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A look at this week's Champions League opponents for English clubs

A look at this week's Champions League opponents for English clubs
© Reuters
Manchester United face a rematch with Villarreal.

This week's second round of Champions League group fixtures includes a blockbuster clash between Manchester City and Paris St Germain in the French capital and Chelsea taking on Juventus in Turin.

Here, the PA news agency examines the four opposition sides for English clubs across Tuesday and Wednesday.

Paris St Germain

Entertaining City on Tuesday evening, PSG's first Champions League home match since signing Lionel Messi sees them face the side who knocked them out of last season's competition in the semi-finals. The 2019-20 runners-up opened their Group A games being held to a 1-1 draw at Club Brugge two weeks ago – domestically, Mauricio Pochettino's men have won eight out of eight so far as the club look to regain the Ligue 1 trophy they were pipped to last term by Lille.

Porto

Porto's former Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic (left) could face his old club on Tuesday (Nick Potts/PA).
Porto's former Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujic (left) could face his old club on Tuesday (Nick Potts/PA).

Sergio Conceicao's team, quarter-finalists last season, host Liverpool on Tuesday looking to build on the 0-0 draw secured at Atletico Madrid in their Group B opener, which concluded with their former Newcastle defender Chancel Mbemba being sent off in stoppage time. Ex-Reds midfielder Marko Grujic is also among their ranks. Second in Primeira Liga last term behind Sporting Lisbon, they are unbeaten so far this time around, taking 17 points from seven matches.

Villarreal

Villarreal beat Manchester united on penalties in the Europa League final in May (Rafal Oleksiewicz/PA).
Villarreal beat Manchester United on penalties in the Europa League final in May (Rafal Oleksiewicz/PA).

Four months on from defeating Manchester United on penalties in the Europa League final in Gdansk to give boss Unai Emery a fourth triumph in that competition, the Yellow Submarine meet the Red Devils again at Old Trafford on Wednesday. Villarreal – whose squad includes Francis Coquelin, Etienne Capoue, Alberto Moreno and Juan Foyth – kicked off their Group F fixtures with a 2-2 home draw with Atalanta. They lost a shootout to Chelsea in the Super Cup, and are 11th in LaLiga with eight points from six games, having won one and drawn the other five.

Juventus

Juve have made a mixed start to the season after bringing back Massimiliano Allegri as boss to replace Andrea Pirlo and selling Cristiano Ronaldo to United following last term's last-16 Champions League exit and fourth-placed finish in Serie A. They host Chelsea on Wednesday having begun their Group H games by winning 3-0 at Malmo, while their league campaign to date has consisted of two wins, two draws and two losses. Forward Moise Kean is also back at the club, returning on loan from Everton to a squad that features the likes of Alvaro Morata, Aaron Ramsey, Juan Cuadrado and Wojciech Szczesny.

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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Inter Milan33275179186186
2AC Milan33216664392569
3Juventus331810547262164
4Bologna331711548262262
5Roma32167957381955
6Atalanta BCAtalanta321661059372254
7Lazio33164134235752
8Napoli331310105041949
9Fiorentina32138114536947
10Torino33111393129246
11Monza331110123543-843
12Genoa33912123540-539
13Lecce33811143048-1835
14CagliariCagliari33711153656-2032
15Hellas VeronaHellas Verona33710163144-1331
16Empoli3387182648-2231
17Udinese32416123048-1828
18FrosinoneFrosinone33610174063-2328
19SassuoloSassuolo3368193965-2626
20Salernitana3329222670-4415


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