Champions League Group E preview: Roma, Basel battle for second

Claudio Ranieri’s Roma will be wary of an upset when they travel to face CFR Cluj in Champions League Group E on Wednesday.

Second-placed Roma are in pole position to join Bayern Munich in the knockout stages, and only need a point from their trip to the Stadionul Dr. Constantin Radulescu to guarantee their passage to the last 16.

Roma are three points clear of third-placed FC Basel, but a goal worse off than the Swiss title holders.

If Basel spring a surprise in Munich and Roma conspire to lose in Romania, the teams will trade places, leaving Ranieri to settle for Europa League football in the second half of the season.

Cluj have nothing to play for after being consigned to fourth place with a defeat at the hands of Basel on matchday five, a loss that led to the sacking of coach Sorin Cartu.

The Romanians may be out of form in Europe, but they have won four of their last seven in the league and are undefeated since October.

They may also wish to bow out of the competition with some pride restored, spurred on by the memory of their first ever Champions League victory – secured against Roma in September 2008.

Roma come into the game on the back of a frustrating 2-2 draw away to Chievo on Saturday, and they went down 3-1 away to Palermo the week before.

German champions Munich are top by three points and only an improbably heavy defeat at home to FC Basel, coupled with a big win for Roma, can prevent them from claiming top spot in the group.

Bayern, who reached the final of the competition last season and also collected the Bundesliga title, are struggling by comparison this time around.

While their European form has been respectable, they are well off the pace in the league, with their latest reverse coming in the form of a 2-0 defeat away to Schalke on Saturday.

Basel meanwhile have three wins in a row in all competitions, and may yet spring a surprise at the Allianz Arena.