Champions' League 2012 / 2013 Pt. I

The beginning of the Champions' League is one of my favorite times of year. Hands down the best football is played in this tournament and every year there are some mouthwatering match-ups between Europe's elite clubs, plus an array of teams pushing to be known as the next season's giant-killer. I get a little sentimental whenever I hear the Champions' League anthem for the first time each season, knowing what lies around the corner: excitement, drama, exaltation, dejection. 

Some groups have more standout sagas than others. Here are my comments on what to look out for along with a few predictions. 

GROUP A (Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, PSG, Dinamo Zagreb)

Ibra: worth the pay stub?

Rest assured the headlines for Group A clashes will be of a financial nature: will PSG's millions be able to buy them advancement into the tournament? With Porto the only clear standout in this group, PSG's advancement would seem all but guaranteed, but after drawing the first of their three games in France's League 1, the PSG experiment seems to be fumbling. PSG will hope that their big summer signings of Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Lavezzi start paying dividends. With a starting lineup that is increasingly looking like a FIFA 2013 fantasy lineup, PSG will be turning heads. PSG reminds me of Man City right after they had a billion dollars thrown at them: huge pay stubs, very little chemistry. Expect some headline making surprises in this group as teams with much more chemistry break down PSG. Although he had a hot-and-cold EURO, Porto's Moutinho managed to stay with his club despite suitors from the EPL and looks like being the potential stand out player in this group if his play-making form continues from the previous season. 

Prediction: I am going to let my pessimism shine through and say that: Porto and Dynamo Kyiv advance. 

GROUP B (Arsenal, Schalke 04, Olympiacos, Montpellier)

New boys celebrate against Liverpool. 

The "irony" of this group is that the most talked of player will not even feature in it: Robin Van Persie. On paper this is a very nice draw for Arsenal to feature nicely on the top of the group, but rest assured if Arsenal fail to score RVP's name will be exhausted in football columns everywhere (and face it, if they score "in spite of" losing RVP, they will write about him regardless). Arsenal is looking to have the best defense in the EPL and should be able to keep many clean sheets against three teams with limited CL pedigrees. The recent performance of Podolski and Cazorla at Liverpool demonstrate that Arsenal might be creating a strong attacking side, which can only get better as players return from injury. 

I expect the second place to go comfortably to Schalke 04 as they get another good performance from Dutchmen Huntelaar and new-loan Afellay. 

Prediction: Quite easily Arsenal and Schalke 04. 

GROUP C (AC Milan, Zenit St. Petersburg, Anderlecht, Malaga)

Will Malaga announce themselves to the world this CL season?

AC Milan - much like Arsenal - will have journalists talking about who they sold, rather than their performances. Losing two of their star players to PSG - Ibra and Thiago Silva - the team looks to be in a bit of shambles. Their 5-1 thumping to Real Madrid in a summer friendly demonstrated how thin their defense appears without Silva and conceeding three to Juventus and one to Sampdoria demonstrated that AC Milan is potentially in a spot of trouble defensively. AC Milan never really replaced either player and with Pato constantly injured and Robinho being Robinho, AC Milan might have a tricky season. 

Malaga in 2010 joined the list of clubs who have "oil"-igarch sugar daddies. While they haven't spent as debaucherously as PSG, City or Chelsea, they have tossed some coin around. The opening of their La Liga season has looked promising and they look like they can make waves with their play. However, like PSG a lot of their purchases are aging: Saviola, Demichelis, Baptista, etc. Will this team be able to contest on multiple fronts? Time will tell. 

Zenit has demonstrated in previous seasons that they can play well as a team and aren't intimidated by bigger teams. I expect them to be the surprise performers of this group with their talented array of foreign players such as Bruno Alves, Danny, Hulk and new-boy Axel Witsel combining with the Russian stars to make a good perfomance. 

Prediction: Tough one. I am going to say AC Milan simply because of pedigree and Zenit St. Petersburg. 

