Roma v Sporting Lisbon preview
Injuries upset Roma ahead of Sporting clash
Last Updated: October 23, 2007 11:01am
Spalletti: Under pressure
Roma will be hoping to get their season back on track when they welcome Sporting Lisbon to the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday.
After an impressive start to the season, Luciano Spalletti's side have struggled on home soil in recent weeks, conceding eight goals in their last two Serie A games.
Saturday's thrilling 4-4 home draw with Napoli has seen Roma slip to fourth place in the table and their tactics have come in for criticism, but Spalletti remains defiant that his side's attacking formula is the right one.
Absence
The under-fire coach may also have to re-think his tactics for the clash due to the absence of midfielders Alberto Aquilani, Rodrigo Taddei and Simone Perrotta.
Roma launched their Group F campaign with a 2-0 home win against Dynamo Kiev and were unlucky not to grab a point in their narrow 1-0 defeat to group leaders Manchester United in their last outing.
With both sides level on three points Roma will be aiming to steal a march on the Portuguese side ahead of the return clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade on 7th November.
Sporting are seeking a second successive away victory following their 2-1 triumph at Kiev.
Delayed
Paulo Bento's side have not had the ideal preparation for the clash as their flight was delayed on Monday meaning they were unable to train on the Stadio Olimpico pitch.
Bento is planning to make a number of changes to the side which lost the first-leg of a Portuguese League Cup tie at home to second division side CD Fatima at the weekend.
First-choice keeper Vladimir Stojkovic is ruled out after returning late from Serbia duty.
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Matches
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UEFA Champions League
Tue 23rd Oct - Group G
Tue 23rd Oct - Group F
Tue 23rd Oct - Group H
Tue 23rd Oct - Group E
Tables
UEFA Champions League Group A
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris St Germain | 6 | 15 |
| 2 | FC Porto | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | Dynamo Kiev | 6 | 5 |
| 4 | Dinamo Zagreb | 6 | 1 |
UEFA Champions League Group B
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Schalke | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Olympiakos FC | 6 | 9 |
| 4 | Montpellier | 6 | 2 |
UEFA Champions League Group C
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malaga | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | AC Milan | 6 | 8 |
| 3 | Zenit St. Petersburg | 6 | 7 |
| 4 | Anderlecht | 6 | 5 |
UEFA Champions League Group D
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund | 6 | 14 |
| 2 | Real Madrid | 6 | 11 |
| 3 | Ajax | 6 | 4 |
| 4 | Manchester City | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group E
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juventus | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Shakhtar Donetsk | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Chelsea | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | FC Nordsjaelland | 6 | 1 |
UEFA Champions League Group F
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | Valencia | 6 | 13 |
| 3 | BATE Borisov | 6 | 6 |
| 4 | Lille | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group G
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 6 | 13 |
| 2 | Celtic | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Benfica | 6 | 8 |
| 4 | Spartak Moscow | 6 | 3 |
UEFA Champions League Group H
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | Galatasaray | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | CFR Cluj-Napoca | 6 | 10 |
| 4 | Braga | 6 | 3 |
