Carlo Ancelotti has conferred the Champions League favourites tag upon Manchester City but the Real Madrid head coach insisted there may be some “surprises at the end”.

The most successful side in Europe’s premier club competition with 14 wins, including lifting the trophy five times in the last decade, Madrid are often tipped to progress into the latter stages at the outset.

But Real, who open their Group C campaign on Wednesday against Union Berlin at the Bernabeu, were eliminated in ruthless fashion at the semi-final stage by Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning City side in May.

It is the Premier League giants that have a target on their backs, according to Ancelotti, who nevertheless intimated no team can ever take anything for granted.

“City are favourites because they have a squad that saw them win it last season and they haven’t changed much,” Ancelotti told a press conference.

“However, in the Champions League, like always, there are surprises at the end.

“Real Madrid are a team that are going to fight until the end. We never think of ourselves as favourites, just as I think City don’t.

“But they won it last year, they can win the Champions League. You could say they are the favourites.”

Luka Modric has started only once in this campaign and Toni Kroos just twice, with Ancelotti favouring younger options such as Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the park.

Ancelotti acknowledged Modric, the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner and widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his era, is adjusting to less playing time but the Croatian will feature on Wednesday.

“He’s fine, I speak to him every day like I do with all the players,” Ancelotti said. “It’s a personal relationship that we have.

“The fact that he is not playing as much as he used to can sometimes affect him a bit. But that doesn’t affect the personal relationship, which is still fantastic and will continue to be fantastic. He’s going to play (against Union).”

Lucas Vazquez will replace the injured Dani Carvajal at full-back for Madrid, who face an unknown quantity having never before played against Union.

The Bundesliga side, who finished fourth in the division last season, are the dark horses in a group also containing Serie A champions Napoli and Portuguese outfit Braga.

A trip to the Spanish capital to take on the Champions League’s most prolific side represents a daunting challenge for Union, who are in the competition for the first time in their history.

“They’re a new team in the Champions League but the fact they’re here means they’ve done very well,” Ancelotti added.

“They’re well-organised defensively, they’re solid and they play with intensity. We’ve studied them carefully and hopefully we can put in a good performance. We will need to play at a high intensity.

“We’re ready, like last year. The Champions League is a special competition for us. We’re going to treat the game as something special. We want to get off to a good start.”

Harry Kane defended Harry Maguire as the England captain hit out at the way the defender has been “scapegoated” amid “really unnecessary scrutiny”.

Little more than two years on from being named in the European Championship team of the tournament, the 30-year-old is now the butt of jokes to many.

Maguire’s struggle for form and game-time at Manchester United have increased the spotlight on a player that has remained an integral part of the England squad.

Boss Gareth Southgate said the treatment of the centre-back was “ridiculous”, “a joke” and “beyond anything I’ve ever seen” after he was mocked mercilessly against Scotland at Hampden Park.

Kane wrapped up that 3-1 friendly win following an own goal by half-time introduction Maguire, who the England skipper believes faces unwarranted attention and ridicule.

“I think H has come under some really unnecessary scrutiny,” the Bayern Munich striker said.

“Probably been scapegoated a little bit in terms of the way the team has gone over recent times.

“He is a really good friend of mine, he’s a great guy, a really hard working professional.

“From an England point of view, he has been one of our best defenders and one of the best defenders in the history of our country in an England shirt.

“It’s part of our game now, it’s part of football. You get scrutinised all over social media but knowing him, all he will want to do is work harder and improve and stay focused.

“We’re fully behind him in the national team. I know the coach has come out and backed him fully.

“There’s always going to be noise around players but the most important thing is that we have a really strong core with England and that’s the most important thing going into big games and big tournaments.”

Kane and Maguire go from team-mates to opponents as Bayern host out-of-sorts United in Wednesday’s Champions League Group A opener.

Put to sharpshooter Kane he could make matters worse for the defender, he said: “Yeah, but this is football. I’ve come up against friends or England team-mates before.

“Once you get on to the pitch, your competitiveness comes out and you want to do your best for your team and nothing else really enters your mind. That’s not something I think about.

“But Harry is a great guy, a great professional. A lot of young players can look at him and his journey to hopefully motivate them to be footballers as well.

“But, yeah, if he plays (on Wednesday night) that friendship goes away for 90 minutes and I do my best for Bayern Munich.”

