Barca eye quarters berth

New Panathinaikos coach Jesualdo Ferreira will be facing a familiar foe when he makes his debut with the Greek champions against Barcelona in Champions League Group D on Wednesday.

The Portuguese was sacked by Barca8217;s struggling La Liga rivals Malaga earlier this month before being hired last week to replace Nikos Nioplias. Ferreira,who also coached FC Porto,has already begun to make changes and appointed top scorer Djibril Cisse as captain in place of Gilberto Silva. The winless Greeks are bottom of the group on two points with four out of six matches played,one behind Rubin Kazan,and their prospects of making the last 16 look bleak. Barca and FC Copenhagen would both advance if they beat Panathinaikos and Rubin respectively and a draw would be enough for Barca if Rubin do not win. The 2009 champions could even afford to lose by three goals and still go through if Copenhagen beat the Russians.

Barca warmed up for the trip to Greece by crushing Almeria 8-0 on Saturday,a result that equalled their biggest-ever league victory,back in 1959. Panathinaikos are also on goalscoring form,having defeated Iraklis 4-2 on Saturday to cement top spot in the Super League,with Cisse netting twice to take his league tally to 10 goals.

Barca forward Bojan Krkic,who notched his first strikes of the season with a double on Saturday,said he and his team mates were focused on the Panathinaikos game and not distracted by next Monday8217;s La Liga El Clasico against Real Madrid.

Barca have lost only one of their last 14 CL away games. Coach Pep Guardiola is taking charge of his 30th match in the competition and has lost only three.