JOE rounds out its preview of the Champions League with a look at the remaining four groups, including Arsenal, Chelsea, Bayern and Aiden McGeady’s Spartak Moscow.
By Conor Hogan
Group E
The teams: Bayern Munich (Germany) Roma (Italy) Basel (Switzerland) CFR Cluj (Romania)
Overview: After pushing Inter all the way last season in Serie A, Roma have started 2009/2010 horrifically. The Giallorossi had a disappointing draw on the opening day against newly-promoted Cesena before shockingly losing 5-1 to Cagliari over the weekend.
Last year’s Champions League finalists, Bayern Munich, have also made a somewhat indifferent start to their campaign. A last minute opening day victory over Steve McClaren’s Wolfsburg, was followed up by a 2-0 loss to newly-promoted Kaiserslautern and an uninspiring home-draw against fellow Champions League-ists Werder Bremen.
Those two team’s lack of form could be seen as an opportunity for Swiss champions FC Basle to pick up a couple of upset victories. Last season, Basle were drawn in the same group as Roma in the Europa League and managed to beat the Italians 2-0 at St. Jacob Park. Basle will also be given hope by the performance of 2009/2010’s Swiss entrant Zurich, who managed an upset victory over another Italian side – AC Milan.
CFR Cluj are undoubtedly the major underdog of the group, though the billionaire-backed Romanians have some good players including 6’8†Ivorian forward Lacina Traoré and Argentinean midfielders Emmanuel Culio and Sixto Peralta. They acquitted themselves reasonably well in their last foray in the Champions League in 2008-2009, managing a 2-1 away win over Roma and a 0-0 draw with Chelsea.
Bayern and Roma should still be strong favourites to progress, however. Roma have added Marco Borriello to a squad that includes Brazilian defender Juan, Montenegrin captain Mirko VuÄinić, Adriano and Francesco Totti. Bayern Munich meanwhile have World Cup stars Thomas Muller and Bastien Schweinsteiger, as well as the attacking talents of (the admittedly injured) Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.
Final 16: Bayern Munich and Roma
Europa League: Basle
Wooden spoon: CFR Cluj
Player to look out for: Toni Kroos
The 20-year-old winger was excellent last season, in a loan spell with Bayer Leverkusen, scoring nine goals. Big things are expected of him after breaking into the German national team.
Group F
The teams: Chelsea (England) Marseille (France) Spartak Moscow (Russia) MŠK Žilina (Slovakia)
Overview: Chelsea have started their season like a juggernaut, and will look to continue their form in the Champions League. Luckily, they have been gifted a fairly reasonable draw. Marseille are French champions, but have, like so many teams in this year’s top European competition, started their domestic season very badly.
The other contender for a top two finish, Spartak Moscow, are currently lying in 6th place in the Russian League, a full 17 points behind leaders Zenit St Petersburg. Slovakian club MŠK Žilina, meanwhile, had to come through three rounds of qualifying, and will be delighted just to make the group stages. The extent of their ambition is to possibly sneak third place, but only if Marseille or Spartak were to drastically underperform.
Marseille did excellently in the Champions League group stages last season, finishing top of a group that included Juventus and Bayern Munich. One of the main strengths of Didier Deschamps’ team is the newly-signed strikeforce of Gignac and Remy. They also have the familiar face of Gabriel Henize in defence. Spartak Moscow, meanwhile, have a squad packed full of Brazilians including Alex and Welliton and former AZ striker Ari.
Final 16: Chelsea and Spartak Moscow
Europa League: Marseille
Wooden spoon: MŠK Žilina
Player to look out for: Aiden McGeady (Spartak Moscow)
The most expensive Scottish export of all-time made an excellent debut for Spartak last week, creating two goals in a 3-0 victory. Let’s hope that Moscow is the makings of him. The 25-year-old Irish international has talent to burn – though he’s often too selfish for his own good, and makes a habit of picking out the wrong ball.
