Despite losing home and away to Juventus, Manchester City have safely secured passage from Group D and will be hoping for a helping hand in a bid to finish top. After being knocked out by Barcelona in each of the last two seasons, Manuel Pellegrini will be keen to win the group and avoid another big hitter.

To finish top, City need to beat Borussia Monchengladbach at the Etihad and hope that Sevilla beat last year's finalists Juventus in Spain. Any other combination of results will see the Italian side take top spot.

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Image source, Getty Images

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Manchester United have left themselves with a lot of work to do to qualify from a wide-open Group B.

United face Wolfsburg needing a win to secure qualification, with a draw not enough if PSV Eindhoven beat CSKA Moscow in the night's other game. The only way a point will be enough for Louis van Gaal's side to progress is if PSV do not win at home to CSKA.

Wolfsburg will top the group if they beat United, but will also qualify with a draw regardless of results elsewhere. A United win could see the German side eliminated though.

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We've been talking about referees being abused...

Gary Hopkins: 99% decisions correct + 1% decisions wrong = 100% abuse Still love it though.

Jonathan Hales: The most disruptive youth teams are led by the most disruptive managers. It all starts at the top.

Dr Jamie Cleland: One of main concerns in the research findings was the lack of communication from some county FAs once an incident was reported.

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Gary Neville says he will not be nervous when he takes charge of Valencia for the first time on Wednesday. Lyon are the visitors to the Mestalla on Wednesday in the Champions League, a game Valecnia have to win to stand any chance of advancing.

"I don't know if it's dangerous but I don't feel anxious at all," Neville, who was appointed last week, said.

"Maybe that's good, maybe that's bad. Obviously, I've been a coach with England and I don't feel anxious before England games either. Maybe I did as a player a little bit, but as a coach I've never felt that way working under Roy [Hodgson] with England and I don't feel that way today."

A Question of Sport Teaser

You may remember that we asked you earlier on to tell us the five footballers who have won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. 

The answers? Bobby Moore, Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs.

Richard Wilson
BBC Scotland

Ann Budge has criticised the SPFL for not informing clubs about the changes to the Scottish League Cup format.

The Hearts owner says she only learned about the details of the changes when she read about them in the media on Tuesday, albeit clubs were made sent copies of the plans on Monday afternoon.

"I would liked to have known a little bit more about them before they were publicly announced," she said.

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Nine teams are through and there are another 13 in the running for the seven remaining spaces in the Champions League knockout stages.

Premier League sides Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all have work to do to join Manchester City in the next stage.

But what exactly do they have to do. It's all here on the BBC Sport website.

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Retired England cricketerAndrew Flintoffdelights in taking the Tube and doing his washing as he gives up on replacing the buzz of playing the game.  

Listen to a clip here

Players in Greece are to go on strike indefinitely from next week, the Greek Professional Soccer Players' Association (PSAP) say.

The Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) and top two leagues -- The Super League and The Football League -- have failed to keep to an agreement made two years ago to create a special relief fund to compensate players who have been released by financially-troubled teams, PSAP said in a statement. 

The strike action will begin with the Greek Cup third round matches from 15-17 December and continue with the next rounds of Super League and second division which are scheduled to take place from 19-21 December.

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Jose Mourinho has only kept his job as Chelsea manager because of past glories he has achieved at Stamford Bridge, according to former Blues assistant Ray Wilkins.

Chelsea have lost four of the last six Premier League games and need a point from their meeting with Porto at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to secure a place in the last 16.

Mourinho has won three Premier League titles in two spells at Chelsea.

"Any other manager would have gone, there are no two ways about it," Wilkins told beIN Sports., external"Mourinho is only still there, purely and simply, for what he’s done in the past."

Image source, Rex Features

Whitehawk manager Steve King says he will ban all talk of a potential FA Cup tie at Everton.

The Brighton-based National League South club will play at Goodison Park in the third round if they beat League Two Dagenham & Redbridge in a replay.

"I will ban the name Everton around the dressing room and around the club," he told BBC Sussex. 

Eastleigh striker James Constable says the National League club will relish the enormity of their FA Cup home tie against Championship side Bolton Wanders.

Constable scored as the Spitfires, who play in England's fifth-tier competition, got past fellow non-league side Stourbridge 2-0 to reach the third round for the first time.

"It will be the biggest game in the club's history," Constable told BBC South Today.

Are Liverpool close to strengthening their midfield? The Reds have held talks with Red Star Belgrade's midfielder Marko Grujic, 19, over a £5m move, according to Tuesday's Liverpool Echo., external

"The Reds are keen to sign Grujic during the January transfer window but the young midfielder wants to see out the rest of the season with Red Star before moving on," adds the report.

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A boy band on their way to the next gig? A group of lads heading for a holiday? Actually it's European champions Barcelona arriving in Germany ahead of Wednesday's Champions League game with Bayer Leverkusen.

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New Valencia boss Gary Nevilleis already making his mark on the team, installing high-angle cameras to record training sessions from above,according to the Daily Mail., external

The report claims Neville was seen directing a high-angle camera before the session ahead of Wednesday's Champions League game with Lyon, which then recorded his players' movements on the training field.

Valencia must beat Lyon to have any hope of qualifying from Group H, and also hope Gent slip up against Zenit St Petersburg in Belgium.

Image source, PA

The word on the street is that Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger will contest his Football Association violent conduct charge for an alleged elbow on West Ham defender Winston Reid.

Schweinsteiger, 31, caught the Hammers defender with his left arm as they contested a free-kick in the 40th minute of Saturday's 0-0 draw.

The Germany international will face a three-match ban if found guilty.

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Things are looking dire for the Swansea City career of Garry Monk. Speculation has been building since the weekend defeat to Leicester that he would be sacked. And now club chairman Huw Jenkins has dropped a big hint with these ominous words:

"We all feel at the club that something needs to change to get things back on a positive note as quickly as possible and get us back to the levels of performances we have got to have to win games at the Premier League level."

Jenkins is in London on Tuesday and so Monk's sacking is unlikely to happen until later in the week.

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New Valencia head coachGary Nevillesays his players must not be distracted by what is going on elsewhere when they face Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Neville must win his first match in charge and hope Gent don't win at home to Group H winners Zenit St Petersburg to progress.

"Not everything is in our hands, but we have to focus on what we do control," said Neville, who wasappointed last week. "If we don't have the result in the other game we want, that's life. The most important thing for us is focusing on our players, our direct opponent." 

Image source, Getty Images

Italian website Ita Sport Press, external is reporting that Liverpool are considering an £18m move for former Manchester United forward Giuseppe Rossi.

Rossi, 28, now plays for Italian side Fiorentina, with Liverpool set to make an offer for the frontman when the January transfer window opens.

Following the publication of a survey indicating that one in five referees in England has suffered physical abuse and nearly two-thirds experience verbal abuse on a regular basis, we asked for your stories on the topic.    

Baemie Vardy: If refs want less abuse perhaps they should consider making less awful decisions.

Crofty: I just tell them at the start of the game that I'll take no nonsense and will go straight to cards. Job done.

Mike Linwood: I got chased round the pitch after sending someone off for calling me a **** I've not ref'd since.