Tea Time: Champions League Focus
Me: So how’d I do with my predictions last week versus yours? Also, I know you got the correct score for the Man U game, but if Rooney doesn’t miss that penalty and Torres is able to score on an open net, I have the right score to the game. It may only be a moral victory, but I’ll take it.
I wanted to talk about the Champions League, since this will be my first time following it. I have to say it’s harder to distinguish than the Premier League. In the States you can follow the Premier League and Serie A, to a lesser degree – if you get Fox Soccer Channel through cable (they also have the broadcast rights for most of the Champions League). ESPN (our major sports network) carries one Premier League game a week and it is shown live (i.e. 7 AM on Saturday mornings). You can follow La Liga through other channels if you pay for them. You really can’t follow any of the other European Soccer Leagues on television in the United States, without paying a premier for them. This is really just a very elegant way of saying that I watched the Champions League draw and knew about a third of the teams involved.
Oh another thing. The announcer for the Champions League was amazing. He actually made the draw entertaining. I loved his snide remarks as the divisions were drawn and he would say after teams were drawn into a particularly tough pool. In the States the equivalent of the Champions League draw would probably be the NBA or NFL draft, which is kind of boring. I think this announcer would definitely spice things up.
Tangent done. When I look at the Champions League I think Barca is going to win it again and I assume the teams I know will do well and the teams I don’t are just fodder for the bigger clubs that are more familiar in the States. I know that this assumption can’t possibly be correct, so I wanted you to set the record straight. I’m going to throw out my top ten teams involved in the Champions League and you tell me if I am right and if there are any potential sleeping giants that I did not recognize.
Top Ten: Chelsea, Man U, Man City, Barca, Real Madrid, Ajax, Arsenal, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, FC Porto
J-Rodd: I got 6 points to your 2 though I accept the man utd game could have had any number of goals. It was an awesome game with a really good atmosphere and some songs which were funny.
Another defeat for Arsenal, City show vulnerability giving away a 2 goal lead and maybe Spurs should be put as favourites for top 4.
Champions League
The seedings for the draw are always based on previous European results. Therefore, Man Utd, Barcelona and Inter Milan are top seeds no matter where they finish in their league because they always get to the final or semis. This means that although Man City are one of the favourites, they were in the 3rd pot of seeds as their European record is one quarter final in the Europa League last year. Arsenal were top seeds even though they are weaker and AC Milan are 2nd seeds because they have been poor in Europe recently.
Buy Tickets for Sporting Events
Group A: the toughest group.
Bayern Munich – not won the German league for a few years but always get quite far in the Champions league (runners up 3 years ago). Robben and Ribery are quality!
Villareal – are from a tiny town in Spain, a big investor bought them and so they have moved up from the lower leagues to become a very good Spanish side. Semi finalists in 2006 with a side including Riquelme, who was Argentina’s playmaker at the time, they now have a side who are very strong at home and have a good attack and so could score goals against anyone.
Man City – are then third seeds and you know about them.
Napoli – are the worst team though have a very talented side. This is the side that Maradona played for at his peak, they are an Italian side who have proved their quality by getting a draw away at Man City. They have a number of Uruguayan players in their squad and Uruguay are current Copa America champions and came in 4th at the recent World Cup.
Group B:
Inter Milan are top seeds. They are a good side and have Wesley Sneijder amongst others who is one of the best players in the world however they sacked their manager yesterday after 5 games in which they have lost 4 and drawn 1.
Trabzonspor are a Turkish side who only got in because Fenerbache dropped out due to being under match fixing allegations. They will be strong at home, as Turkey is intimidating, but will be lucky to get out of group.
CSKA Moscow I know very little about. They will also be strong at home as Moscow is a tough place to go to and involves a lot of travelling for most European sides. They will be pleased just to get out of the group.
Lille are the current French champions, however they have lost a couple of the players who got them the title (Gervinho is now at Arsenal). This is an open group and anyone could get through.
**Group C: **
Man Utd have an easy group and should get through comfortably.
Benfica are the 2nd seeds. Very strong at home with some good players but they will be content with getting out of the group. Very strong European history (Man Utd beat them when we first won the European Cup) but now the Portuguese league is not that strong.
FC Basle are the Swiss champions. The Swiss league is not strong and their squad is made up of mostly Swiss players. They would be delighted with getting out of the group but if they finish 3rd and end up in the Europa League they would not win that either.
SC Otelul Galati are a Romanian side. I have never heard of them and I think it is the first time they have ever qualified.
