The Champions League is back. Thank goodness. Arguably the highest level of football in the world, this glorious competition has given Tuesdays and Wednesdays purpose since 1992. The loyalty and integrity of our guest writers from Wally (a Fulham, a Reading and a Crystal Palace fan) mean that none of us have a vested interest in the competition, other than the joy of watching the world’s best doing what they do best. The beautiful game being played on the biggest stage – and of course the spine-tingling opening song. Who ever said that football fans weren’t cultured, classical music lovers?
SportsBreak give their thoughts, opinions, and predictions on the Group Stages of the competition. Here are Groups A through D. Click here for Part One: Groups E through H.
Group A
Teams: Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Olympiakos, Malmo
We has been waiting for a few years now for Juventus to reclaim its spot amongst Europe’s elite. Whilst they disappointed in Europe under fiery Antonio Conte, this year might be the right time under Massimo Allegri, who’s got experience in the Champions League. The Bianconeri seemingly have all the ingredients: a strong, experienced defence with Buffon behind Chiellini, Bonucci and the ageing Evra. A physical and creative midfield with Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba, and goalscoring threat in Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente. Add to that their considerable depth and they should be considered as contenders.
AP Photo
Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, had a cinderella season last year, and run the risk of ‘struggling’ this time round. We put this in quotation marks because the Colchoneros have done great business despite the departures of Diego Costa and Filipe Luis. Mainstays like Diego Godin and Tiago are still there, whilst the superb Koke will continue to show why he’s Xavi’s successor. Look out for the dynamic duo of Griezmann and Mandzukic up front, with the young Frenchman primed for his great breakthrough. Their main advantage? Retaining the passionate Diego Simeone as manager. He defines the club.
The Europa League spot will be between constant underwhelmers Olympiacos and Malmo. Like any Greek side in the Champions League, Olympiacos have the classic mix of old and youngish outcasts (Eric Abidal, Ibrahim Afellay, Pajtim Kasami) and useless Greeks (£11m Fulham flop Mitroglu). They’ll be as uninteresting as ever with their usual inferiority complex, but you expect boisterous crowds. Malmo, on the other hand, play attractive football with very few foreign players. They’ll be absolute lightweights at this level but should win a few fans. They’ll certainly be hoping that ex-Werder Bremen striker Markus Rosenberg can provide a few goals. We’re expecting and hoping that the likeable Swedes will upend the Greeks and finish third.
Predictions: 1. Juventus, 2. Atletico Madrid, 3. Malmo FF, 4. Olympiacos
Future star: Kingsley Coman (Juventus). The young France U-21 striker seems ready to follow the same path tread by compatriot Paul Pogba. Disillusioned with playing in the PSG Reserves, and determined to play, Coman left this summer for Juventus. He was inserted into the starting line-up for the first game of the season and was awarded the Man of the Match award. Lively, quick, and not afraid to try his chance, Coman looks like a bright spark and, more importantly, seems to have won over Allegri. Look out!
AP Photo/Felice Calabro
Teams: Liverpool, Real Madrid, Ludogorets Razgrad, FC Basel
Most people will read this group list like us: two European legends, a Swiss team, and who? We expect most football fans to know that Real are the most successful European team ever, with ten European Cup wins since it’s inception in 1955, and that Liverpool are the most successful English team, with five wins in total. However, all will be entirely forgiven for knowing far less, if anything, about the Bulgarian champions from Razgrad. In fact, this team is just 13 years old, veritable toddlers compared to the 122 year old Liverpool Football Club. This is not a team to be scoffed at though. Okay, so they are not likely to finish anywhere above fourth place in this group, but in their own league they are near-on unbeatable and have won the league (and often the Bulgarian cup too) in the last four seasons. They are only the second Bulgarian team ever to reach the Champions League group stages, after Levski Sofia.
But of course, the real excitement this year will more than likely be provided by BBC and (the new) SAS – and probably a bit of ol’ Mario too. Real are the favorites among most of the bookies this year, and for good reason. With an attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Ronaldo, supplied by James Rodriguez, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, not only would you expect a lot of chances but you’d be surprised if a large majority of those chances weren’t finished with little effort. Truly an embarrassment of riches.
Suarez has left. Liverpool fans were kind of sad, briefly, but they got over it, all thanks to Rickie Lambert. Wait, nevermind that. The new Liverpool hero is (and we are going to avoid the temptation to name Balotelli here, because there is definitely a whole lot of trepidation over this transfer) – Raheem Sterling. The young man is an extremely exciting talent, and this is not just the usual English hype. We’ve been very impressed with Sterling. Yes, he is still very young, but it will be intriguing to see him in action on the European stage this year, even if it might be a bit early for him to shine week in-week out. Now, back to Ballo. The supposedly uncontrollable firework of a man has entered a well disciplined and rigid structure under the guidance of a no-nonsense Rodgers. Time will tell if Brendan can get the best out of him or whether he will rock the steady ship.
