Athletic Bilbao vs Napoli, Champions League Play Off 2nd Leg

Athletic Club can inaugurate the new San Mamés by making the most of an away goal to beat SSC Napoli and end a 16-year group stage exile – Ernesto Valverde is backing his side.


Possible lineups
Athletic: Iraizoz; Susaeta, Gurpegui, Laporte, De Marcos, Balenziaga, Iturraspe, Rico, Beñat, Muniain, Aduriz.
• Out: none

Napoli: Cabral; Ghoulam, Henrique, Albiol, Koulibaly, Callejón, Jorginho, Hamsik, Gargano, Mertens, Higuaín.
• Out: none

Ernesto Valverde, Athletic coach
We think we are ready for this but we'll have to wait and see the result tomorrow. The players are really focused and motivated, they've been thinking about this match for months. The moment has come and the players should know how to manage that intensity.

Tomorrow we play in San Mamés – after completion this summer, the full new stadium will be inaugurated, so it's a special match. At similar games last season the team always responded well.

Tomorrow's match is a final because one of us will be eliminated. But today we're better than in the first leg against Napoli as we had a few players who were playing in the Champions League for the first time, so some will at least have that experience now. We are aware of Napoli's potential, we are aware of what they have up front.

At San Paolo we had some difficulties after their equaliser, but we also had very good phases when we could have taken a bigger advantage. Teams should be prepared to avoid those difficult moments, but if they can't avoid them, we should know how to react. It's also good to acknowledge that it's very difficult to dominate all the time, it's good to know what to do when your team have the initiative and when they lose it.

Rafael Benítez, Napoli coach
For Napoli, nothing changes whether we win or lose. This a work in progress and we are developing, we'll keep improving the club's structure for the future and for all other competitions.

Athletic are a team that enjoy having the ball and using it. They like to attack and especially as they are in front of their fans they'll probably try to score from the very beginning. Athletic should show what they can do to their supporters. We will try to do the same. Last year we had loads of possession and we scored loads of goals. Both teams are similar, I think we'll share possession.

I know Athletic have been out of the Champions League for 16 years, they have little to lose because they feel they have succeeded already, but they also have a lot to lose as they are very close to qualifying. That can create nervousness and anxiety.

Just because we have to score, our game plan has not changed. We know we have to come here and win and that has not changed. Last year we won ten matches away, a Napoli record.

Arsenal FC vs. Beşiktaş JK : UEFA Champs League 2014

While Arsène Wenger wants Arsenal FC to make experience count, Slaven Bilić backs Beşiktaş JK to fulfil "a dream, a hope" as they seek to end their opponents' 16-year run.

Possible lineups
Arsenal: Szczęsny, Debuchy, Chambers, Mertesacker, Monreal,  Santi Cazorla, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sánchez, Wilshere, Özil, Sanago.
• Out: Mikel Arteta (ankle), Aaron Ramsey (suspended), Olivier Giroud (ankle), Kieran Gibbs (hamstring), Theo Walcott (knee)
• Doubtful: none

Beşiktaş: Tolga Zengin; İsmail Köybaşı, Franco, Ersan Gülüm, Ramon Motta, Oğuzhan Özyakup, Veli Kavlak, Mustafa Pektemek, Hutchinson, Olcay Şahan, Ba.
• Out: none
• Doubtful: none

Arsène Wenger, Arsenal manager
Giroud will not play. He will see a specialist [on Wednesday] and afterwards we will make an announcement about how long he'll be out. It could be [a long-term injury], we will see. It's sad, but at the moment we are focused on this game.

Nothing is unthinkable because it [not qualifying] has happened to 99% of all the big clubs in Europe, but what we want is to be in there and we are highly determined to do it. We have a home game that we want to win. The task is clear and we know we can do it, so let's do it.

Experience plays a big part and we have a lot of it in the Champions League – big experience of playing in high-pressure games that we can use tomorrow. What is more important, though, is the performance on the day. It's important that we turn up and deliver a strong performance.

I'm confident this group will be strong, that it is mentality prepared, has a great togetherness and is ready for the fight. That is the most important thing – that we are prepared and ready to go out and do our best.

Slaven Bilić, Beşiktaş coach
It's going to be a massive game for us. We showed from our performance in the first leg that we are capable of giving them a game. We played well. We had our chances and they had theirs. We were not totally happy with the result as I think we deserved to win, but we go into this game full of confidence.

