Chelsea’s Ashley Cole (left) and Frank Lampard during training on Monday

Brussels: The group stage of the Champions League starts Tuesday with a number of new teams, but more familiar names look set to dominate European soccer’s top club competition once again.

Champions Barcelona, their big-spending Spanish rivals Real Madrid and England’s quartet of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are all odds-on with the bookmakers to win their groups outright.

On paper, last season’s runners-up Manchester United should win Group B, but manager Alex Ferguson believes the Premier League champions face the toughest challenge of all England’s four contenders.

United make the long trip to Turkey on Tuesday to face Besiktas before entertaining German champions Vfl Wolfsburg at Old Trafford.

United have lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez since their defeat to Barcelona in Rome and question marks remain over the club’s ability to defend their EPL title and regain the European Cup.

Real are away to FC Zurich in their opening Group C match Tuesday before home ties against Olympique Marseille and AC Milan. Kaka’s move from Milan to Madrid gives the two fixtures between the sides an extra edge.

Chelsea hope coach Carlo Ancelotti can continue his Champions League success. The Italian has won the competition twice as a player and twice as a coach — all with AC Milan.

The Londoners kick off at home to Porto on Tuesday before facing Cypriots APOEL Nicosia and Atletico Madrid in Group D.

Tuesday’s matches

Group A: Juventus vs Bordeaux; Maccabi Haifa vs Bayern Munich; Group B: VfL Wolfsburg vs CSKA Moscow ; Besiktas vs Manchester United; Group C: FC Zurich vs Real Madrid; Olympique Marseille vs AC Milan; Group D: Chelsea vs Porto; Atletico Madrid vs APOEL Nicosia.

(Reuters)