Tuesday 27 September 2011

Champions League Group B Preview

Turkish side Trabzonspor can consolidate top spot in Champions League Group B when they host Lille in Trabzon on Tuesday.

Senol Gunes' men rode their luck in their European opener, beating Inter Milan 1-0 away from home, with their goal coming from their only shot on target.

Striker Burak Yilmaz will continue to serve his three-game ban, while attacker Adrian Mierzejewski can return from suspension for the clash at Huseyin Avni Aker Stadyumu.

Defender Arkadiusz Glowacki is likely to miss with a groin niggle, while Gustavo Colman is out due to a hamstring injury attained on Friday.

Lille will be buoyed by English midfielder Joe Cole's first goal in France at the weekend, in their 1-1 Ligue 1 draw with Lorient.

Rudi Garcia's men have not lost in their past seven, but have failed to keep a clean sheet in their past 12 official matches (pre-season friendlies excluded).

Defender Aurelien Chedjou has missed the past fortnight with a thigh complaint.

Lille sit third in the table level on one point with CSKA Moscow, after the Russian outfit fought back to earn a 2-2 draw on Gameday One.

Moscow will host Inter Milan in the group's other clash, at the Olimpiyskiy stadion Luzhniki.

Inter will be without midfielder Wesley Sneijder, full-back Maicon and midfielder Dejan Stankovic due to injury.

It will be Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge in European competition, after his side gave him a winning start to his reign at the club with a 3-1 away victory over Bologna in Serie A on Saturday.

CSKA have won just one of their past five, with their 3-1 win over Volga in the Russian Premier League on the weekend their only victory since August 20.

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