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| Champions League | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Aug 1 2008, 07:30 AM (4,245 Views) | |
| Merengue | Aug 27 2008, 08:45 PM Post #16 |
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Great result for Atletico against Schalke. As Pepe says the margin of victory was beyond expectations. Aguero and Forlan are going to be hard to stop this year. Liverpool fans must have been sweating a lot today, from what I read Standard Liege were outplaying them for a good portion of the match. Here are the complete set of scores from today,
Thursday is the draw and you know every team is hoping they'll get Anorthosis, BATE Borisov, Basel or Aalborg. While it is a nice change of pace to have those teams in the Champions League, they are the clubs every other team wnats to be drawn with tomorrow. |
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| Manzanares | Aug 28 2008, 07:24 AM Post #17 |
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Yes I was celebrating that win yesterday. And like you Pepe I was surprised by the ease of it. I was quite nervous going into that game knowing how leg 1 went and with Atletico's tradition of beginning seasons slowly. But Kun came to the rescue and really gave the team a jolt with his play. The draw takes place in about an hour and Atletico have been placed in the pot with the "newbies" like Anorthosis, BATE Borisov, etc. so they will end up in a difficult group but results like eysterday's give shope that this Atletico team is capable of much more. We shall see what the draw brings... |
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| Merengue | Aug 28 2008, 10:52 AM Post #18 |
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Here is the draw and it has brought some very intriguing group matchups. Looks to me like there are several very difficult groups. Barceona and Inter, however, have to be smiling about their opponents. GROUP A Chelsea (ENG) AS Roma (ITA) Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA) CFR Cluj (ROU) An accessible group for Chelsea and Roma. Bordeaux could surprise if one of the two favorites slip but that isn't expected. GROUP B Inter de Milán (ITA) Werder Bremen (GER) Panathinaikos (GRE) Anorthosis (CYP) Inter must be thankful for this draw. Werder and Panathinaikos should fight it out for 2nd but Anorthosis' elimination of a pretty good Olimpiacos team may mean they aren't the pushover many think. GROUP C FC Barcelona (ESP) Sporting de Lisboa (POR) Basle (SUI) Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) A favorable draw for Barca. Sporting and Shakhtar should fight it out for 2nd but realistically neither should threaten Barcelona. GROUP D Liverpool (ENG) PSV Eindhoven (NED) Olympique Marseille (FRA) Atlético de Madrid (ESP) For me this is the most even group. Liverpool's recent history makes them the group favorite but their typical slow start to a season will be punished in this even group and they'll have to play better than they did in the preliminary round against Standard Liege. The highlight should be Fernando Torres and Liverpool returning to the Vicente Calderon to play Atletico but I look at this group and think any of the four teams have a realistic chance at advancing. Should make for some intense and dramatic games. GROUP E Manchester United (ENG) Villarreal (ESP) Celtic de Glasgow (ESC) Aab Aalborg (DEN) Manchester United should like this draw but playing Celtic is always an emotional game between England and Scotland's most popular clubs. Aalborg are an unknown here and logic would say Villarreal and Celtic should fight it out for 2nd place. But you wonder if Cristiano Ronaldo's prolonged absence will hurt Man United? GROUP F Olympique de Lyon (FRA) Bayern de Munich (GER) Steaua de Bucarest (RUM) Fiorentina (ITA) Along with Group D this is one of the more difficult. Lyon probably were the weakest of the 8 top seeded teams and Bayern likely the strongest of the 2nd seeds. Add Fiorentina and a tricky Steaua and this is a competitive group. I think Bayern will win it with Lyon finishing 2nd. GROUP G Arsenal (ENG) Oporto (POR) Fenerbahçe (TUR) Dinamo de Kiev (UKR) Another very competitive group. Arsenal's pedigree probably makes them favorites but there won't be much room for error here. I'll be supporting Aragones' Fenerbahce who have the core of the team which made last season's quarterfinals back but Dinamo Kiev really took Spartak Moscow apart in the prelim stage and if they keep that play up they'll be tough to beat. And we all know Porto know how to get it done in group play GROUP H Real Madrid (ESP) Juventus de Turín (ITA) Zenit de San Petersburgo (RUS) BATE Borisov (BLR) Another Real Madrid-Juventus Champions League battle. Those two games may be the matches of the first round and they should dispute first place in the group. UEFA Cup champions Zenit should not be discounted though even if they are having an average season in Russia this year. This should be an entertaining group stage this season, the fun begins September 16! |
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| rosarino | Aug 28 2008, 12:01 PM Post #19 |
