Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Champions League between Basel and Steaua Bucuresti.

The two sides are back in action against each other just two weeks removed from their 1-1 draw in Romania when a late Leandro Tatu goal earned Bucuresti a point.

That point was Steaua's first in the competition this year following back-to-back defeats to Chelsea and Schalke in their opening two games and it may have just kept them alive in terms of their qualification hopes. But they need a win tonight.

Basel will have been disappointed to have conceded that late goal last time out as they slipped behind Chelsea and Schalke into third place in the group and now they face an uphill task to qualify for the latter stages after their excellent start.

Since the draw in the Champions League, Steaua have gone three games unbeaten in their domestic competitions, registering two wins and a draw which has cemented their place at the top of the Liga 1 table.

Meanwhile Basel have struggled to find the net since the draw scoring just once in a 1-1 draw with Aarau on Saturday following a 0-0 draw with Zurich two weeks ago. They're still top of the Super League but are far from their best form at the moment.

The lineups have been released ahead of the game and we'll start with the home side.

BASEL STARTING XI: Sommer, Ivanov, Voser, Schar, Serey Die, Delgado, Stocker, Frei, Salah, Xhaka, Streller

BUCURESTI STARTING XI: Tatarusanu, Szukala, Gardos, Latovlevici, Georgievski, Pintilii, Tanase, Stanciu, Bourceanu, Popa, Piovaccari

The home side have made two changes to their team from the clash two weeks ago, as Taualant Xhaka and Matias Delgado come into the team to replace Marcelo Diaz and Behrang Safari. Safari is out with a thigh injury which he sustained against Aarau, which may keep him out of the rest of the group stage games. Meanwhile, Valentin Stocker has recovered from a groin injury which kept him out of the draw at the weekend to play tonight.

The visitors are unchanged from the side that drew 1-1 in Romania meaning there is no place for goalscorer Leandro Tatu as Federico Piovaccari continues to lead the line. Mihai Pintilii has managed to shake off an injury which has kept him out of action for the past two weeks to play tonight.

BASEL SUBS: Vailati, P. Degen, Ajeti, D. Degen, Diaz, Elneny, Sio

BUCURESTI SUBS: Nita, Filip, Varela, Chipciu, Prepelita, Pîrvulescu, Kapetanos

Basel coach Murat Yakin is adamant that his side need to win tonight to keep their hopes of qualifying for the next round alive. He told reporters: "We need to do better and do what we failed to do in Bucharest – to score. We want to win. We played well in Bucharest until the hour but didn't find the net and we hope to do better this time. We have been informed that Steaua have changed their tactics and we are prepared.

"A draw is no good for either team. We both want to keep our Champions League hopes alive and both clubs have the quality to continue. Both teams need a win. There has been a lot of criticism of Basel lately but we are still in the Champions League, and in the Swiss league we are first, so I can imagine worse situations. The critics are looking from the outside in."

Steaua coach Laurentiu Reghecampf has revealed that he may need to alter his tactics from the norm to get a result to stay in the competition tonight.

He told reporters: "It is a very important match – we would like to win and we need to to stay in the Champions League. We saw in Bucharest that these are very difficult opponents – Basel played very well, they are a very strong team. We don't want to make the same mistakes we made in Bucharest. We will try to be more compact and attack more.

"In previous seasons Steaua have played very well in the matches that really mattered, but the Champions League is a different level to the Europa League. Here the level is higher and the opponents are stronger, better organised. If we want to stay in the Champions League we have to invest more."

STAT ATTACK! Bucuresti have conceded eight goals in the competition this season, which is the same number that all three of the other teams in Group E have conceded in total after three games.

One final quote before kickoff and Steaua striker Federico Piovaccari sums up his side's situation nicely by stating they must win this game.

He told reporters: "We need to win at any cost against Basel if we are to have a chance of playing in the spring in the knockout phase."

The players are out on the pitch and we should be underway shortly.

We're underway in this Group E clash.

Slow start to the game as Basel pass the ball around at the back to build some momentum.

The Swiss side move down the left with Delgado and he fires a low cross into the penalty area looking for the run of Stocker but Gardos does well to cut the ball out and clear the danger.

Steaua's turn to pass the ball around the back and they struggle to get penetration moving forward as Basel start to press and they are forced to go back to Tatarusanu, who begins the whole process again with a pass to Szukala.

Steaua move the ball nicely infield as Latovlevici brings the ball down the left and passes to Pintilli, he tries to whip a first time ball to Popa but his pass goes out for a throw.

