Bayern eyeing second Roma rout, City seeking first win

After overwhelming Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, Bayern Munich can book their place in the round of 16 if they beat the Giallorossi again back in Munich in the UEFA Champions League (UCL).

The 7-1 dismantling of Roma on Match Day 3 was Bayern’s biggest away win in UEFA competition. For Roma, it was the heaviest home loss and joint-biggest defeat overall in their European history.

Manchester City and CSKA Moscow are each aiming to secure a much-needed first victory in Group E when they meet on Match Day 4 at the Etihad.

The teams drew 2-2 in Khimki last time out, as CSKA retrieved a two-goal half-time deficit.

Maribor host a Chelsea side who put six past them without reply at Stamford Bridge on Match Day Three to record their biggest victory in the UCL and inflict the Purples’ heaviest away defeat.

The 6-0 win left the Blues with seven points, two ahead of Schalke 04 with Maribor a further three points adrift in third place.

Chelsea can cement a place in the knockout stage with a win.

Barcelona will have former Ajax striker Luis Suarez available for their trip to Amsterdam where they could well book their place in the last 16 with a second victory.

Ajax are looking to avenge their Match Day Three defeat at the Camp Nou. They need at least a point to retain any real hope of qualifying; a defeat could well leave them eliminated.

Below are the match backgrounds to Wednesday’s key games

BAYERN V ROMA

• Bayern have a 100% record in Group E with back-to-back 1-0 wins over Manchester City and CSKA Moscow preceding their triumph in Rome.
• Josep Guardiola’s Group E leaders will guarantee a seventh successive appearance in the knockout rounds with victory.
• Bayern’s home record against Serie A clubs is W8 D5 L5. David Alaba and Thomas Müller scored when they last hosted Italian visitors – a 2-0 win over Juventus in the 2012/13 UCL quarter-finals.
• Roma sit second in the group after beating CSKA (5-1) and drawing at City (1-1) prior to Bayern’s visit.
• They have managed at least one away victory in each of their last four UCL group stage campaigns.
• Roma’s away record against German opposition is W2 D0 L9.
• Totti has played against Roma’s last four Bundesliga opponents, starting with Karlsruher in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup. He was on the bench when they last won in Germany – 3-0 at Hamburger in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup third round.

MARIBOR V CHELSEA

• Maribor beat Wigan Athletic 2-1 at home in last season’s UEFA Europa League group stage, their only victory in seven games against English sides. Overall their record is W1 D1 L5.
• The Wigan victory was also the first win by a Slovenian club against English opposition in ten UEFA club competition meetings (W1 D2 L7).
• Maribor rescued a 1-1 draw against Sporting Lisbon in their first Group G game through substitute Luka Zahovic’s added-time header and then led in Gelsenkirchen through Damjan Bohar before Schalke rallied to draw 1-1.
• They suffered their first defeat in nine games in this season’s competition at Stamford Bridge, Agim Ibraimi missing a second-half penalty to add to their woes.
• In their previous group stage appearance 15 years ago, Maribor finished in fourth place with four points, winning 1-0 away against Dynamo Kiev and drawing 0-0 at Bayer Leverkusen.
• Match day three was Chelsea’s first game against a side from Slovenia in European competition.
• Jose Mourinho’s team won at Sporting on match day two when ex-Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic got the only goal on his return to Lisbon, having started the campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Schalke.
• Competing in their 13th group stage campaign and 12th in a row, the London side have won their section in eight of their last 11 campaigns, qualifying as runners-up in two other years.
• Mourinho lifted the UCL with FC Porto (2004) and Inter (2010).

AJAX V BARCELONA

• Third-placed Ajax are still winless in Group F after their 3-1 defeat at Barcelona last time out.
• Including their 1-1 draw with PSG on match day one, Ajax are on a four-match unbeaten run at home in the UCL (W2, D2).
• Ajax ended a run of four consecutive home losses to Spanish teams when beating Barcelona last season. Their home record against Spanish opposition is W9 D3 L5.
• Beaten 3-2 in Paris on match day two, Barcelona have lost five and won just two of their last nine UCL away games.
• Their last victory on Dutch soil came in the 1995/96 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, a 3-2 win at PSV Eindhoven that secured a 5-4 aggregate triumph.
• The Blaugrana’s overall record away to Dutch clubs is W2 D3 L2.
• Barcelona lifted the 1996/97 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup after a 1-0 victory over Paris at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam. At the same venue, they had lost the 1990/91 final 2-1 to Manchester United.

MANCHESTER CITY V CSKA

• Third-placed City’s loss of a 2-0 lead in drawing at CSKA last time out means they have only two points from three Group E fixtures, having earlier lost at Bayern Munich (0-1) and drawn with Roma (1-1).
• Manuel Pellegrini’s men reached the last 16 last term but finished third in their group in 2011/12 and fourth in 2012/13 when they failed to win a game.
• The English title holders have won only two of their eight home fixtures in the UCL.
• Sergio Aguero has scored seven goals in four outings against Russian clubs, including a double in Atletico Madrid’s 3-3 draw at Lokomotiv Moscow in the 2007/08 UEFA Cup group stage.
• Leonid Slutski’s side sit bottom of Group E with one point, having lost against Roma (1-5) and Bayern (0-1) before their fight back against City.
• CSKA have never won in England, where their record reads W0 D3 L2.
• The Russian club lost the 2005 UEFA Super Cup 3-1 to Liverpool in Monaco.

THE FIXTURES

GROUP E

Bayern Munich v Roma

Man City v CSKA

GROUP F

Ajax v Barcelona

Paris St G v Apoel

GROUP G

Maribor v Chelsea

Sporting v Schalke

GROUP H

Bilbao v FC Porto

Shakhtar v BATE