UEFA Champions League Analysis – Group G
UEFA Champions League group G is arguably the toughest of the lot. The draw for group G pitted continental giants AC Milan and Real Madrid together for second year in a row. The continental heavy weights were joined by Dutch Eredivisie giants Ajax Amsterdam
and French side AJ Auxerre. Real Madrid, AC Milan and Ajax have 20 UEFA Champions League titles between them, making the group the best in the business. Jose Mourinho’s Real has dominated the group so far while Milan and Ajax harbour hopes of qualifying for
the next round.
Real Madrid
With the summer appointment of Jose Mourinho, Real were always the favourites to top the group. Mourinho has not disappointed. In just a few months, Mourinho has weaved his magic on the Galacticos. While Ajax and Auxerre were defeated with consummate ease,
it was the performance against AC Milan that really saw Madrid squad coming of age. A Ronaldo inspired Real Madrid ran rings around the slow and creaking Milan midfield. Despite the final score line being 2 – 0, the galactic dominance was such that Madridista’s
could have scored half a dozen past Marco Amelia in Rossoneri goal. Madrid has 9 points from the opening three matches and they travel to San Siro on November 3rd. Mourinho’s men are in extra terrestrial form and will inflict further misery on Allegri
and his men while Ajax and Auxerre will be duly dispatched. Mourinho is looking forward to a perfect record and if early season form is anything to go by, Los Galacticos will manage just that.
AC Milan
AC Milan was far from impressive during its opening match against Auxerre at San Siro. Rossoneri won 2 – 1 as Zlatan Ibrahimovic delivered the goods like he has done so many times this season. The trip to Amsterdam resulted in a 1 – 1 draw for Italian giants
before Real Madrid brought them down with a 2 – 0 defeat. As things stand, Milan is looking at an early exit from the competition. Allegri’s mean face Real Madrid on 3rd of November for the return tie and a defeat is on cards. On current for, even
a draw for AC Milan would be a bonus. A defeat will leave Milan needing maximum points from their remaining fixtures. Rossoneri will play Ajax at San Siro on match day five and the group stage will come to a close with a trip to France. Il Davioli has enough
quality to win both the matches. Rossoneri will finish the group stage as runner ups with 10 points and progress to the knock out stage.
Ajax Amsterdam
Luis Suarez’s side was extremely unlucky with the Champions League draw as they were pitted against the biggest players in European history. Ajax is level on points with Milan but face a more difficult run of fixtures. De Godenzonen travel to France to face
Auxerre before they face Real Madrid in Amsterdam. On match day six, Martin Jol and his men travel to San Siro to face AC Milan. Ajax might manage to eke out a victory in France but the next two fixtures would be very difficult. Mourinho’s mean are bulldozing
all opposition that come their way and a victory will be almost impossible, even a point will be celebrated. Such a turn of events will leave Ajax needing a victory on match day six at San Siro, a task that will prove too much for Jol and his side. One can
expect Amsterdammers to feature in Europa League from January onwards.
AJ Auxerre
The French side was looking out of place when drawn with European luminaries like AC Milan and Real Madrid and indeed Jean Fernandez’s side remains bottom of the group and are yet to register a single point. Not much is expected to change for French minnows.
An early exit from Europe is on cards and keeping in mind the opposition at hand, there is little that Fernandez can do to stop the inevitable.
Tags: