Big names add weight to Champions League
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-08-08 08:32

FIRST TIME

United, the third English team in the qualifying round, play Hungarian champions Debrecen, hoping to join Chelsea and Arsenal in the group stages as for the first time in the competition's history one country has five entrants.

Debrecen thumped Croatia's Hajduk Split 8-0 on aggregate in the last round so United will have to be on their mettle to extend their record run of participation in the competition proper.

Monaco, runners up in 2004, are struggling for form ahead of their visit to Spanish Cup holders Real Betis in Seville on Tuesday.

Didier Deschamps' side lost 2-0 at home to AJ Auxerre on Saturday having struggled past Nancy 1-0 on the opening weekend of French league action.

Inter Milan, who ended a 16-year domestic drought by winning the Italian Cup in June, have to look back 40 years for the last of their two European Cup triumphs.

They have been overshadowed by city rivals AC, who were beaten on penalties by Liverpool in last season's final, and need to get past Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk to join them in the group stage this year.

They will do so without Italy striker Christian Vieri, who moved to AC Milan last month, but with former world and European player of the year Luis Figo, who joined from Real Madrid last week.

Steaua Bucharest, the 1986 European champions, face Norway's Rosenborg Trondheim. The Champions League regulars, who won the Norwegian title for the 13th consecutive time last season, are finding it hard going in the current campaign in their worst run of form since the 1970s.

With nine matches remaining they are in the bottom half of the table after losing eight games, including a 5-1 thrashing by Fredrikstad last Wednesday and a 2-1 home defeat by Lillestrom on Sunday that led to coach Per Joar Hansen resigining.

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