European Champions League Previews

Group A

Real Madrid (10pts) v Sporting Lisbon (1pt)

With qualification for the second phase already assured, Real coach Vicente del Bosque is expected to rest several key players. Fernando Hierro and Albert Celades, who have been carrying injuries, are likely to sit it out as Real react to their 2-0 Spanish league defeat by arch rivals Barcelona at the weekend.

Luis Figo, playing against a former club for the second match in a row, can expect to be given a hero's welcome at the Bernabeu following his torrid reception at Barcelona.

Sporting have no hopes of reaching the second phase of the Champions League but can still qualify for the UEFA Cup. Peter Schmeichel will be out after an operation on his right knee on Monday.

Probable teams

Real Madrid: Casillas; Njitap, Campo, Karanka, Carlos; Figo, Makelele, Helguera, Savio; Guti, Morientes.

Sporting Lisbon: Pereira; Prates, Teixeira, Severo, Cruz, Jorge, Sa Pinto, Vieira, Barbosa, Joao Pinto, Acosta.

Referee: U Meier (Swi)

Leverkusen (3pts) v Spartak Moscow (9pts)

The Russians need just one point from their final two games to see them through to the second phase. They face a Leverkusen side reeling from the dismissal of coach Christoph Daum after he failed a drugs test that also cost him his job as Germany's next manager.

Leverkusen hope new coach Rudi Voeller, Daum's deputy and Germany's caretaker manager, can inspire them to the big win they need to keep alive their chances of qualifying.

Probable teams

Bayer Leverkusen: Matysek; Zivkovic, Nowotny, Kovac; Reeb, Ramelow, Ballack, Roberto; Neuville, Kirsten, Brdaric

Spartak Moscow: Filimonov; Kovtun, Tchuisse, Ananko, Baranov, Bulatov, Titov, Marcao, Parfyonov, Bezrodny, Robson.

Referee: R Wojcik (Pol)

Previous results - Tuesday, September 12: Spartak Moscow 2 Bayer Leverkusen 0, Sporting Lisbon 2 Real Madrid 2. Wednesday, September 20: Real Madrid 1 Spartak Moscow 0, Bayer Leverkusen 3 Sporting Lisbon 2. Wednesday, September 27: Bayer Leverkusen 2 Real Madrid 3, Spartak Moscow 3 Sporting Lisbon 1. Tuesday, October 17: Real Madrid 5 Bayer Leverkusen 3, Sporting Lisbon 0 Spartak Moscow 3.

Real Madrid qualify for second group-match stage.

Remaining fixtures - Tonight, October 25: Bayer Leverkusen v Spartak Moscow, Real Madrid v Sporting Lisbon. Tuesday, November 7: Spartak Moscow v Real Madrid, Sporting Lisbon v Bayer Leverkusen.

Group B

Lazio (7 Pts) v Shakhtar Donetsk (3pts)

Lazio's Swedish coach Sven Goran-Eriksson appears likely to shuffle his pack, reverting from a 4-2-3-1 formation to 4-4-2 spearheaded by Argentine strikers Hernan Crespo and Claudio Lopez. Lazio's biggest problems lie in defence where Yugoslav Sinisa Mihajlovic is suspended for using racist insults in last week's 1-1 draw with Arsenal in Rome.

A victory will take Lazio through to the next round while a draw might leave them needing a good result from their last group match against Sparta Prague.

Shakhtar Donetsk who earned their first Champions League points after beating Sparta Prague 2-1 last week, have only a slim chance of advancing to the second phase.

Probable teams

Lazio: Peruzzi; Favalli, Nesta, Couto, Pancaro; Baronio, Veron, Nedved, Stankovic; Crespo, Lopez

Shakhtar Donestsk: Virt; Starostyak, Gleveskas, Timoshchyuk, Popov, Bakharev, Kovalev, Zubov, Atelkin, Vorobei, Okoronkwo.

Referee: A Sars (Fra)

Arsenal (10pts) v Sparta Prague (3pts)

Sparta Prague arrive in London needing a victory to keep alive any realistic hopes of reaching the second stage. But if Lazio beat Shakhtar Donetsk they are doomed regardless of the result at Highbury against an Arsenal side who have already qualified.