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Groups D, F and G do look very competitive because the 4th seeded team in each of those groups is strong. I agree with merengue that Arsenal likely are favorites in Group G but the other three teams are very evenly matched. In Group D I don't think LIverpool is the favorite, they are, like the other three, a candidate to advance but their chances are equal to everyone else's. They do find ways to escape, as they did last year in group play and apparently yesterday against Standard Liege but Atletico, Marseille and PSV are all formidable opponents. Group F has Bayern and Lyon as the likely favorites but Fiorentina are not far behind either one of them and are evry capable of qualifying for the second round. Steaua won't be an easy opponent either but they also are a very inconsistent team and I think will have trouble betaing Lyon, Bayern and Fiorentina. Inter, Barcelona and Manchester United were the three top seeds with the most favorable draws in my opinion. Real Madrid and Juventus did not get it easy getting Zenit. They are a team not afraid of big names and with their passing game they will cause them both trouble. Plus nobody will want to play an away game in St Petersburg in November or December! |
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| Mr. Pither | Aug 28 2008, 01:59 PM Post #20 |
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I can't dispute what Merengue and rosarino have written about which groups appear the most difficult. But finishing first or second will be important once the elimination rounds begin in order to avoid the most difficult opponents. Thus Group A where Chelsea and Roma appear above the rest will still be interesting as those two fight it out to see which wins the group and who finishes second. This is where the groups involving Manchester United, Inter Milan and Barcelona come into play as those three teams look now to have relatively easy paths to winning their groups. Chelsea and Roma will provide good competition for one another. Seems strange doesn't it without Milan in the Champions League draw? Also note there are as many teams from Romania and Ukraine: two, as there are from Germany remaining in the competition! |
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P-I-T-H-E-R ...as in Brotherhood, but with PI instead of the BRO and no HOOD | |
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| Yogi | Aug 28 2008, 07:53 PM Post #21 |
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I was thinking the same. We milanistas will be hoping for a quick return in 2009! I agree with the consensus about which groups are difficult but I would add Manchester United's group is also a tough one. While I don't know much about Aalborg I can say that both Celtic and Villarreal are very hard to beat at home and as long as they can obtain some points on the road they have the capability of pushing Manchester United very hard in their group. But it is Group D with Liverpool (ENG), PSV Eindhoven (NED), Olympique Marseille (FRA) and Atlético de Madrid (ESP) which should be a real battle. Teams 1-4 there is not in my opinion a more even looking group. Michel platini had wanted to rework the Champions Legaue to get more teams from 'smaller" nations into the competition but this year they didn't need any modifciations to the tournament, they all earned it and while they may all be underdogs in their groups, I for one am interested in seeing teams like Cluj, BATE, Aalborg and Anorthosis play for the first time in my life. |
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| historyman | Aug 28 2008, 10:18 PM Post #22 |
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I wonder how much of a factor travelling distance is in deciding the outcome of CL groups? You would think that in this day and age the bigger clubs wouldn't consider it to be decisive, yet apparently it does weigh on the minds of the managers and other officials. This issue was raised yesterday by both Liverpool and Arsenal. Note the contrasting statements: Both Liverpool and Arsenal, who came through qualifying to make the group stages, face difficult opposition if they are to progress to the last 16 of the competition. The draw means striker Fernando Torres will play against his former club Atletico for the first time since his move to Anfield in the summer of 2007. Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said: "It's not easy but the three teams are fairly close by and there's no challenging trips. "There are no easy games - you just take it as it comes. We are just delighted to be in it." Arsenal will have to travel to Turkey and Ukraine and director Danny Fiszman said: "One of the big issues for Arsene is the distances we have to travel. They are long trips and that's the most disappointing aspect of the draw. "But we're optimistic and confident we will get to the knockout stages." I know that when Denis Bergkamp was playing distances were crucial since he didn't fly and would sometimes travel by car to meet up with the squad, but I didn't realise that it was still a hot issue for clubs. Can't wait for the action to get under way, especially as Bayern Munich are back!