Loose play at the back by the visitors allows Stocker to come away with the ball deep in Steaua territory and he looks to raid into the box but he's brought down by Szukala and a free kick is awarded right on the edge.

YELLOW CARD: Szukala goes into the book for his challenge on Stocker and Delgado lines up the free kick 18 yards out.

CHANCE! Delgado takes the free kick and fires a right-footed effort over the wall but his shot goes agonisingly wide of the post with Tatarasanu beaten.

The visitors get the chance to threaten with a free kick of their own as Stanciu is fouled just inside Basel territory by Delgado. Bourceanu lines up the free kick but his delivery is poor and is headed away by the first defender.

PENALTY SHOUT! Piovaccari chases down a long ball into the Basel box and it looks as though he may get on the end of it but he's barged over by Voser but the referee waves play on. That looked a penalty.

Another long ball is played over the top for Piovaccari and the flag stays down leaving him one-on-one with Sommer and he takes his time to pick his spot, waiting for the keeper to make his move and then fires the ball into the top corner. A sublime finish.

Basel try to respond immediately as Stocker raids down the right and feeds the ball into the middle where he finds Streller on the edge of the box but the striker is crowded out before he can get a shot on target.

The home side win a free kick down the left as Frei is brought to the ground. From a tight angle Delgado whips the ball into the area but it evades the head of every player and goes straight into the hands of Tatarasanu.

Steaua break forward in numbers again as Bourceanu feeds Stanciu through the middle and with options to the left and right of him he tries to thread a through ball for the goalscorer Piovaccari but his pass is cut out with ease. The midfielder tried to be too cute with his pass there, there were easier options for him to use.

Salah is played down the right-hand side for the hosts and he beats a challenge with skill to get into the box. He has options in the middle but he can't make good contact with the ball to lift it over Tatarasanu and the keeper manages to divert it behind for a corner.

The visitors move the ball well again through the midfield areas but just as they enter the final third Stanciu pass out wide for Tanase is just a tad overhit which stops his side's attacking momentum.

Frustration creeps in for the home side as Zhaka raids down the left and loses the ball to Georgievski, he responds by fouling him as he tries to win it back, and the referee awards Steaua a free kick. It's not going well for Basel at the moment.

Basel are really struggling for rhythm moving forward. Delgado has seen a lot of the ball so far but his passes have often been sideways rather than vertical, he needs more options in front of him to get his side back into this game.

The home side win a free kick on the right as Tanase fouls Serey Die and Delgado whips in a cross which is headed away but only as far as Streller, who takes a touch and then goes down inside the area but the referee waves play on. He might have had a claim there but the referee has been consistent.

The visitors are doing well to take the pace out of the game at the moment following a decent spell by Basel and Bourceanu and Pintilii are wrestling away possession from the hosts with ease currently.

Both sides exchange free kicks in a matter of seconds as Xhaka is brought down by Popa illegally and Delgado whips a ball into the area but Schar returns the favour by fouling Stanciu easing the pressure on the visitors.

Frei finds space in the final third of the pitch and gets away from his man down the middle, he looks up and slips a through ball for Streller to chase but Tatarasanu beats him it and gathers inside his penalty area.

CHANCE! Basel lump a long ball forward and Szukala clears the immediate danger with a header but Salah collects the ball on the edge of the area and has several options but he goes for goal and hits a tame effort straight at Tatarasanu.

SAVES! Sommer makes two brilliant saves to keep his side in the game as the visitors play a short corner and Latovlevici lifts a cross to the back post where Szukala gets a header away but the keeper makes an excellent acrobatic stop and has to get to his feet quickly as Gardos fires a volley at goal and he manages to tip it past the post. Brilliant keeper from Sommer.

CHANCE! From the resulting corner Szukala gets up highest in the area but his header goes just wide of the target.

There will be one minute of added time.

The visitors lead at the break and it's no more than they deserve as they have been in full control of this game and perhaps they could be ever further ahead had one of those chances at the end of the half found the net.

Basel have been completely out of sorts in the first half and were booed off by their own fans at the break. They've lacked any attacking edge and defensively they've been cut open on more than one occasion. They could be easily out of the game at half time had Steaua taken all their chances.

Murat Yakin will be looking for much more from his side after the break if they are to keep their hopes of qualifying for the next round of the competition alive.

In the other Group E clash this evening, Chelsea lead Schalke 1-0 at the break thanks to a goal from Samuel Eto'o. Read our half-time report here.

The players are out on the pitch and we should be underway shortly.

We're back underway in Switzerland.

Streller finds space down the left and Schar slips a pass down the sideline for him and he manages to turn his man in the penalty area and goes down but the referee waves play on and the ball goes out for a goal kick.

