Champions League View: Bayern Munich and Liverpool FC could get 10 points and still not qualify.

An entertaining set of Champions League games threw up some unexpected results, great games and the odd ninja (but not a very effective one). Almost all of the big names have a chance to reach the knockout stages, even though the likes of Bayern and Liverpool have made it very, very difficult for themselves.

Some teams have already fired their managers, some teams might do so in December if results don’t go their way domestically and in Europe.

Let’s look at each of the 8 groups, the teams, the remaining fixtures and what’s likely to happen by 9th December. Despite the drama, you’ll notice that apart from the odd team being in serious trouble, all the teams tipped to qualify at the start of the season are set to go through.

Teams already qualified are in bold. Remember, If two or more teams are level on points they are split by their head to head performances.

Group A

(Bordeaux 10, Juventus 8, Bayern Munich 4, Maccabi Haifa 0)

Bordeaux are through to the knockout stages, courtesy of their back to back wins over Bayern Munich. having held Juventus to a 1-1 draw away, Bordeaux be confident of finishing top of their group with a home game to Juventus and an away game to bottom-rung Maccabi Haifa coming up. 2 points should do the trick.

Juventus travel to Bordeaux next before hosting Bayern Munich on Matchday 6. A win against Bordeaux will see them through to the next round but the more likely outcome could be a draw (coupled with a win for Bayern who are at home to Haifa), which would turn the final game into a battle worth tens of millions of euros.

Bayern Munich could end up winning both games and STILL go to the Europa League if Bordeaux lose at home to Juventus.

Prediction: [CL: Bordeaux, Juventus. EL: Bayern Munich]

Group B

(Manchester United 10, Wolfsburg 7, CSKA Moskva 4, Besiktas 1)

Manchester United have qualified thanks to their superior head-to-head record against CSKA Moscow, and with a home game to Besiktas next they are likely to end up on 13 points going into the Matchday 6 game away to Wolfsburg. Depending on results United could end up second in their group so United eyes will be watching the Matchday 5 game at Luzhniki stadium between CSKA and Wolfsburg with great interest.

Wolfsburg are in a strong position – the key to their qualification chances is avoiding defeat against CSKA Moscow – if they do that, they should go through. Wolfsburg need a point against CSKA away (better head-to-head against CSKA) but they will be looking for at least 4 points from the remaining 2 games, and I’d back them to hold United to a draw at least, if not beat them.

CSKA Moscow need to win their last two games (home Wolfsburg, away Besiktas) to qualify for the Champions League, and given their spirited performance against Manchester United on Tuesday you wouldn’t put it past them to go through. It will come down to the game at Matchday 5 – although going away to Besiktas and winning is not easy either.

Prediction: [CL: Manchester United, Wolfsburg. EL: CSKA Moskva]

Group C

(AC Milan 7, Real Madrid 7, Marseille 6, FC Zurich 3)

Real Madrid and AC Milan managed to navigate their double-header without losing their grip on the Group.

Madrid host Zurich before traveling to Marseille, while Milan host Marseille before traveling to Zurich. Home wins for the two most successful clubs in European football on Matchday 5 will see them qualify, and we should at least see Madrid qualify with a game to spare.

AC Milan could draw at home to Marseille and still win as long as they beat Zurich away, but given their recent troubles, a win by Marseille at the San Siro could flip everything upside down.

Marseille thrashed Zurich 6-1 on Tuesday and will be hoping they can get a point or more at the San Siro, knowing that Zurich have beaten Milan there in Europe before. This is the same Marseille who lost at home to Milan earlier on this season, so there’s little guarantee on a result either way.

Could Zurich sneak through? Not likely – a point at Bernabeu coupled with a win against Milan at home would see them take 7 points but that won’t be enough. Beat Madrid in Spain? They’ve down Milan, and Kazan beat Barcelona away too, so it could happen…

Prediction: [CL: Real Madrid, AC Milan. EL: Marseille.]

Group D

(Chelsea 10, Porto 9, Atletico Madrid 2, APOEL Nicosia 1)

This group is done and dusted – Atletico might have had an outside chance if they had beaten Chelsea but a draw wasn’t enough. You don’t qualify on brilliant individual performances alone and with Atletico Madrid failing again (and not doing great in the league either), there will be renewed speculation that Sergio Aguero might be leaving next summer.

The remaining battles are for the top spot (Chelsea travel to Porto next) and for the Europa League (Atletico travel to APOEL). The Chelsea-Porto game should be a cracker but I doubt that it will be anything other than a draw. Matchday 6 sees Chelsea host APOEL and Porto travel to Atletico, so a point against Porto will pretty much seal the top spot for the Blues.

Porto will be going all out for a home win – with with Atletico so vulnerable this season, two wins to end the group stages will put Porto in the lead going into the second round.

Atletico Madrid drew with APOEL at home and they’ll be relying on the likes of Aguero to bail them out against APOEL away on Matchday 5. A point should do it, but ideally Atleti would want a win to at least confirm progress to the Europa League. The final home game against Porto also gives them some backup in case they drop points to APOEL.

Prediction: [CL: Chelsea, Porto. EL: Atletico Madrid]

Group E

(Lyon 10, Fiorentina 9, Liverpool 4, Debrecen 0)

One of the more interesting groups this season, thanks to Fiorentina’s win against Liverpool at home and Lyon’s 4 points against Liverpool home and away.

