Champions League preview: Real Madrid prepare for Ajax
In 2004 he won the Champions League with Porto, and this May he lifted the same trophy with Inter Milan. Now at Real Madrid, José Mourinho is bidding to become the first manager to win the European Cup with three different clubs.
Florentino Perez, the president of Real Madrid, pinpointed Mourinho as the man to bring success back to the Bernabeu after another underwhelming season in the Champions League last season. Defeat against Lyon in the last 16 marked the sixth consecutive year that the club had failed to reach the quarter-finals of the competition they once dominated.
After recording his first victory in charge of the Primera Liga side at the weekend – a 1-0 win over Osasuna – Mourinho is now ready to welcome four-time European champions Ajax to the Bernabeu this evening.
Martin Jol’s side are currently joint-top of the Eredivisie after winning four of their first five league matches, with World Cup villain Luis Suarez leading the goalscorer charts in Holland with six goals.
As for Real Madrid, only one man has scored under Mourinho’s brief tenure so far, and it’s not the player you’re probably expecting. Cristiano Ronaldo’s compatriot Ricardo Carvalho scored the first goal of Mourinho’s reign on Saturday, but the long list of household names will all be looking to get themselves on the scoresheet against Ajax.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are also in action tonight, just three months after their Champions League Final defeat against Inter Milan. The Bundesliga outfit meet AS Roma at the Allianz Arena, and neither club come into tonight’s match in particularly impressive form. Roma were thrashed 5-1 by Cagliari at the weekend, leaving them in 19th place in Serie A, while Bayern are currently languishing in mid-table after a defeat and a draw in their last two league matches.
One team many neutrals are excited about are AC Milan. The arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho have generated much excitement around the San Siro in recent weeks, and both forwards could start against Auxerre this evening. The French side are widely-expected to crash out of the group stages because of the fierce competition in Group G, and if their recent league form is anything to go by, Auxerre are in store for a tough night in the Italian capital.
Fellow Ligue 1 outfit Marseille also kick off their Champions League campaign this evening. Spartak Moscow make the long trip from Russia to the south of France, and the two clubs have history when it comes to European competition. Back in 1991, Spartak enjoyed their finest moment as they reached the semi-final of the European Cup, only to be eliminated by tonight’s opponents, who were then beaten in that final by Red Star Belgrade. The 1993 European Cup winners will be confident of taking all three points at the Stade Vélodrome, but the Russians will be no pushovers.
As Romanian champions, CFR Cluj qualified directly for the Champions League group stages, and they face the winners of the Swiss league, FC Basle, in Group E. Neither side have fared particularly well in Europe’s premier competition over recent years, and Bayern Munich and Roma are the clubs expected to qualify for the knockout rounds.
And finally, Arsenal v Braga isn’t the only match taking place in Group H this evening. Champions of Ukraine, Shakhtar Donetsk take on Partizan Belgrade at the Donbass Arena. The two clubs met during last year’s Europa League group stages, and Shakhtar thrashed their Serbian opponents 4-1 on home turf. But in the away tie, Partizan ensured revenge with a 1-0 victory. Will history repeat itself in the Champions League?
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