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Champions League Draw: Group E - Your Guide To Bayern Munich, Roma, Basel & CFR Cluj
Aug 26, 2010 9:35:00 PM
Join Goal.com for a quick briefing on Group E of the upcoming UEFA Champions League.
Here we'll bring you the lowdown on the teams involved.
Teams
BAYERN MUNICH
Last season at home: Winners, German Bundesliga; Winners, DFB Pokal.
Last season in Europe: Champions League finalists
Coach: Louis van Gaal since June 2009
Playing style: Quick, versatile, occasionally leaky
Strength: An array of world class midfield and attacking talent
Weakness: Concession of sloppy goals
Key men: Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben
Realistic Objective: Champions League winners
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Butt; Lahm, Van Buyten, Badstuber, Contento; Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger; Mueller, Ribery, Robben (Kroos); Klose
AS ROMA
Last season at home: Second, Serie A; Runners-up, Coppa Italia.
Last season in Europe: Europa League Round of 32.
Coach: Claudio Ranieri since September 2009.
Playing style: Organized, adaptable
Strength: Consistency and familiarity, the line-up has remained largely unchanged.
Weakness: Lack of self belief, which can cause panic when results are poor.
Key men: Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Juan.
Realistic Objective: Champions League Quarter-finals.
Starting XI (4-4-2): Julio Sergio; Cassetti, Mexes, Juan, Riise; Perrotta, Pizarro, De Rossi, Menez; Totti, Vucinic.
FC BASEL
Last season at home: Winners, Swiss Super League; Winners, Schweizer Pokal.
Last season in Europe: Europa League Group Stage, third place
Coach: Thorsten Fink since June 2009
Playing style: High tempo and use of both flanks to exploit tall their tall forwards
Strength: An exciting blend of youth (Inkoom, Shaqiri, Stocker) and experience (Huggel, Frei)
Weakness: Too open to succeed against more accomplished sides, particularly away from home
Key men: Alexander Frei, Valentin Stocker, Benjamin Huggel
Realistic Objective: Third in the group and progression to the Europa League knockout stage
Starting XI (4-4-2): Costanzo, Inkoom, Abraham, Cagdas Atan, Safari, Shaqiri, Huggel, Yapi Yapo, Stocker, Frei, Streller.
CFR CLUJ
Last season at home: Winners, Romanian Liga I; Winners, Romanian Cup; Winners, Romanian Super Cup
Last season in Europe: Europa League group stage
Coach: Andrea Mandorlini since November 2009
Playing style: A bright, cosmopolitan team with a technical emphasis
Strength: The pace of Traore in tandem with some genuinely clever ball players
Weakness: The defense screams out for protection, particularly against more direct attackers
Key men: Cadu, Rafael Bastos, Lacina Traore
Realistic Objective: Europa League qualification
Starting XI (4-4-2): Nuno Claro; Tony, Cadu, Piccolo, Edimar; Dica, Dani, Bastos, Culio; Traore, Bjelanovic.
Analysis
Much of the hype in anticipation of Group E will be devoted to the Bundesliga and Serie A’s struggle for superior UEFA coefficient, but last year’s finalists Bayern and 1984 runners-up Roma will not have a cakewalk to the Round of 16. They face a nippy Basel and unknown quantity in CFR Cluj.
Still, Bayern and Roma have to be considered favorites to advance to the knockout rounds. For Bayern, and the Bundesliga’s standing in Europe, a key factor will be the timing of their fixtures with Roma. Talismanic winger Arjen Robben, who carried the Germans to the final with crucial goals in each stage of the knockout rounds, has been ruled out of play for the majority of the next two months. Even without Robben, Bayern have plenty of quality in midfield and attack. Central defense remains a soft spot, but the Germans will be favorites to advance to the knockout rounds.
Roma only made it to the Europa League Round of 32 last year, but the Italian club fought eventual domestic and European Champions Inter to the very last round of Serie A. In Francesco Totti, they, like Bayern, have an injury-prone attacking talisman. The influential forward has long been Roma’s life force, but last year, the likes of Jeremy Menez and Mirko Vucinic were able to step up when necessary in his stead. On their day, Roma are one of Europe’s elite teams. Their form early in the year will be crucial to their success in the Champions League.
Having won qualifiers against Debrecen and Sherifff, Swiss champions Basel are well prepared for the group stage. They may not be favorites to win the group, but Thorsten Fink’s side will not simply defend. The Swiss are known for playing aggressively, and have a skilled pair of wing threats in Xherdan Shaqiri and Valentin Stocker, plus experienced striker Alexander Frei. If they manage to steal points from Bayern or Roma, Basel just might
be able to advance to the knockout rounds.
As they make their second appearance in Europe’s elite competition, CFR Cluj remain an unknown quantity, and that can play in their favour. The Romanian champions had their second-best domestic season last year, but have struggled at the beginning of the 2010-11 domestic season. A key figure will be forward Lacine Traore, who at 2.03 meters, is a formidable aerial threat. The Blatistii won in Rome two years ago, and could be up for another surprise or two in 2010-11.
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Here we'll bring you the lowdown on the teams involved.