That 1 point will come in extremely handy for Liverpool though as they push on for qualification after the international break. Liverpool travel to Hungary to take on Debrecen (soundly beaten in all their games so far) on Matchday 5 and while they will fancy their chances of a win, one eye will be on the Fiorentina-Lyon game, the result of which could keep Liverpool out of the second round.

Simply put, Liverpool need to beat both Debrecen and Fiorentina and hope that Fiorentina don’t win against Lyon. If Fiorentina get a point against Lyon, Liverpool would then need to beat La Viola by 3 goals in the final game at Anfield to qualify. Needless to say, it’s out of Rafa’s hands at the moment but that 1 point gives Liverpool some cushion even if Fiorentina were to get a point on Matchday 5.

Fiorentina’s task is simple. They’re within touching distance, and 3 points against Lyon will take them through. Having beaten Liverpool at home and lost by a single goal to Lyon away, Fiorentina will fancy their chances and I’m tipping them to beat Lyon and qualify, regardless of what happens in Liverpool’s remaining two games.

Prediction: [CL: Lyon, Fiorentina. EL: Liverpool.]

Group F

(Inter Milan 6, Rubin Kazan 5, Barcelona 5, Dynamo Kiev 4)

The most interesting group of this year’s Champions League group stages. Any team can qualify for the second round at this stage, even Dynamo Kiev who travel to Kazan before hosting Barcelona (who have 2 points from 2 away games in Europe this season) on Matchday 6.

Inter Milan were bailed out of jail by Wesley Sneijder on Wednesday night but with an away game to Barcelona up next and a home game to high flying Rubin Kazan, they have a tough path to the second round. Jose Mourinho should be able to wring at least a point from the game Camp Nou, but a defeat there will really put pressure on the Italian champions, especially if Kazan beat Dynamo at home as well.

Barcelona’s task is simple – win their last two games as true ‘champions’ should to qualify for the second round. A defeat at home would have been out of the question at the start of the season but Kazan’s performances will give hope to Inter and more importantly Dynamo Kiev, who still harbour hopes of European football beyond December.

Rubin Kazan are in a fantastic position, all thanks to their hard work and Inter’s poor, poor performances. They might have lost to Dynamo Kiev on Matchday 1 but since then they’ve taken 5 points from 3 games against Barcelona and Inter Milan (and stayed unbeaten), a record that that the likes of Liverpool would kill for this year. A win at home against Dynamo Kiev will guarantee them European football, and a point against Inter in the final game could take them to the second round.

I wouldn’t put it past them.

In a group with three big stories, Dynamo Kiev tend to get ignored but that point at home against Inter has kept them afloat in this campaign. A win against Kazan would leave them needing 3 points against Barcelona at home (who have drawn their last two away games), an improbable but not impossible feat. 6 points = Champions League second round.

This is an almost impossible group to predict, but Inter *should* be able to beat Kazan at home, which means that even if they lose to Barcelona, they can still qualify for the second round.

A possible scenario could see Kazan beat Dynamo and Barca beat Inter, and then Inter and Dynamo winning their final two games. That would see Inter and Kazan go through thanks to Kazan’s better head-to-head record against Barcelona. It would be a shame (especially given Inter’s appalling performances), but it’s possible.

Prediction: [CL: Barcelona, Inter Milan. EL: Rubin Kazan]]

Group G

(Sevilla 10, Unirea Urziceni 5, Stuttgart 3, Rangers 2)

Sevilla have qualified and play Unirea Urziceni away before hosting Rangers in the final two games. A point from the last two games sees them top their group, and we expect them to at least get 4 points.

Unirea Urziceni’s claim to fame is their thrashing of Rangers this season, but to get to the second round they’ll need to beat Sevilla at home (or at least get a point) before beating Stuttgart away. Depending on how Rangers fare against Stuttgart at the Ibrox on Matchday 5, even just a point from the Stuttgart game should see them through (which would mean that a team could qualify for the second round with just 6 points).

Stuttgart will be looking to capitalise on the problems at Rangers and take 3 points away from the Ibrox. If Sevilla beat Unirea though, a point will suffice given that Rangers and Unirea travel to Sevilla and Stuttgart respectively on Matchday 6.

Rangers have the chance to mount a remarkable comeback and qualify for the second round by winning their last two games – or even getting 4 points out of them, although it must start with beating Stuttgart at home. Win at the Ibrox, and they move ahead of Stuttgart on head-to-head, and after that it’s all down to the last game for both Rangers and Stuttgart.

Assuming Unirea lose to Sevilla at home, that is…

Prediction: [CL: Sevilla, Rangers. EL: Unirea Urziceni]

Group H

(Arsenal 10, Olympiacos 6, Standard Liege 4, AZ Alkmaar 2)

Arsenal are more or less through – they host Standard Liege at the Emirates next with a trip to Olympiacos on the final day. A win at home should see them top the group. A straight-forward qualification in a relatively easy group.

Olympiacos travel to AZ Alkmaar next – Alkmaar have held both Standard and Arsenal to draws while Olympiacos have lost both their away games so far this season. A point won’t be enough to qualify even if Standard Liege lose – Olympiacos have an inferior head-to-head record to Standard Liege (equal points but Standard lead on goal difference) and need at least 2 points from the last 2 games and will hope that Arsenal wrap up qualification early.

