With the Champions League kicking into motion, JOE profiles the first four groups, including teams like Barcelona, Tottenham, Man Utd and Inter Milan.
By Conor Hogan
Group A
The teams: Inter Milan (Italy) Werder Bremen (Germany) Tottenham Hotspur (England) FC Twente (Holland)
Overview: In their first European Cup since 1962, Tottenham Hotspur couldn’t have been drawn into a much more difficult group. Their opponents will be FC Twente, reigning Dutch champions, Werder Bremen, who came third in the Bundesliga, and Inter Milan, reigning Champions League and Serie A champions.
Inter have lost Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid, but have replaced him with Rafa Benitez, a man who, despite last year’s appalling campaign with Liverpool, has a track record of getting results in Europe. Internazionale have also kept hold of the majority of their squad, with the exception of Mario Balotelli, and are likely to be a contender for the Champions League once again.
Werder Bremen have lost Mesut Ozil to Real Madrid, but have made a couple of interesting signings including Mikel Silvestre, and 21-year-old former Twente and Inter striker Marko Arnautović, who has started the Bundesliga in flying form with two goals in his first three games.
It remains to be seen whether the loss of Steve McClaren will overly affect Twente. Former Belgian goalkeeper Michel Preud’homme was chosen as the English man’s replacement, and has so far made an unbeaten start to the season. Twente showed remarkable resilience last season to win the Eredivisie, only losing twice in the League. They’ve boosted their ranks this season with the signing of prolific Austrian striker Marc Janko from Red Bull Salzburg, who should form a lethal partnership with Costa Rican forward Bryan Ruiz, who found the net 29 times last season.
Tottenham are currently undergoing something of an injury crisis, with Michael Dawson and Jermain Defoe both out for several months. Thankfully, an injury to main man Luka Modric doesn’t look as serious as first feared, though he is unlikely to start against Bremen. Redknapp has vowed to use his plethora of midfielders, and will probably opt to play one up-front away from home. A first choice midfield including the talents of Van der Vaart, Modric, Lennon and Bale is a mouthwatering prospect.
Final 16: Inter Milan and Tottenham
Europa League: Werder Bremen
Wooden spoon: FC Twente
Player to look out for: Marko Marin (Werder Bremen)
The left-sided winger has quick feet, excellent control and at times resembles a German Messi. Anybody who witnessed Bremen’s last gasp fight-back against Sampdoria in the qualifiers will have immediatley identified the youngster as a massive talent.
Group B
The teams: Lyon (France) Benfica (Portugal) Schalke 04 (Germany) Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel)
Overview: B isn’t exactly the form group of this season’s Champions League. Last year’s semi-finalists Lyon have started the new Ligue 1 season in atrocious form, and lie just outside the relegation zone with five points from five matches. Portuguese champions Benfica are doing even worse in their league, having lost three of their opening four games, while doing worse still are last year’s Bundesliga runners-up Schalke 04, who have lost all their opening matches.
Even Hapoel Tel Aviv haven’t started the Israeli League in particularly sparkling form either, having won only one of their first three games. Frankly, the teams were quite fortunate to draw each other, as there was a chance that they would sink without a trace in another group.
Lyon, however, have a strong team that includes Hugo Lloris, Cris, Jean II Makoun, and Lisandro Lopez and should be favourites to top the group. Their chances of winning the tournament proper, however, are slimmer than last season. Schalke 04 have made a lot of attacking signings this summer, including Raul from Real Madrid, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from AC Milan, and Jose Manuel Jurado from Atletico Madrid. Yet manager Felix Magath sold defenders Heiko Westermann, Rafinha and Marcelo Bordon, leaving the team extremely unbalanced.
Benfica have been depleted somewhat by the sales of Angel De Maria and Ramires, but still have some effective players, including World Cup star Fabio Coentrao, Pablo Aimar, Franco Jara and former Real Madrid players Javi Garcia and Javier Saviola.
Final 16: Benfica and Lyon
Europa League: Schalke 04
Wooden spoon: Hapoel Tel Aviv
Player to look out for: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv)
The 28-year-old Nigerian goalkeeper had a cracking World Cup, and it was a surprise to all at JOE that he didn’t to move to a bigger club. He will be integral to Tel Aviv if they are to get anything out of this group.
Group C
The teams: Manchester United (England) Valencia (Spain) Rangers (Scotland) Bursaspor (Turkey)
Overview: United have been looking somewhat vulnerable this season already, after surrendering points from leading positions against Fulham and Everton.
Once again, however, they have been drawn in a group in which they shouldn’t have too many worries. Their biggest competition, Valencia, finished an incredible 25 points behind second place Real Madrid in La Liga last season, and have lost their two best players, David Villa and David Silva, to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively.
Rangers’ financial problems are well known, with Walter Smith unable to add to his squad until this season, when he made the captures of James Beattie, Nikica Jelavić and VladimÃr Weiss. Despite these signings, they should be weaker this season than last, after losing Kris Boyd, Danny Wilson, Nacho Novo, Demarcus Beasley and Kevin Thomson. In last year’s Champions League, they finished bottom of their group after failing to win any of their matches.
The other team in Man United’s group, Bursaspor, were the surprising winners of last year’s Turkish League – a team who had previously never finished inside the top three. Their only previous wins in Europe came in 1974/1975 against Finn Harps and Dundee United.
Final 16: Manchester United and Valencia
Europa League: Bursaspor
Wooden spoon: Rangers
Player to look out for: Sercan Yıldırım (Bursaspor)
The pacey 20-year-old striker scored 14 goals in 35 games for Bursaspor last season, and has previously been a target for many big clubs in the past including Manchester United. He can also play as a winger and an attacking midfielder.
Group D
The teams: Barcelona (Spain) Panathinaikos (Greece) Copenhagen (Denmark) Rubin Kazan (Russia)
Overview: On paper, this group should be something of a cake walk for Barcelona, though don’t discount Panathinaikos. The Greek side have some very good players including former Liverpool player Luis Garcia, French internationals Jean-Alain Boumsong, Djibril Cisse, Sidney Govou and Brazilian centre-midfielder Gilberto Silva. FC Copenhagen comfortably won the Danish League (if that is anyone to go by) and can count 33-year-old former Chelsea player Jesper Gronkjaer and 20-year-old Brazilian midfielder Claudemir among their ranks.
Rubin Kazan, meanwhile, a team who actually defeated Barca in the Nou Camp in last year’s group stage, won their second consecutive Russian league in 2009, and have made some expensive additions to their team including Obafemi Martins and Carlos Eduardo for a combined €28m.
Barcelona’s shock home defeat to newly promoted Hercules over the weekend in La Liga has given these team some hope. It is very unlikely, however, that a team containing the combined talents of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, and Pedro won’t top this group.
Final 16: Barcelona and Rubin Kazan
Europa League: Panathinaikos
Wooden spoon: FC Copenhagen
Player to look out for: Carlos Eduardo (Rubin Kazan)
The 23-year-old Brazilian internationals form for Hoffenheim earned him a €20 million move to Rubin. The attacking midfielder was sensational on his debut for the Russian club, scoring twice in a 3-0 win.
For our preview of Groups E to H click here.
