A quick run-down of this week's games - I expect most of these ties to be very close. Some teams have already been eliminated, but most have it all to play for and are fighting to stay alive. It makes for some aggressive, tight football that usually culminates in more goals as teams get more desperate for points. With the quality of the teams in this competition, this could be the best matchday of the group stage.
HEADLINER: Juventus v. Chelsea
Juventus host Chelsea trailing both the Blues and Shakhtar (who visit Nordsjaelland) by a point. Juve have a much greater sense of urgency to win this game, while Chelsea would be happy with a point, as a very winnable home fixture against Nordjaelland awaits. A loss and a Shakhtar win would eliminate the Old Lady ahead of next matchday's showdown in Ukraine. Chelsea must not play this fixture too carefully, as a loss and a Shakhtar win would set them to be eliminated with a draw in Donetsk between the two. I expect Chelsea to play on the counter but also to show some conviction going forward, especially considering how fragile their defense has been without John Terry. Juventus gave them a ton of trouble at Stamford Bridge and it may behoove the Blues to start off on the front foot rather than waiting for the Italians to come at them. I expect lots of chances given Chelsea's attacking prowess and their messy defense. An early goal would force Juventus to attack with much more force, which could be provided by in-form attackers Juan Mata and Eden Hazard. Juventus have stepped up their goal-scoring recently as well, scoring ten goals in their two games prior to Saturday. This is the game to watch of the week.
Prediction: Juventus 2-2 Chelsea
UPSET ALERT: Anderlecht v. AC Milan
Anderlecht gave Milan all they could handle on Matchday 1, leaving with a point in a 0-0 draw. Milan have been in peril all season long, and the issues within the club only seem to be escalating. The Belgians are just a point behind and a victory would put them in pole position to reach the knockout stage. Milan desperately need something to turn the club's fortunes around, and their only win in the competition so far came away from home (in Russia). I don't see it. This looks like a lost season for Milan, with the only bright spot being the emergence of Stephan El Shaarawy as a legitimate goal scorer. After last matchday's win over Zenit, Anderlecht could be this year's Pot 4 team to go through. Anderlecht have a number of experienced players who will not be afraid to attack the struggling Milan defense. Christian Abbiati has come under particular scrutiny for his role in their concession of five goals in the last two games. Anderlecht should be rocking for this game. Upset alert on full blast for the Italians.
Prediction: Anderlecht 1-0 Milan
GROUP D WILL BE INTERESTING IF...
Manchester City and Ajax both win at home, against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund respectively. Dubbed the "group of death" of this season's competition, the matches have failed to disappoint; however, the dramatics have, as City and Ajax both need wins today to have any chance of going through. Unfortunately, I can't see it happening. City have been miserable in Europe this season and now must beat arguably the best team in the world to have any chance. Last weekend's thrashing of Aston Villa will provide some spark but there is an obvious difference in quality and organization between Villa and a Mourinho-coached Madrid. Ajax played well against City, and are vastly underrated - if they'd finished the job and won at the Etihad, this group would have a whole different complexion. But Dortmund have been very strong in Europe this year on both sides of the field, so it will be very difficult for the Dutch. It looks like we're heading for a boring final matchday, as I expect Madrid and Dortmund to frustrate their opponents and acquire the necessary results to all but send them through. I give Ajax a better chance of grabbing a win and spicing up the group, but two draws could be on the cards for this week's Group D fixtures.
