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Sir Alex Ferguson is in denial, Roberto Soldado too good for Spain to ignore & five things we learned from the Champions League this week
English sides, Arsenal aside, are in trouble, Soldado's goalscoring form now cannot be ignored, APOEL march on, while Hazard comes into his own
24 Nov 2011 12:32:00
Getty Images
ANALYSIS
By Peter Staunton
The Marfin Laiki League, at the start of the 2011-12 season, was ranked in Uefa's co-efficient table as the continent's 20th best. Scotland, Israel and Czech Republic all had their domestic competitions positioned higher. Inevitably, APOEL entered into the Champions League at the qualification stage after winning their title and had to negotiate three rounds before taking their place in the group stage proper.
Their reward for beating Albania's Skenderbeu, Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava and Wisla Krakow of Poland convincingly? A placing in a group containing the champions of Portugal, Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, three sides of much greater repute lay in store in the shape of Porto, Zenit and Shakhtar Donetsk. All have won European trophies since 2008.
As such, not much was expected from APOEL other than to make up the numbers in the pool in the manner that Genk or Dinamo Zagreb have done in their respective sections. None of that minnow stuff would wash with the Cypriot side, however. Five matches in and they have already assured their passage to the last 16.
They have been to the Donbass Arena and the Petrovsky, cauldrons of European football, and come away with a point on both occasions. APOEL's football might not be the most exciting brand and they have ridden their luck at times but they have been handsomely rewarded for their economy in front of goal and solid defensive organisation.
Zenit's captain, Aleksandr Anyukov told Uefa.com following the scoreless draw: "APOEL are a good, solid side. Maybe they had fortune on their side during this Champions League campaign, but things like this happen. As they've managed to qualify, this is fully deserved."
APOEL host Shakhtar on the final matchday with qualification secure. They will no doubt be seen as the prized draw for the competition's bigger sides in the next phase but APOEL have proven so far that they are no easy touch. Wednesday night was the most illustrious night in the history of football in Cyprus.
Arsenal have looked classy, at times, and have been a picture of serenity in contrast to their English Premier League rivals, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. Those three sides, among the richest and most lavishly assembled teams in the game, are foundering despite the denials of Sir Alex Ferguson. The United manager exited a press conference upon the suggestion from a BBC journalist that the Premier League sides were 'struggling' in the Champions League. No amount of abnegation from Ferguson can hide the fact that the 'top' three teams in the richest league in the world are in trouble. Between them, they have only won 40 per cent of their matches. It is unlikely, at this stage, that all three will qualify for the next round of the tournament.
The question now is not 'if' the trio is struggling but 'why' the trio is struggling. The problems afflicting each team in Europe are certainly varied. City paid the price for expansiveness against Bayern Munich but were undone by individual mistakes and erroneous selections against Napoli. Roberto Mancini's European naivety has once again caught up with him. Chelsea's high defensive line and tendency to self-harm unravels any good work at the opposition end. This time last year, they had five wins from five matches. United's myriad of options within the squad have left them bereft of consistency and continuity. Furthermore, Ferguson's side have been blighted by, frankly, incongruous defensive mistakes. It is not at all like United to have conceded five home goals at this stage of a Champions League group stage.
All three now have a task on their hands in order to push through to the last 16. Chelsea have to beat Valencia or eke out a goalless draw. City have to obtain a result against Bayern Munich and hope that Napoli fail to do similar against a woeful Villarreal. United have to go to Basel and win or draw. After shipping three to the Swiss side at Old Trafford, that will be no formality.
Meanwhile, 'crisis club' Arsenal sail plainly on. Their possession football and cutting edge have carried them through. They are, by far, the most well-equipped English side at this stage of the competition. In a fortnight, they might be the only English side left.
The Belgium international is one of the most in-demand players on the continent and gave his best-ever Champions League performance for Lille in their well-deserved 2-0 win away at CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.
The hosts were so poor on the night that their coach, Leonid Slutsky, was forced to field roadside questions from disgruntled supporters on a Moscow street in the hours following the game. But the inadequacies of CSKA should not detract from what was a class away showing from France's champions.
At the heart of everything they did was the 20-year-old Hazard. Stationed alongside Joe Cole behind Moussa Sow, Hazard combined telepathically with the Englishman, causing a static CSKA rearguard all sorts of problems. He was involved in both goals and picked up the ball in positions that the Russians could simply not handle. First-touch, vision, assuredness in possession and body strength are all strings to the Hazard bow. He was justifiably on the winning side at the end of the game having proven himself adept at playing at this level.
