Champions League Evaluation

After two thoroughly entertaining nights of football our appetites have now been fully wettened for another year of dramatic flurries throughout Europe in a bid for teams to play in the pinnacle of European club football next May, the Champions League final. Yet, after opening games of differing fortunes, will any British club have the opportunity to lift the European Cup at Wembley?

Chelsea started their campaign with a challenging match against Serie A champions Juventus. However, after two fantastic strikes from Champions League debutant Oscar had put the home side 2-0 up, goals from Vidal and Quagliarella meant the defending champions had to settle for a point.

This was the first time Chelsea had failed to win the opening tie of the Champions League since their 1-1 draw with Rosenborg at Stamford Bridge in 2007. A rare Shevchenko strike had saved them then. The poor start failed to hold them back that season however as they reached the final only to be beaten by rivals Manchester United on penalties. This year with Group E’s other occupants being Shakhtar Donetsk and Nordsjællan last night’s result is more of a solid start rather than a stuttering or superb one so expect to see the London club progress but retaining their title is highly unlikely.

Fellow Londoners Arsenal came from a goal behind in a tricky encounter with French Champions Montpellier to take all three points back from the Stade de la Mosson. Admittedly Arsene Wenger’s summer acquisition of last season’s Ligue 1 golden boot Olivier Giroud from Montpellier should have made the task simpler but in the end his side were lucky not to concede a late equaliser.

Despite the exit of Robin Van Persie the Gunners still look like a real threat going forward, with Lukas Podolski netting his third goal in three games for Arsenal. Another attacking left-midfielder who can also be utilised as a striker appears to be Wenger’s speciality and with Steve Bould strengthening the mentality of the defence Schalke and, last year’s group opponents, Olympiacos should prove easily beatable.

On the other hand Manchester City face an arduous task after their 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Spanish champions Real Madrid. To think that a loss at the Bernabeu by a single goal to last season’s la Liga winners could be catastrophic is unbelievable really. Most seasons a point would be seen as an enviable achievement, a loss nothing more than an expected result that could be nonchalantly wiped from memory.

But it is the manner in which City lost which is most worrying. They had relented the onslaught, twice received a glimmer of hope, points placed within their grasp only to watch them all snatched from them as they ran for the exit. With the Dutch champions Ajax and the Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund still to come can the team mentally recover to dice with death once more?

Their city rivals United started in a manner consistent with their previous five years of Champions League openers with a slow 1-0 victory against Turkish champions Galatasaray. The last time United scored more than one goal in the first group game of the Champions League was back in 2006 when they beat Celtic 3-2 at Old Trafford. Three 1-0 wins, two 0-0 draws and one 1-1 goalfest with Benfica last season highlights just how slow Manchester United can be at the start of a campaign.

Having said this you have to go back to 1996 to find the last time Manchester United lost their first encounter of the group stages when a certain Zinedine Zidane slipped a ball through for Juventus striker Alan Boksic to dink past Schmeichel. Last season’s surprise early exit was exactly that. Braga and Cluj will not be able to cause a second upset, making the victory against Galatasaray look extremely positive.

Celtic have little to be positive about after a tame goalless draw at Celtic Park with their main rivals for that elusive second qualification spot Benfica. With home games against Barcelona and Spartak Moscow to come and a previous away record of one draw and seventeen defeats in the Champions League Celtic’s home games are of paramount importance. Neil Lennon says his side have “gained respect” from the result, but really what they have gained is little chance of proceeding past the group stages.

In opening encounters that witnessed English clubs face the champions of Spain, Italy, Turkey and France the signs look extremely positive for most. Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea should advance after competent starts. Celtic are likely to struggle and if Manchester City perform like they did in Spain they will progress. But that is a big if.