LONDON, Oct 22, (AP): The Champions League resumes Tuesday at Manchester United where one of the competition’s most storied clubs are mourning its all-time great Bobby Charlton.
Charlton, who died Saturday aged 86, survived the fatal air crash at Munich in February 1958 that devastated the then-champion of England on their journey home from a European Cup game.
He lifted the trophy 10 years later as captain of a team rebuilt by manager Matt Busby who had been seriously injured at Munich, where eight players died.

Charlton was a beloved director on the Man United board when it was European champion again in 1999 and 2008 under another Scottish manager, Alex Ferguson, who he had helped bring to the club.
The main stand is named for Charlton at Old Trafford where Man United will host Copenhagen on Tuesday and pay tribute to a man who helped define its illustrious history.

Charlton “was a hero to millions,” the club said in a statement. “Not just in Manchester, or the United Kingdom, but wherever football is played around the world.”

Manchester United started this Champions League campaign in Munich and it has not been a happy return after playing last season in the second-tier Europa League.
Back-to-back defeats - 4-3 at Bayern Munich and twice wasting leads in a 3-2 loss at home to Galatasaray - have left United last in Group A and added pressure on manager Erik ten Hag.

Arsenal also lost three weeks ago, 2-1 at Lens and now have back-to-back games against Sevilla, starting Tuesday in Spain. The Europa League title holders fired their coach José Luis Mendilibar after a slow start to the season including draws in its first two Group B games.
Newcastle also had a slow start to the season but have surged to an eight-game unbeaten run - including a 4-1 beating of Paris Saint-Germain - ahead of hosting Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
In their first Champions League campaign for 20 years, Newcastle are top of the blockbuster group that also includes seven-time champions AC Milan, which play at PSG on Wednesday.
Defending champions Manchester City are cruising to the knockout rounds with two wins before going to Swiss champions Young Boys on Wednesday.

If the Champions League group phase often seems predictable, Bayern Munich is one reason.
The German champions haven’t lost a group game since 2017 and hasn’t dropped a point since 2020, though needed an 83rd-minute winning goal at Copenhagen three weeks ago. Next up Tuesday in Istanbul is Galatasaray.

In Germany this week, Leipzig host Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday after losing 3-1 to Man City.
Union Berlin’s debut Champions League campaign has been a story of heartbreak, losing to both Real Madrid and Braga on goals scored deep into added time. Union next host Napoli on Tuesday, when Madrid are at Braga.

Benfica are along with Manchester United perhaps the biggest surprise among teams with no points after two games.

A quarterfinalists last season, and top-seeded in the group-stage draw, Benfica lost at home to Salzburg before a 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan. The Portuguese champions now host Real Sociedad.
Celtic aims to get off the mark at home to Group E leaders Atletico Madrid. Royal Antwerp hosts Porto at their 100-year-old Bosuil Stadium where a two-goal lead was given up in a 3-2 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Barcelona host Shakhtar on Wednesday seeking a third straight win.