The European Through Ball Vol. 4

On this edition, some reflections on an entertaining day of football in Europe. Everton put in a thorough performance at St. Mary's, Spurs do what Spurs usually do, Stephen Ireland turns back the clock, Thomas Tuchel has a dream start in the battle of the Borussia's and Lyon get a lucky break to beat Guingamp.

Southampton 0 Everton 3

• An excellent display by the Toffees was underpinned by a couple of factors. Ross Barkley was excellent running with the ball in dangerous areas, threading accurate passes through to the forwards and topping it off with a composed finish for Everton's third goal. More importantly for the Blues, it's been a while since Romelu Lukaku has looked at his best. Roberto Martinez must realize that using Lukaku out wide might be effective as a surprise tactic every now and then, but ultimately the Belgian is in the team to deliver goals. With Lukaku playing in the centre, all he had to focus on was finishing, which is what he did with two different goals. The first, a good sideways header to finish Arouna Kone's excellent cross and the second, a confident left-footed strike after a good through ball by Ross Barkley. Not many forwards are going to score a brace away to Southampton and if Lukaku can replicate this level of performance consistently, Everton may still finish in the top seven.
• Arouna Kone has had a frustrating time since joining Everton two years ago. Now free of his injury troubles and a full pre-season behind him, the Ivorian might just have a crucial role to play in the Toffees season. Having scored on the opening day of the season after coming off the bench, Kone put in another impressive performance. He dovetailed effectively with Lukaku and managed to find good spaces to run into, always providing a good outlet for Everton's midfielders. Kone may not get the headlines, but his unheralded work-rate could prove to be effective if Everton are to win more games against the better teams. 
• As good as Everton were, Southampton were poor on many different counts. The fact that Saints have already conceded five goals in two games is a worry. It's clear to see that being partnered next to Maya Yoshida in stead of Toby Alderweireld has had a negative impact on Jose Fonte. Southampton are now back to the original pairing of centre-backs they had when they first got promoted back to the Premier League. The partnership wasn't good enough then and it isn't now. Saints fans will hope that the signing of Virgil Van Dijk from Celtic is completed sooner rather than later or it could be hard to replicate last season's success let alone build on it. Meanwhile, the play up front was also pedestrian for the most part. Though Saints had more possession than Everton they were unable to do anything meaningful with the ball, relying excessively on right-back Cedric and Dusan Tadic to cross the ball into the box. Jordy Clasie was signed as Morgan Schneiderlin's replacement and the hope must be that once the Dutch international returns from injury, Southampton will revert to a more composed style of play rather than the harum-scarum style witnessed during the home opener at St. Mary's.

Tottenham 2 Stoke 2

• In keeping with the game, let's start with Tottenham's positives. The interplay between Harry Kane, Christian Eriksen and Nacer Chadli was excellent. The trio created chances for each other with some fantastic passes and the only pity was that Spurs didn't score more when they were in the ascendancy. Furthermore, the trio pressed from the front once again, ensuring Spurs more of the ball in dangerous areas. It must be comforting for new signing Clinton Njie that he will have the opportunity to settle into an attack that is already creating chances. With the talented Cameroonian now in his ranks, at least Mauricio Pochettino has a failsafe if he feels the need to change one of his front three, rather than the complete unravelling that took place against Stoke after the substitution of Kane.
• It feels like eons ago when Stephen Ireland was actually the most creative midfielder at Manchester City. Today's performance coming off the bench was a reminder of the talent that Ireland possesses. Ireland's passing changed the complexion of the match completely. Passing with 95% accuracy, Ireland enabled Stoke to completely bypass Tottenham's midfield. He created a couple of great chances culminating in the assist for the equalizer and could have possibly headed in a winning goal as well. It's hard to believe that Ireland is still only 28. If Mark Hughes can coax such performances more regularly, Ireland could well be a better choice than Charlie Adam in midfield as his pass and move style is best suited to a continental style that the manager is trying to implement at Stoke.
• While Ireland and Stoke walk away with the plaudits, it must concern Pochettino that his side were so easily overturned in the last half an hour of a match at home. White Hart Lane has to be a banker for Spurs if they want to improve on last season, but it's hard to see Spurs succeeding with the options they currently have in central midfield. Eric Dier, Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb may all turn out to be mainstays in the club's future, but dominating central midfielders they are not. Playing one of the trio is not unreasonable, but Spurs are in serious need of a top-notch orchestrator to take make them more solid in the centre of the park. As things stand, neither is the Spurs midfield acting as a base for attack nor as a shield for the defence.

