Basel braced for decider

Basel
Victory at home against Group A leaders Feyenoord on 16 December will assure Basel of a place in the last 32 and Christian Gross's side warmed up for the task with their third win in eight days. Goals from Scott Chipperfield, Christian Giménez and Benjamin Huggel put the Swiss champions 3-0 up against Grasshopper-Club by half-time and despite Giménez's second-half dismissal, Basel rode the home side's comback to win the game 3-2. Although Julio Hernan Rossi missed the game through suspension, he is sure to return to face Feyenoord. Mladen Petric, Murat Yakin and Boris Smiljanic remain sidelined.

Feyenoord
Ruud Gullit's side could suffer a single-goal defeat and still progress as Group A winners but will nevertheless travel to Switzerland in search of victory. Dirk Kuijt and Salomon Kalou scored in Feyenoord's 2-1 win against NEC Nijmegen at the weekend, but Gullit is likely to be without right-back Chong-Gug Song (calf) and midfield player Sebastian Pardo (hamstring) for next week's game. Left-back Ramon van Haaren is also out with a knee injury.

Hearts
Needing to at least better Basel's result against Feyenoord when they welcome Ferencváros to Murrayfield, Hearts enjoyed a comfortable 3-0 home win against Dunfermline FC on Saturday. Dennis Wyness, Ramón Pereira and Paul Hartley, with a second-half penalty, scored the goals to move the capital club up to fourth in the Scottish Premier League. Phil Stamp came on as a second-half substitute but the midfield player, who has struggled most of the season with a troublesome calf injury, was carried off on a stretcher minutes from the end with an ankle injury.

Ferencváros
The Hungarian league does not resume until March 2005 with Ferencváros currently three points clear at the top. Csaba László's side can only go through if they win and Basel lose - and even then goal difference could carry the Swiss side through. Romanian defender Sorin Botis should return for the trip to Scotland after a five-week lay-off with a groin strain, but Adem Kapic will miss the match through suspension.

Schalke
Already qualified and having completed their Group A fixtures, FC Schalke 04 were able to focus on domestic matters and moved joint-top of the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win at BV Borussia Dortmund. Ailton scored the only goal, his sixth in eight games. Lincoln and Marcelo Bordon both returned to Schalke's starting lineup, leaving Darío Rodríguez and Gustavo Varela as the only absentees.