Teams
| Group E |
 Bayern Munich |
 Roma |
 Basel |
 CFR Cluj |
BAYERN MUNICHLast season at home: Winners, German Bundesliga; Winners, DFB Pokal.
Last season in Europe: Champions League finalists
Coach: Louis van Gaal since June 2009
Playing style: Quick, versatile, occasionally leaky
Strength: An array of world class midfield and attacking talent
Weakness: Concession of sloppy goals
Key men: Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben
Realistic Objective: Champions League winners
Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Butt; Lahm, Van Buyten, Badstuber, Contento; Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger; Mueller, Ribery, Robben (Kroos); Klose
AS ROMALast season at home: Second, Serie A; Runners-up, Coppa Italia.
Last season in Europe: Europa League Round of 32.
Coach: Claudio Ranieri since September 2009.
Playing style: Organized, adaptable
Strength: Consistency and familiarity, the line-up has remained largely unchanged.
Weakness: Lack of self belief, which can cause panic when results are poor.
Key men: Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Juan.
Realistic Objective: Champions League Quarter-finals.
Starting XI (4-4-2): Julio Sergio; Cassetti, Mexes, Juan, Riise; Perrotta, Pizarro, De Rossi, Menez; Totti, Vucinic.
FC BASELLast season at home: Winners, Swiss Super League; Winners, Schweizer Pokal.
Last season in Europe: Europa League Group Stage, third place
Coach: Thorsten Fink since June 2009
Playing style: High tempo and use of both flanks to exploit tall their tall forwards
Strength: An exciting blend of youth (Inkoom, Shaqiri, Stocker) and experience (Huggel, Frei)
Weakness: Too open to succeed against more accomplished sides, particularly away from home
Key men: Alexander Frei, Valentin Stocker, Benjamin Huggel
Realistic Objective: Third in the group and progression to the Europa League knockout stage
Starting XI (4-4-2): Costanzo, Inkoom, Abraham, Cagdas Atan, Safari, Shaqiri, Huggel, Yapi Yapo, Stocker, Frei, Streller.
CFR CLUJLast season at home: Winners, Romanian Liga I; Winners, Romanian Cup; Winners, Romanian Super Cup
Last season in Europe: Europa League group stage
Coach: Andrea Mandorlini since November 2009
Playing style: A bright, cosmopolitan team with a technical emphasis
Strength: The pace of Traore in tandem with some genuinely clever ball players
Weakness: The defense screams out for protection, particularly against more direct attackers
Key men: Cadu, Rafael Bastos, Lacina Traore
Realistic Objective: Europa League qualification
Starting XI (4-4-2): Nuno Claro; Tony, Cadu, Piccolo, Edimar; Dica, Dani, Bastos, Culio; Traore, Bjelanovic.
Analysis
Much of the hype in anticipation of Group E will be devoted to the Bundesliga and Serie A’s struggle for superior UEFA coefficient, but last year’s finalists Bayern and 1984 runners-up Roma will not have a cakewalk to the Round of 16. They face a nippy Basel and unknown quantity in CFR Cluj.Still, Bayern and Roma have to be considered favorites to advance to the knockout rounds. For Bayern, and the Bundesliga’s standing in Europe, a key factor will be the timing of their fixtures with Roma. Talismanic winger Arjen Robben, who carried the Germans to the final with crucial goals in each stage of the knockout rounds, has been ruled out of play for the majority of the next two months. Even without Robben, Bayern have plenty of quality in midfield and attack. Central defense remains a soft spot, but the Germans will be favorites to advance to the knockout rounds.
Roma only made it to the Europa League Round of 32 last year, but the Italian club fought eventual domestic and European Champions Inter to the very last round of Serie A. In Francesco Totti, they, like Bayern, have an injury-prone attacking talisman. The influential forward has long been Roma’s life force, but last year, the likes of Jeremy Menez and Mirko Vucinic were able to step up when necessary in his stead. On their day, Roma are one of Europe’s elite teams. Their form early in the year will be crucial to their success in the Champions League.
Having won qualifiers against Debrecen and Sherifff, Swiss champions Basel are well prepared for the group stage. They may not be favorites to win the group, but Thorsten Fink’s side will not simply defend. The Swiss are known for playing aggressively, and have a skilled pair of wing threats in Xherdan Shaqiri and Valentin Stocker, plus experienced striker Alexander Frei. If they manage to steal points from Bayern or Roma, Basel just might
be able to advance to the knockout rounds.As they make their second appearance in Europe’s elite competition, CFR Cluj remain an unknown quantity, and that can play in their favour. The Romanian champions had their second-best domestic season last year, but have struggled at the beginning of the 2010-11 domestic season. A key figure will be forward Lacine Traore, who at 2.03 meters, is a formidable aerial threat. The Blatistii won in Rome two years ago, and could be up for another surprise or two in 2010-11.
Goal.com is proud to be a premier partner of Digg.com and is pleased to offer exclusive invitations to our users to become participants in the Alpha launch of the new Digg.com.
Use this link to get early access to the alpha site.
Invitations are limited and are on a first come, first served basis, so act now!
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