Tag Archives: champions league

Is Jose Mourinho to blame for his 5th failed Champions League campaign?

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Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 of the competition. Manager Jose Mourinho admitted the French Ligue 1 leaders deserved the win, and he was certainly right based on the 120 minutes of football played, but is Mourinho’s negative approach the reason for Chelsea’s failure in the competition?

The highly-successful boss has had five cracks at the whip with Chelsea in two stints at the London, but hasn’t managed to win the Champions League. Roberto Di Matteo achieved European success with the Blues in his first nine weeks at the club, while interim manager Rafael Benitez won the Europa League in his temporary spell at Stamford Bridge a year later, so what is Mourinho getting wrong?

Against Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea were very defensive and tentative in possession despite having a man advantage following Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s sending off early in the first-half. Mourinho seemed to be more cautious at the risk of conceding rather than going for the kill, which is something that separates him from a lot of managers.

The Blues boss has a penchant for settling for draws against elite clubs away from home, and in the Champions League latter stages, the Premier League outfit did exactly that. Chelsea scraped a 1-1 draw against the Parisians at the Parc des Princes, with the view that they would win or play out a scoreless draw at home. It’s a risky tactic playing to not concede when your opponents have the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in their attack.

However, it did lead to Mourinho earning Champions League success on two occasions before with Porto and Inter Milan. It’s been five years since the Portuguese coach last won the competition, however, and it’s certainly something that will play on his mind. Many felt he had the perfect side at Chelsea to achieve his goals, but he failed to get the best from them on the grand scale. So how did Chelsea fall short?

They boast incredible talented individuals all through the team. In Eden Hazard, they have a Ballon d’Or winner in the making, while Cesc Fabregas is regarded as one of the best playmakers in the world. They have a top-three goalkeeper in Thibaut Courtois, and also boast one of the strongest backlines in Europe. So is it the negative approach that is hampering what should be an offensive team? Is Mourinho’s approach to blame? He’s failed five times with Chelsea, while others have succeeded in considerably less time. Coincidence?

More European disappointment for the English sides

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The Premier League’s European struggles continued with Tottenham and Liverpool suffering exits in the Europa League. Arsenal suffered a humiliating defeat at home to AS Monaco, so their chances of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League are slim. Manchester City lost their first leg clash against Barcelona, while Chelsea were fortunate to come away with a draw in their first leg game. Everton were the only team to seal their place in the last-16 if the Europa League, and is caps what has been a miserable week for the English representatives in the European competitions.

The English Premier League is said to be the most competitive due to how any sides seem to take points off each other at the top of the table over the course of a season, but the Champions League and Europa League seems to always cause the sides to stumble up. A lot of the time it isn’t even to elite opposition. Liverpool would consider themselves a much strong outfit than Besiktas, but over two legs the Turkish club have seen past them, albeit via penalties. Tottenham had a tougher draw against Fiorentina, but the Italian Serie A side are fifth in their domestic league, so are they not just an Italian equivalent?

Why does England continue to fall short against the European sides in Europe? The Premier League has a good record of having a representative in the latter stages down the years, but the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal have continued to fall short in recent years, despite fighting for the domestic title through the course of a season. And the aforementioned have been outfoxed by much lesser teams on paper, and all three sides have had very experienced and successful managers in charge too.

With Arsenal and Manchester City having a tough task to win on the road against Monaco (3-1 agg) and Barcelona (2-1) at the very minimum to stand a chance of going through, their Champions League dream looks over for another season. And with Liverpool and Tottenham out of the competition, it means Chelsea (Champions League) and Everton (Europa League) could be the last two Premier League sides in Europe this season. For a league with so much money, and so much talent at the top level, it’s certainly a big disappointment to see lesser sides going further than the best team in the English top flight.

Would premature Champions League exit see Arsene Wenger call time with Arsenal?

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Arsenal were humiliated by a well-drilled, much better organised, and ultimately superior AS Monaco side at the Emirates on Wednesday night, with the French Ligue 1 outfit winning 3-1 in the first leg of the Champions League second round. The result now means Arsenal have to score three goals at a ground defensively resolute this season for the Gunners to stand a chance of reaching the quarter-final. It’s very unlikely they will make it past the second round once again as a result.

