The most decorated club competition in the world is back underway, and Wednesday's Champions League action promises some fireworks.
Winners in 2019-20, Bayern Munich will travel to the San Siro to take on Inter, while last year's runners-up Liverpool head to Napoli for a game they are favoured in.
Reigning Europa League champions Eintracht Frankfurt will look to keep up Germany's strong record against Portuguese teams when they host Sporting CP, and Harry Kane will be aiming to build on his superb European record as Tottenham host Marseille.
For a closer look, Stats Perform have dove into some interesting facts and nuggets about each matchup on Wednesday to give a clearer picture about how these clashes of champions may play out.
After their last Champions League run ended in a quarter-final loss to Villarreal, Bayern Munich will be desperate for a much improved result as they seek their seventh title, beginning their campaign away from home against Inter.
The sides have evenly split their seven previous European meetings, with three wins each and one draw, although it has been over a decade since their last Champions League fixture back in 2011.
While they do not have much recent history against Bayern in this competition, Inter's games against German opponents have turned into goal-fests, with 39 total goals (19 for, 20 against) in their past 10 matches.
Bayern have had much more success against Italian sides, going unbeaten in their past 10 (8W, 2D) – with their last loss coming in that 2011 battle with Inter, and the Nerazzurri were also the last side to keep a clean sheet against them in the 2010 final.
Romelu Lukaku will be a hard man to replace for the Italians as he will be absent after suffering a thigh injury. In his 16 European contests for Inter, he has 17 goal involvements (13 goals and four assists).
This will be the third time in the past five seasons that Napoli and Liverpool have landed in the same Champions League group after back-to-back years in 2018-19 and 2019-20, with the Italian side winning all three of their home games.
Napoli have not featured in the last two editions of Europe's top competition, but they were a force in the group stage before their drought, with only one loss from their previous 12 matches (5W, 6D).
Mohamed Salah's seven goals in last season's group stage was the second-most ever in a group stage from a player on an English team, trailing only Ruud van Nistelrooy's eight during Manchester United's 2004-05 campaign. Salah is also one assist away from tying James Milner and Steven Gerrard for Liverpool's record number of assists in the Champions League (12).
In the first ever competitive meeting between these two sides, Tottenham will likely be confident in their ability to get the job done at home against a Marseille side long removed from any Champions League success.
From their past 15 Champions League games, Marseille have only one win, against Olympiakos in 2020. English sides have given them particular trouble as well, as they have 12 losses against Premier League sides in their history in the competition – twice as many as against any other nation (six losses against Italian teams).
Harry Kane will be looking to add to his stellar European record, with 23 goal involvements (20 goals, three assists) in 24 career fixtures. Of all players with at least 20 Champions League goals, only Erling Haaland (64), Mario Gomez (102) and Lionel Messi (103.7) have a better minutes-per-goal figure than Kane's 104.4
Eintracht Frankfurt v Sporting CP
The reigning Europa League champions, Eintracht Frankfurt are making history with their first-ever Champions League berth, becoming the 14th German side to ever qualify – breaking the tie with Spain (13) for the most by any nation.
German sides have given Sporting trouble over the years, with 13 losses and one draw from 14 tries in European competition, with that emerging as a theme between the two nations.
Against all Portuguese sides, German teams are undefeated in their past 15 Champions League matches (13W, 2L) dating back to 2006.
After netting five times in last season's Europa League triumph to take his tally up to 11, Eintracht's Daichi Kamada can enter the club's record books as one of their top-three goalscorers in European competition with one more.
20 - Ajax scored 20 goals in their six matches in last year's Champions League group stage, winning all six. It is the most goals they have ever scored in a Champions League group stage, before being eliminated by Benfica in the first knockout round.
19 - This will be Rangers' first Champions League appearance since 2010-11, and in their history, only Anderlecht (17 per cent) have a worse winning percentage in the competition than Rangers' 19 per cent. They have lost all four of their previous European meetings against Ajax.
13 - This will be Atletico Madrid's 13th Champions League campaign, moving them past Valencia into the third-most for a Spanish side, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid (both 27). This is Atletico's 10th berth in a row, all under Diego Simeone.
26 - This is Porto's 26th Champions League, trailing only Barcelona and Real Madrid. If they were to be eliminated in the group stage this season, it would be the first time they failed to make it through the group stage in back-to-back campaigns since 1998.
