LONDON - The 2008/2009 UEFA Champions League gets underway today with four English teams, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are battle ready for action in a bid to eventually have a successful campaign.
The English clubs did well last football season as they did not only reached the knock- out stages as Manchester United and Chelsea played in the final.
They are once again set to repeat last year’s feat in which they performed well.
Today, English Premier League giant, Chelsea will at Stamford bridge kick start their campaign in the UEFA Champions League competition against the French club, Bordeaux..
Chelsea got to the final of last year’s competition but were denied the glamorous trophy by fellow English Premiership club, Manchester United that beat them 7-6 on penalties after a 1-1 draw earlier.
Chelsea must forget their Moscow Misery as the new UEFA Champions League opens with a home match with an FC Girondins de Bordeaux side that finished runners-up in the French League under Coach Laurent Blanc.
The Blues under new Brazilian – born manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari will help the Stamford Bridge’s side process of putting past disappointment behind them.
Chelsea are near, impregnable on their own territory in the competitions posting a run of 12 UEFA Champions League games without defeat, winning nine and drawing three. They were last beaten at home in February 2006 when FC Barcelona triumphed 2-1 in the first knock out round first leg. Last season, they won four of the six home fixtures but for only the second time in their six group stage campaign to date.
Chelsea hopes to also cross the group stage to the knock out series and even appear in the final too. That would depend on their performance.
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