UEFA Champions League; The contenders (part 1)
This year the UEFA Champions League is very intriguing, because many of the big European teams have strengthened their squads. Here are some of the contenders for the coveted European Cup.
1-Barcelona
Barcelona is the favourite to lift the trophy at Wembley this season. The “favourite” tag is nothing new to the Catalans. In recent years Barcelona has done very well in Europe and the Catalans were losing semi-finalists against eventual winners, Inter Milan
last season. The Spanish giants have a wonderfully balanced squad. They have a solid goalkeeper in Victor Valdes and the defence is very compact under the leadership of World cup winner, Carles Puyol.
Right back Dani Alves loves to go forward and is technically a very sound player. He adds to the already intimidating attacking prowess of the team. The midfield is controlled by perhaps the best central midfielder on the planet, Xavi. Xavi governs the whole
game and is the architect of most Barcelona attacks. Xavi’s partner in crime is Andreas Iniesta, the man who scored the winning goal in the World cup final. Iniesta is a very smooth player, who has wonderful vision. He is very calm on the ball and can split
open any defence. He not only creates but also scores vital goals for his side. Iniesta and Xavi have an almost telepathic understanding and are therefore formidable opponents for any team.
Barcelona’s strike force is arguably one of the most potent in the world. The reigning FIFA world player of the year, Messi, is in a league of his own. Words cannot do justice to his talent. He is a nightmare to defend against and almost impossible to mark.
He can single handily destroy any defence. Messi averages almost a goal every game, and creates equally well. The attacking threat of Barcelona does not end with Messi, they also possess one of the most feared strikers in world football, David Villa. He was
Spain’s top scorer at the World Cup in South Africa. Villa has all the right attributes for a striker; predatory instincts, amazing trickery and pace. The likes of Pedro and Bojan complete Barcelona’s attacking quartet.
Manager Pep Guardiola is lucky to have the golden generation of Barcelona at his disposal. Under Pep, Barcelona plays a very slick, attacking brand of football which is very easy on the eye. The team is a delight for fans across the planet. Considering all
these factors it is no surprise that Barcelona is the favourite to win the European cup.
2-Real Madrid
Real Madrid is also amongst the favourites for the tournament. Under the leadership of arguably the best manager in the world, Jose Mourinho, the team seems to be flourishing. There is no doubt in the ability of Los Blancos, but they have failed to get past
the knockout stage in recent years.
Madrid arguably has the world’s best goalkeeper, Iker casillas, behind a solid defence. He is a very experienced keeper, and a former winner of the trophy with Madrid. The defence is solid for the most part, but there are weaknesses for others to exploit.
The addition of the solid Ricardo Carvalho has strengthened the back line, but his central defensive partner, Pepe can be reckless at times. The full-backs are also a bit of a mixed bag. Sergio Ramos is one of the best right-backs around, and is comfortable
in both attack and defence. On the left side however, Marcelo is good going forward, but there is a big question mark over his defensive capability.
Real Madrid has a very strong Midfield. Xabi Alonso sprays the ball around and opens up play for his team-mates. Sami Khedira meanwhile, is the calming influence in midfield. He sits in front of the defence and protects the back four. Another addition to
the squad is the fantastic Mesut Ozil. He is a very gifted player and is dubbed the next Zidane. He creates and scores vital goals from midfield.
Los Blancos have some of the world’s best attacking talent at their disposal. Cristiano Ronaldo needs no introduction. His step overs, nutmegs and 360’s make him one of the toughest players to defend against. Ronaldo is partnered by Higuain who is a very
clever striker with predatory instincts. Angel Di Maria is another new addition to the squad. He loves to run at defenders, and has the ability to score from long range. With Kaka still to come back into the team after injury, the Madrid attack looks in great
shape.
Barring any serious injuries or mishaps, Madrid looks set to go a long way in the tournament this season.
[Continued in part 2, 3 and 4]
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