Telegraph:
Manchester United are facing up to the realisation that, for the second season in a row, their lack of concentration in the Champions League could have a huge impact not just on their sporting future but on their financial health, too.
United's 1-0 defeat at Celtic on Tuesday, in which Louis Saha missed a last-minute penalty, has left them needing a point from their final group game against Benfica on Dec 6 to reach the last 16.
It is a situation eerily similar to last season when Sir Alex Ferguson's side lost 2-1 in Lisbon to finish bottom of their group and miss out on the knockout stages in Europe for the first time in their history.
That performance, lambasted by Ferguson, cost the club an estimated £15 million in revenue but a similar scenario this season could be even more financially damaging if figures from Mastercard, the tournament sponsors, are to be believed.
Their research suggests the winners of this season's Champions League could earn a £68 million windfall in addition to the prize money on offer.
The figure, calculated by 12 leading football and business experts, is largely due to increased sponsorship, extra television revenues, higher attendances and inflated player values following the final in Athens on May 23.
That figure does not include the £25-£30 million the European champions will earn in prize money or gate receipts from matches during their run to the final, bringing the overall total to in excess of £100 million.