League journey with a 3-0 drubbing of Borussia Monchengladbach, who at the time, were really struggling under the now sacked boss Lucien Favre.

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Their second match’ however, was a 2-0 loss away to Juventus; a match with Unai Emery’s men was outclassed from start to finish.

Domestically, Sevilla have been in horrendous form as they now sit 12^th in the table on nine points after eight matches. It’s worth remembering that now only did Sevilla win the Europa League last season, but also finished up in a respectable 5^th in the table.

Sevilla have recently shown they still have the prerequisite class to beat a big team, but their form remains too erratic to provide any tangible hope of getting a result on Wednesday. A home win is the likely result here.

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