CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Massive night of Champions League action
Tonight's UEFA Champions League fixtures throw up two absolute crackers involving Bundesliga teams. Title-holders VfL Wolfsburg travel to the 'Theatre of Dreams', while Bayern Munich entertain an old friend - or Old Lady - in the form of Italian giants Juventus.
Manchester United v VfL WolfsburgWolfsburg travel to Manchester in only their second-ever Champions League match and their first away from home. Indeed, Armin Veh's troops will do well not to be overwhelmed by the glamour of the tie, although United coach Sir Alex Ferguson is himself well aware of the 'incredible' threat posed by Wolfsburg strike duo Edin Dzeko and Grafite.
With the Bundesliga boasting the highest average attendance figures of any top European league, the German champions certainly have no need to be intimidated by the raucous Old Trafford atmosphere and Veh has already emphasised that his team will not be travelling to England simply to 'swap shirts'.
In what promises to be an exhilarating game of attacking football, the 'Wolves' have been tipped to take the game to their hosts by playing former Newcastle United striker Obafemi Martins in a three-pronged attack alongside Dzeko and Grafite. Whether the 54-goal strike force of last year can overcome the three-time European champions, however, remains to a tall order.
FC Bayern München v Juventus Meanwhile at the Allianz Arena, FC Bayern München take on Italian heavyweights Juventus in a no less appetising fixture, whereby the Bavarian giants are of course well seasoned in such glitzy European nights and will be keen to extend their lead at the top of the Group A table.
Louis van Gaal's troops won five matches on the trot before Saturday's narrow defeat by fellow title contenders Hambuger SV and face a 'Juve' side unbeaten in all competitions this term. Louis van Gaal has attributed that statistic to the defensive mentality of Italian clubs, though the 1996 Champions League winners boast an array of attacking talent, not least in the form of former Werder Bremen man Diego.
Tonight's clash will be the third group stage meeting in the space of five years, with Juventus coming out on top both home and away in the 2004/5 season, before the two sides indulged each other a home victory the following year. One man who has switched allegiances since those games is Bosnian midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic, who spent nine years at Bayern before a 2007 move to the Turin club. No doubt the man nicknamed 'Barazzo' by the Bayern faithful will be keen to show his old employers a thing or two during tonight's match.
All tonight's Champions League matches kick off at 20:45 CET.