PFC CSKA Moskva knows victory over struggling Hamburger SV is absolutely necessary if they are to reach the knockout stage for the first time. They are also aware they will still be eliminated from the UEFA Champions League if Arsenal FC and FC Porto draw the other Group G fixture on Wednesday.
Having prepared his side for the big showdown at Hamburg in the south of Spain, coach Valeri Gazzaev has made it clear that the CSKA players are not in holiday mood. They are taking this match very seriously and we want to stay in the competition.
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The newly crowned Russian champions will then have a much earned vacation. Yet Gazzaev is full of respect for opponents who have not collected a single point in their group stage campaign. He said: "It makes no difference if Hamburg is supposedly in crisis. For us, they have just been unlucky till now."
CSKA's chances have been hit by the news that defensive linchpin Sergei Ignashevich has failed to recover from the knee injury that ruled him out of the 2-0 home loss to Porto on Matchday 5. Deividas Šemberas will play in the centre of a three man defense in place of the Russian international, whose absence is a huge blow.
However, influential Brazilian midfielder Dudu is fit to start after overcoming the knock that prompted his first-half withdrawal against Porto two weeks ago.
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Gazzaev's options had already been restricted by suspensions for key striker Vágner Love and midfielder Elvir Rahimi?, who were booked for the third time in the competition against Porto. Ivan Taranov, who made his UEFA Champions League debut as a late substitute in the same game, should come in for Rahimi? with Ivica Oli? replacing Vágner Love.
While points mean everything to CSKA, there is pride at stake for Hamburg who are keen to avoid joining a select band of clubs to have lost all six group matches.
"Wednesday night will be about honour," coach Thomas Doll said. "We must prove we're strong enough to win points in the Champions League. We can't be afraid and we must believe we can beat CSKA. This is a perfect chance to gain confidence during a very difficult period."
Hamburg, second from bottom in the Bundesliga, do not even have a UEFA Cup place to play for, but that does not lessen the pressure according to Doll. Although Doll's cause has been hindered by a lengthy injury list, with Vincent Kompany, Thimothée Atouba, Guy Demel, René Klingbeil, Juan Pablo Sorín, Nigel de Jong and Raphael Wicky all out. With his forwards short on goals, Doll could give 21-year-old Albanian striker Besart Berisha a first start in the tournament.
Probable teams
Hamburg: Stefan Wächter; Mehdi Mahdavikia, Bastian Reinhardt, Joris Mathijsen, Collin Benjamin; David Jarolím, Benny Feilhaber, Rafael van der Vaart, Piotr Trochowski; Besart Berisha, José Paolo Guerrero.
CSKA: Igor Akinfeev; Vasili Berezutskiy, Deividas Šemberas, Aleksei Berezutskiy; Miloš Krasi?, Ivan Taranov, Dudu, Evgeni Aldonin, Yuri Zhirkov, Ivica Oli?; Daniel Carvalho.
Hamburg has no chance against visiting powerhouse CSKA Moscow, who at +125 is a fine pick at Bodog.com