Borussia Dortmund 4 Borussia Monchengladbach 0

• In a league that is guaranteed to be won by Bayern Munich, the greatest curiosity around the opening week of the season was centred on how Thomas Tuchel's reign at the Signal Iduna Park would start. Would Tuchel be able to inspire Borussia Dortmund after the iconic reign of Jurgen Klopp? On first impressions, the answer is a resounding yes. While the pressing was reminiscent of Klopp's team at their best, the passing was more accurate and the control of the game seemed less frantic. Every single player performed exceptionally. Marco Reus led from the front, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won almost every sprint, Henrik Mkhitaryan picked up great positions, Ilkay Gundogan looked like he is finally over his injury troubles and the 19-year old Julian Weigl was so calm while distributing the ball from the base of midfield. Tougher challenges await Tuchel, but a positive start after the nightmares of last season was crucial. The new manager can be pleased with the performance of his stars.
• After this performance it would be hard to believe that Borussia Monchengladbach finished third last season and are looking forward to the group stages of the Champions League. Lucien Favre's men, usually so organized and hard to break down, were overrun from the first minute to the final whistle. The experienced Swiss manager will certainly convince his players that this was a one-off and not every team in the Bundesliga will match the firepower of Dortmund. The bigger challenge that Favre faces is how to build on last season's achievements.  The Foals are going to need more than just discipline and organization to compete on two fronts. Realistically Gladbach are not competing for trophies, but the aim has to be a consistent top four place along with incremental success in Europe. To ensure that takes place, the club have to add some stardust to the squad.
• It would be natural for fans of Dortmund to take this season one step at a time. Yet, if the club is honest with itself, an immediate return to the Champions League spots has to be the aim. In addition to the stars in the starting eleven today, Dortmund had Sven Bender, Gonzalo Castro, Adrian Ramos and Kevin Kampl on the bench, while Nuri Sahin and Neven Subotic are a few weeks away from full fitness. It doesn't have the depth of Bayern Munich, but Dortmund's squad is easily good enough to come second in the league while going on a deep run in the Europa League. An exciting season at the Signal Iduna awaits.

Guingamp 0 Lyon 1

• Lyon welcomed back Maxime Gonalons in the centre of midfield after his suspension. However, it was another welcome that grabbed the headlines. Mathieu Valbuena has returned to France by joining the runners-up. The experienced attacking midfielder is a great addition to the squad and his experience and skill will come in handy as Lyon compete on two fronts. Valbuena looked at home just behind Alexandre Lacazette and once he is more settled we can expect plenty of thrills from this exciting attack.
• Guingamp were excellent, playing with the spirit and verve that has become the hallmark of this exciting team. Regardless of the calibre of their opponents, Jocelyn Gourvennec's men always like to play on the front foot. They posed Lyon plenty of problems and were unfortunate to not get at least a point. Nicolas Benezet troubled both Jeremy Morel and Rafael on the flanks and sent in several teasing balls that troubled Samuel Umtiti and Milan Bisevac. What Gourvennec wouldn't have given for last season's top scorer Claudio Beauvue to be on the end of those crosses? In a cruel twist of fate it was Beauvue who ended up scoring the winner for Lyon against his former club. It's tempting to be downbeat about Guingamp's chances this season, but this club have a habit of fighting against the odds. Expect another season of survival for the Northwestern team.
• Lyon's young attacking talents had another frustrating afternoon. While Messrs Fekir, Lacazette, Ferri and Tolisso get up to speed, Lyon have been saved from defeat by the excellence of their centre-backs and goalkeeper. Umtiti put in another solid performance and with the addition of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Lyon could conceivably have a long-term partnership between two French international centre-backs. However, the star in this match was Anthony Lopes. The 24-year old goalkeeper was excellent with some close-range blocks, topping it off with a superb save in stoppage time to ensure Lyon left with the three points. Lopes is the kind of solid goalkeeper who will probably will win Lyon many more points this season when the forwards draw a blank. The battle for the No.1 spot in France's Euro 2016 squad could shape up to be very interesting between Lopes and Hugo Lloris.

Five thoughts on Borussia Dortmund 1 Hoffenheim 0

Borussia Dortmund climbed out of the relegation zone after getting a much-needed victory over Hoffenheim. Here are five thoughts on the match.

Dortmund finally play with their first-choice back four

Piszczek. Hummels. Subotic. Schmelzer. It was surreal looking at BVB’s team sheet with those four names. Dortmund’s narrative has been dominated by injuries for the past year and a half. Most observers have just become accustomed to the team playing without regular starters. It took me a good 15 minutes to adjust to the fact that these four were actually playing together again. After all, it was the first time in 72 competitive games since the Champions League final in 2013 that BVB had their first-choice back four playing together.

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The result was a long overdue clean sheet in the Bundesliga. One could argue that it was easy to defend against a very poor Hoffenheim. Then again, Dortmund have conceded the most atrocious of goals against opponents much worse than the visitors. In their current predicament, any clean sheet is a positive. Leading from the front (or should that be from the back) was captain Mats Hummels. Other than a misdirected header that gave Sven Schipplock an early chance, Hummels was imperious. He won eight aerial duels including one outstanding clearance to deny Sebastian Rudy’s cute free kick. His assuredness gradually transferred confidence to the rest of the defence, with Neven Subotic having his best game in a long time. A semblance of solidity retained, the back four started to press and pass, reminding us of Jurgen Klopp’s men at their best. If Dortmund are to revive their season, then it’s clear that they need their starting defensive quartet to be fit for most of the campaign.

Bender and Gundogan’s dynamism drives Dortmund’s midfield

It wasn’t just BVB's defence that was decimated. They have waited very patiently for Ilkay Gundogan to return from injury after missing the whole of last season. To compound their woes, Sven Bender has also missed small chunks due to injury. Having recently returned, it took the duo a few games to get back to their peak. Against Hoffenheim, both looked close to their best.

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Bender must have crossed every inch of grass on the pitch, combining his tackles with small passes to transition the team from defence to attack. Meanwhile, Gundogan was relentless in his pressing and was at the heart of most things good in Dortmund’s attack. Gundogan is a rare breed of midfielder. Comfortable driving through the centre with the ball at his feet, Gundogan is also capable switching play with his excellent passing. His passes found wide outlets on a consistent basis and the timing of his run into the box for the match-winning goal was exquisite. Fans of Die Schwarzgelben will hope their midfield stalwarts will only get better with more matches under their belt.

