The opening stage of the 2018-19 Champions League season is set, and there is more than one quartet that could be dubbed the Group of Death.
At the bottom of the draw, Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United’s Paul Pogba will return to their former clubs in a group completed by rejuvenated Spanish giants Valencia and Swiss minnows Young Boys.
Last term’s runners-up Liverpool were already dealt difficult assignments in Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli, and were then paired with Red Star Belgrade to round off Group C. The Serbians promise a fiery atmosphere on home soil, and also displayed their spirit in a come-from-behind away-goal victory at Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday to reach the tournament proper.
Internazionale, possibly the toughest opponent in the final pot, were picked alongside Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, and PSV Eindhoven, promising a tantalizing run of 12 matches in Group B.
The first tussles of the group stage will be held on Sept. 18. The other half of opening-round fixtures will be played a day later.
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was a full participant in Friday’s practice, and several teammates expect him to play Sunday at home against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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Roethlisberger missed Wednesday and Thursday practices with a right elbow bruise, and the team listed him as questionable on Friday’s injury report.
“Obviously, him throwing the ball first day back, he was taking it slow and getting back into it, but eventually it’s game day, it’s game time,” wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said. “He’s going to be out there playing with your boys. I think that’s what he’s going to do.”
Coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Roethlisberger practiced but declined to comment on details, deferring to the injury report. Roethlisberger declined comment as he left the locker room.
Backup Josh Dobbs, who took first-team reps Wednesday and Thursday, said he returned to his normal workload in light of Roethlisberger’s participation and has not been told he’s starting. “I will be ready if my number is called,” he said.
Asked if he saw Roethlisberger handing the ball off with his left hand Friday, center Maurkice Pouncey said he’s seen Roethlisberger do all kinds of impressive things over the years.
Ben Roethlisberger was sacked four times Sunday by the Browns. Jason Miller/Getty Images
“He looked really good,” Pouncey said. “No matter if he’s at practice or not, you know how tough he is and the things he plays through. He’s motivated to get back out there.”
Pouncey said he “always” expects Roethlisberger to play unless he takes the field Sunday without him.
After a five-turnover performance in Week 1 against Cleveland — including three interceptions and two sack-fumbles — Roethlisberger is eager to rebound.
The Steelers have won six of their past seven games against Kansas City, including a 43-14 win on Oct. 2, 2016, at Heinz Field that featured a five-touchdown performance from Roethlisberger.
“I tell you what, that’s last week,” said Roethlisberger on Wednesday. “We can look at it, but you’ve got to move on, because you’ve got a game this week. We did our film study on Sunday and Monday, and now we’re moving on to Kansas City. We’ve got to focus on that.”
While expectations are that Roethlisberger will play, guard David DeCastro (hand), cornerback Joe Haden (hamstring) and defensive end Tyson Alualu (shoulder) are all listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game.
Luka Modric capped off a brilliant season by beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah to win the UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award in Monaco on Thursday.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 30, 2018
The 32-year-old, who also picked up the Champions League Midfielder of the Season award, becomes the first Croatian to win the honor, and the first player outside of Ronaldo and Barcelona star Lionel Messi to win since Franck Ribery during the 2012-13 campaign.
The honor comes in the wake of a season in which the gifted midfielder played a pivotal role in helping Real Madrid lift the Champions League trophy for the third consecutive year.
Modric was also instrumental during Croatia’s World Cup campaign in Russia, where he led the country to its first final appearance in the tournament. Despite losing to France, Modric’s superb performances were rewarded when he won the Golden Ball award as the best player at the World Cup.
? 5 Years Ago:
?? @LukaModric10 was voted the worst signing in La Liga.
? 5 Years On:
? 5x Team of the Year ? 4x UCL Winner ? La Liga Winner ? Copa Del Rey Winner
? Won World Cup Golden Ball ?? Captained Croatia to WC Final ?? UEFA Mens Player of the Year 17/18 pic.twitter.com/fBm4Dz6xq3
— SPORF (@Sporf) August 30, 2018
In order to win the honor Modric had to beat Ronaldo, a three-time winner and former teammate at Real Madrid, and Salah, who broke numerous records during a spectacular debut season at Liverpool.
