MICHAEL OWEN’S first Champions League action in the white of Real Madrid — should he find a place in their squad of 16 after Ronaldo’s two-goal effort on Wednesday night — will be away to Bayer Leverkusen. In a rerun of the 2002 European Cup final, when Steve McManaman, Owen’s former Liverpool team-mate, came on as a substitute and Raúl and Zinedine Zidane scored in Real’s 2-1 win at Hampden Park, the Germans will host Real in group B’s opening match on September 15.
AS Roma and Dynamo Kiev complete a section that would appear to offer David Beckham — who played in Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat of Wisla in the third qualifying round second leg — Owen and Jonathan Woodgate an excellent chance of progressing to the knockout stages.
Owen joined Real for £8 million this month before Woodgate left Newcastle United for £13.4 million last week. The presence of the three England players will bring even more focus on Real’s Champions League challenge this season.
Ronaldo partnered Raúl up front in the Bernabéu on Wednesday night, with Luis Figo and Zidane also figuring. Fernando Morientes, who scored the goals on loan for AS Monaco last season that ended the Champions League aspirations of both Real and Chelsea, was on the bench.
Walter Samuel, a rare defensive acquisition for Real, will get the opportunity to play against his former club when Roma visit Madrid on September 28. Franco Baldini, Roma’s director of sport, reacted wryly to the draw that matched his club with the Spanish giants for the third time in four seasons.
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The Spanish press reported in May that Francesco Totti, the Roma captain, rather than Owen, would be on his way to Madrid in the summer. “The Spanish press were right,” Baldini said.“Totti will play in Madrid this season.”
Group C is one of the most challenging sections as three previous European champions have been drawn together. Juventus, seven times finalists, start their challenge by hosting Ajax, whom they beat on penalties in the 1996 final in Rome, while Bayern Munich, who have won the competition four times, most recently in 2001 when they overcame Valencia on penalties, kick off against Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
Ronald Koeman, the Ajax coach, believes the Italians, despite finishing third in Serie A last season, will be favourites to win the group.“I think that we will fight with Bayern Munich to see who will be the No 2 in the group,” Koeman said. “It looks like Juventus are better than us, Bayern are just as strong as Ajax and I guess we are better than Maccabi.”
Koeman believes that Zlatan Ibrahimovic, his forward, will stay with Ajax despite the imminent transfer deadline. “Up until now no club has brought out a real good and serious offer,” he said.
Angelo Charisteas will hope to be given a chance to take his international form into the top level of the club game as Werder Bremen take on Inter Milan, Valencia and Anderlecht in group G.