Real Madrid start Champions League defence

The UEFA Champions League returns for the 2014-15 season as the group stage kicks off.

Less than four months after they earned their 10th win in the competition – the La Decima that was an obsession for many years – Real Madrid will begin their title defence against Group B rivals FC Basel.

Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal meet for the third time in four seasons with the German side hoping to reverse the home defeat they suffered to the Gunners last season.

Anfield will host its first UCL game in five years since Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Fiorentina in December 2009.

Below are the match backgrounds to the key games on Tuesday.

Dortmund v Arsenal

• Dortmund, winners in 1996/97 and runners-up two years ago, are in their 10th group-stage campaign.

• Last season, they reached the quarter-finals, a 2-0 second-leg home win over Real Madrid not enough to overturn a 3-0 defeat away.

• Last season’s loss to Arsenal was their first against English visitors in European competition. Previously, they had won four of the seven contests, while the other three ended in draws.

• Before Arsenal’s win, BVB had been victorious in seven successive home UEFA Champions League games.

• Arsenal qualified for their 17th successive group-stage campaign with a 1-0 aggregate win over Beşiktaş JK in the play-offs, Alexis Sánchez scoring the winner – his first goal for the club.

• Last season, the Gunners departed in the round-of-16 for the fourth consecutive year, with FC Bayern Munich emerging their conquerors for the second season running. They drew 1-1 in Munich in the second leg, but had lost the first 3-1 on aggregate.

• Arsenal are unbeaten in their last 10 match-day-one fixtures, winning eight (including the last two) and drawing two. Their last opening-day defeat was FC Internazionale Milano’s 3-0 win at Highbury in 2003 (which they then overturned with a surprise 5-1 victory in the reverse fixture in Milan).

• Arsenal’s record against German clubs away from home is W5 D5 L5; overall, it is W14 D6 L10.

• The Gunners have won five of their last 10 away games in the competition, drawing three and losing two.

Real Madrid v Basel

• Madrid are looking to become the first team to retain the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era.

• The Blancos won their record 10th European Cup on May 24, 2013, by beating Club Atletico Madrid 4-1 after extra time through goals from Sergio Ramos, Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo, the tournament’s 17-goal top scorer.

• Madrid also won all six home games last term, scoring 17 goals and conceding three. They are unbeaten in 18 UEFA Champions League matches at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, winning 16, dating back to April 2011.

• In 44 European Cup campaigns, the Spanish side have failed to win their opening home game only twice, most recently a 3-3 draw against RSC Anderlecht in 1962!

• The Merengues have a 100 per cent record at home against Swiss opposition: W10 D0 L0 F42 A2.

• Carlo Ancelotti’s side beat Sevilla 2-0 to win the UEFA Super Cup on August 12, 2014, in Cardiff.

• Basel suffered a 5-0 extra-time defeat at Valencia CF on their last visit to Spain in April in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, wiping out their 3-0 first-leg lead.

• The Swiss title holders started last season in the UEFA Champions League and won 2-1 at Chelsea FC on match day one, only to end up in third place in their group behind Chelsea and Schalke 04.

• Basel are still seeking a first win in Spain, where their record is W0 D2 L5.

Olympiacos v Atletico Madrid

• Olympiacos reached the round of 16 last season where they beat Manchester United FC 2-0 at home before falling 3-0 at Old Trafford.

• They lost their opening group match 4-1 at home to Paris Saint-Germain on 16 September last term, but then beat Benfica, Anderlecht and United at Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis.

• Olympiacos won a fourth consecutive Greek Super League title in 2014.

• The Thrylos have lost five and drawn one of their last six matches against Spanish sides.

• Their last victory against Liga opposition was a 2-1 home success against Real Madrid CF in the 2005/06 group stage, Rivaldo hitting the 87th-minute winner.

• Atletico led last season’s final against neighbours Real Madrid in Lisbon until the 93rd minute, before losing 4-1 after extra time. It was their best European Cup campaign since finishing runners-up to FC Bayern München in 1974.

• Diego Simeone’s men won their 20thLiga title in 2014 – their first Spanish crown since 1996.

• Unbeaten in all six UEFA Champions League away games in 2013/14, they won at FC Porto, FK Austria Wien, AC Milan and Chelsea FC.

• Their away record in Greece is W1 D2 L3. The Rojiblancos’ only win was 3-2 at Panathinaikos in the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League play-offs.

• Raul Garcia, Diego Godín, Tiago and substitute Mario Suarez played in Atletico’s 1-0 loss at Aris FC in their opening game of the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League group stage.

Liverpool v Ludogorets

• Brendan Rodgers’ team ended their five-year exile from the UEFA Champions League by finishing second in the Premier League last season.

• Liverpool last faced Bulgarian opposition in the 2005/06 third qualifying round when they won 3-1 at PFC CSKA Sofia in the first leg, and then lost 1-0 at Anfield in the return.

• Captain Steven Gerrard – who played in the first leg – is the only survivor of that tie. He also featured when Liverpool beat PFC Levski Sofia in the 2003/04 UEFA Cup third round, scoring in both legs as the Merseysiders won 2-0 at home and 4-2 away.

• The Reds’ overall record against teams from Bulgaria is W6 D0 L2.

• Liverpool are in the group stage for the ninth time. In their eight previous campaigns, they failed to advance from this stage only twice (2002/03 and 2009/10). In total, this is the 19th season of European Cup football for the Anfield club.

• This is the Eagles’ first taste of the UEFA Champions League and also a first trip to England. The Bulgarian champions made it through qualifying at the third attempt after missing out in 2012 and 2013.

• Ludogorets defeated Luxembourg’s F91 Dudelange (5-1 on aggregate) and Serbia’s FK Partizan (2-2 on aggregate; away goals) in the second and third qualifying rounds respectively.

• Ludogorets reached the last 16 in their debut UEFA Europa League appearance last season before losing to Valencia CF. En route they won their group and posted four consecutive away victories at PSV Eindhoven (2-0), FC Chornomorets Odesa (1-0), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (2-1) and SS Lazio (1-0).

• Ludogorets have played in Liverpool once before, drawing 1-1 with Everton FC in a pre-season friendly behind closed doors at Goodison Park in August 2012. Marcelinho scored the Bulgarian side’s goal.

FULL FIXTURES

Group A

Juventus v Malmo

Olympiakos v Atletico Madrid

Group B

Liverpool v Ludogorets

Real Madrid v Basel

Group C

Benfica v Zenit

Monaco v Leverkusen

Group D

Dortmund v Arsenal

Galatasaray v Anderlecht