Predictions: Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid, Ajax 0-0 Dortmund
Full Predictions (Rankings in parentheses):
BATE - Lille : DRAW
Valencia - Bayern Munich (4) : DRAW
Juventus (7) - Chelsea (3) : DRAW
FC Nordjaelland - Shakhtar Donetsk : AWAY WIN
Spartak Moscow - Barcelona (2) : DRAW
Benfica (21) - Celtic (25) : HOME WIN
Zenit (15) - Malaga (14) : HOME WIN
Anderlecht - AC Milan (18) : HOME WIN
Galatasaray - Manchester United (6) : HOME WIN
CFR Cluj - Braga : AWAY WIN
Manchester City (5) - Real Madrid (1) : DRAW
Ajax Amsterdam - Borussia Dortmund (8) : DRAW
Dynamo Kiev - PSG (9) : AWAY WIN
FC Porto (23) - Dinamo Zagreb : HOME WIN
Arsenal (12) - Montpellier : HOME WIN
Schalke (10) - Olympiakos : HOME WIN
Showing posts with label Anderlecht. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anderlecht. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
UEFA Champions League - Matchday 4
Last matchday featured a number of upset specials. The early upset darling, BATE, were run over by Valencia to extend their point-less run against Spanish opposition to six games. However, Dortmund knocked off Real Madrid, Schalke won at the Emirates (boom), Ajax dismantled Manchester City and Shakhtar beat Chelsea. The biggest shock to me was Ajax's win, not because of the result itself but because of the performance. They were better for nearly the whole match, as City's goal came against the run of play. Rather than falter, Ajax responded with three second half goals to stun the City hierarchy. One point from three is not good enough for Roberto's men - I don't care who you're playing.
Matchday 4 is a reverse of Matchday 3 - so it's the same matchups but at the opposite team's home field. For some ties, it makes an even better matchup, as AC Milan and Malaga should be very tight, as will Dynamo Kiev and Porto, among others. However, the better sides that played away from home last week should have a much easier go of it at home - Valencia, City, and Benfica should all come away with three points this week. Lots of points to think about, though.
HEADLINER: Schalke 04 v. Arsenal
I'm not going to choose a game from Group D this week (although I know Real Madrid and Dortmund should be a great game) because I think you can take a lot more from this tie. Arsenal are in a perilous state at the current time and in much need of a victory to retake first place in Group B and settle concerns from fans. Schalke are performing very well at the moment and should have nine points in the group, but conceded late against Montpellier. After winning at the Emirates, Schalke will have nothing to fear against the Gunners, who have scored just seven goals in six Premier League games away from home. Despite having the best defensive record in the Premier League, Arsenal's defense has proven mistake-prone during the last few years, and I expect nothing different in Germany. Schalke are rotating the squad quite a bit recently to keep players fresh, but should have most of their first team on the field Tuesday. Expect the Germans to come away with a minimum of a point but more likely take all three points to send Arsenal further into the mire. An Olympiakos win could threaten a knockout stage appearance as well.
Prediction: Schalke 2-1 Arsenal
UPSET ALERT: Braga v. Manchester United
Manchester United are on upset alert again in Portugal where the Red Devils have historically struggled. Braga have been in the best run of their club's history, but have dropped two of three so far in the Champions League. They moved through United's defense easily in the first half before capitulating in the second during one of United's vintage comebacks. United struggled in Romania and still came out with a win, but this game sets up as a trap game after big domestic wins over Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as a comfortable lead at the top of Group H. Braga are not at the level of their domestic rivals but can compete with bigger clubs, reaching the Europa League final two years ago after defeating Liverpool, Dynamo Kiev and Benfica before losing narrowly to Porto in the final. United may take this game too lightly and their defense is not strong enough to grind out a result in a difficult place to play. Braga could grab a point in this contest and could maybe nick a win with a solid performance.
Prediction: Braga 1-1 Manchester United
OLD RIVALS: Celtic v. Barcelona
Celtic and Barcelona face off again in Glasgow after the Catalans snatched a 2-1 victory in injury time after going a goal down in the first half. It was a surprisingly close encounter, as many of Celtic's fans could hardly believe they were in the game for so long. Unfortunately for the Hoops, the result means the performance was all for nothing, although they still do hold second place in Group G. That type of performance is very difficult to duplicate against Barcelona, and although Celtic are historically very tough at Celtic Park, Barcelona should be a huge favorite in this one. The goals could be flying in left and right but I expect a more subdued game. Celtic will set up to strike on the counter while Barcelona typically dominate possession. I like to root for the underdog but it would take an even better performance for Celtic to grab a share of the spoils on Wednesday. Barcelona won't take them so lightly this time.
