The Champions League...Zlatan Ibrahimovic never really played well against us. He didn t really pose us any problems. But he is a fantastic player don t get me wrong. To do what he

The groups, the games, the stars

The Champions League

Champions League 03

Cristiano Ronaldo had a forgettable 2014 World Cup. Later in the year, he won the Ballon d’Or. He won it for the same reason Lionel Messi will win it in 2015: because he was the

best player in a team that won that year’s Champions League. Much as we genuinely love the World Cup, it’s yet another sign that the Champions League is, in modern football, viewed as the ultimate test of the world’s best players and strongest teams.

It’s also gloriously hard to predict. Barcelona are this season’s favourites, but in the 23 Champions Leagues since Europe’s top club competition was reorganised and renamed in 1992, no side has successfully defended the famous jug-eared trophy.

So it’s competitive. It’s unpredictable. It’s the best against the best. It’s exotic locations and late matches under floodlights. It’s Leo slaloming, Cristiano shooting, Cech saving, Aguero finishing, Robben running, Modric passing and new stars bursting through. It’s just the finest competition that football has to offer.

So, before the 2015/16 edition kicks off next week, let’s fill you in on the groups, big clashes and key contenders – with analysis from suave BT Sport host James Richardson. We also have input from two Champions League winners: Steve McManaman recalls what it’s like to score in a final, while Rio Ferdinand tells us what it’s like to defend against the world’s best attackers. Enjoy.

Champions LeagueThe true benchmark

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04 Champions League 0504 Champions League 05

You played in three Champions League finals.

How much of a step up is this competition from

the Premier League?

“You’re playing against better players, superior

teams who are set up better; and they’re cuter.

In the Premier League, sometimes, you can cheat

a little bit in terms of: ‘I’m going to stay in this

position because I know that the player who is on

the ball isn’t capable of putting the ball in a danger

area from where he is.’ Whereas, in the Champions

League, nine times out of 10 that player can put the

ball anywhere. You’ve got to change your mindset.”

What about if you find yourself in a one-on-one

situation with someone like Lionel Messi? What

can you do?

“Pray! No, you’ve got to delay – try and delay.

Ideally you’ve got to try and get numbers back

so you can get help. One against one with someone

like Lionel Messi is nearly impossible if he chooses

to take you on, because he’s quicker than probably

every defender on the planet.”

Who was the hardest player to defend against?

“Messi is probably the hardest player I’ve played

against. Messi, Brazilian Ronaldo, Raul... Dennis

Bergkamp, maybe.”

Four players who are all very different in terms

of how you would try to stop them?

“Yeah. Take Raul and Bergkamp – they never played

up against me. I never really got anywhere near

them because they used to go into areas where it

was hard for me to mark them. They’d go and play

deep and, if I tried to come out and engage with

them, someone would run behind me and they’d

play them through. They ask different questions,

but they’re equally as difficult as the others.”

Of the players you have faced recently, has there

been anyone who was surprisingly difficult to

play against?

“Karim Benzema, probably. I don’t think he gets the

credit that he deserves sometimes. He’s a real top

player, great technician, clean feet, really good

movement. There are loads of rumours about him

coming to England. I think if an English team got

him, it would be fantastic for the Premier League.”

What about the other way around? Did anyone

not live up to the hype?

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic never really played well against

us. He didn’t really pose us any problems. But he is

a fantastic player – don’t get me wrong. To do what

he’s done, winning leagues at the rate he’s done, is

just phenomenal. I just caught him on days where

he didn’t perform.”

What advice would you give to the English teams

in terms of setting up to stop opponents such as

Real Madrid or Barcelona in the knockout rounds?

“It’s difficult. If you allow a space, space kills. These

players, when they get space, they’re normally

clinical and they finish you off. That has been

Manchester City’s biggest problem: teams have had

space against them as there have been gaps from

their midfield to their defence. And so they have

been opened up on numerous occasions in the

Champions League, unlike what’s happened to

them in the Premier League.”

Are English teams lagging behind their European

counterparts in the defensive arts?