Group G
The teams: AC Milan (Italy) Real Madrid (Spain) Ajax (Holland) Auxerre (France)
Overview: Group G is undoubtedly the most mouth-watering in the Champions League this season. Like last year, Milan and Real Madrid have been drawn together. Milan have strengthened significantly in the summer, with the additions of Zlatan Ibrahimović and Robinho, who will play alongside the existing attacking talents of Pato, Pirlo, Ronaldinho and the immortal “Pippo” Inzaghi.
After spending €256 million on players in 2009-2010, Real Madrid have invested even further this season, with the captures of German World Cup stars Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Chelsea and Portugal centre-half Ricardo Carvalho, and, most significantly of all, manager Jose Mourinho. If anybody can bring the most sought after trophy in club football back to Madrid, it is surely the Portuguese genius.
After much arguing with the Ajax board, Martin Jol has managed to keep hold of the squad that did so well in the Eredivisie last season, winning their last 14 consecutive games and scoring 108 goals. Their squad features Holland World Cup stars Martin Stekelenburg and Gregory van der Wiel, Uruguay’s Nicolas Lodeiro in midfield, and last year’s 49 goal man Luis Suarez .
It is a horrible draw for Auxerre, the only team to qualify from France currently in form, but whose lack of Euro experience might hurt them. Their biggest signing this summer was former Liverpool player Anthony Le Tallac from Le Harve for €3 million.
Final 16: Real Madrid and AC Milan
Europa League: Ajax
Wooden spoon: Auxerre
Player to look out for: Luis Suarez
“He’s prolific certainly, but then again wasn’t Alfonso Alves?†The ex-Middlesbrough striker’s name is always mockingly thrown around, whenever somebody tries to praise a striker currently playing in Holland. If Suarez’ World Cup performances are anything to go by, however, the 23-year old looks to be the real deal. He has started the new Dutch season in sensational form, scoring six goals in three games.
Group H
The teams: Arsenal (England) Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) Braga (Portugal) Partizan (Serbia)
Overview: Another year and another easy group for Arsenal. The big competition in this group will be for second place, where 2009 Uefa Cup champions Shakhtar will have a hard task on their hands to finish ahead of Portuguese runners-up Braga.
It will be a battle between a Portuguese and a Ukrainian team, but on paper, the matches between them, will seem like Brazilian League clashes. The extraordinarily wealthy Shakhtar have eight Brazilians in their squad, including the highly rated Jadson and Willian, in addition to ex-Arsenal player Eduardo (a man who has chosen to represent Croatia at international level).
Braga, meanwhile, have an incredible 17 Brazilians in their squad, including their terrific 30-year-old winger Alan. They can also count former Valencia and European Young Player of the Year Hugo Viana among their ranks. In the qualifiers they handily defeated Celtic, before shocking Sevilla over two legs.
Partizan, who have only one Brazilian in their squad, the prolific Cleo, were surprise qualifiers, after they overcame Anderlecht in playoff rounds on penalties, thanks to a dodgy pitch and a dodgy linesman. They are as likely to qualify to the final 16 as Arsenal are to finish bottom.
If the Gunners can get off to a flying start in the group, they may end up in a position where they can rest players for their final few games and give some youngsters a run out. Whether they can progress much further, and end years of European underachievement, remains to be seen. They were drawn into an easy group last year too, only to be taught a lesson in the quarter-finals by Barcelona.
Final 16: Arsenal and Shakhtar Donetsk
Europa League: Braga
Wooden spoon: Partizan
Player to look out for: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Shakhtar Donetsk)
He may come from an unfashionable country, but the Armenian is undoubtedly a quality player. He was instrumental in Metalurh Donetsk’s top half finish in the Ukraine last year, contributing nine goals from midfield. Mkhitaryan was also named the youngest captain in Metalurh’s history at the age of just 21, before being snapped up by rivals Shakhtar for €7.5 million this summer.
To view our preview of Groups A to D click here.
