Liverpool need a miracle to progress

In last season's Champions League, the four English teams safely made it to the knock-out phase. This time round, Chelsea and Manchester United have already booked their place in the last 16 and Arsenal are almost there.

But Liverpool are in serious danger of missing out on a berth in the knock-out stages after gaining only four points from four matches. In the fifth round of the group phase (scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday), Liverpool must win their game away to Debrecen and hope that other results go their way.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are still unbeaten in the Champions League this season and top their respective group.

The five contenders

Group B (top)

Manchester United: P4, W3, D1, L0, Gls7-4, Pts10.
Home vs CSKA Moscow 3-3 (Owen, Scholes, Schennikov og).
Away vs CSKA Moscow 1-0 (Valencia).
Home vs Wolfsburg 2-1 (Giggs, Carrick).
Away vs Besiktas1-0 (Scholes).

Manchester United, who lost 2-0 to Barcelona in last season's Champions League final, lead Wolfsburg by three points and their aim is to stay top of their group. Next Wednesday, the Red Devils entertain Besiktas in front of their own fans and will be looking to complete a double over the Turks.

Last season, United achieved only one double on their way to the final − in the semi-finals against Arsenal, winning 1-0 at home and 3-1 away. Alex Ferguson's team will be keen to record two wins against a Turkish club for the first time in European competition.

The record so far:

1993-94 (Champions League second round) Galatasaray - Home 3-3, Away 0-0; Out on away goals rule.

1994-95 (Champions League group match) Galatasaray - Away 0-0, Home 4-0 (4pts).

1996-97 (Champions League group match) Fenerbahce - Away 2-0, Home 0-1 (3pts).

2004-05 (Champions League group match) Fenerbahce - Home 6-2, Away 0-3 (3pts).

Group D (top)

Chelsea: P4, W3, D1, L0, Gls8-2, Pts10.
Away vs Atletico Madrid 2-2 (Drogba 2).
Home vs Atletico Madrid 4-0 (Kalou 2, Lampard, Perea og).
Away vs Apoel Nicosia 1-0 (Anelka).
Home vs FC Porto 1-0 (Anelka).

Chelsea bowed out to Barcelona in the semi-finals of the tournament last season on the away goals rule, after a 1-1 home draw and a 0-0 stalemate at the Nou Camp.

Fans of the English game had hoped for a second successive Chelsea-Manchester United final but the referee gave the Londoners the blues at Stamford Bridge.

Didier Drogba was suspended for three games for confronting the referee. He marked his return with a double against Spanish side Atletico Madrid. On Wednesday, Chelsea travel to Porto. This will be the sixth meeting between the two clubs in the Champions League. In 2007, they met in the second round of the knock-out phase with the Blues holding the upperhand 3-2 (away 1-1, home 2-1) on aggregate.

Two years earlier they shared the points in the group phase after winning their home match - Chelsea 3-1, Porto 2-1.

Group E (third)

Liverpool: P4, W1, D1, L2, Gls3-5, Pts4.
Away vs Olympique Lyon 1-1 (Babel).
Home vs Olympique Lyon 1-2 (Benayoun).
Away vs Fiorentina 0-2.
Home vs Debrecen 1-0 (Kuyt).

Liverpool, having lost to Chelsea in the quarter-finals last season, need a helping hand from other teams in their group to survive in the competition.

The last time the Reds gained a single point or less in a Champions League group phase tie (as they did against Lyon) was in season 2002-03 against Valencia, losing both matches 0-1 at Anfield and 0-2 away. Those results prompted the Anfield hierarchy to call upon Rafael Benitez, who was at the helm of Valencia at the time, to take charge of Liverpool.

From day one of this season's competition, Liverpool showed that they would stutter as they only toppled debutants Debrecen 1-0, while the other two teams in the group enjoyed high-scoring wins against the Hungarians. The Reds will travel to Hungary for the second leg next Tuesday. This is the first time that Liverpool have encountered a Magyar side in the Champions League.

Group G (last)

Rangers: P4, W0, D2, L2, Gls4-10, Pts 2.
Away vs Unirea 1-1 (McCulloch).
Home vs Unirea 1-4 (Gomes og).
Home vs Sevilla 1-4 (Novo).
Away vs Stuttgart 1-1 (Bougherra).

Next Tuesday's home encounter against Stuttgart, who are one point above Rangers, will determine who will claim the Europa League spot when the Champions League group phase is over.

In the previous two matches against Stuttgart, the Ibrox Blues shared the points in the Champions League as follows:

2003-04 Stuttgart: Home 2-1, Away 0-1.
2007-08 Stuttgart: Home 2-1, Away 2-3.

Group H (top)

Arsenal qualified for the group phase after their emphatic play-off win over Celtic, whom they beat 5-1 on aggregate - (away: 2-0 Gallas, Caldwell og); home: 3-1 (Eduardo pen, Eboue, Arshavin).

Arsenal: P4, W3, D1, L0, Gls10-4, Pts10.
Home vs AZ Alkmaar 4-1 (Fabregas 2, Nasri, Diaby).
Away vs AZ Alkmaar 1-1 (Fabregas).
Home vs Olympiakos 2-0 (Van Persie, Arshavin).
Away vs Standard Liege 3-2 (Bendtner, Vermaelen, Eduardo).

The Gunners have a goal difference of plus six, the same as Chelsea, but while Arsenal have netted 10 goals the Blues scored eight.

Next week, Arsenal will take on Standard Liege at their own patch, where Arsene Wenger's team are undefeated against Belgian sides.

1963-64 (Fairs Cup second round) Liege 1-1.
1970-71 (Fairs Cup third round) Beveren 4-0.
1981-82 (UEFA Cup second round) Winterslag 2-1.
1993-94 (Cup Winners' Cup second round) Standard Liege 3-0.