“Not just individually, but collectively – massively far

behind. You look at the other teams in Europe, and

very rarely do you get one-v-one situations. If the

ball goes towards the left winger of one team, he’s

playing against the right-back, who will get help

from one of their midfielders who comes across.

I think in England people are honest, they track

back. You can track back all you want, but if it’s

not intelligent tracking back it’s pointless.”

What are your predictions for the English

teams in this season’s Champions League?

“I think quarter finals. Chelsea, maybe semis.”

And who is going to win the whole thing?

“Barca.”

Back to their best – terrifying.

“Yeah, exactly – for everyone else.”

Case forthe defenceLionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – all names synonymous with Champions League goals. BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand spares a thought for the men who have to stop the star trio scoring

Rio’sdefenders to watch

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Raphael VaraneReal Madrid

“He’s the perfect specimen,

and he’s comfortable and

calm on the ball. He has

everything to be the best.”

Jerome BoatengBayern Munich

“He’s underrated on the ball;

he’s brilliant – but for some

reason he doesn’t seem like

the fashionable one to talk

about. Sometimes,

defensively, he can look a

bit lax, but more often than

not he gets things right.”

David AlabaBayern Munich

“He’s the best left-back

in the world.”

06 Champions League 07

Group A

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There are a few emotional

returns in Group A. Paris

Saint Germain will face

Real Madrid for the first

time ever in competitive

action (although they did

play a mid-season friendly

in Doha last year), which

gives Angel di Maria a first

trip back to the Bernabeu

since he was instrumental

in bringing them their

10th European Cup two

seasons ago. Rafa Benitez

is the man tasked with

securing the 11th, but has

made an unconvincing

start in La Liga.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

(below) moves around so

much that he rarely goes

more than a month

without facing one of his

old clubs, but this reunion

could be particularly

special: the Swede faces

his boyhood team Malmo,

who knocked out Celtic in

the final qualifier. Shakhtar

Donetsk are the group’s

third seeds. They have

shown remarkable

consistency despite being

moved hundreds of miles

from their home stadium

because of the ongoing

conflict in eastern Ukraine.

However, the loss of

flamboyant Brazilian

Douglas Costa to Bayern

Munich might be a blow

they find too hard to cope

with. Expect PSG and

Madrid to go through

comfortably.

Group B

Memphis walks homeAfter a year in the wilderness, Manchester United have

stumbled back on to the main road of Europe. But, like

a lost hiker with no means of shaving, they look almost

unrecognisable. Of the 18 players selected by David Moyes for

their previous European encounter (a 3-1 defeat to Bayern

Munich in April 2014) only seven will be at the club this season

(and one of those reluctantly) after a year of Louis van Gaal’s

sweeping reforms. The Dutchman’s most recent acquisition,

Memphis, gets a speedy return to his old club PSV. They are top

seeds by virtue of romping to the Dutch league title last season.

PSV are a good side, but the placing of United into this group

will have been met with a clenched fist in the northwest – there

were much harder potential draws on the table. Van Gaal’s

controlled approach has been toothless in the league at times,

but should serve well in Europe if the clinical two-legged display

against Club Brugge in the qualifying round is anything to go by.

PSV aren’t the only club in the group to have lost their star,

with Wolfsburg’s Kevin de Bruyne on his way to Manchester City

after helping his side to second in the Bundesliga and victory in

the German Cup. Meanwhile, for all the difficulties a trip to

Moscow poses, CSKA haven’t made it out of the group in four

years and seem unlikely to do so this time.

PSVMAN UTDCSKAWOLFSBURG

Key fixture

PSV v Manchester UnitedSeptember 15, 7.45pm

United’s toughest fixture of the group stages

is their first – and Phillip Cocu’s side don’t

lose at home very often.


“Memphis Depay

has been brilliant in the

two playoff games, so

maybe he’s going to

enjoy playing even more

against European

defences. But generally,

Manchester United have

been frustrating. Even a

year on from Louis van

Gaal’s arrival, they still

look a work in progress.

He seems to be

struggling to either find

his idea or get his players

to fit into his idea – and in

the Champions League,

there’s no time for that

kind of messing about.