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| enganche | Aug 28 2008, 10:49 PM Post #23 |
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Geez, it isn't like they're traveling to play Gamba Osaka or Boca Juniors! Come on, Arsenal are probably flying on a charter to Turkey and Ukraine, what is that an extra hour and a half in a plane than a trip from London to Spain? Bayern and Juve back and Milan out. I am wondering how Lyon will do this yera? After so many trips to the octave or quarterfinals, last season was a downer for Lyon and in Bayern and Fiorentina they did not get an easy draw. Groups D and G do look extremely even. Should be fun watching those group matches. |
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| raconteur | Aug 29 2008, 08:41 AM Post #24 |
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It does feel strange not to have Milan in the Champions League especially when other than last season the club have been a semifinalist just about every season this decade (for more effect I could have written this century!) But hopefully Milan will do what Bayern did last season and sue this yera out of the champions to concentrate on things "back home" and win the domestic league. As for the strength of the groups, well I agree with the consensus here, D, F, G and H are going to be evry hotly disputed. I am not a fan of either club but Juventus vs Real Madrid games are always full of intrigue. And maybe, just maybe one of these smaller clubs who have snuck in to the Champions Legaue still have a few surprises up their sleeve? |
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| rosarino | Aug 29 2008, 03:15 PM Post #25 |
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After watching Zenit's impressive play today in the European Super Cup (they won 2-1 over Manchester United) I am even more convinced than I was before that they will give both Real Madrid and Juventus plenty of difficulties. So add Group H into the growing list of "Groups of Death" in this competition. I had never herad of this Portuguese midfielder Danny before last week but Zenit paid 30 million euros for him from Dinamo Moscow and he played a great game, scoring the match winner. If they manage to keep Arshavin and team him with Danny and center forward Pogbrenyak, they will be a very dangerous team in this Champions League. |
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| historyman | Aug 29 2008, 10:17 PM Post #26 |
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Further proof of how football in Russia has been utterly transformed. With its increasing financial muscle, the country's top clubs are narrowing the gap between themselves and Europe's elite. |
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| Merengue | Aug 30 2008, 12:07 AM Post #27 |
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If Zenit can afford to pay 30 million euros for Danny and still keep Arshavin then yes they do have financial power. They seemed to tire in the last 1/4 of the game against Manchester United but other than that they did play impressively in the Super Cup Final. Danny looks and plays like a young Robert Pires. But the entire team pass and move well. They are an enjoyable team to watch and this display does make me think that their Champions League group with Real Madrid and Juventus is going to be one of the most difficult. Ask Bayern Munich and Manchester United, Zenit are not afraid of big name opposition. Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United looked a little toothless in attack. And now they've just sold Saha too. Do they have an ace up their sleeve before the transfer window ends? |
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| Simon | Aug 31 2008, 02:26 PM Post #28 |
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To be honest, I was actually pretty disappointed with United's CL group. Normally I hope for an exotic location or a big name opponent but we didn't really get that. As has already been said, Celtic are an absolute pain to play, especially at Parkhead and especially if you're English. But, possibly unbeknownst to many of my fellow posters, United routinely play all club testimonial matches against Celtic (with the refreshing exception of a game for Solskjaer against Espanyol at the start of August) and so they're hardly new opponents. I admire what's been done at Villarreal but neither they nor Aalborg have set pulses racing round here as of yet. Perhaps things