The visitors have settled into a passing rhythm early in the second half as they look to hold onto their lead.

Steaua win a free kick on the left as Schar brings down Stanciu on the left from a tight angle. The midfielder takes the free kick himself and tries to catch out Sommer, who left an opening on the left-hand side of his net but his effort hit the side netting.

Basel's turn to threaten from a free kick as Filip brings down Salah 30 yards from goal. Stocker stands over the ball and blasts his effort straight at the wall and Gardos does well to head the ball back into the arms Tatarasanu.

Scrappy game at the moment as neither side can control possession and cheap fouls are occurring too often in the final third of the pitch.

Latovlevici brings down Voser deep down the right for Basel. Delgado whips in a dangerous cross, which pinballs around the area and several Basel players take a swing at but they can't get an effort at goal. Gardos tries to clear the ball and it looks to bounce up and hit him on the hip but the home side appeal for a penalty, but the referee shakes his head.

The visitors break upfield and Bourceanu looks to thread a through ball for Piovaccari and he tries to take the ball in stride through the middle of the defense but Ivanov gets back at him to make a crucial tackle.

CHANCE! Basel break forward down the right and Voser lifts a cross to Streller who swings a foot at the ball and slices his effort straight into the path of Frei, who blasts a shot at goal but Szukala gets his body in the way and deflects it over. A crucial intervention from the defender.

CHANCE! Basel are really upping the ante at the moment as Delgado whips in a cross from a corner from the right and Ivanov gets up highest in the area but his header goes wide of the target.

The visitors look to have weathered the storm from the Basel attack for the moment. Both sides have made changes to re-shuffle their options.

Xhaka gets down the left and wins a corner for his side to turn up the pressure on the vistors. Stocker takes the corner this time but his delivery is poor and too close to Tatarasanu who collects the ball with ease.

Basel are having success down the left and that continues as Xhaka feeds the ball to Streller, who finds space inside the area, he tries to cut the ball back to Sio in the middle but his pass is put behind for a corner.

Xhaka delivers the corner from the left but Salah commits a foul in the box allowing the visitors to clear the danger for now.

Steaua are putting 10 men behind the ball whenever they can now as they appear to be holding on for dear life against a much improved Basel side in this second half.

Again the home side work the ball down the left as Xhaka and Stocker exchange passes to release Sio inside the box but his first-time shot is blocked by Szukala and the visitors clear the danger.

Chipciu wins the ball deep in Basel territory, he has Kapetanos in support but he goes along to get inside the box. He has no options in the middle as he is eventually crowded out and loses the ball.

YELLOW CARD! Schar goes into the book for the home side as he brings down Tanase on the left. The visitors will have a free kick deep in Basel territory.

The free kick from Tanase is cleared with ease by the Basel defence with a header away by Ivanov and the ball back into the box by the midfielder is gathered by Sommer.

Basel have lost all their momentum in attack and Steaua are doing a decent job of taking the pace out of the game to stop any potential comeback.

Ivanov tries to let a trickling pass from Chipciu go all the way back to Sommer, but Kapetanos nearly nips in but the keeper manages just the gather in time before the striker could pounce. Nearly a careless error by the defender to lose track of his man.

No attacking impetus from the hosts at the moment and if anyone is going to score it's going to be Steaua on the break.

There will be three minutes of added time.

Basel get the equaliser! A long ball is pumped forward from the back by Ivanov and Streller wins the header onto into the path of Stocker. The midfielder lifts a ball into the box for the run of Sio and he beats his man and taps the ball into the net from close range.

Basel make a late surge to get a winner as Stocker is brought down outside the area but the referee waves play on and Xhaka lifts a cross to the back post for Sio but Latovlevici wins the header and clears the danger.

Basel do to Steaua what the the Romanian side did to them two weeks ago by scoring a late equaliser in the 91st minute as Giovanni Sio tapped home Valentin Stocker's cross from the left. A vital point for Murat Yakin's side given the circumstances as it keeps their qualification hopes alive.

Steaua will be disappointed to give two points in this game after dominating the first half while also defending brilliantly as the Swiss side upped the ante in the second. They thought they had seen off the worst of the attacking play but a late error in committing too many men forward cost them. That should see their hopes of qualifying for the next round gone.

In the other Group E game tonight Chelsea ran out 3-0 winners against Schalke keeping the battle for second place in the group alive as only one point separates Basel from the German side. Read the report of the Chelsea game here.

Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. We'll be back with all the action from the Europa League tomorrow. Until then, goodbye.