GROUP D (Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax)

Jesus wept. What a group! Four league winners and some of the biggest stars of world football all in one group: this is precisely why the CL is the tournament that it is. 

Lewandowski: top striker. 

Based purely on line-ups, it is very easy to say that Real Madrid and Manchester City will run away with this group. The starting XI and benches of both teams are arguably the two best in the world. However, City fumbled in their first European attempt last year. This CL campaign City's biggest enemy will be its weak defense - City has conceded in every EPL game and the community shield. Mancini's side is very much stream-lined to be a Luftwaffe lighting-attack side, but this has left them a little short at the back. This could pose a problem as Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax all have lethal strikers who can pounce on any opportunity given to them. However, if City rediscovers the defensive combination of last year, they will prove to be a stiff competition to all. 

For myself, the biggest talking point will be Borussia Dortmund - a team I have absolutely fallen in love with. Combining the best players from Poland (Kuba, Pisczek, Lewandowski) with some of the key young cogs in the German machine (Reus, Goetze, Hummels), they are a master-class team. Despite having significantly less finances than Bayern Munich (last year's CL finalists, lets not forget) they dismantled them on three separate occasions last year. Their performances in the CL have been luke-warm and last year they failed to convert their domestic form abroad. However, they look as lethal as ever once again, and they will itching to upset people's predictions for this group by qualifying for the next round. With both Real Madrid and City demonstrating defensive weaknesses expect Kuba-Reus-Lewandowski to take advantage with a trademark quick combination to take advantage. 

Predictions: Real Madrid for certain. Second place? Head says: City. Heart says: Borussia Dortmund. 

Super Copa: Real Madrid Win Entertaining 8-Goal Affair

2012 Winners of the Spanish Super Copa, Real Madrid. 

Real Madrid (2) v. Barcelona (1) (4-4 on aggregate; RM wins with away goal rule)

Any Madrid-Barcelona encounter is a tantalizing affair, a recipe for enthrallment for even the most neutral of football fans.

Start off with the world's two best players (if you need to ask "who?" kindly slap yourself gently across the face with an open palm; repeat) playing among the world's most successful players, the Spanish National Team. Add several world beaters such as Ozil and Dani Alves and stir liberally with a century of fiery political and sporting rivalry. Now serve with a garnish of Mou (a coach as successful as he is easy to despise for many) and you have quite the tasty fare. 

Messi, Frustrated Genius

The tie has several talking points. Real Madrid simply did not look good at the Camp Nou and were kept in the game's first leg by a goalkeeping blunder by Valdez and some heroic defending by Sergio Ramos. Barcelona controlled most of the first leg (particularly through maestros Xavi and Iniesta), although Messi was kept quiet by an excellent effort from Xabi Alonso and Pepe. However, with sub-par performances across the pitch, a terrible display at Getafe (and a determined, driven comeback by Barca against Ossassuna), I was expecting an all-too-familiar scrappy affair which left Barcelona the hero. 

However, whatever "Mou" told the Madrid boys clearly worked with Madrid controlling much of the early part of the game, scoring twice (and having a third effort by Pepe dubiously flagged for an apparent foul on Mascherano). The side looked quite similar to the squad which played Barca and Getafe, except their seemed to be an increased sharpness and willingness to go forward. The Barca defense never looked convincing in the opening twenty minutes and by the time it settled, Barca was down 2-0 (a Puyol-less defense seems to be Barca's biggest ongoing only weakness). 

Messi had a few darting runs in the center which appeared threatening, but his visionary through-balls were cut off at the source. If one looks at the past three or four classicos, you will notice that Madrid targets Messi very closely, not just for man-marking, but as soon as he touches the ball, cutting off any path in front of him (which shows Mou's tactical evolution; Messi completely "pants-ed" Madrid in the first few Mou-led classico encounters). However, the pint-sized Picasso did provide one of the jaw-dropping moments of the second encounter with a devastating bending free-kick (with a curve on it that hasn't been seen since David Beckham plied his trade in Europe; although Suarez came close this past weekend). See for yourself!

