Champions League preview

Gunners and Blues keen to keep on course in Europe

London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea head into Matchday Three of the UEFA Champions League both looking to uphold their unbeaten start to the campaign.

The Premier League heavyweights have both secured a win and a draw from their opening two games, leaving them in prime position to tighten their grip on their respective groups.

Chelsea have arguably made the stronger start of the two, seeing off Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen in their curtain-raiser before claiming a point from a tricky trip to Valencia last time out to leave them top of Group E.

Andre Villas-Boas’ men will be in no hurry to relinquish that lead when they entertain the pool’s underdogs Genk on Wednesday night, live on Sky Sports HD2.

The other encounter in Group E will see Valencia make the journey to Bayer Leverkusen still seeking their first win of the campaign, having drawn their opening two matches.

Tougher test

Arsenal claimed their first victory last time out after sneaking past Olympiakos, but Arsene Wenger’s men face a tougher test this time around when they visit leaders Marseille at Stade Velodrome.

The Gunners could knock the French giants off their perch with a maximum haul on Wednesday but Didier Deschamps’ men will be desperate to impress in front of a home crowd after a torrid run of form in Ligue 1.

Also going head-to-head in Group F are Olympiakos andBorussia Dortmund in Piraeus, with the Greek side still hunting their first points of the campaign having suffered successive defeats.

Holders Barcelona will aim to build on their emphatic 5-0 thrashing of BATE Borisov last time out when they host Viktoria Plzen at Camp Nou.

In the same group, AC Milan will continue to tussle with Barca for the top spot when they entertain Belarusian minnows BATE Borisov.

Porto will look to overthrow leaders APOEL in Group G when they host the Cypriot side at the Estadio do Dragao.

Elsewhere in that pool, Zenit St Petersburg make the trip to struggling Shakhtar Donetsk, who have claimed just one point from their opening two games.

(source: skysports.com)