For manager Arsene Wenger, his worst nightmare was realised. It’s been five years since they last made it past the second round of the Champions League, and to lose at home in what was supposed to be a favourable tie could well be what tips the long-serving manager over the edge. Supporters have been patient during the trophy drought, and continuous premature exits in Europe, but there was a sense of confidence that they could finally make a run in the competition.

Arsenal being knocked out by Monaco in the second round would be one the biggest Champions League shocks in recent years, and one that the fans would not let Wenger forget in a hurry. His tenure was once judged on his success, but now about his consistency achieving lesser goals. The Gunners look out of Europe for another season, and Wenger may well consider his time with the club in the summer as a result.

But his own admission, Arsenal were expected to be challenging on all four fronts. Their title hopes were ruled out very early into the season, Southampton knocked them out of the Capital One Cup at the Emirates, so they have just the FA Cup that’s their best chance of winning a trophy. Is it really enough to appease the supporters? The club will be hurting after the Monaco defeat, and it’s after such losses that things are put into perspective.

Arsenal are on course to finish top-four of the Premier League, but the Londoners have taken a step back from last season with the team and with results. Wenger’s contract runs until 2017, but supporters will be demanding drastic action be taken after a catastrophic result. There’s little proof the club are going forward despite having financial restraints loosened in the last couple of years, so is that down to Wenger? Has he exhausted his time at the Emirates? Will the potential Champions League exit spell the end of his tenure with Arsenal?

Why Manchester City can beat Barcelona in the Champions League tonight

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It’s déjà vu for Manchester City, as the Premier League holders come up against Barcelona in the Champions League second round for the second time in as many seasons. The Sky Blues lost both legs against the Catalan giants in 2013/14, but tonight’s meeting promises to see a different outcome.

Manager Manuel Pellegrini has matured a lot this season. No longer is he setting up his sides too open and attacking in the big European games, and it’s led to City’s progression into the second round, as well being favoured by many to see past Barcelona over two legs. They beat AS Roma and Bayern Munich in their last two group outings to book their place in the next round in dramatic fashion.

There’s finally some balance in the team that means City can still play free-flowing football, but also have the bodies in the midfield to help nullify Barcelona‘s threat.  Is it any coincidence their only two Champions League group game victorious this season have come when scrapping the two strikers tactic?

When facing a side that boast high-levels of possession, playing two strikers is redundant. The battle in the middle of the park should always be priority, and Pellegrini finally sees that. Man City’s chances of winning have also been boosted by the absence of Yaya Toure oddly enough.

The Ivorian is a handful in attack, but he’s too immobile defensively against the fast-paced passing style Barcelona adopt. City cannot carry any player in the side against the world’s best, and Toure cannot operate successfully as a holding midfielder against the best ball retainers.

So in his absence, the likes of James Milner (if fit) and Fernando could be brought in, two players who offer much more industry and urgency to their place to nullify first, provide creative flair later. Losing the ball in the middle of the park against Barcelona can often prove fatal, but the aforementioned duo could be key to ensure in doesn’t happen. They certainly played their part in the wins over Roma & Bayern.
There’s then the matter of Barcelona’s vulnerability. Paris Saint-Germain beat them in France in the group stages, and Malaga, Real Madrid, Getafe and Real Sociedad have all taken points off Barca when the Catalan giants are the travelling side. They will be wary of Man City’s threat at the Etihad. The Sky Blues have won 5, drawn 5, and lost 3 of their 13 Champions League games played at home, so they’re certainly hard to beat in front of their own fans.

Will it see them winning against Barcelona tonight?

Have unconvincing Chelsea really proven their Champions League credentials?

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Chelsea put in a miserable display in their Champions League second round clash against Paris Saint-Germain. Their first leg meeting ended 1-1, but Chelsea could and should have been defeated at the Parc des Princes. PSG created a lot of chances against the Blues, but Jose Mourinho’s side manage to hold on. It was far from pretty, but PSG’s wastefulness in front of goal saw them miss out on another valuable win against the Premier League leaders.

While the typical dull performance for an away leg by a Mourinho team resulted in a lifeless spectacle, with very few chances being made as a result of their defensive tactics, Chelsea’s showing was even more disappointing considering the side they put out. Barring Oscar, the Londoners were at full strength against Paris Saint-Germain, and registered just two shots in the 90 minutes. Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas failed to produce against the Parisians, and were both hauled off I the second-half.

