The Champions League is back for a new season, with a new format and plenty of intrigue.
Here are the five biggest things to look out for when the new campaign gets under way on Tuesday.
There is no doubt whatsoever about the biggest game on opening night of the new-look Champions League as two of the tournament’s traditional old rivals face off.
San Siro plays host as Milan welcome Liverpool FC to Italy for a repeat of both the 2005 and 2007 finals.
New Rossoneri boss Paulo Fonseca finally got his first win as coach over the weekend as everything clicked in a 4-0 win over Venezia, while Arne Slot’s early Anfield optimism was dented a little when he fell to a first defeat with a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest.
Interestingly, Liverpool FC have won on all three of their Champions League trips to San Siro (twice against Inter and once against Milan), making them the only visiting side ever to play there more than once in the competition and enjoy a perfect record.
It is time for the continent to sit up and take notice of the incredible work of Rúben Amorim at Sporting CP.
In May, they won their first league title for three years and just their second since the millennium to seal another crack at Europe’s premier club competition in style.
Along the way, they smashed several club records including most points in a season (90), most wins (29) and a perfect home record, spearheaded by a stunning debut season from Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres who ended the campaign with 43 in all competitions.
Gyökeres and his team-mates have shown no signs of letting up this season either. He’s already on eight goals and the Lisbon giants have won all five of their league fixtures so far.
Lille are in the Portuguese capital on Tuesday night, where Sporting will be desperate to translate their domestic form to the big stage.
History beckons for Harry Kane when Bayern Munich welcome Dinamo Zagreb to the Allianz Arena.
He’s currently sitting on 29 goals in the European Cup/Champions League, which is just one short of the record of 30 for an English player.
That record is held by Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney, and given Kane managed eight last season in the tournament which represented a single-season best for him, you wouldn’t bet against him taking the record on Tuesday.
For the first time in 15 years, Stuttgart are back in the Champions League and what a welcome awaits them on their return as they travel to take on defending champions Real Madrid.
German sides could not deal with Los Blancos last season as Union Berlin, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were all swept aside en route to a record-extending 15th European crown.
Now while Sebastian Hoeneß’s side haven’t hit the same heights of last year yet, neither have the holders and the fact that each of Los Blancos’ last five goals have all come from the penalty spot is a testament to their open play struggles so far.
Jude Bellingham, Eduardo Camavinga, Brahim Díaz and Eder Militão are all currently sidelined too, meaning Stuttgart may not get a better opportunity to spring a surprise.
“This is the game we wanted,” coach Hoeneß told UEFA after the draw. “Real Madrid away was top of the wish list for many of our players and staff.”
Despite both being tournament regulars,, with Juventus embarking on their 38th European Cup/Champions League campaign and PSV in their 28th, these sides have surprisingly never met in competitive action before.