Prediction: Celtic 0-2 Barcelona
Full Predictions (Rankings in parentheses):
Real Madrid (1) - Borussia Dortmund (8) : HOME WIN
AC Milan (18) - Malaga (14) : DRAW
Schalke (10) - Arsenal (12) : HOME WIN
Manchester City (5) - Ajax Amsterdam : HOME WIN
PSG (9) - Dinamo Zagreb : HOME WIN (potentially very ugly)
Olympiakos - Montpellier : DRAW
Dynamo Kiev - FC Porto (23) : HOME WIN
Anderlecht - Zenit (15) : AWAY WIN
Celtic (25) - Barcelona (2) : AWAY WIN
Valencia - BATE : HOME WIN
Juventus (7) - FC Nordsjaelland : HOME WIN
Bayern Munich (4) - LOSC Lille : HOME WIN (also potentially very ugly)
Braga - Manchester United (6) : DRAW
Chelsea (3) - Shakhtar Donetsk : HOME WIN
CFR Cluj - Galatasaray : AWAY WIN (no logical reasoning, just instinct)
Benfica (21) - Spartak Moscow : HOME WIN
Matchday 4 is a reverse of Matchday 3 - so it's the same matchups but at the opposite team's home field. For some ties, it makes an even better matchup, as AC Milan and Malaga should be very tight, as will Dynamo Kiev and Porto, among others. However, the better sides that played away from home last week should have a much easier go of it at home - Valencia, City, and Benfica should all come away with three points this week. Lots of points to think about, though.
HEADLINER: Schalke 04 v. Arsenal
I'm not going to choose a game from Group D this week (although I know Real Madrid and Dortmund should be a great game) because I think you can take a lot more from this tie. Arsenal are in a perilous state at the current time and in much need of a victory to retake first place in Group B and settle concerns from fans. Schalke are performing very well at the moment and should have nine points in the group, but conceded late against Montpellier. After winning at the Emirates, Schalke will have nothing to fear against the Gunners, who have scored just seven goals in six Premier League games away from home. Despite having the best defensive record in the Premier League, Arsenal's defense has proven mistake-prone during the last few years, and I expect nothing different in Germany. Schalke are rotating the squad quite a bit recently to keep players fresh, but should have most of their first team on the field Tuesday. Expect the Germans to come away with a minimum of a point but more likely take all three points to send Arsenal further into the mire. An Olympiakos win could threaten a knockout stage appearance as well.
Prediction: Schalke 2-1 Arsenal
UPSET ALERT: Braga v. Manchester United
Manchester United are on upset alert again in Portugal where the Red Devils have historically struggled. Braga have been in the best run of their club's history, but have dropped two of three so far in the Champions League. They moved through United's defense easily in the first half before capitulating in the second during one of United's vintage comebacks. United struggled in Romania and still came out with a win, but this game sets up as a trap game after big domestic wins over Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as a comfortable lead at the top of Group H. Braga are not at the level of their domestic rivals but can compete with bigger clubs, reaching the Europa League final two years ago after defeating Liverpool, Dynamo Kiev and Benfica before losing narrowly to Porto in the final. United may take this game too lightly and their defense is not strong enough to grind out a result in a difficult place to play. Braga could grab a point in this contest and could maybe nick a win with a solid performance.
Prediction: Braga 1-1 Manchester United
OLD RIVALS: Celtic v. Barcelona
Celtic and Barcelona face off again in Glasgow after the Catalans snatched a 2-1 victory in injury time after going a goal down in the first half. It was a surprisingly close encounter, as many of Celtic's fans could hardly believe they were in the game for so long. Unfortunately for the Hoops, the result means the performance was all for nothing, although they still do hold second place in Group G. That type of performance is very difficult to duplicate against Barcelona, and although Celtic are historically very tough at Celtic Park, Barcelona should be a huge favorite in this one. The goals could be flying in left and right but I expect a more subdued game. Celtic will set up to strike on the counter while Barcelona typically dominate possession. I like to root for the underdog but it would take an even better performance for Celtic to grab a share of the spoils on Wednesday. Barcelona won't take them so lightly this time.