Harry Kane maintains Bayern Munich always felt like the right choice for his next club as the England striker prepares to face Manchester United in the Champions League.

Kane left Tottenham for Bayern in a deal which could be worth up to £100million ahead of the summer transfer window closing.

Reports suggested United were one of the English clubs also interested in the 30-year-old forward.

“Obviously over the summer I know there were some talks between a few clubs in the background, but Bayern were a team I was really interested and excited by,” the England captain said ahead of Wednesday night’s Group A opener at the Allianz Arena.

“There were not too many other discussions once they came in. It was between them and Tottenham to talk and then the deal got done.

“My focus is on here. Manchester United are a great club, a really big club as well. I just decided to come here and am really happy I have.”

Eddie Howe has insisted the weather which delayed Newcastle’s arrival in Italy will not derail their Champions League adventure.

The club’s latest European mission hardly got off to the most auspicious of starts when, having been given special dispensation to train on Tyneside on Monday morning rather than at the San Siro later in the day, they remained on the ground for more than two hours.

However, speaking at a press conference which finally got under way at around 9pm local time when it had initially been scheduled for 7pm, Howe was adamant preparations for a tough opening encounter with AC Milan would not be hampered as a result.

He said: “It’s just part and parcel of the job that we do. It’s not out of the normal that that can happen. This was a weather problem, but we’ve been in similar situations.

“It’s something we’re used to, although it’s a slightly later arrival time than we would have liked for the players. It’s no big deal though.”

Howe and his players were due to leave Tyneside at around 2.30pm, but eventually took off closer to 5pm and, as the media gathered at the stadium to await the 45-year-old and former Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali, a plane-tracking app suggested they were still somewhere above France.

They finally made it to the stadium at around 9pm, with article 73 of governing body UEFA’s regulations stating: “Press conferences must start between 1200 and 2000 local time. Exceptions to these timings must be agreed in advance with UEFA.”

However, the PA news agency understands a first offence is likely to be met with a warning rather than more stringent punishment.

Had Newcastle arrived on time, they would have done so in torrential rain as thunderclouds gathered over the Italian city as a sultry day drew to a close.

Tuesday night’s game, which will be played 26 years and two days after the Magpies famously beat Barcelona 3-2 in the same tournament, comes more than two decades after their last appearance in Europe’s premier club competition.

For Howe, it will be the first Champions League game he has attended, and one he is relishing against a side which suffered a 5-1 derby drubbing at the hands of neighbours Inter on Saturday.

He said: “I’ve never attended one. I’ve always been too busy working to take one in. But it’s not something I’ve given any thought to. It’s a game of football.

“Yes, it will be a very proud moment for me. I think it will be a very proud moment for everyone connected with Newcastle to be back in the Champions League after a long period away.

“But it is a game of football and I think that’s just how we have to approach it. Yes, it’s a special game and we have to be at our best. There are slight differences in terms of where we’ve travelled, but the game will be the same and it will be a very difficult one.

The club’s last fixture in the competition, a 2-0 home defeat by Barcelona in March 2003, saw the likes of Shay Given, Kieron Dyer and Alan Shearer go up against Frank de Boer, Xavi and Patrick Kluivert.

This time around £53million summer signing Tonali, a semi-finalist with Milan last season, will be part of a new generation trying to write a new chapter in the club’s history.

The Italy international said: “It will be the most thrilling feeling to come out into the stadium packed with people again.

“They let me live my dream here at AC Milan, but now I come back as a rival. I will have a lot of feelings tomorrow.

“Everything happened so fast with the transfer, I was overwhelmed at first, but I have come across a wonderful team, wonderful staff and play for people who love football. The people of Newcastle will help anyone.”

Brendan Rodgers has stressed that Celtic’s unbreakable spirit can help them defy the odds in the Champions League.

Rodgers admitted his side have not been at their best so far this season and they have ongoing issues in central defence ahead of Tuesday’s Group E opener against Feyenoord in Rotterdam.

Nat Phillips is a doubt with an ankle issue, while Cameron Carter-Vickers, Maik Nawrocki and Stephen Welsh are all ruled out, leaving Liam Scales and recent signing Gustaf Lagerbielke as the only two definite options for Rodgers.

Celtic are the group outsiders behind Atletico Madrid, Lazio and the Dutch champions but Rodgers is targeting progression of some sort and possibly in the Champions League.

