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ITALIAN champions Napoli will start their Champions League group stage campaign with a trip to Portugal to take on Braga.Gli Azzurri made it to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite competition last season – and they will be hoping to go further this time around.

Kick off time: 8pm BST
TV channel/live stream: TNT Sports 4/ discovery+

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EUROPA LEAGUE winners Sevilla will begin their Champions League group stage clash against French side Lens.Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side have had a poor start to La Liga, losing three of their opening four games, while Lens have also had a rotten start as they sit bottom of Ligue 1.

Kick off time: 8pm BST
TV channel/live stream: discovery+

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LAST season’s Champions League finalists Inter Milan will begin their new European campaign with a trip to Real Sociedad.The Italian giants will be hoping to go one better this season after they were beaten by Manchester City in a dramatic final last season.

Kick off time: 8pm BST
TV channel/live stream: TNT Sports 3/ discovery+

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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE serial winners Real Madrid get their 2023/24 campaign underway against Union Berlin.The Galacticos went crashing out of last season’s competition at the hands of eventual winners Manchester City.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s side go into this game with the wind in their sails having won all five opening La Liga fixtures so far.

Kick-off time: 5:45pm BST
Live stream: BT.com
TV channel: TNT Sports 1

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GALATASARAY host Copenhagen in their opening Champions League Group A encounter.Former Premier League star Wilfried Zaha will be desperate to make a good impression on his debut in Europe’s top-tier competition.
However, the 2022/23 Danish winners have other ideas as they look to make the perfect start.

Kick-off time: 5:45pm BST
Live stream: BT.com
TV channel: TNT Sports 3

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NEWCASTLE marked their return to the Champions League after a 20-year absence with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at AC Milan.It was a backs-to-the-wall performance at the San Siro as Nick Pope’s heroics and dogged defending late on earned a crucial point.
The Italian side were left ruing a host of missed chances with Rafael Leao tripping over himself as he attempted a backheel.
Eddie Howe’s side did not have a shot on target but a draw is a huge step in their bid to escape a difficult Group F.

Match result: AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
TV channel: TNT Sports 1
Live stream: discovery+
AC Milan team: Maignan, Theo, Thiaw, Tomori, Calabria, Krunic, Pobega, Loftus-Cheek, Chukwueze, Leao, Giroud
Newcastle team: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Tonali, Murphy, Gordon, Isak

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That’s all from the San Siro
The Champions League is back, if not with a bang but with a showing of defensive determination.
Newcastle’s return has been a long-time coming, and this hard-earned goalless draw in Milan is the least that their travelling supporters deserved. They wouldn’t have it any other h’way.
Thanks for joining us, and goodnight.
Howe insists Newcastle can improve
Eddie Howe is adamant that his side can take the experience of being under the cosh at the San Siro for long periods into future Champions League games.
Speaking afterwards, the Newcastle head coach praised his players for their defensive capabilities when it mattered, and maintained there was plenty of encouragement to take into the rest of the competition.
We did not aim to defend so deep. Our defending was a bit loose, but around the game we defended the 18 yard box perfectly. We know we can grow and improve. We can be very positive about the next game.Eddie Howe

Grateful eight: Toon thankful to Pope
There’s no doubting who was Newcastle’s man of the match at the San Siro.
Goalkeeper Nick Pope made a string of fine saves throughout to hit back at his recent critics.
Credit: @WhoScored Twitter
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Despite their 25 attempts at goal, it’s been another frustrating evening for the AC Milan faithful.
Having seen their side hit for five by city rivals Inter at the weekend, they have now had to endure another goalless 90 minutes of Champions League football.
The Rossoneri have failed to score in their last three games in Europe’s stellar competition, a run of 352 minutes without a goal.
And it’s four Champions League fixtures without a victory too, their longest winless streak in the competition since seven games between December 2013 and November 2021.

