Football: FOUR TO FEAR

Phil Gordon's guide to dangerous opponents in the Champions' League

ALI DAEI: HERTHA BERLIN V CHELSEA

Daei's personal fan club change shirts almost as often as Manchester United's away kit: the Iranian is on his third Bundesliga club in three seasons. Idolised back home, his move from Arminia Bielfeld to Bayern Munich after France 98 saw 20,000-plus Bayern kits sold in Tehran. Scandalously under-used by Bayern, the 30-year-old joined Hertha for pounds 2.7m and teamed up with Michael Preetz, whose 23 goals topped the Bundesliga last season. But it will be shoot-on-sight Daei whom Chelsea must watch.

PAULO SERGIO: RANGERS V BAYERN MUNICH

Seems to be the latest Brazilian to blend in with the Teutonic way of thinking, following the success of Giovane Elber at Bayern last season. Elber is still injured, which puts more pressure on Paulo Sergio to score at Ibrox just as his countryman did against Manchester United last year in the group stages. The striker, who was bought for pounds 4m from Roma, is on his second spell in Germany after playing for Bayer Leverkusen following his move to Europe from Corinthians and has scored 47 times in the Bundesliga.

NEBOJSA NOVAKOVIC: ARSENAL V AIK

Forget Andreas Andersson - frustrated fans of Milan and Newcastle are still trying to - the man who really gets AIK Solna's fans, aka the Black Army, excited is not the pounds 2m Swede recruited from Tyneside but a Bosnian who has been around the block. Novakovic has wonderful skill - evidenced by a sublime lobbed goal against Barcelona - and is beloved by his boss, Stuart Baxter, who says the striker's best attribute is his intelligence. His pace, even at 35, and his set-piece threat are pretty good too.

IVICA VASTIC: STURM GRAZ V MAN UTD

For a country whose best-known name abroad was Falco (not Mark, but the deceased pop star who gave us "Rock Me Amadeus"), it is hardly surprising that their best player is not Austrian. Vastic was born in Slovenia and had to wait for Austrian nationality three years ago before collecting the first of his 28 caps. Scored 14 league goals last season, could score more if not dragged back into midfield so often. Ironic that such slim shoulders should carry such a burden in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium.