UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 - Preview

The first matchday had its share of surprises, as Basel went to England and knocked off Chelsea, while Napoli and Shakhtar also defeated favored opponents. Overall, it was rather low-key when compared to the last couple of years. There are a few duds in the mix for this week, but also more action-packed ones. Again, games to pay extra attention to are marked with “*” symbols. 

Time	Home		Away	Group	Projection	Venue
2:45 ET	FC Basel	vs	Schalke 04	E	2-1	St Jakob-Park
2:45 ET	Steaua Bucuresti	vs	Chelsea	E	1-2	Stadionul Ghencea
2:45 ET	Arsenal	vs	Napoli	F	2-1	Emirates Stadium
2:45 ET	Borussia Dortmund	vs	Marseille	F	3-0	Signal-Iduna-Park
12:00 ET	Zenit St Petersburg	vs	Austria Vienna	H	4-0	Petrovski Stadium
2:45 ET	FC Porto	vs	Atletico Madrid	H	2-1	Estadio do Dragao
2:45 ET	Ajax Amsterdam	vs	AC Milan	G	1-1	Amsterdam ArenA
2:45 ET	Celtic	vs	Barcelona	G	0-3	Celtic Park
2:45 ET	Bayer Leverkusen	vs	Real Sociedad	A	1-1	BayArena
2:45 ET	Shakhtar Donetsk	vs	Manchester United	A	2-1	Donbass Arena
2:45 ET	Juventus	vs	Galatasaray	B	2-0	Juventus Stadium
2:45 ET	Real Madrid	vs	FC Copenhagen	B	5-1	Santiago Bernabéu
2:45 ET	Anderlecht	vs	Olympiakos	C	0-0	Constant Vanden Stock
2:45 ET	Paris Saint-Germain	vs	Benfica	C	1-0	Parc des Princes
12:00 ET	CSKA Moscow	vs	Viktoria Plzen	D	2-0	Arena Khimki
2:45 ET	Manchester City	vs	Bayern Munich	D	2-2	Etihad Stadium

*FC Basel – Schalke 04*: Group E’s Matchday 1 winners meet in Basel for what should be one of the better clashes of the week. Basel secured an impressive win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge while Schalke continue to shrug off their miserable start in the Bundesliga by performing in Europe. Basel are a very good team; I suggested they should make it through this group because of the style of football they play. They have the ability to follow one big win with another. This club has defeated Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea and Bayern Munich in the last three years. Winning this contest would leave the Swiss side in a great position heading into two fixtures against Steaua. Schalke have a strong away record in the Champions League, going unbeaten in their last five matches. I expect a close match and give Basel the edge here at home.

Steaua Bucharest – Chelsea: The group’s two losers meet in Romania, in what is essentially a must-win for both sides. Obviously, Chelsea are favorites here and they will have considerably more pressure on them given the poor performance against Basel. They also lost in Romania in last year’s Europa League before squeaking by Steaua in the return fixture. Despite conceding three times to Schalke, Steaua are a difficult team to break down and the trip to Romania will be an arduous one. After losing some players this summer, Steaua are not as strong as last year’s side and will be more easily exposed by Chelsea’s numerous attackers. Fernando Torres looks to have returned to form and he should start the match due to his impending suspension in England. It will not be an easy game but Chelsea should get their campaign off the mark in Bucharest.

*Arsenal – Napoli*: This should be one of the best matches of the group stage. Both sides won their opening fixture in Group F and both sides have won five of their first six domestic games. Rafa Benitez returns to England with striker Gonzalo Higuain, who chose Napoli over Arsenal this summer. Arsenal’s addition of Mesut Ozil has transformed the side, and Aaron Ramsey is in the best form of his career. Ramsey’s goal-scoring has lifted Arsenal to the top of the Premier League, and is especially impressive considering how poorly he was playing less than a year ago.

