Arsenal’s victory against Roma, the only win achieved in last night’s initial knockout rounds of the Champions League, will add fresh bite to this evening’s clash between another London and Italian team, Chelsea and Juventus. This match also offers a return to Stamford Bridge for former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri who is now in charge of the Turin club.

Key to this evening’s tussle will be Momo Sissoko. The Malian has fast become a fan-favourite at Juventus and has played a key role in their season so far. Sissoko is known as a fiercely combative midfielder and a player happy to do the dirty work other ‘flair’ footballers shy away from. Recently, however, the Malian has demonstrated some flamboyance of his own with a wonderful solo goal against Palermo last week in Serie A.

As the only African in the Juventus side, Sissoko will be looking forward to facing Chelsea’s African trio of Solomon Kalou, Didier Drogba, and John Obi Mikel. These players are not only competing tonight, but are also helping their nations grab the remaining spots for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Sissoko will also do battle with Frank Lampard once again. The two were part of some memorable encounters when the Malian played for Liverpool with, more often than not, the Englishman coming out on top. This time, Chelsea are in a slump and have an ageing side while Juventus are a team on the rise. Sissoko will approach the game with extra confidence after his goal last week and Ranieri will be aware that, for Chelsea, the entire season hangs on the result of this game. A positive result at Stamford Bridge will likely seal the tie in Juventus’ favour.