And Ronaldo? Ronaldo provided a goal either half of the fixture, and definitely played a larger role in the second leg, running in behind the defenders. He wasn't able to leave his mark on the game he could, but his renewed energy provided a pace to the match which opened up the counter-attacking game (which Madrid is highly lethal at). Ronaldo's goal in today's affair was an amazing display of individual ability (although the fact that the he was able to complete his trickery, despite a misstep points to the Barca's sluggish defense in the opening minutes). Once again, see for yourself!

In the ongoing battle of Ronaldo v. Messi, the Super Copa provides a fairly tied round (Ronaldo scored twice; Messi scored once, but created more chances over two legs). By the by, did anyone catch in the post-game the deliberate attempt by both Messi and Ronaldo to NOT make eye-contact or shake hands? Juicy. 

From a Madrid fan's perspective it was interesting to see Modric in a Real Madrid jersey. I admit to being caustically cynical about this transfer, not for doubt of Modric's ability, but rather over confusion of how Modric would fit into the team. In today's game, he played the Kaka role: come on for Ozil, when the little Turk's heart is about to explode from exertion. Sarcasm aside, Modric's touches were stunning, confident and his connection with team-mates despite being signed less than 48 hours ago is a testament to the player that he is. It will be interesting to see how they regularly include him in their star-studded midfield ... and who will suffer? Ozil? Not likely. Khedira? Two different types of players? More likely Callejon's inclusion in the team will be dropped down to next-to-nothing. 

My "Man of the Match"? While every member of the Madrid team played a role in their tight victory - with definite nods needing to be directed towards Ozil, Ramos and Pepe - Barca would have scored three times from run-away opportunities if it wasn't for the world's best goalkeeper, Iker Casillas. 

Saint Iker, Man of the Match

Overall, this was one of the most free-flowing of the Classicos; relatively little stoppage, limited incident and all the talking points (almost) being from the onfield performances rather than from dirty tackles, off-the-ball incidents or "eye poking" (and yes, it is the anniversary of this unfortunate incident). It was a spectacle for the sport!

Stay tuned for upcoming entries on the end of the transfer market, the Champions' League draw, Round Three Round Up and my first Polish Player Update!

Please follow me on twitter: @SoccerExplains

The MESSI free-kick:

Week Two Wrap-Up // "This is sooo going in my blog!" - B. Stinson

I suspect that a lot of chronic football gamblers have lost a lot of money over the opening two weeks. There are bars spanning the globe teeming with weeping, teeth-gnashing men screaming: "Swansea?! Getafe?! West Brom?!? Who?!" The second week of the EPL & La Liga played testament to why football is the lovable - and infuriating - sport that it is. In addition to the games I will cover in-depth below, Swansea recorded another win (with West Ham; scoring three in the process), Tottenham made AVBs premiership misery continue with a home draw to West Brom and Everton continuing in fine form with a 3-1 win away to Aston Villa.

CHELSEA (2) v. NEWCASTLE (0)

The take away from this game? First, Chelsea are serious about challenging for the title. They clearly purchased with the intent of challenging for all four trophies and they look the business. 

Second, the picture (right) says it all: Hazard and Torres. Hazard has been the revelation of the season with an astonishing record of 4 assists, 2 penalties won and 1 goal. And that's what makes it into the stats' columns. The vision on this kid is amazing; he is constantly aware of what is going on ahead and behind him and he has the awareness and skillset to take advantage of it. Rewatch the Torres goal to see the combination-flick he does to play Torres on for a shot. Amazing. 

Torres winning the golden boot at the EUROS was exactly what the doctor ordered. His confidence is back and he is scoring goals, beautiful goals. His relationship with Hazard is still blossoming, but it looks to be one of the playmaker-striker combinations to look out for. 

Chelsea are notorious fast starters and Christmas faders, so fans of the blues will have to keep their fingers crossed that this isn't the case. With the bevy of talent they have in midfield, I don't think this shall be a problem (although their 3-2 loss to City show that there are chinks in the blue armor defensively). 

