The UEFA Champions League returns this week, as Real Madrid aim to become the first team to retain the title in the Champions League era, and the first in the competition as a whole since AC Milan in 1990. Carlo Ancelotti's men will face competition from the usual suspects in the shape of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, PSG, and in the group stage they will face another potential contender in Liverpool, back in the competition for the first time in five years.
As well as the elite, there are teams simply happy to take their place in the tournament. Malmo are in the group stage for the first time, as they dream of emulating their 1979 side, who reached the European Cup final before losing to Nottingham Forest. The Bulgarian champions Ludogorets didn't even exist then, and their fairytale rise to Europe's top table was completed by a sensational play-off victory over Steaua Bucharest, where defender Cosmin Moti became their penalty-saving hero. Progression to the knockout stage from either club would represent a huge shock, but their participation can only be a good thing to appease those who believe the Champions League is a closed shop for anyone but the very biggest clubs.
Here is Behind The Goal's predictions of how the groups will finish. Admittedly, some are easier than others to predict, but while first place in the group is so important, no games can be taken lightly.
Group A:
1. Atletico Madrid
2. Juventus
3. Olympiakos
4. Malmo
Group B:
1. Real Madrid
2. Liverpool
3. FC Basel
4. Ludogorets
Group C:
1. Benfica
2. Bayer Leverkusen
3. Zenit St Petersburg
4. Monaco
Group D:
1. Arsenal
2. Borussia Dortmund
3. Galatasaray
4. Anderlecht
Group E:
1. Bayern Munich
2. Manchester City
3. AS Roma
4. CSKA Moscow
Group F:
1. Barcelona
2. Paris Saint-Germain
3. Ajax
4. Apoel Nicosia
Group G:
1. Chelsea
2. Schalke 04
3. Sporting
4. Maribor
Group H:
1. FC Porto
2. Athletic Bilbao
3. Shakhtar Donetsk
4. BATE Borisov
English clubs:
I expect all four Premier League teams to reach the round of 16 at the very least, although that could be where Liverpool and Manchester City find out the hard way just how important winning the group is. Facing a group winner in the first knockout round may be a step too far for Liverpool, whereas City may need a lucky draw. Arsenal are well placed to reach the quarter finals, but probably no further.
The last English team left will in my opinion be Chelsea. The semi finals is the very least I expect them to reach, maybe even further. Jose Mourinho's squad is twice that of Roberto Di Matteo's which won the European Cup in 2012, but as that season proved, anything can happen in cup football.
Dark horses:
This is surely the year that Juventus pose a bigger threat in the competition. Massimiliano Allegri's Serie A champions have flattered to decieve in Europe of late. Their group could have been a lot worse, and with perhaps a bit of luck in the draw, the bianconeri could reach the later stages. If - and it's a big if - Roma can get out of their group, maybe they could progress to the last eight, but in Manchester City and Bayern, their first hurdle couldn't have been more difficult.
Winners:
Last season I told friends I thought Real Madrid would win the title, and they did. This year I will tell all of you the same. My prediction is for Carlo Ancelotti's side to make Champions League history and retain the European Cup in Berlin in June.
Showing posts with label Real Madrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Madrid. Show all posts
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
RIP Tiki Taka
- R.I.P.
- N.B.—The body will be cremated and the
- ashes taken to Madrid.
Thursday, 24 April 2014
TWIF 2.06: Champions elect; Champions League; Championship
This Week In Football, it's all about the champions. There was another story too, but you're probably sick of reading about that already!
Chelsea right to rest the starters
Chelsea's shock Barclays Premier League defeat to Sunderland this past Saturday night has virtually handed the championship on a plate to Liverpool ahead of the teams' clash at Anfield on Sunday. The game, which could have been a title decider, comes three days before Chelsea's Champions League semi final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Jose Mourinho's threat to rest his starters for the Liverpool game has been met with some criticism, but in my opinion, he would be stupid not to keep what is left of his first team fit for Europe. Even if the Blues do beat Brendan Rodgers' champions-elect at the weekend, Liverpool have to drop points somewhere else not to win the title, and Mourinho knows it. It's a shame that Chelsea feel they can't win the trophy, and that the closest title race for years has become a slight anti-climax, but what would be a bigger shame is for their Champions League challenge to fizzle out so close to the final in Lisbon having chased a prize they are unlikely to win anyway.