“That said, it could

have been a much worse

group. PSV have lost

not only Memphis but

Georginio Wijnaldum [to

Newcastle] – so, their

captain and their top

scorer. CSKA looked

good in their playoff

against Sporting Lisbon.

Seydou Doumbia

[right] has been

great up front so

far. He’s one to

watch when

United go

there in

October.”

Manchester United: A work in progress

BT Sport presenter James Richardson says…


Group C

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Portuguese champions

Benfica underwent a

seismic managerial

change this summer.

Their flamboyant,

successful, luxuriantly

coiffured boss Jorge

Jesus turned Judas and

switched to fierce rivals

Sporting Lisbon. New

boss Rui Vitoria has had to

deal with a high turnover

of players this summer, so

he had better hope they’re

all settled before the first

group game against

Kazakh banana skins

Astana this month.

Founded in 2009, Astana

are the first team from

Kazakhstan to reach

the Champions League

group stage and are

automatically every

neutral’s favourites.

The bookies’ favourites

to top Group C, however,

are Atletico Madrid, who

have started La Liga

positively, with Antoine

Griezmann continuing his

exceptional form from last

season. Galatasaray are

the team most likely to

challenge Atletico and

Benfica for the top two

spots (sorry Astana).

Istanbul always offers an

intimidating atmosphere,

but Gala didn’t win a

group game at all last

season – and the arrival

of 30-year-old Lukas

Podolski (below)

reinforces the

idea that they’re

a club that tends

to sign stars

on the slide

rather than

players

on the

up.

Group D

WhyalwaysCity?After the group-stage draw, Manchester City must have been

tempted to dig out Mario Balotelli’s old, suspiciously not-sweat-

stained ‘Why always me?’ T-shirt. Another Champions League,

another fiendishly tough group. Rather than two out-and-out

favourites, Group D boasts four quality teams. That should mean

every game has a weight of importance riding on it.

City against European football royalty Juventus has a

delicious, new-money versus old-money appeal – although it’s

the Turin club that is less established in terms of a first XI. Their

attack has a new look for 2015/16, with talented Argentinian

Paulo Dybala joining Croatian marksman Mario Mandzukic. Juve

have, however, started the Serie A season with two shock

defeats. And, with half of last season’s celebrated midfield

quartet departed (arrivederci, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal), this

is a side Raheem Sterling and his teammates may relish a run at.

Sevilla, winners of four UEFA Cup/Europa League titles in the

past 10 years, have European pedigree. However, they have lost

key players this summer – particularly goal threat Carlos Bacca

– so we’ll have to wait to see how their new signings bed in. The

Hazard in this group is at Monchengladbach – in the form of

Eden’s little brother, Thorgan. The 22-year-old Belgian attacker is

full of pace, flair and devilish intent. Ideal for one hell of a group.

Key fixture

Manchester City v JuventusSeptember 15, 7.45pm

JuventusMAn CItYsevILLAMOnChengLAdbACh

City have displayed a lack of European

football nous at times. The Old Lady has the

wherewithals to take advantage of that.


WhyalwaysCity?

“You can look at Group D

in two ways. One is that

Manchester City have

drawn the Europa League

winners, the Champions

League finalists and the

side that finished third in

the Bundesliga – which

sounds really tough. But

it’s more a group of mild

fever than a group of

death. This is a year of

transition for Juventus.

They’ve lost Carlos Tevez,

Arturo Vidal and Andrea

Pirlo, whose creative

influence was massive.

Sevilla have lost key

players, too. And, sure,

they won the Europa

League – but who were

they playing in that?

“Manchester City have

underperformed in

Europe – it’s bizarre how

such an experienced

group of players can look

so naive. However, I think

there were signs last year

– Sergio Aguero’s

hat-trick against Bayern

Munich, the 2-0

win against Roma

– that they are

improving.

There’s also a

new desire

about

them.

They

look very

strong.”

It’s a group of fever



Group E

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BATE Borisov suffered

7-0, 6-0 and 5-0 defeats

in last year’s group stage.