Modric has a chance to collect another major individual honor next month after being named among the 10 finalists for the Best FIFA Men’s Player award. The other candidates include Ronaldo, Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Antoine Griezmann, Eden Hazard, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Messi, and Raphael Varane.
The three finalists will be revealed Sept. 3 before the award ceremony takes place in London on Sept. 24.
MONTREAL — A healthy Johnny Manziel is wondering why he’s isn’t starting for the Montreal Alouettes.
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback returned to practice Thursday and asked out loud if the club had lost faith in him.
The 25-year-old said he had been healthy and available to play for the previous two weeks, fully recovered from the concussion he suffered in his second start for the Als — a 24-17 loss to Ottawa on Aug. 11.
Manziel missed two games while under concussion protocol but was available for the team’s win over Ottawa on Aug. 31 when he didn’t play. The Alouettes had a bye week last week.
“If the club had faith in me, I feel like I would be the guy, I feel like I would’ve been the guy after I came back from the concussion,” Manziel said. “That hasn’t happened, so I need to continue to get out here. And it’s the hardest part about missing practice, I need these reps to try to leave as little doubt as possible in my ability to play.”
Manziel was at practice for the first time this week after being sidelined by a flu bug that required IVs to replace fluids Tuesday and Wednesday. Though he said he was well enough to play Friday night when the Alouettes (3-8-0) host the B.C. Lions (4-6-0), Antonio Pipkin is expected to start. Matthew Shiltz is the other quarterback on the roster.
“I hope this organization, I hope the people here haven’t lost faith in my ability to play, and I still get a chance to come back and get a chance to be in with the [starters] and play, because that’s what I came up here to do and that’s what I want to do,” Manziel said.
Als coach Mike Sherman said it was “too soon” to predict whether Manziel would be the team’s third quarterback Friday.
“Seems like he’s doing better, so we’ll evaluate him a little bit more. I really haven’t even talked to the trainers about him other than the fact they gave him IVs yesterday at the doctors, and he’s feeling much better today,” Sherman said.
Manziel, with a white baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, did little but watch Thursday’s pregame walkthrough at Montreal’s practice facility in the shadow of Olympic Stadium. At times, he spun a football in his hand.
In a six-minute interview with reporters afterward, he said he feels as if he’s spinning his wheels with his second CFL team. What’s particularly frustrating, he said, is the Alouettes traded “half of an organization I feel like in terms of what they gave up to get me here.”
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats dealt Manziel and offensive linemen Tony Washington and Landon Rice to Montreal on July 22 for Canadian defensive end Jamaal Westerman and receiver Chris Williams as well as 2020 and 2021 first-round picks.
Manziel, who made headlines when he signed a two-year contract with Hamilton before the start of training camp, didn’t get any regular-season action backing up Ticats incumbent Jeremiah Masoli.
It’s hard, he said, not to see similarities in his current situation.
“That’s where maybe it’s a little bit lost on me, because I felt like I was brought in here to be a piece, had a lot of faith in me the first couple of weeks I was here … since I missed the games because of the concussion and then not getting to play once I was back has been frustrating for sure, because I felt like there was a lot of hope, and a lot of faith in me being the guy here,” he said.
“How quickly that’s changed in two weeks is tough.”
Pipkin has led Montreal to consecutive victories and is 2-1 as the club’s starter. He has 762 yards passing with a TD and four interceptions while having rushed for 127 rushing yards and four touchdowns in 17 carries.
Manziel has started two games for Montreal, both losses. He has completed 27 of 46 passes for 272 yards and four interceptions.
Manziel, who served as Pipkin’s backup for the Als’ 21-11 victory over the Redblacks on Aug. 31, recalled something Sherman told him when he first arrived in Montreal.
“He said, ‘This has to work, and this will work,'” said Manziel, who has known Sherman since the coach recruited him to play at Texas A&M. “And I feel a little frustrated at this point, because coming off the injury, I’m not getting a chance to play, and I’m sick, I miss a couple days of practice, and now I feel I put myself way behind where I need to be.”
He added: “But I’m going to continue to be the best teammate I can be, and I’m going to continue to be the best person for this organization, regardless of who’s playing or what the case is, or frustration.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