We are confident. I was confident, my staff were confident and the players were confident before the first game. Maybe before the first game some of our players had a little bit of doubt because they had not played against those so-called 'big guns', but after the game they were very confident, which I don't mind as long as you do not become big-headed.

Of course we are not the favourites. They are the favourites – they are Arsenal – but we have a dream, a hope. It's more of a plan though, and we are going to do everything we can to fulfil it. We have prepared our game, our plan. I have big belief in my assistants and they are going to do the job.

UEFA Champions League 2014 : BATE vs. Slovan Bratislava

Aleksandr Yermakovich said "our country needs the group stage" ahead of Belarusian side FC BATE Borisov's play-off second leg against ŠK Slovan Bratislava.

Possible lineups
BATE: Chernik; Mladenovic, Filipenko, Polyakov, Khagush; Likhtarovich, Olekhnovich, A Volodko, Krivets; Rodionov, Gordeychuk.
• Out: Dmitri Mozolevski

Slovan: Perniš; Jablonský, Gorosito, Ninaj, Cikoš; Lásik, Štefánik; Milinkovic, Soumah, Žofcák; Vittek.

Aleksandr Yermakovich, BATE coach
The team is in good shape, their morale is OK and we have no injured players. We now have the same players that prepared for the first game in Slovakia. We realise we will have a hard game with a lot of pressure. We have a pretty good chance of advancing to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League and we will do our best to take it.

I know the stadium will be full. Only a couple of hundred tickets have not been sold yet. The support of our fans is very important for us. Our football, our country needs the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.

The weather forecast says that it will rain during the match, but I am sure that it will not influence the condition of the pitch. As I have already said, no one is injured. Even Dmitry Baga has recovered. I hope all his problems are in the past. He is getting ready for the game together will all the other players.

We have an experienced team that has gone through many things. We realise all too well that we should not start the game with the thought of keeping the score at 0-0. Every match is a separate story. What score will it be tomorrow? A positive one.

František Straka, Slovan coach
An ordinary game in the domestic championship is one thing; a match as big as Tuesday's is another thing altogether. It will be a very important and prestigious day. We will try to correct our mistakes after missing several chances during the first leg.


BATE proved very strong opponents, but we will try to be too. We will pay a lot of attention to good organisation and discipline. Besides that, we will try to focus on our set pieces. Our advantage is that we can spring a surprise – I can't say that we are under pressure. By no means should we rest on our laurels as we constantly have to look to make progress. "If we win, there will be a lot of joy and euphoria".

I can't say anything about the starting lineup yet. However, now I can tell you one thing: Róbert Vittek, who scored a goal in the first match, will play from the start tomorrow.

UCL 2014 : Zenit vs. Standard Liege

FC Zenit coach André Villas-Boas is sweating on the fitness of Hulk but either way, he is intent on taking the game to an R. Standard de Liège side keen on counterattacking.

Possible lineups
Zenit: Lodygin; Criscito, Lombaerts, Garay, Smolnikov; Tymoshchuk, Witsel, Danny, Shatov; Rondón, Kerzhakov.
• Doubtful: Hulk (muscle spasm)

Standard: Kawashima; Ciman, Teixeira, Arslanagic, Van Damme; Mpoku, Faty, Louis, Mbombo; De Camargo, Watt.
• Out: Ronnie Stam (ankle), Julien De Sart (knee), Mehdi Carcela-González (groin), François Marquet (knee), Tortol Lumanza (groin)

André Villas-Boas, Zenit coach
Everyone knows I replaced Hulk against Amkar [on Saturday], but maybe he will take part – my assistants and I will discuss all the options. We will play our own style – we had a good match in Belgium – and our priorities remain the same: attacking and scoring. Our opponent will also play to win.

At this level everything is decided by details. I don't think we can afford to underestimate the opponent as both teams really want to reach the next stage of the Champions League. The 5% chance [of progressing] that Luzon gave his team is not insignificant. Football is a game full of surprises.

Guy Luzon, Standard coach
We have players who are injured and can't take part. This fixture won't be easy as Zenit are one of the best teams in Europe, but we will still try to do the best we can. "Zenit are very strong and they have the advantage, but we will try to prove ourselves on the counterattack". Of course Hulk is a brilliant player, but Zenit have a lot of great players. With or without him, they are very strong.