Firmino and Volland continue to disappoint in big games

Hoffenheim were one of the success stories in the early part of the Bundesliga season. In large part that was down to the attacking prowess of Roberto Firmino and Kevin Volland. On the basis of their form, Firmino and Volland even managed to make their international debuts for Brazil and Germany respectively. In the past month though, both have gone off the boil. The most concerning aspect for Hoffenheim is that they have gone missing against the toughest opponents. No goals, assists or key passes against any of Gladbach, Bayern or Dortmund. This suggests the duo still need to improve a few aspects of their game to justify the hype associated with them.

Aubameyang shines while Ramos struggles

In the absence of Marco Reus, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is expected to take on the burden of leading Dortmund’s attack. The Gabonese speedster is relishing his second season in Gelsenkirchen and it is showing in his play. One of the few successes in his team’s inconsistent start to the season, Aubameyang had another fantastic outing. He assisted the match winning goal and only a combination of marginal offside decisions and Oliver Baumann kept him from getting on the scoresheet.

Meanwhile Adrian Ramos had another tough day. The Colombian worked diligently for the team, but was unable to make a decisive difference in the final third. Ramos struggled to make the right runs into the box, and his attempts at finishing or crossing were often scuffed. Dortmund fans will always back a player who works tirelessly, but everyone at the club will be expecting a better second half of the season for Ramos.

Dortmund should kick on while Hoffenheim slide

One swallow doesn’t make a summer. Dortmund should avoid talking about a revival. Still, the victory marks two consecutive home wins in the Bundesliga for the first time this season. As far as building blocks go its not much, but with many players returning to the first team and a kind fixture list till the winter break, Dortmund should at least move closer to the top ten. On the evidence of this match, only one team looked like they could contend for a Champions League spot. Despite their horrible start, Dortmund are only six points behind Hoffenheim and sooner or later they will overtake them if they manage a winning run.

Hoffenheim have gone off the rails since losing 3–1 to Borussia Monchengladbach. They have lost four of their last five games, their only win being a fortuitous 4–3 over Hannover last weekend. A negative goal difference suggests where their problems lie, but an appalling record against the big teams suggests they are also lacking in mental strength and belief. Hoffenheim are still only a point off fourth, but it’s hard to shake of the feeling that the team are on a slide. With the attacking talents in the team, they should be able to beat teams in the lower half of the Bundesliga, but manager Markus Gisdol has to convince his team to adopt a stronger work rate to ensure a promising start to the season isn’t squandered.

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2013-14 Champions League Quarterfinal Draw Reflections

Football fans all over the world were waiting in excitement for the quarterfinals draw of the Champions League, as the octet of teams remaining featured some of the biggest names that this stage of the competition has seen in a while. After all the hoopla in the buildup, the draw itself was done and dusted in 12 minutes. Here, I provide some quick reflections on all four match-ups.

Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid

The Blaugrana’s immediate focus will be on Atletico’s neighbours in the upcoming Classico this weekend. Barcelona have shown flashes of their imperious best in the past two weeks, scoring goals to complement some of their sublime midfield play. Crucially Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta have been playing with the handbrakes off, and when that is the case it is extremely hard to stop Barcelona.

Atletico on the other hand have leapfrogged Barca as Real Madrid’s closest competitor in the race to win La Liga. After an underwhelming start to the year, Diego Simeone’s men seem to have got things back on track, winning three consecutive games in La Liga and defeating AC Milan over two legs of an entertaining round of 16 encounter in the Champions League. Like Messi, Diego Costa has regained his mojo in March, grabbing games by the scruff of the neck, in the process gaining crucial points for Los Colchoneros.

It’s slightly underwhelming when teams from the same league meet before the semifinals of the UCL, but with three Spanish teams in the draw, there was always a chance of a La Liga derby. Atleti will approach the match with no fear as is customary for Simeone’s men. The three matches they have played against each other this season have all ended in draws, and only 2 goals have been scored. I think therein lies an indication of how this affair might pan out, where goalscoring opportunities are going to be at a premium. The obvious narrative is that Atletico will make things difficult by being physical against Barca, denying them space in midfield and defending resolutely. However, I think Barca’s monopoly of the ball also renders Atletico’s main attacking threat of playing through balls ineffective. It is for this reason, coupled with Barcelona’s midfield supremacy that I see them prevailing against Atletico over two tense matches.

Real Madrid vs. Borussia Dortmund

At the time of writing Real Madrid have gone 32 games unbeaten. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund have lost two consecutive games at home. Injuries have decimated BVB this season with Jurgen Klopp missing five first-team regulars throughout the campaign. As admirable as Klopp’s ethos is, the backup at Dortmund is simply not good enough to perform consistently at the highest level of the game.

Meanwhile Carlo Ancelotti has quietly developed an efficiency to Los Blancos play, with the front three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema having developed a fantastic understanding. Not only are the “BBC” scoring regularly, but they also manage to find each other with good passes consistently. Behind the trio, Luka Modric, Angel di Maria and Xabi Alonso are a formidable triumvirate in midfield. Alonso is the zen master dictating the flow of play, Modric is equally at home releasing key passes to the forwards or coming back and helping Alonso, while di Maria is darting through balls from the centre of the park at will. Even the defence is now looking settled after some scares earlier in the season.