Prediction: Celtic 0-2 Barcelona
Full Predictions (Rankings in parentheses):
Real Madrid (1) - Borussia Dortmund (8) : HOME WIN
AC Milan (18) - Malaga (14) : DRAW
Schalke (10) - Arsenal (12) : HOME WIN
Manchester City (5) - Ajax Amsterdam : HOME WIN
PSG (9) - Dinamo Zagreb : HOME WIN (potentially very ugly)
Olympiakos - Montpellier : DRAW
Dynamo Kiev - FC Porto (23) : HOME WIN
Anderlecht - Zenit (15) : AWAY WIN
Celtic (25) - Barcelona (2) : AWAY WIN
Valencia - BATE : HOME WIN
Juventus (7) - FC Nordsjaelland : HOME WIN
Bayern Munich (4) - LOSC Lille : HOME WIN (also potentially very ugly)
Braga - Manchester United (6) : DRAW
Chelsea (3) - Shakhtar Donetsk : HOME WIN
CFR Cluj - Galatasaray : AWAY WIN (no logical reasoning, just instinct)
Benfica (21) - Spartak Moscow : HOME WIN
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
UEFA Champions League Matchday 3 - Preview
After a three week break, the Champions League is back with a number of scintillating matchups on the cards. The way the first two rounds have gone, it is simply must-see.
This year we have another fourth pot team making some noise, in the form of BATE Borisov. After last matchday's shocking 3-1 win over Bayern Munich, they must now be seriously considered as contenders to make the knockout round. A quick background on BATE - their name is pronounced bah-tay; their home stadium holds 5,402 people from the town of Barysaw, a town in central Belarus of about 150,000 people; this is their 14th consecutive year in European competition; they have won six straight domestic titles and are seven points clear this season. A mini-giant, so to speak, despite being located in a relatively small city. They haven't had much success in Europe, but clearly now they are in great shape, as they not only have been winning games, but playing with much more fancied and skilled opponents. Valencia will be another test this week, but this isn't the strong Valencia side of recent years, and they have been dreadful away from home. I'm not as optimistic still on BATE as I was with APOEL last year, but I think at the very least, they will take a point from the contest. This game is just as big - a loss along with two of their last three ties being away from home would leave their chances in the balance. It's nice to see another underdog doing well though - a reminder that money doesn't completely run the football world. Still, just an "almost."
HEADLINER: Borussia Dortmund v. Real Madrid
Again, it has to be Group D, as Dortmund hosts Real Madrid, making the group 3/3 in my headliner choices. The two-time German champions have been much stronger this year in the Champions League in both performances and results. They have struggled a bit domestically, but the quality is there to make this a great game to watch. Madrid are back to rolling along after a tough start, as it was only a matter of time before they corrected their problems. This game matches up two teams that are typically in attack mode and rarely play defensively, so I think we see an open game with plenty of scoring opportunities for both sides. Dortmund will feel hard done by after they should have taken all three points in Manchester, while Real could be a little more conservative as they are away from home. Dortmund should continue their solid European form and could take all three points, but Madrid will come prepared and will likely earn a share of the spoils.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Real Madrid
UPSET ALERT: Arsenal v. Schalke 04
Arsenal had another roller-coaster summer and their season is again off to a disappointing start. A pitiful performance in a loss to Norwich on Saturday lacked creativity and cutting edge, leading to very few scoring chances and a 1-0 result. The Gunners do not get Jack Wilshere back quite yet, and Olivier Giroud has hardly been a replacement for Robin Van Persie, so it does not appear promising against German power Schalke. The addition of Ibrahim Afellay has added more width to an already strong attacking side, and they match up very well against a very average Arsenal defense. Arsenal are historically dominant at home in Europe, but Schalke can break them down and inflict a damaging result away from home. Look for this game to also feature plenty of scoring chances and the Germans be in position to snatch a shock victory.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Schalke
CONTRASTING FORTUNES: Malaga v. AC Milan
How things can change. Eight months ago, AC Milan were challenging for another Scudetto and competing in the knockout round of the Champions League, while Malaga were struggling to hold on to the success the new owners had promised due to a financial crisis. Today Malaga are third in La Liga and top of Group C after two 3-0 wins, while Milan are 15th in Serie A and in complete turmoil. Predictably, there are problems on both ends of the field after selling their best attacker and defender to PSG. I thought they would go down to Zenit, but took advantage of a team in more disarray than their own to steal a victory. In this matchup, they face a disciplined, though slightly inexperienced, in-form side in Malaga. They will be prepared to play. While it could be called an upset because of the difference in the histories of the two clubs, Malaga should come away with a victory. They are simply in much better form and things don't appear to be getting better anytime soon for the Italians.
