European Competitions

Champions League Group Stage Review Part Two - 11/12/15

Today I review some of the closest groups in the Champions League including the previous winners and the German and English domestic champions.

Group E

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
FC Barcelona	6	4	2	0	15	4	11	14
AS Roma	6	1	3	2	11	16	-5	6
Bayer 04 Leverkusen	6	1	3	2	13	12	1	6
FC BATE Borisov	6	1	2	3	5	12	-7	5

It was business as usual for Barcelona in Group E as they set out to attempt to win back-to-back Champions League's. Despite starting and ending the group with 1-1 draws against both AS Roma and Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona asserted their dominance in winning the other 4 games in comfortable fashion scoring 13 and conceding only 2. The 6-1 thrashing of Roma at home will make teams be very weary of coming up against the holders. It's going to take a lot to beat this Barcelona side, especially when Messi, Neymar and Suarez are in top form so whoever draws them has to make sure they don't slip up at home and needs to be able to get a result at the Nou Camp which is no easy task. With the form the attacking trio are in, I can see this Barcelona team at least reaching the semi-final again this year and can't see many teams stopping them. The head-to-head system proved to be AS Roma's saviour in this Group E as they managed to pick up their only win against Bayer Leverkusen at home following a thrilling 4-4 draw away. The Italians showed some positives in drawing at home to Barcelona and winning against Leverkusen however away from home they slipped up and need to learn from their defensive woes. To concede 13 goals in 3 games away from home is not good enough and if they continue this then their chances of progression past the Round of 16 is very slim. At home they looked better but need to score more as results like a 0-0 against BATE Borisov on game-week 4 cannot be replicated. It's not very often a team progresses having only picked up 1 win out of 6 so Roma can count themselves as very lucky to get through. Bayer Leverkusen, similar to Roma, can take positives in drawing at home to Barcelona however conceding an average of 2 goals per game both home and away was their downfall. They struggled against Roma and that proved to be the deciding point in this group. They will feel hard done by due to having a +6 better goal difference than Roma, however with the group being decided by head-to-head you have to perform in every game and you can't just rely on winning once. With the goals they have in their team and with Javier Hernandez in top form, I can see this team getting far in the Europa League. I thought that BATE Borisov would be a team to watch out for and they proved to be just that in finishing just a point off 2nd and 3rd. Everyone involved with the club from Belarus can be proud with the way they played throughout this group stage and with results like their 3-2 home win against Roma and 0-0 draw in the reverse fixture, this has by far been their best showing in the competition and if they qualify next year, they'll be a team that many will fear.

Group F

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
FC Bayern München	6	5	0	1	19	3	16	15
Arsenal FC	6	3	0	3	12	10	2	9
Olympiacos FC	6	3	0	3	6	13	-7	9
GNK Dinamo Zagreb	6	1	0	5	3	14	-11	3

Bayern Munich looked absolutely incredible in this group and alongside Barcelona, I'd say they have to be favourites due to their performances so far. They did suffer a 2-0 defeat away at the Emirates but even in that game they still dominated and were unlucky not to pick up at least a point. At home however, Bayern Munich looked unbeatable as they scored an incredible 14 and conceded just once. Pep Guardiola has clearly got the team playing exactly how he wants them too and it looks effortless for them even when they win 5-0 which underlines the quality of this squad. If they keep playing like they are right now, I don't think anyone can stop them reaching the semi-finals for the 5th year in succession. If you get drawn against Bayern, you have to take advantage of the home leg and play counter attacking football and taking your chances will be crucial. The only sides that could probably match the intensity of playing a possession game against Bayern would be Barcelona and Real Madrid at this point in time. Away from home Bayern do struggle a bit more but with the players they have, they'll be a formidable opponent for any opposition. Being an Arsenal fan, this group stage was a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least. I was optimistic of getting 2nd at the start of the group however back to back defeats against Dinamo Zagreb away and Olympiakos at home put the Gunners in a dire situation. The win at home to Bayern ended up being pivotal to Arsenal's eventual progression as after getting absolutely outplayed in a 5-1 defeat to Bayern at the Allianz, Arsenal needed to win their remaining games to stand a chance. A 3-0 win against Zagreb left the Gunners needing to win by a scoreline of 3-2 or better and a hat-trick from Olivier Giroud topped off a complete performance to see the English side into the Round of 16. After being lucky to progress, Arsenal cannot afford any more slip-ups in this competition in order to make it to past the next stage for the first time in 5 years. Knowing our luck however we'll probably draw Barcelona. Arsenal need to take advantage of the home leg instead of leaving themselves a mountain to climb in the away leg if they're to progress. Olympiakos will feel hard done by this year after throwing away their place in the next phase. Their home form was unfortunately not good enough this year and that proved to be crucial as they crashed out. A lucky opener for Arsenal in the final game seemed to down morale of the player and at 2-0 a good chance from a set-piece was well saved by Cech and if  that had gone in, the outcome could have been so different. They head into the Europa League with fine domestic league form and if they play as well as they can, they could make a good run in that competition. In recent years Dinamo Zagreb had only picked up 1 point in the Champions League Group Stage. This year however, they produced a much better showing as they managed to pick up a great win against Arsenal. Unfortunately, that was as good as it got for them this year as they suffered 5 defeats on the bounce. Despite that, other than the 5-0 and 3-0 defeats against Bayern and Arsenal respectively, Zagreb put up a much better showing this year and kept the majority of their games close which shows their growth in maturity, quality and unity so everyone associated with the club can be proud of their team. Hopefully, we see them back next year and I'm sure they'll win their domestic league for an 11th year in a row. 

