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The 37-year-old says he feels lucky to return to the Champions League and believes his side can emulate the Spanish champions who reached last season's final
Roma star Francesco Totti hopes the Italian side should look to follow the example of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
The Spanish side reached the final of the competition last season but, after Sergio Ramos' stoppage-time header cancelled out Diego Godin's opener, Real Madrid went on to beat them 4-1 after extra-time to lift the trophy.
And Totti believes Roma, who have been drawn in a group with Bayern Munich, Manchester City and CSKA Moscow, can take inspiration from Atletico's surprising campaign in the competition.
"I like this group. Anything can happen. We hope to follow the example of Atletico Madrid," he told reporters.
"We’ll try to make a good impression, and we’ll give it our all, even against the strongest teams. It would be great if we could emulate the success Atletico.
"In the Champions League every team is a top side. But that’s how we like it. We will challenge every team head-on and try to make things difficult for them.
"Tomorrow is a very important game, and it’s great to be back in the Champions League. Roma should be playing in these kinds of games every year."
But the 37-year-old admits that there is a gulf in quality the Italian teams must overcome to reach the final stages of the competition.
"At the moment, teams from the other leagues are stronger than ours. In Italy we had Juve and AC Milan a few seasons ago, and Inter’s treble, but not much else.
"Real Madrid and Barcelona are stronger than the rest, and have a better chance of winning."
Totti has remained with Roma throughout his career and insists that he has made the right decision by staying in the Italian capital.
"I feel fortunate in being able to play in this competition again. I'm 38 and I'm happy with what I have done and am doing. I'm convinced I can still give a lot to Roma.
"The years pass, but I honestly don't feel them. The day that I realise that I don't have the strength to keep up with my teammates is the day I will say enough.
"Certainly, if I was playing for Real or Barcelona would have won more, but from around Europe still a lot of respect and that the choice to stay here was always right."
The attacking midfielder was also asked if he tried to convince Mehdi Benatia to stay ahead of his move to Bayern Munich.
"We all tried, but it was his decision. Benatia is in our past, he’s a player who did well for us, but that chapter is now closed.”
The Chelsea manager can become the first coach to win the competition with three different clubs after past successes with Porto and Inter, but played down its importance
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he is part of Champions League history as he looks to win the competition for the third time.
The Portuguese is aiming to become the first manager to win the tournament with three different teams after past success with Porto and Inter, and kicks off this season's campaign at home to Schalke on Wednesday.
Mourinho has played down the importance of the "unique" achievement, noting Sir Alex Ferguson's achievements with Manchester United, and insists he will take each game at a time.
"In this country, you have the greatest manager of them all [Sir Alex Ferguson] who won it two times," he told reporters.
"So from this moment if I don't win one more match in the Champions League my history is there – I won it twice and this is something to be proud of.
"Of course I want to win it again. I have many years ahead of me... but in this moment I only think about this championship of six matches and three matches, and we have to do everything to qualify.
"The tournament is part of my history and, even if sometimes they don't know, I am part of the tournament's history.
"If I win it with three different clubs, it's unique, and even if I don't, how many top managers have never won it?"
Porto-BATE Preview: Sandro in line for return as Porto seek strong start
By Nicholas McGee
Sep 16, 2014 07:13:33
The Portuguese giants welcome back the defender for their opening European tie of the season against the side from Belarus
Porto could be boosted by the return of defender Alex Sandro as they begin their Champions League campaign against BATE.
Julen Lopetegui's men host the Belarusian outfit in what will be their 200th fixture in Europe's premier club competition.
The hosts will be expected to claim a straightforward victory at Estadio do Dragao and confidence is likely to have been heightened by the return of Sandro, who has become a mainstay at left-back for the Portuguese club in recent seasons, to training.
Sandro had been out of action since the 2-0 victory over Lille in the second leg of the play-off round last month due to a thigh problem but, while his prospective comeback is good news for Lopetegui, Porto's Spanish coach still has plenty of injury troubles to contend with ahead of the encounter.
