(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) It is all even in Group A with PSG squandering a host of chances before having to settle for a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal in their opener while Ludogorets claimed a 1-1 draw away at Basel. PSG are under pressure to get a result after a patchy start to the season including a 2-0 defeat at Toulouse on Friday that left them fourth in Ligue 1. Serge Aurier, who was sent off in that game, is available for selection despite being handed a two-month prison sentence on Monday for assaulting a police officer. Marco Verratti is available after his red card against Arsenal was overturned. The Bulgarian champions have six Brazilians in their squad but two of them, full-backs Vitinha and Cicinho, are injured. The match will be played at the national stadium in Sofia, nearly 350 kilometres away from Razgrad, where Ludogorets' own ground is not considered up to scratch for major European games.
Things are looking up for Arsenal after they came from behind to hold PSG in their opener, seemingly putting them in control of the group. The Gunners marked Arsene Wenger's 20th anniversary as manager by beating Chelsea 3-0 on Saturday, leaving them third in the Premier League and unbeaten in seven games in all competitions. Alexis Sanchez scored his fifth of the season in that game having also netted in Paris. However Arsenal, who lost to Olympiakos in their opening home group game last season, should be wary of Basel. Swiss champions in each of the last seven seasons, they needed a Renato Steffen equaliser to draw with Ludogorets but have a 100 per cent domestic record. Ivory Coast international Seydou Doumbia is their leading scorer.
After on-loan Talisca's last-gasp equaliser secured a 1-1 draw against his parent club Benfica last time out, Turkish champions Besiktas entertain Dynamo Kiev at their impressive Vodafone Arena in Istanbul. Senol Gunes' side are unbeaten this season and warmed up for the game by coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home to Galatasaray. In what could be a wide-open group, Ukrainian champions Dynamo were beaten at home by Napoli in their opener and had Serhiy Sydorchuk sent off, meaning the midfielder will be suspended for this game. Serhiy Rebrov's side had suffered three defeats in four outings all told before bouncing back to beat Olimpik Donetsk 4-0 at the weekend despite leaving several regulars on the bench.
Last season's Serie A runners-up Napoli underlined their credentials in the group by winning 2-1 in Kiev in their opener thanks to a brace from Polish striker Arkadiusz Milik, who has settled well since signing from Ajax to help replace Gonzalo Higuain. Maurizio Sarri's side are still unbeaten this season but so are Benfica, who top the Portuguese league after a 2-0 win at Chaves on Saturday. Indeed, the two-time former European Cup winners are unbeaten in 17 games overall since losing to Bayern Munich in the first leg of last season's quarter-finals. Greek midfielder Andreas Samaris misses the trip due to injury.
Barcelona's trip to Germany to take on Gladbach will see goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen come up against his hometown team, whom he left in 2014 to move to Spain. The Catalans are without the injured Lionel Messi and Gladbach will hope to take advantage of that to keep alive their hopes in the group after going down 4-0 at Manchester City last time out.
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