Spectre of Keane the cloud over Turin

Another welcome sign of spring. Blinking in the sunlight, the Champions' League emerges from hibernation for a series of double-header group matches over the next fortnight, with the English challenge in good shape.

Manchester United, with six points already on the board, face two games of epic potential against Juventus, which should decide who wins their group; Arsenal also top their section and have the opportunity to pull clear in two meetings with Ajax; even Newcastle, beaten twice so far, could have something to say about the the destiny of Group A, albeit in the continued absence of Craig Bellamy and Alan Shearer.

The stakes are highest for United, whose run to the semi-final a year ago was worth a cool £25.7m. In this the last season before the format of the competition is changed – much to the fury of the bigger clubs – with knock-out football replacing the second group phase, the final will be played on their own ground, offering a formidable advantage as well as even more lucre if they go all the way.

They should have done last season, but somehow allowed Bayer Leverkusen to recover from a 2-0 deficit at Old Trafford with half an hour of the semi-final first leg to play. Even then, Roy Keane struck first in the return leg, before Oliver Neuville's goal right on half-time restored German belief.

After missing all the European games last autumn, Keane is now back, which should set Juventus worrying. They can hardly have forgotten how he produced one of the great individual performances three years ago, inspiring his side to a 3-2 semi-final victory in Turin after United had trailed 2-0 after 11 minutes.

Juve, who are still mourning the death of their father-figure, Gianni Agnelli, are keeping pace with the two Milan clubs at the head of Serie A and have abundant talent; United ought to be capable of matching them over the two forthcoming matches, and are still capable of taking the runners-up position even if they do not.

Arsenal, having already dropped two home points in a goalless draw against Valencia's 10 men, have slightly less leeway. Arsène Wenger's main concern will be how much yesterday's FA Cup tie with United has taken out of his players; it is as well that no further travelling is required, Tuesday's game against Ajax taking place at Highbury.

The Dutch club, as ever, have a crop of fine youngsters, especially Rafael van der Vaart, and have lost only once in domestic competition this season. "They had an amazing win at Lyon during the first phase and got a good draw in Valencia in the second," Wenger said. "Van der Vaart is a little bit of a Bergkamp type with great skill and finishing. But if we do well in the two games against Ajax, we'll go through."

It is highly unusual for a team at this stage of the competition to be facing two clubs involved in a domestic relegation struggle. Newcastle have that benefit in taking on Leverkusen twice and, in their final match, Barcelona, both of whom are having a dreadful time; which makes it all the more disappointing that Sir Bobby Robson's side could not take a point from their opening matches before Christmas and that their two senior strikers, Shearer and Bellamy, are both still suspended this week.

Robson, whose 70th birthday will be celebrated in Leverkusen on Tuesday, insists with some justification that Newcastle have "gone up two grades" this season. But if they are closing on the English élite, there is still some catching up to do in Europe. Being taken apart 4-1 at home by Internazionale and then going down 3-1, albeit bravely, to Barça illustrates that.

Although victory was the Catalan club's 10th in succession in the competition, equalling Milan's record set 10 years ago – they have been in disarray ever since, finally yielding to the white handkerchiefs a fortnight ago and sacking the unloved coach Louis van Gaal.

They cannot expect, on current form, to take much from two games with Inter, so a double-header with Bayer offers Newcastle an opportunity to force their way back into contention.

Klaus Toppmoller's side peaked in reaching last season's final and have been sinking fast in the Bundesliga. Missing the injured Jens Nowotny in defence, they have found no adequate replacements for the summer departures, Michael Ballack and Ze Roberto, and now lack a goalscorer too. The Geordies, having been kept at bay in the Premiership by Arsenal in last Sunday's thunderous collision at St James', can give the Champions' League their best shot, while still having every expectation of achieving a high enough League position to qualify again.

Unfortunately, indiscipline continues to cost them dearly; Bellamy, sent off after only six minutes at home to Inter, misses both matches against the Germans and Shearer still has one match to sit out after being caught elbowing Fabio Cannavaro.

The only group not to include an English club has produced the single most startling aspect of the second phase to date: the failure of Real Madrid, with a front four of Luis Figo, Raul, Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo, to harvest more than a point from their matches away to Milan and at home to the lightly regarded Lokomotiv Moscow. It would be foolish, however, to dismiss the holders' prospects. The period since the competition paused for deep midwinter has been their best of the season, a run of straight victories in La Liga having begun to exert pressure on the surprise domestic leaders Real Sociedad.

Four points from Borussia Dortmund over the next fortnight and the all-whites should be back in second place behind Milan and nicely poised to join them in the quarter-final.