The teams are out on the pitch. Kick-off approaching...

Chris Paterson
Former Scotland international on Rugby Sportsound

Tom English
BBC Scotland's chief sports writer

While Glasgow have a dismal European record away to English sides, winning only once, they just have the edge overall, with 11 wins and seven defeats overall, including one over today's visitors back in the 2002-03 Heineken Cup.

Since then, Warriors' record has improved somewhat and, their most recent 10 home games against English opponents, they have won eight of them, losing twice, including last season against Saracens.

Although Sale beat Scarlets as recent as February in the Anglo Welsh Cup, they have never beaten a team from Scotland, Ireland or Wales away from home in European competition.

Seven of those were in the Champions Cup and three in the Challenge Cup.

They did beat Italian side Calvisano 27-50 away back in the 2006-07 season.

Having been omitted from Scotland's World Cup squad, Byron McGuigan will have a point to prove against Glasgow.

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Dave Rennie has a big decision to make, with Australia and his New Zealand homeland both interested in his services, but the Glasgow head coach is itching for success in what is likely to be his last season of Champions Cup for a while.

"We take a bit of confidence from the last couple of games, but the quality of the opposition is much better today," he tells BBC Radio Scotland.

"Obviously Sale are doing well in the Premiership, as are Exeter, while La Rochelle are a good team, so it is vital we get off to a good start.

"Sale have a got a lot of African beef up front and we are going to have to play well, but we've prepared well."

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Sale can call on European rugby's all-time top try scorer, Chris Ashton, with the wing among the replacements.

United States fly-half AJ MacGinty starts for the first time since playing at the World Cup.

Rob Webber and Jake Cooper-Woolley are reinstated to the front row and lock James Phillips starts in place of the injured Josh Beaumont.

Winger Byron McGuigan, omitted from Scotland's World Cup squad, takes on his former club and Cameron Redpath, son of former Scotland captain, Bryan, is at outside centre.

World Cup-winner Faf de Klerk is among the players Sale must do without, along with Tom Curry, Mark Wilson and Lood de Jager.

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Nick Grigg returns to the Glasgow line-up at outside centre, while scrum-half Ali Price is back from the foot injury that cut short his World Cup and makes his first appearance of the season on the home bench.

Australian winger Ratu Tagive is given a first European start.

Flankers Callum Gibbins and Ryan Wilson start together for the first time this season, while Rob Harley adds further experience as he returns to partner Scott Cummings in the second row.

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Could Scarlets prove to be a red flag for Glasgow today?

Glasgow recorded a handsome 31-7 Pro14 win over Zebre in Italy last time out to take their scoring rate to 81 in two consecutive wins. They have also won twice at home since their last defeat at Scotstoun.

That came last month against Scarlets - the side who Sale beat 45-18 in Wales in the Anglo Welsh Cup in February.

However, that was last season and Sale lost their most recent away game, 16-10 to Bristol.

Like Glasgow, though, they come into this game on the back of a good win - 28-18 over Wasps in England's Premiership. Also like their hosts, they sit fourth in their respective league.

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Glasgow Warriors:Seymour; Tagive, Grigg, Johnson, Van der Merwe; Hastings, G Horne; Kebble, Brown, Z Fagerson, Harley, Cummings, Wilson, Gibbins, M Fagerson.

Replacements: Turner, Allan, Rae, Swinson, Fusaro, Price, P Horne, Steyn.

Sale Sharks:Hammersley; Yarde, Redpath, James, McGuigan; MacGinty, Papier; Harrison, Webber, Cooper-Woolley, Evans, Phillips, J Du Preez, Curry, D Du Preez.

Replacements: Van der Merwe, Morozov, Oosthuizen, Postlethwaite, Ross, Cliff, R Du Preez, Ashton.

Radio coverage has already begun on BBC Radio Scotland 810MW, Radio Nan Gaidheal and 5 Live Sports Extra.

Pundits include former Scotland internationals Chris Paterson and Rory Lawson, with commentary from Stuart McFarlane.

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The long road to Marseille begins today for Glasgow Warriors and Sale as two sides with patchy form dream of a place at the European Champions Cup final on 23 May.

Both would have to surpass all previous achievements in the competition to do reach that stage, with Sale having qualified for the quarter-finals once in 2005-06, while last season's last-eight appearance was Glasgow's second.

Neither have gone further. However, with their international players returning from World Cup duty, both begin their Pool 2 campaign with high hopes once more.

Stay with us for live commentary on BBC Radio Scotland and here on the website.

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