The Himalayan Times

Sports

Real host Milan in a clash of titans

Real host Milan in a clash of titans

By Agence Frace Presse

PARIS; Real Madrid fans would be forgiven for focusing all their attention on club icon Raul on Wednesday as the club host a mouth-watering clash between the nine-times European champions and AC Milan. With his 65 goals still leading the way in Europe’s premier club competition, Raul made a little piece of history on Saturday when his 711th game for Real made him the club’s all-time leading appearance holder. To top beating legendary Real defender Manolo Sanchis’s record of 710 games, Raul also scored twice in the 4-2 defeat of Valladolid. Milan arrive in the Spanish capital with a desire to return in May 2010, when Real’s stadium hosts the final. And the Italian giants should be in buoyant mood having claimed a valuable come-from-behind 2-1 win at home to Roma on Saturday. Real, with six points from two games, will be giving nothing away for free. And defender Sergio Ramos has called for his side to step up against what he called an impressive opponent. Raul, typically, played down his personal achievements as he looked forward to his 712th appearance for the club. Elsewhere in Group C Marseille have no choice but to beat FC Zurich at the Velodrome if they are to salvage a winless, and point-less, campaign so far. After defeats to Milan (1-2) and Real (0-3) Didier Deschamps’ side are propping up the table, with even Zurich — minnows in comparative terms — sitting second on three points. Bordeaux have a far better chance of finishing among the top two and joining the first knockout round. But despite a positive start to Group A with four points from two games, Bordeaux host Bayern Munich in something of an identity crisis. Amid their search for the goals that strike duo Yoann Gourcuff and Marouane Chamakh were knocking in regularly in August, Bordeaux suffered their first defeat of the league campaign, against Auxerre, on Saturday. Juventus will be looking forward to claiming their first win of Group A when they host basement side Maccabi Haifa in Turin. Like Real, Manchester United and Chelsea are looking to make it three wins out of three when they face CSKA Moscow and Atletico Madrid respectively. CSKA have three points from two games having been beaten at Wolfsburg and then beating Besiktas 2-1 at home. United would normally be confident of winning in Moscow but they will be missing five key players in midfielders Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher and Park Ji-Sung, defender Patrice Evra and striker Wayne Rooney.