“I think success for us as a club is to be in Europe after Christmas,” he said. “That is what our aim is. Whatever competition that is in, as long as we are in Europe after Christmas, that is our aim.

“But anything is possible in the group. We look to be competitive in all the games.

“I think it’s one where anything is possible.

“People ask you to forecast what it is you want to do and what you want to achieve but I think that how we want the play the game with our competitive spirit, that’s important in the Champions League because you are playing against top teams.

“We have seen already this season that the spirit of this team will never be broken.

“You have to have that at this level when you are a team like ourselves coming into it, when people want to dismiss you in the tournament.

“It’s about being competitive, you have to work very hard, you have to work very smart, and let’s see where it takes us.”

Rodgers was not one to play defensively in Europe in his first spell as Celtic manager and predecessor Ange Postecoglou did not compromise any of his attacking principles last season as Celtic collected two points from a group campaign that promised more.

When asked whether he would adapt on European nights this season, the former Leicester manager said: “We are not at peak Celtic, I would say.

“We have got a long way to go before I think we will be where I am happy where I want us to be.

“However, what the players have shown is that flexibility.

“In terms of style, I don’t think there is a massive difference in terms of how the players have been asked to work. I just think it takes time and understanding for that to grow, and obviously of course it’s about players as well.

“You bring players back into the squad who are out of injured and of course the football can look different because you maybe have more dynamism and more flexibility and more movement.

“But stylistically at this level, we want to play the game to our DNA, which is be aggressive when we are attacking and have that conviction when we attack.

“And that all comes from when you defend. You have to have that collective responsibility and collective resilience and, if you have that in your defending, then you can look to show that in your attacking play.

“We know there’s times we are going to be under pressure, especially away from home, but of course we want to give Feyenoord a problem when we have the ball as well.”

Phillips saw his debut cut short on Saturday when he injured his ankle towards the end of the first half against Dundee.

The on-loan Liverpool defender was replaced by Lagerbielke at half-time, although he was only scheduled to play an hour in his first appearance since his move.

He trained at Celtic Park on Monday but Rodgers later said at the De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam: “Nat has rolled his ankle so we will just have to see on that.”

Nat Phillips remains a doubt for Celtic’s Champions League opener against Feyenoord despite training on the eve of the game.

The on-loan Liverpool defender saw his debut cut short on Saturday when he injured his ankle towards the end of the first half against Dundee.

Phillips was replaced by Gustaf Lagerbielke at half-time, although he was only scheduled to play an hour in his first appearance since his loan move.

Boss Brendan Rodgers said at the De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam on Monday evening: “Nat has rolled his ankle so we will just have to see on that.

“But other than that pretty much the guys are fine, they are working their way up to fitness. Apart from that they are OK.”

Liam Scales is Rodgers’ other recognised centre-back option with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki missing through injury.

Scales has started each of the last three matches and helped Celtic keep clean sheets against St Johnstone, Rangers and Dundee.

Rodgers’ squad trained at Celtic Park before flying out to the Netherlands on Monday afternoon.

Kyle Walker claims Manchester City consider themselves back at the bottom of the mountain again this season.

City scaled the heights last term as they became only the second English team to win the treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

Now, as City prepare to begin the defence of their European crown at home to Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, Walker has revealed manager Pep Guardiola wants them to prove themselves all over again.

The England right-back said at a press conference: “It’s our job to stay motivated. We’re at a massive club for a reason, because the manager believes in us and we’re all great players.

“It comes from within that you have to keep going. The hunger is still definitely in the changing room and from him as a manager as well. He still wants to win more.

“You can see what he is like in games and training. He doesn’t settle for second and we need to follow in his footsteps because he has managed some great teams that have won fantastic things.

“What we have done is in the past now. It is a new season, you draw a line under it.

“The manager did a diagram for the first game of the season. We start at the bottom of the mountain and we are climbing to the top.

“Our flag will always be at the top because we have won the Premier League and Champions League but we have to go again and again. It is what separates the good teams from the great teams.”

Walker has captained the team so far this season and looks likely to retain the armband following a squad vote to find a permanent successor to the departed Ilkay Gundogan.

Walker would not reveal who came top in the vote, which has taken place in recent days, other than to confirm he has been nominated as one of the group of five senior players who make up the captaincy group.

