LONDON: Liverpool’s Champions League campaign is on the line as they travel to Ludogorets on Wednesday while there will be plenty of tension in the air in North London when out-of-sorts Arsenal face already-qualified Borussia Dortmund seeking to qualify from the group stage for the 15th successive season.

Struggling five-time former champions Liverpool face a test of their integrity as they travel to Bulgaria and a crunch Group ‘B’ clash against a Ludogorets side they only beat in the 93rd minute at home on day one thanks to a Steven Gerrard penalty.

Manager Brendan Rodgers is feeling the heat after his expensively-assembled squad slumped to 12th in the Premier League following a 3-1 defeat at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Their opponents are level on three points and a draw could mean elimination for both clubs if FC Basel defeat qualified Real Madrid the same night in Switzerland.

Defending champions Real have already guaranteed qualification after four straight wins and will likely field a weakened line-up for the journey to second-placed Basel who are on six points.

Ludogorets, who have been far from disgraced in their first Champions League campaign with a win over Basel to their credit, will finish bottom of the group if they lose and need to beat Liverpool to have a chance of third spot.

Arsenal blew their chance of securing a last 16 spot last time out.

Arsenal were coasting to victory over Anderlecht, leading 3-0 with half an hour to play, before allowing the Belgian side to recover and steal a point in a 3-3 draw.

LIVERPOOL: Steven Gerrard (C) along with his Liverpool team-mates takes part in a practice session at the Melwood training ground on Tuesday.—AFP

However, they should still qualify in second place in Group ‘D’ and will do so if they get at least a draw against Dortmund and the other game between Anderlecht and Galatasaray is also drawn.

But if Arsenal slip up again — entirely possible as Borussia beat them 2-1 at the Emirates in the group stage last season — and if Anderlecht or Galatasaray should win, then nothing will be decided until the final matchday on Dec 9.

Arsenal though are not in the best of form going into Wednesday’s game, and their late capitulation to Anderlecht has been followed by successive league defeats to Swansea City and Manchester United.

Dortmund suffered the loss of key midfielder Marco Reus during their 2-2 draw at Paderborn on Saturday and the German international is out for the year while Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is a doubt after coming off injured in the defeat against United at the Emirates Stadium.

Last season’s beaten finalists Atletico Madrid will seek to avenge a 3-2 loss at Olympiakos in their first meeting when they host the Greek side on Wednesday with first place in Group ‘A’ still at stake.

Juventus, meanwhile, visit Swedish side Malmo seeking a victory to set up a final group match against Atletico that could decide which goes through first.

“We’ve got a great team and can get out of our Champions League group, but we must be focused from start to finish,” Juventus’ Paul Pogba said.

Bayer Leverkusen can make sure of place in the next stage with a draw against Monaco on Wednesday. A win would ensure Leverkusen, on nine points, top Group ‘C’, which is completed by Zenit St Petersburg and Benfica.

Zenit, the 2008 UEFA Cup winners, host a Benfica side who are level on four points at the Petrovsky Stadium. Both teams will be chasing victory in the knowledge that a draw, combined with a Monaco win at Leverkusen, would put both clubs in jeopardy.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2014