Indeed, on-loan Barcelona forward Cristian Tello also has a thigh concern and is a doubt, while teenage midfielder Oliver Torres (shoulder) and attacker Goncalo Paciencia (knee) are set to miss out.
A clash with BATE represents a new frontier for Porto, who have never faced Alyaksandr Yermakovich's men before.
Porto are favourites to win what appears to be an open Group H that also features Athletic Bilbao – making their first appearance in the tournament since 1998 – and Shakhtar Donetsk.
But they were eliminated from the competition at the same stage last season after failing to win any of their three home games and would be foolish to write off a BATE side that now has considerable experience of playing at the top level of continental football.
BATE have competed in the group stage of the Champions League in three of the last four campaigns, although the eastern Europeans have failed to qualify for the knockout rounds on each of those occasions.
Their finest moment in the Champions League came in 2012-13 when BATE overcame eventual winners Bayern Munich 3-1 at home to claim a famous victory.
Few will envisage BATE pulling off a similar upset in Portugal on Wednesday, especially after a qualifying campaign that saw them limp through ties with Skenderbeu and Debrecen before ensuring their place in the group stage with a 4-1 aggregate win over Slovan Bratislava.
However, BATE have lost just once so far in the Belarusian Premier League and, with 10-goal top scorer Vitali Rodionov in line to head the attack, have the firepower to possibly spring a surprise and bolster their seemingly slim hopes of progression from the group.
Athletic Bilbao-Shakhtar Donetsk Preview: Muniain eyes home comforts
By Peter Hanson
Sep 16, 2014 07:21:46
The Liga club's qualification for Europe was based on their outstanding home form last season and the winger is hoping to replicate that in the Champions League
Iker Muniain is aware that Athletic Bilbao's home form will be key in the Champions League ahead of the clash with Shakhtar Donetsk .
A 4-2 aggregate play-off triumph over Napoli ensured Bilbao, who finished fourth in La Liga last season, secured a spot in the group stage of Europe's premier club competition for the first time since the 1998-99 season.
Athletic's domestic success was built on a foundation of solid home performances, with only Espanyol and Spanish champions Atletico Madrid leaving San Mames with a win.
Winger Muniain has now urged them to replicate that record in the Champions League, starting when they host Shakhtar on Wednesday.
"We must be strong at home, as we were last year in the league which helped us very much," he said at a news conference.
"We are not invincible at San Mames, but we feel very confident because we are always pushing to the maximum.
"It's good to start at home, it is always more comfortable. The first three points are vital."
Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his side's chances in a seemingly wide open Group H which also includes Porto and BATE.
The Basque side has lost just once in their past 15 home encounters in Europe, with eight of those matches ending in victories.
However, Shakhtar have proved to be no pushovers in the Champions League.
The Ukrainian champions have proved to be quick starters in the past, with the club winning five of their six matchday one fixtures.
Shakhtar forward Luiz Adriano knows they can ill afford to take any of their group-stage rivals lightly as they attempt to start on a high note once again.
"We have played against Porto, we know their team and how difficult is to face them in Portugal," he said. "We don't know the other opponents and we must be careful.
"They are new teams and will give everything to show Europe why they have qualified. We must study well these teams in order to not be surprised by them."
Shakhtar, who are currently playing home matches in Lviv due to ongoing political tensions in Ukraine, had troubles off the pitch when the club's offices were occupied by armed men earlier this month.
But on the field, performances have been outstanding with the team winning all eight of their competitive matches this season.
Roma-CSKA Moscow Preview: Garcia ready to recall attacking stars
By Dom Farrell
Sep 16, 2014 07:36:01
Francesco Totti, Juan Iturbe and Gervinho all started on the bench on Sunday but are set to start on Wednesday
Roma coach Rudi Garcia is set to recall some attacking big guns for his team's Champions League return against CSKA Moscow.