However, with the other main contender for the job, Kevin De Bruyne, currently out injured, it would be a surprise if the 33-year-old did not lead out the team for the Group G clash against Red Star.

Walker said: “The captains’ vote has come in and the five captains that have been chosen that will lead the team for the season and make sure all checks and fines are paid up.

“I don’t think the order really matters but it’s down to myself, Kevin, Rodri, Ruben (Dias) and Bernardo Silva.

“I’ve been very honoured (so far) and it’s a privilege to lead this special group of players out.

“I will continue to do that and hopefully lead by example on and off the field to ensure we are collecting the trophies at the end of the season.”

England international Fikayo Tomori has warned Sandro Tonali that friendship will go out of the window when AC Milan and Newcastle head into Champions League battle on Tuesday night.

The two men were team-mates last season as Milan made it to the semi-finals of the competition and finished fourth in Serie A, but they will be on opposing sides at the San Siro following midfielder Tonali’s £53million summer switch to St James’ Park.

Former Chelsea defender Tomori, 25, admits it will be god to see his former colleague again – but only after the final whistle.

He told a press conference: “Obviously it will be nice to see him again. We played a lot of games together.

“It will be nice to see him again so soon after he left, but we are professionals. When the game starts, friendships go out of the window. We want to win.

“After the game, we can start being friends again. During the game, though, we are not friends.”

The Italians will hope for a positive start to the campaign as they attempt to bounce back from Saturday’s 5-1 derby mauling by Inter, the side which dumped them out of the Champions League last season.

Tomori was a frustrated by-stander at the weekend as he sat out through suspension following his red card in the 2-1 win at Roma before the international break and is determined to make up for lost time after witnessing a horror show in the wake of three successive league wins.

He said: “I was disappointed not to have been able to help my team-mates on the pitch. Watching the match on TV is tough, you can’t help the team.

“Tomorrow I’ll be on the pitch, I hope. We’ll try to win and start the group well.”

Milan, who received a visit from former player Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Monday morning as they finalised their preparations for the game, are expecting an all-action approach from the Magpies on their return to the competition after a gap of 20 years.

Eddie Howe’s men warmed up for the trip to Italy with a narrow 1-0 Premier League win over Brentford, and the Rossoneri are in little doubt as to what will lie ahead.

Boss Stefano Pioli said: “[Newcastle] seem like a classic English team to me with physicality, pressure and intensity.

“They are very tall and dangerous on the dead ball, without neglecting their quality.”

The Champions League returns this week with all four Premier League sides kicking off their campaigns having had very different relationships with this competition in recent seasons.

Manchester City are out to defend their crown, whilst Arsenal and Newcastle are back after lengthy absences, although Eddie Howe’s side have had by far the longer wait at 20 years.

Manchester United, meanwhile, will be looking to bring Erik ten Hag some respite from a disappointing start to the domestic season.

The PA news agency looks at the four sides the English clubs will face first.

Manchester City v Red Star Belgrade (Tuesday)

Red Star Belgrade clinched a record 34th league title in comprehensive fashion last season, finishing the campaign unbeaten and dropping only 14 points along the way.

They had to contend with the resignation of their manager, the former Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stankovic, in August 2022 after the team were eliminated in the Champions League play-off round, though his replacement Milos Milojevic enjoyed a seamless transition as the club cantered to a sixth straight crown.

This season has seen another managerial change with the club appointing the Israeli Barak Bakhar, whose Maccabi Haifa side were responsible for Red Star’s Champions League elimination last August.

Central to last season’s success was winger Aleksandar Katai who weighed in with 19 goals, though with the country’s top stars increasingly been lured to foreign teams, the club is acclimatising to a new reality in which virtually none of the current Serbia side play for them, an unthinkable situation until recent years.

The club had to be bailed out in April by over £2million of government money, a month after they had settled  an outstanding hefty tax bill. It all means Bakhar’s team has been assembled on a budget and could struggle against treble-winning City.

AC Milan v Newcastle (Tuesday)

On paper, Newcastle could not be facing Milan at a better moment, coming off the back of their humiliating 5-1 defeat to city rivals Inter on Saturday.

Reports in Italy suggest that manager Stefano Pioli will respond by altering his line-up with former Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic, who has started all four league games and scored twice since moving to Serie A, in line to be dropped in favour of summer signing Samuel Chukwueze.

