The first matchday was a great encapsulation of what the Champions League is all about. We had high-quality competitive matches between top sides, tentative performances between lower-tier ones, as well as a few shocks. Real Madrid's 3-2 win over Manchester City was dubbed the match of the week and did not disappoint, as Madrid came from 2-1 down in the last three minutes to snatch a 3-2 win in stoppage time. Rivals Barcelona also had to come from 2-1 down to defeat Spartak Moscow 3-2. Defending champions Chelsea played out a tight 2-2 draw with Juventus in a game featuring many chances. The level of play was very high and was great to see across the board. The three German sides in the competition all won and Spanish sides won three of their four matches, while Russian, French and Italian sides combined to win just one of their seven matches. Nothing is easy in Europe, as ten of the sixteen matches in Matchday 1 were decided by a goal or less. This field was anticipated to be tough, and it's looking like a very competitive year throughout the groups.
The shock of the round was secured by BATE, the Belorussian champs who ran out to a 3-0 first half lead away to Lille before holding on to win 3-1. Could BATE be this year's surprise package? There are very few recognizable names in their squad (unless you are familiar with Belorussian football), but the most noticeable is the return of former Arsenal and Barcelona man Aleksandr Hleb. Even if Hleb's skills are not as honed as they once were, he will bring professionalism and experience to the squad. Their credentials will be tested quickly - Bayern Munich come to town this week. The win at Lille looks like it could be the highlight of their European campaign, but a shock performance against Bayern could have me believe they have a chance of getting out of this group. They still have quite a bit to prove.
The most impressive and most calamitous performance in the first match day came from the same game. Malaga's 3-0 win over Zenit was both a scintillating performance by the cash-strapped Spanish club as well as a disastrous output from the high-spending Russians. Malaga have certainly proven that they can still excel despite their club's questionable financial strategy, and a positive result in Belgium this week could really send them off to a flying start. Eleven points in five La Liga games have given the club's supporters good reason to hope for more success. On the other hand, Zenit have been very poor since Hulk and Axel Witsel joined the club for a fee in the region of 80 million Euros. Many of the long-serving players are rumored to be asking for pay raises after the club's spending spree. It is up to manager Luciano Spalletti to right the ship as AC Milan, another big club in poor form, head to St. Petersburg.
This week does not feature as many top-quality ties, but in this kind of Champions League, almost every game will be competitive. There are a few games we should take a closer look at this week.
HEADLINER: Manchester City v. Borussia Dortmund
Group D is going to make headlines every matchday because the "Group of Death" features so much quality. City are coming off the 3-2 loss in Madrid while Dortmund got by Ajax 1-0. Dortmund have one of the most formidable attacking quartets, with Lewandowski heading the lines in front of playmakers Reus, Gotze, and Blaszczykowski. Man City's leaky defense will have a tough time keeping them out, but their own attacking force, boosted by the return of Sergio Aguero, is quite strong itself. Expect another high-scoring game, and at the very least, both sides to score. I'm still not convinced by City in Europe - I think a draw could be on the cards in a game similar to their tilt with Napoli last year. Regardless of the score, there will be lots of chances.
Prediction: Manchester City 1-1 Dortmund
UPSET ALERT: CFR Cluj v. Manchester United
Yes, Manchester United lands in this spot this week. While I do think they will come away from Romania with a victory, United have been very shaky in the back this year and have been generally poor away from Old Trafford. Now captain Nemanja Vidic is facing a lengthy absence, making already shaky matters even worse. The Red Devils did win both games against last year's Romanian champs Otelul, but Cluj are a much more formidable side. They have won three domestic of the past five titles and posted an impressive 2-0 win at Braga on the first match day. They have the attackers to cause United trouble, and last year's European form along with their current away form should give United fans some cause for concern. This game could be much closer than anticipated and United must put its stamp on the game early to avoid dropping points in Eastern Europe.
Prediction: CFR Cluj 1-2 Manchester United
DO OR DIE: Zenit St. Petersburg v. AC Milan
I touched on Zenit's issues earlier - the 3-0 loss to Malaga created a deep hole to pull themselves out of already, while Milan's uninspiring 0-0 draw with Anderlecht at the San Siro was almost as distasteful. Malaga and Anderlecht are by no means poor opposition, but for these two clubs, those results are far below expectations. Milan can't score. Excluding a 3-1 win at Bologna, they have scored one goal in their other four competitive matches. With Zlatan and Thiago Silva sold to PSG, Cassano to Inter, and Robinho injured, Milan's team sheet looks very, very ordinary. They look to be in a lot more trouble than Zenit, who have the talent, but lack team chemistry. It's more of a matter of time before Zenit gets it together, as Milan look more like they could endure a very tough season. If there is a loser in this game (especially for Zenit) they could be in a world of trouble - Anderlecht are better than they are given credit for and Malaga is on a roll. I expect Zenit to show some urgency and take the game to the Rossoneri.
Prediction: Zenit 2-0 AC Milan
Full Predictions (Rankings in parentheses):
Spartak Moscow - Celtic: HOME WIN
BATE Borisov - Bayern Munich (4): AWAY WIN
Benfica (20) - Barcelona (2): DRAW
CFR Cluj - Manchester United (5): AWAY WIN
Galatasaray - Braga: HOME WIN
Juventus (7) - Shakhtar Donetsk: HOME WIN
FC Nordsjaelland - Chelsea (6): AWAY WIN
Valencia - Lille: HOME WIN
Zenit St. Petersburg (10) - AC Milan (11): HOME WIN
Ajax Amsterdam (22) - Real Madrid (1): AWAY WIN
Anderlecht - Malaga (17): DRAW
Arsenal (12) - Olympiakos: HOME WIN
Dynamo Kiev - Dinamo Zagreb: HOME WIN
FC Porto - Paris Saint Germain (9): DRAW
Manchester City (3) - Borussia Dortmund (8): DRAW
Schalke 04 (13) - Montpellier (25): HOME WIN
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