Atletico Madrid vs Zenit September 18, 2013

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An intriguing game is in prospect when Atletico Madrid and Zenit St. Petersburg lock horns in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Atletico will be charged up for the encounter after finding themselves back in Europe's elite competition after a few seasons in the Europa League.

Manager Diego Simeone has gone from strength to strength at Atletico, and the Spanish side look strong this year despite losing their talisman Radamel Falcao to Monaco.

In David Villa they have a striker who has been there and done everything, and Atletico will rely on the experience of the Spain international to bail them out of tough situations, which are bound to crop up.

On paper Atletico are probably the favourites along with Porto to advance to the last-16, but Simeone, desperate to temper the expectations, believes Zenit have the advantage over them due to their experience of playing in the Champions League in recent seasons.

"Zenit and Porto are favourites in the group because of the experience they have at this level," he added. "We are still growing. If we play with humility and as a team we have a chance."

Zenit have not quite hit the heights expected of them in Europe and manager Luciano Spalletti will be hoping for a better campaign this time around.

Atletico Madrid: Courtois; Juanfran, Miranda, Godin, Filipe Luis; Koke, Tiago, Gabi, Turan, Adrian, Villa.

Zenit St. Petersburg: Lodygin; Anyukov, Hubocan, Neto, Smolnikov; Witsel, Shirokov, Fayzulin, Danny; Arshavin, Kerzhakov.

La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid get their Champions League campaign off the mark on Wednesday when they play host to Russian side Zenit St Petersburg.

Diego Simeone's team have enjoyed a superb start domestically, with four wins and two draws taking them above Barcelona in the Spanish standings.

Zenit have also enjoyed an impressive unbeaten run this term, dropping just two points in their opening six games.

Both sides have no new injury worries ahead of the contest at the Vicente Calderon Stadium.

Austria Vienna vs Porto September 18, 2013

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Former European champions Porto start this season's Champions League with a trip to Austria Vienna on Wednesday in Group G.

The Portuguese champions have won their first four matches in the league, a run that has taken them two points clear of Sporting Lisbon in the table.

Vienna, who beat Dinamo Zagreb in the final round of qualifying, have had a rocky start to their title defence thanks to three draws and two defeats from eight games.

The sides met in the competition back in 2002 when Porto earned a 3-0 aggregate victory in the second round.

Porto coach Paulo Fonseca has rubbished the suggestion that his side will start as strong favourites when they open their Champions League Group G campaign against debutants Austria Vienna on Wednesday.

While Porto will kick off their 18th Champions League campaign in the Ernst Happel Stadium, their opponents squeezed through to the group stage for the first time after a tense play-off win over Dinamo Zagreb.

And the form of both sides could hardly be in greater contrast heading into the game, with Porto sitting on top of the Portuguese Liga with maximum points from four games, while Vienna are fifth in the Austrian Bundesliga and without a win in their last two.

But Fonseca said: "We are not playing at home and we are facing opponents who have reached the Champions League on great merit. We do not have an easy task.

"The importance of winning this game has more to do with the fact that it is important to start off well in the group stage. We can only prove that we are favourites with what we do on the field."

Fonseca does not expect to make any major team changes for the tie in Austria as his side look to get off to a dominant start in a group that also includes Atletico Madrid and Zenit St Petersburg.

Fonseca's opposite number Nenad Bjelica has admitted his side face a major task against opponents he classes as "incredibly strong".

Vienna: Lindner; Ortlechner, Suttner, Koch, Rogulj; Mader, Holland, Royer, Syankovic; Jun, Hosiner


Porto: Helton; Otamendi, Danilo, Sandro, Maicon; Defour, Lica, Fernando, Quintero; Varela, Martinez

Marseille vs Arsenal September 18, 2013

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Arsenal will attempt to open their Champions League Group F campaign with three points when they travel to French outfit Marseille on Wednesday.

Arsene Wenger reckons his Arsenal side's "exceptional" away record means they can compete with anyone in Europe, writes John Cross in Marseille.

But Wenger confessed he fears his injury-hit squad will not be able to cope with the strain of the next two months as they try to maintain their impressive start in the Champions League as well as at home.

