Champions League 2013: Wednesday Predictions, Preview and Storylines

Some giants of European football will be gracing the Champions League stage this Wednesday, as a handful of clubs look to cement their place in the knockout stages, while others bid for survival.

Week 4’s blockbuster clashes see La Liga leaders Barcelona host AC Milan and last season’s beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund entertain the Premier League’s in-form team, Arsenal.

We've dusted off the crystal ball and predicted the outcome of all eight of this week's clashes, before taking a look at some of the key storylines weaving through Groups E, F, G and H.

Date, time	Home	vs.	Away	Prediction
Nov. 6, 5 p.m. GMT	Zenit	vs.	Porto	Draw, 1-1
Nov. 6, 7:45 p.m. GMT	Atletico Madrid	vs.	Austria Wien	Atletico win, 3-0
Nov. 6, 7:45 p.m. GMT	Ajax	vs.	Celtic	Draw, 1-1
Nov. 6, 7:45 p.m. GMT	Barcelona	vs.	AC Milan	Barca win, 2-1
Nov. 6, 7:45 p.m. GMT	Basel	vs.	Steaua	Basel win, 2-1
Nov. 6, 7:45 p.m. GMT	Chelsea	vs.	Schalke	Chelsea win, 3-1
Nov. 6, 7:45 p.m. GMT	Dortmund	vs.	Arsenal	Dortmund win, 3-1
Nov. 6, 7:45 p.m. GMT	Napoli	vs.	Marseille	Napoli win, 2-0

Storylines

Group H

Barcelona vs. AC Milan
Ajax vs. Celtic

Barcelona and AC Milan will be expected to advance to the round of 16, but a win for Celtic on Wednesday night could make things interesting in Group H.

The Rossoneri have struggled this season on the domestic front, accumulating just 12 points from their opening 11 games in Serie A, and things won’t get much easier when they travel to Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Barcelona have lost just once—last year against Bayern Munich—in their past 23 Champions League games at home—per UEFA. 

In the last two seasons, Milan have seen their Champions League hopes come crashing down at the home of Barcelona, and they will be hoping to avoid a repeat this time around.

While Barcelona top Group H with seven points, AC Milan lie in second with five, while Celtic sit third with three.

If Celtic, who beat Ajax in Week 3, can pull off another victory against the Dutch outfit in Amsterdam on Wednesday night, and Barcelona beat Milan, then the foundations will be laid for a mouth-watering clash in Week 5, when Celtic host Milan in Glasgow.

Group E

Chelsea vs. Schalke
Basel vs. Steaua

Jose Mourinho will be hoping for a big performance from his Chelsea side as they look for their 100th win in the competition—per UEFA—when they host Schalke.

Both sides sit on six points in Group E, with Basel snapping at their heels back in third place on four points.

After defeat to Basel at home in Week 1, Chelsea will be hoping for a much better performance against Schalke, who were on the wrong side of a 0-3 scoreline at home to the Blues in Week 3.

A win for Chelsea would see them move clear at the top of Group E, but they will be wary of the Bundesliga side, who have picked up six wins and a draw from their last seven away games—per UEFA.

Group F

Dortmund vs. Arsenal
Napoli vs. Marseille

Group F is finely balanced as we head into Week 4.

Napoli, Dortmund and Arsenal all sit on six points, and the Italian side will be hoping to keep the pressure on their closest challengers when they host Marseille at the caldron of noise that is the Stadio San Paolo.

After victory over Marseille in France, Napoli will be expected to overturn their French opponents at home, which would put them in a strong position heading into the last two games.

Both Dortmund and Arsenal will be anxious to avoid defeat, particularly the latter, who still face a trip to Naples on December 11.

The German side are unbeaten at home this season, and they will look to do the double over Arsenal after earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the Emirates in Week 3.

Group G

Zenit vs. Porto
Atletico vs. Austria Wien

With three wins from three, Atletico Madrid have all but sealed their place in the round of 16.

The Spanish side, who currently sit second in La Liga, have looked impressive under the guidance of Diego Simone this season.

With Atletico flying, Zenit and Porto, who sit on four and three points respectively, will battle it out in Russia, as both sides look to take hold of the second spot in Group G.

Porto lost out to Zenit at home in Week 3, and their boss Paulo Fonseca will need to devise a plan to overturn that result if his side are to keep their qualification hopes alive.