Group G

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Chelsea FC	6	4	1	1	13	3	10	13
FC Dynamo Kyiv	6	3	2	1	8	4	4	11
FC Porto	6	3	1	2	9	8	1	10
Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC	6	0	0	6	1	16	-15	0

It's been an awful season for the current Premier League holders Chelsea so far domestically, however in Europe, they look a much better side. Having only picked up 4 points from their opening 3 games, it looked like their poor form was carrying into Europe however, the squad rallied together and managed to pick up 3 wins on the bounce to finish top of this group. Willian has been incredible for Chelsea this season, especially in the Champions League so for whoever Chelsea are drawn against, not giving away a free-kick in a dangerous area would be my best advice. At home Chelsea look brilliant which is important as they head into the the Round of 16 however away from home they will have to improve and replicate a result like the 4-0 win away at Maccabi Tel-Aviv if they're to get far in this competition. They will have to stay consistent in this competition if they hope to make good progress as they can't afford to be as inconsistent as they have in the Premier League. I felt as though keeping Andriy Yarmolenko would be crucial to this team getting 2nd and that showed as Dynamo Kyiv managed to progress past the Group Stage for the first time since the 1998/99 season in which they made the semi-final. However, I don't think they'll be able to progress as far in this campaign. Defensively they look solid and this will certainly make them hard to beat in this competition. Being unbeaten at home is certainly a great achievement and if they keep this up then they will be formidable opponents for any side and away from home they have been very good at keeping the score low so if they keep this up, they could cause an upset in the next stage for sure. FC Porto will be disappointed not to get through after being top of the group going into the final game but after successive 2-0 defeats home to Dynamo Kyiv and away to Chelsea, their fate to drop into the Europa League was sealed. After a solid start to the group Porto showed how good they could be and that's why I think they'll do well in the Europa League. Maccabi Tel-Aviv's return to the Champions League didn't go too well as they failed to pick up a single point. They played well in most games however lacked the quality that other teams in this competition have and that was the decisive factor in them finishing bottom of this group. 

Group H

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
FC Zenit	6	5	0	1	13	6	7	15
KAA Gent	6	3	1	2	8	7	1	10
Valencia CF	6	2	0	4	5	9	-4	6
Olympique Lyonnais	6	1	1	4	5	9	-4	4

My prediction for this group ended up being completely inaccurate but that's the beauty of the Champions League, the fact that anyone can beat anyone makes every game entertaining which was proved by this group in particular. Zenit have tended to be known as a one man team with Hulk leading the line but there was another who stole the headlines for the Russian side in this competition and that was the striker Dzyuba who ended the Group Stage with 6 goals, doubling Hulk's tally. The Russian looked like a solid outfit during this group stage as they strolled into the next round with a perfect home record and that will leave teams weary of facing Zenit. They did have one slip up away from home to the surprise package KAA Gent and that's something they can't afford to repeat in the next phase of the competition. This year's surprise package was Champions League debutants KAA Gent. After winning the Belgium Pro League Title for the first time last year, it doesn't seem like things can get much better for Gent right now as they shocked Valencia and Lyon in managing to progress to the Round of 16. They've shocked everyone in making it this far in the competition so whoever plays them are going to have to show them respect and maybe Gent could pull off yet another shock result in the next round. Winning the last 3 games to qualify shows that they've adapted to the pressure of playing in this competition so it'll be interesting to see how far they can make it. A lack of goals for Valencia ended up being their downfall as they failed to score in their last 3 games. Gary Neville has a difficult job to get this team firing again after poor form in the league and in Europe. He may be helped as his side heads into the Europa League where the opposition may not match the quality of the teams in the Champions League. Who knows, maybe Neville's Valencia will be drawn against his old side Manchester United. Olympique Lyonnais were my favourites to win this group following how good they were last year however they failed to adapt to the pressure of the Champions League as they finished last. After a point to start the campaign, fans were optimistic of progression, however they faced a rude awakening in losing the next four games before finally picking up a win in their last game against Valencia. However, I'm sure their players will learn from this disappointing experience and come back stronger next time they are in this competition.