AP Photo/Bogdan Maran
Our last country to visit on this tour is Switzerland, and we are headed to the northern most edges. FC Basel and their beast of a journeyman striker, Marco Streller, won the Swiss Super League for the fifth time in five years and seventh time in the last ten. This incredible dominance is unlikely, of course, to be transferred into the Champions League. But there is certainly an expectation in Basel. Their greatest achievement in this competition was the quarter finals in 1973-1974 – if you think it foolish for their fans to expect to watch their club reach the latter stages then just for a moment consider the England football team and fans.
Predictions: 1. Real Madrid 2. Liverpool 3. Basel 4. Ludogorets
Future Star: Jesé Rodríguez Ruiz, or simply Jesé, is a Real Madrid youth product who, unlike any English ‘talent’, has spent his fair share of time learning the ropes, scoring 32 goals in 80 games for Real Madrid B and playing at every Spanish international youth level from U16 to U21. Still only 21-years old and already pushing Benzema for a starting spot (before his extremely unfortunate injury lay off), this young man has the potential to become the number one forward for both club and country with the right amount of good fortune and opportunity. Jesé’s fantastic first touch and dribbling ability (Guilleme Balague said he has ‘better close control than Ronaldo’, which is quite a recommendation) lead Ancellotti to play him on the wing last season but with his immense technical ability, Jesé could go on to play in this position or either of the forward positions with ease.
AP Photo/Paul White
Teams: Benfica, Zenit, Leverkusen, Monaco
This is as open a group as there is in the Champions League, with each team having decent pedigree at European level. Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen each reached a final in the early 2000′s, whilst Benfica have been notably unlucky recently, as evidenced by their two consecutive defeats in the final of the Europa League. Zenit St Petersburg, meanwhile, won the 2008 UEFA Cup, defeating Rangers with Andrey Arshavin running the show. Whilst not exactly powerhouses of European football, these clubs are nevertheless typically tricky opponents, and each will be quietly confident of making it through to the knockout stage.
Benfica, however, have to be considered as slight favourites. The core of their team hasn’t changed much over the last few years, with the consistent Luisao and Maxi Pereira still at the club. Their attacking talent still interests a few of the bigger clubs. Nico Gaitan has long received admiring glances from the likes of Manchester United, while Eduardo Salvio has been a consistently silky performer. There have also been great hopes in Portugal for striker Nelson Oliveira who, despite a less than prolific record at Zaragoza and Rennes over the last two seasons (both on loan), is still a Portugal international and (hopefully) seen as the answer to the country’s constant lack of decent goalscorers. Experience and talent make Benfica slight favourites to top the group.
AP Photo/Francisco Seco
But who will come second? Our view is that Bayer Leverkusen are the best equipped. Despite being perennial Champions League participants, the Germans have adopted an inefriority complex similar to that of Greek teams in the Champions League. It’s a shame, for we all remember that glorious run they went on, led by Lucio, Michael Ballack, Bernd Schneider and, of course, Carsten Ramelow. Who can forget Carsten Ramelow? Anyway, Bayer have consistency with a well-established squad, and some good midfield and attacking talent, with classy captain Simon Rolfes and Lars Bender patrolling the middle of the park while Stefan Kiessling is a recognised goalscorer in the Bundesliga, with 114 goals in 253 games for Leverkusen. Add to that the talented Son Heung-Min as a partner up front, and you’ve got a solid team. They might not have the most flair nor the most recognizable players, but Leverkusen will mean business and will, for once, fancy their chances.
Third should be Monaco. Whilst their individual talent is perhaps more impressive than Leverkusen’s, the change of manager and morose ambiance at the tiny (and pathetic) Stade Louis-II might make it difficult for the Monegasques to go through. They would have been a much more impressive proposition more than two months ago, before the transfer window, when they boasted attacking talent of the likes of James Rodriguez and Falcao. Now? They’re a team of inexperienced players surrounded by very few leaders. Their midfield is where their strength lies, with the combination of Joao Moutinho and Jeremy Toulalan effectively combining skill with effort (respectively). But their defense is brittle and their attack extremely inexperienced. The likes of Lucas Ocampos, Anthony Martial, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, and Valere Germain are all exciting talents – albeit not prolific – but the Champions League might be a step too far.
Zenit, on the other hand, are a bit of a wild card; a glorious mishmash of European talent and Russian laughing-stocks. Actually, there are a few laughing-stocks, not just Russian. But there is talent: Axel Witsel, Domenico Criscito, Danny and Ezequiel Garay (signed from Benfica) are all recognized performers at this level. But there’s also a lot of dead wood in Andrey Arshavin, Aleksandr Kerzhakov, Javi Garcia, and Hulk, with the latter clearly uninterested in being in Russia apart from the big pay check. You saw him perform at the World Cup. Zenit’s manager is ex-Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas, but we don’t know where he fits on that ‘talent-laughing-stock’ scale. Look out for Anyukov at right-back, an energetic and delightful attacking talent when he’s on song (Alex Song?)
