Real Madrid faces elimination

London:

Nine-time European Cup champion Real Madrid has dominated the continental competition since it was devised 50 years ago. However, it could be eliminated from the Champions League in the eerie atmosphere of an empty stadium on Wednesday. In its final group match, the Spanish giant will try to beat host AS Roma with not a single fan in Rome's Olympic Stadium to see the "Galaticos" attempt to qualify for the last 16 of the competition. UEFA has banned fans from attending Roma's home games after Swedish referee Anders Frisk was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd during a match against Dynamo Kiev. But a Madrid loss will mean that the competition's most storied club won't be joining the other powerhouse teams in the second round. So far, nine clubs have advanced from the first round, Italian clubs Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, England's Manchester United and Chelsea, Spain's FC Barcelona, Germany's Bayern Munich, France's Lyon and the Netherlands' PSV Eindhoven. They will be joined by three more teams today. That leaves four more spots open on Wednesday. (AP)