Home of football statistics and historyEurope’s elite are ready to lock horns once again as the Champions League kicks off for another thrilling season.
Perennial Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are the reigning holders after dismantling Inter Milan 5-0 in the Munich final last term.
Luis Enrique’s men head into the new campaign as one of the betting favourites to reclaim the title. For those fans looking for additional online gaming opportunities outside of football, they can try Fishin Frenzy at Virgin Games or try a number of slots games available at via that link.
However, competition is as fierce as it gets, with usual suspects like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester City vying for the crown.
Six Premier League sides have punched their tickets to Europe’s most prestigious competition, setting the stage for another blockbuster continental campaign.
Mikel Arteta’s men were the best-performing English team last season, reaching the semi-finals, only for eventual winners PSG to stop them in their tracks.
Despite lifting their second Premier League title, Liverpool couldn’t make it out of the Round of 16, while Man City bowed out in the opening knockout round.
After a two-year absence, Europa League holders Tottenham Hotspur return to Europe’s top table brimming with confidence after halting a 17-year title drought last season.
Without further ado, let’s look at their opponents.
Arsenal
The Gunners’ European journey gets underway on foreign soil as they travel to the Basque Country to take on La Liga powerhouse Athletic Bilbao on matchday one.
Arteta’s charges will then face Greek giants Olympiacos, followed by a home clash against Atletico Madrid and a trip to the Czech Republic for a match against Slavia Prague.
Bayern Munich will put Arsenal’s continental credentials to the test in round four, with Club Brugge set to host the London outfit on the following matchday.
Revenge will be at the forefront of Arsenal’s mind in their penultimate league-phase outing, when they meet Inter Milan, who beat them last season, before encountering debutants Kairat Almaty in the finale. 77
Manchester City
Kevin De Bruyne’s return to the Etihad Stadium as a foe may be one of the storylines of round one as Napoli arrive in England to face Man City at the start of the league phase.
According to Express & Sport, Pep Guardiola is ‘confident Man City will have a good season,’ and they’ll have a chance to live up to his words in back-to-back games against Monaco and Villarreal.
City will then trade tackles with Bundesliga titans Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen at home before facing familiar rivals Real Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Six points could be in store in January when they meet debutants Bodo/Glimt (A) and Turkish champions Galatasaray (H).
Liverpool
Liverpool get their Champions League campaign underway at Anfield against Atletico before heading to Rams Park to lock horns with Galatasaray.
An away match against Eintracht Frankfurt will serve to prepare the Reds for Los Blancos’ visit to Merseyside. Arne Slot’s side then encounter PSV Eindhoven at home and Inter Milan on the road.
January promises maximum points for the reigning Premier League holders, considering they will be huge favourites against Marseille (A) and Qarabag (H).
Chelsea
Back to the Champions League after two years away, Chelsea can hardly imagine a more challenging start than a road fixture against Bayern.
Consecutive home matches against Benfica and Ajax have all the makings of ‘must-win’ if they’re to progress into the knockout stages.
The same applies to their trip to Qarabag, especially with Barcelona set to visit Stamford Bridge soon after.
Except for a routine-looking home showdown against Pafos, the tail-end of the league phase promises to be tricky, with Chelsea facing Atalanta and Napoli on Italian soil.
Newcastle United
Newcastle’s second Champions League campaign in three years starts at home to Barcelona, while their first away outing pits them against Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
Successive home games against Benfica and Bilbao could set them up nicely for a trip to Stade Velodrome to meet Marseille and another high-profile away match against Leverkusen.
The Magpies’ two European fixtures in January put them up against PSV (H) and PSG (A).
Tottenham Hotspur
Thomas Frank’s managerial debut in the Champions League sees Tottenham line up against Villarreal at home, while his first away game in charge takes Spurs to Bodo/Glimt.
Encounters against Monaco (A) and Copenhagen (H) will prepare the North London side for a high-stakes showdown against PSG (A).
Spurs will warm up for an intense finale against Dortmund (H) and Frankfurt (A) with a winnable-looking home game against Slavia.
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