Champions League 2011-12 Group Stage Preview Part I
By Ty Duffy
Group E: Chelsea face an identity crisis. New manager Andre Villas-Boas is forging a young, slick-passing, sexy football team. However, he’s still saddled with stubborn old farts from the previous regime – Terry, Drogba, Lampard – playing pivotal roles. They should be overwhelming group favorites, but could sputter as they fashion pieces into something coherent. Valencia have been cash-strapped and have sold David Villa, David Silva and Juan Mata over the past two seasons. However, with some potentially shrewd pickups (Piatti, Canales) they could be fun to watch. Bayer Leverkusen, with Michael Ballack, are a bit like Germany was, with Michael Ballack, a vibrant attacking team with a stolid base in midfield. [Prediction: Chelsea, Leverkusen, Valencia, Genk]
Group F: Theory dictates this should be a fun group to watch. The teams are evenly matched. Each likes to play on the ball and attack. Arsenal have the biggest profiles, but a disappointing summer and an interminable slump have left them in shambles. Marseilles, spirited and skillful, will go after teams, but with a shoddy back four teams will punch them back. Olympiakos should be true to Greek form, hard at home and limp outside the confines of Greece. Dortmund, defending German champions, could very well be the favorites. Despite losing Nuri Sahin, they have a young, solid defense and “the German Messi” Mario Goetze. [Prediction: Dortmund, Arsenal, Marseilles, Olympiakos]
Group G: It’s not the most titillating group, with no team from Europe’s top five leagues. Porto are clear favorites, but with another new manager and another new influx of players they aren’t certainties. The Russian-Ukranian derby between Zenit and Shakhtar Donetsk should determine second place. Shakhtar have a squad loaded with skillful Brazilians (seldom a bad plan). Zenit have Portuguese stars and former Roma manager Luciano Spalletti. Cypriot champions APOEL should be plucky, but not serious challengers. [Prediction: Porto, Shakhtar, Zenit, APOEL]
Group H: This group is fairly straight forward. Barcelona may be one of the best club sides ever. With a few choice signings and developing players from the academy, they are improving. Real Madrid is the only club that can challenge them. The only club that can beat them is themselves. AC Milan are skillful enough to get by against Italian teams and mediocre European teams. Their deliberate, aging midfield will see them get caught out against anyone better. Viktoria or BATE could give one of the top two a game on an off day, but neither is a veritable contender for advancement. (Insert your mastering BATE jokes here) [Prediction: Barcelona, AC Milan, BATE, Viktoria]
[Photo via Getty]