Monday, August 25, 2008

Champs League: Juve prepare for Bratislava test

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri insists his side will not sit back for the second leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie against Artmedia Bratislava, despite holding a 4-0 advantage from the first game.
Goals from Italy internationals Mauro Camoranesi, Alessandro del Piero, Giorgio Chiellini and Nicola Legrottaglie completed the rout in Turin.
All four have been included in a strong 22-man squad for the clash in Slovakia, as Ranieri's men go looking to kill off a tie which already looks dead and buried on paper.
'We're going there to finish off the qualification,' Ranieri said.
'We know that we should have the same determination as we had in the first leg in Turin.
'We'll come up against a tough rival who'll be going all out to put on a good showing in front of their own fans.'
Barcelona also built up a four-goal cushion in their first-leg tie against Wisla Krakow, and Dani Alves has been included in a strong 20-man squad as the Catalan giants look to finish the job off in Poland.
Alves suffered a shoulder injury in the first leg which looked set to keep him sidelined for around a fortnight, but he is now back and available for coach Pep Guardiola.
Teenage goalkeeper Ruben Mino has also been included in the travelling party as cover for back-up custodian Jose Manuel Pinto, who will go to Poland but is suffering from an elbow problem.
However, Lionel Messi is still missing following his exertions in Argentina's triumphant Olympics campaign.
Looking ahead to Tuesday's game, Barca midfielder Alexander Hleb said: 'You could say that it's mission accomplished but it's an important game which we have to play.
'I hope we return from Poland with another win and without any injuries.'
Also on Tuesday, Sparta Prague travel to Greece looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit against Panathinaikos.
The remaining 13 second-leg ties take place on Wednesday, with 2005 Champions League winners Liverpool far from assured of their place in the group stages after only managing a 0-0 draw in the away leg against Standard Liege.
Javier Mascherano is unlikely to be involved for the Reds after helping Argentina to a second consecutive Olympic title in Beijing.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez does not think the 24-year-old midfielder will be prepared enough to face the Belgian champions at Anfield after playing in his team's 1-0 win over Nigeria on Saturday.
Benitez said: 'Javier will be back with us soon. But I do not think he will be in contention to play in Europe.
'He has spent too much time travelling and playing, that makes it difficult to be at your best.'
Liverpool's Premier League rivals Arsenal look to have done the hard work with a 2-0 win over Steve McClaren's FC Twente in Holland a fortnight ago.
Atletico Madrid welcome back star striker Sergio Aguero for their clash with Schalke, with last season's quarter-finalists travelling to the Spanish capital with a 1-0 first-leg advantage.
The diminutive 20-year-old Argentinian missed the first encounter due to his Olympic commitments.
Marseille take a 1-0 lead into their home clash with Brann after a Benoit Cheyrou goal sunk the Norwegian champions in the first leg.
It will be the first home match for OM since a bus crash on Saturday which killed two fans who were travelling to their weekend Ligue 1 match at Le Havre.
Dynamo Kiev all but assured their place in the group stage courtesy of a 4-1 win at Spartak Moscow, but Greek giants Olympiacos have it all to do if they are to progress after suffering a surprise 3-0 defeat to Anorthosis Famagusta in Cyprus.
Fiorentina, Shakhtar Donetsk and AaB each take a 2-0 advantage into their respective away legs against Slavia Prague, Dinamo Zagreb and Kaunas.
The ties between Steaua and Galatasaray (2-2), Fenerbahce and Partizan Belgrade (2-2) and Basle and Guimaraes (0-0) are all finely poised while Belarus champions BATE take a 1-0 advantage to Levski Sofia.

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