The Czechs' blew their chances when they slid to a 2-1 defeat in Ukraine last week, but they will have been buoyed by a 4-1 league win over Liberec at the weekend that sent them top of the Czech first division.

Arsenal have run into rich vein of form and are unlikely to want to lose any momentum with a half-hearted display. Arsene Wenger may be tempted to rest some of his key players with his ageing, influential captain Tony Adams almost certain to sit out the game. Utility player Gilles Grimandi is ruled out after picking up a suspension for violent conduct in last week's 1-1 draw at Lazio. Defender Martin Keown will also be unavailable after picking up three yellow cards.

Probable teams

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Luzhny, Upson, Silvinho, Ljungberg, Parlour, Pires, Vieira, Kanu, Henry

Sparta Prague: Postulka, Grygera, Labant, Hasek, Hornak, Novotny, Obajdin, Bolf, Sionko, Jarosik, Rosicky

Referee: A Hamer (Lux)

Previous results - Tuesday, September 12: Sparta Prague 0 Arsenal 1, Shakhtar Donetsk 0 Lazio 3. Wednes- day, September 20: Lazio 3 Sparta Prague 0, Arsenal 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 2. Wednesday, September 27: Arsenal 2 Lazio 0, Sparta Prague 3 Shakhtar Donetsk 2. Tuesday, Oc- tober 17: Lazio 1 Arsenal 1, Shakhtar Donetsk 2 Sparta Prague 1.

Arsenal qualify for second group-match stage.

Remaining fixtures - Tonight, October 25: Arsenal v Sparta Prague, Lazio v Shakhtar Donetsk. Tuesday, November 7: Sparta Prague v Lazio, Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal.

Group C

Olympiakos (6pts) v Valencia (12pts)

Olympiakos will qualify for the second phase if they beat the Spanish side and Lyon draw with Heerenveen. The pressure is on Olympiakos coach Yiannis Matzourakis, who took full responsibility for last week's loss to Dutch side Heerenveen and apologised to the squad for his shortcomings.

Valencia, last year's losing finalists to Real Madrid, have already qualified after taking a maximum 12 points from their four games. Coach Hector Cuper may decide to rest a number of his players. With one eye on the Spanish league, which Valencia lead for the first time in seven years, Cuper is likely to leave out midfielders Ruben Baraja and Kily Gonzalez. Playmaker Gaizka Mendieta has an enforced rest through suspension.

Probable teams

Olympiakos: Eleftheropoulos, Amanatidis, Georgatos, Patsatzoglou, Djordjevic, Kontis, Elias, Zetterberg, Silva De Oliveira, Houtos, Ofori Quaye

Valencia: Canizares; Angloma, Djukic, Pelligrino, Carboni; Angulo, Deschamps, Abelda, Vincente, Carew, Sanchez.

Referee: A Trentalange (Ita)

Heerenveen (3pts) v Olympique Lyon (3pts)

An attacking game is promised as both sides are sure to go in search of the three points they need to overhaul Olympiakos in second spot. But Heerenveen have injury problems and coach Foppe de Haan's options are limited. Strikers Dennis de Nooijer and Ignacio Tuhuteru, and defenders Max Houttuin and Godfrey Nwankpa, were ruled out due to injury while five others, including captain Johan Hansma and international winger Jeffrey Talan, are doubtful.

Olympique Lyon have lost their last three Champions League matches after an opening 3-1 win over Heerenveen. The French side should be at full strength for the match and coach Jacques Santini is likely to retain the side who drew 1-1 at Girondins Bordeaux in the league last weekend.

