UEFA Champions League special: Five things to learn from match day five fixtures (Part 2)
Chelsea’s old legs catching up
Carlo Ancelotti’s side started the League in rampant form as Blues scored a stunning 21 goals from their opening five games. Fans, media and pundits alike jumped to praise the London based outfit and the Italian tactician. The likes of
Franck Lampard, Drogba and Malouda were leaving average Premiere League teams in their dust and raced clear of the chasing pack.
However, with injuries to players filling up the vacant treatment tables, Chelsea’s season started to derail. The club has lost the mighty lead it had accumulated and is currently level on points with Manchester United. Injuries to key
players such as John Terry, Didier Drogba and Lampard have clearly hampered the club’s progress. Last night, Chelsea needed the services of Malouda; summoned from the bench, to confirm the victory against a poor Zilina outfit.
All the aforementioned players are either on the wrong side on 30 or reaching the later stage of their illustrious careers. The club released a host of experienced International earlier this summer as a cost cutting measure in the summer.
Roman Abramovich is trying to pull off another AC Milan here. The Milanese giants refused to reinforce their squad in the seasons past and the results are for everyone to see. Another year without new arrivals and Chelsea will become the also-rans of Premier
League and primary continental.
Real Madrid are Champions League favourites
The author and fans across the globe have run out of superlatives to praise Jose Mourinho. Success follows the legendary Portuguese like a shadow. Following a historic treble winning season with Inter Milan, Mourinho dropped in at Bernabeau
to win the elusive Champions League trophy and so far he has been nothing short of perfect.
While their domestic form has been outwardly, the club has looked the real deal in Champions League. Mourinho’s men were drawn against the likes of AC Milan, AFC Ajax and French side AJ Auxerre. The grouped was tagged ‘group of death’
for obvious reasons yet Mourinho remains unbeaten.
Apart from an unlucky draw at San Siro, Madrid have won all the games with goals coming a plenty. The attack in arguably the best in the world and with inclusion of Ricardo Carvalho, the defence has a calming influence around it.
Jose Mourinho will face tougher oppositions, no doubt about it but, if the group stage performances are anything to go by, Real Madrid are the clear Champions League favourites this time around.
Arsene Wenger is losing the plot
It’s the same story for Arsene Wenger almost every year. The Gunners usually lose points to inferior oppositions in the League but the curse has crept into their Champions League campaign this year around.
After a blistering start to the group stage where Wenger’s men scored 14 goals from their opening three games, the Gunners have somehow managed to lose against the likes of Sporting Braga and Shakhtar Donetsk. In a group where Arsenal
were expected to top the charts with consummate ease, Arsenal are now out of contention for the top spot. Gunners will now face a tougher team in the mould of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the next stage.
Arsene Wenger is going nowhere with a team he called ‘better than the Invincibles’ and nothing positive can be expected of the London based outfit in the later stages of the competition.
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