Giants chase Real crown

Madrid, who get the ball rolling again on Tuesday at Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon, hope the $55.5 million they paid Barcelona for Luis Figo in the summer can be largely offset by winning the trophy for what would be the third time in four seasons come next May.

Last month, UEFA official Markus Studer implied the Meringues could be expelled from European club competitions because of their debt despite later assurances that would not happen.

Real are in Group A together with Spartak Moscow and Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen.

The Spaniards’ main rivals in another bloated season of European club football are once again set to be 1999 champions Manchester United, whom they ousted in the quarter-finals last season.

But Italian Serie A winners Lazio, as well as Juventus will also be in there looking to overturn poor recent Italian form in the competition.

Spanish sides dominated the event last time round supplying three of the semi-finalists before Real, earlier thrashed twice by Bayern Munich in group games before beating the Germans in the last four, downed Valencia in a one-sided final in Paris.

It was the first time two sides from the same country had contested the final.

Such was Spain’s dominance that the joke in the National media ahead of the semis was “What are Bayern doing in the Spanish Cup?”

But with United, Lazio, Bayern and company raring to go again such a scenario is unlikely to be repeated.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s United have already claimed their accustomed place atop the English Premiership and will have learned the lessons of last year’s failure, when Real surprised them at Old Trafford after a dour draw in Madrid.

United step into the arena on Wednesday against Belgium’s Anderlecht at Old Trafford. Tuesday highlights, aside from Real’s trip to Lisbon – where former United ‘keeper Peter Schmeichel will be plotting their downfall for the Portuguese – see English pretendants Arsenal travel to the Czech Republic to face Sparta Prague.

Arsenal have under-achieved in the competition to date and coach Arsene Wenger is not setting any lofty goals at this stage.

Group B rivals and group favourites Lazio travel to unfancied Shakhtor Donetsk of Ukraine.

From France, this year’s crop of representatives are Paris Saint Germain, who with Nicolas Anelka on hot form after a slow start, are a good bet for at least a place in the second phase.

PSG start on Wednesday at Norway’s Rosenborg in Group F, which includes Bayern, while their compatriots Monaco and Lyon both play Tuesday.

First-time entrants Lyon with the arrival of Brazilian defender Edmilson have plugged a leaky backfour ahead of their Group C home match against Holland’s Heerenveen. In the same group Valencia host Olympiakos of Greece.

In Group D, Monaco will find it hard to pick themselves up in the cauldron of Istanbul, where they face UEFA Cup winners Galatasaray.

The same trip awaits Glasgow Rangers, who start off with a home fixture against Sturm Graz of Austria. Monaco will be without suspended Argentine midfielder Marcelo Gallardo.