England international Fikayo Tomori could also return in central defence after missing the Inter thrashing through suspension.

The 2021/22 Serie A champions had made a solid start to the season prior to the weekend with three wins from three, having adapted well to the loss of Sandro Tonali – who has recovered from injury and is available – following his move to St James’s Park.

Pioli’s team have been predictably roasted by the Italian press since Saturday’s humbling loss and are under pressure to make a fast start to their European campaign.

Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven (Wednesday)

PSV romped into the group stages with a 5-1 win in the second leg of their play-off against Rangers, but it came off the back of a disappointing campaign last season under the now departed Ruud van Nistelrooy.

They were ultimately unable to recover from a poor first half of their Eredivisie season, despite beating eventual champions Feyenoord 4-3 in September and winning 2-1 at Ajax in November which saw them go top.

Form deserted them either side of the World Cup and though they largely righted things they were unable to keep pace with an astonishing 13-game winning run from Feyenoord from February onwards.

Van Nistelrooy walked out in May after winning the KNVB Cup citing a lack of management support amid a reported player revolt, and former Ajax and Borussia Dortmund boss Peter Bosz is the man now tasked with winning the club’s first title since 2018.

Bayern Munich v Manchester United (Wednesday)

Manchester United fans sang “we’ll see you next season” to transfer target Harry Kane when their team played at Tottenham in April but they had not expected it to be in the colours of Bayern Munich.

The England captain will be reuniting with an old foe from the country where he made his name sooner than he might have imagined and does so with four goals under his belt from his first four Bundesliga games for the champions.

Bayern are second in the league after conceding an equaliser in the fourth minute of added time against Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.

Thomas Tuchel won this competition with Chelsea in 2021 and the comprehensive manner in which Bayern were eliminated by Manchester City in last season’s quarter-final was a source of bitter personal disappointment.

Injured pair Kingsley Coman and Raphael Guerreiro are back in training ahead of the game against United, with the latter still yet to make an appearance since signing from Dortmund.

Paris St Germain boss Luis Enrique has admitted his team’s start to the season has not been good enough as they prepare to host Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League opener on Tuesday.

PSG have won just two of their opening five league games and suffered their first defeat on Friday when they were beaten 3-2 at home by Nice, leaving the reigning champions three points behind leaders Monaco.

Having taken charge in the summer, Enrique admits he is still getting used to his new side so has no cause for concern about developments so far, and promised that improved performances and results will start to come.

He told a press conference: “It is true it hasn’t been a great start, but when I start coaching a club, there is a lot of information I take in, a lot of situations to bear in mind.

“I have a very receptive team that is full of desire to take on new ideas, I am delighted with the conduct of the players and the team. The fans are fantastic, bringing total unconditional support, despite not so good results.

“It is a long process and from my experience I know it takes time. I am not wasting time because I already know how this works. I am very calm here, we will certainly be playing good football and getting good results.”

PSG have been among the favourites to win the Champions League in recent seasons but will be without some notable names this time around, with star forwards Lionel Messi and Neymar having left this summer while experienced midfielder Marco Verratti joined Al-Arabi last week.

The perennial Ligue 1 champions have yet to win the competition but came close in 2020, losing 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final. They also reached the semi-final the following year but since then the big-spending French giants have fallen short of expectations with round of 16 exits in successive years.

Enrique still holds hope of bringing the trophy back to Paris but does not want to become obsessed over the idea.

He added: “We will have to see how the competition goes, football is a marvellous sport.

“Any result is possible, and in theory, any team can win. You can play well and lose. You might play badly and win. As a club we are convinced and motivated in every competition we are taking part in.

“The aim is to go as far as possible and try to win all of them. That is the objective of this club, it is ambitious.

“When a person or a team or club is obsessed with something, it is not a good sign. You need to be excited, you have to have hope and ambition. But being obsessed doesn’t work in any part of life.

“So we are excited and motivated. We are full of desire to put on a show for our fans, and we are looking forward to the start of this competition.”

Enrique thinks their defeat to Nice has little to do with their upcoming European encounter with Dortmund, who are unbeaten themselves in the league so far.

Edin Terzic’s men are seventh in the Bundesliga with eight points from four games, sitting two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen following Saturday’s 4-2 win at Freiburg.

