City handed baptism of fire

LOOK, I know you must all be aquiver with excitement at the prospect of Man U v Otelul Galati.

Agog with anticipation at the prospect of Chelsea pitting their wits against Genk. Flush with the universal hope that plucky little third-seed minnows Man City might get to slay the odd giant. And, as ever, fascinated to see how Arsenal will get on against, well, Arsenal.

But before we get around to addressing how the wheel of fortune treated the Premier League contenders in yesterday’s draw, spare a thought for the officials of Czech title holders and Champions League debutants Viktoria Plzen who were present in Monte Carlo.