This game should feature plenty of positive, attacking football. Napoli aren’t the traditional Italian side, content to pack it in and play for a narrow victory. This team scores plenty of goals, even without Edinson Cavani, and they will be challenging for Arsenal’s back four to deal with. I like what I’ve seen so far from Arsenal in the Premier League and give them the edge here, but this tie could go either way. Arsenal are not as dominant at home as they used to be and Napoli can give their defense much more trouble than the likes of Swansea and Stoke.

Borussia Dortmund – Marseille: Marseille won this fixture 3-2 two years ago after trailing 2-0, qualifying for the knockout stage in the process. Dortmund’s first year in the Champions League was one to forget, and with what is a much improved side, should be able to avenge that defeat. Dortmund have been dominant at home, having won six straight European games. They have scored eleven goals in their last two Bundesliga home matches, and sit atop the league with six wins and a draw from their first seven.  Marseille are not a bad side but they just don’t have the quality to compete in this group.

Zenit – Austria Vienna: This should be a straightforward tie for Zenit. They must beat the Austrian minnows at home to stand a chance in this group, and showed they will compete despite losing in Madrid. Vienna showed the same thing against Porto, narrowly losing 1-0 after missing a host of chances. Don’t expect a repeat performance. Zenit need this win and will take the three points heading into their home-and-home with Porto.

*Porto – Atletico Madrid*:  Porto have one of the best home advantages in Europe at their Estadio Dragao, but Atletico make one of the shortest trips to their fortress. The Iberian rivals have had their ups and downs, but both are looking like very tough sides this year. Porto have five wins and a draw from their first six matches in Portugal, while Atletico are still perfect in La Liga following a 1-0 derby victory over big-spending Real Madrid.

Two attacking teams getting together is always fun, and I expect Porto and Atletico to put on a good show. Atletico striker Diego Costa may get a call from Spain if he continues his current form. Porto are the European symbol of consistency – managers like Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas have come and gone, as well as high-profile players like Deco, Joao Moutinho and Hulk. Porto are still a European power and a very proud one; they have a stellar home record and were the only team to defeat PSG on their travels last season. I like Porto to win what should be a free-flowing, end-to-end game.

Ajax – AC Milan: This fixture should be a good one to watch, with AC Milan not fully throttling yet and Ajax a good squad at home. Ajax are firmly stuck in the good-but-not-great category of European sides, and this is the sort of game they will need to win to reestablish themselves as a continental power. Coach Frank De Boer was not discouraged despite losing 4-0 at the Camp Nou, and you have to admire his team’s confidence. They were able to beat Manchester City at home last year and Milan could be another victim. The Italians haven’t won an away fixture yet this season, struggling to draws and defeats against some of Serie A’s weaker sides. Still ninth in the league, Milan are in the process of finding their form this season. A positive result would be encouraging for Ajax ahead of their games with Celtic, and they should be able to secure a point in one way or another.

Celtic – Barcelona: As stated last matchday, Celtic are not the same team that qualified for last year’s knockout round. Life in the Scottish Premier League without Rangers has certainly taken a toll on the league, and the club sold a number of important players over the summer. Last year’s heroics against Barcelona will be difficult to replicate; Barcelona look stronger than ever. The one advantage the Hoops will have is that they will not have to deal with Lionel Messi, as he sits out with a thigh injury. One thing is for sure – Celtic Park will be bumping Tuesday night. Just don’t expect another historic victory for the home side.

Bayer Leverkusen – Real Sociedad: Both sides lost their opening matches and are looking to bounce back. Neither side will want to face two games against the two stronger teams in this group on zero points. Sociedad were one of my sleeper picks to make some noise and they have had a very poor start to the season. With just seven points in seven league matches, they need a victory to jumpstart their campaign. On the other hand, Bayer are off to a great start in the Bundesliga and despite losing to Manchester United, they showed some attacking promise that is essential in European ties. Both teams need this game, so I’m looking at a draw. If there is a loser, they would be in a huge hole to qualify.

