Madrid: Real Madrid talisman Cristiano Ronaldo faces an emotional reunion with boyhood club Sporting Lisbon when his side begin the defence of their Champions League crown on Wednesday.
Ronaldo, who scored the decisive penalty in the shootout win over Atletico Madrid in last season's final, returned to club football following an injury lay-off when he scored in the 5-2 thrashing of Osasuna on Saturday.
The Portugal captain netted in a 1-0 win and a 2-1 triumph over Sporting while he was with Manchester United, but has yet to face them in a Real shirt.
Ronaldo moved from his family home in Madeira to Sporting's academy at the age of 12 and spent one season in the first team, scoring five times in 30 appearances in all competitions before joining United in 2003. "It's a special match, it's a special team," he told uefa.com. "To play Sporting again is a privilege for me. I wanted to draw Sporting again because I think they have a good team, they have a good coach (Jorge Jesus) and it will be another special moment in my life."
No team has retained the Champions League title since the competition was revamped in 1992, but Ronaldo said Real, who have been kings of Europe a record 11 times, were capable of bucking the trend.
"It's a great challenge and I think at Real we have a chance to win it again," he added. "We know it's a very difficult competition... but we think positive, that it's possible to win it again."
Ronaldo played 65 minutes against Osasuna, his first appearance since injuring his knee in Portugal's Euro 2016 final win over France in July, and is expected to start against Sporting.
Karim Benzema is likely to return to the starting line-up for the first time this campaign after struggling with a hip problem but midfielder Isco, defender Fabio Coentrao and goalkeeper Keylor Navas are injured.
Sporting are top of the Primeira Liga after winning their fourth consecutive game of the season on Saturday, easing to a 3-0 victory over Moreirense. Left back Jefferson, nursing a hamstring problem, is their only injury concern.
In Bruges, Leicester City face Belgian outfit Club Brugge in an endeavour to make an impression among the elite clubs of Europe. "It's a special tournament.
"Returning with Leicester, with a team which accomplished an amazing feat that stirred passions across the world, fills me with pride," said coach Claudio.
"It's a prize for the city, the players, the chairman and the fans. We enter the European stage with humility. We're the last to arrive, but we have the strength of dignity. We want to do well.
"We know very well that what the club accomplished last season will be unique. We're not the same as a year ago for a number of reasons. There are new players, the motivation of opponents and we're less of a surprise. I was expecting a complicated start. Repeating things is difficult for the great clubs, let alone Leicester."
In Milan, Jorge Sampaoli's unique brand of whirlwind football is set to be unleashed when his Sevilla team face Juventus.
Sampaoli turned Chile into one of the most entertaining teams at the World Cup two years ago and the Argentine's first few games with Sevilla have shown that he is not afraid to bring his unique style to the European club game.
The Europa League champions kicked off their La Liga campaign with a 6-4 win over Espanyol and on Saturday, after failing to turn up for the first half hour, hit back to beat Las Palmas 2-1 with a 94th minute winner.
Sampaoli's teams play with a fast and furious style which often threatens to blow their opponents away but can leave their own defence dangerously exposed at the back. Spanish media have been scratching their heads trying to work out what formation Sampaoli's team plays, with one venturing that it was a 2-1-5-2.
Shaven-headed and sometimes with a wild stare, Sampaoli also brings an extra dose of energy to the touchline, where he leaps up and down and rants with his players, a complete contrast to Juve's phlegmatic coach Massimiliano Allegri. Sevilla's visit will be an interesting test for the Serie A champions, who have won their first three league matches of the season and are finding little resistance domestically.
The teams also met in the group stage last season and, although the Italian side qualified and Sevilla went out, a 1-0 defeat away to the Spaniards meant Juventus finished second and faced Bayern Munich in the round of 16.
Juventus coach Allegri is already worried about the amount of praise that his new look team are getting. "Everyone says that Juventus will win everything, the championship, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League and that doesn't do us any good, because we lose our balance and sense of perspective," he said.
He is also unhappy with the two goals they have conceded in their first three games. "We conceded two goals from corners this season already and that is too many," he said. "There are moments in the game when we are in our own half and must defend well, without letting the opposition get away from us. We all have to work hard and cannot just take it for granted that the three at the back will take care of things."