Who can the English teams draw?

Harder Opposition

Favourable Opposition

Manchester City

PSG

PSV 

Benfica

Roma

Dynamo Kyiv

Gent

Arsenal

Real Madrid

Wolfsburg

Atletico Madrid

Barcelona 

Zenit

Chelsea

PSG

PSV

Benfica 

Juventus

Roma 

Gent

Champions League Group Stage Review Part One - 10/12/15

With the Champions League Group Stage coming to a close last night, I look back upon the shock results and departures that took place in one of the most competitive Group Stage's this competition has ever seen.

Group A

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Real Madrid CF	6	5	1	0	19	3	16	16
Paris Saint-Germain	6	4	1	1	12	1	11	13
FC Shakhtar Donetsk	6	1	0	5	7	14	-7	3
Malmö FF	6	1	0	5	1	21	-20	3

Group A finished as people would have expected it to with the two financial superpowers in Real Madrid and PSG prevailing over their lesser opposition. For Real Madrid, you'd think by looking at the table that they breezed through this group however a draw in game-week 3 against PSG followed by a narrow 1-0 win against the French giants showed some weaknesses from the Los Blancos when they play in big games. Also in game-week 5, after taking a 4-0 lead away against Shakhtar Donetsk, Real showed real complacency in squandering 3 goals and were lucky to get away with all 3 points so there is work to be done for the Spanish giants before the Round of 16. Cristiano Ronaldo found himself breaking a record in game-week 6 as he scored his 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th goals in the Group Stage becoming the first player to reach double figures in the Champions League at this point as Real hammered Malmo 8-0. A result in which equalled Liverpool's record scoreline with Benitez being in charge of both sides. PSG produced a great showing during this campaign and proved that they will be formidable opponents for whoever they play in the Round of 16. Defensively they looked outstanding as they only conceded once against Real Madrid and whoever draws them has a tough job to get through. Shakhtar were my dark horses for causing an upset in this group but some lacklustre performances saw them drop to joint 3rd in this group. They can take positives however in almost turning around a 4-0 deficit against the group winners so maybe that will give them some belief for their Europa League campaign. Malmo FF found themselves bottom of this group and it was a hard task for them to get anything from this group however, following the 1-0 win against Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo's hopes of 3rd place were on track however in the reverse fixture a 4-0 defeat proved to be the downfall of their European dreams this season as they conceded another 13 goals before the end of the group. Real Madrid and PSG showed that they will be hard to beat in the next round of the competition and for Shakhtar Donstsk, maybe the Europa League will see them draw a team with similar quality so they can prove themselves.

Group B

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
VfL Wolfsburg	6	4	0	2	9	6	3	12
PSV Eindhoven	6	3	1	2	8	7	1	10
Manchester United FC	6	2	2	2	7	7	0	8
PFC CSKA Moskva	6	1	1	4	5	9	-4	4

In the preview for this group, I said it would be unpredictable and this group did not fail to excite many with a final day decider. For Wolfsburg, what an amazing job by all the players, staff, fans and everyone associated with the club as they reached the knockout phase for the first time in the Champions League. Despite 2 away losses, they managed to make their home a fortress and doing the double over Russian side CSKA Moscow proved to be crucial. Another positive is that their away defeats were of the scorelines 2-1 vs Man United and 2-0 vs PSV showing that they can keep the score low when losing which will be crucial in the next round. PSV join Wolfsburg in the last 16 giving more evidence that it is crucial to have a perfect home record in this competition. They started the campaign with a close encounter against Manchester United in which they prevailed as 2-1 winners. However, their chances of progressing looked slim after 2 consecutive away defeats saw them needing to at least get 7 points for a chance at qualifying and that's what they did, showing their strength as a squad. Game-week 5 was a crucial part of their qualification as they managed to pick up a point away at Old Trafford despite being dominated and when going 1-0 down in game-week 6, they didn't feel sorry for themselves, they were determined to go through and it showed as they turned it around to win 2-1 and deservedly progress to the Round of 16. Manchester United are heading to the Europa League. After high hopes for progression after avoiding many of Europe's heavyweight clubs, Man United fans were left furious with Van Gaal's comments 'We are making progress' after suffering a humiliating exit. A lack of goals has been United's problem in the Premier League this season and that carried over to the Champions League. Frustrating draws away at CSKA Moscow where they were lucky not to be punished for not taking their chances and a 0-0 draw at home to PSV gives me the impression that the Van Gaal philosophy is play to avoid defeat rather than play to win. The 0-0 draw with PSV left United joint 2nd and a point ahead of 3rd with a game to go. Wolfsburg away was always going to be a tough game but with youngsters filling the squad come the final whistle, I think the occasion may have got to them. To go 1-0 up after 10 minutes was a perfect start so to concede 3 minutes later showed a lack of experience then after coming back from 2-1 down courtesy of an own goal, United conceded just two minutes later to end a poor campaign. Maybe the Europa League will bring better results for Van Gaal's tactics. CSKA showed their inconsistency in Europe yet again as despite a 3-2 win vs PSV, followed by a 1-1 draw vs Manchester United, they then went on to lose their final 3 games and ended a disappointing campaign in 4th place.