Porto vs. LOSC Lille: UEFA Champs League 2014

FC Porto coach Julen Lopetegui expects a "much more difficult" second leg against a LOSC Lille side whose coach René Girard knows his team will need to be at their best.


Possible lineups
Porto: Fabiano; Danilo, Maicon, Martins Indi, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Herrera, Rúben Neves; Quaresma, Jackson Martinez, Adrián López.
• Out: Cristian Tello (right thigh)

LOSC: Enyeama; Béria, Kjær, Rozehnal, Souaré; Mavuba, Corchia, Gueye, Lopes; Roux, Ryan Mendes.
• Out: Marko Baša, Marvin Martin (both hamstring)

Julen Lopetegui, Porto coach
I believe they will force us to win the game because they have a very good team and we will have to be at our best to beat them. Of course they have a chance to go through. If they are here it is because they are capable.

It will be a very different match [to the first leg], much more difficult. We will have to attack well with the ball and defend well without it. We know what this game means and we want to go through to the next phase.

[LOSC have] proved that they are a very strong team away from home – just look at their results against PSG and Monaco in Ligue 1.

René Girard, LOSC coach
We have to want to win – we lost the first match but we will do all we can to go through. We cannot beat Porto playing at 50%. It's important to score, to win the game, and we are confident.

We all know that the French clubs haven't done well lately in Europe. Porto are a team who work their play well, they have determined players. Each year they reinforce their squad with good players, and they are a very good team.

We are competitive and we will do the best we can to go through. Anything can happen. We came here to play, to fight, to win and go through. "This is a Champions League game and it's a completely different level from our domestic league". Concentration and determination are crucial factors for us qualifying.

Celtic vs. Maribor : UCL 2014

Celtic FC hope the unbelievable atmosphere of their European return to their home stadium will spur them on against an NK Maribor side with fond memories of Glasgow.

Possible lineups
Celtic: Gordon; Izaguirre, Denayer, Van Dijk, Lustig; Mulgrew, Johansen; Kayal, McGregor, Commons; Stokes.
• Out: Scott Brown (hamstring), James Forrest (hamstring)

Maribor: Handanovic; Šuler, Viler, Rajcevic, Stojanovic; Filipovic, Derviševic, Vršic, Bohar; Tavares, Ibraimi.

Ronny Deila, Celtic manager
I feel ready and I know the team is ready as well, so we're looking forward to it. I hope there will be more [Champions League] games than just this one.

You have to prepare for two games. We had a good performance in the first leg and it's going to be a hard second leg. We have a new chance to go into the Champions League. We'll do everything we can to use that chance well. I'm looking forward to it in a full stadium with an unbelievable atmosphere, so we'll try to make use of that.

We have to learn from every game. We have to do things better than we did in Slovenia. There are things we want to do better tomorrow. It's important to start well to get the crowd behind you, to show you're offensive, but we have to be clever and play well tactically and have a good balance in the team.

Maribor played well tactically at home; they'll do the same here. They're very easy to read but very hard to stop because they use counterattacks - they're very organised and hard-working. It's very important to have the same focus in this game. We have to press together, be compact. We want to attack, to be offensive, but in a clever way. We want to be in the Champions League, that's why we're here, that's what we fight for.

Ante Šimundža, Maribor coach
We have a chance of going through to the group stage of Champions League, but tomorrow will be a very tough match. It would be a very big achievement to qualify. Celtic are a good team. "We always want to win. If it's a draw and it's enough, we'll take it, but we're here to win".


We have to be 100% astute tactically in defence and offence. We'll see how it goes after 90 minutes. I hope for the best. They have more pressure on them because they are the favourites. Celtic are a very big team with an impressive history. They're used to playing such games but the pressure is on them.

In the first leg, the first half was Celtic's, the second half was us. We played well in Maribor but in Glasgow, we have to play a little bit better. Both teams want to play the perfect game and advance. Celtic play very well in front of their own fans. The 60,000 supporters give energy to the team, they give them strength. We have to be ready for that.

I wasn't in Glasgow [in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League play-offs] against Rangers but it was important because it was the first time we qualified in Europe. However, the Champions League is another step up so it's difficult to compare that to us succeeding here.