Club Brugge v Bayer Leverkusen
1 - There has been only one win from a Belgian side against a German team in 24 Champions League meetings (18L, 5D) – and it was Brugge just last season, defeating RB Leipzig 2-1.
9 - Leverkusen have failed to win the opening match of their Champions League run the past nine times they have qualified (8L, 1D), with their last opening win coming in 2001.
33 - Barcelona striker Robert Lewandwoski is the top overall Champions League goal-scorer from the past three seasons, with 33 goals in 26 games. Last season, he netted nine goals in five home games,
24 - In their only two previous Champions League fixtures against Barcelona, Viktoria Plzen have averaged 24 per cent of the possession, and have lost the shot-count by a combined margin of 36-4.
Former Inter and Italy defender Davide Santon has announced his retirement from playing at the age of 31 due to persistent injury issues.
The full-back had spent the past four seasons with Roma but failed to make a single appearance under Jose Mourinho in the 2021-22 campaign.
Santon was capped eight times by Italy between 2009 and 2013 and was a two-time Scudetto winner with Inter during the first of two spells with the club, either side of a three-season stint with Newcastle United.
Injuries ultimately took their toll on the defender, who announced his playing days are over in an interview with Tuttomercato published on Friday.
"I'm forced to stop playing," he said. "Not for not having had offers, not for anything else, but because my body, with so many injuries in the past, can't take it anymore.
"I didn't want to do this, but I have to. I had endless tests and consultations, but there was nothing to be done. I can still walk, but that's not enough to be a professional athlete.
"If I kept pushing, I'd risk needing a prosthesis. The left knee is just gone. It stops me doing lots of things.
"The right knee, that had surgery three times, removing cartilage, the entire external meniscus, so as soon as I strain it even a little bit, it swells up and can't bend.
"All my injuries really came from there, because if the right knee can't bend, you put more strain on the left and the flexor. If you play one match, you risk being out of action for the next five."
Santon made just 42 Serie A appearances across four seasons with Roma and was accused by some of turning down moves elsewhere in order to continue picking up an easy wage at Stadio Olimpico.
Responding to those claims, Santon said: "I didn't turn anyone down. I was never going to pass a medical."
Manchester United have confirmed next Thursday's Europa League group meeting with Sheriff will go ahead as planned.
United's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday has been postponed, as have all Premier League games this weekend, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96.
However, United will travel to Moldova as planned next week for their European tie with Sheriff at Bolshaya Sportivnaya Arena.
A statement on United's official website on Friday read: "Following discussions with the relevant governing bodies and in line with guidance issued by the UK Government, we can confirm our UEFA Europa League fixture against FC Sheriff will take place as scheduled on Thursday evening in Moldova.
"Match arrangements will remain the same for fans who are travelling to support the team in Chisinau. "
United lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad in their Group E opener on Thursday, with the game going ahead despite the Queen's death being announced a few hours beforehand.
The Red Devils paid their respects to Her Majesty in a statement released ahead of the game, in which they held a minute's silence ahead of kick-off and wore black armbands.
"Manchester United shares the sorrow of the entire nation following the announcement from Buckingham Palace on the passing of Her Majesty, The Queen," United's statement read.
"The club recognises her immense contribution to public life, including sport, both here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world.
"Everyone connected with Manchester United joins the wider football family in sending our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to The Royal Family."
Sandro Tonali has become the latest player to sign a new deal with Serie A champions Milan.
The 22-year-old, who joined from Brescia in September 2020 on an initial loan basis, has agreed a new five-year contract at San Siro.
Milan head coach Stefano Pioli recently confirmed the club were in talks over extending the stay of Tonali, who is reported to have doubled his salary with his fresh terms.
Tonali has played 84 times for the Rossoneri since arriving, a tally bettered only by Franck Kessie (86), Rafael Leao (87), Theo Hernandez and Alexis Saelemaekers (both 89).
The 22-year-old has made exactly 100 appearances in Serie A. Among players with 100 or more appearances in the competition, Tonali is the youngest of them.
Milan announced the new contract on their official website on Friday, a day after fellow midfielder Rade Krunic extended his stay with the club until 2025.
Forward Leao is also in discussions over a new deal with Milan, who have started their Scudetto defence with three wins and two draws in their opening five games.
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