Last season, Dortmund and Real played a classic semifinal, with the underdogs riding on Robert Lewandowski’s four goals in the first leg to clinch a place in the final. The Polish striker will be suspended for the first leg, only adding to the feeling that Real will be too strong this time around. Despite the injury crisis, Klopp’s men will not make it easy, but Real’s variety of difference makers should see the Madridistas reach the semis for a fourth consecutive campaign.

Paris St. Germain vs. Chelsea

A clash between two of the richest clubs on the continent is the one that has got the most attention of the neutrals. Under the tutelage of Laurent Blanc, PSG have looked at their most cohesive since the QSI takeover. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s form has been obvious for everyone to see, but it is the work of midfielders Marco Veratti, Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Motta that has made the French champions play fluid football. Alex and Thiago Silva have an excellent understanding at the back, with young protege Marquinhos also performing to a high standard whenever he’s been called upon.

Meanwhile Chelsea have been operating in clockwork fashion since the turn of the year, the only blip coming in a shock defeat against Aston Villa. Like all Jose Mourinho teams, Chelsea’s foundation is based on a solid defence. John Terry and Gary Cahill are in excellent form, as are full backs Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta. Further up the field, Eden Hazard and Willian have been difference makers, and against Galatasaray Oscar seemed to have woken up from his slumber as well.

I think this match is a tricky one to call. Both midfields are pretty robust, and it is hard to see the away team winning in either leg. I think Mourinho will want to prove a point in this encounter, and that coupled with the fact that the second leg is at Stamford Bridge, should see Chelsea edge through.

Manchester United vs. Bayern Munich

It’s hard to believe that many are predicting this match between two of the giants of the game to be the most one-sided. That’s how far Manchester United’s stock has fallen in this most gloomiest of transition seasons after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Even in their comeback against Olympiakos in the second leg at Old Trafford, there were signs of vulnerability as David Moyes reverted to a default safety first approach. As many have wisely pointed out, if Olympiakos can have you on the ropes at Old Trafford, what chance do United have against Bayern’s excellent midfield.

I could use a lot of words in a comparison between the two teams across all positions, but suffice to say Bayern Munich are the clear favourites. Of course, one could fall prey to underestimating their opponents, but Pep Guardiola will ensure that there is no complacency amongst his players. Can David Moyes pull of the greatest coup by overcoming Guardiola? Not a chance! Bayern to make into the semi’s for the third successive year.

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Champions League Group Stage Reflections

The Champions League group stages have come to an end after an exciting Match Day 6, in which every group had something to play for until the very last day. Here are my reflections on all eight groups after the conclusion of the first round, from the very good to the downright poor.

Group A

Manchester United were worthy winners of the group, a silver lining in David Moyes' tumultuous start to life as manager at Old Trafford. It wasn't the most difficult of groups, but you can only beat the opposition in front of you, and 14 points in his first Champions League campaign as manager is an accomplishment Moyes should be proud of. The highlights were two vibrant performances against Bayer Leverkusen, while United did just enough to beat Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Sociedad at home while drawing away. The prospects for the round of 16 aren't that bad considering their likely opponents in Monday's draw, but progress beyond the quarters is hard to see considering the calibre of opposition and weaknesses in the Red Devil's midfield.

Bayer Leverkusen were another team with a manager leading his first Champions League campaign, and qualifying for the last 16 makes Sami Hyppia's first sojourn into Europe an automatic success. Leverkusen needed a favour from United against Shakhtar as they won a nervous last match at San Sebastian. The highlight for Hyppia's men was the 4-0 thrashing of Shakhtar at home, and the team displayed mental fortitude in two wins against Sociedad when they weren't at their best. Also impressive was the fact that Leverkusen qualified with star man Stefan Kiessling contributing only 2 goals. However the 2-9 aggregate against Manchester United suggests Bayer will struggle against any of the group winners they are drawn against in the round of 16. However, just qualifying for the knockouts provides foundations for a team whose main aim is to qualify for the group stages again next season.

Shakhtar Donetsk will be disappointed with their Champions League campaign after finishing third in the group, and ending up in the Europa League. The truth was that despite Mircea Lucescu's great work over the years, Shakhtar were always going to struggle in following up on their excellent campaign last year after selling Willian in January followed by a summer in which they lost Fernandinho and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Bernard showed glimpses of his potential, and Douglas Costa and Adriano remain wily operators. However, the team simply didn't have enough quality this time around, and whether Lucescu can get his players motivated for the Europa League - a trophy they have won recently - is up for debate.

Real Sociedad were the disappointment of the group after finishing with only one point gained in a stalemate at home with United. It promised to be much different, after a fantastic win against Lyon in the qualifying playoffs, but it seems losses in the opening two games against Shakhtar and Leverkusen when they dominated simply knocked the stuffing out of the team. Antoine Griezmann and Carlos Vela didn't show up, and the teams inexperience showed as they simply had no composure on the ball, and played without a clear tactical identity. Sociedad are at least getting their domestic campaign back on track, and are in the hunt to qualify for the Champions League again.

Group B

Real Madrid hardly broke a sweat, amassing 16 points and 20 goals. Cristiano Ronaldo scored goals galore, while Angel Di Maria, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema also got into the act. Real are unlikely to keep up the rate of scoring against higher quality opposition, so I think their two performances against Juventus were more indicative of their future prospects in the competition. Los Blancos were fortunate to get four points against the Old Lady, and in another season could easily have ended up with two losses against Juve. While Carlo Ancelotti tries to finalize his preferred formation, everything at Real still seems to be based around Ronaldo performing to herculean standards. Ancelotti needs to find the ideal midfield balance and soon, or Real could struggle against teams with superior midfields in the knockouts.