Francesco Totti, Juan Iturbe and Gervinho were all among the substitutes for Sunday's 1-0 win at Empoli with one eye on the Russian champions' visit to the Stadio Olimpico.
All three are poised to return, although there is not such a wealth of options in midfield for Garcia, where the suspended Daniele De Rossi joins long-term knee-injury victim Kevin Strootman on the sidelines.
However, Garcia knows the importance of getting off to a winning start in his first Champions League campaign as Roma boss.
"It’s a fantastic competition and I had the good fortune of playing in it with Lille," he said. "So I know a bit about it.
"The players are also looking forward to playing in it again.
"How do I feel about our game against CSKA? It's the first one, and we have to win it since it's our first home match of the group."
Roma complete an imposing Group E line-up for CSKA, who must once again tackle Bayern Munich and Manchester City outfits that beat them home and away last season.
Coach Leonid Slutsky must do without Pontus Wernbloom and Alan Dzagoev as the duo begin three-game bans, while fellow midfielder Rasmus Elm (stomach) and defender Georgi Schennikov (ankle) are yet to feature this term and remain sidelined.
Roman Eremenko has enjoyed a rich vein of goalscoring form since joining from Rubin Kazan, finding the target on both CSKA appearances to date either side of netting for Finland in his country's 3-1 win over Faroe Islands this month.
Seydou Doumbia also scored on international duty, the Ivory Coast striker's first goal since a month on the sidelines with a hip injury.
Doumbia's return provides a timely boost for Slutsky - the 26-year-old struck in the opening two matches of this term having scored 20 times in all competitions last season, including a Champions League brace at Manchester City.
Vitinho endured a less profitable time while away with his national side, the Brazil Under-23 attacking midfielder sustaining an ankle injury against Oman that will keep him sidelined until November.
Barcelona-APOEL Preview: Pedro expecting tough test
By Harry West
Sep 16, 2014 07:58:14
The Spain international believes the Cypriot side will pose a significant threat as Luis Enrique's men get their European campaign started
Pedro is anticipating a difficult challenge when Barcelona begin their Champions League campaign at home to APOEL on Wednesday.
On paper, the Cypriot outfit represent the weakest opponents in Group F, which also includes Ajax and Paris Saint-Germain, both reigning champions of their respective domestic leagues.
Barcelona will come into the clash as firm favourites and they boast a strong home record in this competition, with just one defeat in their past 27 matches at Camp Nou.
Despite that run, Pedro is not expecting an easy ride against Giorgos Donis' men.
"We'll be playing against a physical side that tracks back well," he said. "I'm sure it'll be a difficult game.
"Every year we work hard to reach the Champions League final. It was a shame to lose to Atletico [Madrid, in the quarter-finals] last year.
"We're really up for it this season and hoping to win the title. But it's always hard, especially in the knockout phase."
Luis Enrique - who was in the Barca side last time they faced Cypriot opposition in 1996 is hoping to build on the positive start to his tenure which has seen the Catalan giants win both of their La Liga matches so far without conceding a goal.
APOEL have done likewise in the defence of their domestic title but will have their work cut out in a bid to repeat the heroics of the 2011-12 campaign, when they defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals before taking on Real Madrid proved a step too far, as Barca's fierce rivals won 8-2 on aggregate.
Donis' charges have already played four matches in this season's competition, coming through the third qualifying round and then the play-off stage to reach the group phase for the third time in their history.
Following a 4-2 aggregate win over HJK, APOEL gained a 1-1 draw in Denmark against AaB before trouncing their opponents 4-0 in the return leg to reach the first round proper.
Dani Alves missed Barcelona's 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday with a knee injury and remains a doubt, as does Thomas Vermaelen (hamstring), although both trained with the squad on Monday.
Neymar came off the bench to score both goals in that victory and could be in line to start, with Gerard Pique also pushing for a recall after playing the second half in place of Javier Mascherano against the Basques.