Prediction: Malaga 2-1 AC Milan
Full Predictions (Rankings in parentheses):
Spartak Moscow - Benfica (21) : DRAW
FC Nordsjaelland - Juventus (6) : AWAY WIN
BATE Borisov (24) - Valencia CF : DRAW
LOSC Lille - Bayern Munich (4) : AWAY WIN
Shakhtar Donetsk - Chelsea FC (3) : DRAW
Barcelona (2) - Celtic FC (25) : HOME WIN
Galatasaray - CFR Cluj-Napoca : DRAW
Manchester United (7) - Sporting Braga : HOME WIN
Zenit St. Petersburg (15) - RSC Anderlecht : HOME WIN
Dinamo Zagreb - PSG (12) : AWAY WIN
FC Porto - Dynamo Kiev : HOME WIN
Arsenal (9) - Schalke 04 (13) : AWAY WIN
Montpellier - Olympiakos : HOME WIN
Malaga (14) - AC Milan (17) : HOME WIN
Ajax Amsterdam - Manchester City (5) : AWAY WIN
Borussia Dortmund (8) - Real Madrid CF (1) : DRAW
This year we have another fourth pot team making some noise, in the form of BATE Borisov. After last matchday's shocking 3-1 win over Bayern Munich, they must now be seriously considered as contenders to make the knockout round. A quick background on BATE - their name is pronounced bah-tay; their home stadium holds 5,402 people from the town of Barysaw, a town in central Belarus of about 150,000 people; this is their 14th consecutive year in European competition; they have won six straight domestic titles and are seven points clear this season. A mini-giant, so to speak, despite being located in a relatively small city. They haven't had much success in Europe, but clearly now they are in great shape, as they not only have been winning games, but playing with much more fancied and skilled opponents. Valencia will be another test this week, but this isn't the strong Valencia side of recent years, and they have been dreadful away from home. I'm not as optimistic still on BATE as I was with APOEL last year, but I think at the very least, they will take a point from the contest. This game is just as big - a loss along with two of their last three ties being away from home would leave their chances in the balance. It's nice to see another underdog doing well though - a reminder that money doesn't completely run the football world. Still, just an "almost."
HEADLINER: Borussia Dortmund v. Real Madrid
Again, it has to be Group D, as Dortmund hosts Real Madrid, making the group 3/3 in my headliner choices. The two-time German champions have been much stronger this year in the Champions League in both performances and results. They have struggled a bit domestically, but the quality is there to make this a great game to watch. Madrid are back to rolling along after a tough start, as it was only a matter of time before they corrected their problems. This game matches up two teams that are typically in attack mode and rarely play defensively, so I think we see an open game with plenty of scoring opportunities for both sides. Dortmund will feel hard done by after they should have taken all three points in Manchester, while Real could be a little more conservative as they are away from home. Dortmund should continue their solid European form and could take all three points, but Madrid will come prepared and will likely earn a share of the spoils.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Real Madrid
UPSET ALERT: Arsenal v. Schalke 04
Arsenal had another roller-coaster summer and their season is again off to a disappointing start. A pitiful performance in a loss to Norwich on Saturday lacked creativity and cutting edge, leading to very few scoring chances and a 1-0 result. The Gunners do not get Jack Wilshere back quite yet, and Olivier Giroud has hardly been a replacement for Robin Van Persie, so it does not appear promising against German power Schalke. The addition of Ibrahim Afellay has added more width to an already strong attacking side, and they match up very well against a very average Arsenal defense. Arsenal are historically dominant at home in Europe, but Schalke can break them down and inflict a damaging result away from home. Look for this game to also feature plenty of scoring chances and the Germans be in position to snatch a shock victory.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-2 Schalke
CONTRASTING FORTUNES: Malaga v. AC Milan
How things can change. Eight months ago, AC Milan were challenging for another Scudetto and competing in the knockout round of the Champions League, while Malaga were struggling to hold on to the success the new owners had promised due to a financial crisis. Today Malaga are third in La Liga and top of Group C after two 3-0 wins, while Milan are 15th in Serie A and in complete turmoil. Predictably, there are problems on both ends of the field after selling their best attacker and defender to PSG. I thought they would go down to Zenit, but took advantage of a team in more disarray than their own to steal a victory. In this matchup, they face a disciplined, though slightly inexperienced, in-form side in Malaga. They will be prepared to play. While it could be called an upset because of the difference in the histories of the two clubs, Malaga should come away with a victory. They are simply in much better form and things don't appear to be getting better anytime soon for the Italians.