Galatasaray have to rank as one of the worst teams to have qualified for the knockout stages in the competition's recent history. The 2-10 aggregate against Real was bad enough, but the low point was surely being the only team to lose to FC Copenhagen. Were it not for one brilliant moment between Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder in a deciding clash against Juventus, Gala would have been playing in the Europa League. Another team bereft of a clearly tactical identity, manager Roberto Mancini has a lot to figure out if Gala are to repeat last year's run to the quarterfinals.

Antonio Conte can fume all he wants about the conditions in Istanbul when Juve lost the decider to Gala, but even he acknowledged the damage was done when points were thrown away in draws against the Turkish and Danish champions before the double header against Madrid. It must be a chastening feeling for Conte, after two and a half almost flawless years at the helm of the Old Lady. Signings were made in the summer specifically with an improved Champions League campaign in mind after last season's humbling quarterfinal exit to Bayern Munich. At least Juve are still clear favourites to win their third successive Serie A, while the carrot of a Europe League final at home in Turin should keep Conte's men sufficiently motivated to play well on Thursday nights in Europe.

FC Copenhagen were always expected to finish last in the group, and one could argue they performed above expectations. The Danish champions were rarely humiliated, and did not appear overawed in any of their games against such illustrious opponents. A 1-1 draw against Juventus at home to open the campaign was noteworthy, but the highlight was a 1-0 home victory against Galatasary in a match they dominated from start to finish.

Group C

There was hardly a doubt at any stage about Paris Saint-Germain winning the group convincingly. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored eight goals, including four away to Anderlecht, while new star signing Edinson Cavani contributed four of his own. After three consecutive wins to start the campaign, PSG took their foot off the pedal and understandably so, but still displayed the fight in them with a tense 2-1 victory against Olympiakos to seal top spot in the group. Slowly but surely the players are buying into Laurent Blanc's philosophy, and while they are not favourites, they definitely are dangerous opponents that most teams would prefer to avoid in the knockouts.

Olympiakos were the big surprise, as the Greek champions unexpectedly finished second to qualify for the last 16. The revelation of their campaign was Kostas Mitroglu who scored a stunning hat rick against Anderlecht, and followed up with two crucial assists in the double header against Benfica. Olympiakos outplayed Benfica both home and away, and deservedly secured qualification by beating Anderlecht in the last game thanks to Javier Saviola. While they won't get beyond the last 16, a feisty first leg in Athens is guaranteed.

After reaching the quarter finals in 2012, Benfica have dropped down to the Europa League for the second successive campaign. It's a huge disappointment for the Portuguese giants, and going out of the competition behind Celtic and Olympiakos in consecutive years blots the glorious history of the Eagles. That Benfica were even in the hunt to qualify was down to atrocious weather saving them from a certain defeat at home to Olympiakos. Much soul searching is needed in Lisbon, and the prospects of a good Europa League campaign after finishing runners-up last year are pretty dim.

Belgium may have captured the footballing world's imagination with one of the most exciting generations of players to play across the best teams in Europe, but the champions of their domestic league were a huge disappointment. Anderlecht gained a solitary point in an away draw in Paris when PSG were coasting, and the incompetence was borne out by the fact that they scored only four goals and conceded 17.

Group D

The champions were always going to go through from the group, and Bayern Munich did so in convincing style despite a loss at home to Manchester City in their final game of the first round. The goals were spread around the team, and the performance at the Etihad was as comprehensive as away performances come. With their excellent midfield and plethora of options, Bayern remain favourites however with Jerome Boateng and Dante capable of having bad days, the Germans could be vulnerable in a tense knockout match.

After two forgettable campaigns, Manchester City finally made it out of the group stages under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini. It would have been a travesty if City wouldn't have made it out of the group considering the opposition other than Bayern. As things turned out, City ended the first round with regret at not scoring one more goal in Munich to top the group. The defence without Vincent Kompany is still a shambles as proven by four goals conceded at home to CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen. However, City might have stumbled on the ideal formation for Europe in their final game with five in midfield, and despite finishing runners-up, they are the opponents most group winners would like to avoid in the round of 16.

Two late goals in their final match against CSKA Moscow helped minnows Victoria Plzen qualify for the Europa League ahead of the experienced Russian team, which certainly qualifies as a fantastic achievement. That was Plzen's only win of the campaign, but the Czech team did themselves credit with four goals away in Manchester and Moscow, and could conceivably make the last 16 of the Europa League.

CSKA Moscow were a major disappointment as many expected them to give City a tougher run for the fight to second. As things turned out, CSKA were eliminated by the fourth match day, and with Keisuke Honda now leaving for AC Milan in January, it surely is only a matter of time before Zoran Tosic and Igor Akinfeev leave the club, as the Russian champions come to terms with gradual end of a successful cycle over the past five seasons.

Group E

As expected Chelsea finished as group winners, although the nature of their performances left a lot to be desired. Two abject performances resulted in two losses to Swiss champions Basel, while the twin 3-0 victories against Schalke were extremely misleading, a testament to Chelsea's ruthlessness rather than excellence. Ultimately Mourinho is a results oriented manager, and regardless of the travails in the group stage, Chelsea should beat any of their possible opponents in the round of 16, and once we are down to the quarterfinals, a Mourinho team simply can't be ruled out.

