UEFA Champions League; The contenders (part 2)
3-Chelsea
Since the takeover of Roman Abrahmovich, Chelsea has done very well in the competition, but the trophy has still eluded them. Chelsea fans will be hoping their side can break that jinx this season and finally bring the Champions League trophy to Stamford
Bridge.
Chelsea has always been a strong defensive team. Petr Cech guards the goal, and is very reliable. Captain John Terry is a rock at the center of defence, and can put his body and soul on the line for his club. Terry is normally partnered by Alex, who is
a very strong player and is good in the air. Alex also provides an attacking threat as he strikes a fierce free kick.
Ashley Cole is ever present at the left-back position. He is very good going forward and has pace that enables him to cover up at the back. The right-back position has been a bit problematic over the years. Branislav Ivanovic has filled it up very well,
but isn’t as profound in attack. One problem that the blues face is that they have little cover if one of the usual back four gets injured.
Chelsea’s midfield is very solid. With the likes of Lampard and Essien at the helm, it is very hard to physically compete with the blues. John Obi Mikel is another strong player, who is blessed with an exquisite touch and technique. This season Flourent
Malouda has matured into a masterful winger. He supplies a lot of crosses for the strikers to feed on. Lampard and Malouda also make good runs from midfield to score crucial goals.
Anelka and Drogba make up a very potent strike force. Drogba is very powerful and wins most headers in the penalty area, while Anelka is technically gifted and a very intelligent player. He makes strong runs in and around the penalty area. This means both
strikers complement each other very well. Solomon Kalou is another player who can come off the bench and change the game.
Chelsea is a very strong unit, and with an experienced European manger in Carlo Ancelloti, no one will want to bet against them.
4-Inter Milan
After losing their charismatic manager Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid in the summer, and with Rafael Benitez struggling to get any consistency, most pundits believe Inter will not be able to defend their crown.
That said, Inter Milan still has a wonderful group of players. The defence is rock solid with Walter Samuel and Lucio in the centre. They complement each other superbly, that was evident last season. Many feel that Javier Zanetti is past his best, and though
he is in the twilight of his career, the Argentine still gives a hundred percent for the club. Right-back Maicon meanwhile, is widely regarded as the best in his position. He follows the Brazilian theory, “if you attack, you won’t have to defend”.
Along with an air tight defence, Inter have a very good midfield. Sniejder is the star in the centre of the park. He can pass and shoot with both feet and is blessed with amazing pace. Sniejder is given the license to attack because of the hard work Cambiasso
puts in. The Argentinean breaks up opposition attacks and keeps the game calm and simple. Stankovic is another name who can create goals; he has scored some magnificent ones over the years too.
Upfront Inter have Samuel Eto’o, who is one of the top strikers in the world. He has the highest goal tally in this year’s tournament so far, with 7 goals in 5 matches. Eto’o is a former winner of the trophy both with Inter and Barcelona, so he has plenty
of experience. He is partnered by the talented Diego Milito, who scored many crucial goals last season, to help Inter lift the trophy. Both strikers have pace and trickery and can score a lot of goals.
The core of the Inter team is almost the same as last year. But with injuries to key players in defence, like Walter Samuel and Maicon, and an over reliance on Eto’o means that Benitez has his work cut out. Unless they make some purchases in the January
transfer window, Inter could see their chances of retaining the trophy diminish.
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