Group C

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Club Atlético de Madrid	6	4	1	1	11	3	8	13
SL Benfica	6	3	1	2	10	8	2	10
Galatasaray AŞ	6	1	2	3	6	10	-4	5
FC Astana	6	0	4	2	5	11	-6	4

With FC Astana making history in this year's Champions League as they first side from Kazakhstan to reach the Group Stage, Group C was another which threw a few surprises at us. Atletico Madrid looked comfortable throughout this group however they will need to make sure that they don't allow a result like the 2-1 defeat at home to Benfica happen in the next round as that would give them a mountain to climb in the next leg. With only 3 goals conceded, Atletico showed how strong they are defensively therefore showing that whoever plays them will have to be at their best to score. Benfica were a team I questioned before this group stage as they had a stuttering start to their domestic league however, they looked a different team in this competition as they progressed to the next stage. Managing to replicate their 2-1 away win against Atletico Madrid while making sure they don't lose at home will be crucial to Benfica if they are going to progress beyond the next round. With how many goals they concede though, I do believe that Benfica's run will come to an end at the next round. Galatasaray had a disappointing campaign this year as they failed to make their home a fortress like usual as they only picked up 4 out of a possible 9 points. Their 2-1 win vs Benfica in game-week 3 was hoped to be a turning point however, they failed to get another win and find themselves in the Europa League and with the experience and quality they have in their side, I think they'll go far. Founded 6 years ago, FC Astana faced a tough ask in this group and many expected them to get hammered every week. However, it was quite remarkable what they managed to achieve. Despite a heavy away defeat to Atletico Madrid which they lost 4-0 and a 2-0 defeat away at Benfica, FC Astana defied the odds and went unbeaten at home drawing all their games and even got a point away at Galatasary, something that many of the biggest clubs in Europe have failed to achieve. They've proved that they weren't just there to add the numbers and that they will be a formidable opponent for any side in Europe and hopefully they qualify again next year. 

Group D

Clubs	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
Manchester City FC	6	4	0	2	12	8	4	12
Juventus	6	3	2	1	6	3	3	11
Sevilla FC	6	2	0	4	8	11	-3	6
VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach	6	1	2	3	8	12	-4	5

I expected Manchester City to battle hard for this group however I never expected them to win it. Manchester City have been known for never stepping up in Europe however this year, they answered all their critics and prevailed as group winners. The 4-2-3-1 formation has evidently caused a change in the way teams play against them as there was less space for their opposition to expose due to how compact the team is when playing this formation, especially away from home. Scoring an average of 2 goals per game is no easy feat in this competition so when achieved, teams will be taking note of how well City play when on the attack however they need to reduce the number of goals conceded if they are going to make it all the way. Another problem for City is that their 2 defeats came against Juventus which may show that Man City struggle to perform to the best of their ability against big teams. Juventus really surprised me during this group stage. They did the double over group winners Man City however were poor away from home against Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach which saw them only pick up 4 points away from home. Maybe they are missing the experience of Andrea Pirlo who has pulled the strings from midfield in recent years or maybe other teams have worked out how to counter the Italians (other than Man City), the only way to find out is in the next round and Juventus could now find themselves facing Barcelona or Real Madrid. Sevilla started and ended the group stage in perfect style however losing the four games in-between was was very disappointing. Sevilla did prove that they could score goals however they also showed their defensive problems as they conceded way too many goals. Sevilla have won the last two Europa Leagues so heading into this competition may be welcomed by many of their fans. Borussia Monchengladbach's young team tried hard to get through this group and like Sevilla showed that scoring wasn't an issue but defending was and I'm sure this group stage was a great learning curve for their players. They can take pride in the fact that they were unbeaten against last year's runner's up Juventus and hopefully the next time they are in this competition, they can get a few more wins.