In an era when hype often outstrips talent, Hazard is a welcome antidote to agent-driven propaganda. Alongside Jack Wilshere, Christian Eriksen, Mario Gotze and Thiago Alcantara, Hazard is ready to lead a new generation of world-class footballers.
Michel Seydoux, the Lille president, is on record this week as having said that Hazard will move for €50 million [£43m] when the time comes for him to leave LOSC. The team which purchases him will be confident in their investment.
Only one group, the one containing Barcelona and AC Milan, has finalised its last 16 participants, while top seeds Porto, Chelsea and Manchester United all face a nervous wait before securing a berth in the next phase. Shakhtar Donetsk have betrayed their status as a rank-two team by picking up only two points en-route to elimination while Villarreal have none. Lyon, CSKA Moscow and Marseille are all at risk of being dumped out too.
The likes of APOEL, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen, Basel, Lille and Olympiakos have helped to invert the order of the competition this season and ensured no free ride for the esteemed teams in their respective groups. A genuinely exciting matchday six across a number of different groups is a fascinating prospect, for a change, and one that ensures the interest of supporters across the continent.
There will be no half sides sent out by some of the top and second-ranked teams on the final matchday and, if this season's prior form is anything to go by, there could be Europa League football in the offing after Christmas for some of them too.
David Villa has struggled for goals and is shorn of his swagger while Fernando Torres has been a pale imitation of the confident colt that excelled for Atletico Madrid and Liverpool since joining Chelsea. Deputy forward Alvaro Negredo has been injured and has not wholly convinced this term. Fernando Llorente is a decent back-up but lacks the goalscoring instincts of Soldado.
The former Real Madrid player now has 13 goals in 17 games for Valencia this season and scored a hat-trick in little over a half-hour against Genk on Wednesday. His current form means he cannot be shunned for international duty ahead of Euro 2012, not at a time when Spain are struggling for a spark at the business end.
Del Bosque, from his time at the Bernabeu, may have the inside line on Soldado and that could, in turn, stunt any desire to pick him on reasons aside from football. His on-field form merits a call-up though and a chance to prove himself worthy of a place in the squad for the finals.
He is now too good to ignore.
Follow Peter Staunton on
By Peter Staunton
| APOEL HAVE PUT CYPRIOT FOOTBALL ON THE MAP |
The Marfin Laiki League, at the start of the 2011-12 season, was ranked in Uefa's co-efficient table as the continent's 20th best. Scotland, Israel and Czech Republic all had their domestic competitions positioned higher. Inevitably, APOEL entered into the Champions League at the qualification stage after winning their title and had to negotiate three rounds before taking their place in the group stage proper.
Their reward for beating Albania's Skenderbeu, Slovakia's Slovan Bratislava and Wisla Krakow of Poland convincingly? A placing in a group containing the champions of Portugal, Russia and Ukraine. Furthermore, three sides of much greater repute lay in store in the shape of Porto, Zenit and Shakhtar Donetsk. All have won European trophies since 2008.
As such, not much was expected from APOEL other than to make up the numbers in the pool in the manner that Genk or Dinamo Zagreb have done in their respective sections. None of that minnow stuff would wash with the Cypriot side, however. Five matches in and they have already assured their passage to the last 16.
They have been to the Donbass Arena and the Petrovsky, cauldrons of European football, and come away with a point on both occasions. APOEL's football might not be the most exciting brand and they have ridden their luck at times but they have been handsomely rewarded for their economy in front of goal and solid defensive organisation.
Zenit's captain, Aleksandr Anyukov told Uefa.com following the scoreless draw: "APOEL are a good, solid side. Maybe they had fortune on their side during this Champions League campaign, but things like this happen. As they've managed to qualify, this is fully deserved."
APOEL host Shakhtar on the final matchday with qualification secure. They will no doubt be seen as the prized draw for the competition's bigger sides in the next phase but APOEL have proven so far that they are no easy touch. Wednesday night was the most illustrious night in the history of football in Cyprus.
| SIR ALEX FERGUSON IS IN DENIAL, ENGLISH SIDES ARE STRUGGLING |
Arsenal have looked classy, at times, and have been a picture of serenity in contrast to their English Premier League rivals, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. Those three sides, among the richest and most lavishly assembled teams in the game, are foundering despite the denials of Sir Alex Ferguson. The United manager exited a press conference upon the suggestion from a BBC journalist that the Premier League sides were 'struggling' in the Champions League. No amount of abnegation from Ferguson can hide the fact that the 'top' three teams in the richest league in the world are in trouble. Between them, they have only won 40 per cent of their matches. It is unlikely, at this stage, that all three will qualify for the next round of the tournament.
