The Champions League made a thrilling return on Tuesday and more of the same expected tonight.
Bayern Munich started the defence of their crown with a comfortable 3-0 home win over CSKA Moscow but a much trickier assignment facing last year’s runners-up, fellow Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, on Wednesday.
It was hard not to be very impressed with the German pair last term and it will be particularly fascinating to see how Jurgen Klopp’s side fair twelve months on from their Wembley disappointment.
Klopp takes his talented squad to Italy on match day one to face Napoli and this is arguably the toughest section of the lot.
Arsenal and Marseille also contest Group F and none of the four sides can afford to start the campaign on the back foot after a defeat.
Napoli lost star man Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but new manager Rafael Benitez was quick to replace the Uruguayan with Gonzalo Higuain and the striker has enjoyed a productive start to life in Serie A.
Napoli have won each of their first three top flight matches, scoring nine goals in the process, and currently look down on the rest in Italy.
Higuain has been on target twice already and his partnerships with both Jose Callejon, a former Real Madrid teammate, and Goran Pandev could prove extremely productive.
Benitez also recruited Rual Albiol from the Spanish giants and the acquisition of goalkeeper Pepe Reina on loan from Liverpool also looks like good business.
It is going equally well for Dortmund domestically and I am expecting another bold bid for both Bundesliga and European glory over the next nine months.
The off-season loss of Mario Gotze to their great rivals was a blow but Klopp is just about as shrewd as they come and in Robert Lewandowski and new boy Pierre Aubameyang has two strikers in fine form.
I have little doubt Dortmund are the stronger of the pair, they are yet to drop any points this season either, but at the prices I want Napoli on my side.
Villarreal, Chelsea and Manchester City were all beaten at San Paolo two seasons ago in Napoli’s debut Champions League campaign and there is no reason to think the trend cannot continue, despite the visitors undoubted class.
1pt Lay Borussia Dortmund (vs. Napoli) @ 2.40 (Betfair)