A guide to this season's championships

League Team Guide (Group-by-Group) of European clubs participating in tournament

Europe's most prestigious club competition has entered its second group stage. The continent's big club will square off against each other in four groups of four.
Italy and Spain will be represented by four clubs each, making up half of the remaining sixteen sides in the competition. For the first time since Juventus' Champions League triumph in 1996, Italian fans are of the view that one of their teams can claim the most coveted continental club title.

Group A Team Guide

BARCELONA
Barcelona won all eight of their European matches to advance to the second group stage - two qualifying games against Legia Warsaw followed by a first phase cruise past Lokomotiv Moscow, Club Bruges and Galatasaray. They became only the fourth side to do that since the Champions League started following AC Milan (1992-93), Paris St Germain (1994-95) and Spartak Moscow (1995-96) and that success was built on more disciplined displays in defence and midfield following the return of Louis van Gaal as coach.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN
Coach Klaus Toppmoeller realizes that Leverkusen's surprise run to last season's final will probably not repeat itself but would like to see his men boost their confidence for the domestic battles to come by shining in Europe. Germany striker Oliver Neuville is totally out of form but Toppmoeller hopes the winter break will help him recapture his scoring instinct.

INTER MILAN
The jury is still out on whether Hector Cuper's side really have what it takes to mount a serious challenge in Europe after a mixed bag of performances in the first phase. But the crucial away win at Ajax Amsterdam, which secured progress in the competition for Inter, was a sign that on their day Inter's hardworking, if often unattractive style, can be effective. But the biggest question is whether Inter, without a Serie A title since 1989, will be able to give sufficient attention to the Champions League, while challenging at the top end of the domestic battle.

NEWCASTLE UNITED
Newcastle created Champions League history with their epic last-minute 3-2 win over Feyenoord in their final match in the first phase. The win meant they became the first club to reach the second phase after losing their opening three matches. Their reward for that stunning turnaround is worth about 10 million euros. Bobby Robson's Newcastle have enough in attack to trouble most defences.

Group B Team Guide

ARSENAL
Arsene Wenger's side head into the second stage after a whirlwind start to the first phase, which was followed by a dramatic slump. After rattling up seven goals without reply in wins over Borussia Dortmund, PSV Eindhoven and Auxerre, they looked destined to fulfil the promise of their Double-winning season. Instead, the sudden collapse which also engulfed their domestic form led to two defeats and a draw. At their best, Arsenal are potential European champions and should at least make the quarter-finals.

AJAX AMSTERDAM
Ajax squeaked into the second phase after finishing behind Inter Milan and level on points with Olympique Lyon - whose final draw at Rosenborg proved to be their downfall. Ajax have been strong in midfield, where youngster Rafael van der Vaart has linked up with experienced Jari Litmanen, and attack, where Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mido are regular scorers. Outsiders for the last eight.

AS ROMA
Any side which can win at the home of European champions Real Madrid, as Fabio Capello's side did in the first phase, has to be taken seriously but this has been a very inconsistent season so far for Roma. The simple truth is that Roma absolutely depend on Francesco Totti to be their creative force and when the Italy international has been missing the team have looked ordinary. Probably the least fancied of the four Italian clubs, Roma could still progress if they their core players stay fit and their failure to keep up with the other three in Serie A may lead them to focus heavily on their European challenge.

VALENCIA
Valencia, Champions League runners-up in 2000 and 2001, were all but faultless in defence on their return to the competition, while Ruben Baraja and David Albelda formed a classy central midfield partnership and Pablo Aimar shone going forward. They will mount a strong challenge in this tough group.

Group C Team Guide

AC MILAN
The stylish first phase away wins at Deportivo Coruna and Bayern Munich made Europe sit up and took notice of Carlo Ancelotti's new-look Milan side. There is no doubt that this is the best Milan side since the mid-1990's. Milan's approach is unashamedly attacking with the prolific Filippo Inzaghi backed by a supporting cast of Portuguese playmaker Rui Costa and Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND
The German champions had started the season in promising fashion but dropped five points behind leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga standings after losing 2-1 to their archrivals. Coach Matthias Sammer has few injury worries, missing only one first-choice player in Brazilian defensive midfielder Evanilson, who is sidelined with a pulled stomach muscle. Brazilian striker Ewerthon is in great form and so is gifted Czech playmaker Tomas Rosicky, who works well in tandem with his tall compatriot Jan Koller.

LOKOMOTIV MOSCOW
Lokomotiv Moscow clinched the Russian League title for the first time in their 67-year history by beating city rivals CSKA 1-0 in a one-off "golden" match last week. Coach Yuri Syominhas has promised that Lokomotiv will not suffer a letdown in the Champions League, but that may be based more on optimism than realism. As a team, the Russians rely on a disciplined defence and well-balanced attack, but could suffer physical fatigue following a long domestic season.

REAL MADRID
Real kicked off the defence of their European title with outstanding wins away to AS Roma and at home to Genk but they then suffered an alarming slump, as they managed just three more points from their remaining four games. Ronaldo has shown only flashes of his best form but if he does get back near his form, Real will be almost unstoppable going forward, with Zinedine Zidane directing from midfield, Luis Figo cutting in from the right and Raul looking as deadly as usual.

Group D Team Guide

BASEL
Christian Gross's team defied the odds to become the first Swiss team to reach the second phase of the competition when they drew 3-3 with Liverpool on November 12. Gross's team might be bereft of star names but players like Hakan Yakin, Ivan Ergic, Julio Rossi and goalkeeper Pascal Zuberbuhler have grown in stature during the course of the competition. Rossi, and his fellow Argentinean striker Christian Gimenez, have pace, skill and a great understanding in attack.

DEPORTIVO CORUNA
Deportivo began the opening phase with a 3-2 victory away to Bayern Munich but then lost their playmaker Juan Carlos Valeron to injury. They were beaten 4-0 at home by AC Milan in their first match without him but then showed guts and determination to battle their way through to the second phase, making sure with victory away to Milan in their final game. They do have a weakness in goal, with Juanmi struggling to match the standards set by Jose Molina, who is currently being treated for testicular cancer.

JUVENTUS
Milan may have had the more spectacular results but overall Italian champions and current Serie A leaders Juventus look the strongest of the Italian challengers this season and Europe is clearly a high priority for coach Marcello Lippi. The keys to Juve's impressive form this season have been Alessandro Del Piero's return to his best combined with the dynamic midfield play of Czech Pavel Nedved.

MANCHESTER UNITED
United leave their erratic domestic form far behind when they play in the Champions League. With goal machine Ruud van Nistelrooy and super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer up front and a five-star midfield in David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane or Juan Sebastian Veron, United are an awesome sight going forward. Winners in 1999, the second phase will be a much tougher test of United's credentials this time around, though the prospect of lifting the trophy at a final being played in their Old Trafford fortress on May 28 is not to be underestimated.

Publication Date: 2002-12-01
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