After starting the campaign with two victories, Schalke came up short in back-to-back fixtures against Chelsea, where basic defensive errors condemned the Germans to defeats in games where their midfield performed rather well. Ultimately, Schalke made it through on the back of an unconvincing home win against Basel in the last game, where they had to rely on the Swiss being down a man, and on top of that score a blatantly offside goal to get the breakthrough. Schalke seem to be in a perpetual state of flux, and despite the outstanding attacking talent of Julian Draxler and a returning Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, I can't see them going past the round of 16.

Basel must be wondering how they haven't qualified from the group stages despite winning home and away against Chelsea. The answer lies in two horrible performances in drawing home and away to Steaua Bucharest. Many believe Basel would have been difficult opponents in the knockouts due to their fanatical home crowd, but ultimately the Swiss champions only have themselves to blame for being complacent in the double header against Steaua. Nonetheless, another good run in the Europa League where they made the semis last year is certainly possible for Murat Yakin's men.

Steaua Bucharest ended up last as many expected, but can still feel good about the aforementioned draws against Basel as well as a draw at home against Schalke. A good experience for the Romanian champions who should return next season with invaluable experience.

Group F

Despite a horrible injury crisis and one of the toughest groups in the recent history of the Champions League, Borussia Dortmund showed remarkable resilience to qualify for the round of 16 as group winners. Jurgen Klopp's pressing game continues to deliver results, and the understudies to the injured defenders all stepped up to the occasion. The concern however lies with Robert Lewandowski and Maro Reus missing chances galore throughout the group stages, and such wastefulness can be punished in the knockouts. There is hope that players will return fresh for the resumption of the Champions League, and Dortmund can't be ruled out as dark horses.

In typical fashion, Arsenal almost contrived to throw away their place in the next round, as they lost all composure in the final twenty minutes of their fixture against Napoli. Nonetheless, finishing with four wins while generally maintaining a very good standard of football in this group is laudable when most pundits feared for the Gunners hopes. Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud carried over their good domestic form, and despite playing one of the group winners in the round of 16, Arsene Wenger's midfield generals have it in them to cause an upset in the next stage.

Napoli can justifiably feel aggrieved at failing to qualify despite amassing 12 points in this extremely difficult group. When looking back at the campaign, Rafa Benitez might regret the fact that Napoli were not focused and incisive when travelling to London and Dortmund, two-goal margins of defeat ultimately costing them their place in the round of 16. Nevertheless, once the disappointment fades away, Napoli can consider themselves genuine contenders for the Europa League, led by a manager who has a fantastic record in the competition, and the form of Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon.

Unbelievably, Marseille were actually the second seeds in this group. The French team did themselves and their league a huge disservice by losing all six games in the group stage. Manager Elie Baup was fired, and the only consolation for fans of L'OM was that under Jose Anigo they at least showed some fight in the last fixture against Dortmund, where they almost scuppered last years runners-up's progression into the next round despite playing with ten men for 60 minutes.

Group G

Atletico Madrid finished with 16 points and can lay claim to being the most impressive team of the group stages in this year's Champions League. Were it not for Thibault Courtois making an uncharacteristic error away to Zenit, Atleti would have finished with a perfect record. Diego Simeone is earning a reputation as one of the best managers in Europe, ensuring his players are always motivated while performing in a perfect tactical system. Diego Costa scored some lovely goals, the midfield has a variety of different players, and the defence is watertight. Dark horses in many circles, and even considered favourites by a small minority, Los Colchoneros are one of the teams to beat.

Zenit St Petersburg just about pipped Galatasary to being the worst team to qualify for the knockout stages. The Russians qualified on the back of one away win at Porto, and the fact that they weren't able to win against Austria Vienna at home and then by spanked by the Austrians 4-1 away doesn't bode well for their prospects when they come up against one of the group winners in the round of 16.

That Porto finished even lower than Zenit has to be considered the shock of the competition so far. The Portuguese champions started well, but seemed unable to recover from a rare loss at home to Atletico in their second fixture. The discipline and experience that have become a hallmark of the team simply disappeared, and to make matters worse, rivals Benfica amassed five more points despite being eliminated. The squad has the quality to make a deep run in the Europa League, but whether the players will be motivated enough is doubtful.

Austria Vienna were expected to make up the numbers, but ended up giving a decent account of themselves. Away draws at Zenit and Porto are not to be scoffed at, but the cherry on the top was the fantastic 4-1 win in the final game against Zenit in Vienna. It would be nice to see them again in the group stages next year.

Group H

Barcelona had to wait till the last game of the group stages to seal top spot, which they eventually did with a 6-1 thrashing of Celtic at the Camp Nou. It's highly unlikely that the Blaugrana are going to face such charitable opposition in the later rounds of the competition. Away performances were certainly not up to scratch, and for purists it was quite a shock to see Ajax play the better football between the two in Amsterdam. Despite Tata Martino having many critics, there is greater defensive stability, and while the flair hasn't always been obvious, Barcelona are pressing better this season, and that alone makes it unlikely that they will be brushed aside like they were against Bayern last season.

