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Spurs down to bare bones in Moscow

Champions League football returns this mid-week as Europe’s very best resume their group-stage battles. Here are the pick of the top matches:

Champions League football returns this mid-week as Europe’s very best resume their group-stage battles. Here are the pick of the top matches:

GROUP E: CSKA Moscow vs Tottenham Hotspur (StarHub Ch202; 2.45am)

Tottenham want to kickstart their European campaign in Moscow after losing 1-2 to Monaco at Wembley last time out. They enter the game in second place in the Premier League after a 2-1 weekend win at Middlesbrough.

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, and will play 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 former Everton striker Lacina Traore.

GROUP F: Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid (Singtel Ch112 & StarHub Ch212; 2.45am)

This is the most highly anticipated showdown of the group stage. Both teams won their opening matches, albeit in contrasting circumstances. While Dortmund romped to a 6-0 away win at Legia Warsaw, reigning champions Real needed two late goals to beat Sporting 2-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real 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.

However, Zinedine Zidane’s side 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, and are unbeaten in 24 home Bundesliga games, equalling a club record, after defeating Freiburg 3-1 on Friday. Marco Reus is a long-term absentee.

GROUP G: Leicester City vs FC Porto (Singtel Ch111 & StarHub Ch203; 2.45am)

The Premier League champions will create history 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 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 previously. AFP

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