Champions League Match Day 5 - Group H Preview
Group H
Sporting Clube de Braga vs. Arsenal, Estádio AXA, Braga, Portugal, 2045 hrs GMT
Partizan Belgrade vs. Shakhtar Donetsk, Stadion FK Partizan, Belgrade, Serbia, 2045 hrs GMT
Sporting Clube de Braga vs. Arsenal
Portuguese team Sporting Clube de Braga, making their debut in the Champions League this season, have scored their first two wins against Partizan Belgrade in their last two outings in the competition. The team had lost their two
opening fixtures in the group, but these wins will now have raised their hopes of making it to the next round.
Braga were runners-up in the Portuguese SuperLiga last season, but this season their form has gone awry – they are currently in the 10th spot domestically. The team’s defeat this weekend to Victoria Guimares greatly
undermined its confidence, but after registering back-to-back wins in their last two matches in the competition, Braga’s hopes have been revived. Arsenal thrashed Braga 6-0 in the latter’s first ever outing in the competition, and so Braga has revenge on its
agenda as it prepares to meet Arsenal again at the Estadio AXA.
Braga are currently on six points and a win coupled with a loss for Shakhtar will put them on par with the Ukrainian outfit, but their opponents tonight are not an easy team to beat. Arsenal are flying high in the Premier League,
currently at third place, two points behind joint leaders Chelsea and Manchester United.
Arsenal missed a chance to get to the top of the Premier League last weekend when they failed to maintain a 2-0 lead over Tottenham: a remarkable comeback by Harry Redknapp’s men stunned Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and the
Hotspur took away the game 3-2. On this same weekend, Chelsea lost a match for the second time in a row in this competition.
Arsenal will travel to Portugal tonight with the hope of sealing their qualification to the next round. The team surprisingly lost to Eduardo’s Shakhtar in their last encounter and has yet to qualify. Even a draw will be enough
for Arsenal in its match against Braga, but it will have to be on its toes. With two consecutive wins and a capacity crowd behind it, Braga will most probably be looking for a win.
Partizan Belgrade vs. Shakhtar Donetsk
Serbian team Partizan Belgrade have lost all their matches in the competition so far and are rooted at the bottom of the Group H table with no points. Although they are currently leading the Jelen SuperLiga in Serbia, Partizan
have failed to translate their domestic success into equally impressive form in Europe. The team has been knocked out of the Champions League, and will only be playing for pride tonight against Shakhtar Donetsk – although a win may still qualify the team for
the Europa League.
Shakhtar Donetsk, on the other hand, are on the back of an impressive win against Arsenal in the last round and another win for the Ukrainians will mean that they will make their presence in the next round guaranteed.
But with pride to play for, Partizan may be hoping to toss a spanner in Shakhtar’s plans and in turn reward itself with a place in the Europa League.
UEFA Champions League: Group H Table
P
W
D
L
F
A
GD
PTS
1
Arsenal
4
3
0
1
15
4
11
9
2
Shakhtar Donetsk
4
3
0
1
7
6
1
9
3
Braga
4
2
0
2
3
9
-6
6
4
Partizan Belgrade
4
0
0
4
1
7
-6
0
Tags: