It's hard to imagine but nine-time winner Real Madrid, domestic champions Arsenal and Valencia and defending titlist FC Porto have just one more chance to reach the second round of the Champions League.

　　Star studded Real, an Arsenal team that won the Premier League without losing a game, Spanish champion Valencia and Porto, which won the UEFA Cup and Champions League back to back, are chasing four of the remaining seven places in the last 16 going into today's and tomorrow's final group matches.

　　German champion Werder Bremen is another team that could lose out.

　　Nine teams have already qualified - Italian clubs AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus, England's Chelsea and Manchester United, Germany's Bayern Munich, Spanish league leader Barcelona, French champion Lyon and Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.

　　It is a must-win day for Arsenal, Valencia and Porto tonight, while Bremen only needs a draw to advance.

　　Arsenal hosts Rosenborg at Highbury needing a win to advance from Group A. Panathinaikos can edge out the Gunners is if they beat PSV Eindhoven in Greece and Arsenal loses. A draw will not be enough for the Greeks, even if Arsenal lose.

　　The Gunners, which won for the first time in five matches with a 3-0 victory over Birmingham on Saturday, will be without influential midfielder Patrick Vieira and defender Lauren through suspension.

　　Manuel Almunia could start again in goal after displacing Jens Lehmann on Saturday. The Spaniard kept Arsenal's first clean sheet in 14 matches, but didn't have a lot to do. Lehmann had played in all of Arsenal's 49-match unbeaten league streak.

　　Group H is the only group where all four teams could reach the next round. Chelsea is certain of the top spot, with Paris Saint-Germain, Porto and CSKA Moscow fighting for second. PSG can assure itself of staying in second place by beating CSKA Moscow in Paris. CSKA will progress if it beats PSG and Porto doesn't beat Chelsea. Porto can qualify if it beats Chelsea in Portugal and PSG draws or loses.

　　Jose Mourinho returns to Porto after guiding the club to the Champions League title last season. He's likely to rest several players in preparation for the top-of-the-table league clash with Arsenal next Saturday.

　　Mourinho has also called on extra security for the match after he was spat at during Chelsea's 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

　　Porto will be without defender Nuno Valente and midfielder Raul Meireles.

　　"It will be a decisive game for Porto and knowing Jose Mourinho like I do, even though Chelsea are in he will not make things easier for us," striker Maciel Cunha said.

　　In Group G, Inter Milan is already through and will only finish second if it fails to beat Anderlecht and Werder Bremen wins in Spain.

　　Valencia has to beat Bremen by more than one goal to earn second place over the Germans on goal difference. Valencia beat Albacete 1-0 on Saturday to extend its unbeaten run to five matches.

　　In Group F, AC Milan and Barcelona are already through. Celtic, which hosts AC Milan, needs to match or better Shakhtar's result to secure third place.

　　Shakhtar hosts Barcelona.

　　Tomorrow, Real Madrid will ensure its place in the next round with a win over Roma in an empty Stadio Olimpico in Group B. The Spaniards will finish second if Leverkusen or Dynamo Kiev win their last match, but will top the group if the two draw in Germany. If Real draws with Roma, a point will be enough for Leverkusen and Dynamo to go through on goal difference.

　　Real welcomes back Zinedine Zidane, who had missed the club's last two matches with back trouble.

　　Roma has one point from five games and will finish bottom.

　　In Group A, Olympiakos only needs a draw at Liverpool to advance, while Monaco needs to beat Deportivo La Coruna in Spain to go through. If Liverpool wins, it will advance, even if Monaco draws.

　　Liverpool could welcome back striker Milan Baros after nearly a month with a hamstring injury.

　　"The most important thing I know is that if we win 1-0 we go through, I will take that," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "If we don't win, and not do what we need to do, then we will not deserve to go through."

　　Manchester United looks set to finish at the top of Group D. Only a United draw or defeat at Turkey's Fenerbahce combined with a Lyon win over Sparta Prague can push the Red Devils into second.

　　Juventus has already won Group C after five wins and plays at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Bayern Munich will finish second regardless of its result against Ajax.

　　(The Associated Press)