Roma and Atletico Madrid face English opposition in the Champions League on Wednesday night as they look to exorcise their demons after painful defeats in league action at the weekend.
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Roma coach Luciano Spalletti is under pressure after poor start to the season.
Italian outfit Roma travel to Stamford Bridge to take on in-form Chelsea after being beaten 4-0 at home by Inter Milan on Sunday. The result has cast doubt on the future of coach Luciano Spalletti after the club's indifferent start to the season which sees them in 14th position in Serie A.
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After two games, Roma are third in Group A following an embarrassing 2-1 home defeat to newcomers CFR Cluj and 3-1 away win over French side Girondins Bordeaux, who play host to Cluj on Wednesday.
Having lost 2-1 at home to bitter city rivals Real on Saturday, a third consecutive La Liga defeat, Atletico Madrid face Liverpool at the Vicente Calderon stadium.
Madrid coach Javier Aguirre could ease the pressure with an immediate reaction against a Liverpool team playing well in domestic football, but who are shorn of former Atletico star Fernando Torres - who misses out on a playing return because of injury.
A win for either side would put them in a strong position in Group D, with both having won their first two matches against PSV Eindhoven and Olympique Marseille.
Elsewhere in Wednesday's Champions League action, Jose Mourinho's Inter host Group B's surprise joint leaders Anorthosis Famagusta, while Werder Bremen visit winless Panathinaikos.
In Group C, Sporting Lisbon are away to Shakhtar Donetsk, while leaders Barcelona travel to bottom side Basel and will expect to maintain their 100% record in the competition this season which stretches back to the third qualifying round in August.
Dimitar Berbatov is on the verge of living up to his £30.75 million price tag according to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson after the Bulgarian scored his second successive Champions League brace on Tuesday.
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Hot shots: Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney celebrate during the rout of Celtic
United inflicted Celtic's 18th defeat in 19 Champions League away games with the 3-0 win at Old Trafford as the Red Devils notched their 16th consecutive victory in the competition, and Ferguson singled out Berbatov for special praise.
''Dimitar produced some fantastic pieces of football,'' said Ferguson. ''The players are starting to understand what type of player he is a bit more now.
''I always feel he produces passes that mean something. Three or four of them were absolutely superb and overall he has five goals for us already, so he is making a terrific contribution.''
Although the languid 27-year-old's two goals against Celtic had a hint of offside about them they became Berbatov's fourth and fifth goals of the season and Ferguson believes that with goals will come confidence.
While Berbatov's goals appeared to be offside and were allowed to stand, Wayne Rooney had a goal ruled out for offside, though replays suggested the striker had timed his run perfectly to latch onto Cristiano Ronaldo's through ball.
However, Rooney eventually got his name on the scoresheet bagging his ninth goal in seven games for club and country.
The England striker's rich scoring vein is all the more impressive after he failed to score in his first six club games this season and Ferguson believes if Rooney keeps up his performance levels he could emulate Ronaldo, who the United manager expects to land numerous world player of the year prizes.
''Wayne is capable of getting to that level,'' said Ferguson. ''Both him and Cristiano were teenagers when they came to us but their progress has been fantastic.
''The only reason we are not talking about Wayne at the same level as Cristiano is the fact one of them scored 42 goals last season. That is why Cristiano should win the Ballon D'Or. If Wayne can get to that sort of level, he is there.''
But for once, Ronaldo found himself upstaged as United eased home. Even without Rio Ferdinand, who should be fit to face Everton on Saturday after a picking up a minor groin strain in training, United had too much class for the Scottish champions.
A point in the return match at Parkhead in a fortnight should be enough to take the Red Devils into the knockout stages, although Ferguson is taking nothing for granted.
''It was a bad night for Celtic,'' he said. ''I just felt we were always on the attack. The speed of our play was very good and we have to think a result in Glasgow will get us through.
''But Celtic have a very good record up there, so it will be a difficult game.''
BUCHAREST, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Steaua Bucharest coach Marius Lacatus resigned on Wednesday, a day after his team lost 5-3 to Olympique Lyon in their Champions League Group F match.
"I prefer to sacrifice myself and leave, so that Steaua won't suffer after a string of poor results," Lacatus told reporters.
"When a team loses one match after another nobody other than the coach is responsible."
The Romanian team had led 2-0 after the first 10 minutes on Tuesday and were 3-2 up at halftime before Lyon turned things round with three second-half goals.
Steaua are bottom of Group F, with one point from three matches. Bayern Munich lead the group with seven points, Lyon are second with five and Fiorentina have two.
Lacatus said he felt he had no choice but to resign.