So fans of heavy beatings

should tune into their two

games with defending

champions Barcelona,

who romped their way

to a treble under Luis

Enrique last season, with a

forward line of Luis Suarez,

Neymar and Lionel Messi.

Barca should win the

group comfortably, but

might have issues if

injuries bite thanks to the

transfer embargo, which

means new signings Aleix

Vidal (from Sevilla) and

Arda Turan (below, from

Atletico Madrid) won’t join

the fun until January.

An ancient Francesco

Totti leads Roma into the

group stages, where they

will be without Ashley

Cole – the 34-year-old,

part of the side that lost

7-1 at home to Bayern

Munich in the group stage

last season, has been left

out of the Italian side’s

European squad.

Bayer Leverkusen

round out the group. They

will attempt to make it to

the knockout stages for a

third consecutive time –

a hard task without striker

Son Heung-Min, who has

joined Tottenham.

Group F

Sights on successPep Guardiola must be twitching in his lederhosen – this

three-year Champions League drought is the longest he’s

endured in his managerial career. Going into his third season

with Bayern Munich, it’s surely top of the agenda. Particularly

bearing in mind the manner of Bayern’s exits in the past two

seasons. Those heavy aggregate defeats to Real Madrid (5-0)

and Barcelona (5-3) have inspired Guardiola to add to his squad,

with Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetsk and Arturo Vidal via

Juventus the star names.

Arsenal would (probably) be happy to merely make it to the

quarter finals – they’ve been knocked out in the round of 16 for

five years in a row, and two of those defeats were at the hands

of Bayern. At least that can’t happen this time. And, despite

being the only team in Europe not to sign any outfield players

over the summer, the Gunners’ settled squad is packed with

Champions League experience: Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-

Chamberlain, to name but two, have played in the competition

every season in their Emirates careers. They do, however, face a

tough away tie against Olympiacos, who have won the Greek

league five times on the trot, and have signed West Brom flop

Brown Ideye. Dinamo Zagreb should be an easier proposition;

they’ve never made it out of the group stage, but Chilean striker

Angelo Henriquez, once of Manchester United, will pose a threat.

Bayern MunicharSenaL OLyMpiacOSDinaMO ZagreB


“Arsenal have had

trouble in Greece in the

past: they’ve lost all three

of their away games

against Olympiacos. But

Olympiacos are in a mess

and Arsenal are too good

for Dinamo Zagreb.

“Bayern look strong,

though. I thought they

were possibly an ageing

side, that Franck Ribery

[below] is someone you

can no longer rely on.

But Arturo Vidal and

especially Douglas Costa

have looked fantastic.

“Even qualifying in

second, Arsenal can have

an impact. I don’t think

many people will look at

them as Champions

League winners, but they

are a side that can come

alive in games. So they’re

dangerous in knockout

football. Some of the

sides that have made it to

the final – Juve last year,

for example – are proof

that, in cup football,

anything can happen. But

Juve could defend.

I have concerns

about Arsenal’s

defence if

injuries

start to

mount

up.”

Arsenal can come alive in games


Key fixture

Arsenal v Bayern MunichOctober 20, 7.45pm

Given their away record against Olympiacos

(played three, lost three), a result here

could prove crucial if Arsenal are to avoid

an embarrassing group-stage exit.


Don’t write Jose off


Key fixture

Porto v ChelseaSeptember 29, 7.45pm

Jose Mourinho has achieved a lot since

2004. But his failure to win the Champions

League with Chelsea still hurts as he returns

to the club where he made his name.

“Chelsea started

pre-season late and that

has had an impact on

these early games, where

it’s looked like they’ve all

aged five years over the

summer. But the arrival

of Pedro has lit a fire up

everyone’s backside.

He’s an injection of pace,

directness and goal-

scoring ability.

“There are clearly

issues at the back, but I

think it’s been a bit of a

false impression we’ve

had so far of Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho always

seems able to invent new

enemies for himself –

that’s the petrol that his

engine runs on. At the

moment, he shows no

signs of slowing down.

