Champions League is back as from today
● Can Liverpool defend their title successfully? ● Can Ronaldo (and Sarri) lead Juventus to Europe’s top perch? ● Will Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern return to former glory? ● Conte aiming to make Inter great again
The Champions League returns today around Europe with enthusiasts finally getting a taste of top class football around the continent’s main venues.
Groups A, B, D and E are regarded as foregone conclusions, with even the second favourites to qualify. Only Group F appears as a genuine four-way battle, with Zenit, seeded in the highest pot by dint of winning the Russian championship, fourth favourites to go through at 6-4. That in effect means that in the other seven groups, there will be 84 matches to decide who will move to the Knock Out stage.
A newcomer to the competition, Atalanta of Italy, seem to be well geared for a promising debut, even if they are considered as outsiders, because they lack experience.
It will also be interesting to see whether Antonio Conte can bring enough focus to Inter to challenge Borussia Dortmund and whether Valencia can overcome the chaos prompted by the dismissal of their manager, Marcelino, this past week to edge out Ajax.
Another big question is: Will Spanish greats Real Madrid and Barcelona, as well as Germany’#s Bayern Munich, be able to return to their former glories? At present, they seem to be struggling in their own leagues and they are
not league leaders after the opening matches.
Juventus of Italy will also be looking forward to win the title they have missed since 1996.
They are hoping that Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo and new coach Maurizio Sarri will enable them to win the Cup that eludes them most.
Frank Lampard eager to lead Chelsea in debut as club’s manager
Frank Lampard is eager to lead Chelsea against Valencia this evening in his debut as the club’s manager.
But he will be without defender Antonio Rudiger for the clash with Valencia at Stamford Bridge.
“Toni is injured. He’s bothered a small groin problem that he’s been carrying for a few weeks and will have a scan later today,” Lampard told a news conference yesterday.
Germany international Rudiger played his first game of the season at the weekend but was forced off at halftime against Wolves with a recurrence of the groin injury.
Lampard is also without fellow defender Emerson Palmieri while midfielders N’Golo Kante and Callum Hudson-Odoi are not yet match fit despite returning from injuries.
Chelsea did not feature in the Champions League last season but won the Europa League under Italian Sarri before he parted ways with the London club in the close season to join Juventus.
Chelsea warmed up for tonight’s match with a 5-2 away win against Wolves at the weekend thanks to a hat-trick by 21year-old striker Tammy Abraham and with teenage midfielder Mason Mount also on target.
“I just believed in him and trusted him,” Lampard said. “I know a lot was made of the ban giving opportunities for young players but I felt now was his time.
Valencia were thrashed 5-2 at Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday in their first game since the sacking of coach Marcelino and sit 13th in the table.
LATEST NEWS Messi in Barcelona squad to face Dortmund
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi will be in the squad to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League tonight as he prepares to make his comeback from injury.
The Argentina striker has not played since sustaining a calf injury in pre-season but Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde named him in the group which was on its way to Germany yesterday.
Messi trained on Sunday and yesterday after missing the first three La Liga matches of the season.
Striker Ansu Fati, 16, has also been included in the squad and may make his Champions League debut after two goals in three appearances.
Real Madrid’s Marcelo to miss PSG Champions League clash
Real Madrid defender Marcelo will miss the Champions League Group A clash at Paris St. Germain tomorrow after sustaining a back injury, according to the club.
“After the tests carried out on player Marcelo by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with a post-traumatic cervicodorsal injury,” Madrid said in a statement yesterday, without specifying how long he would be out.
The Brazilian, set to be replaced at left back by Ferland Mendy, joins the long list of injuries suffered by Madrid this season.
Among the injured players are Isco, Modric, Asensio and Valverde. They will all miss the game along with suspended duo Sergio Ramos and Nacho Fernandez.
UEFA agrees deal with clubs to cap prices for away fans
UEFA has agreed a compromise with top clubs to cap ticket prices for away fans in the Champions League and Europa League.
Starting from next month’s opening group fixtures, away tickets will cost a maximum of €70 in the Champions League and €45 in the Europa League.
Last season, Manchester United and Liverpool responded to Barcelona’s high prices – more than €100 for last season’s Champions League quarter-final at Camp Nou – by raising their prices for visiting Barça fans and using the additional revenue to subsidise their fans’ costs in Spain.
United also did this for Sevilla when they met in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2018.
It is understood UEFA, with the support of Bayern Munich and the Premier League clubs, has been pushing hard for a price cap for months but clubs in Spain and other southern European countries were less keen.