The question now is not 'if' the trio is struggling but 'why' the trio is struggling. The problems afflicting each team in Europe are certainly varied. City paid the price for expansiveness against Bayern Munich but were undone by individual mistakes and erroneous selections against Napoli. Roberto Mancini's European naivety has once again caught up with him. Chelsea's high defensive line and tendency to self-harm unravels any good work at the opposition end. This time last year, they had five wins from five matches. United's myriad of options within the squad have left them bereft of consistency and continuity. Furthermore, Ferguson's side have been blighted by, frankly, incongruous defensive mistakes. It is not at all like United to have conceded five home goals at this stage of a Champions League group stage.
All three now have a task on their hands in order to push through to the last 16. Chelsea have to beat Valencia or eke out a goalless draw. City have to obtain a result against Bayern Munich and hope that Napoli fail to do similar against a woeful Villarreal. United have to go to Basel and win or draw. After shipping three to the Swiss side at Old Trafford, that will be no formality.
Meanwhile, 'crisis club' Arsenal sail plainly on. Their possession football and cutting edge have carried them through. They are, by far, the most well-equipped English side at this stage of the competition. In a fortnight, they might be the only English side left.
| EDEN HAZARD CATCHES LIGHT ON THE GRAND STAGE |
The Belgium international is one of the most in-demand players on the continent and gave his best-ever Champions League performance for Lille in their well-deserved 2-0 win away at CSKA Moscow on Tuesday.
The hosts were so poor on the night that their coach, Leonid Slutsky, was forced to field roadside questions from disgruntled supporters on a Moscow street in the hours following the game. But the inadequacies of CSKA should not detract from what was a class away showing from France's champions.
At the heart of everything they did was the 20-year-old Hazard. Stationed alongside Joe Cole behind Moussa Sow, Hazard combined telepathically with the Englishman, causing a static CSKA rearguard all sorts of problems. He was involved in both goals and picked up the ball in positions that the Russians could simply not handle. First-touch, vision, assuredness in possession and body strength are all strings to the Hazard bow. He was justifiably on the winning side at the end of the game having proven himself adept at playing at this level.
In an era when hype often outstrips talent, Hazard is a welcome antidote to agent-driven propaganda. Alongside Jack Wilshere, Christian Eriksen, Mario Gotze and Thiago Alcantara, Hazard is ready to lead a new generation of world-class footballers.
Michel Seydoux, the Lille president, is on record this week as having said that Hazard will move for €50 million [£43m] when the time comes for him to leave LOSC. The team which purchases him will be confident in their investment.
| TEAMS FROM POTS 3 & 4 MORE COMPETITIVE THIS TERM |
Only one group, the one containing Barcelona and AC Milan, has finalised its last 16 participants, while top seeds Porto, Chelsea and Manchester United all face a nervous wait before securing a berth in the next phase. Shakhtar Donetsk have betrayed their status as a rank-two team by picking up only two points en-route to elimination while Villarreal have none. Lyon, CSKA Moscow and Marseille are all at risk of being dumped out too.
The likes of APOEL, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen, Basel, Lille and Olympiakos have helped to invert the order of the competition this season and ensured no free ride for the esteemed teams in their respective groups. A genuinely exciting matchday six across a number of different groups is a fascinating prospect, for a change, and one that ensures the interest of supporters across the continent.
There will be no half sides sent out by some of the top and second-ranked teams on the final matchday and, if this season's prior form is anything to go by, there could be Europa League football in the offing after Christmas for some of them too.
| SPAIN'S VICENTE DEL BOSQUE CAN'T IGNORE ROBERTO SOLDADO |
David Villa has struggled for goals and is shorn of his swagger while Fernando Torres has been a pale imitation of the confident colt that excelled for Atletico Madrid and Liverpool since joining Chelsea. Deputy forward Alvaro Negredo has been injured and has not wholly convinced this term. Fernando Llorente is a decent back-up but lacks the goalscoring instincts of Soldado.
The former Real Madrid player now has 13 goals in 17 games for Valencia this season and scored a hat-trick in little over a half-hour against Genk on Wednesday. His current form means he cannot be shunned for international duty ahead of Euro 2012, not at a time when Spain are struggling for a spark at the business end.
Del Bosque, from his time at the Bernabeu, may have the inside line on Soldado and that could, in turn, stunt any desire to pick him on reasons aside from football. His on-field form merits a call-up though and a chance to prove himself worthy of a place in the squad for the finals.
He is now too good to ignore.
Follow Peter Staunton on
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