Champions League Matchday Six Preview

After another great Champions League Matchday during Matchday Five, we will watch our final two Champions League nights for the calendar year of 2009 with Matchday Five on Dec. 8 and 9.

During Matchday Five, we saw five-time Champions League winner Liverpool get eliminated with a Fiorentina win against Lyon, and we saw Manchester United actually suffer a Champions League loss to Besiktas at Old Trafford, among other great matches.

During Matchday Six, we will get to see eight knockout stage spots be decided and which sides will clinch Europa League spots.

So here is a preview to the much anticipated Matchday Six of the Champions League.

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009

Group A

Juventus v Bayern Munich

In what will probably be the most anticipated match of the first part of Matchday Six, Juventus will host Bayern Munich at the Stadio Olimpico in a winner-take-all match with Juventus advancing onto the Champions League knockout stages with a win or draw, and Bayern advancing if it could register a win in Italy.

In this all-important match, Juventus will have confidence after a 2-1 win over rival Inter Milan this weekend, while Bayern will have a major disadvantage with Frank Ribery out due to injury.

Maccabi Haifa v Bordeaux

After clinching the first spot in Group A during Matchday Five, Bordeaux will travel to Israel to take on Maccabi Haifa with many of its key players getting rest.

For Maccabi Haifa, they are already eliminated from any more European competition for the rest of this season but will look to get their first points of the Champions League and their first Champions League goal in this match.

Group B

Besiktas v CSKA Moscow

After defeating Manchester United during Matchday Five at Old Trafford, Besiktas will host CSKA Moscow with the possibility that the Russian side could advance onto the knockout stages with a win or a Europa League spot with a loss.

Besiktas could qualify for the Europa League with a win and a Wolfsburg win and eliminate CSKA Moscow and will certainly have confidence after their win at Man United.

VfL Wolfsburg v Manchester United

After their stunning loss at Old Trafford to Besiktas on Matchday Five, Manchester United will look to clinch the top spot in Group B with a win at Volkswagen Arena on Matchday Six.

However, United has massive injury concerns going into this match with Wes Brown and Gary Neville both not available, and with illness to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand out until January, no one knows who could be starting in the United defense for this match.

Meanwhile for the defending Bundelsliga champions, Wolfsburg only need to register a win to advance onto the knockout stages in its first ever Champions League appearance this season.

Group C

FC Zurich v AC Milan

After a 1-1 draw with Marseille during Matchday Five at the San Siro, Milan will now travel to Zurich knowing that a victory would give themselves passage onto the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Milan has already suffered a stunning 1-0 loss to Zurich at the San Siro during Matchday Two, but since then it defeated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and earned draws against Real Madrid and Marseille at the San Siro since then.

Meanwhile for Zurich, it is eliminated from all European competition for the rest of the season, but a win at Letzigrund will give Zurich pride to play for.

Marseille v Real Madrid

After a 1-0 victory at the Bernabeu during Matchday Five, Real Madrid will most likely advance onto the knockout stages of the Champions League at the Velodrome when it plays Marseille.

Marseille needs a victory if it is to advance onto the knockout stages of the Champions League but will find itself in the Europa League if it fails to win by at least four clear goals over Real Madrid.

Group D

Chelsea v APOEL

After securing first place in Group D with a 1-0 win at the Estadio do Dragao during Matchday Five, Chelsea will rest many of its regulars at Stamford Bridge when it takes on defending Cypriot First Division Champions APOEL.

APOEL will be looking to advance onto the Europa League at the Bridge during this match, needing to get a better result than Atletico Madrid to ensure a spot in the Europa League.

Atletico Madrid v FC Porto

In a rematch of the Round of 16 of the 2008-2009 Champions League, Atletico Madrid will be looking to advance to the Europa League after a disappointing Champions League season at the Vicente Calderon Stadium with a win here.

It appears that a Europa League spot is very likely here, as Porto has ensured a second place spot in Group D and will sit many of its regulars.

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2009

Group E

Liverpool v Fiorentina

After getting eliminated from the Champions League during Matchday Five by a Fiorentina victory against Lyon, Liverpool will be looking for some revenge when it hosts Fiorentina at Anfield during Matchday Six.

Liverpool hasn't played great football this year, but it knows a victory over a Fiorentina side that will be looking to get the top spot in Group E would be a solid way of getting some vengeance.

Lyon v Debreceni

After losing 1-0 at Fiorentina during Matchday Five, Lyon will look to get the top spot in Group E with a victory at the Stade de Gerland against a Debreceni side that has yet to register any points in the Champions League this season.

Debreceni will be looking to get some vengeance after an embarrassing 4-0 loss in Budapest during Matchday Six and close out their inaugural Champions League campaign here with a win.

Group F

Inter Milan v Rubin Kazan

After drawing with Dynamo Kiev during Matchday Five, Rubin Kazan will look to extend its great Champions League season with a win at the San Siro against Inter Milan.

The Russian Premier League champions have been great this season in the Champions League against Barcelona, winning 2-1 at the Camp Nou and registering a scoreless draw in Kazan, but will certainly need a victory here in order to advance.

Meanwhile for Inter, it hasn't been great in the Champions League this season and has not registered a Champions League win since last year against Anorthosis Famagusta.

Dynamo Kiev v FC Barcelona

In another matchup between two sides that could advance onto the knockout stage, FC Barcelona will have to travel to Ukraine to take on Dynamo Kiev.

In order to advance, Barcelona just needs to have a draw while Dynamo will need to have a draw between Rubin Kazan and Inter Milan in order to advance.

Group G

VfB Stuttgart v Unirea Urziceni

In the premier matchup in Group G, Stuttgart will host Unirea Urziceni in a winner-take-all matchup in Germany.

In their first ever Champions League campaign, the Romanian champions only need to achieve a draw against a Stuttgart side that has struggled this season, as they find themselves in the relegation zone and dismissed manager Markus Babbel and replaced him with Christian Gross taking over as the new manager.

Sevilla v Rangers

Already through to the knockout stages, Sevilla will rest many of its players against Rangers during Matchday Six, especially against a Rangers side that has already been eliminated from all European competition.

During their last matchup, Rangers got crushed by a 4-1 score at Ibrox in which the Spanish side scored all four of their goals in a 24 minute span.

Group G

Olympiacos v Arsenal

After failing to clinch the final spot in Group G with a scoreless draw against AZ Alkmaar, Olympiacos will look to move onto the knockout stages for the second time in three years against Group G winners Arsenal at the Karaiskakis Stadium.

Meanwhile, for Arsenal, this will be a game that it will rest many of their regulars for, especially with a huge match against Liverpool coming up on Dec. 13.

Standard de Liege v AZ Alkmaar

With the likelihood that Standard de Liege will not be able to advance onto the knockout stages, it will host AZ Alkmaar with Europa League implications on the line for both sides.

Meanwhile for Alkmaar, it fired their manager Ronald Koeman over the weekend, and now with Martin Haar in charge, it will look to gain passage to the Europa League here against its Belgian opponents.