Champions League Matchday 1 Preview

Man Utd vs. Basel: De Gea; Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Blind; Matic, Pogba; Mata, Mkhitaryan, Martial; Lukaku.

Chelsea team: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill (c); Zappacosta, Kante, Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Batshuayi, Pedro. #CHEQAR

 

JUVE XI vs Barca

Yes the day has arrived! The world’s biggest club event resumes today and we will be building up to the big games tonight!

Last season, Real Madrid won its record 12th European Cup and became the first club to win successive titles in the Champions League era (since 1992-93). Now Real Madrid look to become the first team to win three straight European Cups since Bayern Munich from 1974 to 1976.

Here are the list of matches to kick off shortly!

Group A

Manchester United vs Basel

After a good start to the Premier League season with 10 points from a possible 12, United’s attention now turn to the European campaign. United will look to carry the early season form into Europe, in the hope of marking the return to the Champions League with a win at Old Trafford on Tuesday night .

The reigning Swiss champions got their domestic season off to the worst possible start when they lost 2-0 to BSC Young Boys on the opening day of the 2017/18 campaign. Having won the Swiss title for the last eight seasons in a row, FC Basel will be expected to do the same this term, and they will be looking to impress on the European stage as well.

Benfica vs CSKA Moscow

Benfica appears to be in an excellent shape. They are coming from yet another win in the Primeira Liga. They started great their domestic campaign. As the last year’s champions, they got the privilege to start the Champions League competition in the group stage.They have an avid record when playing at home. Aside from the two club-friendly games they lost, they haven’t been defeated at their turf since December 2016.Their recent reinforcement from Inter, a Brazilian attacker known as Gabigol, is excepted to prove a very valuable player.They are coming from a win in their domestic campaign. They are currently third-ranked in the Russian Premier League.CSKA entered the group stage of the Champions League by defeating Young Boys in the play-offs round of the qualifications. The combined score was 3 – 0 in favour of the Moscow team.

Group B

Bayern vs Anderlecht

Bayern Munich go into every game expecting to win, but their winning start to the season came to an abrupt end on Saturday as they ran out 2-0 losers away to the excellent Hoffenheim. This followed on from two Bundesliga wins and a penalty victory in the German Super Cup, so it’s far from a crisis for them.

Anderlecht do have a very long history in European football, but they were left behind long ago as the money flooded into football. This is their first Champions League group appearance since 2014, and whilst they have been regulars in the Europa League since then their quarter final appearance last season, it’s the furthest they have managed. The visitors haven’t made it out of the Champions League group stages in over 15 years now, and with both PSG and Bayern Munich in their group, along with Celtic, their chances of doing so this season are next to none.

Celtic vs PSG

PSG will provide Celtic with their toughest task of the season so far. Brendan Rodgers’ side returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 4-1 away win at Hamilton.Goals from Stuart Armstrong, Scott Sinclair (2) and Edouard on his debut, ensured that Celtic ended the weekend at the summit of the Scottish Premiership.PSG blitzed Metz on Friday night with a 5-1 away win. PSG’s front three, Edinson Cavani (2), Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe, each got on the scoresheet, with Lucas Moura adding a fifth. Emery’s side have won five out of five this season, scoring 19 in the process while conceding only three times.

Group C

Chelsea vs Qarabag

Conte hinted he will leave Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata on the bench and will make further changes as they face Group C outsiders Qarabag FK.

The Italian said: “I think when you make the decision there is always a risk. The risk could be to play with the same players I did against Leicester and then it would be why didn’t you change the team?

“This is our job. We must use our eyes and our previous experience as player and coach. If you win it was the best decision if you lose it was the worst decision.

“I must be realistic and calm and try to make the best decision for these seven games in 21 days. To play every three days, honestly is not easy for the players to play every game.“

Roma vs Athletico Madrid

Roma host Atletico Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday in the opening game of the Champions League group stages.It could well prove a crucial early encounter in a group that also includes Premier League champions Chelsea.

Classic Encounter

Roma 1-2 Atletico Madrid (16/03/1999)

Meetings between these two sides have certainly been sparse. Atletico’s visit to the Italian capital will be their first of the 21st century, the most recent coming in 1999 in the quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup.

An entertaining clash in Roma saw the hosts take a first-half lead through Marco Delvecchio, but the visitors completed an impressive comeback in the second half courtesy of goals from Carlos Aguilera and Roberto.Los Colchoneros went on to progress into the semi-finals with a 4-2 aggregate win.

Group D

Barcelona vs Juventus

Barcelona and Juventus lock horns at Camp Nou on Tuesday as they get their Champions League campaigns under way.The teams have developed somewhat of a rivalry in recent years and they have already met this season in the International Champions Cup, with Barca winning 2-1 thanks to a Neymar double.The pair met in the 2015 Champions League final, which Barca won, but Juve had their revenge when they met at the quarter-final stage last season, triumphing 3-0 on aggregate on their run to the final.

Olympiacos vs Sporting CP

In a group where the first and second place is practically reserved for Barcelona and Juventus, the others can only fight for finishing as the third-ranked. But still, with the ball being round, nobody’s stranger to surprises. So, Olympiacos and Sporting CP begin the group stage in high spirit at Stadio Georgios Karaiskaki. By defeating Rijeka in the play-offs round with a combined score of 3-1, Olympiacos entered the most prestigious competition. Last year, they were eliminated by Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the 3rd qualifying round. They are coming from a draw in their domestic campaign after the two initial wins. They are currently the second-ranked in Greece. Their team has recently been improved by Engels from Club Brugge, who has already scored in his one appearance, and Djurdjevic from Partizan, so the efficiency should be better.

Sporting entered the Champions League by defeating FCSB in the play-offs round with a combined score of 5 – 1. Last year, they were eliminated in the group stage.They too are the second-ranked in their national league. They have 5 consecutive wins after five weeks, most recently away against Feirense.

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