Football: Five things to look for in the Bundesliga

Bayern Munich want to get their stuttering Bundesliga campaign back on track at Werder Bremen on Saturday by building on their gala 5-1 thumping of Benfica in midweek.

The defending champions, currently fifth, trail leaders Borussia Dortmund, who host Freiburg, by nine points after winning just two and losing three of their last eight league games.

Here are five things to look out for in the Bundesliga this weekend:

-Bremen's decade wait-

After 19 defeats and two draws in their last 22 games against Bayern, Bremen are chasing their first win over the struggling Bavarians since a 5-2 romp in Munich in September 2008.

Bremen are winless in their last four league games, but coach Florian Kohfeldt, 36, hopes to add to Bayern's woeful recent league record.

"It will be tough against a team of Bayern's quality, who have players who can decide games for themselves," said Kohfeldt.

He has a point as Franck Ribery, Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski have each scored at least 10 goals against Bremen, while home fans hope Claudio Pizarro, 40, comes on to score against his ex-club Bayern.

-Wary Neuer-

Bayern's rout of Benfica confirmed their Champions League last 16 berth, but captain Manuel Neuer is not getting carried away.

"That game could be an important step, but we don't know how things will now go," said the Germany goalkeeper.

"It's not as though we now have the confidence to say we'll just knock everyone else over, too much has gone wrong recently for that."

After last Saturday's lacklustre 3-3 draw at home to Fortuna Duesseldorf, Bayern president Uli Hoeness said Kovac's job was only safe until the Benfica game and defeat at Bremen would put Kovac back in the danger zone.

-Witsel scare-

Leaders Dortmund should have Axel Witsel fit to face Freiburg after the Belgium midfielder limped out of their midweek draw against Brugge which confirmed their last 16 place in the Champions League.

The 29-year-old went down in obvious pain late on against Brugge, but coach Lucien Favre revealed, "it was just cramp, it's nothing bad".

The Belgian midfield enforcer has started 11 of Dortmund's 12 league games this season and weighed in with a key assist in the 3-2 win over Bayern three weeks ago.

Freiburg last beat Dortmund in 2010 and 2001 was the last time they won at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park.

Christian Streich is expecting a tough afternoon for his 200th league game.

"Dortmund has a brutal quality and fierce tempo", said Freiburg's coach.

-Gladbach reshuffle-

With chief defender Matthias Ginter sidelined after fracturing his cheekbone and eye socket, Moenchengladbach head coach Dieter Hecking must reshuffle his back four against fourth-placed Leipzig on Sunday.

Second-placed Gladbach have won their last three games with Belgian winger Thorgan Hazard on fire with eight goals and five assists this season.

Ginter, 24, had a two-hour operation and is expected to be out for up to eight weeks after colliding with Hanover's Noah Sarenren, who suffered concussion, in last Sunday's 4-1 win.

According to daily Bild, Gladbach could raid the transfer market in January with two former players targeted as cover for Ginter.

Danish centre-back Andreas Christensen, 22, has yet to play for Chelsea this season, while Reece Oxford is playing in West Ham's Under-23 team,

-Haller, Jovic on fire-

Eintracht Frankfurt forwards Sebastien Haller and Luka Jovic, the league's joint top-scorers with nine goals each, are worth keeping an eye on against Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Jovic banged in five goals in the 7-1 thrashing of Fortuna Duesseldorf with Haller setting up two and scoring another two of his own.

Frankfurt, unbeaten since September, are up to third and Haller has scored in each of his last five league games.

The Frenchman hopes his prowess will put him on Didier Deschamps' radar as he says playing for France "would be a dream".

source: news.abs-cbn.com

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Napoli, Benfica through as Arsenal pinch top spot

PARIS, France -- Napoli and Benfica clinched places in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday as nine-man Besiktas capitulated at Dynamo Kiev, while Arsenal snatched first place away from Paris Saint-Germain in Group A.

Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens scored second-half goals to earn Napoli a 2-1 victory over Benfica in Lisbon to send the Italians through to the knockout phase as winners of Group B.

Twice former European champions Benfica pulled a goal back late on through Raul Jimenez and qualified as runners-up.

"We reached our objective, we wanted to win the group and we did it with a splendid performance here in Lisbon," said Callejon.

In the group's other game, Besiktas traveled to Ukraine hopeful of advancing after their rousing three-goal fightback on match day five against Benfica, but the Turkish champions unraveled in a disastrous first half.

Artem Besedin bundled in Dynamo's opener on nine minutes at the Olympic Stadium and Besiktas suffered a critical blow on the half hour with Andreas Beck sent off for a professional foul on Derlis Gonzalez.

Andriy Yarmolenko converted the resulting penalty and the hosts struck twice more before the break through Vitaliy Buyalskiy and Paraguayan Gonzalez to floor the visitors.

Frustrations boiled over as Cameroon striker Vincent Aboubakar was dismissed for a second yellow card on 56 minutes and a miserable evening grew even more humiliating with Serhiy Sydorchuk and Junior Moraes adding their names to the scoresheet.

"We are very, very upset and you can see it from every player’s face in the dressing room. We want to forget this game and want to represent Turkey in the best possible way in the Europa League now," said Besiktas captain Oguzhan Ozyakup.

- Ludogorets foil PSG -

Lucas Perez grabbed his first hat-trick in an Arsenal shirt as Arsene Wenger's side thumped Basel 4-1 in Switzerland to pip French champions PSG to top spot in their group.

Hobbled by an ankle injury, Perez has played sparingly since his arrival from Deportivo la Coruna in August, but the Spaniard was gifted two simple finishes as the Gunners dominated at St. Jakob-Park.

The Spaniard slotted home his third on 47 minutes and Mesut Ozil set up Alex Iwobi to score a fourth before Seydou Doumbia notched a consolation for Basel.

Ludogorets claimed a memorable point and a place in the Europa League with a 2-2 draw at the Parc des Princes where they twice led on a frustrating evening for Unai Emery's hosts.

Virgil Misidjan headed the Bulgarian outfit into an early advantage, but Edinson Cavani's superb acrobatic effort brought PSG level on the hour.

A mistake from Brazilian centre-back Marquinhos allowed Jonathan Cafu to tee up Wanderson to put Ludogorets back on top, with Angel Di Maria's stoppage-time strike not enough to prevent Arsenal climbing above Paris.

"It's a disappointment. We played a good match at Arsenal (in November) and came back in first place. I think the team deserved to win, but that's football," said PSG coach Emery.

Turkey midfielder Arda Turan hit a quickfire second-half hat-trick to propel Barcelona to a 4-0 win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach in Group C with Lionel Messi also on target for the Catalan giants.

Celtic's Patrick Roberts scored a terrific solo effort against parent club Manchester City in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

Kelechi Iheanacho staked his claim to a longer run in Pep Guardiola's first team -- with Sergio Aguero facing a four-match ban -- as the Nigerian struck a fine equaliser.

Robert Lewandowski's stunning first-half free-kick ended Atletico Madrid's bid for a perfect six group wins from six as Bayern Munich won 1-0 at the Allianz Arena.

Rostov will continue their European adventure in the Europa League after finishing third in Group D following a goalless draw at PSV Eindhoven.

source: n