“Maccabi Tel Aviv

really impressed me in

their playoff win over

Basel. The Israeli

champions have Jordi

Cruyff as their sporting

director – which is just

bizarre – and the old

Watford boss Slavisa

Jokanovic [pictured]

is their manager.

So that will be

fun. But overall,

Chelsea have

got to be

pretty happy

with the

group they’ve

landed in.”


Group H

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There’s an absence of

superclubs and British

interest, but we’re calling

it right now: Group H is

the one that will grip the

football hipsters, taking it

all in via thick-framed

glasses, sat in their

vintage Gent shirts.

Last season’s surprise

Belgian champions and

Champions League

newcomers might be

bottom seeds, but this is

a supremely even-looking

group. Zenit Saint

Petersburg are nominal

favourites, but despite

heavy investment and

Hulk tearing it up in

Russia, the side currently

managed by Andre

Villas-Boas have yet to

really make their mark in

the Champions League.

The same cannot be

said of Valencia, twice

Champions League

finalists, who have former

Manchester City striker

Alvaro Negredo to thank

for the goal that got them

into the group stage. The

loss of Nicolas Otamendi

to the Citizens, however,

could have a serious

impact on Valencia’s

defence.

An up-and-coming

Lyon side boasts a striker

who can terrorise almost

any defence: Alexandre

Lacazette (pictured), who

scored 31 goals in 40

games last

season. The

24-year-old

looks to be

the danger

marksman

in this

intriguing

group.

Return of the JoseReturning hero Jose Mourinho generally gets a terrific

reception in Porto, the place where he first won the Champions

League in 2004. The club’s new star goalkeeper is, however,

unlikely to extend that warm welcome. Mourinho and Iker

Casillas might not meet on the pitch (unless things gets really,

really desperate in Chelsea’s defensive selection), but the

pre-match media attention will be on the manager who

allegedly had an extremely frosty relationship with the Real

Madrid legend when they shared a dressing room in Spain.

Away from personal feuds, Porto versus the team currently

impersonating Chelsea is Group G’s most enticing clash. The

Portuguese powerhouse had a summer spending spree, with

£14m French midfielder Giannelli Imbula (imagine a cut-price

Paul Pogba) a highlight. They have, however, lost top scorer

Jackson Martinez to Atletico Madrid, so might not be best

placed to exploit any uncertainty in the Chelsea backline.

Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev have kept hold of their

own key attacker in Andriy Yarmolenko, despite a summer

of transfer speculation around the 25-year-old. But this is not

a Kiev side to compare with the Andriy Shevchenko/Serhiy

Rebrov team of the late 1990s. If Chelsea do struggle in a group

that also contains Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv (keep an eye out for

captain and star player Eran Zahavi), it may say more about their

own flaws than the strength of their opposition.

CHELSEAPorto

DynAmo KiEvmACCAbi tEL Aviv

Group G

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The BT Sport pundit

scored an angled

volley to put Real

Madrid 2-0 up on

Valencia in the 2000

Champions League final, which they

would go on to win 3-0. Real won

again in 2002, thanks to Zinedine

Zidane’s volleyed winner, with

McManaman a playing substitute.

“Roberto Carlos had a big throw-in;

somebody tried to head it clear.

It was in the air a long time, but I

managed to get in front of my

marker and placed the shot to the

side of Fernando Morientes and one

of their defenders. I was always very

comfortable hitting volleys – and

hitting volleys jumping in the air.

I was quite a technical player, so I

was able to control shots like that.

“I’m certainly not irked by

Zidane’s volley eclipsing mine [two

years later] because it means we

won the game. The one from Zizou

was equally important – it was like

the weight of the world lifted off his

shoulders when he scored. He told

me so himself, because he had had

such a hard first season.

“Scoring a goal in the Champions

League final will always stay with

you. Certainly the people in Madrid

remember it, because when I see

them they talk about it all the time.”

“I was always very comfortable hitting volleys jumping in the air”

Steve McManaman’s Champions League

final memories

Documents

The Champions League...Zlatan Ibrahimovic never really played well against us. He didn t really pose us any problems. But he is a fantastic player don t get me wrong. To do what he