Meanwhile, the visitors have fitness doubts over Tasos Papazoglou (stomach), Stathis Aloneftis (ankle) and John Arne Riise (knock), who won the competition in 2005 with Liverpool.
Maribor-Sporting Lisbon Preview: Nani vows to fight for win as Slovenians end 15-year wait
By Jack Davies
Sep 16, 2014 08:32:23
A return to the Champions League pits the Slovenian champions against a side struggling with their early-season form
Maribor make their first outing in the Champions League group stage for 15 years at home to Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday.
While it may seem premature to label a fixture as 'must-win' at this early stage in the competition, it would be difficult to argue against that being the case for the Slovenian champions if they have designs on making the knockout stages.
As the team with the lowest Uefa coefficient in Group G, a home tie against the third-ranked outfit represents perhaps Maribor's best chance of picking up valuable points in a pool that also contains Chelsea and Schalke.
But Portugal-born striker Luka Zahovic, who has scored five goals in as many league matches this season, claims that he feels part of Maribor's golden generation.
"Last season, I said that this is the best generation ever to play for Maribor," he told the club's official website. "I'm proud that I can be part of this team and the great thing is that we can play in the Champions League.
"We earned it. We look forward to all of the action that follows."
Maribor qualified for this stage with a 2-1 aggregate victory over Celtic and have picked up five wins from their opening seven league fixtures.
Marco Silva's Sporting, meanwhile, have endured an underwhelming start to the Primeira Liga campaign.
A 1-0 home victory over Arouca remains their only win of the season so far, having been held to 1-1 draws in their other three fixtures to date.
And Nani - on loan from Manchester United - knows performances must improve quickly.
"Obviously people were expecting big things," he told Sporting's website. "We wanted to start the season in the best possible way and we still have a lot of games to play.
"We will fight as hard as we can to get better results."
Sporting are in the group stage for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign when they reached the last 16 - losing 12-1 on aggregate to Bayern Munich.
Encouragingly for Maribor, their Portuguese opponents have not won any of their last 10 away fixtures in European competition, losing seven and drawing three.
Defenders Ramy Rabia (stomach) and Cedric (back) are expected to be the only injury doubts for Sporting, while Maribor are thought to have a fully fit squad to choose from.
Chelsea-Schalke Preview: Costa aims to maintain prolific form
By Jack Davies
Sep 16, 2014 10:11:00
The Brazil-born Spaniard has seven goals already this season and is set to face a side beset by injury problems
Diego Costa will look to continue his blistering start to the season when Chelsea host Schalke in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Brazil-born Spain international, who helped knock out Chelsea in the semi-finals on his way to last year's final with Atletico Madrid, has set the Premier League alight following his move to Stamford Bridge in July.
After four goals in his first three matches, Costa netted a hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to beat Swansea City 4-2 on Saturday.
That impressive haul sees the 25-year-old already four goals clear of his closest challengers at the top of the English top-flight scoring charts, and Chelsea will want to see that form transfer to European competition.
Costa's start to life in west London has prompted some to draw comparisons with legendary Chelsea strikers such as Didier Drogba, but the imperious forward is keen to carve out his own distinct reputation.
"It is different for every striker who comes here," he said. "Every striker has their way of playing and their strengths and a different team behind them. That is very important.
"If you do not have the team behind you then you can't do things on your own. It all depends on the team. It could be because of that.
"I try to play in the best manner, and *hopefully things will continue like this. But there will be a moment when I cannot score - that is football."
Manager Jose Mourinho, whose side top the Premier League with maximum points from four fixtures, described Costa as a "risk and a doubt" for Wednesday's Group G opener, but conceded that had been the case for most of the season so far.
In contrast to Mourinho, Schalke coach Jens Keller finds himself under increasing pressure after failing to secure a win from their opening three Bundesliga matches.
Despite registering a draw against champions Bayern Munich in their second fixture, Schalke have lost at Hannover and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Injury-hit Schalke, who also crashed out of the DFB-Pokal at the hands of Dynamo Dresden, were 4-1 losers at Gladbach on Saturday in a performance Germany international Benedikt Howedes described as "catastrophic".