They made it through the group stages with consummate ease, but many feel winning the Champions League could well be beyond them based on Tuesday night’s showing. They made it to the semi-finals of the competition last season, losing to eventual runners-up Atletico Madrid, but could well come unstuck earlier this time round.

Paris saint-Germain aren’t being ruled out of getting a result at Stamford Bridge, with a team full of attacking talent desperate to finally become a European heavyweight. Chelsea have been far from invincible this season too, so Laurent Blanc’s men will be confident of a turnaround.

With Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich expected to be the teams to beat, do Chelsea really compare? They’ve had their moments in the Premier League, and currently sit at the summit in the business end to the campaign, but in Europe they just haven’t matched up at times.

Mourinho has led teams to glory in the competition before playing this style – with Porto and Inter Milan – but their challenge is made all the more harder given the competition this season. If they can see past PSG, they will have a lot of teams they’ll wish to avoid, as the La Liga giants could certainly make mincemeat of Chelsea.

Earlier on in the season, many tipped Chelsea to go the entire league season unbeaten, let alone go all the way in the prestigious European competition, but they’ve looked considerably human from the mid-point to the campaign onwards. Bookies have Mourinho’s men as fourth favourites to win the Champions League, but questionable away performances as such will see them fall short again.

So have Chelsea really proven their Champions League credentials?

When will an Italian Serie A side win the Champions League again?

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With the Champions League returning later this month, Juventus defender Stephane Lichtsteiner recently admitted his dream of winning the prestigious European competition with the Serie A holders, saying: “I want to continue to win here. It’s in the DNA of Juventus, and we have a big dream: to win the Champions League. We need to play with more tenacity and malice, and I agree you can always improve. We have been doing very well, we have conceded few goals and created a lot, but in the Champions League, you cannot make mistakes.”

The Old Lady are the only Serie A side still left in the competition after the group stages, and the decline of Italy’s best in Europe has been apparent in the last few years. There was no Serie A side in the Champions League after the second round in 2013/14, and Juventus were Italy’s only representative in the 2012/13 quarter-finals.

The last time an Italian Serie A side won the Champions League was Inter Milan in 2009/10, managed by Jose Mourinho. Since then, no Italian club have made it further than the quarters. This season, the only other Italian side in the competition, AS Roma, were knocked out in the groups, with CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Bayern Munich for competition.

The Serie A was once the most feared leagues, where the best players would reside, and from where the most Champions League winners would come from. Between 1989 – 1996, four of the eight Champions League finals were won by an Italian club. And between 1992 – 2005, an Italian representative made 10 of the 14 Champions League finals. Since then, only AC Milan (2006/07) and Inter Milan (2009/10) have won the competition, let alone make the final.

So once again, the Bianconeri carry the hopes of a nation in the Champions League. Despite having won the last three Serie A titles, while currently sitting top of the pack this season, Juve have only made it to the quarter-finals of the competition in the last decade. They are the undisputed kings of Italy, but just haven’t been able to translate that in Europe, despite boasting world-class talent such as Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal in their midfield.

Juventus face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League second round later this month. Their Bundesliga opponents are currently in a relegation battle in Germany, but are still being tipped to many to see past the Italians over two legs. If Juve are eliminated, it’s Italy’s last hope in Europe’s top competition for another season, but if not now, then when will a Serie A side win the Champions League again?

Could Chelsea win the quadruple this season?

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After victory against Derby County in the Capital One Cup quarter-final, Chelsea are being tipped to make the league cup their first trophy of the season. The Blues are into the semi-finals, where they will face Liverpool or Bournemouth, Tottenham or Newcastle, and Sheffield United.

With Chelsea top of the Premier League, two legs away from the league cup final, drawn against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16, and facing Watford in the FA Cup third round, Jose Mourinho’s side are on course to win the quadruple. However, the Blues boss was keen to play down such talk.

“We spoke a few weeks ago about being unbeatable in the Premier League and we never did it. Now we speak about the quadruple but we haven’t done it. We have our feet on the ground,” he said.

There’s no doubt Mourinho will be thinking about the possibility of winning on all four fronts this season, and spending wisely in the January transfer could well be key to help them achieve such goals. Chelsea have a very strong squad, but little in the way of depth in case of a heavy injury crisis, which could see the Blues falter late in the season.

