Group C
Manchester United FC
Last season:
1st Premiership
Champions League runners-up
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Key Man: Wayne Rooney
Stadium: Old Trafford, Capacity 75,975
Manchester United continued their domination of English football by winning their 19th league title, and progressing to their third Champions League final in four years. Sir Alex Ferguson finally has his United challenging for major European honours on a yearly basis, with nothing less expected than reaching the latter stages of the Champions League.
Man United have replaced outgoing experienced, established stars, with energetic, exciting and enthusiastic youth. De Gea has replaced Van Der Sar in goal, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in defence, Tom Cleverly and Ashley Young in midfield, and Danny Welbeck with Javier Hernandez up front.
Expected United to be challenging once again.
Best Starting XI:
FC Basel 1893
Last season:
1st Swiss Super League
Europa League, round of 32
Uhren Cup
Manager: Thorsten Fink
Key Man: Yann Sommer
Stadium: St. Jacob Park, Capacity 38,500
The 14 times Swiss Super League winners make their return to the Champions’ League group stages after gaining automatic qualification thanks to their Super League title. This Basel side boast five full Swiss national first team players (more than any other club), as well of two of the most promising players in Europe; midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri and goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Also keep an eye on Swiss legend and goal machine Alexander Frei, who has 46 goals in 61 appearances for the club.
Best Starting XI:
FC Otelul Galati
Last season:
1st Romanian Liga I
Supercupa Romaniei
Manager: Dorinel Munteanu
Key Man: Sergiu Costin
Stadium: Otelul, 13,500
Champions League new boys, Galati is a town on the west coast of Romania, Otelul is the main football club and last year’s Romanian league champions (the first time in their history). Similar to many other football fans, I don’t know too much about the Romanian side, but there are two web pages with have a little more details on the obscurely known club.
Best Starting XI:
SL Benfica
Last season:
2nd Primeira Liga
League Cup
Champions League, Group stage
Europa League, Semi-finals
Manager: Jorge Jesus
Key Man: Oscar Cardozo
Stadium: Estadio de Luiz, Capacity 65,647
Benfica had a frustrating season last year, falling short on both the domestic and European front. They finished miles behind Andres Villas-Boas’ Porto side in the league and they lost to eventual Europa League finalists SC Braga in the semi-finals last season, beating Paris Saint Germain, PSV and Stuttgart en route.
They’ve lost one of their best players in Fabio Coentrao to Real Madrid, but signed midfielder Axel Witsel, left backs Emerson and Joan Capdevila, centre-back Ezequiel Garay and winger Enzo Perez to add to a very good squad. Benfica beat FC Twente 5-3 on aggregate in the Champions League play-offs.
Best Starting XI:
Arthur – Emerson, Luisao, Garay, Maxi Pereira – Javi Garcia, Witsel, Aimar – Gaita, Nolito, Cardozo
Manchester United FC
Last season:
1st Premiership
Champions League runners-up
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Key Man: Wayne Rooney
Stadium: Old Trafford, Capacity 75,975
Manchester United continued their domination of English football by winning their 19th league title, and progressing to their third Champions League final in four years. Sir Alex Ferguson finally has his United challenging for major European honours on a yearly basis, with nothing less expected than reaching the latter stages of the Champions League.
Man United have replaced outgoing experienced, established stars, with energetic, exciting and enthusiastic youth. De Gea has replaced Van Der Sar in goal, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in defence, Tom Cleverly and Ashley Young in midfield, and Danny Welbeck with Javier Hernandez up front.
Expected United to be challenging once again.
Best Starting XI:
FC Basel 1893
Last season:
1st Swiss Super League
Europa League, round of 32
Uhren Cup
Manager: Thorsten Fink
Key Man: Yann Sommer
Stadium: St. Jacob Park, Capacity 38,500
The 14 times Swiss Super League winners make their return to the Champions’ League group stages after gaining automatic qualification thanks to their Super League title. This Basel side boast five full Swiss national first team players (more than any other club), as well of two of the most promising players in Europe; midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri and goalkeeper Yann Sommer. Also keep an eye on Swiss legend and goal machine Alexander Frei, who has 46 goals in 61 appearances for the club.
Best Starting XI:
FC Otelul Galati
Last season:
1st Romanian Liga I
Supercupa Romaniei
Manager: Dorinel Munteanu
Key Man: Sergiu Costin
Stadium: Otelul, 13,500
Champions League new boys, Galati is a town on the west coast of Romania, Otelul is the main football club and last year’s Romanian league champions (the first time in their history). Similar to many other football fans, I don’t know too much about the Romanian side, but there are two web pages with have a little more details on the obscurely known club.
Best Starting XI:
SL Benfica
Last season:
2nd Primeira Liga
League Cup
Champions League, Group stage
Europa League, Semi-finals
Manager: Jorge Jesus
Key Man: Oscar Cardozo
Stadium: Estadio de Luiz, Capacity 65,647
Benfica had a frustrating season last year, falling short on both the domestic and European front. They finished miles behind Andres Villas-Boas’ Porto side in the league and they lost to eventual Europa League finalists SC Braga in the semi-finals last season, beating Paris Saint Germain, PSV and Stuttgart en route.
They’ve lost one of their best players in Fabio Coentrao to Real Madrid, but signed midfielder Axel Witsel, left backs Emerson and Joan Capdevila, centre-back Ezequiel Garay and winger Enzo Perez to add to a very good squad. Benfica beat FC Twente 5-3 on aggregate in the Champions League play-offs.
Best Starting XI:
Arthur – Emerson, Luisao, Garay, Maxi Pereira – Javi Garcia, Witsel, Aimar – Gaita, Nolito, Cardozo
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