Keller was without the likes of Felipe Santana (adductors), Joel Matip (adductors) and Jan Kirchhoff (knee) in that defeat, while Julian Draxler and Max Meyer started on the bench.
Fabian Giefer (adductors), Sead Kolasinac (knee), Leon Goretzka (hamstring) and Jefferson Farfan (knee) are all long-term absentees.
Asked whether his side could welcome any players back to the starting XI for Wednesday, Keller claimed: "The question isn't who will be back in time for the next game, but rather will anyone else be ruled out for it."
Chelsea are monitoring the fitness of striker Didier Drogba after he missed the clash with Swansea due to an ankle injury.
These sides meet in the group stage for the second season in succession, with Chelsea having won both meetings 3-0 in the 2013-14 campaign.
Schalke may take some encouragement from the fact that the scorers of five of those goals - Fernando Torres (two), Samuel Eto'o (two) and Demba Ba - have since left Stamford Bridge.
Ajax-Paris Saint-Germain Preview: Van der Wiel wary of hosts' threat
Jack Davies
Sep 16, 2014 14:13:33
The French side have not won away from home this season and the Dutch defender expects Wednesday's opponents to put them under a lot of pressure
Gregory van der Wiel says Paris Saint-Germain's away form is not a concern ahead of the Champions League opener at Ajax on Wednesday, but insisted his side must be cautious of the pressing opponents.
The French champions have taken nine points from their opening five Ligue 1 fixtures, drawing all three of their away matches against Reims, Evian and Rennes.
However, Van der Wiel, who left Ajax for PSG in 2012 having played in Amsterdam since the age of eight, insists Laurent Blanc's men are confident in their abilities going into another European campaign.
Referring to Sunday's 1-1 draw in Rennes, the full-back told Le Parisien: "It was not a good result and we are disappointed but not worried.
"We know the quality of our team. Rennes defended well, but from our side, we should have been able to keep it at 1-0 and not concede. It was our mistake."
And Van der Wiel, who will likely join Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Maxwell in turning out against his former club this week, admits it will be strange to don the shirt of PSG, who reached last season's quarter-finals, at the Amsterdam Arena in the Group F clash.
"It'll be weird to play against them because I still have many friends there," he added. "Actually, I know everyone.
"Ajax, in front of their own fans in the Champions League, will seek to push high up. It's obvious.
"I know the coach [Frank de Boer] very well and it is not his game to sit back and wait.
"It's a young team, with elements that can come into the first team. They are, above all, a collective.
"There will be opportunities, but we better be vigilant and at 100 per cent because it can quickly become difficult."
Dutch champions Ajax have experienced a similar start to the season to PSG - also picking up nine points from five matches.
Back-to-back defeats against PSV and Groningen caused some concern for De Boer, but the men from the Dutch capital returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Heracles.
Ajax have not qualified from the group stage since the 2005-06 season and are likely to be challenging PSG for second spot, with Barcelona and APOEL the other teams completing the line-up in their group.
Viktor Fischer has been out with a knee injury since February for Ajax, while David Luiz (knee), Thiago Silva (thigh) and Serge Aurier (head) are doubts for PSG.
Jose Mourinho claims that dropping into the UEFA Europa League would be damaging to the development of his Chelsea side.
The Premier League club launch their Champions League campaign on Wednesday with the visit of Schalke, and Mourinho - a two-time winner of Europe's premier club competition - is determined to qualify from the group stage.
Chelsea won the Europa League under the guidance of Rafael Benitez, a feat that still did little to endear him to a hostile fanbase, but Mourinho - who succeeded Benitez at Stamford Bridge - has no interest in mirroring that feat.
"At the moment I only think about not playing Europa League," said Mourinho, whose side were beaten by Atletico Madrid in the semi-final of last season's Champions League.