*Shakhtar Donetsk – Manchester United*: What an interesting fixture for Manchester United as they face a trip to Ukraine to play Shakhtar following their shock home defeat to West Brom on Saturday. Donetsk is not a fun place to travel, and Shakhtar are no slouch, underlying their intentions with a 2-0 win in Spain two weeks ago. They have not started their domestic campaign as well as the past few years, but are still a very talented team full of young Brazilian players as well as seasoned veterans.

The attribute I always saw from Sir Alex during his time in charge of United was his ability to make his team react to disappointment. There were very few extended hangovers during Fergie’s time, and the squad was typically able to pick itself up following defeat. Well, it is a trying time for David Moyes because following the Manchester derby drubbing at the hands of City, United were outplayed by West Brom on Saturday, losing a second consecutive Premier League game. I know they beat Liverpool midweek, but an opening Carling Cup game is of little significance when compared to the Premier League. Further worsening the situation is Shakhtar, whose last home loss in a competitive game was last December against Juventus, a game where they had already qualified and fielded a weakened side. Before that, they lost in November of 2011 to Porto. Needless to say, this team is near-impossible to beat at home and United will need a strong reaction here. If they can play well, they could earn a very creditable draw or snatch a win. More likely, they will sink further into the mire.

Juventus – Galatasaray: Juventus didn’t take care of their numerous chances in Denmark and left with just a point. Galatasaray were hammered by Real, conceding a number of poor goals late in the second half. Surely both sides are better than their opening performances and will be keen to prove it. This is an interesting matchup and I would place *s around it, but I don’t expect the game to have too many chances. Both of these teams try to dominate possession, and Juventus is much stronger at home than on the road. Gala would be happy with a draw despite losing their first match, as two matches with Copenhagen await them. I expect Juventus to take the three points and relieve some pressure that would build if they enter their home-and-home with Madrid with just two points. Interesting note – Roberto Mancini was just hired as Galatasaray’s new manager. We’ll see if he can make an impact in his first game in charge.

Real Madrid – FC Copenhagen: This is a perfect fixture for Real right now, as they have begun their domestic campaign somewhat slowly again. A derby loss to Atletico is never good for the royal club and falling further off the pace in the league will not please the higher-ups. In steps Copenhagen, the weakest team in the group but coming off an inspiring 1-1 draw with Juventus. We will not see too much carry-over here: Real should win this game easily and banish fears that the club is in any sort of dysfunction.

Anderlecht – Olympiakos: Anderlecht have their moments in the Champions League but were outclassed by Benfica in their first match and face a stronger opponent again here. The Greeks were their own worst enemy against PSG, failing to defend set-pieces while completely falling apart in the second half. They are the better side and could really use a win, but they must shore up their defense and not repeat the four goals they conceded. I expect a defensive display from both sides, as Anderlecht do not have much in terms of experienced goal scorers. They have been scoring in the league though and an early goal could ignite this one. I wouldn’t set my hopes too high on that though.

PSG – Benfica: The two favorites in Group C face off in Paris, each coming off of an easy victory. PSG are loaded with world-class talent and will be solid favorites at home. Benfica are off to a shaky start in Portugal where they are typically dominant, but I don’t see it as much to worry about. These are two top quality sides, and it should be a good game. PSG’s style has been a bit more subdued that you would think given their wealth of attackers, but they were able to score four times in their first match, and will be hunting for goals again. Benfica are just a bit short here playing on the road; they are usually much tougher to beat at home. PSG should continue their hot start with a win.

CSKA Moscow – Viktoria Plzen: Should be business as usual for CSKA following their opening match defeat in Munich, as Plzen provides a must-win match before their two games against City. Plzen fought tough for the first-half against City but eventually succumbed to a couple of superb goals. Again, this team is not as bad as many think but they will have trouble on their travels in this group. A mandatory victory for the Russians, and they should grab it without much discomfort.

*Manchester City – Bayern Munich*: An obviously headliner here, as two powerhouses of Europe go head-to-head in Manchester on Wednesday. Both teams won their opening match, but there is more pressure on Manchester City given that they face two matches against CSKA, while Bayern play Plzen.

