We’re all set for the big kick-off of the UEFA Champions League group stage. This competition offers the highest quality of football on the club level and is supposed to be a treat. But it feels a bit surreal to see that Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world and 14-times Champions League winner, is only the fifth favourite to lift the trophy again.Bayern, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Liverpool are all more fancied than the team that won the competition last season. But their wily coach Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t mind that – because they were also “underdogs” last season.”If anything, it is a good sign. We don’t mind being the underdogs and, if anything, we’ve improved.”Ancelotti’s side visit the 1967 winners Celtic, who have won all seven of their domestic games this season, culminating in a 4-0 dismissal of closest rivals Rangers last weekend.Who will be next? 🏆❓Champions League 2022/23 🔜#UCL pic.twitter.com/lISk7wdoXM— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 5, 2022 The highest-profile match on the first night won’t be played in Glasgow, however – but in Paris, where top favourites Paris Saint-Germain go up against Juventus. Both sides will want to get to the business end of the tournament. Juventus winger Angel Di Maria will have a quick reunion with his former teammates as he returns to the Parc des Princes.The matchup will also highlight the gulf between “new money” and “old money”. Juventus have been competing in Europe’s strongest competition for decades, but Les Parisiens are only started their interest in the trophy over the past decade. This year they will try to finally win it. They’ve got a new coach and a talented squad. However, it’s never as straightforward as that – and the opposition is fierce.Robert Benzema or Karim Lewandowski? This is crazy, but two legends have nothing but the same UCL numbersChelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic will face his old club Dinamo Zagreb in a match where Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could make his Blues debut despite suffering a broken jaw just two weeks ago. Aubameyang will be fitted with a custom-made mask to protect his jaw that was broken during an assault by a group of four men who broke into his home near Barcelona and threatened him with firearms. But Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel says that the Gabonese’s character makes him a true fighter.”Auba is very ambitious, he’s very focused, and he’s hungry to play for us. He’s also hungry to prove a point. That’s why he’s here.”Dinamo beat Tottenham at their Maksimir Stadium in a spectacular Europa League match last season and will try for another sensational result against a London team.✅ New season✅ New intro 🔥 Same classic anthem #UCL pic.twitter.com/b96EoRMZHr— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 5, 2022 Pep Guardiola is returning to Spain with Sevilla hosting his Manchester City team. Pep warned his team that they cannot rely on Erling Haaland to single-handedly win them the Champions League this season – despite his fantastic start to life in England.”If we rely on Erling’s shoulders, we will not win the Champions League.”Sevilla are enduring a rotten start of the season and their fans must be getting very nervous about the prospect of facing one of the best teams in the world.##NAJAVA_MECA_6624781##Meanwhile, Belgian wonderkid Charles De Ketelaere is set to start for AC Milan against RB Salzburg on their return to the UCL with minimal changes expected from Stefano Pioli. The young attacker could make his Rossoneri Champions League bow in Austria as the team search for the perfect start to the group stage. Milan were awful last season in the competition but have in the meantime won the Scudetto and are a much stronger team than a year ago. The San Siro club has seven titles and proud history in the competition – which their fans will surely be keen to point out to their hosts – who were anonymous before Red Bull turned them into a powerful sporting organization.Welcome to the new season of the UEFA Champions League. It’s a big night, a significant date in the football calendar. But you don’t have to wear your best suit. Just turn the TV on, refresh Mozzart Sport Kenya and enjoy!UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 1Tuesday 19.45: (7.00) Dinamo Zagreb (4.30) Chelsea (1.53)19.45: (1.35) Dortmund (5.60) Copenhagen (9.00)22.00: (3.50) Salzburg (3.50) Milan (2.20)22.00: (5.90) Celtic (4.10) Real Madrid (1.63)22.00: (1.22) RB Leipzig (6.50) Shakhtar (13.0)22.00: (9.00) Sevilla (4.90) Man.City (1.40)22.00: (1.25) Benfica (6.75) Maccabi Haifa (13.0)22.00: (1.40) PSG (5.30) Juventus (8.00)Wednesday 19.45: (1.50) Ajax (4.60) Rangers (7.00)19.45: (2.25) Eintr.Frankfurt (3.50) Sporting (3.35)22.00: (3.80) Napoli (3.60) Liverpool (2.05)22.00: (1.85) Atl.Madrid (3.50) Porto (5.00)22.00: (3.40) Club Brugge (3.60) Leverkusen (2.20)22.00: (1.07) Barcelona (15.0) Plzen (35.0)22.00: (4.10) Inter (3.80) Bayern (1.92)22.00: (1.53) Tottenham (4.30) Olympique Marseille (7.00)***odds are subject to change
