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.
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