Standard Liege can still qualify and with the final game at home against Alkmaar, they’ll fancy their chances of finishing on 7 points. Their fate is out of their hands though – it’s all down to how Olympiacos perform against Alkmaar and whether they can sneak a point against Arsenal at home as well.

AZ Alkmaar – home to Olympiacos and away to Standard – winnable games for them but it would be a massive, massive turnaround in form and performances, especially if they are to beat Standard away. I wouldn’t put a win against Olympiacos and a draw against Standard beyond them – that should see them into the Europa League, and if Olympiacos lose at home to Arsenal and AZ beat Olympiacos by 2 goals – they could be through to Europe.

Prediction: [CL: Arsenal, Olympiacos. EL: Standard Liege]

In this article we look at the world’s ten largest football stadiums, some perhaps better known than others, and assess their legacies and impact both on the game and in their individual countries.

We also look ahead and ask what the future may hold for this selection of magnificent sporting venues.

#1 – Rungrado May Day Stadium (Pyongyang, North Korea)

Capacity: 150,000

A vast architectural monument to Communism, the Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang was opened in 1989 and can house and incredible 150,000 spectators. Although the primary purpose of the stadium is to host vast parades and other public spectacles in North Korea, it is also used to host some of the national football team’s fixtures making it the largest football stadium on the planet.

Unfortunately, being situated in one of the international community’s most isolated and volatile states, it is extremely unlikely that this magnificent arena will ever play host to a major tournament or have its turf graced by some of the world’s best players.

#2 – Salt Lake Stadium (Kolkata, India)

Capacity: 120,000

With a population of well over one billion you might expect India to play host to one of the planet’s largest stadiums and the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata does not disappoint. With a capacity of 120,000, the home of the Indian national team is said to generate an incredible atmosphere when The Bhangra Boys are in town.

As well as playing host to the national side, the Salt Lake Stadium is also used by four of India’s leading clubs. Chirag United Sports Club, Mohun Bagan, East Bengal Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club are equal tenants of the stadium and all play their football in the top flight of the Indian game, the I-League First Division.

With football in Kolkata going from strength to strength, Salt Lake Stadium is set to continue its role as a focal point for football in the country and, as the arena continues to modernise, a clear sign of the rapid improvement footballing facilities are making in what is has been an area of widespread growth for the game in the modern era.

#3 – Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, Mexico)

Capacity: 105,000

One of the most emblematic stadia in world football, Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium is the home of the Mexican national team and is probably best remembered for the two World Cup final’s it hosted in 1970 and 1986. Having twice been the venue for football’s most prestigious event, the Azteca is held dear to many fans of the game; but it is not the matches themselves, rather the moments of football history that have taken place on its turf that have made it one of the most famous arenas of all time.

The 1970 World Cup showcased the talents of what was arguably the greatest team of all time; the Brazil side of Pele, Carlos Alberto, Rivelino and Jairzinho. Playing one of the most vibrant and expansive brands of football ever seen, it was in the Azteca that the Selecao of 1970 confirmed their greatness and claimed the Jules Rimet trophy for the third time in the country’s history.

During the 1986 quarter final between England and Argentina, the Azteca was again a central agent in the creation of more immortal football history. Maradona’s “hand of God” moment was quickly followed by one of the greatest individual goals of all time as El Diego weaved his way past the majority of the England team to carve his name into the global footballing consciousness forever. In the final of the same tournament it was again Argentina that triumphed, Jorge Burrachaga scoring the winning goal in an epic 3-2 victory over West Germany.

The Azteca’s history is so inextricably linked with some of the most significant moments in football’s remarkable journey that it has had its legend imprinted into the annals of football history and, as a result, will always be one of the game’s most iconic structures.

#4 – Melbourne Cricket Ground (Melbourne, Australia)

Capacity: 100,018

Although best known as one of cricket’s most impressive venues, the Melbourne Cricket Ground also plays host to many of the Australian national football team’s most high-profile fixtures. With a capacity of just over 100,000, the MCG is comfortably the biggest stadium in Australia and one of the southern hemisphere’s most iconic and atmospheric arenas.

As well as hosting a number of Australia’s World Cup Qualifiers, in 2007 the ground played host to a friendly between The Socceroos and Argentina. Although Australia were missing a handful of key players for the game, many of Argentina’s superstars took part in the game with Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano all gracing the MCG’s hallowed turf, giving the stadium more exposure and credibility as a venue amongst the footballing community in the process.

It is clear that the MCG is doing its best to be recognised as a top quality football arena and, should it continue to showcase Australia’s competitive matches and other high-profile fixtures, looks to be well on its way to achieving such a status.

#5 – Bukit Jalil National Stadium (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Capacity: 100,000

Situated in the ultra-modern city of Kuala Lumpur, the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Malaysia was built to house the 1998 Commonwealth Games and has since gone on to become the home of the Malaysian football team.

