Champions League reaches pivotal halfway point

LONDON, Oct 16: A clearer picture of the likely qualifiers for the knockout phase of the Champions League should emerge as the group stage reaches its halfway point this week.

Clearly, with only two of the six matches completed so far, no team is certain of qualifying and none are eliminated, but results tomorrow and Wednesday will have a big bearing on both of those issues.

Chelsea (Group A), Bayern Munich (Group B), Valencia (Group D), Olympique Lyon (Group E), Manchester United (Group F) and Arsenal (Group G) have won their opening two matches and victory this week would more or less guarantee they advance to the last 16.

Chelsea host Barcelona, Bayern travel to Sporting Lisbon, Valencia take on Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon go to Dynamo Kiev, Manchester United host FC Copenhagen and Arsenal travel to CSKA Moscow.

In contrast, Levski Sofia (Group A), Inter Milan (Group B), Dynamo Kiev (Group E) and Hamburg SV (Group G) cannot afford another defeat -- or else the best they would probably be looking at is a consolation place in the UEFA Cup.

Levski travel to Werder Bremen, who went top of the Bundesliga at the weekend with a 6-0 win at Bochum, Inter are at home to Spartak Moscow, Kiev host Arsenal and Hamburg SV travel to Porto.

BIG MATCH The outstanding match of the week takes place in London where Chelsea meet title holders Barcelona for the third successive Champions League campaign.

Chelsea knocked Barcelona out of the competition two seasons ago, Barcelona knocked Chelsea out last season, but the edge has been taken off this meeting a little because they are meeting in the group stage.

With Werder and Levski completing the group, Chelsea and Barca should advance whatever happens in the two matches between them, but neither will want to lose on Wednesday.

Chelsea could be disadvantaged by being without either first choice goalkeeper Peter Cech or his deputy Carlo Cudicini after both were injured and taken to hospital on Saturday during Chelsea's 1-0 win at Reading.

Cech is definitely out after undergoing surgery for a depressed fracture of the skull on Saturday night, while Cudicini was discharged from hospital after being knocked unconscious late in the game.

REUTERS *