The closest Leicester got to a European trip in recent years was crossing the Welsh border to play Swansea in the Premier League.Now, as the unlikely English champions, theyll be visiting Belgium, Portugal and Denmark -- and if all goes well, even more countries -- for matches in their first-ever campaign in the Champions League.Leicester is one of two newcomers in Europes elite club competition this season, along with Rostov following its second-place finish in the Russian league.Both teams were fighting relegation in their respective domestic leagues just two seasons ago, yet now they are mixing it with the cream of the continent.---LEICESTERIn its 132-year history, Leicester has only had four seasons of European competition -- the last coming in 2000 in the now-defunct UEFA Cup after winning the English League Cup. That was Leicesters last piece of major silverware before shocking the sporting world by winning the Premier League last season.The intervening 16-year period was a bumpy ride for the central English club, which bobbed up and down between Englands top two divisions -- and even spent a season in the third tier in 2008-09 -- and also drifted close to financial ruin before being taken over by a Thai consortium in 2010.The team, known as the Foxes, returned to the Premier League in 2014 and two years later they are the champions, completing the ultimate fairytale journey.Theres been something of a championship-winning hangover at Leicester, though, and the Champions League campaign, which starts at Club Brugge on Wednesday, will offer some respite after a sobering start to the Premier League title defense.Having lost just three league games last season, Claudio Ranieris team has lost two of its opening four matches this season and the manner of the defeats will be a concern.An opening-day 2-1 loss at promoted Hull and Saturdays 4-1 loss at Liverpool highlighted how much the team is missing NGolo Kante, the France midfielder sold to Chelsea in the offseason. Often it felt like Kante covered the ground of two players last season, offering excellent protection to a defense containing journeymen and even cast-offs.With Kante gone, Leicesters solidity has disappeared and the side looks open. Liverpool could easily have scored more than four goals at Anfield.We have to clear our minds, Ranieri said, and understand that in football we have to be strong, determined, aggressive and reactive.Its not all doom and gloom for Leicester, however.The club ended up being one of English footballs biggest spenders in the summer transfer window, breaking its transfer record twice to sign strikers Ahmed Musa, then Islam Slimani. The squad is now much deeper and stronger, while Ranieri managed to limit the major outgoings to just Kante, meaning key players Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez are still on board.In a sense, the pressure is off Leicester this season and it should just enjoy the Champions League campaign, especially considering its benign draw that will see the team also play FC Copenhagen and FC Porto. A couple of wins at its King Power stadium fortress and a place in the knockout stage could beckon.Once again, I say we are underdogs, said Ranieri, who is embarking on a sixth Champions League campaign with a sixth different club.And thats just how they like it in Leicester.---ROSTOVRostov almost did a Leicester last season in Russia, falling just short in its title challenge a year after narrowly escaping relegation.Rostov finished second, two points behind CSKA Moscow, to reach the third qualifying round of the Champions League and then beat famous European clubs Anderlecht and Ajax to make the group stage.The unheralded provincial side is breaking new ground, with its only previous experience of European competition being a brief one -- a loss in the Europa League playoffs in 2014. On that occasion, Rostov was excluded, then reinstated, from competition following a legal battle over financial issues, one of many episodes in a turbulent last few years.It was close to financial abyss in 2015 as the countrys recession hit Rostovs owners, the regional government.One coach, Igor Gamula, was suspended after saying the club had enough dark-skinned players and would not sign another. Then his successor, Kurban Berdyev, led Rostov on its unlikely title challenge only to quit for a better-paid job at Spartak Moscow.Spartak promptly changed its mind on hiring Berdyev and he is back at Rostov, listed as a vice-president/coach. One of his former assistants is the head coach, on paper at least, but Berdyev is likely to call the shots when it comes to Champions League tactics. He has experience of upsetting European giants, having beaten Barcelona away while Rubin Kazan coach.Meanwhile, a section of Rostovs Olimp 2 Stadium will be closed for its first home game in the Champions League because of racist behavior by fans during the playoff win over Ajax.The draw hasnt been kind to Rostov, which will face Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and PSV Eindhoven in Group D. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping . For the Wild it was their first win of the season and they now have a record of 1-1-2 while the Jets fall to 2-2. Jets start a six game home stand Friday with another divisional game, home to the Dallas Stars. http://www.cheapjerseysnikenfl.com/ . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic . It just didnt show when he hit the ice. Berra made 42 saves and Kris Russell scored at 1:32 of overtime, lifting the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. Cheap Jerseys China . PAUL, Minn. NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton lost his way for a while. He never lost his prodigious power, though.Miamis muscular slugger homered twice to match a career high with five RBI and made a crucial play on defense, sending Wei-Yin Chen and the Marlins to a 5-2 victory that snapped the New York Mets five-game winning streak Tuesday night.Im coming back, said a smiling Stanton, who had three hits to raise his batting average to .226. Its a long road from here. Thats why you dont worry about where youre at on the season stats. Just keep plugging away.Chen (5-3) tossed seven innings of three-hit ball, spoiling Jose Reyes return to the Mets in his first major league game since a 59-day domestic violence suspension.Back with his original team, the speedy switch-hitter received a warm welcome from the Citi Field crowd of 29,477 but went 0 for 4 with a strikeout in his first big league appearance this season. Batting leadoff after getting called up from the minors, Reyes quickly doffed his helmet to cheering fans when he stepped to the plate in the first inning. Some were standing and applauding.They showed me a lot of love and I respect that and I just tipped my hat as appreciation, he said. I didnt know what to expect when I came here today and to see the crowd reaction like that, that was good.The four-time All-Star shortstop also played a new position, third base, but the ball was never hit his way.All-Star starter Yoenis Cespedes and pinch-hitter Alejandro De Aza homered for New York.Mets starter Steven Matz (7-4) sailed into the seventh with a 1-0 lead before first-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna hit a leadoff single. Stanton then lined a 1-2 changeup over the left-center fence to put Miami ahead.The Mets put two runners on in the bottom half, but Stanton prevented them from tying the game when he charged in to make a sliding catch of Juan Lagares two-out liner to right field.Christian Yelich was hit by a pitch with two outs in the eighth and Ozuna singled again before Stanton sent a 3-1 fastball from Erik Goeddel into the second deck in left-center for his 17th home run, making it 5-1.Hes the most powerful guy in the league, Mets manager Terry Collins said.It was the sluggers 17th career multihomer game and first since June 9, 2015, at Toronto. Four of those multihomer games have come against the Mets, his most vs. any opponent.You feel like hes going to be there, Miami manager Don Mattingly said. If he gets hot at all, its going to be a big boost for us.After slumping through muuch of a subpar first half, Stanton has started to break out with five homers, 16 RBI and a .dddddddddddd.324 batting average over his past 17 games.He hit .118 with two homers and five RBI in his previous 29 games from May 7 to June 15.Thats what Ive been working to get to for a long time now. Just happy that the work finally showed on the field, Stanton said. Ive just been in there doing it over and over again with no results.Cespedes homered in the fourth, his first at-bat after the Mets put his picture on the big video board to inform fans the slugger had been elected to the National League squad. Cespedes tossed his bat aside after connecting on a drive that clanked off the facing of the second deck in left field.I know that Stanton can hit further than me, Cespedes said through a translator.One night after the Marlins squandered a six-run lead in an 8-6 loss to the Mets, Chen struck out five and walked one before giving way to a pair of All-Star relievers. Fernando Rodney gave up De Azas first career pinch-hit homer, but A.J. Ramos worked a hitless ninth for his 25th save in 26 chances.New York had won seven straight at home.YES AND NOThough hes not on the All-Star team, a grinning Stanton said he would participate in the Home Run Derby next Monday in San Diego if asked. Unfortunately, I missed two Home Run Derbies that I was supposed to be in. Ive got some catching up to do, he said. Tell `em to ask. Cespedes, who won the contest in 2013 and 2014, said hed rather not take part this time.POWER PLAYStanton has six home runs in his last 11 contests at Citi Field. He has 24 career homers against the Mets, fourth-most among active players, and six of his last nine hits vs. New York have been home runs.FISH FRYMatz fell to 0-3 in his last seven starts after winning seven straight. He is 5-2 in 10 career outings at Citi Field, with both losses coming against the Marlins this year.TRAINERS ROOMMarlins: 1B Justin Bour went back to Miami for an MRI on his sprained right ankle.Mets: RHP Jim Henderson (right biceps tendinitis) was tagged for four runs and four hits in one inning of a rehab appearance with Double-A Binghamton against Hartford.UP NEXTMarlins LHP Justin Nicolino (2-4, 5.34 ERA) starts the series finale Wednesday afternoon against RHP Jacob deGrom (4-4, 2.62), who halted a 10-start winless streak last Friday against the Chicago Cubs. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '