Red devils have edge

PARIS - The Champions League group stage has reached the halfway mark but Manchester United and Manchester City are aware they have to raise their game after fluffing some of their early lines.

United are at least armed with the experience of three wins, including two in recent memory, in Europe's premier club competition as they look to overhaul Group C leaders Benfica by putting Romanian minnows Otelul Galati in their place at Old Trafford.

United edged the Eastern Europeans in the pair's last outing but the last time the Red Devils stepped out at their 'Theatre of Dreams' in the Champions League, the outcome came close to being a nightmare as Switzerland's Basel held them to a 3-3 draw.

Those dropped points following on from an earlier stalemate in Lisbon leave United second on the table, two points adrift of Benfica and only one clear of Basel, who nevertheless still have to travel to Portugal.

Manchester City do not have United's experience of toughing things out on European evenings where even the top sides can wobble. But Roberto Mancini's side will hope they got their wobble in early - held at home by Napoli and losing to Bayern Munich on an evening that led to the exile from the first team of Carlos Tevez.

And the Blue Moon has been rising ever since with Mancini's men having destroyed United in last week's Manchester derby but equally significantly edged Villarreal thanks to an injury-time goal from Sergio Aguero to reignite their European dreams. An ideal scenario would now see City complete the double over Spanish rivals who have yet to register a point and hope that Bayern can send Napoli packing in Bavaria, thereby allowing the Blues to leapfrog the Italians by two points.

A draw then in Italy on matchday five would put City on the brink of qualification, even if Bayern will provide a stiff final group test in Manchester.

With Tevez still seemingly in City's out-tray, the enigmatic Mario Balotelli is reaping the rewards of more playing time and he is likely to start at Villarreal after completing a three-match European suspension.

While Bayern and City's group looked tough when the draw was made, 2010 champions Inter Milan ensured by losing their opening match at home to Trabzonspor that if they went through to the last 16, they would do it the hard way.

Despite dismal league form - Inter's home loss to Juventus at the weekend left them in the bottom four - new coach Claudio Ranieri has managed to turn things around in Europe and two straight wins have lifted the Nerazurri into top spot in Group B. Inter now meet French champions Lille, who have gleaned only two points to date.

A win for the Italians will put them even more firmly in the box seat, particularly if the match in Turkey between Trabzonspor and CSKA produces a decisive outcome to leave the loser five points behind Inter.

Elsewhere today, Real Madrid, who have endured a decade since their record ninth triumph in 2002, will be out to push seasoned French campaigners Lyon towards the exit with a win at the Stade Gerland.