Valdano expects tough test

Real Madrid Sports Manager Jorge Valdano says his side have been placed in one of the hardest groups in this season's Champions League.

Valdano represented the Spanish giants at Thursday's Champions League draw in Monaco, which saw Real placed in Group A alongside AS Roma, Lokomotiv Moscow and Anderlecht.

After the draw he told reporters that out of the four competing Spanish sides, Real have certainly been handed one of the toughest groups.

He said: "We have Lokomotiv, who we know absolutely nothing about and one of the old giants, Anderlecht, who we have great respect for."

"But then we'll be meeting the Italian champions, Roma, so you can't accuse us of being lucky this time."

Valdano admitted Fabio Capello's Roma are going to be Real's toughest competition in the first group stage and that there were three players in particular that worried him.

"The ones that worry me most are Totti, Samuel and Batistuta. There's no need for Zidane to give us inside information, we know all about Roma here in Spain." he said.

And Vicente Del Bosque's men will be plunged into the deep end for the first match of the tournament as they face Capello's Roma on September 11.