Tuesday’s Champions League action includes last year’s winners Real Madrid go to Borussia Dortmund and Premier League champions Leicester City host Porto looking to claim a second win in as many games (all kick-offs 0015 IST, Wednesday):
Group E
Monaco v Bayer Leverkusen
Former runners-up Monaco will be looking to build on their impressive opening win over Tottenham Hotspur when they welcome Bayer Leverkusen to the Stade Louis II. The principality club have not lost in four previous meetings with Leverkusen, beating them home and away in the group stage two seasons ago.
CSKA Moscow v Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham will look to kick-start their European campaign in the Russian capital after losing 2-1 to Monaco at Wembley last time out. Mauricio Pochettino’s side go to Moscow for the first time and do so in second place in the Premier League.
Group F
Borussia Dortmund v
Real Madrid
One of the most highly-anticipated showdowns of the group stage sees reigning champions Real Madrid head to Germany to take on 1997 winners and 2013 runners-up Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park. Both teams are expected to progress to the last 16 and both won their opening matches, albeit in contrasting circumstances. While Dortmund romped to a 6-0 win away at Legia Warsaw, Real needed two late goals to come back and beat Sporting 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid have been beaten on their last three visits to Dortmund and they do not have a good record in Germany, with just four wins from 29 trips. Zinedine Zidane’s side – for whom Pepe is set to return – are still unbeaten this season. Dortmund, meanwhile, have won four on the bounce in all competitions, scoring 20 goals in the process.
Sporting v Legia Warsaw
These sides are expected to be fighting it out for third place and a Europa League berth in the new year.
Group G
FC Copenhagen v Club Brugge
The Group G outsiders meet in the Danish capital with Copenhagen looking to build on a 1-1 draw away to FC Porto last time out.
Leicester City v FC Porto
The Premier League champions get set for another historic moment as they host two-time European champions Porto in the first ever Champions League game at the King Power Stadium. Porto will be familiar with the threat of Leicester’s record signing Islam Slimani from his time in Portugal with Sporting.
Group H
Sevilla v Lyon
These two teams should fight it out to go through to the last 16 along with Juventus. The Spaniards will fancy their chances of taking three points at the Sanchez Pizjuan. Europa League winners in each of the last three years, they held Juve in Italy in their group opener and are looking good under new coach Jorge Sampaoli.
Dinamo Zagreb v Juventus)
The Italian champions, runners-up in 2015, did not get off to the best start as they were held to a goalless draw by Sevilla but they will be expected to get a win under their belts in Croatia.AFP
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