European Union Forums

[Dima]

Let's see what we have in the forthcoming season. Let me humbly try to pick favorites and runners-up for each group. What do you think? Let's discuss it.

Group A

Bordeaux
CFR Cluj-Napoca
Chelsea
Roma

Group B

Anorthosis Famagusta
Inter Milan
Panathinaikos
Werder Bremen

Group C

Barcelona
Basle
Shakhtar Donetsk
Sporting Lisbon

Group D

Atletico Madrid
Liverpool
Marseille
PSV Eindhoven

Group E

AaB Aalborg
Celtic
Man Utd
Villarreal

Group F

Bayern Munich
Fiorentina
Lyon
Steaua Bucharest

Group G

Arsenal
Dynamo Kiev
FC Porto
Fenerbahce

Group H

BATE
Juventus
Real Madrid
Zenit St Petersburg

[Giovane]

Dima, you know, I think that Shakhter isn't a favorit. Because they've got a crysis in their championship and 2 maybe loses in their national champiionship ... And don't forget about ukrain constant failure in CL - they never leave out a group stade.
But I think that Dynamo K has got more chances to sucsess than Fenerbahche.
Because they've got a good coach (Semin)...

[Terry]

The last, H group is very unpredictable, all the teams are enough strong to beat each other. Zenit, proved recently its ability to surprise spectators.

[Dima]

Giovane, you've convinced me. Right, Shakhter finished in the bottom of their group in CL last season!
The only reason I picked them was that I remembered that they had won Benfica 1-0 in Portugal last year, which is by far not sufficient to consider them as a runner-up.

So, let me edit our list of favorites & runners-up and change them to Sporting Lisbon.

[PATKO]

It will be spanking...groups A, D, and the last one H

[Hakan G]

The last, H group is very unpredictable, all the teams are enough strong to beat each other. Zenit, proved recently its ability to surprise spectators.

I don't remember Zenit to be playing spectacular..

[Faw_Peter]

I don't remember Zenit to be playing spectacular..

Are you crazy Hakan? Zenit won the UEFA cup, and few days ago won the UEFA Super Cup, beating Manchester United.

[Giovane]

Dim, I think that Athletico M. has got more chances to go on the next round than PSV. All above Spain footbal is a best work with ball, intellegent passes, high team speed...
And F group is a group-secret. Styua can do a sensation like a Romania national team on Euro, I mean best game in defensive)
But this CL without Milan is defective, I think...

[M.Helen]

Styaua is a strong team, at the moment, but, it never was stable. The last year it was loosing to every weakling of the Romanian Championship. By the way, did Romania surprised anybody at EURO 2008? How? I remember it lost to Netherlands.

[Dima]

But I think that Dynamo K has got more chances to sucsess than Fenerbahche.
Because they've got a good coach (Semin)...

Giovane, but do you remember that last year, Dynamo Kiev, got precisely ZERO points in their Group F (with MU, Roma, and Sporting) with goal difference -15 (=4-19)!? Don't you think that these memories may affect them?

Who knows, maybe, on the contrary, they will play madly this time?

[Dima]

Dim, I think that Athletico M. has got more chances to go on the next round than PSV. All above Spain footbal is a best work with ball, intellegent passes, high team speed...

Giovane, I agree with you concerning Spanish football and I think you are right about Atletico M and PSV. I'm making the corresponding correction in our list.

[Giovane]

Dima, but 2 matches of DK with Spartak M rised their perspective in CL.
All the same, 1 year ago Demyanenko was DK coach. But now DK has got good and professional and experienced trainer (Semin). He was 2 Russian trainer that came to 1/4 of CL with russian FC Lokomotiv)
And such players as Bangura, Milevski, Aliev are in perfect form...
Don't think that I am ukrain or DK fanat))) My opinion about this team was created after 2 matches with Spartak))))
Helen, but if Mutu could shut up penaty to Italy they would play in 1/4))))))

[Dima]

Giovane, thanks for reminding me of the matches DK vs Spartak M. This fact completely escaped my attention, because I had been rather busy and had not followed all the preliminary/qualifying rounds of CL.

Such two thrashings 4:1 and 4:1 sound quite impressive! I am hurrying to edit our list!

[Steven]

Guys, did you hear that Ronaldinho was bought by Manchester city for 40 million euros? That is a shocking news. He earlier claimed he wants to join Chelsea

[Giovane]

No, Steven, you're wrong. Roni now plays in Milan. Manchester City bought Robinho from Real)))

[Steven]

sorry for that. I heard that on TV, but didn't watched in carefully. Here's the news

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SPORT/footb ... pstoryview

[Dima]

The last, H group is very unpredictable, all the teams are enough strong to beat each other. Zenit, proved recently its ability to surprise spectators.

Terry, I partially agree with you, but I think that there are only three obvious favorites there: Juve, Real, and Zenit. BATE is an "underdog".

[Dima]

But this CL without Milan is defective, I think...

Giovane, what's happened to AC Milan? Hard to believe that they lost 0:5 to Chelsea on August 3 in a match in Moscow (Russian Railway Cup). What do you think about it?

[Giovane]

Yes, Dim, that game was shocking for Milan fans. But Milan wasn't in optimal form and on that championat played without forvards (Pato, Insagi).Also there was't Roni. Although, realy problems in defence was obvious . It's very bad that Milan didn't buy defenders. And now we can see the result of this problem (Milan was bitten by Bolonia)...
To cut a long story short, Galliani should buy defenders. And it's very bad that Milan couldn;t rent Ivanovich..

[Steven]

The fact Milan lost 0:5 to Chelsea could be a trick. Remember that scandal with Juventus? Italian football is cheating people. It might be all about money. Just imagine how many bet on the fact that Milan will score at least one goal. That's why the odd for scoring was probably low, while the odd for not scoring was high. The team leaders could have arranged that loss because they bet on the outcome of not scoring even a goal.

[Hakan G]

I think that Beijing games were simulated like this too

[Faw_Peter]

Beijing games? What exactly was there simulated? Is there something I don't know about?
By the way, some news about the Champions League

Spain and Liverpool’s deadly striker Fernando Torres has a slight hamstring tear.

This is according to reports emanating from his club Liverpool.
The twenty four year old striker pulled up will a slight hamstring tear in Sunday’s goalless draw against Aston Villa away at Villa Park.

With quite a concertinaed period It is likely that the lethal striker will miss the important Premier League clash against Manchester United at Anfield, both of Spain’s World Cup qualifiers against Bosnia and Armenia and the opening Champions League encounter for Liverpool against Olympique Marseilles.

[Dima]

[Dima]

Michael Essien got a serious injury and is expected to be out for several months. Quite a blow to Chelsea.

[Steven]

Michael Essien got a serious injury and is expected to be out for several months. Quite a blow to Chelsea.

I think I heard he got injured after a match he spent with his team against Moldova, when they won 2:1.
It is believed that the stadium where they played was not in good condition and he stroke against a tap.
Abramovich intends to initiate a law suit against Moldova football federation.