Against Derby County, they lost centre-back Kurt Zouma to injury, and barring a positional shift for Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea have no other viable option to play at the heart of the defence should the likes of John Terry or Gary Cahill pick up a knock.

Having a strong squad full of depth will be vital for the Londoners to compete for the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Capital One Cup, but if anybody can do it; Jose Mourinho can. It’s certainly taxing on the players having to feature in so many games a season, and Mourinho will know he has to invest on more options so he can rest his key stars to avoid them becoming fatigued.

For Chelsea, the job is far from done, but they can do little more to prove their credentials to win on all four fronts as things stand, with only one defeat from 25 games played in all competitions. Last season saw them finish third in the Premier League table, Champions League semi-finalists, Capital One Cup quarter-finalists, and in the fifth round of the FA Cup. And considering how greatly they’ve since strengthened in the summer, can Chelsea win the quadruple this campaign?

Could Manchester City win the Champions League?

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Champions League gameweek 6 saw another miraculous night for Manchester City, as a depleted Sky Blues side earned an impressive 2-0 victory away to AS Roma – booking their place in the last-16 of the competition at the Italian‘s expense.

The Premier League holders looked down and out following their 2-1 home defeat to CSKA Moscow in early November, but they have dug out some incredible results against Bayern Munich and AS Roma to earn qualification into the next round against all odds.

“We are a strong unit and we believed in it. We’ve got resolve, we’ve got character and we’ve got great players. Add that all together and you have a chance. We’re moving in the right direction. We’ve won six games on the spin now and have really stepped it up,” said Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.

Manchester City winning away to Roma is an incredible feat, given the fact that Bayern Munich and Juventus are the only sides to have beaten Roma at the Stadio Olimpico since May 2013. This is without Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero in the side too, which shows just how resilient the Sky Blues can be when all seems lost.

With two league titles won in three years, Manchester City’s struggles in the Champions League have led to criticism, as their squad is as expensive as the big-spending clubs, but they fall short of expectations. But now they are into the last-16, they stand an honest chance of making it further.

While expected to be named in a difficult draw due to finishing second in their, City stand a slim chance of being drawn against AS Monaco and FC Porto in the next round, which would certainly make them favourites to reach the quarter-finals and potentially further.

To beat Bayern Munich and AS Roma with so many key players out will certainly give the Sky Blues hope of beating any opponent, and manager Manuel Pellegrini appears to be getting to grips with the competition now, favouring a more pragmatic approach. But City have also hit form at the right time.

Six wins on the bounce in all competitions makes the squad desperate to keep their winning run going regardless of who they face. They are starting to believe in their abilities too, rather than being overawed by the calibre of opposition as they perhaps were in the past, so they won’t be fearful should they receive a tricky last-16 draw.

Few gave Manchester City a chance of beating Bayern Munich and AS Roma to secure their place in the next round, but they are now the fifth favourites to win this season’s Champions League. Can the Sky Blues go all the way in Europe?

Are Liverpool suffering from Champions League immaturity?

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Liverpool’s Champions League dream came to an end on Tuesday night, with the Reds drawing 1-1 at home to FC Basel, which saw the Swiss side into the last-16 of the competition at the expense of Brendan Rodgers’ men.

Following the game, captain Steven Gerrard said his group of players got what they deserved, as they had been below-par all throughout the Champions League group stage.

“I don’t think we deserved better. We have not gone out because of this performance, we weren’t good enough away to Basel and we let in a silly goal away to Ludogorets. You qualify over six games and we have not been good enough,” he said.

Liverpool’s recent performance against Basel was synonymous of their European inferiority all through the campaign, and it appears the Reds are suffering from a tactical immaturity. FC Basel have earned impressive wins against a host of top Premier League sides in the past due to the way they set up to beat the elite clubs on the counter attack.

The perennial Swiss champions have beaten Liverpool, Chelsea (twice), Manchester United, while earning draws against Tottenham in European competition down the years. They looked far more organised than the Merseyside outfit, which was highlighted by their superior amount of chances created despite having considerably less possession.

Basel took little time getting the ball from defence to attack, and the speed of their breaks saw the Liverpool defence opened up on many occasions. This was a side vastly experienced in the Champions League, carrying out their instructions to a T. Liverpool looked like strangers on the pitch, and could barely string a passing move together without it breaking down.

Manager Brendan Rodgers finds himself under intense pressure, as Liverpool were perhaps fortunate to come away with a draw, given how many times Basel were through on goal or one pass away from a clear-cut chance. A free-kick scored late by Gerrard gave the Reds hope in the last few minutes, but they deserved little from the game to be so close to qualifying. Basel could and should have been out of sight long before Liverpool levelled the tie.

It shows how difficult the Champions League now is to navigate out of the groups, with sides operating on small budgets so well-drilled to get a result against a vastly superior opponents. The gulf in class was in contrast to the money Liverpool and Basel have spent in the last 18 months, and Rodgers couldn’t swing the game in his favour despite having a bench worth close to £100M.

Liverpool’s demise shows just how astute managers need to be in the Champions League to get a result against any side. They aren’t the only English side to struggle either, as Manchester City haven’t come close to replicating their league form into the Champions League group stage for the last three seasons, so the Reds can perhaps take some solace as Europe is a learning phase.

Man City stumped by Champions League failures

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Manchester City this week continued their poor form in the Champions League, leading to further questions over just what the reason could be behind their difference in performance in the Premier League, compared to in Europe.

Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with CSKA Moscow saw Pellegrini’s men take a comfortable two goal lead, and look in total control. But the Russian’s came back into the game and managed to equalise in injury time at the end of the game. The failure to see off games when they get the opportunity is nothing new to City, and the latest draw comes on the back of what is now years of under-achieving.

Almost inexplicably, the Citizens have now gone five Champions League matches without victory – two of those clashes were last season against Barcelona (defeats both home and away), while a loss to Bayern this year in the opening group match, and a home draw with Roma, were not results that befit Champions League trophy contenders.

The bad form goes further back even – at home – so long a fortress in the Premier League, Man City have won only two games from the last eight, winning only against CSKA Moscow and Victoria Plzen.

But what could be the reason behind such poor form in Europe, on a consistent basis, and their title challenge domestically each year? Players like Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany compete successfully at international level, and have experience in Europe’s top competition – It would be hard to see them being a weak link if they moved to Bayern or Real Madrid, yet together, it is not working for City.

Whatever the reason for their Champions League no-shows, it’s do or die time again in Group E – Man City are in third place, two points behind Roma, but with the Giallorossi taking a thumping at home to Bayern on Tuesday, City will need to get three points over CSKA, and then get an important win at the Olimpico in Rome.

 

Juventus look to join top contenders with Atletico clash

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Wednesday’s big Champions League tie for Euro Fantasy League sees last season’s runners-up, Atletico Madrid, playing host to Italian champions and two-time European champions Juventus. Atletico, who participate by way of winning the Spanish La Liga last year, got their European campaign off to a dreadful start by losing 3-2 in Greece against Olympiakos, and Diego Simeone’s side will be looking to regain their taste of victory in European competition when they welcome the Juventus, with the Old Lady sitting top of the group following their 2-0 win over Malmö FF in their opening Group A game.

Domestically speaking, both sides have had impressive times defensively, with goalkeepers and members of the back four topping the list of top five point-scorers for each team so far, and indeed Juve stopper Gianluigi Buffon continues to build his legacy and almost certain place in any discussions regarding best ever custodians by topping the overall charts with 200 points already – almost a third of the grand total of last season’s winner Luis Suarez, now with Barcelona. That total has been reached by way of not conceding a single goal in any of his five starts thus far, and so while the Champions League bears no direct implications towards Euro Fantasy League point totals they do give an indication that the Italian is heading into the game in a great place psychologically.

That stance is only reaffirmed by Atletico’s struggling strikeforce so far – the Spaniards’ highest point hitting striker is Raúl Jiménez with 20. He has scored a single goal from three starts and two sub appearances, and so his name is on the season’s scoresheet but that strike rate against a keeper yet to be beaten certainly points towards the Italians possessing high confidence throughout their defensive line. The Champions League is, however, a completely different kettle of fish to domestic leagues, and so – apologies for the cliché – there can be no room for complacency. Outside of their own defence, Juventus’ highest name on the points charts is Argentinian striker Carlos Tevez, the former West Ham, Man Utd and Man City star who seems to have found his feet since moving to Italy in 2013. He has nabbed himself 90 points so far, with four goals from four starts and could fancy his chances of finding the net in Spain.