Prediction: Malaga 2-1 AC Milan
Full Predictions (Rankings in parentheses):
Spartak Moscow - Benfica (21) : DRAW
FC Nordsjaelland - Juventus (6) : AWAY WIN
BATE Borisov (24) - Valencia CF : DRAW
LOSC Lille - Bayern Munich (4) : AWAY WIN
Shakhtar Donetsk - Chelsea FC (3) : DRAW
Barcelona (2) - Celtic FC (25) : HOME WIN
Galatasaray - CFR Cluj-Napoca : DRAW
Manchester United (7) - Sporting Braga : HOME WIN
Zenit St. Petersburg (15) - RSC Anderlecht : HOME WIN
Dinamo Zagreb - PSG (12) : AWAY WIN
FC Porto - Dynamo Kiev : HOME WIN
Arsenal (9) - Schalke 04 (13) : AWAY WIN
Montpellier - Olympiakos : HOME WIN
Malaga (14) - AC Milan (17) : HOME WIN
Ajax Amsterdam - Manchester City (5) : AWAY WIN
Borussia Dortmund (8) - Real Madrid CF (1) : DRAW
Monday, August 20, 2012
2012-13 UEFA Champions League Qualifying - Playoff Round
The third round of qualifying went nearly entirely as expected, the only surprise (to me) being Helsingborg's comprehensive win over Slask Wroclaw. The teams remaining all have a high level of quality - the only team left that I believe would be truly overmatched in the group stages would be Maribor of Slovenia. There is a great deal of experience and tradition existing in the clubs who have made it this far, which should make for another round of close ties.
The showcase match-up in the Non-Champions path is between Borussia Monchengladbach of Germany and Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine. Gladbach lost German international Marco Reus to Dortmund but acquired Luuk De Jong to lead the line, hoping to produce the same type of quality that culminated in a surprising fourth place finish in the Bundesliga. Dynamo Kiev are without the iconic Andriy Shevchenko, but have been a mainstay in European football for nearly their entire history. A tough win over Feyenoord in the last round showed Dynamo is keen to return to the group stages, while Gladbach are playing their first competitive matches of the season. This is a very tough draw for a team like Gladbach who are inexperienced in Europe, but they have the ability to pull through if they play a strong game in Germany.
For the Champions Route, I like all of the matchups to be close, although I am very confident in Dinamo Zagreb against Maribor. Zagreb have much more experience and despite being battered in losing all six group games last year, a return to that stage looks on the cards. I also expect Basel to get through; despite squeaking past Molde by the narrowest of margins, the Swiss side have much more talent and experience than Romanian counterparts CFR Cluj. The Romanian league has fallen off considerably because of a number of scandals and the quality has been substantially reduced.