Probable teams

Heerenveen: Vonk, Venema, Klompe, Hansma, de Nooijer; Radomski, Holm, van Gessel, Nurmela, Huizingh, Lurling

Olympique Lyon: Coupet, Deflandre, Edmislon, Laville, Brechet, Laigle, Violeau (or Linares), Malbranque, Anderson, Marlet, Vairelles (or Govou)

Referee: L Cortez Batista (Por)

Previous results - Tuesday, September 12: Valencia 2 Oympiakos 1 Olympique Lyon 3 Heerenveen 1. Wednesday, September 20: Heerenveen 0 Valencia 1, Olympiakos 2 Olympique Lyon 1. Wednesday, September 27: Olympiakos 2 Heerenveen 0, Valencia 1 Olympique Lyon 0. Tuesday, October 17: Heerenveen 1 Olympiakos 0, Olympique Lyon 1 Valencia 2.

Valencia qualify for second group-match stage

Remaining fixtures - Tonight, October 25: Olympiakos v Valencia, Heerenveen v Olympique Lyon. Tuesday, November 7: Valencia v Heerenveen, Olympique Lyon v Olympiakos.

Group D

Monaco (3pts) v Galatasaray (7pts)

Group D is wide open with four points separating the four teams and six points still to play for. French champions Monaco, who have won just once in their four matches, could be without injured strikers Marco Simone and Shabani Nonda.

UEFA Cup holders Galatasaray have lost Brazilian goalkeeper Claudio Tafarrel to a shoulder injury. While coach Mircea Lucescu will welcome the return from suspension of midfielder Suat Kaya he is still without injured midfielder Emre Belozoglu and defender Fatih Akyel, removed from the squad after he argued with the coach.

Probable teams

Monaco: Porato; Leonard, Marquez, Christanval, Jurietti; Djetou, Giuly, Garllardo, Gravelaine, Simone (or Eloi), Prso (or Nonda)

Galatasaray: Inan; Popescu, Korkmaz, Capone; Hakan Unsal, Buruk, Davala, Hagi, Kaya, Jardel, Sas

Referee: R Pedersen (Nor)

Sturm Graz (6pts) v Rangers (7pts)

Rangers hope midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst recovers from a groin injury to help lift them to a victory that would secure their berth in the second stage. The Dutch international missed last week's 0-0 Group D draw with Galatasaray and Sunday's 2-1 defeat by St Johnstone which saw the Scottish champions drop to fourth in the domestic league. Rangers, who beat Sturm 5-0 at home, will be without midfielders Jorg Albertz and Claudio Reyna. They were left in Glasgow with muscle strains.

Striker Michael Mols, Tony Vidmar and goalkeeper Stefan Klos are also out. Klos's absence with an ankle problem, means Danish keeper Jesper Christiansen will make his debut for Rangers just 72 hours after joining the club from Odense.

Sturm Graz will be without suspended midfielder Markus Schopp who has scored five goals in the Champions League this season, including two in the 2-0 win over Monaco last week. Midfielder Roman Maehlich is still suspended.

Also missing is first-choice goalkeeper Kazimierz Sidorczuk who returned last Tuesday after a lengthy injury absence but suffered a thigh muscle injury in that match.

Sturm are poor travellers but they are a tough team to beat at home. They have won eight and drawn one of their 10 Champions League matches on home soil since September 1999.

Probable teams

Sturm Graz: Schicklgruber; Popovic, Mamedov, Neukirchner; Korsos, Schupp, Reinmayr, Fleurquin, Prilasnig; Vastic, Kocijan.

Rangers: Chistiansen, Porrini, Amoruso, Konterman, Numan, Kanchelskis, Ferguson, Tugay, van Bronckhorst; de Boer, Dodds (or Wallace).

Referee: AJ Lopez Nieto (Spa)

Previous results - Tuesday, September 12: Galatasaray 3 Monaco 2, Rangers 5 Sturm Graz 0. Wednes- day, September 20: Sturm Graz 3 Galatasaray 0, Monaco 0 Rangers 1. Wednesday, September 27: Monaco 5 Sturm Graz 0, Galatasaray 3 Rangers 2. Tuesday, October 17: Sturm Graz 2 Monaco 0, Rangers 0 Galatasaray 0.

Remaining fixtures - Tonight, October 25: Monaco v Galatasaray, Sturm Graz v Rangers. Tuesday, November 7: Galatasaray v Sturm Graz, Rangers v Monaco.