Spartak Moscow hosts Dinamo Kiev in a European Champions League game Wednesday night, with both sides needing victory to have hope of advancing in their qualifying group.
The archrivals face off at Luzhniki Stadium, beginning at 7:50 P.M. In September in Kiev, Dinamo stormed back with three second-half goals to win 3-2 before 90,000 fans, in the teams' first meeting since Ukraine's independence in 1991.
The Champions League reaches its penultimate round with nearly all the crucial issues still to be decided. But after Wednesday night's games a much clearer picture will emerge of the eight sides -- the top two in each of the four qualifying groups -- which will go through to the quarter-finals to be staged next March.
Both Spartak and Dinamo, with two points each, will be gunning for a win to make the quarterfinals from Group B. Bayern Munich, which plays group leader Paris St. Germain, has the edge with four points and can probably secure a quarterfinal berth with a win. Paris St. Germain, with eight points, is already assured of advancing.
A loss or a draw for Bayern Munichcould open the way for Spartak and Dinamo, depending on the outcomes of the final round of games. A variety of tiebreakers are used if teams are equal on points.
In other key Champions League games, Ajax Amsterdam takes on struggling AC Milan in Group D, and Manchester United plays IFK Gotenborg in Group A.
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Everton celebrated Joe Royle's managerial debut with a 2-0 victory over Merseyside rival Liverpool, lifting the Goodison Park club off the bottom of the Premier League standings for the first time since Sept. 10 and delighting the 39,866 fans at Goodison.
Duncan Ferguson, on a two-month loan from Scottish club Rangers, scored in the 57th minute Monday night, and set up substitute Paul Rideout's goal in the 89th as Everton won the 151st meeting between the two teams.
It was Everton's second victory in 17 games this season, and its second in 15 league games. The club improved to 20th place in the 22-team league, ahead of Ipswich and Leicester. Liverpool remained fourth.
"I'm absolutely delighted for the team, the fans and everyone here," Royle said. "They've been waiting a long time for this.
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