Back in June Manchester United played at the stadium as part of their pre-season tour of Asia in front of a sizeable crowd of 40,000. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team went up against a Malaysia XI in the Bukit Jalil, the Red Devils eventually emerging 3-2 victors with Michael Owen scoring a late winner. The stadium is clearly a world class venue and, by hosting the likes of Manchester United and other major European teams, is increasing its global exposure and building on its already impeccable reputation.

#6 – Camp Nou (Barcelona, Spain)

Capacity: 98,772

Opened in 1957 as a symbol of Catalan nationalism, Barcelona’s Camp Nou is one of the most striking football grounds in the world and emblematic of the unique Catalan culture and a regional identity.

Since the Camp Nou’s completion in the middle of the twentieth century, FC Barcelona, it’s illustrious tenants, have been at the forefront of European football and has enjoyed serial successes in this magnificent arena. Thirteen league titles, twelve Copa del Rey triumphs and three European Cups during the club’s residency at the Camp Nou have made Barcelona one of the most prestigious club’s in history and a true giant of world football.

In 2007 Barcelona announced plans for the modernisation and further expansion of the Camp Nou in celebration of the stadium’s fiftieth anniversary. If the plans are carried out the stadium will have its capacity increased to over 112,000, a figure which would comfortably make the Camp Nou the largest football-exclusive arena in the world.

In conjunction with the increased capacity, the club’s members voted in favour of revamping the stadium, with Norman Foster – the man responsible for New York’s Heart Tower, London’s “Gherkin” building and the restoration of the new Wembley Stadium – being appointed to bring his architectural flair to the project. The future of the Camp Nou looks very bright indeed.

#7 – Soccer City (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Capacity: 94,700

The home of the South African national team and the stadium which will host the 2010 World Cup final, the newly renovated Soccer City in Johannesburg is looking more impressive as ever as it is prepared to have the eyes of the world fixed upon it next summer.

Having had its capacity expanded from 78,000 to almost 95,000, Soccer City looks set to be a tremendous venue for football’s showpiece tournament . The stadium is designed so that no single fan in the ground will be more than 100 metres away from the action, something which, with the tension of tournament football and the exuberant cacophony of the vuvuzelas, will surely make for a cauldron-like atmosphere next summer.

A first World Cup in Africa is certainly a cause for celebration amongst the football community, and Soccer City is a stadium very much in keeping with the sense of occasion the 2010 tournament should induce.

#8 – Wembley Stadium (London, UK)

Capacity: 90,000

Some may complain about the second interpretation of the historic Wembley Stadium having less “soul” and “character” than the original, but Norman Foster’s architecturally stunning composition must surely be considered to be one of the most magnificent sporting arenas in Europe and the world.

One of UEFA’s Elite Stadiums and the new home of the England national team, Wembley has quickly become one of the most recognisable stadia in football with its distinctive arch already an iconic part of the London skyline. The FA will be hoping that their lavish new arena can become the centrepiece for their bid to host the 2018 World Cup, its state-of-the-art facilities making it arguably the most advanced football stadia around and a potentially stunning venue for some of football’s most notable events.

With the new Wembley continuing to grow in popularity as nostalgia for the twin towers of the original fades in the face of the success England have been enjoying in their new home, the stadium will surely develop a “character” of its own and become an integral part of British and European football history as the game continues to evolve and grow over time.

#9 – Azadi Stadium (Tehran, Iran)

Capacity: 90,000

With a capacity equalling that of Wembley, Tehran’s Azadi Stadium was built in the mid-1970s to host the Asian Games and has since become the home of Iranian football and to Esteghalal FC and Persepolis FC – clubs playing in the highest tier of the Iranian football ladder – in the country’s post-revolution era.

Despite perhaps not housing the level of football a stadium of the Azadi’s magnitude deserves, it has hosted a number of regional tournaments such as the West Asian Football Federation Championship and the Asian Club Championship.

Furthermore, being the permanent home of the Iranian senior team, it is the venue for the country’s World Cup qualification games and, although the Iranian government bans women from attending football matches, was filled for the first time in a qualifier against Japan in the lead-up to the 2006 World Cup. Having been renovated as recently as 2003, the Azadi Stadium can confidently claim to be the outstanding footballing venue in the Middle East.

#10 – Estadio do Maracana (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Capacity: 88,992

The final entry on this list is one of the most recognisable football stadiums in the world, Rio de Janeiro’s Estadio do Maracana. Built between 1948 and 1950, the Maracana has been synonymous with the dominance of Brazilian football on the world stage ever since its construction. Indeed, its completion coincides almost exactly with the rise of Brazil to become the finest and most consistent football team of the last century.

The stadium’s initial purpose was to host the 1950 World Cup, Brazil agonizingly losing out to Uruguay in the last match of the final round in front of an incredible 199,954 spectators jammed into this magnificent arena. Since then it has been home to no less than four of the country’s most high-profile clubs at different times; Flamengo, Fluminese, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama all having used the Maracana as their home at various points in their history, Flamengo and Fluminese still being part-time tenants of South America’s largest ground.

Not only is the Maracana of great historical significance, it also looks set to continue its sporting prominence in the coming years with the arrival of both the World Cup and the Olympics in Rio in 2014 and 2016 respectively. Not only is this the stadium forever associated with Pele, Rivelino, Socrates, Ronaldo and a whole host other Brazilian greats, it will also be an arena for future generations of athletes to showcase their talents on the turf of this most famous of venues. The legend of the Maracana lives on.