Atletico’s defence, however, are no pushovers themselves, and as alluded to previously their five at the back have topped the points charts thanks to stopper Miguel Moya conceding four goals from the first six games, but they were in three separate fixtures – so a 50% clean sheet ratio is still nothing to sniff at, even if it does happen to pale in comparison to his Italian counterpart on Wednesday evening. He has been beaten, though, and so the likes of Tevez and Alvaro Morata (three sub appearances, one goal and 20 points) will fancy their chances of snatching that potentially pivotal – and vital – breakthrough.

With Juventus edging both the defensive and attacking points charts then, it would seem easy to assume a win for the Italians – but Atletico have undergone a revolution since Simeone’s appointment in 2011, and the former Argentine international has ensured Atletico were never too far away from honours last season, ultimately ending their 18-year wait for a league title and leading his club to the most successful season in their history. They also have the home advantage, so don’t expect Juve to just go out and have an easy time of things – their hosts are, statistically, the second best team in Europe based on last season’s end results, and so Atletico have a great claim to expect the points themselves.

It really is a clash which could go either way, and both sides have cause for optimism, and so bizarrely either a draw or a convincing win for one or the other seem the most likely result. For our fantasy managers, it would seem a prudent move to study the game and move in any players you find impressive, as both look set to have a good season.

Champions League round-up Part 2 – Bayern and Roma lead City

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Group E consists of three relevant clubs out of four, with CSKA Moscow of Russia the only club not covered in Euro Fantasy League’s game. Inevitably, therefore, there was another “derby” as Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich took on English champions Man City in arguably the biggest game of the first round of fixtures. The Germans were able to take the 1-0 win thanks to a late, late striker from, ironically, former Citizen Jerome Boateng. The German international finished last season with 255 points, so it was a solid campaign for him rather than an outstanding one. He has 30 points already this season, and his ability to find in the Champions League is a good sign. Expect the World Cup winner to more than justify his €8.00m price tag.

The other Group E game saw Serie A side Roma toppling the aforementioned CSKA Moscow 5-1, with a brace from ex-Arsenal striker Gervinho contributing alongside goals from Juan Iturbe (0 points, €5.00m) and  Maicon (30 points, €7.50m), and a second-half own-goal from Ignashevitch putting the game beyond doubt before Musa’s late consolation. Gervinho’s 20 points from one start and one sub appearance with one goal so far in Serie A is encouraging, but doesn’t really inspire a true desire to get him into your squad immediately. He will be a solid investment though, almost sure to turn a profit on points so he is worth bearing in mind – he’s enjoying life in Italy by the looks of it.

Group F saw Paris Saint-German travel to the Netherlands for a game against Ajax which finished in a 1-1 draw, Edinson Cavani putting the French champions ahead before Schöne’s equaliser for the Dutch. Cavani has done well so far, with 40 points from five games, thanks to two domestic goals. His asking price is €11.00m, though, and so in much the same respect as Carlos Tevez previously, his pedigree in undoubted but he is yet to prove that he will have a memorable season. It is still a decent start though, so look to him to almost definitely add considerably to that total over the next few months.

La Liga runners-up Barcelona snatched a 1-0 home win against Cypriot side APOEL FC, with a Gerard Piqué goal just before the half hour proving enough for a Spanish win. The former Man Utd defender has had a storming start to the season, with 60 points from a single start and one sub appearance – little wonder, then, that 9% of managers have him in their defensive line. Goals may not prove his strong point this season, but clean sheets surely will – Barca have a renowned defence, so look to getting the Spaniard into your side if and when you are able to make room and budget.

In Group G, Premier League favourites Chelsea played host to Bundesliga’s FC Schalke, with the 1-1 draw ultimately proving a fair result on the night that the Blues were denied their fifth straight competitive win, with Didier Drogba in their starting lineup for the first time since returning to the club in the summer. Former Barcelona and Arsenal favourite Cesc Fabregas scored his first goal for Jose Mourinho’s side before Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s 62nd minute equaliser. Fabregas has 65 points this season with a value of €8.00m – if those stats don’t convince you enough, his early season form certainly should. He is playing for a new club and has been simply sensational since the season kicked off, much like team-mate Diego Costa. He is one that certainly seems worth recommended for inclusion.