ARSENAL (0) v. STOKE CITY (0)

Look right and challenge yourself to not utilize an aged cliche about "pictures" and "thousand words". Yes, I failed too. Foremost, as a viewer, you are quite forgiven if you fell asleep for a portion of this game. 

Arsenal seemed to be brimming with un-utilized potential during their opener with Sunderland, particularly in the form of Cazorla, with some positive flickers from new boy Giroud. However, for the majority of this game, these flickers were quite faint. The surprise - and unfortunate - disappointment for me is Lukas Podolski, a personal favorite player of mine. Podolski appears to be still adhering to a different style of play, speed, mentality, etc. as he often miscommunicated with team-mates, collided with team-mates, or ran in a different direction than where the through ball was played. Anyone who has seen Podolski perform for Cologne or Germany knows what he is capable of; for the sake of Arsenal supporters, Podolski will figure out he's not playing in a German system and step into the void of Robin Van Persie (I went almost two hundred words without mentioning RVP! Record for a blogger writing about Arsenal?)

Stoke - while playing their dry brand of defensive football - once again demonstrated some of the "challenges" of the Premiership following last years performance, where they stunned many top sides.

LIVERPOOL (2) v. MANCHESTER CITY (2) 

After the attacking masterclass performance that City have demonstrated over the last two seasons (Note: I threw up a little in my mouth typing that), combined with the fact that Liverpool played worse than a Canadian High School team in their opener ... very, very few expected this to be anything but three points for the baby blues. 

However, Liverpool outplayed - let me say that again for emphasis "Liverpool outplayed" - City for much of the game and if it wasn't for Skrtl making one of the biggest gaffs he'll ever make, Liverpool would have recorded a massive win. 

Two take aways from this game? First and foremost, Liverpool is not the sinking piece of debris that everyone seems to suggest they are (well not entirely). While their manuevers in the transfer market are often dubious, expensive errors, Joe Allen deservedly received the Man of the Match accolade for his performance. Additionally positive is new kid Sterling not being blinded by the lime-light and putting in an immense performance against last year's champions. 

The second take-away? City have conceded two goals in their last three games. They are quite beatable. The trick is to withstand their 3-5-1-2 all-out-attack. On a side-note, I really cannot comprehend why Dzeko is sitting on the bench while Ballotelli plays...? Dzeko is much more mature, better at positioning and a better all around player. Alas, I don't really care .... 

GETAFE (2) vs. REAL MADRID (1)

It was an unexpected day for the top two teams in La Liga with Barca and Madrid both being involved in 2-1 scorelines with minnows. However, the difference lies in which side of the scoreline. While Messi bailed out Barcalona, Real Madrid was not able to secure any points against Getafe. Additionally, even from a position on the bench Coentrao got a straight-red for running his beak, which will leave Real Madrid without their more defense-minded CB for a couple games of suspension. 

For Real Madrid watchers, the opening game against Valencia left the suspicion that not all cylinders were firing within the team, particularly in Ronaldo, Ozil and Khedira. While the trio performed well enough versus Barca in the Spanish Super Copa, they put in another sub-par performance versus Getafe. Higuain - while scoring the one Madrid goal - was not able to sort out his feet on a lot of other close efforts. Much like Manchester United, Real Madrid looked sluggish during huge portions of their first few games ... and I strongly believe the pre-season tour in a European Cup year is to blame. 

The true talking point of the match: Mourinho's tactical gamble, by removing a defender and a defensive midfielder to put on a full array of attackers. This was at 1-1 and it left the shaky-looking Real Madrid defense even shakier. The question is: will "The Special One" (or is it "The Only One") take the lessons of the Getafe game - and his tactical blunder - to utilize a home victory in the return leg of the Super Copa? How will he be able to get the most out of clearly exhausted players who cannot be rested? Stay tuned. 

Check later in the week for my review of the Super Copa  & a column about Borussia Dortmund's start to the Bundasliga season. 

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