Champions League round up
Mourinho has always faced criticism for his defensive approaches to big games, but is he bothered? Not a bit. Should he be? If Chelsea win on Wednesday, he'll just show you the way to the final. The goalless draw at the Vicente Calderon arguably puts the Blues in the ascendancy, but they will be desperate not to concede an away goal which would leave them needing to score two. Atletico Madrid are more than capable of scoring of course, but I do think Chelsea have enough to go through even if they fail to keep a clean sheet.
Bayern Munich's grip on the European Cup has slipped somewhat following their 1-0 defeat against Real Madrid, but Pep Guardiola will be very thankful that his charges only conceded the one goal. Despite dominating possession, they didn't do enough with the ball and failed to create enough clear-cut chances, and those they did have were wasted. Carlo Ancelotti's game plan would have been to exploit Bayern down their right hand side on the counter attack, and that is exactly how the goal from Karim Benzema came about. It wasn't until the arrival in the second half of Javi Martinez, with Philipp Lahm moving to right back, that Bayern were able to cope with Real without the ball. Despite the off-day, Bayern will still fancy their chances of going through, but if they allow Fabio Coentrao and Cristiano Ronaldo the sort of space they had at the Bernabeu, they will do well to keep another clean sheet. It's great though that we have absolutley no idea what the final will be though even now.
Champions!
Congratulations to Leicester City, who finally secured the Sky Bet Championship title this week. They have been the best team in the division by a long way, and it goes to show what can happen if a board remain patient with a manager and a young team. They have swept all before them and will deserve the milestone of 100 points should they reach it in their last two games. They couldn't beat Forest though, could they? :)
Chelsea right to rest the starters
Chelsea's shock Barclays Premier League defeat to Sunderland this past Saturday night has virtually handed the championship on a plate to Liverpool ahead of the teams' clash at Anfield on Sunday. The game, which could have been a title decider, comes three days before Chelsea's Champions League semi final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Jose Mourinho's threat to rest his starters for the Liverpool game has been met with some criticism, but in my opinion, he would be stupid not to keep what is left of his first team fit for Europe. Even if the Blues do beat Brendan Rodgers' champions-elect at the weekend, Liverpool have to drop points somewhere else not to win the title, and Mourinho knows it. It's a shame that Chelsea feel they can't win the trophy, and that the closest title race for years has become a slight anti-climax, but what would be a bigger shame is for their Champions League challenge to fizzle out so close to the final in Lisbon having chased a prize they are unlikely to win anyway.
Champions League round up
Mourinho has always faced criticism for his defensive approaches to big games, but is he bothered? Not a bit. Should he be? If Chelsea win on Wednesday, he'll just show you the way to the final. The goalless draw at the Vicente Calderon arguably puts the Blues in the ascendancy, but they will be desperate not to concede an away goal which would leave them needing to score two. Atletico Madrid are more than capable of scoring of course, but I do think Chelsea have enough to go through even if they fail to keep a clean sheet.
Bayern Munich's grip on the European Cup has slipped somewhat following their 1-0 defeat against Real Madrid, but Pep Guardiola will be very thankful that his charges only conceded the one goal. Despite dominating possession, they didn't do enough with the ball and failed to create enough clear-cut chances, and those they did have were wasted. Carlo Ancelotti's game plan would have been to exploit Bayern down their right hand side on the counter attack, and that is exactly how the goal from Karim Benzema came about. It wasn't until the arrival in the second half of Javi Martinez, with Philipp Lahm moving to right back, that Bayern were able to cope with Real without the ball. Despite the off-day, Bayern will still fancy their chances of going through, but if they allow Fabio Coentrao and Cristiano Ronaldo the sort of space they had at the Bernabeu, they will do well to keep another clean sheet. It's great though that we have absolutley no idea what the final will be though even now.
Champions!
Congratulations to Leicester City, who finally secured the Sky Bet Championship title this week. They have been the best team in the division by a long way, and it goes to show what can happen if a board remain patient with a manager and a young team. They have swept all before them and will deserve the milestone of 100 points should they reach it in their last two games. They couldn't beat Forest though, could they? :)
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