Fun Facts: 1. Benfica actually signed Bebe this summer. Bebe is, as you must remember, one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s worst ever signings for Manchester United. From the Homeless World Cup to Manchester’s finest (at the time), without Ferguson ever having seen him play, and for £7.4m. We’ll see how he goes…
2. Zenit signed Bart Simpson to become their official mascot. Bart Simpson! For Zenit! That’s when you truly realize how much that show has declined.
Predictions: 1. Benfica, 2. Bayer Leverkusen, 3. AS Monaco, 4. Zenit
Future Star: Son Heung-Min (Leverkusen)- The 22-year-old South Korean is one of the highest-rated Asian players around, and it’s easy to see why. His 105 games and 30 goals in the Bundesliga so far, including 22 over the last two seasons, show him to be a talented young striker. Blessed with decent height at 6’0″ and good pace, Son is comfortable with both feet and benefits from having a good target man in Kiessling. He’ll be a real livewire.
AP Photo/Frank Augstein
Teams: Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Galatasaray, Anderlecht
He’s only gone and done it again! That man Arsene Wenger has Arsenal into the Champions League Group Stage for the umpteenth (17th) time in succession. Gooners everywhere who pride themselves on this, although having never seen their team win the competition, are delighted/relieved. Despite finishing 4th in the league last year and only making the group stages by the skin of their teeth, after a far from convincing 1-0 home victory against a resolute Besiktas side, Arsenal somehow found themselves in pot 1 of the draw. Quelle chance!
Man Utd benchwarmer Danny Welbeck will take part in Arsenal’s Champions League campaign whilst his former teammates challenge for the FA Cup, some sense of pride, and very little else this year. A big chance for the young man, who we think will fit well into Arsenal’s pacey, fluid style of play and will undoubtedly start given Olivier Giroud’s reportedly lengthy absence, Joel Campbell’s inexperience, and Yaya Sanogo’s generally malcoordinated approach to football. Wenger’s persistent snubbing of Lukas Podolski means that messieurs Ramsey and Sanchez will be expected to step up as well. The same will be asked of Jack Wilshere; he has never achieved the potential that so many considered him to have and Arsenal’s fragility in midfield may well be their downfall. Neither he nor Mathieu Flamini are afraid to get stuck in, and they will need to so to avoid being overrun.
AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Mathieu Debuchy – with support from new wonderboy Calum Chambers – form a strong back line, but Nacho Monreal has never been convincing and may well be targeted as a weak spot by oppositions. Perhaps Kieran Gibbs will get the nod ahead of his fellow left-back.
Second out of the hat in Group D were Borussia Dortmund – Champions League winners in ’96/’97 and runners up to Bayern Munich two years ago – the club to whom they lost star striker, Robert Lewandowski. They managed to repel interest over the summer from Manchester United (and others) for World Cup winners Mats Hummels and Marco Reus, who remain in Dortmund…for the time being. After an unsuccessful and unfulfilled two years at Old Trafford, Shinji Kagawa has returned for a second spell with the German side where he made his name and will surely thrive in the familiar surroundings; under the guidance of the passionate, dynamic Jurgen Klopp. Dortmund will definitely be a force to be reckoned with, especially if they are able to retain the services of key players past the January transfer window. The ankle injury sustained by Marco Reus in Germany’s 2-1 Euro qualifying victory over Scotland will be a real concern for his domestic club.
Galatasaray were the only one of the three Istanbul-based teams to make the group stages this year after Besiktas and Fenerbahçe fell short in qualifying. New boss Cesare Prandelli certainly has a point to prove. Wanting to banish the memory of a calamitous World Cup group stage with the Italian team, he will need to impress in order to restore some professional pride. Despite rumours of a move back to the Premier League along with veteran striker Didier Drogba, Wesley Sneijder remains in Turkey. Prandelli will need to extract the very best from his new group of players if they are to stand any chance of progressing past the group stage but we think it unlikely.
Anderlecht are certainly the minnows of this group and, having lost the influential Lucas Biglia over the summer, they will struggle to progress to the next round.
Predictions: 1. Dortmund, 2. Arsenal, 3. Galatasaray, 4. Anderlecht
Future Star: Ciro Immobile (Borussia Dortmund) – The 24 year-old Italian striker scored his first goal for his country in a 2-0 friendly victory against Spain this week and has big boots to fill when it comes to his domestic side. Brought in to replace talisman Lewandowski, he does have everything you want from a number 9 – quick, clinical, strong, extremely skillful. He is going to be a real handful for opposition defenses, but exciting to watch for the rest of us!
AP Photo/Sascha Schuermann
Did you miss Part One of our Champions League Preview? Check it out here.
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Baptiste Reynaud, Kyle Durman, and Matt James are guest writers for Sportsbreak – find more at www.wallywithabrolly.wordpress.com