"I want my club to succeed in the group phase. It would be very bad for the evolution of my team and for the evolution of the young players to go to the Europa League.
"Also for the club and its prestige, Europa League is not Chelsea. At the moment we have a group, a championship of six matches and three opponents.
"We have to qualify, we have to do everything to qualify."
Mourinho won the Champions League with Porto - where he also won the forerunner to the Europa League, the UEFA Cup - and with Inter Milan.
His current side sit top of the Premier League with a 100 per cent record after four games.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique will not prioritise the UEFA Champions League over regaining the La Liga title this season.
The former Spain international is preparing to lead the Camp Nou outfit into Europe's elite club competition for the first time, beginning with a home fixture against APOEL on Wednesday.
Paris Saint-Germain and Ajax complete the line-up in Group F, but Luis Enrique refused to rank potential glory in the Champions League over domestic success in his debut campaign.
"For me it would be great to win either - not forgetting the Copa del Rey," he said. "It's the start of the season and we're going to fight to win them all. Let's hope we do win one and deserve it.
"I can't tell you I'm even one per cent more nervous [for the Champions League] than I have been before any other game this season.
"When those little stars come up, that music - it makes no difference to me.
"Really, it's just me doing my job as a coach.
"Maybe for the players this is different because you're stepping onto the big stage, but as a coach you are just managing the team."
The 44-year-old also resisted setting a target for Barcelona, who were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by eventual runners-up Atletico Madrid last season.
"Having a minimum expectation, judging by the way this club has performed in recent years, would be senseless," he stressed. "We have to go out to win every game."
But Luis Enrique conceded he was looking forward to making his Champions League bow as a coach.
"Of course it's special because of the competition," he said. "I think the team is in adequate condition for the tournament.
"There are a lot of things we need to improve, but there are also a lot of positive things.
"It's only early in the season, so we're not in our full rhythm yet. That could catch us out."
Luis Enrique also confirmed that Dani Alves should be available for selection after recovering from a knee injury.
Barcelona have won all three of their La Liga matches so far this season.
The 19-year-old has been given his first start for the Gunners in the Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund following the ankle ligament injury suffered by Mathieu Debuchy
Arsene Wenger has handed Hector Bellerin a full Arsenal debut in their Champions League Group D opener away at Borussia Dortmund.
The 19-year-old steps into the starting XI following the ankle ligament damage suffered by Mathieu Debuchy against Manchester City at the weekend, which Goal understands could keep him out for up to three months.
Bellerin impressed in the pre-season Emirates Cup tournament and has played under 30 minutes of first-team football for the club, though he has been selected ahead of Calum Chambers by manager Wenger.
The youngster will be joined in defence by experienced campaigners Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker, while Kieran Gibbs begins at left-back.
Further forward, Danny Welbeck leads the line following his impressive debut against City, while Jack Wilshere will look to build on his goalscoring display last time out.
For Dortmund Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the line, while Kevin Grosskreutz starts in the absence of Marco Reus, with Shinji Kagawa beginning the game on the bench.
The Dutch coach insists that his side can spring a surprise against the Ligue 1 champions while Niklas Moisander is confident of keeping Zlatan Ibrahimovic quiet
Ajax coach Frank de Boer is not intimidated by his side's Champions League opponents Paris-Saint Germain's financial power, insisting that the "team with the biggest budget doesn't always win".
The Dutch champions face the Ligue 1 giants in the Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday, having been drawn in a group alongside them, Barcelona and Apoel.
And De Boer says that, for all of the money PSG have spent to bolster their squad, they can still only field 11 players, which means Ajax still have a chance.
"[Paris Saint-Germain] are a very nice team to watch and they always try to play attacking football," he told reporters in his pre-match press conference.
"I don't look at their budget - I just see an opponent. We have respect for every opponent, but we always try to look for where we can take advantage. They have more quality now and more experience, that's a fact, but the team with the biggest budget doesn't always win.