City are a puzzling team. They can look unstoppable at times against top-tier opponents, and then their defense can just fall down like a house of cards against a weak team. Cardiff and Aston Villa have both defeated City in the Premier League this year (scoring three goals apiece) and their other away fixture resulted in a draw with Stoke. Fortunately for them, this game is in the confines of the Etihad, so this will be an interesting match. Bayern have no fear of anyone, especially coming to England, where they hammered Arsenal 3-0 last year. Bayern do not look as strong under Guardiola despite their good run of results, as last year’s dominating team takes a bit of time to adjust. There will be goals because City doesn’t have a clue how to defend, but expect the Citizens to hang right with Bayern. This has the looks of an entertaining draw.

2013-14 UEFA Champions League - Matchday 1 Preview

Matchday 1 is nearly here and there are a number of enticing matchups on the way. I have highlighted a few games in the past to spotlight and will continue to do so, but I am going to add a few notes on each matchup to provide a basis for my projections. The games that should be especially interesting to watch are identified by the “*” symbols around the team names.

Groups A-D play Tuesday, September 16 and Groups E-H play Wednesday, September 17.

Time	Home		Away	Group	Projection	Venue
2:45 ET	Manchester United	vs	Bayer Leverkusen	A	2-1	Old Trafford
2:45 ET	Real Sociedad	vs	Shakhtar Donetsk	A	2-0	Estadio Anoeta
2:45 ET	FC Copenhagen	vs	Juventus	B	0-2	Parkstadion
2:45 ET	Galatasaray	vs	Real Madrid	B	1-1	Türk Telekom Arena
2:45 ET	Benfica	vs	Anderlecht	C	1-0	Estadio da Luz
2:45 ET	Olympiakos Piraeus	vs	Paris Saint-Germain	C	0-1	Karaiskaki Stadium
2:45 ET	Bayern Munich	vs	CSKA Moscow	D	2-0	Allianz Arena
2:45 ET	Viktoria Plzen	vs	Manchester City	D	1-2	Struncovy Sady Stadion
2:45 ET	Chelsea	vs	FC Basel	E	3-1	Stamford Bridge
2:45 ET	Schalke 04	vs	Steaua Bucuresti	E	2-1	Veltins-Arena
2:45 ET	Olympique Marseille	vs	Arsenal	F	1-2	Stade Vélodrome
2:45 ET	SSC Napoli	vs	Borussia Dortmund	F	2-2	Stadio San Paolo
2:45 ET	AC Milan	vs	Celtic	G	2-1	Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
2:45 ET	FC Barcelona	vs	Ajax Amsterdam	G	4-1	Camp Nou
2:45 ET	Atletico Madrid	vs	Zenit St Petersburg	H	3-2	Vicente Calderon
2:45 ET	Austria Vienna	vs	FC Porto	H	0-4	Generali Arena

Manchester United – Bayer Leverkusen: United face a tougher task in Group A than past years, but should feel comfortable against Bayer. Bayer have not won an away match in the Champions League since 2002, which includes thirteen matches (3 draws, 10 losses). United have not been as dominant at home as they were in the early part of last decade, but Old Trafford is always going to be a tough place to play on a European night. United should start off their campaign with a W.

Real Sociedad – Shakhtar Donetsk: Real haven’t played in the Champions League since 2003-04, their only other appearance. They reached the knockout stage but lost 2-0 on aggregate to Lyon. Shakhtar have reached the knockout stage in two of the past three years, but their road performance has been poor. They have won just two of their last eight road fixtures, those being against APOEL in a meaningless Matchday 6 game and away to Danish side FC Nordsjaelland. I see Sociedad as a sleeper in this tournament and think they will continue their current form with a win at home.

