Anfield test awaits Neymar & Co
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Last season’s runnersup Liverpool host French champs PSG in opening night of European season
Mohamed Salah outshone Neymar and Kylian Mbappe on the Champions League stage last season, but as the star duo of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head to Anfield on Tuesday seeking to make amends, the Egyptian is struggling to match the heights of his debut campaign at Liverpool.
On the other hand, after helping PSG re-establish domestic dominance last year, Neymar has little to prove with the club apart from achieving the big mission: delivering a European title to the Qatari ownership. With Kylian Mbappe coming off the back of a starring role for winners France at the World Cup, new coach Thomas Tuchel has a wealth of attacking options.
In Liverpool, PSG will meet one of the few teams in the competition who can rival their talent. Runners-up to Real Madrid in last season’s final, the Reds have spent over $200 million in off-season signings. PSG offer an early test of their credentials on Tuesday night in what is the opening night of this season’s Champions League.
In Group B, Barcelona help to usher in a new-look to Europe’s premier competition as fans adjust to new staggered kick-off times. Most matches in the group stage will now begin simultaneously at 2100 Central European Time, 15 minutes later than in previous seasons.
That is to accommodate a couple of games being played in a new earlier slot of 1855 CET to maximize television audiences. So when the group stage begins on Tuesday, it won’t be such a late finish at the Camp Nou for Barcelona’s game against PSV.
Lionel Messi’s side has had to endure seeing arch-rivals Real Madrid win three Champions League finals in a row. Beating Madrid to the La Liga title did little
to banish the humiliation of their last-eight exit in Rome last year. On Tuesday, there will be a reunion of sorts with former star Mark van Bommel returning with the PSV side he manages.
Inter Milan, meanwhile, benefited from the fourth-placed teams in England, Germany, Spain and Italy now securing a direct route into the group stage, rather than having to contest a play-off. Their opening game, another early kick-off, is against Tottenham, the only team in Group B yet to collect the trophy.
Spurs, however, have been the most consistent side over three seasons in the Premier League, without actually winning the title, ensuring a hattrick of Champions League appearances for the first time.
ATLETICO DREAM BIG
None of the four team sin Group A reached the knockout phase last season. It was considered a debacle for Atletico, who had made at least the quarter-finals for four successive seasons, including two finals. Diego Simeone’s team still made the best of the situation though, dropping to the Europa League and winning the second-tier competition.
But Atletico have laboured at the start of their domestic campaign, winning only one of four La Liga matches. There is a greater incentive for Atletico to reach the final because they is hosting the game in June.
The journey begins with a trip to Monaco, who are also struggling in the league, with just one win from five in France.
Like Monaco, Borussia Dortmund only collected two points in the group stage last season. But Lucien Favre’s team is unbeaten so far in the Bundesliga with two wins from three as they prepare to travel to Belgium to face Club Brugge.
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INTRIGUING TIES
Serbian champion Red Star Belgrade are making their first appearance in the Champions League proper after last contesting the European Cup group stage in 1991 as holders.
Napoli, who won the 1989 UEFA Cup for their only European title, have a Champions League winner in the dugout. The Serie A club is still adapting to the command of Carlo Ancelotti, who replaced Maurizio Sarri and has introduced a 4-4-2 formation.
Group D promises to be an intriguing one with Porto, the last team to win the Champions League from outside Europe’s top four leagues, the favourite to progress from arguably the weakest of the eight groups.
Porto’s opponents are returning to the Champions League group stage after some time away: Galatasaray are back after three seasons, four for Schalke and 15 for Lokomotiv Moscow.
Winning the Russian title meant Lokomotiv were seeded first for the group, but will start as underdogs. Despite starting their domestic season poorly, the Russians have players with biggame experience — particularly recent World Cup finalist Vedran Corluka of Croatia.