Spitting incident sees Messi warned

BARCELONA coach Josep Guardiola has reprimanded Lionel Messi ahead of their Champions League clash with Basle after the Argentine striker appeared in TV images to have spat at Portuguese midfielder Duda during his side’s 4-1 win at Malaga over the weekend.

“It is not right that these sorts of things happen,” Guardiola said, ahead of Barca’s Group C match at home against the Swiss side tonight.

Messi spat in the direction of Duda after the two exchanged words during Saturday’s Spanish league match.

The 21-year-old scored one of Barcelona’s four goals while Duda, 28, scored his side’s only goal. The match was also marred by monkey chants directed at Barca’s Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o.

Meanwhile Guardiola urged his in-form side not to take Basle lightly despite their 5-0 thrashing of the Swiss outfit a fortnight ago.

Basle have been boosted since the first meeting between the sides on October 22 by returning to the top of the Swiss Super League.

Manager Christian Gross, who looks set to abandon the 4-4-2 formation used in the home encounter and go with a more defensive outlook tonight, will be without Scott Chipperfield.

The veteran Australia winger has undergone surgery to clear up an infection and could be sidelined until January.

Basle have yet to register a point in Group C and have scored only one goal in their three games so far.

Sporting Lisbon host Shakhtar Donetsk in Group C’s other game. Sporting won when the sides met in Ukraine last time out and a second defeat for Shakhtar would put the Portuguese club out of reach, and leave them hoping for an unlikely Basle victory in Barcelona to keep alive any hopes of progressing in Europe’s premier club competition.

Marseille go into their Group D match against PSV Eindhoven at the Stade Velodrome without a point from three matches.

Inter Milan travel to Anorthosis Famagusta in Nicosia knowing a win will effectively put them through.

With two wins and a draw, the Italian side hold a three-point advantage over Anorthosis, who lie in second place in Group B with four points.

Werder Bremen host Panathinaikos in the other game in Group B.

Although Bremen have yet to lose a game in Europe this season, three draws have left them third in their group behind Inter and Anorthosis Famagusta.

Bordeaux will be without goalkeeper Ulrich Rame in Romania as they go in search of a second win over Cluj in the space of a fortnight in Champions League Group A.