Man. United's 20th season

This season is Manchester United's 20th in European Cup football and they are marking this anniversary as continental champions.

United have now won the Champions Cup on three occasions as data hereunder denotes:

Champions Cup
1956-57: semi-finals.
1957-58: semi-finals.
1965-66: semi-finals.
1967-68: Winners.
1968-69: semi-finals.

Champions League
1993-94: second round.
1994-95: group phase.
1996-97: semi-finals.
1997-98: quarter-finals.
1998-99: Winners.
1999-00: quarter-finals.
2000-01: quarter-finals.
2001-02: semi-finals.
2002-03: quarter-finals.
2003-04: last 16.
2004-05: last 16.
2005-06: group phase.
2006-07: semi-finals.
2007-08: Winners.

The outcomes of the opening group matches of the 2008/09 Champions League were positive for British clubs even though only two teams registered victories.

Liverpool won 2-1 (Gerrard 2, 1 pen.) away at Marseille and Chelsea thrashed Bordeaux at Stamford Bridge 4-0 (Lampard, Cole, Malouda, Anelka).

It was Liverpool's 160th game in the competition.

There were stalemates in three other matches involving British clubs.

Arsenal, in their 200th game in all European competitions, drew 1-1 (Gallas) away to Dynamo Kiev and Manchester United, fielding a depleted side but with Cristiano Ronaldo making his first appearance after recovering from ankle surgery, shared the spoils with Villarreal in a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford.

Celtic, at home to Aalborg, failed to convert a penalty (Robson) and had to settle for another goalless draw at the final whistle.

The second games from the Champions League group stage will be played next week. Arsenal, Celtic and Liverpool will face teams they have already met before − FC Porto, Villarreal and PSV Eindhoven respectively.

Between next Tuesday and Wednesday, the five challengers for British clubs will come from Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Romania and the Netherlands.

From this season, UEFA have adopted a new rule stating that all teams must have at least eight homegrown players in their squads of 25 for all Champions League matches.

Manchester United face Aalborg, of Denmark, at the Energi Nord Arena for the first time in the Champions League, having encountered Danish teams twice before.

Both such meetings came in the Champions League. In 1998-99, the Red Devils earned all the points at the expense of Brondby in group matches with a 6-2 away win and a 5-0 triumph at Old Trafford. Two years ago, United beat FC Copenhagen 3-0 at home but lost the return match 0-1.

Celtic, who for the second time in three years are in the same group as Manchester United, have an uphill struggle as they square up to Villarreal at El Madrigal.

The Scots met Villarreal in 2003-04 in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, going down 1-3 on aggregate: Home 1-1, Away 0-2.

The Bhoys will be playing their 130th match in the European Cup, a competition they won in 1967 when they became the first British side to lift the renowned silverware.

Celtic's statistics in this tournament so far read: Won 63, Drawn 23, Lost 43, Goals For 203, Goals Against 136.

Londoners Arsenal are undefeated in their last 21 home matches in the competition and their last defeat was against neighbours Chelsea in the quarter-finals of 2003-04, going down 1-2.

At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal host FC Porto who they met in the same tournament in 2006-07 in a group match.

Arsenal held the upperhand on that occasion by gaining four points after a 2-0 home win and a 0-0 away draw.

CFR Cluj are appearing for the first time this season in the Champions League. Chelsea will visit Romania, city Cluj-Napoca − the non-Bucharest side qualified for the Champions League group stages for the first time (without playing the qualifiers).

The 2007-08 domestic title was the first for Cluj and also the first time in 17 years that the championship has been won by a club outside Bucharest. They started with a bang earlier this month following their 2-1 triumph at fancied Roma.

Chelsea, beaten finalists last May, will be making their first connection with a side from Romania in European competitions.

Twice in one season

Last week, Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez talked about his Champions League success in his first season with the Reds. Nobody will forget that dramatic match against Milan in Istanbul.

Benitez said that honour, in a way, gave the fans the yearning for more success but since then the Premiership title has always eluded him.

The Spaniard has also been at loggerheads with the club's US owners and the fans would dearly love to see the duo go. However, it is easier said than done.

Last season, the Reds fell to Chelsea in the semi-finals and were thwarted from a dream final against Manchester United.

Liverpool will be meeting PSV at Anfield next week. In the 2006-07 Champions League, these two sides met twice in the competition.

In the group phase, Liverpool drew away and then won 2-0 at home to gather four points. In the quarter-finals Liverpool did the double on the Dutch side with a 3-0 away win and a 1-0 victory at Anfield.