Pirlo back for Champs League - Conte

Andrea Pirlo is "inimitable" and will be back in the Juventus team for the Champions League tie against Galatasaray on Wednesday, coach Antonio Conte said after Sunday's 1-0 win over Torino.

Conte took the rare decision to leave the 34-year-old playmaker out of the side for Sunday's match but said it was all according to plan and part of his rotation for the season.

"We need to have rotation because there are so many matches and there are players who need to train," Conte told reporters.

"With his characteristics, Pirlo is inimitable," Conte added. "We want to move forward on various fronts. During the week, Andrea had his own training programme and today it was his turn to sit out. But I repeat that I have great faith in my squad."

Pirlo grabbed the headlines when he was substituted halfway through the second half of the 2-1 win over Hellas Verona a week ago and walked straight to the dressing-room instead of sitting on the substitutes' bench.

Conte did not take any action but warned that any player who did the same in future would face a heavy fine and a one-match suspension.

Juventus missed Pirlo's vision, his raking passes and his ability to dictate the rhythm of the match although Paul Pogba, seen as his eventual replacement, capped an impressive performance by scoring the only goal early in the second half.

Conte said that Torino's Ciro Immobile should have been sent off for a tackle from behind on Carlos Tevez, which has left the Argentine doubtful to face Galatasaray on Wednesday.

"There's a deep cut and I don't know if it will need stitches. I hope he can play on Wednesday.

"Sometimes, decisions go your way and sometimes they go against you. I don't know how the match would have ended if Torino had played for a whole half with 10 men," Conte added.

"We were very alert and exact in the defence, without giving space to Torino.

Utaka, Haruna impress with goals

John Utaka scored his second league goal of the season for Turkish club, Sivasspor on match day 6 of the Super Lig.

Utaka’s finish in the 17th minute helped Sivasspor record a 4-2 win over Elazigspor at the Elazig Atatürk Stadyumu on Sunday.

The 31-year-old who joined the club in the summer from Montpellier in France scored his first league goal for Sivasspor on September 15 against Eskisehirspor at the 4. Eylül Stadyumu.

In Ukraine, Lukman Haruna scored a stunning goal to help Dynamo Kyiv draw 2-2 with Vorskla at the Stadion Vorskla im Oleksiya Butov'skogo on Sunday.

The 22-year-old former AS Monaco midfielder swiveled and smacked home a tremendous half volley in a crowded penalty area in added time and almost scored the winner at the death but saw his well-struck free kick saved by the Vorskla goalkeeper, Dmytro Nepogodov.

In the Norwegian Eliteserien, Daniel Chima equalized for Molde after 59 minutes in the 1-1 draw against Haugesund at the Haugesund Stadion on Sunday.

In Spain’s La Liga, Nosa Igiebor scored the winner for Real Betis in the club’s 1-0 win over Villareal at the Benito Villamarin on Sunday.

In Belgium, Ezekiel Imoh opened the scoring for Standard Liege in the club’s 5-0 win over Cercle Brugge at the Jan Breydelstadion.

It was Imoh’s 4th league goal of the season.

Remarkably, the win was Standard Liege’s 9th win in 9 league games this season.

Dortmund geared up for Marseille test

Borussia Dortmund host Olympique Marseille on Tuesday with both sides badly needing a win after opening defeats to keep alive their hopes of reaching the Champions League's knock-out phase.

Having lost to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in last season's final, Dortmund got off to a bad start a fortnight ago, losing 2-1 at Napoli in their Group F opener as Marseille went down 2-1 at Arsenal.

It was a bad night in Naples for Borussia as centre-back Mats Hummels limped off with a leg injury, goalkeeper Ronen Weidenfeller was sent off and coach Jurgen Klopp was sent to the stands for berating the referee.

Weidenfeller is suspended for Tuesday's match at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, while Klopp will be in the stands having been given a one-mtach ban from the bench by European football's governing body Uefa.

In the wake of their Napoli defeat, Klopp insisted: "We definitely didn't produce our best display, but nothing is lost yet" but another defeat on Tuesday would seriously dampen Dortmund's European ambitions.

The Germans are chasing some Champions League revenge against Marseille after Dortmund and OM went head-to-head in the group stages two years ago with Marseille prevailing 3-0 at home and 3-2 away.

Borussia warmed-up for the French visit with a 5-0 drubbing of Freiburg on Saturday to stay top of the Bundesliga on goal difference from European champions Bayern.

Germany winger Marco Reus and striker Robert Lewandowski both scored twice in the rout with the Poland striker admitting Dortmund had targeted a big win to throw down the gauntlet for Marseille.

"We wanted to put the result beyond doubt in the first half (against Freiburg), because we know we have a tough game ahead of us in the Champions League," said Lewandowski.

