Champions League preview

The 2012-13 UEFA Champions League group stage gets underway tonight.

Chelsea begin the defense their Champions League title against Italian champions Juventus, with both John Terry and Ashley Cole (both ankle) having shaken off knocks that ruled them out of England encounters during the international break. However the English side are hoping to take advantage of the fact Juventus will be without former Inter defender Lucio, who is set to miss the majority of the season due to an ankle injury.

Arsenal and Manchester City are also both in action, with Arsenal kicking off their Group B campaign at Montpellier – where the French side will make their first appearance in the Champions League.

City’s maiden Champions League campaign ended in a group-stage exit last year and the league champions will be desperate to better that performance, but face a tough test as they travel to the Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid in their first ‘Group of Death’ outing.

The other Group B fixture is the clash between Greek giants Olympiakos and German side Schalke in Athens, with both teams boasting unbeaten domestic records this season.

Those two European heavyweights, and respective winners of the Bundesliga and Eredivisie, go head-to-head in the other match of that group at the Signal Iduna Park.

AC Milan, pipped to the Serie A title by Juventus last season, will begin their bid to add to their seven European titles when they take on Belgian side Anderlecht at the San Siro in Group C.

The other game in that pool will see Spanish side Malaga host Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg, boosted by the summer arrival of highly-rated forward Hulk from FC Porto.

Also in Group A, big-spending French heavyweights, Paris St Germain, play host to Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev, who have not progressed past the group stage in their last 10 attempts.

Completing the evening’s action is FC Porto’s trip to Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb, taking part in their fourth Champions League campaign.