FC Copenhagen – Juventus: Copenhagen have had a very poor start to the season, taking seven tries to win their first fixture in the Danish Superliga. The Danes hadn’t qualified since a run to the round of 16 in 2010-11. Juventus are one of the best sides in the competition and will be strong favorites. However, they did claim just a 1-1 draw in their trip to the Parken Stadium last year against Nordsjaelland. Juve are better now than last year and should take all three points against a Copenhagen side still finding its bearings.

*Galatasaray – Real Madrid*: Galatasaray must be pleased to play Madrid on Day 1. The Turks defeated Madrid and Manchester United at home last season - impressive scalps despite neither opponent needing a win (United had already qualified, Madrid held a 3-0 lead on aggregate). Madrid are off to a bright start in La Liga but are still going to need some time to create chemistry. A host of new signings came into new manager Carlo Ancelotti’s side and key playmaker Mesut Ozil departed for Arsenal.

All of this culminates in a good opportunity for Gala at home. With Didier Drogba and Burak Yilmaz up top, they are always going to be a threat, and Real are still going to be finding their identity with the addition of Gareth Bale. Don’t forget, this is a team that won just two games from six on the road last season – versus Ajax and Manchester United. We know Ajax is a good, but not great team, and the United win is infamous for the questionable red card given to Nani with United leading 1-0. This will be an entertaining game to watch and while Gala don’t have a stellar home record, this is a game they will not want to lose.

Benfica – Anderlecht: Anderlecht were tough on the road last season, drawing games against Milan and Malaga while falling 1-0 to Zenit on a penalty. Benfica were a surprising early exit last year, and have already dropped four points to start their domestic campaign. Don’t expect fireworks in this one. Benfica should win the game but it will be very tight in Lisbon.

Olympiakos – Paris Saint-Germain: PSG are my favorite for this year’s tournament and they begin with a trip to Greece. They were strong on the road last year, winning three, drawing Barcelona, and losing 1-0 to Porto. Olympiakos have dropped their first home game each of their past two campaigns but have been historically tough at home.

I would have placed stars around this game because of the interesting matchup but I don’t think the game itself will be too pulsating. The matchup is amusing as PSG are not at full speed yet. Olympiakos have some experienced attacking players in Javier Saviola and Kostas Mitroglou (scored four goals in six games last year) who can burn PSG on the break. I don’t expect many goals – possibly one or two – but PSG are clearly the better side. If they can withstand some early pressure from the Greeks they will leave with a victory.

Bayern Munich – CSKA Moscow: Defending champions Bayern open with CSKA at home, who missed last season’s competition after reaching the knockout stage in 2011-12. CSKA have fared pretty well on the road, losing just two of their past eight games. CSKA are a dangerous team to Bayern and City in this group because they continue to fly under the radar despite their domestic success. However, Bayern will be far too strong in this one. At home, you can expect the Bavarians to take all three points.

Viktoria Plzen – Manchester City: Plzen have won all twelve of their games in qualifying in the club’s history after recording six more wins this season. Unfortunately, the quality of opponents in qualifying is far weaker than the group stage, and they now face two games against powerhouses Manchester City and Bayern Munich. There’s no real way to explain City’s ineptitude on the continent other than inexperience. This team is one of the most talented in the world and looks like they may finally be ready to showcase it. This fixture is a bit scary though, more so than perceived. Plzen have been dominating the Czech league and lost just one of their three home games in 2011-12, when they lost a man in the first half to a red card against Barcelona. City’s leaky defense coupled with a Champions League record of one win and five losses in six away games spells trouble. I think City can steal a win here, but if they overlook Plzen they are already going to be a hole when Bayern comes to England on Matchday 2.

Chelsea – FC Basel: Chelsea have been dominant at home in the Champions League, winning eight and drawing one in their last nine. Chelsea defeated Basel home and away last season, but the Swiss side has lost just two of their last nine games on the road in the Champions League. Jose Mourinho has always had a strong home record and it would be a shock to see Chelsea drop points in this one. Basel are likely the second-best team in this group but lack the general quality for a dream result here. Chelsea should begin their campaign with three points.