"That is what our main concentration is on now, but despite of that we were very happy to get three more points against Freiburg."

Dortmund face Marseille without Germany left-back Marcel Schmelzer, who is out for three weeks after tearing a thigh muscle in training on Friday.

Schmelzer should be available again in time for Dortmund's away game against Arsenal on October 22, but is likely to miss Germany's World Cup qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden next month.

Germany midfielder Sven Bender should be able to play, despite missing the second-half against Freiburg with a shoulder injury after landing on the joint from a header.

Marseille warmed-up for Dortmund with a 2-0 win at Lorient on Saturday to stay third in the French league with Mathieu Valbuena and Andre Ayew scoring second-half goals.

Defender Jeremy Morel has been sidelined with a knee injury while striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is unlikely to play as he recovers from a toe problem and has missed the last two games.

Celtic braced for Barca 'spanking

Celtic manager Neil Lennon is worried about a "spanking" by a Barcelona side intent on revenge when the two sides face each other in their Champions League Group H clash on Tuesday.

The Scottish champions sprung a huge shock at Celtic Park last November when goals from Victor Wanyama and teenage striker Tony Watt secured a famous 2-1 triumph over the four-time European champions.

Lennon knows the Catalan giants, who will be without the injured Lionel Messi, will be set on avenging that loss and has identified 'keeper Fraser Forster, who was a stand-out in Celtic's win, as being pivotal if they are to avoid a heavy defeat.

"Us getting a spanking goes through my mind, 100 per cent. That's why the goalkeeper is so important," the Celtic boss said.

"He made some big saves in the game last year, like the one he tipped over from Messi. He made some great saves in the Nou Camp as well.

"They will come aiming to rectify what went on last year so I'm very mindful of that as well.

"I don't feel any pressure going into this game, I can go out and enjoy it. But I don't want to end up getting well beaten and it affecting the confidence of not just the team but the club.

"So we have to find a way of containing them and maximising the opportunities we get."

Celtic have been handed a huge boost with the news that Argentine superstar Messi, who netted his side's consolation goal in the defeat at Celtic Park last season, has been ruled out of the clash.

Messi scored his 11th goal of the season before being substituted with a thigh injury during his side's 2-0 win over Almeria on Saturday to join Javier Mascherano on the sidelines.

His absence is a major blow for the Catalan giants, with Messi having helped himself to a hat-trick as Barca brushed Ajax aside 4-0 in the Group H opener a fortnight ago.

However, coach Gerardo Martino has players of the calibre of Brazilian sensation Neymar to call on while Celtic sold influential trio Gary Hooper, Kelvin Wilson and Wanyama in the summer.

And while Lennon feels Barca are even stronger this year he continues to believe that his side, who side put in a good performance in their 2-0 loss to AC Milan in their first match, can cause another upset.

"Probably they are better," Lennon said.

"They're unbeaten this season again. Although they beat Ajax 4-0 the scoreline flattered them. Ajax were in the game for a long period, which gives us some sort of encouragement.

"Most people will think we can't do it, that lightning won't strike twice.

"But I have to believe we can get something out of the game. We'll be in front of our own fans and that will be good for my players. Barca have international players who have played at every level all over the world.

"They have been in hostile environments so having 60 000 people shouting at them will not affect them. But I hope it will inspire our team to go out and do it again.

"We can get something. Scott Brown is playing very well just now, as is Virgil van Dijk and Efe Ambrose. Adam Matthews has had a great start to the season too.

"I was pleased with the performance in Milan. They were not fazed at all. But Barca are a different animal, home or away.

"They are the class team in this group by a considerable margin. I will try and be compact again. I have a little bit more legs in the team than I did last year.

"I have lost Wanyama and Hooper but with Van Dijk and Brown being fit this time – and I hope James Forrest will be back – that will give us something extra in terms of pace in wide areas.

Old ghosts trouble Chelsea at Steaua

Chelsea will attempt to kick their Champions League campaign into gear at the second attempt on Tuesday when they visit Steaua Bucharest for their second Group E fixture.

The London club were stunned 2-1 by FC Basle in their first group outing and can ill afford further setbacks with a double-header against Schalke to come.

Chelsea last season became the first defending champions to be eliminated in the group phase and manager Jose Mourinho has described Tuesday's match as "the game that we cannot lose".

"Even a draw, probably, is not a good result for us, so now we have to prepare ourselves," said the Portuguese, who is bidding to win the competition with a third different club.

"We have to get 12 points to be out of any danger, so if we lose there we still have four matches to play and we will have to win them all. We don't want to put ourselves under so much pressure."

