Real push for Champs League hat-trick begins
BERLIN: Real Madrid seek a third successive Champions League title as Europe’s premium cup competition gets underway with the first group-stage matches today and tomorrow.
Real welcome back fourtime world player of the year Ronaldo, who is still serving a domestic suspension, when coach Zinadine Zidane’s side begin their title defence at home to Cyprus champions Apoel Nicosia tomorrow.
Spanish rivals Barcelona and last season’s losing finalists Juventus are up against each other tonight in an early highlight, with Lionel Messi hoping to keep pace with Ronaldo in their goal chase.
While Ronaldo will be aiming to add to his record total of 105 Champions League goals, Messi, who bagged a hattrick in a 5-0 win over Espanyol on Saturday, needs another three to reach 100 in Uefa club competitions and is on 94 in CL matches.
Big-spending Qatari-backed clubs PSG – at Celtic tonight – and Manchester City – at Feyenoord tomorrow – can be added to usual suspects Bayern Munich as among the other teams best equipped to wrest the title from Real.
Meanwhile, Manchester United, at home to Basel, and Chelsea, hosting Azerbaijan’s newcomers Qarabag, are back in CL action after missing out last season, while Liverpool – at home to Sevilla – return following a three-year absence.
Elsewhere, Germany’s RB Leipzig make their CL debut against Monaco, Tottenham Hotspur welcome Borussia Dortmund to their temporary home at Wembley, while Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas is set to start an unprecedented 19th Champions League campaign at home to Turkey’s Besiktas, all tomorrow.
Real star Ronaldo still has one more game to serve of his domestic ban for pushing a referee in the Spanish Super Cup, but the punishment does not stop him from playing at the Bernabeu.
His return cannot come soon enough for Zidane, who saw his misfiring side labour to a 1-1 draw with Levante on Saturday and is now without striker Karim Benzema, sidelined for between three and six weeks with a muscle injury.
Barca and Juve, the two 2015 finalists, meet in Group D following last season’s quarterfinal when in April the Serie A champions ousted the Catalans 3-0 on aggregate.
“It’s a crucial tie in that it could end up determining who tops the group,” Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri said.
“It could go either way but we’ll have to secure qualification to the next round in the three games that come after (today).”
Focus will also centre on Group B where ambitious PSG, with record arrivals Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, begin their campaign at Scotland’s Celtic. In the same group, German champions Bayern come off a rare Bundesliga defeat – 2-0 at Hoffenheim – when they greet Anderlecht.
Chelsea will be favourites to take the points at Stamford Bridge against Qarabag tonight but are likely to face tough competition in Group C from Roma and Atletico Madrid, who meet in a first test of strength.
Liverpool, who are up against their 2016 Europa League finalist Sevilla in Group E, have Philippe Coutinho set to return to the squad after injury.
The Brazilian has not played this season because of injury but manager Juergen Klopp, who has to lift his side from a 5-0 thrashing by Manchester City, said he was ready.
“We thought it best to give him three or four days proper training and then he’ll be available for us, which is very good news,” he said.
In Group F, Feyenoord are back after a 15-year absence to take on Pep Guardiola’s City, who will check on the fitness of captain Vincent Kompany after the defender missed the weekend win over Liverpool through injury.
In the same group, Italy’s Napoli visit Shakhtar Donetsk, who are playing their Champions League home games in Kharkiv due to the political situation in Ukraine. – dpa