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UEFA say that there's no snow on the Spartak pitch, so that game's not in danger and hence neither is ours. Presumably they
know something about the weather between now and then too. Good news, anyway.
See match preview page for detailed preview, including...
- team news for both sides
- international TV coverage
- group situation
- Bayern links
- and more
In brief:
If we win tonight we top the group. If we don't win
we come second in the group unless Lyon win in Moscow, in which
case we're out. Spartak coach Oleg Romantsev has said that he'll do everything he can to help the "real gentlemen" of Arsenal.
Steffen Effenberg is suspended following a stupid foul last week
(rumour has it that, thinking they were through anyway, he got himself booked intentionally so that
the ban would be served in the last meaningless group match rather than the quarter-final). According to the official Bayern website, Mehmet Scholl will take his role as playmaker.
Dennis is out injured, but Kanu did make it to Germany and is
raring to go. He is expected to start, presumably alongside
Henry, but if things don't go swimmingly we're bound to see
all 3 strikers at some stage.
Other absentees are Keown and Edu, and Stepanovs who isn't
eligible. But Parlour returns to the squad.
This is like proper cup football. Whoever wins knows they're through, whoever loses win knows there's a good chance they're out.
And finally...
If we win tonight then, as group winners, we will play one of the runners-up from the other 3 groups in the quarter-final.
Last night those groups were completed, and the 3 teams in question are: Leeds United, Manchester United, and Galatasaray!
If we come second in the group then (after thanking Spartak)
we will be drawn against a Spanish team: Real, Valencia, or Deportivo. There will be no Italian teams in the last 8.
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