The Gunners will be looking for a TENTH consecutive away win when his men face Marseille here in France on Wednesday, after an incredible run which dates back to their victory at Bayern Munich in March.

The Gunners drew the short straw when the group stages were announced with Arsene Wenger's side drawn alongside Marseille, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund.

Marseille, who did not feature in last season's competition, will enter the match full of confidence following a positive start to their league season, with 10 points from five games leaving them in fourth position in the table.

Meanwhile, Arsenal lost on the opening weekend of the season against Aston Villa, but have since recovered with wins over Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland. They also booked their spot in the group stages of the Champions League with a 6-1 aggregate success over Fenerbahce in the playoffs.

Arsenal look to kick-start their Champions League campaign with a win against Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday. But the road to glory will not be an easy one, as the Gunners find themselves in the formidable ‘Group of Death’.

Arsenal have been drawn alongside Marseille, Napoli and last year’s finalists Borussia Dortmund in Group F. This is a tough group with all teams looking strong in their respective leagues.

Dortmund, who just missed out on the trophy last year losing to Bayern Munich 2-1 in the final, look to be the favourites to top the group. Despite the loss of Mario Gotze to their rivals, they have managed to keep goalscorer Robert Lewandoski. With a strong squad at their disposable they are hopeful to make a return to the finals, this time coming out as winners.

The Premier League outfit have also enjoyed recent success in Marseille, with a 1-0 win in the group stages of the 2011-12 campaign. However, the French side did claim a point in a 0-0 draw in London at the beginning of November 2011.

The hosts have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the match and could name the same lineup that drew with Toulouse in the league at the weekend. However, Jordan Ayew and Saber Khlifa are both pushing for recalls.

Mathieu Valbuena will once more occupy a wide area for the French outfit, while former Premier League target Andre-Pierre Gignac is expected to lead their line.

Marseille: Mandanda; N'Koulou, Lucas, Morel, Fanni; Thauvin, Romao, Wanga, Valbuena; Gignac, Payet

Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs; Ramsey, Wilshere, Flamini; Ozil, Giroud, Walcott

Chelsea vs Basel September 18, 2013

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Basel have won the Swiss Super League four seasons in a row, and have assembled a squad capable of causing some of Europe's bigger teams problems. Nowhere has that been more evident than in the Champions League a couple of seasons ago, when a win at home to Manchester United sent the Red Devils out of the group stages and into the Europa League.

Basel don't have any early concerns, and will line up with several talented youngsters the Blues will have to keen an eye on. They may have lost Austrian defender Aleksandar Dragović this summer, though young Swiss international Fabian Schär has stepped into the breach excellently. Lively Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah could also prove to be a handful down the right for Ashley Cole.

We're not yet into double figures in terms of matches this season, but not many people would have been predicting in early August that Chelsea's opening fixture in the Champions League would have a must-win feel about it.

But that's where we stand at the moment, with Jose Mourinho's side without victory in their previous three outings—drawing with Manchester United and Bayern Munich (who won the Super Cup on penalties) and losing 1-0 to Everton at the weekend.

It's far from a crisis, but in an age where managers and teams are often put firmly under the microscope after a few indifferent results, facing Basel at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday is a game Mourinho and his players cannot afford to lose—or draw for that matter.

Victory will set them on their way in the Champions League, restoring some confidence. But anything less than three points will see the sound of alarm bells begin chiming ever louder in West London.

Chelsea: Petr Čech; Ashley Cole, David Luiz, Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanović; John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard; Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar; Fernando Torres

Basel: Yann Sommer; Behrang Safari, Fabian Schär, Ivan Ivanov, Philipp Degen; Stephan Andrist, Fabian Frei, Mohamed Elneny, Mohamed Salah; Valentin Stocker; Marco Streller

Match Date/Time: Wednesday, 7:45 p.m. local, 2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England

Kick-off: 7.45 p.m. (GMT), 2.45 p.m. (EST), 11.45 a.m. (PST)

Barcelona vs Ajax September 18, 2013

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Two of world football's legendary names will cross swords for the very first time on Wednesday as Barcelona play host to Ajax in their Champions League Group H opener.

The manner in which Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League last season still lingers.

