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Champions League At Half Way
Thursday, October 19, 2006
By Derek Wilson
As the Champions League has arrived at the half way stage, how are things looking for your country's representatives? Is it time to start planning a party for May or is it back to the drawing board already? Here's the group-by-group view.
Group A: In a way this group is shaping up just as expected. Chelsea are doing well and Sofia are all but out already. But it is the middle two teams that are providing the real interest. Werder Bremen's mid-week win over Levski lifted them to four points and while Barcelona may have assumed they would stroll through this group, they are now looking edgy. Their loss at Chelsea means it is distinctly possible they will be behind Bremen going into the last two games. If Bremen can then defeat Chelsea - who should have qualified by then - at home in their penultimate fixture, Barca will be staring elimination in the face unless they can beat the Germans in the last match. Given their triumphant march to the title last season, a first round exit would be absolutely unthinkable for the Catalans. They still have enough time to salvage the situation but they have to realise the game starts properly now. Chelsea will be delighted at their form, especially having lost to Barcelona last year. If they can keep this up they will be able to threaten the final having lost twice at the semi final stage in the last three years. Their quest would be helped greatly if they can knock Barcelona out now so that should ensure they give everything in the next game rather than rely on picking up later points against Levski Sofia.
Group B: If there was ever to be proof that Germans and Italians should never be written off then this group provides it. Despite having a seemingly average team, Bayern Munich have romped to the top with three wins out of three. This achievement is all the more remarkable given they have defeated both of their main rivals, Inter Milan and Sporting Lisbon, away. With the Bavarians looking set for the last sixteen already the other three teams are scrambling for second place. Spartak Moscow are not out of things yet but it is hard to see them finding the quality to compete at this level. However the Moscow winter has stopped tougher visitors than Inter Milan and if Spartak can win this next game they will be back in the hunt. But it looks as though Inter will do enough, just, to progress so long as they can avoid a total disaster at home to Sporting later in the competition. The men from Lisbon are currently handily placed on four points but with journeys to Munich and Milan waiting they needed a much better start if they were to succeed.
Group C: This group is the runt of this years Champions League litter. The two bottom seeds, Bordeaux and Galatasary, are hopelessly out of their depth and while Liverpool and PSV are both competent enough teams it is hard to see how either will make an impact come the knock out stages. That being said, no one gave Liverpool a chance when they won the competition in 2005 and PSV also reached the semi finals that year. But in terms of what to watch, avoid this group like the plague. The top two area already through and the only thing of interest left is the battle for the UEFA Cup spot which takes place in Bordeuax when Galatasary visit France in a few weeks.
Group D: Oh dear oh dear. If UEFA had any way of banning Olympiakos and Shaktar Donetsk from the Champions League it would surely do so. Actually that is perhaps a little unfair. Both are capable of playing well and giving their opponents a tough time but neither are good enough to compete properly at this level. This year Roma and Valencia were lucky enough to find themselves in this group and it is the Spaniards who are currently leading. They are not the side they were when they reached the final a few years ago but they are certainly becoming impressive again. No one will want to play them in the next round. Roma are also on the verge of being home and dry and it would take a huge shock for them to be knocked out from their current position. Paint drying will be more interesting than this group in the coming weeks.
Group E: This one had the potential to be exciting but is on the verge of turning into a damp squib. Dynamo Kiev will be incredibly disappointed with their efforts - three losses and a goal difference of minus ten - while Steaua Bucharest would have been in with a great chance if only they could have held Real Madrid in Romania this fixture round. Instead they were destroyed by three goals and unless they can produce an unlikely turnaround when the teams meet again in Spain then this group will be decided early as well. The majestic Lyon are currently topping the table with a 100% record, eight goals for and none against. Who said this was a tough competition? But they always do well at this stage, it remains to be seen if they can finally do themselves justice in the knock out stages.
Group F: At last, another group that still has some meat left in it. FC Copenhagen are struggling somewhat but they are the epitome of a team that is only here for the beer. No goals and not much hope either but their fans are wonderful. Manchester United are Champions League veterans on the other hand and they are taking this group at a canter. The way the fixtures worked out, their only real challenge in the opening half was in Lisbon and they defeated Benfica by a single goal. They are one more win away from putting their feet up and that should come in Copenhagen in the next round. The Celtic-Benfica contest for second would have been a lot more interesting had the Portuguese not been stranded at the bottom with one point. They can still redeem themselves by beating Celtic in the return fixture but nothing less than a win will keep their interest alive. Even that might not be enough as Celtic have been solid at home and should take something off Manchester United's reserves or even win in Copenhagen. Celtic have never escaped a Champions League group but they are now odds on favourites to match the achievement of arch rivals Rangers last year.
Group G: A contest! Not only that but a proper three-way contest. CSKA Moscow won the UEFA Cup recently so they can clearly play the game but they were still expected to be the weak relation here. Instead, they have more than held their own and a win over Arsenal put them top of the group. If they can hold the Gunners to a draw in the Emirates Stadium in the return match they will be looking very good to qualify. Arsenal, not for the first time, had all kinds of excuses to explain away the loss in Moscow but they were simply outplayed. It is not yet beyond comprehension that last year's finalists could go out at the group stage. FC Porto hammered Hamburg in their last match and assuming they can beat the Germans again they will also be feeling confident. Hamburg have been utterly dismal both at home and abroad all season and they will be eager to forget this campaign. But for neutrals this game is heading for a mouth-watering conclusion - do or die in the last game when Porto play Arsenal and Moscow will still need a result in Hamburg to progress. This is the Champions League as it should be.
Group H: This group is the equivalent of the pretty girl next door that gradually takes your attention away from the stunner on TV. AC Milan are a well known European aristocrats at this level but Lille, Anderlecht and AEK Athens are all street fighters. Anderlecht in particular seem to be serial underachievers in the Champions League yet due to being virtually the only club in Belgium they appear year after year. They may still be in contention after the next round - they will inevitably lose in Milan, giving AC a prominent position to go through in doing so - but only if AEK can beat Lille in Athens. If Lille win they are all but through with Milan while alternatively a Greek win would through the group into chaos. Any of the smaller three sides could go through so some exciting games would be guaranteed even if the quality will not be too high. However Lille knocked Manchester United out last season and they should possess just that little bit more than their competitors. This one is more worthy of attention than some groups but it is some way from the dream football one imagines is played in the Champions League.
It is clear that UEFA were obliged to extend the Champions League to such an extent that it was all but impossible for the big clubs to miss out. The result is that the group stages, particularly early on, are dull and even the big clubs aren't too interested. They know that even if they lose at the beginning they still have several chances for redemption. The biggest point of interest is Barcelona. Many teams naturally coast when they can but they don't always manage to jump out of it quickly when danger arises. Barcelona v Chelsea in the next round is the match of the tournament so far as it will show whether the champions can strike back. If they can't, UEFA will be devastated to lose such a big draw so soon in the competition but fans in West London and Bremen may afford themselves a chortle. Many groups are finished as a contest already but there should still be excitement generated by Group G - three teams of roughly equal ability and all in with a chance. This is the one group where quality sides - Arsenal, Porto and CSKA Moscow - should all be in with a chance of qualifying going into the last match. This is what the Champions League is all about as it is the one chance for a league system to match the drama afforded by a straight knock out format and it will be a great night!
8:07 AM
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