Group D:
Real Madrid – strong contenders to win the competition
Ajax – Used to be good with players such as Johann Cruyff et al however the Dutch league is not particularly strong as it lacks money and so, as a result, they will be pleased just to get out of the group.
Lyon – Won the French league 7 times in a row between 2001 and 2008 with players such as essien (chelsea) and Benzema (Real Madrid) but they always sell on their best players. Have not won the league since 2008 and are now just a steady side, will fancy their chances of getting out of the group but will get no further.
Dinamo Zagreb – Won the Croatian league last year, will have some technically gifted players and only lost 1-0 to Madrid in game one however I know little about them, suggesting they will struggle to progress out of the groups.
Group E:
Chelsea: Their main priority is always the Champions League but I think they will struggle to reach the final even.
Valencia are a very good Spanish side. Always produce good sides but are crippled financially and have had to sell David Villa, David Silva and Juan Mata in the last two summers. Still a strong side and will finish 2nd in this group but their financial troubles prevent them from pushing on to the next level.
Bayer Leverkusen – Beaten finalists at the start of the Millenium with a side including Berbatov and Ballack however their glory days have gone. They slumped domestically and although they now have Ballack back again, a run in the Europa League is the best they can hope for.
Genk are the Belgian champions. I know very little about them however Belgian football is growing stronger both domestically and internationally so may spring a surprise or 2. Probably not strong enough to get out of the group though.
**Group F: **
Arsenal
Olympiakos – Greek champions. Always very strong at home but always very poor away from home meaning they will struggle to get out of the group.
Borussia Dortmund – the German Champions. Made up of a very talented but young and inexperienced squad which will probably be dismantled in the next couple of years. Their players are already being strongly linked with the bigger clubs around Europe. Although 4th seeds in the pool, I fancy them to qualify for the next round.
Marseille – another side with good European history. Last year were knocked out by Man Utd in the last 16 but only lost 2-1 on aggregate. Will hope to get out of the group once again.
Group G:
FC Porto – Not in a very glamorous league however they do have a strong squad and managed to keep hold of most of their players. Last year’s Europa League winners, they only dropped about 6 points in the league all year, losing 0 and drawing about 3. Their manager has now gone to Chelsea though.
Shakhtar Donetsk – a strong Ukrainian side. Particularly strong at home, they will have some good Brazilians in their side however and will give a good game to most sides. Good chance of getting out of the group.
Apoeal Nicosia – Cypriot team. I know nothing about them however they won their first match so they can’t be rubbish.
Zenit St Petersburg – Won the Europa League a few years ago with players such as Arshavin in it. Not as strong as they were.
Group H:
Barcelona – Awesome but weakness in defence – not invincible this year.
AC Milan – Been underachieving in this competition for a few years now. Not since the mid 2000s have they been a real threat. As a result, they will probably finish 2nd in this group and so face a good side in the next round and so will struggle to reach the quarters again.
BATE Borisov – Belarussian side who are happy just to be in the competition.
Plzen – A Czech side who are getting stronger but will probably finish bottom of the group.
That is the Champions league this year. Realistically, the winner will be either Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man Utd or Chelsea but it is a cup competition and so anything can happen. The Italian sides, Bayern Munich and man City will also be hopeful of success. When I mentioned the Europa League, which is another European competition for the weaker sides. Tottenham, Stoke, Fulham and Birmingham are playing in it for England as they either won a cup, reached a cup final or finished 5th in the league. The sides who finish 3rd in the Champions league group play in this competition after Christmas.
Having very much enjoyed being at the Chelsea game on Sunday, I am off to Man Utd v FC Basel on Tuesday night and am expecting a win although I think we make about 8 changes from the team that plays Stoke this weekend.
Predictions
Man City 1-1 Everton (I fancy an upset here)
Arsenal 1-1 Bolton
Chelsea 2-0 Swansea
Liverpool 3-1 Wolves
Newcastle 1-2 Blackburn (another shock)
West Brom 2-1 Fulham
Wigan 1-3 Tottenham
Stoke 1-3 Man Utd
QPR 2-1 Aston Villa
Norwich 1-2 Sunderland
Me: Predictions
Man City 3-1 Everton — I expect City to rebound
Arsenal 1-1 Bolton
Chelsea 2-1 Swansea — Sinclair scores for Swansea
Liverpool 1-1 Wolves
Newcastle 1-2 Blackburn
West Brom 1-2 Fulham
Wigan 1-3 Tottenham
Stoke 1-3 Man Utd
QPR 2-2 Aston Villa
Norwich 1-2 Sunderland