Curtain to rise on group stage

Holders AC Milan return to the UEFA Champions League when they entertain SL Benfica on Tuesday, on an opening night of group stage action which also sees last season's runners-up Liverpool FC travel to FC Porto.

Marseille return
The Rossoneri overcame the Reds 2-1 in Athens in May to claim a seventh European Champion Clubs' Cup – their bid to add to that tally, in Moscow next May, begins with the visit of Benfica on 18 September. FC Shakhtar Donetsk face Celtic FC in the other Group D tie. Liverpool also tackle Liga opposition in Porto, the 2004 winners, while fellow Group A rivals Olympique de Marseille and Beşiktaş JK meet in France.

Madrid-Bremen
The man who oversaw that Porto success, José Mourinho, is now at the helm of Chelsea FC and the Londoners start their quest to break their European Champion Clubs' Cup duck with a home game against Rosenborg BK. Also in Group B, FC Schalke 04 encounter Valencia CF. The Spanish champions, Real Madrid CF, in what will be their 300th match in the European Cup, entertain Werder Bremen – giving new German coach Bernd Schuster another taste of Bundesliga opposition - as Olympiacos CFP host S.S. Lazio elsewhere in Group C.

Attractive match
Wednesday's programme sees SK Slavia Praha play their inaugural fixture at this level at home to FC Steaua Bucureşti, with Arsenal FC engaging Sevilla FC in the other Group H tie. The most attractive fixture arguably pits FC Barcelona against French champions Olympique Lyonnais in a tough-looking Group E, which also features German title-holders VfB Stuttgart in action at Rangers FC.

Roma relief
Meanwhile, AS Roma – who welcome FC Dynamo Kyiv – will have been relieved to avoid Manchester United FC in their opening Group F game having lost 7-1 at Old Trafford last season. England's finest go to Sporting Clube de Portugal. In Group G, Serie A winners FC Internazionale Milano make the journey to Fenerbahçe SK; PSV Eindhoven versus PFC CSKA Moskva completes the Matchday 1 schedule.