Champions League: A look at the English clubs’ opponents in Europe this week
Villarreal, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Porto come up against Premier League teams
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Your support makes all the difference.Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are back in Champions League action this week as the fifth round of group fixtures takes place.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the teams the four English clubs will be going up against across Tuesday and Wednesday.
Villarreal
Group F leaders United’s first match since sacking boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees them play Villarreal in Spain on Tuesday, with both sides having taken seven points from four games so far. Unai Emery’s men, who beat United on penalties in last season’s Europa League final, lost 2-1 in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in September thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo’s stoppage-time goal, having been 1-0 up – they have also drawn 2-2 against Atalanta and beaten Young Boys 4-1 away and 2-0 at home. In LaLiga they are currently 12th having registered only one victory in their last six outings.
Juventus
Also on Tuesday, Chelsea – second in Group H – host Juventus who have already secured their qualification for the last 16 after winning each of their four games to date. The triumph over the Blues in their second match was a 1-0 victory sealed by Federico Chiesa’s strike in the opening moments of the second half. Domestically Juve, back under Massimiliano Allegri’s management this term, have struggled for consistency and they currently lie eighth in Serie A.
Paris Saint-Germain
City entertain Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday with both teams on track for qualification from Group A, lying first with nine points and second with eight respectively. A major talking point in the build-up has been the future of PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino following Solskjaer’s sacking, with it understood the Argentinian is interested in the United job. PSG beat City – who knocked them out of last season’s competition in the semi-finals – 2-0 in Paris in September and have also drawn with Club Brugge and defeated and drawn with RB Leipzig in the group, while in Ligue 1 they are currently 11 points clear at the top of the table.
Porto
Liverpool, confirmed through to the next round as winners of Group B with a 100 per cent record so far, take on a second-placed Porto outfit that have accrued five points from their four games. As well as being thrashed 5-1 at home by the Reds, Sergio Conceicao’s team have drawn 0-0 at Atletico Madrid and beaten AC Milan 1-0 at home and drawn 1-1 with them away. They lead the Portuguese top-flight on goal difference, level on points with Sporting Lisbon and a point better off than Benfica.