Join celebrated football pundit, author, radio show host and DJ Andy Brassell every Monday on the Soccerlens Show.

With one-third of the Premier League season done and dusted, Tottenham and Manchester City are meeting pre-season expectations as the two genuine contenders for breaking into the top four.

In this week’s episode, Andy discusses Liverpool’s ability to bounce back from seemingly impossible situations and the inability of both Tottenham and Manchester City to defend, especially away from home. As Andy says, Liverpool have the added experience and quality in their ranks to make up for their dodgy start to the season and finish strongly (in this case, by qualifying for the Champions League next season).

Do you think Spurs and City can beat Liverpool to the race or do they still need to improve? Hear what Andy has to say (below) and then let us know your thoughts in the comments or via email.

Andy also covers the successful title defense of Rubin Kazan in the Russian Premier League and by extension, Rubin’s performances in the Champions League this season which have led to a very prickly state of affairs for both Inter Milan and FC Barcelona.

The two European giants square off in midweek at Camp Nou – Barcelona without Messi or Ibra – and the loser may well fail to qualify for the knockout round completely.

You can watch the show below or by following this link:

Make sure you send in your feedback and questions through tv@soccerlens.com and Andy will feature the best of them in next week’s show.

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The BBC has an excellent interview with Manchester United’s Jonny Evans where he discusses his progress through the ranks at Manchester United, his team-mates, his international career and Sir Alex Ferguson.

You can watch the 8-minute interview here.

Fairly standard stuff, with a few interesting observations:

• He’s a very down-to-earth, grounded kid. You get the sense that he’s overawed with what he’s achieved and where he is but he’s not let that affect his football or his lifestyle.
• His comments on Rooney / Rio / other stars are refreshingly honest. Yes, they are more guarded and reserved than others because anything they say can be twisted and passed around, and yes, it’s part of being in the game.
• His comments on Ferguson are just as interesting. You don’t want to cross the gaffer because if you go against him or if he thinks you’ve taken your eye off football, he’ll get rid of you.

He’s a good kid, and good footballer. Long may he continue to serve United.

Bordeaux lose at home, Grenoble snatch a point versus Lyon, Auxerre moves top with a 8th consecutive win – all that happened in the last round of Ligue 1 matches. Then of course there was the incredible 5:5 draw between Lyon and Marseille in the previous round, that was deemed as “the match of the century” by the French media and no doubt one of the best football matches in the World in recent seasons.

Europe’s top football leagues are often viewed as “The Big 3″ and then the rest. Recently though, the German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 have started to get recognition with top players gladly moving there. Ribery to Bayern, Lucho to Marseille etc.

As a matter of fact, recent studies by audit company Ernst & Young have shown that the Ligue 1 and Bundesliga are the most competitive in Europe. This is mostly due to fair money distribution of TV-rights. In England, there’s a huge gap between the top teams, and while there are a few shock results like Sunderland beating Arsenal last weekend, the teams who’ll make up the glamorous Championship League places. Same thing applies with Italy and Spain.

But it isn’t all good for Germany and France. The teams are constantly failing to make a mark in Europe and you can say that a exciting league season is coming from the sacrifice of European success.

Ligue 1 has been looked as the most uninteresting league for many years and with a reason. Even the local league management realised that and an attacking table was introduced at the start of season 2006/07 to encourage scoring more goals. It was independent from the official table, nut points were awarded for goals and 20m euros were distributed in the end of the season to the most successful teams.

And you’d have to say the idea has worked. Last season, while the most popular scores were 1-1, 1-0 and 0-0, there were some great games, like a 4:4 draw between Marseille and Rennes, which had a similar fate with the Lyon-Marseille match this season, with a lot of late goals.

Huge part of the French league’s rise also has to go to Lyon. When president Jean-Michel Aulas took over the club in 1987 he had plan to make the club a real powerhouse in Europe and in France. It took time to get the dividends, but Lyon have mostly dominated the league in 2000’s with a record 7 successive league wins and the club has set it’s sight on Europe.

All of that is a result of a smart business plan and it’s brought wealth to not only Lyon, but the whole league, as the club has brought in players with small transfer fees, developed them to world class players and sold them on with a huge profit, Michael Essien and Mahamadou Diarra being the best examples. The players were bought with a combined fee of 13 million euros and then sold on for 51 million. Some players have come from the youth system, thus cost nothing and cashed in for a big sum, like with Karim Benzema. That money has allowed Lyon to not only bring is stars form abroad, but to buy the best players in France and with that spreading around the wealth.

French clubs have done very well this season in Europe with Lyon themselves and Bordeaux already qualified for the knock-out stage in the Champions League and Marseille with also still a good chance to qualify. And you can say that a Champions League triumph by a French club is only a matter of time, Monaco already reached the final back in 2004.

So, to sum it up. While for long, Ligue 1 was looked like more of a springboard for good local and African players, it’s now developing into a big league in Europe.

Like Barcelona, who claim to be more than a club, Jose Mourinho has always cast himself as more than just a football manager. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Special One even had the temerity to suggest he is much better at knowing what footballers are thinking than any shrink in the business.