Despite being average or even below average at times, AC Milan managed to get out of the group stages in time honoured fashion. The two wins against Celtic proved to be crucial, as well as a generously awarded penalty in stoppage time to get a share of the spoils in Amsterdam. That Milan weren't able to win any of their four matches against Barcelona and Ajax highlights the scale of the task that awaits them against a group winner in the round of 16. There were positives in the form of Mario Balotelli and a seemingly rejuvenated Kaka, while the emergence of Mattia De Sciglio as a composed defender is a silver lining in the Rossoneri's oft-criticized youth policy.

Ajax will feel aggrieved at the injustice of Mario Balotelli's wrongly awarded penalty in Amsterdam, but nonetheless the Dutch champions gave an excellent account of themselves with a young team playing some beautiful football. In fact, it was because Frank de Boer's men abandoned their principles and decided to just cross the ball into the box against Milan's ten men for seventy minutes, that Ajax missed out on the round of 16. However, with some vibrant talent such as Davy Klaasen and Danny Hoesen buying into the passing ethos of the club, Ajax should manage a good run in the Europa League.

After the high of making the round of 16 last year, Celtic came back down to earth in a very disappointing campaign. Neil Lennon will admit that despite the calibre of opponents, the Bhoys didn't do themselves justice in home games at Celtic Park. With Rangers' continued absence from the SPL, Europe is what keeps fans of the Hoops going, and for players and manager all that remains this season is a six-month long stroll to the title, as Celtic failed to even make the Europa League.

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The Sports Medley Vol. 2

The second edition of the Sports Medley, as I gather my thoughts around recent events in the world of sport.

Nadal signals his intent to win the US Open

Any lingering doubts about Nadal's level of play after his disappointment at Wimbledon were dispelled with an exceptional week at Montreal where he won the Rogers Cup. His pounding of Milos Raonic in the final was a clinic for the young Canadian, and yet again demonstrated the big gap between the very best and the second tier in men's tennis.

Of more significance to Nadal was his victory over Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals. The match really was worthy of a final, and it featured the intense tennis that has become the hallmark of their rivalry. Especially encouraging for the Spaniard was his comfort at returning Djokovic's serve on a fast court, suggesting that Nadal has come into the US Open series armed with tactical adjustments.

Serena remains the one to beat on the WTA Tour

Like Nadal, Serena Williams is the ultimate competitor on the court, and it was always likely that the rest of the WTA tour were bound to suffer the repercussions of her Wimbledon upset to Sabine Lisicki. Serena was absolutely dominant in Toronto, her thrashing of the plucky Sorana Cirstea in the final similar to the one-sided nature of the men's final.

If Serena is to be somehow derailed, Agnieszka Radwańksa looks like the player best equipped to challenge her especially as Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka are going through a rough patch. What is most disconcerting for the world no. 4 though, is that she played a near perfect match against Serena in the semis, but the world no.1 simply stepped up another level to come through.

Dufner's PGA win is a true feel-good story

Jason Dufner suffered heartbreak two years ago when he lost the PGA Championship to Keegan Bradley in a playoff after leading throughout most of the final round. It's not easy to come back from such difficult losses for a golfer, especially if you haven't won a major before.

However, Dufner played four rounds of immaculate golf at Oak Hill Golf Club to win the 2013 PGA Championship over the weekend. His striking off the tee was almost perfect, and his putting was spot under intense pressure from Jim Furyk in the last round. Usually, I don't enjoy high scoring majors, but Dufner is one of the true salt of the earth personalities on tour, and nobody can begrudge him his moment in the spotlight. His nonplussed celebration after the 18th hole only served to further endear to him to golf fans around the world.

Guardiola vs. Klopp should be cherished

Pep Guardiola won his first competitive game in charge of Bayern Munich with a 3-1 win over Borussia Monchengladbach to open the 2013-14 Bundesliga season. Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben continued from where they left off last season, terrorizing Monchengladbach's defence. They were some defensive wobbles from Bayern, but the errors will surely be ironed out by Guardiola in due time.

Their closest challengers, Borussia Dortmund romped to a 4-0 victory at Augsburg, with new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang announcing his arrival in the Bundesliga with a splendid hat-trick. Contrary to what many in the footballing world perceived after their fantastic Champions League campaign last season, Jurgen Klopp has actually strengthened Dortmund with some astute signings who blend in perfectly with the current players to add depth to the squad. The battle between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will fascinating to watch domestically and on the continent, but perhaps the most enticing prospect of the rivalry is watching Guardiola and Klopp pitting their managerial wits against each other.

Monaco win the first round in the battle of billionaires

The most spectacular new signings this summer have arrived in Ligue 1, thanks to the newly acquired spending power of PSG and Monaco. The ethics and morals have been debated by more informed people, but for most football fans it is easy to get excited by this rivalry of teams filled with superstars.

PSG spent a fortune on acquiring Edinson Cavani to play alongside Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but only managed a 1-1 draw away to 2012 champions Montpellier in the first game of the new season. Laurent Blanc didn't start any of the new signings, and only brought on Cavani in the 72nd minute and the Uruguayan almost instantly scored the winner. Monaco also struggled for large parts of their first game away to Bordeaux, but the lethal finishing prowess of Radamel Falcao came to their rescue late in the game to help them on to a 2-0 victory. There will plenty of twists and turns to come in a long campaign, but round one goes to Monaco.

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Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang fuel excitement for Dortmund's new season

They were every football fan's second team last season, exciting viewers with their flair, panache and their boundless amount of energy in the Champions League. After topping a group featuring Real Madrid and Manchester City, and then beating Los Blancos in a tremendous semifinal, Borussia Dortmund's cinderella story came to an end at Wembley when they lost to rivals Bayern Munich in the 2013 Champions League final. They came incredibly close to an amazing achievement, before falling just short courtesy of Arjen Robben's late winner.