Off the mark in Group F
Group F has been dubbed the group of death in this season’s Champions League, and so any away point must be seen as a positive.
Whether the Toon can remain in the top two ahead of matchday two depends on what happens in the French capital, where Paris Saint-Germain are about to take on Borussia Dortmund.

PSG v Dortmund (8pm)

Credit: uefa.com
Match stats from the San Siro
AC Milan’s 25 shots in this game is their highest in a single Champions League match without scoring since 27 against PSV Eindhoven in October 2005.

Full time – AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
Newcastle’s Champions League campaign begins with a hard-fought point away at AC Milan.
The Serie A giants were the better team throughout, but were unable to find either their composure in front of goal or a way past Nick Pope.

AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
90+5. Newcastle win the ball back in the final seconds and burst forward!
Almiron feeds Barnes, who lays back to Anderson. The substitute bides his time and then plays in Guimaraes, who strikes goalwards…
…with a shot that touches the fingertips of Sportiello and flies over!
What a smash and grab that would have been!
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
90+3. An absolutely brilliant tackle from Trippier stops Musah in his tracks along the touchline.
Somehow the Newcastle captain not only wins the ball back but keeps it in play too. Bravo!
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle – Newcastle substitution
90+1. Eddie Howe makes his final change with Harvey Barnes on for Alexander Isak.
The Toon are on the verge of a well-earned draw.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle – Krunic yellow card
90. Krunic reacts angrily to being fouled by Anderson, and becomes the latest AC Milan player to be yellow carded.
Meanwhile, the fourth official signals that there will be five minutes of additional time to be played.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
89. AC Milan continue to pass up opportunities.
Leao fluffs his shot (not for the first time tonight), Pulisic has an attempt blocked, and then Giroud thunders an effort straight at Pope.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
87. Isak gives up possession up twice in quick succession, and requires Burn to help him out with a thumping header clear.
The visitors have their own problems without their own players adding to them.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
85. Five minutes remain at the San Siro, and Newcastle have dropped back with ten men behind the ball.
AC Milan continue to work the ball, eventually playing Florenzi in on the right, but his cross is confidently claimed by Pope.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle – Giroud yellow card
83. Now Olivier Giroud talks his way into Jose Maria Sanchez’s book.
The striker is unhappy at being penalised for a challenge on Longstaff and says a little too much to the referee.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle – Musah yellow card
82. Bruno Guimaraes tempts Yunus Musah into a foul that not only earns the substitute a yellow card, but brings Newcastle a much-needed free-kick on halfway.
That was some good old English gamesmanship from the Brazilian playmaker.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle – AC Milan substitution
80. The Rossoneri goalkeeper is unable to carry on so he will be replaced by Marco Sportiello.
How much of a blow will that be to Stefano Pioli’s charges?
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
78. All the action is inside the Newcastle penalty area at the moment, but in the other box Mike Maignan has gone down and appears in some discomfort.

AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
77. Florenzi has found some joy down the right since his introduction, and he floats in another dangerous cross towards the back post.
Between them, Botman and Trippier manage to snuff out Hernandez from adding the finishing touch.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
75. Milan are bombarding the Newcastle goal once again.
A vital interception from Almiron is required to take the ball away from Hernandez inside the penalty, and then the resulting corner causes chaos.
Amid the mayhem, Pulisic and Hernandez both have fierce shots blocked by Trippier and Longstaff respectively.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
74. Leao flashes a header over the crossbar!
Pulisic whips in the best chance off the half right on to the forehead of the Portuguese forward, who is unable to keep it down and underneath Nick Pope’s crossbar.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle – Newcastle substitution
72. And here’s another youngster, Newcastle’s Elliot Anderson.
The midfielder is on for Sandro Tonali, who departs the pitch to a standing ovation from all inside the San Siro.
From the AC Milan fans, it’s a thank you for all he has done. From the Newcastle supporters, it will be as an appreciation for what’s still to come.

AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle – AC Milan substitution
71. Unsurprisingly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is unable to continue.
On in his place is young Yunus Musah.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
69. Loftus-Cheek has pulled up holding his hamstring, and it interrupts an AC Milan counter attack.
Hernandez spots the former Chelsea player unmarked as he burst through the middle and goes to play him the ball until noticing his injury.
In the confusion, the defender loses possession.
AC Milan 0-0 Newcastle
67. Reijnders has floated into good positions on two occasions since his arrival, but his performance on the ball both time has left plenty to be desired.
Having struck a weak shot at Pope moments ago, he now wastes a cross with options available.
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NEWCASTLE make their return to the Champions League TODAY after 20 long years away.The headline team news from the San Siro is that Eddie Howe has handed starts to Alexander Isak and Jacob Murphy in attack.
Sandro Tonali also starts in midfield as he takes on his boyhood club for the first time since his big-money move to St James’ Park.

Kick off time: 5.45pm BST
TV channel: TNT Sports 1
Live stream: discovery+
AC Milan team: Maignan, Theo, Thiaw, Tomori, Calabria, Krunic, Pobega, Loftus-Cheek, Chukwueze, Leao, Giroud
Newcastle team: Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn, Guimaraes, Longstaff, Tonali, Murphy, Gordon, Isak

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Toon’s Tonali faces former club
Eddie Howe makes three changes for his first ever match in the Champions League.
The Newcastle boss has reinstated Sandro Tonali for an emotional reunion at his former club with the Italian international replacing Elliot Anderson in midfield.
Up top, Alexander Isak has got the nod ahead of Callum Wilson while Jacob Murphy takes over from Harvey Barnes on the wing.
Kieran Trippier captains the Toon while Nick Pope will keep goal behind his usual back four.

Newcastle (4-3-3): 22 Pope; 2 Trippier, 5 Schar, 4 Botman, 33 Burn; 36 Longstaff, 39 Guimaraes, 8 Tonali; 23 Murphy, 14 Isak, 10 Gordon
Substitutes: 18 Karius, 84 Harris, 3 Dummett, 6 Lascelles, 9 Wilson, 13 Targett, 15 Barnes, 20 Hall, 21 Livramento, 24 Almiron, 32 Anderson, 67 Miley

Tomori and Loftus-Cheek start for Milan
Stefano Pioli threatened to ring the changes after his side were walloped by Inter in the Milan derby at the weekend.
As it is, the Italian boss makes just three switches with one new player coming into the defence, midfield and attack.
At the back, Malick Thiaw comes in for Simon Kjaer, Tommaso Pobega replaces Tijjani Reijnders in the middle of the park while Samuel Chukwueze is favoured over Christian Pulisic up front.
Former Premier League stars Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Olivier Giroud line up for a Rossoneri side captained by Davide Calabria.

AC Milan (4-3-3): 16 Maignan; 2 Calabria, 23 Tomori, 28 Thiaw, 19 Hernandez; 8 Loftus-Cheek, 33 Runic, 32 Pobega; 21 Chukwueze, 9 Giroud, 10 Leao
Substitutes: 57 Sportiello, 83 Mirante, 7 Adli, 11 Pulisic, 14 Reijnders, 15 Jovic, 17 Okafor, 24 Kjaer, 42 Florenzi, 80 Musah, 95 Bartesaghi

Group stage not a sprint
Should Newcastle begin the group stage with a defeat this evening, then their long-suffering followers will be able to play the role of the voice of reason.
And that’s because those around in 2002-03 – the last season that Newcastle played in the Champions League – will recall that nothing is settled on matchday one.
Back then, the Toon last their opening three fixtures in Group E yet still recovered to qualify for the second group stage (yes, that’s right, kids).
The epic comeback that saw them beat Juventus, Dynamo Kyiv and Feyenoord meant they became the first ever club to lose their opening three Champions League group matches yet still progress to the next round.
Only Atalanta in 2019-20 have repeated the feat since.
Bookies unable to split sides
Newcastle are back in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years, but the bookmakers are undecided as to whether they will begin their group campaign with a win, chalking them up at the exact same price as AC Milan. The draw is the outsider of the three outcomes.