“I am the best sports psychologist,” Mourinho quipped. “I am better than those I have spoken to. They have a theoretical knowledge while I have a much more practical insight. I have worked in football all my life and the best sports psychologists are the managers.”

Speak to his players and they only ever have positive things to say about him. Ciro Ferrara, the Juventus manager, even admitted during a recent interview that, were he still a player, he would relish an opportunity to play under Mourinho. Zdenek Zeman, the former Roma and Lazio tactician, has also argued that Mourinho is a better communicator than coach.

It comes as little surprise then that Mourinho is doing everything in his power to lessen the significance of Tuesday night’s all-important Champions League clash with Barcelona at the Camp Nou.  “Three weeks ago there was the away match against Dynamo Kyiv, and for us that was the game of life. The game against Barcelona isn’t because we have two games to get three points.”

Inter currently top Group E, although only by a point, but it’s fair to say they can board the plane to Catalunya brimming with confidence. Normal service was resumed on Saturday following the interruption caused by the international break. The Nerazzurri eased past Bologna, winning 3-1 at the Renato Dall’Ara, even without Wesley Sneijder.

Alberto Cerruti, the chief football writer for La Gazzetta dello Sport, wrote: “Welcome back to the championship and welcome back to its queen, who seems to have returned from a beauty farm rather than an international break, with players loaned out to various countries across the world.”

In many ways, the manner of Inter’s victory showed just how far they have come under Mourinho in the past year. This time last season, the Nerazzurri made desperately hard work of Bologna, needing a save of the season from Julio Cesar to hold on to a 2-1 lead and ultimately the three points. On Saturday, Cesar was rarely, if at all, called into action, prompting one pundit to say he was almost unemployed.

Moreover, Inter showed brain as well as brawn and technique on top of physicality, firing as many as 11 shots on target, striking the woodwork twice and putting a real stamp on their victory, which came through the fruits of the collective rather than the skills of the individual.

Far from being boring boring Internazionale, the Nerazzurri have now scored a quite incredible 102 goals under Mourinho – 32 in 13 games so far this season, averaging 2.46 a game. Those statistics suggest Inter were justified in selling Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona in the summer and let me explain why.

By getting rid of the big Swede, who, incidentally, has taken to life at the Camp Nou much better than Samuel Eto’o has at the San Siro, Inter have to play more as a team. All too often in the last three years, give the ball to Ibrahimovic was Plan A, Plan B and Plan C.

Now, with Eto’o, Mario Balotelli and the brilliant Diego Milito up front – all of whom are forwards who can’t as easily conjure something out of nothing as Ibrahimovic – Inter quite simply have to find alternative routes to goal and are a much better footballing unit as a result.

Tactics and generally playing to a high standard aren’t everything at the Camp Nou, though, according to Mourinho. “Now we must concentrate on Barcelona. I left my assistant in Milan so he could best prepare the training regime with the players. Now it’s down to me and I hope the squad will be relaxed,” he told Sky Sport Italia after Saturday’s win.

“On the bus ride home we’re already working on Barcelona. I was there for three years and in that stadium your head is more important than your tactics. Stepping into that arena and saying you want to entertain is a difficult test in a player’s career. It’s going to be a real challenge of our character.”

It’s up to Mourinho, the sports psychologist, to ensure Inter – a team that has been so mentally fragile on the continent since the late 1990s – actually go to Spain aware of their own undeniable strengths.

The pressure of winning the European Cup for the first time since 1965 has often been too much to bear, but you get the feeling that with Yaya Toure and Eric Abidal definitely out with swine flu, and Lionel Messi and Rafael Marquez both touch and go, there is surely no better time for Inter to play Barcelona than on Tuesday night.

Talking Points

• Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli is inextricably linked with Parma. He managed the Gialloblu for two very memorable years, consolidating his reputation as one of the finest coaching talents in Serie A. Since moving on, he has always tried to add a bit of parmesan to his sides, no more so than at Fiorentina where he has signed Alberto Gilardino, Adrian Mutu, Marco Marchionni and Sebastien Frey, all of whom played under him at Parma. However, it’s unlikely he enjoyed watching the Gialloblu put one over Fiorentina on Saturday, winning 3-2 at the Artemio Franchi and in so doing, consolidating their reputation as this year’s revelation.
• During the week, Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani revealed he has a different name for Leonardo’s uber-attacking 4-2-3-1; he calls it a 4-2-Fantasia. Aside from expressing his delight at Milan’s new offensive set up, Galliani did admit that playing with four very attack-minded players has often left him with his heart in his mouth. One expects that happened on Sunday afternoon when Milan came back from behind again to beat Cagliari 4-3 at San Siro.
• If ever a team were dependent on one player, then Francesco Totti is that man for Roma. The 33-year-old, as is all too often the case, rushed back from knee surgery and promptly returned to being a real protagonist, scoring a fantastic hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Bari. Totti has now scored 19 goals in 13 games in all competitions so far this season. Incredible.
• Juventus managed to stay in touch with Inter at the top of Serie A, recording a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Udinese. Alessandro Del Piero and Momo Sissoko returned from injury, but the night belonged to Fabio Grosso who bagged the winner. The gap now stands at five points and Juventus will be hoping to capitalise on Inter’s tough schedule, which takes in Barcelona and Fiorentina in the next seven days.
• The Derby di Sicilia was something of a damp squib in comparison with more recent encounters, ending in a disappointing 1-1 draw. It could yet spell the end for Palermo manager Walter Zenga who was in charge of rivals Catania last season. Talks with Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini will be held on Monday and given his somewhat infamous past as a mangia-allenatori [manager-eater] one wouldn’t bet against changes being made at the Barbera.
• Inter full-back Douglas Maicon could miss the Nerazzurri’s top-of-the-table clash with Juventus on December 5 after getting sent off against Bologna in injury time on Saturday. The Brazil international protested a decision made by the fourth official and was told to go away. According to Inter, Maicon responded by telling him to do the same, but the fourth official thought he said something else entirely and notified the referee, leading to a red card.

