Champions League

It's Back! The one thing that keeps me going through many an Autumn and Winter's evening - Champion's League Football... Last year Chelsea and Liverpool met in the Semi final, of course, with Liverpool going on to be champions after one of the greatest games in the modern era in the final. And guess what? They've been drawn in the same group this year! Both will probably go through to the next stage but before then we can look forward to two thrilling if very tactical affairs between the two teams. Mourinho will be playing cat and mouse, as always, and Benitez will play it cool. Top drama... But there are Man Utd and Arsenal in there too - Man Utd look strong in the early part of the season, with the London team perhaps less potent than in recent years (although they have never done well in this competition). Last year all four English teams reached the last 8 and that could very well happen again, with Real Madrid's golden age seemingly coming to an end and only a handful of European teams that could really teach the English clubs a lesson at their full strength. AC Milan, Barcelona, Juventus and dark horse Lyon may be on that list, but there are many weeks of fun and tactics to unfold before we know the elite of the elite. Bookmakers make Chelsea a skinny 5/1 favourite to lift the trophy in 2006, but as long as it stays on this island I don't really care who does it. Kx