Champions League Group B preview: Lille jostle with Europe´s best

Lille will kick off their Champions League group stage at home to CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, while Inter are also at home in Group B.

Rudi Garcia’s Lille have been in solid form thus far in the French top flight, winning three and drawing once in five matches, however they are yet to keep a clean sheet in their Ligue 1 title defence.

That will be a point of concern for Garcia as he looks to steer Lille through just a fourth Champions League campaign in their history.

Former Chelsea, West Ham and Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole is set to make his European bow for the club, after an impressive substitute appearance in their 3-1 league win over Saint-Etienne.

Centre-back Aurelien Chedjou is expected to be fit for the French side after picking up a thigh injury in their latest league outing, but Tulio De Melo will miss out with a leg injury.

For the Russians, Igor Akinfeev and Keisuke Honda are long-term absentees because of serious knee injuries.

The match marks the start of Moscow’s sixth campaign in European club football’s showpiece event.

Inter Milan, runners-up in Serie A last term, will host Turkish outfit Trabzonspor at the San Siro, to begin their 10th consecutive campaign in Europe.

By contrast, it is a debut season for the Super Lig runners-up, and Senol Gunes’ men will have it all before them when they take on the Italian powerhouse.

Inter were stunned 4-3 away to Palermo in their league opener on Sunday, and manager Gian Piero Gasperini will no doubt be keen to register his first win in charge of the 2009-10 European champions.

Inter captain Javier Zanetti was forced to defend his boss after they let through four goals in the loss, calling for calm in the squad.

“That wasn’t the start we expected. But first of all we have to stay calm and believe in our work,” he said.

“Obviously, there are things that need to be ironed out but we’re all ready to do that.”

“We have a coach with new ideas, everything’s changed and we need time to develop what he’s asking.”