In the summer of 2009, the usual predictions were cast on the aspirations of clubs in the Barclays Premier League. The Big Four’s greatest threat was said to come from Manchester City, Tottenham and maybe Aston Villa and Everton, while the club most likely to drop out of the Big Four was Manchester United or Arsenal.

Come last week of November, 3 months into the campaign and the predictions are mostly spot on. Tottenham are leading the race to challenge for the coveted 4th spot, with Manchester City and Aston Villa close behind. Chelsea, as expected, are top of the table.

But instead of United or Arsenal – two clubs who ‘failed’ to strengthen over the summer, are far more secure than Liverpool, the club expected to ‘challenge’ for the title.

In fact on current evidence, Liverpool – 13 points off the table leaders and 5 points off 4th placed Tottenham – need to improve massively to even qualify for the Champions League next season.

Liverpool, City and Villa are separated by a point each, and both Arsenal and Tottenham are just 3 points ahead, so it’s far from settled. What seems likely is that Arsenal, despite the odd hiccup, are unlikely to succumb to a free-for-all for 3rd / 4th and instead will consolidate their position over the next 2 months.

Let’s look at each of the 4 clubs likely to make a play for the last Champions League slot – and then you can make your own predictions at the end.

Liverpool

Rafa Benitez – correctly – states that once the injured players are back, Liverpool would be a much stronger unit and will start winning more games. The truth is that the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa have shown weaknesses in recent years when it comes to maintaining a challenge at the top of the table – and that will be the key for Liverpool moving into a key passage of play in December, where a good run of form could see them shoot back up the table.

But to make good on their promise, Liverpool have to stop giving away points away from home – they have lost 4 of 6 away games this season. If they end up losing 12 of 19 away games this season, or even 10, they’ll struggle to qualify for Europe.

Tottenham

A 9-1 win taken out of context is a wonderful, record-breaking achievement. Considering that it comes in the same season where Spurs lost to Arsenal 3-0, Spurs are still a work in progress albeit one with great potential.

Their Achilles heel is their defense, and apart from the fact that they are terrible at defending away from home, they also need to make sure that they either groom another central defender from the youth ranks or bring someone in as backup to the injury-prone duo of Woodgate and King. It’ll be interesting to see who Harry buys in January (especially if Pavlyuchenko is to go and Harry will have cash to spend).

Manchester City

Need to start turning draws into wins, both home and away. On paper they have a very strong squad but they have failed to gel together defensively, something that will worry Mark Hughes quite a bit.

Buying another center-back – especially after spending so much money on Toure and Lescott – seems silly, so City’s best bet at this point is to work on improving what they have and sort out what to do with Robinho. An unhappy player – especially one with a history of creating trouble if he doesn’t want to stay at the club – will hold them back.

Qualification for Europe – even if its the Europa League – will be success for City. If it means getting shot of Robinho and bringing in squad reinforcements elsewhere, why not?

Aston Villa

Take out their away win against Liverpool and Villa’s away record is fairly poor, and that’s unfortunate given how strong the team are on the counter. They could only draw against Burnley on the weekend and while some will argue that Burnley have already given plenty of teams trouble at home, draws for Villa will end up hurting them in the end.

Liverpool, and to a certain extent City and Spurs, have shown the strength to turn up their games against the Big Three. Villa haven’t shown that resolve yet, and this makes their games against the rest of the league that much more important.

Predictions

The season has passed the one-third mark, and already we’ve seen one team fall out of the title race. Will we see one of these four teams fall out of the race for the Champions League spot as well? Let us know your thoughts below.

Photos from Tottenahm-Wigan

There were questions raised over Manchester United’s ability to compensate for Cristiano Ronaldo’s and Carlos Tevez’s absence this season, with critics especially pointing to United being unlikely to compensate for Ronaldo’s goals.

Those critics have been pretty much proven wrong this season, with United scoring as many goals at this stage as they had last season, with a number of players chipping in with more than their share of the goals from last year around.

Republik of Mancunia has the full stats – but essentially, United have scored 26 goals in the first 13 games this season, 1 more than at the same stage last year.

Problems? In defence, maybe, with all the injuries.

I love Ronaldo and would rather have him back, but there’s no doubting that this United side has the ability to deal with the loss of one (or two) players.

Read the whole article at ROM.

What an emotional, mentally draining week its been.  Monsieur Henry’s handball has been talked to death at this stage, im sure some people will be rolling their eyes at another article over this much talked about topic, but I haven’t given my two cents yet and I’ve got some things to get off my chest.

