UEFA Champions League Preview, Group F: September 15, 2010

Zilina vs. Chelsea

Chelsea is on fire, and there is little to no chance that they won't blow through the group stages. With the way that they have been playing, Zilina is in for something of a thrashing.  Domestically, Chelsea has been whipping up a storm; with a goal difference of plus-16 after four matches, you know that this is a team doing something right.

This outing shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. That isn’t to say that Zilina is a bad side; they’re just not in the same class as Chelsea, which is a favourite to take home the trophy.

Didier Drogba should be sitting out the first few Champions League matches after picking up a ban; and Frank Lampard still hasn’t recovered, although it’s not as if Chelsea has a lack of squad depth to worry about.

This match should be a game of damage control for Zilina. Not many people expect them to win; however, if they can find a way to keep Chelsea from running away with the game and hold them to a draw, then tactically it could hold a bit of sway when the points are tallied up.

Marseille vs. Spartak Moscow

Marseille has a pretty good history against Moscow: They’ve won three of their last four meetings with the Russians, and generally speaking, when it comes to home matches, they usually decimate Spartak.

The French champions may be sputtering to get their title defence started, but their team has told the press that they are fairly confident and they are going to take home three points from this match. The French will be hoping that a victory here could kick-start their season and give their team the confidence booster that they sorely need.

It is also vital that Marseille beat Spartak, as they will be the biggest competition that the French will face for qualification.

Moscow will not be relishing this match, as it normally doesn’t go in their favour, and they haven’t been playing particularly well themselves. On the other hand they did have a good win over their city rivals on the weekend, which has lifted the spirits of the squad rather considerably. Still, not playing particularly well doesn’t necessarily mean anything.

Joe - livescoredaily.com - live scores and live sports