Avram faces tough Euro test

PARIS – Chelsea’s under-fire new manager Avram Grant will face his first European test tonight away to Valencia who are keen to avenge last season’s quarter-final loss in the European Champions League.

There has been a chorus of protest since Grant took over from Jose Mourinho which grew louder after his first home match resulted in a 0-0 stalemate against Fulham on Saturday when the Chelsea players were booed off the pitch. Grant will travel to Europe for the first time as Chelsea manager for the Group A match probably without captain John Terry, who fractured his cheek against Fulham, and striker Didier Drogba who was sent off in the same match.Chelsea are languishing in eighth place in the English Premiership, eight points away from leaders Arsenal.However Valencia come into today’s match after their 1-0 win over Recreativo Huelva on Sunday, their fifth victory in a row, and one point behind leaders Real Madrid.David Villa, who scored Valencia’s winner on Sunday, admitted revenge for last season’s painful quarter-final defeat, when Chelsea scored a late winner, was on their minds.The Spanish side started their European Champions League campaign with a solid 1-0 away victory against Schalke 04 while Chelsea were disappointing with a 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg.It will also be the first European match for new Marseille manager, Belgian Eric Gerets, who faces a tough Group A match away to last year’s Champion’s League finalists Liverpool.Liverpool, fourth in the English Premier League after a 1-0 win over Wigan, will be looking to notch up their first European win after a 1-1 away draw with FC Porto when they were reduced to 10 men just eight minutes into the second half.Celtics’ hopes of upsetting last year’s Champion League winners AC Milan at Celtic Park, in a Group D Champion League match, received a blow on Saturday when Dutch international striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink suffered a hamstring injury.Celtic lost their first Champions League match away to Ukrainian side Shakhtar 2-0.In other matches, Spanish league leaders Real Madrid are away to Lazio, Besiktas host Porto, Olympiakos travel to Werder Bremen, Benfica host Shakhtar and Rosenborg entertain Schalke 04.Nampa-AFPGrant will travel to Europe for the first time as Chelsea manager for the Group A match probably without captain John Terry, who fractured his cheek against Fulham, and striker Didier Drogba who was sent off in the same match.Chelsea are languishing in eighth place in the English Premiership, eight points away from leaders Arsenal.However Valencia come into today’s match after their 1-0 win over Recreativo Huelva on Sunday, their fifth victory in a row, and one point behind leaders Real Madrid.David Villa, who scored Valencia’s winner on Sunday, admitted revenge for last season’s painful quarter-final defeat, when Chelsea scored a late winner, was on their minds.The Spanish side started their European Champions League campaign with a solid 1-0 away victory against Schalke 04 while Chelsea were disappointing with a 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg.It will also be the first European match for new Marseille manager, Belgian Eric Gerets, who faces a tough Group A match away to last year’s Champion’s League finalists Liverpool.Liverpool, fourth in the English Premier League after a 1-0 win over Wigan, will be looking to notch up their first European win after a 1-1 away draw with FC Porto when they were reduced to 10 men just eight minutes into the second half.Celtics’ hopes of upsetting last year’s Champion League winners AC Milan at Celtic Park, in a Group D Champion League match, received a blow on Saturday when Dutch international striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink suffered a hamstring injury.Celtic lost their first Champions League match away to Ukrainian side Shakhtar 2-0.In other matches, Spanish league leaders Real Madrid are away to Lazio, Besiktas host Porto, Olympiakos travel to Werder Bremen, Benfica host Shakhtar and Rosenborg entertain Schalke 04.Nampa-AFP