Jose’s boys certainly have plenty of experience in Europe’s elite comp
UNITED have more Champions League experience in their squad than any other English club.
Jose Mourinho’s 25-man party for the group stages have a total of 530 appearances in the competition between them experience that will no doubt come in handy.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played most often in the competition out of any United player with 119 appearances.
Michael Carrick has the next most with 70, followed jointly by Antonio Valencia and Henrikh Mkhitaryan with 38 each.
While United’s players may have more experience in the Champions League than those of their domestic rivals, the players of Europe’s other elite clubs can boast even more.
Real Madrid’s 25-man squad have played in a combined total of 866 Champions League games - the most of any club in the competition.
Barcelona’s have appeared in 856 games and Bayern Munich’s 835 games.
Juventus’ squad have 769 Champions League games between them – though Massimiliano Allegri cut two players who also had 44 appearances between them, meaning he did have players with a total of 813 appearances at his disposal.
PSG’s squad have a total of 626 appearances, while Atletico’s have 583 and Borussia Dortmund’s 492 with another 40 not making the squad, 30 of which belong to the injured Marco Reus.
Manchester City’s 25-man squad have 514 Champions League appearances between them. Chelsea’s squad have 482, Tottenham’s 204 and Liverpool’s 167. JUAN Mata has refused to push United’s credentials on their return to the Champions League.
The Spain midfielder won the competition with Chelsea in 2012, but admits he is yet to be convinced that Jose Mourinho’s Reds can go all the way to the Kiev final in May.
United start their return against Basel at Old Trafford tonight and also face Benfica and CSKA Moscow in the group.
Asked if Europa League winners United now have the qualities to make an impact in the Champions League, Mata said: “I’ll tell you in March. I don’t know to be honest.
“I think we have a good squad but in football you never know what is enough and what is not enough.
“We have got great new players. The players that came in the summer can add things to the team and they have already been playing very good.
“We have an ambition to try to win it but, obviously, the Champions League is the best competition you can play in Europe and it’s very difficult to win.
“In those competitions you need to have some luck in some important moments and maybe sometimes you are the better team and you don’t win.
“The main thing for us as a club is to find that consistency that keeps us fighting for the trophy.”
United’s impressive start to the Premier League campaign has fired supporters with hope for the rest of the season.
And it is no different in the Old Trafford dressing room.
Added Mata: “The belief is always there.
“When you play for such a club you start every competition believing you can win it.
“Later some things happen and some bad games didn’t allow us to win the title last year, but we need to find that consistency that can make us fight in the last months and be one of those teams that will be up there.
“It’s the second year for the manager, he knows everyone better, we know each other better so let’s try.”
Mourinho, meanwhile, has his sights on setting a Champions League record as he leads the Reds back competition. He so far has managed teams in 133 games in the competition, which he won with Porto in 2004 and Inter Milan in 2010, putting him among the top six bosses on the Continent. But he has plenty of work to do to take the record from former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who was in charge for 194 games. “I know that I am in the top five or six but I’m quite far, especially from the top one [Sir Alex], but I will fight hard to go for that record,” said Mourinho. “Last season, I lost a season in the chase for this record but United is where United has to be and I’m really happy with that. “The Champions League night is a unique experience for everyone. I have some players without that great experience, I think it will be fabulous for them and the fans to be back in the Champions League. I think it is fantastic. “It’s good for the players, it’s good for me, it’s good for the club. “It is where we want to go and I Juan Mata into Europe’s elite