Champions League Group A preview and prediction
Group A
Considered the second “group of death” by many, Group A is sure to finish with at least one surprise. Last year's winner, Inter Milan, lead the group that also contains Tottenham Hotspur of England, Twente Enschede of Holland and Werder Bremen of Germany.
Inter Milan
Outlook: Arguably the most talented team in the world, the treble winners return an elite squad for the 2010-11 campaign. Led in goal by Julio Cesar, Inter's defence is their strongpoint, containing veterans who have been stars of world football for years. In the back, Inter has the South American quartet of Brazilians Maicon and Lucio, and Argentines Walter Samuel and star Javier Zanetti. In the midfield, there are play-makers to be found all over. Up top, Samuel Eto'o and last year's player of the year, Diego Milito, will lead the attack.
Most important player: Diego Milito
Key Newcomer: None
Player to be missed: Mario Balotelli (Manchester City)
Tottenham Hotspur
Outlook: After defeating Manchester City in the last game of last season to clinch their spot in the Champions League, Tottenham struggled to get by Young Boys in the play-off. After securing their spot, they have been grouped into a difficult Group A. With solid keeper in Heurelho Gomes and a decent backline, the Spurs will need several players to live up to the hype.
After brining in Rafael van der Vaart, the midfield should be one of the best in England. The problem will be up top. Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe will need to be consistent for them to have any chance of getting out of the group. Seeing something out of Giovanni Dos Santos would be nice for the fans at White Hart Lane.
Most important player: Gareth Bale
Key Newcomer: Rafael van der Vaart
Player to be missed: None
Werder Bremen
Outlook: One of the most underrated teams in Europe, the German side, who finished third in the German league last season, will be one of the strongest teams in the competition. The team is solid all around, playing exciting football at a fast pace. The Germans play very similar to English sides with their skillful passing and powerful shooting. The team does lack a big name, but Torsten Frings and Tim Borowski will be the key men in the middle for Bremen. Losing Mesut Ozil to Real Madrid hurts, but Werder Bremen have what it takes to make a run in the tournament. After seeing of Sampdoria in dramatic fashion in the play-off, every team in Group A will be keeping a eye on the underdog side.
Most important player: Claudio Pizarro
Key Newcomer: Wesley (Santos)
Player to be missed: Ozil (Real Madrid)
Twente
Outlook: The Dutch champions from a year ago, not too much is known about the physical and cerebral side. Their stellar defence is one of Europe's best, led by Peter Wisgerhof. They only let in 23 goals last season during league play, winning 27 of their 34 games. They face a tough battle to get out of this group, but will need the same defence to appear in this stage for the Dutch to have a shot.
Most important player: Bryan Ruiz
Key Newcomer: None
Player to be missed: None
Prediction: Inter Milan has no trouble getting out of the group. Tottenham and Bremen fight for the final spot, with Bremen going through to the final 16.
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