"It's clear that I lost the support of everybody, officials, supporters and media, so there is no room for me to go on any more," he said.
Steaua owner Gigi Becali had told reporters after the Lyon defeat: "I am not firing Lacatus, I'll let him drown himself."
Last week, Steaua lost 2-0 to second division team Sportul Studentesc in the Romanian Cup and suffered a defeat by the same scoreline in a league match against Otelul Galati in a run of seven matches without a win.
Steaua lie third in the domestic league table, four points behind arch-rivals Dinamo Bucharest, who are top.
Arsenal shareholders are expected to get their first opportunity to see new board member Stan Kroenke at Emirates Stadium at the club's Annual General Meeting on Thursday.
The American sports tycoon, who holds around a 12% stake in the Gunners parent company, accepted the offer to become a non-executive director in September as ties with the Kroenke Sports Enterprises group were strengthened.
Although Kroenke is not party to the 'lockdown agreement' which was signed by the other directors, he has, after some initial hostility, become a stern ally of the current board.
Arsenal's other overseas investor, Uzbekistan metals magnate Alisher Usmanov - who bought into Arsenal when he paid former vice-chairman David Dein around £75million for his 14.65% holding - is entitled to attend, but chose not to last year.
Much has been made of Usmanov's intentions via the Red and White Holding investment firm, headed by Dein. But if his stake reached 30%, a formal takeover approach would have to be launched.
Director Daniel Fiszman remains the largest stakeholder in the club with 24.11%, and given the lockdown agreement means the first option on any sale of shares must be given to existing board members until 2012, rumours of more manoeuvrings in a power struggle behind the scenes appear without foundation.
Nevertheless, the AGM is likely to address the long-term financial stability of the club, which is currently servicing a debt of almost £300million following the switch to their new 60,000-seater home.
Following responses to pre-submitted questions by shareholders, normally from chairman Peter-Hill Wood, the floor will be opened up.
Despite a massive increase in turnover at the Emirates Stadium, there has been some concern over the impact of the credit crunch on the redevelopment of Highbury into flats and luxury apartments.
However, acting managing director Ken Friar revealed more than 90 purchasers have already completed deals to generate £39million, while 598 units of the 680 total have been pre-sold.
The extra revenue brought in from the development could, according to Friar, be channelled straight back into the team.
''The finances for the Highbury Square development have been ring-fenced so they are separate from our usual football business,'' he said.
''As such we have not budgeted for the profit and this allows the board to be flexible over its use as the money has not been earmarked for anything in particular.
''In that sense it will be a bonus. We have options available to us. For example, profits could be used to reduce the stadium debt or to strengthen the team if the manager wishes.''
Sunderland boss Roy Keane has admitted striker Kenwyne Jones is not in his plans for Saturday's derby clash with Newcastle - at least not yet.
The 24-year-old Trinidad and Tobago international is due to make his return from knee ligament damage for the reserves against Wigan on Wednesday night.
A successful appearance could persuade Keane to consider him for a role in the Wear-Tyne derby at the Stadium of Light, although the Irishman insists he is taking nothing for granted.
Keane said: ''I will see how he goes. We are all a bit wary of the fact that he is such a big man, he might need a few weeks to get up and running.
''If he comes through that with flying colours and there is no reaction... I have not really thought beyond that, but I wouldn't take any silly risks in terms of getting obsessed with Saturday.
''If he can get through the reserve game tonight and has an hour, we will see how it goes. But at this moment in time he is not involved.''
Jones has been out of action since June 1, when he suffered his injury on international duty in a collision with England goalkeeper David James.
The £6million former Southampton striker was the club's leading scorer last season, and such was his influence during his first top-flight campaign with the Black Cats that Keane valued him at £40million.
The mere presence of his name on the team sheet for Saturday's game would represent a huge boost to the manager, his team-mates and Sunderland's fans, who have not sampled a home victory over their fierce rivals since April 1980.
It would be good news too for the man himself, who admitted the initial prognosis was nowhere near as promising.
Jones told the Sunderland Echo: ''Originally there was a possibility that I would be out until March and I had already mentally prepared myself for that. But thank God, some good news came along and I am here now.
''It's hard work after an injury like this. You have to learn to walk properly again and then to run properly. It's almost like being born again.
''When you are out for so long, your muscles almost forget how to do those things. It's been a long road.''
While Keane would dearly love to have his star striker available for the first time to link up with loan signing Djibril Cisse, he is taking a long-term view.
He said: ''If people think playing an hour in a reserve match after being out for three or four months warrants a starting place in a derby match, they are sadly mistaken.