Bayern Munich absolutely mauled the former champions in the semifinals in the last edition, and that result will still be hurting pretty much every single Barca player in the dressing room.

It will be time for some redemption and to prove that they are still worthy of being called the best side in the world when they begin their champions League campaign against Ajax.

A few years back, this match would have been as big as any in Europe. However, with the standards in the Dutch league now nothing compared to 20 years ago, there will be one clear favourite - Barcelona, especially with the Spanish champions playing at home at the Camp Nou.

Given their perennial involvement in European competition it is more than a little surprising that these powerhouses of the game have never met in a competitive fixture, but all of that will change when the players step out at the Nou Camp.

Although strangers on the pitch, the links between the two clubs run deep, with some of Holland's biggest stars having graced Barca's ranks in years gone by.

Three-time world player of the year Johan Cruyff quit Ajax to join Barca in 1973 before going on to coach the Catalans to their first ever European Cup triumph at Wembley in 1992.

Cruyff was the first of 14 Ajax players to have signed for Barca down the years, although it is far from a one-way street with six players moving in the other direction, the most recent deal seeing Bojan Krkic move to the Amsterdam Arena on loan.

Many of Barca's former Dutch masters are expected to be at the match - although the most famous of them all will not be in evidence.

The outspoken Cruyff has a fractious relationship with the board of Barca, and told Dutch TV station RTL: "I will support Ajax. I have had some differences with Barca's president, and I will not set foot in the Camp Nou as long as he is there."

Boardroom upset is precisely what new Barca coach Gerardo Martino is hoping to avoid in his first season and the helm and will embark on his maiden Champions League campaign with a clear objective.

Barca have a rich history in this competition in recent years, winning in 2006, 2009 and 2011, and Martino - who has led his new charges to four wins from four at the start of the new La Liga campaign - knows expectations are sky high.

"There's always a prioritisation of the tournaments you're involved in. I feel that Barcelona have to win this competition," the Argentinian told a press conference today.

Barcelona: Valdes; Adriano, Mascherano, Pique, Alves; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Fabregas, Messi, Neymar.

Ajax: Vermeer; Van Rhijn, Moisander, Denswil, Boilesen; Schone, Duarte, Serero; Sana, Hoesen, Fischer.

"We're in three competitions and we have to reach the final stages of all three.

"When I took on the Barcelona job, I knew that if we didn't win a title this season it would be a failure.

"If I am here it's because I believe we can repeat the glorious moments of the club in recent seasons.

AC Milan vs Celtic September 18, 2013

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AC Milan will have to battle a lengthy injury list when it begins its Champions League campaign against Celtic on Wednesday.

The seven-time winner of Europe's premier club competition already had Ignazio Abate, Mattia De Sciglio, Matias Silvestre, Daniele Bonera and Giampaolo Pazzini sidelined prior to its 2-2 draw with Torino.
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Celtic's quest to reach the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League starts at AC Milan where the Scottish champions will attempt to win in Italy for the first time.

The Bhoys' European adventure came to an end at the hands of Juventus last season in the first knockout stage, but Neil Lennon's side face an uphill battle to make it past the group phase this time around.

In the only group which contains past European champions, Celtic must also meet Ajax and Barcelona after navigating through three qualifying rounds to simply reach this stage.

The Rossoneri will be down to the bare bones for the Celtic clash, and coach Massimiliano Allegri told the club's official website: "We'll make do with who we have and we'll have fresh players ready to play what is a delicate and important game."

Allegri's men have won just one of their first three games in Serie A and only salvaged a point at Torino courtesy of late goals from Sulley Muntari and Mario Balotelli.

A similarly slow start in European competition could well prove costly, as Milan has been drawn in a difficult Group H that also features Barcelona and Ajax.

Celtic will be aiming to follow up last season's impressive showing in the Champions League, which was highlighted by a shock 2-1 home victory over Barcelona.

Victor Wanyama scored the opening goal of that game, but he has since departed to Southampton, while star striker Gary Hooper also left the club this summer to join Norwich City.

One of Celtic's summer additions, fullback Steven Mouyokolo, is set to miss the entire group stage after rupturing his Achilles tendon in training, while winger James Forrest returned from international duty with Scotland nursing a back complaint.