The Spaniard said: “The Nice game has nothing to do with the Dortmund game. They are different games in different competitions.

“There are many areas for improvement and many things of the team are doing well. I think the most important thing is what the fans can see, which is the team’s attitude. We don’t give up.”

Pep Guardiola has challenged his Manchester City side to achieve something special and win back-to-back Champions League titles.

The treble winners begin the defence of their European crown as they host Red Star Belgrade at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

City finally put years of near-misses behind them to win the competition for the first time last season but, while Guardiola is proud of their achievements, he feels their mission is not yet over.

The City manager said at a press conference: “I’d like to say that for our club to win the Champions League is incredible – the first time in our history – but, in perspective, how many teams have won the Champions League once?

“A lot have won two, three, four, five. In perspective, we did nothing special. It’s just one.

“Let’s go. Let’s try to win tomorrow against a team so aggressive, so fast up front.”

Guardiola is viewing the challenge as nothing different to past seasons, although he accepts the pressure of trying to defend the trophy will be easier than when trying to win it for the first time.

“It’s most difficult to win the first one,” he said. “But every season we start the competition in the first game with the target to win the first game, then the group stage, then try to win the Champions League. Nothing changes from before.

“The same for Red Star tomorrow. It depends on our performance and our level.

“We’re incredibly happy to defend this crown but this competition doesn’t allow you mistakes.

“But always we were so strong at home, nine points from nine. When that happens you can win just one game away and you qualify. Tomorrow is the first step.”

City reached the European summit, and capped a glorious treble, when they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in the final in Istanbul in June.

Yet the club have not sat back and dwelt on their success, adding the UEFA Super Cup and starting the new Premier League campaign with five successive wins.

Guardiola admits he has not even watched back the final, which was won with a single goal from Rodri.

He said: “People say we won it and it’s done. It’s not done. They’re happy, we’re happy. Every time we come here, people take pictures with the four trophies.

“That makes us so happy, you cannot deny, but if I wanted to live for the memories I wouldn’t be here. I’d be at home or on a beach.

“I didn’t watch the game, no. Not at all. The competition gives us a new challenge so let’s at least try – and I don’t have any doubt we will try.”

Newcastle return to the Champions League group stage for the first time in two decades on Tuesday night.

The Magpies travel to San Siro, where they take on AC Milan before facing PSG and Borussia Dortmund in their remaining Group F fixtures.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the last time Newcastle were in Europe’s premier club competition back in 2002-03.

First Group Stage

After qualifying for the competition with a fourth-placed finish in the previous Premier League season, Newcastle reached the first group stage of the tournament where they were drawn against Dynamo Kiev, Feyenoord and Juventus in Group E.
Their opening fixture against Dynamo Kiev ended in defeat at the Olympic Stadium in Ukraine’s capital as Maksim Shatskikh and Alyaksandr Khatskevich gave the hosts the advantage, while captain Alan Shearer came away with four stitches in his head following a challenge from Andriy Husin.

Sebastian Pardo’s fourth-minute volley condemned the Magpies to further Champions League misery the following week in a home fixture against Feyenoord in an end-to-end clash which saw goalkeeper Edwin Zoetebier make several fantastic saves to deny the hosts.

Their third game against Juventus kept them rooted to the bottom of the group without a point after suffering a 2-0 defeat with two goals from Alessandro Del Piero, and with three successive defeats under their belts Newcastle needed something drastic to salvage their European hopes.

Sir Bobby Robson’s side did just that, starting with Juve again at St James’ Park as full-back Andy Griffin got the ball rolling when his shot was turned into the net by goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for the Tynesiders to edge to a 1-0 win.

Next up was a home fixture against Dynamo Kiev and they bounced back from Shatskikh’s opener when Gary Speed’s header brought the scores level before Shearer slotted the ball home from the penalty spot to secure a 2-1 win.

Needing nothing but a win against Feyenoord to stand a chance of progressing to the next stage, the scores were tied going into the final minutes and Craig Bellamy struck in injury time for Newcastle to secure a dramatic second-placed finish in Group E to reach the next phase of the competition.

Second Group Stage

The Magpies were drawn into Group A for the next stage of the competition and got off to a shaky start as three first-half goals set Inter Milan up to win 4-1 in the opening group fixture.

