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Champions League: Dortmund gear-up for Real Madrid test

Tottenham Hotspur, who have climbed to the second spot in the Premier League, are set to play in Moscow for the first time.

Paris: We take a look at Tuesday's Champions League action as last year's winners Real Madrid go to Borussia Dortmund and Premier League champions Leicester City host Porto looking to claim a second win in as many games (all kick-offs 1845 GMT):

CSKA Moscow v Tottenham Hotspur (Group E)

Tottenham Hotspur are flying high, after climbing to the second spot on the Premier League table in the weekend. (Photo AP)Tottenham Hotspur are flying high, after climbing to the second spot on the Premier League table in the weekend. (Photo AP)

Tottenham will look to kickstart their European campaign in the Russian capital after losing 2-1 to Monaco at Wembley last time out. Mauricio Pochettino's side go to Moscow for the first time and do so in second place in the Premier League after a 2-1 weekend win at Middlesbrough in which Son Heung-Min scored twice.

Moussa Sissoko could miss the game after suffering concussion at the weekend and a depleted Spurs are already without striker Harry Kane while also having major doubts over Mousa Dembele, Eric Dier and Danny Rose.

CSKA came from two goals down to draw in Leverkusen last time out to set them up nicely for their first Champions League game in their new 30,000-seat stadium. Leonid Slutsky's side drew 1-1 at home to Krasnodar at the weekend with a goal from giant Ivorian striker Lacina Traore, who once had a spell at Everton.

Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid (Group F)

Dortmund will bank on Aubameyang's services against Real Madrid.Dortmund will bank on Aubameyang's services against Real Madrid. (Photo: AP)

One of the most highly-anticipated showdowns of the group stage sees reigning champions Real Madrid head to Germany to take on 1997 winners and 2013 runners-up Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park. Both teams are expected to progress to the last 16 and both won their opening matches, albeit in contrasting circumstances.

While Dortmund romped to a 6-0 win away at Legia Warsaw, Real needed two late goals to come back and beat Sporting 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid won 3-2 on aggregate when the teams last met in the quarter-finals in 2013/14, but they have been beaten on their last three visits to Dortmund and they do not have a good record in Germany, with just four wins from 29 trips.

Zinedine Zidane's side – for whom Pepe is set to return – are still unbeaten this season but have drawn their last two La Liga games at home to Villarreal and away at Las Palmas. Dortmund, meanwhile, have won four on the bounce in all competitions, scoring 20 goals in the process, and are unbeaten in 24 home Bundesliga games, equalling a club record, after defeating Freiburg 3-1 on Friday. Marco Reus is among the long-term absentees for Dortmund.

Leicester City v FC Porto (Group G)

Leicester have already lost three matches this campaign, something that will worry manager Claudio Ranieri. (Photo: AP)Leicester have already lost three matches this campaign, something that will worry manager Claudio Ranieri. (Photo: AP)

The Premier League champions get set for another historic moment as they host two-time European champions Porto in the first ever Champions League game at the King Power Stadium.

Claudio Ranieri's team lost 4-1 at Manchester United on Saturday, their third league defeat already this season. However, a 3-0 win in Bruges was an ideal start to their European campaign and Porto have lost and failed to score on each of their last four visits to England.

They will be familiar with the threat of Leicester's record signing Islam Slimani from his time in Portugal with Sporting. Andre Silva scored twice as Porto beat city rivals Boavista 3-1 at the weekend. Maxi Pereira is expected to be fit for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, who were held at home by Copenhagen after beating Roma to reach the group stage.

Dinamo Zagreb v Juventus (Group H)

Juventus have improved their form over the last couple of matches, and will look to capitalise on that. (Photo: AP)Juventus have improved their form over the last couple of matches, and will look to capitalise on that. (Photo: AP)

The Italian champions, runners-up in 2015, did not get off to the best start as they were held to a goalless draw by Sevilla but they will be expected to get a win under their belts in Croatia against one of the weakest sides in the competition.

The Turin giants have injury worries too, with Kwadwo Asamoah and Daniele Rugani joining Medhi Benatia and Claudio Marchisio on the sidelines in the wake of the 1-0 weekend win at Palermo.

Marko Pjaca could play, though, against the team he left in the summer – he played for them and scored twice in the win over Vardar Skopje in the second qualifying round. Dinamo, who beat Arsenal at home last season, have bounced back from a run of three straight defeats with back-to-back domestic wins.

( Source : AFP )
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