''If he gets through it and there is no reaction, with having six or seven subs, we would have a look at it. But it's important that we look at Kenwyne with the bigger picture, not just for this weekend.''
Defender Nyron Nosworthy, who has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, was not included in the reserve team squad, but is in contention for the Newcastle game.
Keane added: ''Nyron is fit. He has trained, but he doesn't need a reserve game.
''He has been out for two and a half, three weeks, but he has played a lot of football, even in pre-season. He will be available.''
Former fans' favourite David Ginola has offered his services to Tottenham Hotspur as they bid to bounce back from their worst ever start to a Premier League campaign and warned that ''politics'' are damaging the club .
Ginola, 41, wowed fans in north London with his attacking flair between 1997 and 2000 and believes he can bring some of his own footballing philosophy to a squad who look wracked by doubt and are rooted to the foot of the table.
Expectations at the start of the season were significantly higher than that as Spurs spent big to replace key trio Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe - but while he insists change is needed, Ginola does not think the club should be in a rush to sack manager Juande Ramos.
Instead, Ginola wants to see a change of ethos from the boardroom to the training ground and would happily accept the chance to initiate such a revolution.
''I'm frustrated to see the clubs I like struggling so much. Spurs are really in trouble and it's disappointing,'' said Ginola at the launch of Braun's new online reality show Smooth Side Challenge.
''The first to be blamed will be the manager, of course, but when he first arrived he was the best in the world. Now he seems to be called the worst. In a few months he has not become the worst manager in the world.
''We all want to see changes but I don't know if changing the manager would be a solution.
''All the politics of the club must change. They need better management - not just on the pitch, but in the offices. Spurs, somewhere, are not making the right decisions.
''I would love to help them. I would love to be back at White Hart Lane, to bring back a bit of spirit, a bit of knowledge about the game. A team is a family - if you forget that you will not be able to have success.
''I worked at Tottenham as a player and my relationship with the fans and the people at the club was great. I know if I go back I could bring something different - a new vision about how to react to each other, to make sure every player enjoys training and enjoys going out to play on a Saturday.
''The process is hard but it is something I always did when I played at Spurs. I would love to do that again.''
Meanwhile, Spurs defender Michael Dawson has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association and could face an increased ban due to his reaction to the red card he received against Stoke on Sunday.
He has until 6pm today to answer the charge and will find out his fate when the case is heard by the regulatory commission on Thursday.
Portsmouth's foreign players are being sent to language school so they can understand manager Harry Redknapp's orders.
Pompey are organising the lessons for 16 of their players so they are not left baffled by boss Redknapp's Cockney phrases.
The lessons, run by Dr Jay Kettle-Williams, will also include learning football terms using a table football game.
A spokeswoman for language school Polyglot Solutions in Southsea, Hampshire said: ''The lessons were inspired by the fact that the English level by the players and their wives was not adequate for living and working in Portsmouth.
''That was the springboard for the lessons and as well as that it is crucial for the players to understand instructions on the pitch.''
Manchester City have been dealt a severe injury blow with the news that influential winger Martin Petrov is set to be sidelined for up to four months.
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Martin Petrov: Out until February.
City manager Mark Hughes confirmed that the Bulgarian is expected to be out for ''three or four months'' with a knee injury he sustained on international duty last week.
Hughes told the club's website: ''Martin went to see a specialist on Monday and will fly out to see the guy that did his anterior cruciate ligament to have it re-checked.
''The news is that it's not his ACL this time, he's got a tear in his meniscus that will need to be repaired. Although it's good news about the ACL it's still a bad injury and he will probably be out for three or four months.''
City play a number of key games in the four months that Petrov is set to miss, including home matches against Manchester United and Arsenal in November. Petrov's prognosis means that he could target a return for the home game against Middlesbrough on February 7, or the away trip to Liverpool on February 21.
With City's form best described as patchy so far this season - they have gone three games without a win since September's 6-0 thumping of Portsmouth - news of Petrov's injury will be a significant blow. Last season Petrov proved to be a revelation after his arrival from Atletico Madrid with his blistering pace and powerful left foot shot, which contributed five valuable goals.
On Monday Bulgaria coach Plamen Markov denied that he had risked Petrov's health by naming him in the starting line-up in last week's World Cup qualifier against Georgia.
Petrov limped off in the first half after aggravating a knee injury which he had only just recovered from. He had played almost 90 minutes against Italy four days earlier but had made only short appearances for his club just before that.
However, it's not all bad news for Hughes; right-back Micah Richards ankle injury is not as bad as first feared with the England man having strained ligaments rather than suffering a break.
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