Schalke – Steaua Bucharest: Schalke are one of those teams that typically flies under the radar. They won Group B last year and reached the semi-finals three years ago, but nothing about this team instills any confidence in me that they are as good as either of those sides. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is getting old, and while I love the signing of Kevin Prince-Boateng for this team, they still lack the bite that those other teams had. That being said, this is a game they should win. Steaua have not played in the Champions League in five years, when they lost five of their six games (one draw) and scored three goals (all in one game). I watched this team play when Chelsea faced them in the Europa League last year, and they have some decent players. They will be tough in Romania for everyone in this group, but on the road, they will be exposed.

Marseille – Arsenal: Marseille don’t have many big names but they are a solid, disciplined team that will give the other three teams in the “Group of Death” difficulty. Arsenal's addition of Mesut Ozil truly does make them a different team. They defeated Montpellier away in their first match in last year's group stage, and I expect them to leave with three points again. Marseille will have trouble with the speed of Arsenal's passing game. 

*Napoli – Dortmund*: Definitely the best game to watch. Napoli and Dortmund are two very strong teams with very potent offensive front lines. Lewandowski has returned to form and new signings Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang have helped Dortmund get off to a roaring start in the Bundesliga. The goals are flooding in for Jurgen Klopp’s men and they are showing no signs of slowing down. Napoli are also off to a perfect start in Serie A, as Rafael Benitez has picked up right where he left off at Chelsea. Hamsik looks like a top player and former Real players Higuain and Callejon are putting away their opportunities.

This game will be interesting regardless of whether the goals continue to flow in for these clubs – Napoli would prefer a low-scoring affair and will likely set up as such. This is not to say they will play passively, but Italian sides are historically defensive, especially at home, and with a team of Dortmund’s pedigree, it would be wise not to open up the play too much. In a game that could go either way, a draw looks likely. Despite their run to the final last season, Dortmund won just one game away from home.

AC Milan – Celtic: Milan are not off to a great start in Serie A as they face Celtic, who have won four of their first five in the weak Scottish Premier League. Celtic played fantastically to finish second to Barcelona in their group last year, while AC Milan were downed by the Catalans in the knockout round. Milan will be very tough to beat at home and Celtic will likely hope for a draw. The Scottish champions are not as strong as they were last year and AC Milan should dispatch of them without much drama.

Barcelona – Ajax: Barcelona are a top contender for Champions League glory this year after signing Neymar to complement Messi. Teams without the defensive know-how to play against Barca are in a lot of trouble and Ajax will be hard-pressed to keep this game close. I think their chances at home against teams in this group are far greater than on the road. They can score against Barca’s weak defense but conceded a ton of goals in last year’s group stage. This one could be a great match if Ajax can implore some of Celtic’s gameplan against the Catalans last year, but expect Barcelona to start their Group G campaign with three points.

*Atletico Madrid – Zenit*: Atletico and Zenit certainly know how to score and should provide goals in Madrid. Atletico make their first appearance since 2008-09 where they were awful, yielding just three points in three games. Zenit have had mixed results in Europe despite their recent shopping sprees. They destroyed their two opponents in qualifying, while Atletico have been scoring plenty of goals in La Liga (14 goals in their first 4 games). I give Atletico the edge here at home and because this is an especially long trip for Zenit. Certainly going to be a fun one to watch regardless of the result.

Austria Vienna – FC Porto: Austria Vienna make their first appearance in the group stage against perennials FC Porto. During their last appearance in the Champions League they were defeated in qualifying by Portuguese side Benfica 4-1 on aggregate, but did manage a draw at home. It is always tough gauging the weaker teams of the competition, as they are normally significantly weaker in talent, but if they have a good coach, they can play with the big boys. Cypriot side APOEL reached the quarterfinals two years ago, while Belorussian side BATE were the only team to beat eventual champions Bayern in last year’s edition. I’m going to go harsh here – I don’t see much to like in Vienna and Porto could serve them a brutal lesson about playing on Europe’s biggest stage.