Robson’s return to the Nou Camp ended in defeat the following game as goals from Dani, Patrick Kluivert and Thiago Motta were enough for Barcelona to beat the Magpies 3-1 as the hosts earned a record 10th successive Champions League victory.

The Newcastle boss then celebrated his 70th birthday in style as his side kept their chances alive with a 3-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen as Shola Ameobi’s double put them ahead before Franca pulled one back and Lomana LuaLua restored the two-goal cushion.

Shearer returned from suspension with a quick-fire hat-trick against the German side in the reverse fixture on Tyneside, heading home twice within six minutes in the opening stages before smashing the ball past Jorg Butt from the spot.

Six points against Leverkusen gave Newcastle hope for the remaining games against Inter and Barcelona and their tie at San Siro ended in a 2-2 draw as goals from Bellamy and Shearer were cancelled out by Christian Vieri and Ivan Cordoba.

Challenging for a quarter-final spot, the Magpies’ European dream was ended at St James’ Park by the LaLiga giants, who had already booked their spot in the final eight prior to the match, as Kluivert and Motta scored for the visitors, meaning Newcastle finished third in the group.

The following season the Tynesiders reached the third qualifying round of the competition, but fell to a 4-3 penalty defeat against Partizan Belgrade after the match ended 1-1 on aggregate.

Xavi has called for Barcelona to “step up” in the Champions League and has targeted winning Group H ahead of the opening fixture against Antwerp on Tuesday.

Barcelona return to Europe’s elite competition after the LaLiga champions exited in the group stages last season.

And Xavi insisted his side need to perform if they want to progress from a pool including Antwerp, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk.

“It’s time to step things up in the Champions League,” Xavi said.

“We are starting at home, in front of our fans, and we are in great form.

“The goal is to finish top of our group and be seeded in the draw for the knockout stage. But this is about deeds not words. Last season the team got the playing side of things right but not the results. This year we need to play well and get results.”

New signing Oriol Romeu has not played in the Champions League since the 2012/13 season with Chelsea.

And the midfielder highlighted the positive mood in the camp as Barca seek their first Champions League trophy since 2015.

“It’s probably one of the most exciting trophies there is,” Romeu added.

“Kids everywhere dream of playing in the Champions League, of experiencing that atmosphere. And now we have the chance. We have to put the bad vibes of the last two seasons behind us and get things off to the best possible start.

“There is a positive mood in the camp, we’re optimistic. The team is getting better with every game and the idea is to keep that going.

“Europe is a big challenge and we’ll be playing against some very strong teams. That’s why we need to be at our best and to get off to a good start.

“We need to play good football and show what we are capable of doing. This squad can go very far and we are here to have a great year in Europe.”

The former Southampton player lauded his new midfield partner Frenkie De Jong – both Romeu and De Jong have featured in all five LaLiga games this season.

He said:  “Off the field he has always been very nice to me and onfield it’s an absolute luxury to play alongside him. He makes breakthroughs with the ball and is one of the best midfielders in Europe right now, he’s top class.”

Beating Jude Bellingham at FIFA and two hours of German lessons a day have helped Jamie Bynoe-Gittens settle in at Borussia Dortmund.

The unassuming 19-year-old sits in St George’s Park explaining how his life in the German city has helped him grow.

The last of Dortmund’s English trio, the former Chelsea youngster has developed while Bellingham and Jadon Sancho shone to earn their mega-money moves.

Bynoe-Gittens made his debut less than 18 months ago but has settled well. His lessons, having joined from Manchester City in 2020, have left him “near fluent” as he matures away from the Premier League spotlight.

“Not everybody spoke English when I arrived. That was very hard for me because, at the time, I only spoke English. I had to learn German quickly,” he says.

“I remember looking for something like shampoo in the supermarket and you’ve got to find where it is and you might need to ask someone. It’s hard, you know.

“The word is the same, so maybe that’s an easy one to find! But maybe if you were going to the shops or getting the bus to town and having to find the right way to go…

“At school I tried to speak French and that didn’t really work. German is difficult – it’s really hard to learn and it takes time. But when you live here, you pick it up.

“I was a very shy person back then, so I had to learn to speak more and to ask for things that I might not ordinarily have asked for.

“The first year was tough, because Covid meant that there were no games. Then when we came back in 2021 I was injured for four months.