Barely 15 minutes after the end of the match, people already started to dismiss Dortmund, writing obituaries for a team supposedly destined to be dismantled and highly unlikely to repeat their amazing run. There are too many vagaries and intangibles generally associated with the Champions League to confidently predict consistent success even for the very best teams. Nonetheless, those who are familiar with the Bundesliga will know that Borussia Dortmund are not a club who strive to have one-off successes.

 Jürgen Klopp (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is a club that has a proud winning tradition, and under some astute upper management, Die Schwarzgelben have recovered from the brink to become a sensibly run club that can constantly challenge for honours. In Jurgen Klopp, they possess one of the most charismatic managers in the modern game. Klopp has the ability to get his players to perform over one hundred per cent every time they are on the pitch, a factor that is appreciated and loved by over 80,000 fans who consistently fill the Westfalenstadion, making it one of the atmospheric stadiums in Europe.

For those following the summer headlines about Dortmund, you might be propelled to believe they are club in crisis. After the gut-wrenching transfer of German starlet Mario Gotze to Bayern Munich, and the subsequent tug of war between the clubs in regards to Robert Lewandowski, all the talk has been about who is leaving the club.

However, Klopp and the management team have done some brilliant business under the radar. Dortmund have gone about their business quietly and efficiently. While the signing of defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was a solid addition of a player who has experience in the Bundesliga, it is the addition of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to the squad that gets the creative juices flowing.

Aubameyang was by far the best player at Saint-Etienne last season, propelling Les Verts to their best Ligue 1 season in a long time, almost qualifying for the Champions League but still ending up in Europe. The Gabonese contributed 19 goals and 9 assists in a breakthrough campaign, alerting him to suitors across Europe. Linked with Arsenal, and heavily coveted by Newcastle, Aubameyang signed with Dortmund on the 4th of July for 13 million Euros.

Aubameyang's most obvious asset is his pace. Equally lethal with his left or right foot, the Gabonese is extremely adept at hanging on to the shoulder of the last defender, and running on to through balls to score goals. He also has great instincts in the box, often finding himself in the right position to finish crosses with the simplest of tap-ins. He is also extremely comfortable on the ball, and his trickery and speed allows him to get out of tight corners on either wing, constantly dragging defenders out of position.

Just four days after Aubameyang arrived, Dortmund signed Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a club record 27.5 million Euros. Mkhitaryan came to prominence with his brilliant form last season for Shakhtar Donetsk, scoring 25 goals in 28 appearances. More seasoned observers will have also watched his inspiring displays for the Armenian national team, single-handedly dragging the team to the playoffs for Euro 2012, and still in with a shout of making it to the playoffs for the 2014 World Cup.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Like Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan is also two-footed. The Armenian is an elegant attacking midfielder who is a joy to watch when on song. Mkhitaryan is extremely comfortable in possession, and he marries that with deftness in touch that can often open up spaces that the opposition can't see. He also possesses the rare ability of hitting precise through balls on the run, and is an extremely good finisher either through late runs into the box, quick interchanges with other forwards or fantastic volleys in and outside the penalty area.

The versatility that both Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan possess, provides Klopp with some exciting tactical variety. Klopp has always been a fan of the 4-2-3-1, featuring two central midfielders in front of the defence, three attacking midfielders and one forward. He prefers his central midfield pair to divide responsibilities, with Sven Bender shielding the defence, and the impressive Ilkay Gundogan using his creativity and dynamism to initiate most of BVB's attackig moves.

Up front, he can easily accommodate his two new additions. Mkhitaryan can grab the central attacking role in the hole, with Marco Reus and Aubameyang filling the wings. All three can dovetail with Lewandowski effectively, resulting in one of the most lethal and varied attacking quartets on the continent.

If Klopp likes, he can also vary his formation when the situation demands. Mkhitaryan can play deeper when necessary, and if solidity in midfield and extra possession is required, Klopp can integrate Nuri Sahin in a flat midfield three at the expense of Aubameyang, whose ability to press might be his biggest challenge into integrating immediately at Dortmund.

Finally, Klopp might actually be able to get better performances from Jakub Blaszczykowski and Kevin  Grosskreutz. The wingers are both whole-hearted individuals, but one gets the feeling that Klopp manages to get more out of them in relation to the talent that they possess. However, against opponents of real quality, they can be too predictable. Blaszczykowski and Grosskreutz might end serving Dortmund even better as options from the bench, ensuring that the team has a complete variety of styles in attack to cope with different defences and match situations.

It says a lot about what Borussia Dortmund and Jurgen Klopp stand for, that Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan both signed for the Champions League runners-up in stead of getting more money at Newcastle and Liverpool. Even more significant however, is the fact that Dortmund paid 40 million Euros for the duo, thus proving that when the situation demands BVB's smart financial management does not necessarily result in the curtailing of ambition. With the additions of Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang and possibly more, Borussia Dortmund have signalled their intent to stay in the upper echelons of the domestic and continental game, and football fans all over the world can look forward to celebrating some more mesmerizing football from Die Schwarzgelben next season.

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Champions League Final 2013 Review

My reflections on the recently concluded Champions League Final at Wembley between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Bayern recovered from last year's heartbreak at home to win their 5th Champions League in a thoroughly entertaining final against a determined Dortmund side.