AC Milan win 17/10
Draw 21/10
Newcastle win 17/10

Odds from Paddy Power correct at time of post publication.
Another Italian job for Toon
Newcastle United arrive in Milan this evening hoping to create more Italian memories for their fans.
The Toon won their last European away game against Serie A opposition, beating Palermo 1-0 in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup.
Alberto Luque scored the only goal, although that was as good as it got for the £9m striker during his time at St James’ Park.
But the Spaniard has his place in Newcastle history; until that point, the Magpies had failed to win any of their first four visits to Italy (D2 L2).

How to watch tonight’s action
AC Milan vs Newcastle will be broadcast LIVE on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting from 5pm BST.
TNT Sports customers can live stream all the action via the discovery+ app or website.
Alternatively, you can stay right here and keep up to date with all the action via SunSport’s live blog.
Toon army takeover Milan
The Geordies have travelled in numbers to witness Newcastle’s return to the Champions League after 20 years away.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
What have the managers said?
“We always live in hope that if we produce our best performance, we can beat anybody,” Howe said over the weekend.
“I do believe that. Bringing that A-game, bringing that to the table at the very highest level, isn’t easy but I back the players and I know if we can reach that level, we can be a match for any team.”
Meanwhile, Pioli added: “We had a lot of faith and positivity for the derby but it didn’t go well, there’s no point hiding it.
“It was a big disappointment, but we have the Champions League and that is good as it’s the only way to switch.”
Credit: GETTY
What is the early team news?
Newcastle will still have to do without influential midfielder Joe Willock on Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old has been struggling with an Achilles issue and isn’t expected back until next month at the earliest.
Howe is also set to be without Joelinton for his first Champions League match as a manager, while Emil Krafth is a long-term absentee.
Defender Pierre Kalulu missed Saturday’s collapse against Inter for AC Milan and is set to be out once again against the Toon.
His centre-back partner Fikayo Tomori will return, however, having been ruled out of the Inter clash by suspension.
Midfielder Ismael Bennacer is a long-term absentee having undergone knee surgery in May.
Super Sandro
It will be a big night for Sandro Tonali, meanwhile, with the midfielder making a quick return to the club he left for Newcastle in the summer.
The midfielder has already grabbed his first goal for the Toon, while he has also created three chances and made four tackles.

Ruthless Rafael
AC Milan will be hoping that Rafael Leao can be the star of the show when Newcastle come to town on Tuesday night.
The Portuguese livewire has already grabbed two goals and an assist in four games this term – while creating seven chances.

Welcome to AC Milan vs Newcastle
Newcastle end their 20-year Champions League absence TODAY against serial winners AC Milan – and SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage.
Magpies fans will have the hairs standing up on the backs of their necks as the Champions League’s iconic anthem is blasted out as the sun sets around Milan.
And they’ll have water on their stomachs too after fans were spotted sliding through the Milan streets.
While Newcastle are new to this level, Milan have been steadily improving in Europe under Stefano Pioli.
Last season they were able to escape a group featuring Chelsea, Red Bull Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb.
They subsequently managed to make it all the way to the semi-finals, toppling Tottenham in North London and Italian champions-elect Napoli on their way.
This is bound to be an extremely competitive group, with Paris Saint-Germain hosting Borussia Dortmund across Europe in its other match on Tuesday night.
So every game really matters, and Newcastle will be desperate to come away from Milan with something.
Stay tuned as coming up is all the latest news and team selection before the big kick-off at 5:45pm BST.
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SHAKHTAR DONETSK and Porto will both be bidding to make the perfect start to their 2023/24 Champions League group stage campaigns.Both sides have made a flawless start to their respective domestic leagues as neither team has tasted defeat this season.

Kick off time: 8pm BST
Live stream: discovery+ app/website

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