Football Dispatch

Champions' League draw: Instant analysis

30 August 2007

THE Champions’ League draw was held this evening in Monaco – sorting the 32 remaining clubs into eight groups and leaving fans and observers an agonizing eighteen days over which to anticipate the first kick of the ball. And while each of the groups has a certain stimulating quality, three in particular have caught my attention.

Group-E is clearly the most intriguing of the lot. Barcelona are the top seed and are joined by Olympique Lyonnais – winners of six Ligue-1 titles on the bounce, Stuttgart – champions of Germany, and Rangers – the best team in Britain at the moment. After one glance at the bracket, it becomes clear that the Catalans are no sure thing for a place in the knock-out stages.

Lyon are bored with Ligue-1. You can see it in their play to start the 2007-2008 campaign. They appear slow, rigid, and completely uninterested. They have one goal this term – an extended drive in Europe. But, like Barcelona, advancing beyond December is not a given.

It would shock nobody if the two teams to emerge from this group were Stuttgart and Rangers. Stuttgart, after winning the Bundesliga on the final day of last season, have enough talent and depth to see them through the Group Phase. And Rangers are simply hitting on all cylinders at the moment. They are scoring for fun; and the goals are coming from everywhere. Furthermore, Glasgow is never an easy place to visit; so Walter Smith & Co. will be hoping that Ibrox becomes their fortress this autumn.

Chelsea are another big club which will be hard-pressed to get out of their group. They are currently atop the Premier League, although they have looked far from convincing so far this season. Everyone and their uncle knows that both Jose Mourinho and Roman Abramovich are targeting the European Cup above all other trophies this term. They have nothing left to win. But it will be easier said than done.

Firstly, Valencia demonstrated in the quarterfinals of last year’s competition that they are a handful for Chelsea. If not for a Michael Essien wonder-goal, it might well have been Liverpool v Valencia in the semifinal. Los Che boast a collection of forwards which are the envy of the continent. The midfield is sturdy and creative and the backline was substantially upgraded in the off-season. They will be no pushover.

Neither will Schalke. And I really feel that the Bundesliga runners-up will surprise a few people in the Champions’ League. Germany is home to some of Europe’s fastest, most entertaining football. And Schalke excel at it. They are always a danger to score and have an array of players who can put the ball in the back of the net. I rather fancy them to get out of this group.

And, obviously, Group-F raises the eyebrows – if for no other reason than the fact that Manchester United will be returning to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The reasoning needs little explanation. Before, during, and following Roma’s 2-1 win over United in the 1st-leg of their Champions’ League quarterfinal last March, United’s traveling contingent were attacked by rival fans and the stadium’s security personnel. Ugly scenes ensued; and, of course, United’s 7-goal destruction of Roma a fortnight later only served to heighten the animosity between the two clubs. Their home-and-away series should be interesting to say the least.

Dyanamo Kiev will not advance; but they will probably put up a point or two. The Ukrainian capital is an intimidating venture for visiting clubs at the best of times – to say nothing of November or December. They will likely get at least a couple of draws at home. And the clubs which handle the excursion best will, in my opinion, be the ones which emerge from the group.

Sporting Lisbon will not be one of those clubs. Portuguese sides are notoriously poor travelers; and Sporting’s deep reserve of talent was subject to the raiding parties which gut its roster each summer.

I think United and Roma will run away with this group; but there are a few variables which could keep it interesting into the latter rounds of the Group Phase.

In the remaining groups, I would expect Liverpool and Porto to come out of Group-A with nary an effort and Real Madrid and Werder Bremen shouldn’t have too many problems in Group-C. I’m picking AC Milan and Celtic to emerge from Group-D and I feel that Inter Milan and CSKA Moscow will advance from Group-G. Group-H, undoubtedly the lightest of the bunch, will, in my opinion, produce Sevilla as victors and Arsenal as runners-up.

And for the record, I’m taking Valencia and Schalke in Group-B and Barcelona and Stuttgart in Group-E.