“After Christmas, I started playing more games and then that’s when I broke into the senior team.

“Seeing other players before me doing it persuaded me I could try it as well and try to progress like Jude has done right now or Jadon did.”

Now he is the only Englishman left at Dortmund after Bellingham’s initial £88.5million move to Real Madrid this summer.

Thankfully the new England Under-21 international can ask for a little more than shampoo – along with a cheeky offer of giving lessons to Bayern Munich new boy Harry Kane while at St George’s Park – although he misses his friends.

“Jude would take me out into Dortmund sometimes. Or when Jadon was there, we would go to get a haircut together or something or go to his house for three or four hours, maybe play FIFA,” said the Under-19 European champion, who remains close with team-mate Gio Reyna.

“They took me in as their little brother…I’d beat Jude at FIFA all the time.

“It’s great to see him do it. I knew he was going to be like this. It wasn’t a surprise to me. How he prepares for games, how he prepares for training. He’s just so professional. He’s a great person too.”

In May, on his final appearance, Bellingham sat devasted on the Signal Iduna Park pitch after a 2-2 draw with Mainz on the final day of last season handed Bayern the title.

Going into the game top, Dortmund were expected to end their 11-year Bundesliga drought, capping Bellingham’s three starring years in Germany.

Yet, it was to end in heartbreak as injured Bynoe-Gittens watched from the sidelines as the title slipped away.

“It was very hard,” he said, having made 20 appearances, scoring three times. “I couldn’t play in the last two games because of injury and watching it was just really sad, we had worked so hard to get there.

“There are are almost no words to describe it. We had no emotion, just numb.

“We’re always focused on winning or pushing for the title, like last season. We have to start quick, now, and hopefully be clear.

“We want to win the Bundesliga. Dortmund is a big club. You can’t just go for second, third or fourth. We want to push for first, the DFB Cup too and then go far in the Champions League.”

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Edin Terzic’s side open their Champions League campaign at PSG on Tuesday and also face AC Milan and Newcastle, travelling to St James’ Park in December.

The luck of the draw allows Bynoe-Gittens, who came through at Reading before moving to Chelsea and then Manchester, to return to England outside international duty. Quiet but confident, he is ready to show what he has learnt.

“It was always my dream to play in the Champions League as a kid, watching it on TV. Playing in it was a big achievement for me,” he said.

“It gives me added fuel to play in England and to show everybody what I can do.”

Lionel Messi heads the list of nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or after leading Argentina to World Cup glory.

Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka were also included on the 30-man shortlist for the prestigious prize published by organisers France Football on Wednesday.

Messi, already a record seven-time winner of the annual prize for world player of the year, is again the favourite.

The 36-year-old, who now plays his club football with Inter Miami, was his country’s chief inspiration as they triumphed in Qatar last winter, scoring seven goals in the tournament.

Haaland, who scored a remarkable 52 goals for treble-winning Manchester City last season, is one of seven players from the successful City side to make the list.

Former captain Ilkay Gundogan, who is now at Barcelona, another World Cup-winner in Julian Alvarez, Ruben Dias, Kevin De Bruyne, Rodri and Bernardo Silva were the others.

England captain Harry Kane is rewarded after scoring 40 goals for club and country before switching Tottenham for Bayern Munich. England team-mates Bellingham, who is now at Real Madrid, and Saka, of Arsenal, also enjoyed strong campaigns.

Other notable Premier League inclusions are Aston Villa’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard.

Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, was not nominated for the first time since 2003.

England’s Rachel Daly, Georgia Stanway, Millie Bright and Mary Earps are on the shortlist for the women’s award following their run to the World Cup final.

Goalkeeper Earps won the Golden Glove after keeping four clean sheets in the tournament while Daly was also the top scorer in the Women’s Super League last season.

Aitana Bonmati of champions Spain is widely considered the favourite for the prize but team-mate Olga Carmona, scorer of the winning goal in the final, is also nominated.

Bellingham is also on the shortlist for the men’s young player of the year prize. New Manchester United signing Rasmus Hojlund, of Denmark, and Barcelona trio Gavi, Pedri and Alejandro Balde are also candidates.

Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale is nominated for goalkeeper of the year along with Martinez. They will face competition from Ederson of Manchester City and United’s former Inter Milan stopper Andre Onana, who is also on the list for the main award.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on October 30.