– This is the first meeting between a Polish and German club in the Champions League since 1996-97 when Borussia Dortmund faced Widzew Lodz in the group stages. “We don’t just want to sit there and roll over and get beat every time we play in the Champions League. I am happy because we won and I scored”, said Ronaldo, who is seven shy of 100 Champions League goals.
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In its 132-year history, Leicester has only had four seasons of European competition – the last coming in 2000 in the now-defunct UEFA Cup after winning the English League Cup. They were all in relative states of transition at the time they won it, rather than coming to triumphant peaks; their victories owed nearly as much to blind chance as far-sighted planning.
But a second half collapse at Freiburg last weekend led to a morale-sapping 3-1 defeat – not the ideal preparation for a Champions League group that includes Barcelona, Celtic and Man City, of course. The first round of the group stage begins tomorrow so let’s evaluate the teams and players that you’ll need to dominate your league.
Confident that it already has what it takes to repeat as champion, Madrid bypassed high-profile signings after clinching its 11th European trophy a year ago, limiting its moves to players not in the starting lineup entering the new season.
Those countries are guaranteed 16 Champions League places from 2018-21, rather than 11 now – squeezing teams from lower-ranked leagues like Ceferin’s Slovenia.
“We have to clear our minds”, Ranieri said, “and understand that in football we have to be strong, determined, aggressive and reactive”.
According to Gracenote Sports, the Foxes – surprise Premier League champions last season and now 16th with one win from four games – should reach the knockout phase of Europe’s premier competition.
Thursday nights will also bring the fans out for UEFA Europa League action on BT Sport with early tests for Manchester United against Feyenoord and Fenerbahçe and Southampton against Inter Milan. Sergio Aguero should return to the City starting line-up, despite being one game into a three-match domestic suspension.
Besiktas midfielder Talisca joined the Turkish club on loan last month after playing two seasons with Benfica. Jamie Vardy, eyes glazed over, singing “chat s**t, get banged” while the Champions League anthem plays over the tannoy in Copenhagen. With Aguero in stellar goal-scoring form and a talented midfield line-up consisting of players like Kevin De Bruyne and Davis Silva, the club from the Blue half of Manchester have an nearly equal chance of topping the group as the Spanish giants.
The victor of the vote in Athens will have to seek re-election before UEFA’s next major event, the 2020 European Championship, which Ceferin said should never have been spread across the continent for the first time. They are a big team because they became champions. “Even in training games it is always about winning”.
Although Sporting are the last team in Portugal with a 100 per cent record in the new season, facing Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in their most valued tournament may just be too much to ask. They clearly miss Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but there are also questions about new manager Unai Emery, a manager known for building defensive, sturdy teams-not the sort of thing an oil-ball club like PSG generally trots out, in other words.
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As if Madrid needed any more motivation to defend their title, one of their superstars has an extra special reason to make it back to the final. Both sides are undefeated this season.