will change when the groups start. I'll differ slightly from the opinions of others on Group D. My initial impression was that Liverpool have landed in a pretty easy group. We don't know much yet about Atletico Madrid at this level although they look well equipped to get out of the group, but IMO if either PSV or Marseille are to be competitive they'll have to be a whole lot better than they've been in recent seasons, especially PSV. Everyone keeps expecting a serious challenge from the cash rich clubs of eastern Europe, but that certainly didn't materialise last season. Like others, I'll be interested to see how Zenit can do against Juventus and Real Madrid. They'll need to do a better job at stepping up from UEFA Cup to CL level than CSKA Moscow managed after their 2005 UEFA Cup win. On a wider note, the challenge for United is that no-one's managed to retain the European Cup since 1990, after it introduced its 'Champions League' format in the early 90s. I'd anticipate United's main rivals again coming from the Premier League which will make the battle on these shores pretty intense on both fronts over the coming months! |
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| Simon | Sep 15 2008, 12:10 PM Post #29 |
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So the group stage of this season's Champions League starts tomorrow with quite an enticing set of matches: Matchday 1 - Tuesday 16 September 2008 Group A Chelsea v Bordeaux Roma v CFR Cluj Group B Panathinaikos v Internazionale Werder Bremen v Anorthosis Group C Basel v Shakhtar Donetsk Barcelona v Sporting Lisbon Group D PSV Eindhoven v Atlético Madrid Marseille v Liverpool Wednesday 17 September 2008 Group E Manchester United v Villarreal Celtic v AaB Aalborg Group F Steaua Bucharest v Bayern Munich Lyon v Fiorentina Group G Porto v Fenerbahçe Dynamo Kyiv v Arsenal Group H Juventus v Zenit St Petersburg Real Madrid v BATE Borisov No nice and gentle introduction to the CL for the English teams this season, all four have tough tests. Arsenal face that fearsome away trip to Dynamo Kiev, who twice thrashed Spartak Moscow in the qualifiers, while Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all meet strong opposition from high-ranked leagues in the shape of Marseille, Bordeaux and Villarreal respectively. Tuesday is the England vs France evening. Having just lost to Liverpool I suppose there is also a Liverpudlian connection with United's next opponents, as they are nicknamed the 'Yellow Submarine'! A game against Spain's 2nd best team is a pretty tough start to United's defence of the trophy but I think it should suit us to have a stern challenge to get the Anfield defeat out of our system. There is a chance that Ronaldo might feature, though I tend to think he'll be saved for our trip to Chelsea on Sunday. Strangely, Villarreal are the only team in our group who aren't managed by a Scot (Celtic's boss is Gordon Strachan who of course used to play under Ferguson at both Aberdeen and United, while Aalborg are managed by Arsene Wenger's predecessor at Arsenal, Bruce Rioch). I like the look of Barcelona against Sporting, Lyon against Fiorentina and Juve against Zenit. Eastern European teams don't usually travel well but there is big expectation surrounding Zenit and it'll be interesting to see whether they can make the step up. There look to be some real mis-matches in the other games. Roma take on CFR Cluj of Romania who, we should remember, didn't upset anyone in the qualifiers but went straight through to the group stage as of right. They'll have to justify that by putting up a fight against teams like Roma and Chelsea, while Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus start in Germany against Werder. And Real Madrid against BATE Borisov in the Bernebeu? Instinct says that should end up as a cricket score but sometimes you just never know... |
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| Yogi | Sep 15 2008, 06:39 PM Post #30 |
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Juventus-Zenit is the game which really intrigues me this week. Zenit despite their Russian title last season and UEFA Cup crown are only 7th in the Russian league now as it comes down to it's final matches. But if they reporduce the form they showed in the European Supercup then they will be a very tough opponent for Juventus even in Turin. But in the early season in Italy, Juve have looked very well balanced. |
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