Real begins tough quest for tenth European title
Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster is already looking beyond the Champions League group stage in his mission to raise the nine-time champion back to the summit of European football.
Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster is already looking beyond the Champions League group stage in his mission to raise the nine-time champion back to the summit of European football.
Six coaches have failed before him and in the past four seasons the Spaniards haven't even progressed beyond the last 16.
Madrid's journey to May's final in Rome begins against BATE Borisov, the Belarusians making their Champions League debut, in one of eight matches Wednesday on the second night of the group stage.
"If we have just a little more luck we can get past the first knockout round without any problems," Schuster said.
Defender Fabio Cannavaro could make his first appearance of the season after missing Italy's European Championship campaign with an ankle injury.
The defense must tighten up after leaking four goals in the first two La Liga games for just one victory.
"As a defender I am not happy to concede so many goals, especially when playing at home," Christoph Metzelder said. "We know we have problems defending set pieces, but we are working on improving.
"We are only two weeks into the season and some of us had very little time to get back into rhythm after the Euro (2008), but we will soon be at 100 percent and we will iron out the kinks."
Group H has gained the "group of death" tag due to the presence of 1996 champion Juventus and Zenit St. Petersburg, which last month added the UEFA Super Cup to the UEFA Cup it won in May.
"Our group is tough but, in principle, this is the Champions League and if you want to do well you have to expect to face and beat teams like Manchester United and Juventus," Zenit coach Dick Advocaat coach said. "So for me it's not a problem, it's a challenge."
Two-time champion Juventus will be determined to show the Champions League just what it has missed during its two-year absence resulting from Italy's match-fixing scandal.
"If they have their day, which we mustn't allow, then Juventus can beat anyone, but I have faith that Zenit can damage some teams," Advocaat said. "I think what we showed last season, coming so far and even winning the UEFA Cup, was an incredible achievement but I think we still must be considered as an outsider for the tournament.
"Even in our group, Real Madrid and Juventus will be seen as the teams to beat while we and BATE will be viewed by everyone as fighting for third or fourth place."
Defending champion Manchester United is recovering from Saturday's first Premier League defeat at archrival Liverpool in seven years.
Villarreal should prove less troubling opponents for United manager Alex Ferguson, who has said Cristiano Ronaldo is highly likely to return after ankle surgery. Perhaps just trying to unnerve Villarreal, it now seems more likely that the Portugal winger, who struck 42 goals last season, will only be deployed from the bench as a last resort.
Champions League
Villarreal winger Robert Pires has unhappy memories of his visits to Old Trafford during six years at Arsenal, losing on four of his five visits.
"We are facing one of the best teams in Europe and it will be very intense," he said. "It can be difficult to maintain such a high level of concentration and we will have to play at the top of our game."
Group E also includes the Celtic team from Ferguson's native Glasgow and Danish side Aalborg.
Bayern Munich returns to the Champions League against Steaua Bucharest in Group F without Franck Ribery. The France midfielder is back in training after ankle surgery following the European Championship, but is not ready for a full match.
Despite Ribery's absence, Bayern is eager to get back on the main stage after playing last season in the UEFA Cup, "which none of us liked," according to chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
"Thank God, the UEFA Cup is over," midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger added.
Lyon coach Claude Puel has struggled to gather intelligence on Fiorentina ahead their match due to the Serie A season's late start.
"We've only had one official game to really observe them, which makes it difficult to really know what our opponents are about," Puel said. "But we have to start somewhere and it's always better to start at home."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger isn't relishing the trip to Dynamo Kiev as the prelude to further tricky ties with FC Porto and Fenerbahce in Group G.
"It is a difficult group because all the teams are used to playing in the Champions League - and they are all strong at home," Wenger said.