The other three ties are all toss-ups. Anderlecht are favorites against AEL but you cannot ignore how Cypriot clubs have progressed to the group stage in three of the last four competitions. Anderlecht have a rich history in Belgium and in Europe, so this matchup features the most quality of the five ties. AEL have not conceded a goal in Europe yet this season (while Anderlecht put 11 goals past FK Ekranas in the last round) and could cause an upset against the Belgians. The pressure is completely on Celtic in their tie against Swedish champions Helsingborg, a matchup featuring two federations that used to dominate the continental game, but will now be reduced to just one representative in Europe's elite after this season. Celtic are Scottish football's lone strong representative, and the Swedes are a tricky opponent - Rangers were knocked out of the Champions League by Malmo in last year's edition. It is up to Celtic to uphold the dwindling reputation of the Scottish Premier League. The last matchup pits Belarussian champions BATE Borisov against debutant Israeli champs Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Both federations have made appearances in the group stage throughout the last few years, with BATE becoming the first Belarussian side to appear during the 2008-09 campaign. BATE are slight favorites, but this tie should be very tight - it could truly go either way.
Predictions:
FC Basel o/ CFR Cluj
Celtic o/ Helsingborg
Ironi Kiryat Shmona o/ BATE Borisov
AEL Limassol o/ Anderlecht
Dinamo Zagreb o/ Maribor
Udinese o/ Braga
Fenerbahce o/ Spartak Moscow
Malaga o/ Panathinaikos
Borussia Monchengladbach o/ Dynamo Kyiv
LOSC Lille o/ FC Copenhagen
The showcase match-up in the Non-Champions path is between Borussia Monchengladbach of Germany and Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine. Gladbach lost German international Marco Reus to Dortmund but acquired Luuk De Jong to lead the line, hoping to produce the same type of quality that culminated in a surprising fourth place finish in the Bundesliga. Dynamo Kiev are without the iconic Andriy Shevchenko, but have been a mainstay in European football for nearly their entire history. A tough win over Feyenoord in the last round showed Dynamo is keen to return to the group stages, while Gladbach are playing their first competitive matches of the season. This is a very tough draw for a team like Gladbach who are inexperienced in Europe, but they have the ability to pull through if they play a strong game in Germany.
For the Champions Route, I like all of the matchups to be close, although I am very confident in Dinamo Zagreb against Maribor. Zagreb have much more experience and despite being battered in losing all six group games last year, a return to that stage looks on the cards. I also expect Basel to get through; despite squeaking past Molde by the narrowest of margins, the Swiss side have much more talent and experience than Romanian counterparts CFR Cluj. The Romanian league has fallen off considerably because of a number of scandals and the quality has been substantially reduced.
The other three ties are all toss-ups. Anderlecht are favorites against AEL but you cannot ignore how Cypriot clubs have progressed to the group stage in three of the last four competitions. Anderlecht have a rich history in Belgium and in Europe, so this matchup features the most quality of the five ties. AEL have not conceded a goal in Europe yet this season (while Anderlecht put 11 goals past FK Ekranas in the last round) and could cause an upset against the Belgians. The pressure is completely on Celtic in their tie against Swedish champions Helsingborg, a matchup featuring two federations that used to dominate the continental game, but will now be reduced to just one representative in Europe's elite after this season. Celtic are Scottish football's lone strong representative, and the Swedes are a tricky opponent - Rangers were knocked out of the Champions League by Malmo in last year's edition. It is up to Celtic to uphold the dwindling reputation of the Scottish Premier League. The last matchup pits Belarussian champions BATE Borisov against debutant Israeli champs Ironi Kiryat Shmona. Both federations have made appearances in the group stage throughout the last few years, with BATE becoming the first Belarussian side to appear during the 2008-09 campaign. BATE are slight favorites, but this tie should be very tight - it could truly go either way.
Predictions:
FC Basel o/ CFR Cluj
Celtic o/ Helsingborg
Ironi Kiryat Shmona o/ BATE Borisov
AEL Limassol o/ Anderlecht
Dinamo Zagreb o/ Maribor
Udinese o/ Braga
Fenerbahce o/ Spartak Moscow
Malaga o/ Panathinaikos
Borussia Monchengladbach o/ Dynamo Kyiv
LOSC Lille o/ FC Copenhagen
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