"They have played away from home three times in Ligue 1 and drew each time. That is a boost for us. PSG proved last year that they are close to the absolute top of Europe.
"They have an enormous amount of individual qualities and I think Laurent Blanc has managed to make a team out of all those individuals.
"But like Johan Cruyff always says: 'They're only allowed to field 11 players'. And that is the way it is."
The 44-year-old is the only coach in Ajax's history to guide the team to four straight league titles but the club have not been able to progress beyond the group stages of the competition since 2005-2006 and De Boer is hopeful of bringing an end to that run.
"We have had bad luck in the past and have been unlucky in the draw. Once again we have been drawn with possibly the two worst teams we could meet in Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but we have already proved last season that we can perform against such clubs. I see good things and so I'm not worried.
"We just talk about surviving in the Champions League beyond the winter, and not about winning it yet. Getting that far would already be a success for us."
Ajax defender Niklas Moisander was then asked about facing PSG talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the centre-back says the Eredivisie side have what it takes to stop him.
"I played against Zlatan Ibrahimovic twice with Finland. Because he's so strong and has such great technique, he's one of the best forwards in the world. It will be tough, but if we play as a team, we can stop him. We always get space in these matches so if we play well we have a chance.
"Last year, we showed that we can win these kinds of matches, especially at home. They are a top team but I think we should look at ourselves and if we play our own game we have a chance."
Real Madrid begin their defence of the Champions League with one change from the side that lost to Atletico Madrid on Saturday
Nacho replaces Alvaro Arbeloa but other than that it’s as you were, Iker Casillas keeping his place despite criticism from a section of the Santiago Bernabeu during the derby defeat.
Carlo Ancelotti names six of the XI that beat Atletico in May to lift La Decima - Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Marcelo entered the game as a substitute while Pepe was unused from the bench due to injury, Raphael Varane starting in his place.
Fabio Coentrao, Sami Khedira and Angel Di Maria were the other players to start that game with Coentrao tonight on the bench, Khedira injured and Di Maria sold to Manchester United.
Basel have former Madrid defender Walter Samuel among their back four, alongside highly-rated Fabian Schar.
Experienced striker Marco Streller captains the Swiss champions, with the likes of Marek Suchy and Fabian Frei also starting at the Bernabeu.
Part of the ground is tonight closed as punishment for displaying a racist banner during last season’s semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Nacho, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo; Kroos, Modric, James; Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo
Diego Simeone has named Jan Oblak in goal for the Champions League trip to Olympiakos, with Arda Turan also in the starting XI.
Oblak comes in for Miguel Angel Moya for his Atletico debut, having signed for the club over the summer from Benfica.
Moya, a summer signing from Getafe, had taken the gloves for the Spanish champions’ five games so far this season, two in the Supercopa de Espana and three in the League.
Turan returns to the starting team after a goal as a substitute in the weekend’s Madrid derby, while Cristian Ansaldi replaces Guilherme Siqueira at left-back and Mario Suarez replaces Tiago Mendes.
Olympiakos have Spaniards Roberto and Alberto Botia in their team and also include former Barcelona defender Eric Abidal.
Coach Michel also names the likes of Kostas Mitroglou, Alejandro Dominguez and Ibrahim Afellay, who is on loan from La Blaugrana.
The Portugal midfielder handed Leonardo Jardim a timely boost as his goal just after the hour mark got the Ligue 1 club's European campaign off to a winning start
Joao Moutinho breathed life into Monaco's lacklustre start to the season as his 61st minute strike sealed a 1-0 Champions League group stage win over Bayer Leverkusen at the Stade Louis II.
The Ligue 1 club headed into Tuesday's Group C clash on the back of a dismal start to their Ligue 1 season, with Leonardo Jardim's side having taken just four points from their first five matches to sit second-bottom of the table.
Some Monaco fans have demanded their money back from season ticket purchases after Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez were sold in the transfer window.
There was a sparse crowd for their Champions League opener but those who did turn out were treated to a victory in the Principality club's first game in Europe's premier club competition since 2005.
