Champions League

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, the first games of the 2005-2006 Champions League group phase will be played.

Holders Liverpool and 1999 winners Manchester United will be on the away front in tough ties against Spanish sides.

The other two English teams, Arsenal and Chelsea, will have home advantage in their first outings, while Rangers, Scotland's sole representatives, will also play in front of their own fans.

Fate decided to place Chelsea and Liverpool in the same group which could leave one of them empty-handed since crack Spanish side Real Betis are also in the fray.

Since Chelsea were not seeded and Liverpool did not enjoy the advantage of avoiding clubs from the same country after starting their title defence from the first qualifying stage, the chance of another direct combat after last season's meeting was always there.

On their way to lifting the coveted trophy, Liverpool saw off Chelsea 1-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the competition.

All five British representatives will cash in the enormous sum of £15 million for their presence in the group phase of the tournament.

The shock 0-1 home defeat to CSKA Sofia in the second leg of the third qualifying round match was Liverpool's fifth upset at Anfield in the European Cup/Champions League competition.

The previous season, the Reds had also experienced the same result against Austrian side Grazer AK. On both occasions the 'Pool went on to reach the group phase of the tournament, not to mention that in 2004-05 they triumphed in that famous Champions League final in Istanbul.

Their most disappointing loss came in the 1973-74 European Cup second round as Red Stars of Yugoslavia defeated Liverpool both home and away by the identical scoreline of 2-1.

The other two defeats were at the hands of Spanish sides in the group phase of the Champions League: 2001-02 - Barcelona 1-3; 2002-03 - Valencia 0-1.

Reports claim that Liverpool first set their sights on coach Rafael Benitez in the light of Valencia's marked progress throughout his reign.

Liverpool have never crossed swords with Real Betis but the Spaniards faced English opposition once in European competitions... against other group contenders Chelsea.

The Blues defeated Betis both home and away for an aggregate of 5-2 in the quarter-finals of the now-defunct Cup Winners Cup in 1997-98.

Forlan threat

Villarreal have already 'sunk one of our own' with the demise of Everton in the third qualifying round of the competition. But in Manchester United they will find a harder nut to crack.

Alex Ferguson will give special instructions to his defenders to curb the threat of former striker Diego Forlan after he finished as the leading marksman in the Spanish Liga last season.

The Uruguayan scored just 10 goals in 63 appearances for United, but last term Forlan netted 35 in 38 matches for Villarreal.

Forlan will renew acquaintance with his former United team-mates after his departure last year.

This will be the first ever duel between the two sides.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea entertain Belgium's Anderlecht, the least-quoted side in Group G. Chelsea's only connection with Belgian sides came against Bruges, whom they defeated twice on aggregate in Cup Winners Cup ties in 1971 and 1995.

Anderlecht were the first Belgians to meet an English side in the European Cup, going down 0-12 on aggregate to Manchester United in the preliminary round of the 1956-57 European Cup.

Other Anderlecht meetings with English sides:

1964-65 (European Cup first round): Liverpool H 3-0, A 1-0 (4-0).

1968-69 (European Cup second round): Manchester United H 3-0, A 1-3 (4-3).

1969-70 (Fairs Cup quarter-final): Newcastle A 0-2, H 3-1 (3-3).

1969-70 (Fairs Cup final): Arsenal A 1-3, H 3-0 (4-3).

1974-75 (European Cup quarter-final): Leeds H 3-0, A 1-0 (4-0).

1975-76 (Cup Winners Cup quarter-final): Wrexham A 0-1, H 1-1 (1-2).

1975-76 (Cup Winners Cup final, Brussels): West Ham 2-4.

1976-77 (Cup Winners Cup semi-final): Southampton A 0-2, H 2-1 (2-3).

1981-82 (European Cup semi-final): Aston Villa H 1-0, A 0-0 (1-0).

1983-84 (UEFA Cup semi-final): Nottm Forest H 2-0, A 0-3 (2-3).

1983-84 (UEFA Cup final): Tottenham H 1-1, A 1-1 (2-2); Tottenham won 4-3 on penalties.

2000-01 (Champions League group match, first phase): Manchester United H 5-1, A 1-2 (3 pts).

2000-01 (Champions League group match, second phase): Leeds H 2-1, A 4-1 (6 pts).

The minnows of the tournament, Swiss side FC Thun, will be Arsenal's first opponents in a Group B clash at Highbury.

The Reds from the 'Stade de Suisse' in Wankdorf, Berne saw their fairytale season continue when they were paired with Arsenal and Ajax Amsterdam in their group.

Presently, Thun are three points behind leaders Basel in the Swiss domestic league.

Arsenal challenge

Will Arsenal at last go beyond the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time in their history?

Arsene Wenger has again remarked that one of his team's main aims this season is to do well in Europe.

The Gunners' only link with Swiss clubs in European competition goes back to 1971-72 in the second round of the European Cup. Then, the North London club saw off Grasshoppers 5-0 on aggregate after they won both their ties.

Scottish champions Rangers face 2004 Champions League winners Porto at Ibrox.

Since Jose Mourinho left the Portuguese side to take over at Chelsea, their fortunes have dwindled both at home and on the continent.

In season 1983-84, the two sides met in the second round of the Cup Winners Cup when the Portuguese side held the upper hand on the away-goals rule after a 2-2 aggregate.

The clubs progressing from the UEFA Cup first round will advance to a group stage comprising eight sections of five clubs.

Bolton Wanderers, in their European debut, have been paired with the Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Plovdiv.

Coach Sam Allardyce, whose team have gained a lot of experience by signing tried-and-trusted foreign players, can reach their goal and move into the group phase of the tournament.

Bolton will be at the Reebok Stadium today week for the first leg.

Middlesbrough will also have home advantage against FC Xanthi of Greece.

Last season, the Boro, in their baptism in Europe, had defeated another Greek side Aigaleo 1-0 away in the group stage of the competition.

After their elimination to Villarreal in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, Everton will try their luck in the UEFA Cup, starting with an away trip to Romania's capital Bucharest to face Dinamo.

Hibernian, the only Scottish side left in the competition, play FC Dnipro of the Ukraine, starting at Easter Road in the first leg.