Inter Milan start their Champions League title defence at Twente Enschede on Tuesday while their ex-coach Jose Mourinho aims for a third title with as many clubs at Real Madrid.
Rafael Benitez, who took charge of Inter in summer, leads an almost unchanged squad which beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in the Madrid final four months ago.
The first season games have been fairly unconvincing and Inter will have no reason to underestimate Twente. “We are improving game after game,” said Inter’s Brazil defender Lucio. “Now there is the Champions League, a beautiful tournament to play. It is the first game and we want to leave the pitch with a good result.” Benitez has Brazil’s right-wing defender Douglas Maicon back from injury, while Serb midfielder Dejan Stankovic remains sidelined.
The Dutch champions Twente are one of six debutants in the elite event, which also include Tottenham Hotspur, who play Werder Bremen in the other Group A game.
Mourinho, meanwhile, wants to further cement his “Special One” status by leading Real Madrid to glory after guiding Porto (2004) and Inter to the trophy. No coach has won the event with three teams.
Real, who have not gone beyond the round if 16 in the past six years, open on Wednesday against four-time winners Ajax Amsterdam.
“We are the favourites and we must win because it’s crucial to get off to a good start in the Champions League,” said Mourinho, who is expected to field German newboys Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil after their promising displays in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat of Osasuna.
Group G in fact combines for a staggering 20 titles as it also features seven-time champions AC Milan, who start at home against French side Auxerre after being beaten 2-0 in the Serie A by Cesena.
Meanwhile, the 2009 winners Barcelona must pick up the pieces again after a stunning 2-0 league home defeat against promoted Hercules Alicante when they host Greek side Panathinaikos in Group D.
“We are annoyed with ourselves, and everyone will see a positive reaction on Tuesday. We cannot drop more points at home, either in the league or in Europe,” said right back Dani Alves.
Barca will be able to count on fit-again veterans Carles Puyol and Xavi, both of whom were sorely missed against Hercules.
Copenhagen host ambitious Russian champions Rubin Kazan (who famously won a group game in Barcelona last year) in the other game.
Group C, meanwhile, features an intriguing Tuesday clash between Manchester United and Glasgow Rangers which overshadows the second game between newcomers Bursaspor and former finalists Valencia.
United’s Scottish manager Sir Alex Ferguson is a former Rangers player while Rangers manager Walter Smith was his assistant at the Scotland team in 1986 and at United in 2004.
The ambitious Ferguson will welcome back striker Wayne Rooney and defender Rio Ferdinand at Old Trafford. Rooney was left out of the United side for the 3-3 draw at Everton at the weekend after revelations about his private life. Fedinand is expected to return after his knee injury.
“We’ve only won it three times, which is not enough for this club. We’ve been unlucky a lot of times. The reality is we could have won it another two or three years,” said Ferguson.
But United will face opposition from, among others, the other English teams of Chelsea and Arsenal, who would love a place in the Wembley final on May 28, 2011, as well. Carlo Ancelotti’s Premier League champions Chelsea open in group F at the first ever Slovakian team of Zilina, with Olympique Marseille meeting Spartak Moscow in the second game.
Arsenal also take on a new team in group H, Portugal’s Braga. Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk meet Partizan Belgrade in the other game.
Munich, meanwhile, are without suspended Franck Ribery and injured Arjen Robben when they open against Serie A runners-up Roma, who are coming off a 5-1 league battering at Cagliari and have a long injury list.
Group E also features CFR Cluj and Swiss side Basel who meet in Romania. The other opening games are in Group B in Tuesday: Olympique Lyon v Schalke and Benfica Lisbon v Hapoel Tel Aviv.
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