To round things off, La Liga side Athletic Bilbao were also the home side, against Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk. A goalless draw proved uninspiring for attacking football, but defensively both sides were sound – and Bilbao keeper Gorka Iraizoz would have improved on his 25 point tally had this been a league game. He is only valued at €4.50m and so doesn’t fall too far short of potential inclusion in our own “Bargain Basement” series.

 

Champions League round-up Part 1 – Juventus and Real Madrid up and running

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This week has seen the kick-off of the Champions League tournament for the season, and with clubs from all five of Euro Fantasy League’s nations involved it’s time to take a look at how well our players managed. It is important to remember at this stage that player performances in the competition do not directly impact on the points they will win for any managers who have included them in their respective selections, but form is both true and evident, and so it is a common sight to see players who are turning it up a notch in Europe’s biggest club competition continuing to do well at a domestic level too. We will go through respective results by order of Champions League group presence, rather than by nation.

In Group A, Juventus took the top spot of the group by beating Swedish outfit Malmö FF 2-0, with noth goals coming from former Man Utd and Man City striker Carlos Tevez. The Argentinian has managed 30 points so far in Serie A, settling in to life in Italy as well as he did in England. His €11.00m may put some of the more lavish spenders off as there are arguably some even bigger name strikers available for a similar amount, but Tevez’s quality can not be argued with, and he finished the 2013-14 season with 440 points. That is a pretty nice finishing total, and his points-to-value rating was certainly very decent at 41.9. He is surely a player that can contribute significantly to the Old Lady’s season, and should never be discounted as a viable inclusion.

Elsewhere in the group, La Liga champions and Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid fell 3-2 victims at the home of Greek side Olympiacos in a somewhat surprising result. The Spaniards’ goals were scored by Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann, and surprisingly these two players are struggling for points domestically so far. The former has 15 points to his name from three starts, and is rated at €9.50m. He hasn’t seen the absolute best start to the season, but has proven that he is capable of finding the net against other top opposition from the continent – he has scored one goal from those three games after all, so he might be worth considering if not making himself a necessity at this point. Griezmann, meanwhile, has appeared in all three La Liga games for the club so far – two as a starter, one as a sub – but has failed to register a single point yet. That will, fairly surely, go up over the duration of the campaign, but at a value of €8.50m it remains to be seen whether he can obtain enough points to justify the inclusion he has earned from 3% of fantasy managers so far. He most likely will, but a player has to really shine to make himself a gem as far as fantasy football goes – time will tell.

In Group B, Liverpool triumphed 2-1 over Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria, owing to goals from Mario Balotelli and Steven Gerrard, whose late penalty gave the hosts all three points. Gerrard’s penalty ability really leaves nothing left to be said, while Balotelli continues to show signs of settling in well at Anfield after his late-summer move from AC Milan. Both of these players are talented enough to be recommended for consideration of inclusion in our fantasy managers’ squads, with Gerrard’s 30 points total already boding well, if not spectacularly so far. Anyone who follows the Premier League, however, knows that Gerrard can add massively to that total during proceedings, but his €11.00m valuation may incline some to edge towards slightly younger talent. Balotelli, meanwhile, hasn’t registered a point yet despite his menacing presence on the pitch, but it is still early days in new surroundings so he will almost certainly end the season in positive figures – but how far in the positive remains to be seen, and his inclusion is a risk that fantasy managers will have to weigh up – €11.00m is a fair amount, but one that may certainly prove a pittance compared to points yielded.

In the other Group B game, La Liga stars Real Madrid whopped Swiss club FC Basel 5-1 at the Bernabeu to contradict their domestic form, which has been stuttering to say the least. Galactico fans will be unfamiliar to seeing their team in negative goal difference after more than a game or two, but their -1 stance domestically is certainly present. Admittedly, the breakthrough came from a Basel own goal, but a scoresheet consisting of Gareth Bale (30 points), Cristiano Ronaldo (40 points), James Rodriguez (5 points) and Karim Benzema (15 points) reads like a real dream team to compare with Barcelona’s front line of Suarez, Messi and Neymar. Ronaldo and Bale may have had significantly better points-scoring starts to the season, but Benzema is a proven talent and Rodriguez looks likely to find his feet sooner rather than later.