It was Portugal international Moutinho who made the difference, settling an otherwise uninspiring game against Roger Schmidt's Bundesliga leaders with a 61st minute goal to secure three precious points.
Chances proved few and far between in a quiet start, although it was Leverkusen dictating the play in the early stages.
Despite enjoying a dominance of possession, the visitors were unable to threaten Danijel Subasic in the Monaco goal.
Leverkusen midfielder Gonzalo Castro fired well wide in the 13th minute for the visitors, wasting the first real opening of the game, then Hakan Calhanoglu shot into the side-netting two minutes later.
Olympiakos 3-2 Atletico Madrid: Spanish champions beaten in Greece
Sep 16, 2014 21:42:12
Diego Simeone's men might have reached the final last season, but they were dealt a rude European awakening as they fell to a surprise defeat at the Karaiskakis Stadium
Last season's Champions League runners up Atletico Madrid suffered a surprise 3-2 defeat in their opening group stage game at Olympiakos on Tuesday.
The Greek champions were arguably second best for long periods of the Group A clash at the Karaiskakis Stadium, but were rewarded for their clinical finishing.
Atleti will rue their profligacy in front of goal and coach Diego Simeone - who took a watching brief from the stands due to a touchline ban - must wonder how his side failed to take at least a point back to the Spanish capital.
The Liga holders came agonisingly close to winning the Champions League in last season's final, as they held a 1-0 lead until the 93rd minute before going on to lose 4-1 to city rivals Real Madrid after extra-time.
That European campaign saw Atleti go unbeaten in six away contests, but the visitors were two goals adrift by the 31st minute on Tuesday following Arthur Masuaku's driven effort, then on-loan Barcelona forward Ibrahim Afellay added a second with a composed finish.
Mario Mandzukic reduced the deficit before half-time, but Kostas Mitroglou, who returned to the club in the last transfer window after a short and unsuccessful spell at Fulham, slid home from close range to make it 3-1 after the break.
Antoine Griezmann enjoyed an impressive performance off the bench and he gave Atletic hope with a close-range finish in the closing stages, but his strike proved to be in vain.
There was an early break in play when Mandzukic received treatment after being caught on the nose by Pajtim Kasami's elbow. Shortly after play resumed, Miranda was on hand to make a superb clearance from Kasami's teasing cross with Alejandro Dominguez lurking.
However, Atleti were caught off guard from the resulting set piece and found themselves behind after 13 minutes - a short corner was worked to Masuaku, who moved forward unchallenged from the left and drilled a 25-yard shot low into the far corner.
Seeking a swift response, Atleti peppered the Olympiakos box, with Mandzukic and Raul Garcia both heading chances wide.
Olympiakos soaked up the pressure and were rewarded with a second goal against the run of play shortly after the half-hour mark.
Dominguez showed great determination down the left before picking out Afellay, via a clever dummy from Mitroglou, and the forward made the most of miscommunication between Mario Suarez and Cristian Ansaldi to steer his shot past Oblak.
Atleti were back in the contest after 38 minutes, though, when Ansaldi's excellent delivery from the left was guided home by the head of Mandzukic from eight yards.
The visitors continued to ask questions of the Olympiakos defence after the break, but the hosts' rearguard dealt admirably the pressure.
Griezmann entered the fray for Atleti shortly before the hour-mark and the forward almost made an impact with a stinging effort towards the top right-hand corner which drew a fine save from Roberto.
The France international added a fresh impetus to Atleti's attack and soon after he broke clear down the left and once more forced Roberto into a great save low to his right.
Yet again, though, the hosts made Atleti pay for failing to take their chances in the 73rd minute. Kasami drifted past Diego Godin on the right and found Mitroglou, who turned well and side-footed home from close range.
Griezmann offered hope of a late fightback when he tapped home Koke's fizzed cross in the 86th minute, but Olympiakos stoof firm all three points..