Chelsea do not have fond memories of their last visit to Bucharest, however, having lost 1-0 to Steaua in the away leg of a Europa League last 16 tie in March before winning the second leg 3-1.

Centre-back Vlad Chiriches claimed Steaua's goal at Stamford Bridge, but he has since left the Romanian capital for Tottenham Hotspur and was on the bench for his new side's 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea on Saturday.

Juan Mata tipped the momentum of the game in Chelsea's favour after coming on as a halftime substitute at White Hart Lane and Mourinho subsequently confirmed that he would start at Steaua's Arena Nationala.

Should Mourinho elect to make further alterations to his starting XI, Gary Cahill, Samuel Eto'o and Willian are among the players who could be drafted into the team.

Brazilian midfielder Ramires is also available for selection after serving a one-match ban following his dismissal in the Uefa Super Cup defeat by Bayern Munich.

Beaten 3-0 at Schalke in their Group E opener, Romanian champions Steaua warmed up for Tuesday's game with a 3-0 win at home to Poli Timisoara in the domestic championship on Saturday.

Laurentiu Reghecampf's side won a league and cup double last season, but Steaua have not appeared in the Champions League group stage since 2008 and have not won a game in the competition since September 2006.

However, the 1986 European champions boast an admirable home record against English clubs, having lost only one of eight previous encounters.

Wenger on red alert as Napoli visit

Arsene Wenger has warned his Arsenal stars that Napoli will be motivated to prove a point in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Wenger's side are brim full of confidence after opening up a two-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Swansea on Saturday.

That success in south Wales was the Gunners' fifth successive league victory and maintained their remarkable revival since an opening day defeat against Aston Villa that looked set to trigger another season of underachievement.

But Wenger is well aware, Serie A high flyers Napoli will be determined to end the Arsenal renaissance at the Emirates Stadium, especially since boss Rafael Benitez and star striker Gonzalo Higuain both want to prove their worth to English audiences.

Benitez failed to earn a long-term contract at Chelsea at the end of his interim spell in charge last season despite leading the club to Europa League glory and also securing a top four finish in the Premier League.

Instead Benitez headed off to Italy, where he has already galvanised Napoli to win five of their first six Serie A matches, while also starting their Champions League challenge by beating last year's runners-up Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at home.

Wenger is not surprised to see his old rival Benitez having an instant impact.

"Rafael Benitez is a great manager and has done well everywhere," Wenger said.

"He has a vast experience now, he has worked in Italy twice, worked in England, worked in Spain.

"All that together makes a manager more confident and more convinced of his opinions and you are not surprised how successful he has been throughout his career."

Meanwhile, Argentine striker Higuain, who appeared all set for a switch to Arsenal before Real Madrid accepted a £34 million bid from Napoli instead, would also love to prove he made the right decision to snub the Gunners.

Wenger, though, insists there is no need to reflect on what might have been after eventually landing Mesut Ozil from the Spanish side in a club-record £42.5 million deadline day transfer.

"We were working on two or three targets and Higuain was one of them. It did not come off in the end, but that does not take anything away from his quality. Napoli took advantage of that at the right moment," Wenger said.

"As we know, in the end Real Madrid sold two great players, one of them went to Napoli, one went to Arsenal."

Napoli's fine form this season and Arsenal's sudden revival makes their clash in north London one of the more intriguing encounters in Europe this week and Wenger is full of admiration for the Italian outfit.

Nevertheless, Wenger challenged his team to get the victory which would already represent a huge step towards safe passage into the knockout stages after they opening their group stage campaign with an impressive 2-1 win at Marseille.

"We know as well, when you want to qualify, your home games are vital," Wenger added.

"We have started very well with the win in Marseille, but you know if you win the second game at home you have a good chance to qualify.

"I wouldn't say it's already a decisive game, but it is a game that will have a great weight on the end result of the qualifying teams.

"So let's deal well with that situation, then we will be in a very positive mood to finish the job."

For Benitez, a Napoli victory would be further confirmation that he can remain a major player in Europe even while based in a league that has lost something of its lustre in recent years.

"We have to take it one step at a time, but I have a lot of confidence in this squad," he said before Saturday's 2-0 win at Genoa.

"It is too early to say what we can achieve. But I have a great feeling about this.

Battle lines drawn for UCL wars

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho believes Tuesday's Champions League trip to Steaua Bucharest is a match they cannot lose while Premier League leaders Arsenal take on Napoli for the first time.

Group E

Basle (SUI) v Schalke (GER)

Basle, who made the Europa League semifinals last season, stunned 2012 champions Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in their opener with goals from Mohamed Salah and Marco Streller. It was the first win for a Swiss club on English soil in 20 attempts.