Both sides in the Euro Fantasy League competition in Group C were taking part in a single game on Tuesday evening, with Monaco taking on Bayer Leverkusen in France. The game finished 1-0 to the hosts, with João Moutinho (10 points) scoring the decisive goal on 61 minutes. Moutinho’s 10 points have come from a single clean sheet so far, with no goals or assists to speak of as yet – at a value of €8.00m things could certainly be worse, but it may be worth holding out on the 28-year-old Portuguese international for the time being until he hits a run of form, as 1% of managers have so far taken a risk that is yet to show signs of really paying off.

As far as Group D went, we had another Euro Fantasy League derby as Borussia Dortmund played host to Arsenal, with the home side taking a convincing 2-0 win. Goals from ironically named striker Ciro Immobile (who is yet to register a single domestic point, €8.50m) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (20 points, €8.50m) put paid to the Gunners’ opening effort. Taking into account that the Germany season is slightly newer than the English season, coupled with Immobile’s 2013-14 total of 405 points, there are suggestions that the striker will be a worthy investment, but until he can hit the ground running there seems little point to considering him a thoroughly viable investment at this stage. Of course, he could burst onto the scene with a hat-trick or better, so the risk is yours to take.

Arsenal stutter as European competitions get back in action

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With the European qualification continuing this week, we are at the latter stages and that much closer to determining just who will advance to the Champions League and Europa League tournaments proper. Now, while players’ performances in these tournaments do not directly affect their points tallies in the Euro Fantasy League game, it will have an impact later on in the campaign for players who represent clubs who enjoy a continued run in the continental competitions. Fitness levels, fixture pileups, as well as a fair few potential air miles being clocked up can all have a say in how clubs perform domestically, so we will be taking a look at who is likely to continue and advance the hard way and just which players may struggle.

Of course, players are conditioned to spend as long as they can on the football pitches without compromising their health, and while managers do of course hold their stars’ interests at heart there will be an almost inevitable time in each season where players have to take it up a notch, digging out those extra degrees of performance in order to try and aid their clubs’ trophy hunt, and the fixture lists particularly during group stages and then at the business end of the season have been the source of many a manager’s ire.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been vociferous in lamenting the demands placed on Europe’s most successful clubs in the past, and while his squad have made a solid start to the season, causing much optimism among the Emirates stands, they do still have some work to do in order to advance to the group stages. They drew 0-0 at Besiktas on Tuesday, but lost Welshman Aaron Ramsey to a red card following a second bookable offence. While the result does seem to put the north Londoners in the driving seat, with a home clash starting at essentially a dead heat, Arsenal must be wary of conceding a goal which will effectively be worth two to Besiktas owing to the away goals rule – the Gunners must look at the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez to get the job done in front of the Turks’ goal, and ideally help Olivier Giroud put the ghosts of the first leg to rest as the Frenchman found himself frustrated at the front.

A good run of form for Arsenal in the league, despite the fixture pileup, has seemed to aid the Gunners at times in the past, with fine form being successfully translated from the continent to the English pitches, but Wenger will of course have to keep one eye on fitness levels as the match commitments go on the up if his side do eventually advance.

Bayer Leverkusen, Napoli and Lille are three other fairly big names in club football going through the qualifying stages, but of these the Germans were the only ones to record a win in their first leg, with Lille falling short and Napoli managing a draw. This means there will be some real potential fantasy points winners still in with a shout of advancing, with the likes of Stefan Kießling and Bernd Leno at Leverkusen looking good for a run in the cup. Players generally remain fresh enough to handle the extra fixtures and travel during the earlier group stages, but towards the knockout stages things start getting a little trickier so potential rests are something that our fantasy managers should take into account – as we have seen already this season, anything upwards of 50 points can be earned from a single great performance and so a missed game (for whatever reason) can prove costly to your EFL fantasy team. It’s definitely something to think about, hence why the inclusion of a solid points-scorer from a “smaller” club is always advisable.

Real Madrid and QPR the big winners of the weekend

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Football competition completed the season’s proceedings over the past week at club level, with the Champions League final between Madrid sides Real and Atletico proving a fitting spectacle for the occasion, and Playoffs in England securing the final few teams competition at a higher level next season. Fantasy football managers were given a glimpse of which players may look forward to a continuously good 2014, while others perhaps betrayed some signs that they were not ready to move on as fast as their clubs. Continue reading →