CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: A DECISIVE TUESDAY (article available in English and Españo)

This Tuesday the Champions League returns with some decisive games in order to see the future of many teams in this competition. Possibly the "hottest" group is the group G, because in it all the teams still have chances to play the next round of the competition and therefore we will see tense games at the Emirates Stadium (Arsenal FC-FC Dynamo Kiev), and at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium (Fenerbahçe SK-FC Porto) -at the moment the Group G is: 1-Arsenal 8 points, 2-FC Porto 6 points, 3 - FC Dynamo Kiev 4 points;-Fenerbahçe 2 points-.

If there is a completely unpredictable team at this moment, this is the Arsenal of Arsene Wenger, because it is not in its best time, since the squad continues with its problem with the injuries(we must include one more name in the list of injured players- Kolo Toure, Emmanuel , Eboue, Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo-,since the striker Theo Walcott will be out during the next 10 weeks) and besides it is “suffering” another problem, since the gunner captain William Gallas criticized the attitude and mentality of the rest of the squad, saying that they are not winner players and it will be very difficult to win a title this season(perhaps it was not correct to say this thing in the media but we agree with Gallas, because it is not understandable that these players have already lost 5 and drawn 2 Premier League´s games with 18 goals received ). Obviously these statements do not like to the rest of the squad, who are going to have a wonderful opportunity to contradict Gallas this Tuesday if they can win the determinant game against Dynamo, since if Arsenal win the game it will make sure the qualify to the next round, but if Gallas is right and they lose, be careful, because Arsenal will decide its future in the last day at the complicated stadium do Dragao in Porto. The truth is that Arsenal's game will not be easy because the Dynamo of Yuri Semin is a very solid team with good players in all their lines as the promising goalkeeper Stanislav Bogush-he arrived this season to replace the veteran and irregular Alexander Shovkovsky- or as the defensive players Badr Kaddouri-7 seasons in Dynamo- Betao and the Senegalese central defender Pape Milikou Diakhaté, or the good midfielder Tiberiu Ghioane-he is an essential player for the team, he is always in the correct place-or the destabilizing Aleksandr Aliev- excellent for the free-kick, he has a great shot!!-and the good strikers of the team: Ismael Bangoura (11 goals in 15 league´s games)-quality, speed, skill, in the correct place to score ... he is a very good striker and he can be a real threat to the Arseanl´s defence if he can play with spaces-and the young and powerful Artem Milevski (7 goals in 12 league´s games)- it seems that this year he is already beginning to show the level that he presupposed when he was young, but of course in any case he will be the new Sheva as some media said some years ago-.So, it is a good team and besides it is getting good results when it plays away from the Valeriy Lobanovskyy Stadium, since it has only suffered one league defeat- it was in the game played against Shakhtar Donezk- and in the Champions League it is unbeaten, since it drew the game played at Istanbul and it won the game played at Porto, so FC Arsenal must play at 100% to get a good result and to guarantee the qualify.

But if the game at the Emirates Stadium is uncertain, what can we say about the game between Fenerbahçe SK and FC Porto at Istanbul. We can say that it is a real final for both teams and especially for the Luis Aragones's team, because if Fenerbahçe wants to keep some options to play the next round of the Champions League, there is only a result, the victory. Obviously the game will be difficult and very tactical and we can not opt for favourite team for the victory, although maybe Fenerbahçe has more chance to win it, because the Istanbul´s team is its best moment of the season- which does not want to say much-, since it has not lost a game since October, 21 when it lost the game played against Arsenal FC and in the Turkish Süper Lig its last defeat was on the 5 of October, when it suffered a humiliating defeat in a game played at home against Kayserispor (1-4)-. Moreover, the team is showing strength bit by bit in the defensive line-it has received only one goal in the last 4 game played, including the game against Arsenal FC- and we are not watching those incredible mistakes of the first games of the season-although there are always a silly details like for example the absurd action of Volkan Demirel last Saturday when he gave absurdly a corner to MKE Ankaragücü-.Besides Luis Aragones can count at last with all his players after the latest recoveries of the key players of the team, Alex and Emre. So, there should be no excuses and Fenerbahçe, helped by the incredible fans, should win the tonight´s game that it will play against a team with a very irregular behaviour when it play away from the Dragao Stadiuma(for example in the Portuguese Super League, FC Porto has only been able to win a match- although we must be emphasized that it was an important victory in a difficult game, since it was in the game played against its eternal rival, Sporting Lisbon- and for example in the Champions league, FC Porto was humiliated by Arsenal -4-0-) and besides Jesualdo Ferreira will have an important trouble for the tonight´s game, because the best player of the team , the Argentine elegant and determinant midfielder, Lucho Gonzalez, is punished and he will not play this game and therefore the other team's star, the striker Lisandro Lopez-he is not showing his last year´s season, when he played very well- will be alone to attack with guarantees and so it will be a great opportunity for Fenerbahçe to arrive to the last day with many options to play the next round.

Finally, we will also pay attention to the game at the Madrigal Stadium between Villarrael FC and Manchester United-they will decide which team finishes as the first of the group- and the game at Florence between Fiorentina and Olympique Lyon-it is last option to Fiore to have an option to play the next round (Olympique Lyon and Bayern Munich have 8 points and Fiore only 3 points).

Enjoy.

Cheers,
J&F