Basle lead the Swiss league but were held to a 2-2 draw by Sion.

The last time Basle faced a German side they lost 7-0 to Bayern Munich in a last-16 second leg tie in 2011-2012.

Schalke were also winners on matchday one, beating Steaua Bucharest 3-0. But the German side are only mid-table in the Bundesliga and on Saturday surrendered a 2-0 lead against Hoffenheim to draw 3-3. Kevin-Prince Boateng, man of the match against the Romanians, was on the scoresheet on Saturday.

Steaua Bucharest (ROM) v Chelsea (ENG)

Chelsea warmed-up for Tuesday's tie by drawing 1-1 at London rivals Spurs in a match which saw Fernando Torres sent-off and John Terry score his team's only goal. Juan Mata will start the match that coach Jose Mourinho says is a game Chelsea can't afford to lose.

Steaua beat Chelsea 1-0 last season in the Europa League round of 16 first leg. Mata levelled the overall scores at Stamford Bridge before Vlad Chiriches restored Steaua's aggregate lead. But Terry and Torres struck to take the Londoners through.

The Romanians are playing in the group stage for the first time since the 2008-2009 season. Their last victory came at Dinamo Kiev in September, 2006.

Group F

Arsenal v Napoli

The Gunners' remarkable turnaround after an opening day defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League has seen them reel off nine consecutive wins, including a 2-1 victory away to Marseille in their Group F curtain raiser.

Arsene Wenger celebrated his 17th anniversary as Arsenal boss with a 2-1 win away to Swansea over the weekend with in-form midfielder Aaron Ramsey on target for a fourth game running. Theo Walcott is sidelined, but Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky could return after a month out.

Rafael Benitez's Napoli are also off to a strong start in Italy's Serie A, having dropped just two points from a possible 18. Benitez will have a rested Marek Hamsik to call upon.

Borussia Dortmund v Marseille

Last season's finalists Borussia Dortmund are off to a flying start in the Bundesliga with six wins from seven matches, including a 5-0 thrashing of Freiburg on Saturday. However, Jurgen Klopp's men have work to do on the European stage after slumping to a 2-1 defeat at Napoli a fortnight ago. Goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller, who was sent off in Italy, is banned while left-back Marcel Schmelzer is sidelined with a thigh problem. Marseille's first trip to Signal Iduna Park two seasons ago culminated with a dramatic late winner from Mathieu Valbuena as the visitors came from two goals down to win 3-2 and qualify for the round of 16.

Group G

Zenit Saint Petersbug v Austria Vienna

Both sides will be desperate to take all three points, having lost their openers to Atletico Madrid and FC Porto. Zenit, who lost 3-0 in Madrid, will be the more confident of the two, playing at home just a few days after going top of the Russian Premier League thanks to a 4-2 win over Spartak Moscow.

Alexander Kerzhakov became the all-time leading scorer in the Russian league in that game as he notched his 208th career goal.

Austria Vienna, 1-0 losers at home to FC Porto, went down 1-0 at Admira and are in fifth position in the top flight league. They are playing in the Champions League Group stages for the first time.

FC Porto v Atletico Madrid

Atletico have made a fantastic start to the campaign with six consecutive wins in all competitions, culminating in a first league victory over Real Madrid for 14 years on Saturday.

Unfortunately for Diego Simeone's men, talisman Diego Costa is unavailable as he serves the final match of his four-game European ban.

His absence is likely to mean a first ever Atletico start for Leo Baptistao, who scored in the Spanish side's 3-1 victory over Zenit St Petersburg two weeks ago.

Porto sit two points clear of Sporting Lisbon at the top of the Portuguese league after six games.

However, Paulo Fonseca's men will have bad memories of facing Spanish opposition after being dumped out at the quarterfinal stage by Malaga last season.

Group H

Ajax v AC Milan

Ajax will be looking to bounce back from the 4-0 mauling they suffered at the hands of Barcelona and can hold out some hope against an Italian side that has won just twice in six Serie A games. Ajax warmed up for the match with a 6-0 thrashing of Go Ahead Eagles to leave them a point off leaders PSV Eindhoven. An injury-hit Milan will be seeking to secure their second successive win in the competition – they beat Celtic 2-0 in their opener.

Celtic v Barcelona

Celtic gave Scottish football a rare moment of joy last season when they recorded an historic 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Champions League group stage. This time round Celtic manager Neil Lennon is not expecting a repeat.

However, Barcelona will be without Lionel Messi who suffered a thigh injury in Saturday's 2-0 win over Almeria. With his tough tackling compatriot Javier Mascherano also out of the match with a hamstring injury it poses some problems for coach Gerardo Martino. Defeat for Celtic would be their 100th in all European club competitions.