As an Irishman, I am one of many millions affected.  In the build up to the afforementioned match on Wednesday night, I had an enthusiasm about our chances that had been missing for at least 4 years.  1 unlucky goal down, a perceived arrogance (unperceived once Lass Diarra showed his character) from the French,  memories of Paris 2004, all served to make us dream again.

After 33 minutes, enter dreamland.  Keano pulled us back into the tie.. Beautiful.  After 90 minutes, we deserved the victory.  “We could nick this” was a collective feeling.  I never rated Keith Andrews, Glenn Whelan, Darron Gibson, but they were immense.  With a backbone of the colossal Dunne and the impressive fearless St. Ledger, we had it in our hands.  One more goal and we would surely be through, and we were creating chances.

Never had a defeat been so crushing for me personally, especially in the circumstances.  I support Blackburn you see, so its not particularly surprising to lose. 

Currently as I write this, there are 374,691 fans on a petition to have Ireland v France replayed page on Facebook.  Of course I’m on the page, but one thing is for sure, there will be no replay.  Unjust? Yes.  Fair?  Absolutely not!

This is classic Fifa, and conspiracy theories are at an all-time high for anything I’ve experienced as a football fan.  Mr. Henry himself, captain of the national side and the perpetrator at the centre of this episode, would welcome a replay.  The French public are ashamed of their side, world cup or not.  WE definitely feel we deserve a replay.  Everybody’s on board except Fifa and the FFF (French Football Federation), and of course, Mr. Popular Raymond Domenech.

This has been talked to death, everybody has an opinion on it.  Our players and pundits have said that if the decision went in our favour, we would’ve kept quiet too, which is the truth.  

The big loser in this has been Thierry Henry.

A proper modern day legend, his reputation has been tarnished by Media and fans alike.  I know alot of casual fans, who know f**k all about football who have never liked Henry because he looks so “arrogant” when he scores a goal.  In my opinion, he was so good he ran out of celebrations.  Not everybody can do a corkscrew somersault y’know.  He remains one of the top 5 players I’ve seen in my lifetime, he was undoubtedly the star of the Premier League for at least 4-5 years.  I know that proper fans with the exception of United and Spurs fans have often applauded his skills. 

Though I am abit peeved at the fact that he did cheat.

It’s high time I reckon that video technology, or more linesmen are brought into the game, sharpish, not in the next three years or whatever.  I agree with Robbie Keane’s theory that Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini “were probably clapping their hands and texting each other”, and Duffer’s outburst that Adidas have alot of pull too.  Our game shouldn’t be corrupt anymore, it should have been sorted out a long time ago.  It should have been sorted out least back after Euro 96 when Romania took a shot that rattled off the bar, clearly crossed the line, but wasn’t given.  Two weeks on from the uproar of David N’Gog’s dive, he has been replaced by Henry as the latest cheat.  Henry won’t suffer abuse for too long, next high profile controversy and everybody will forget.  I give it a week or two.

In my opinion, the only reason video tech has never been introduced is because the “romance” and “drama” of the game might be distinguished.  I could go on more, but everybody’s already heard the arguments before, how it’s used in other sports blah blah blah!

It’s a shame that we’re not going to South Africa.  But I feel we’ll be at Euro 2012.  Our boys are a determined, passionate bunch.  We’re in love with our national team again, and our young team are going to feel like making a point. 

But as sad as it is to say, football needs an overhaul.  Divers shouldn’t prosper, games shouldn’t be decided by incompetant referees, who aren’t that I reckon (maybe bar Graeme Poll), why is there 1 linesman on each side, how about 1 per quarter pitch?  And of course, goals should be given that cross the line, not given when handballed in or to a team-mate.

Video Tech might take up some time, about as much time as players protesting against a decision.

When a player like Darren Fletcher, much joked about, can transorm himself into an energetic midfielder who’s important to the Man United cause and score a half volley of Gerrardesque quality, doesn’t that prove that football still has romance and soul?

From a disgruntled Irishman, adios!

Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen
Bundesliga
Sunday, 22 November, 2009

The death of Hanover goalkeeper Robert Enke will take centre stage as the Bundesliga resumes after his tragic death.

Hanover will have little respite as they visit Schalke on Saturday. Schalke currently lie forth in the table, and are big favourites going into the game. Focus will be firmly on Hanover, but the big game of the weekend takes place on Sunday, as Bayern host leage leaders Leverkusen.

Munich are in desperate need of a win as the pressure mounts of Louis van Haal. Bayern are in eighth place, and find themselves behind new boys Mainz. Leverkusen have enjoyed a bright start to the season, and lead the way, six points ahead of Bayern.

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Van Haal is finding it tricky to get any consistency out of his side, having started 22 different players already this season. Bayern’s exciting wingers have provided glimpses of hope for Munich, but Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben have had their fair share of injuries this season. Ribery is still unavailable, but Bayern’s big problems have been up-front.

Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose are yet to score in the Bundesliga this season, and top scorer Mario Gomez has only netted three goals. Their top strikers are finding it very hard to gel, but they will have to be at their best to beat the most solid defence in the league.

Bayern must also be wary of the goalscoring threat that Leverkusen pose. Stfan Kiessling is the leage’s top scorer and will be looking to add to his tally in Munich. It is a must-win game for Munich but Leverkusen are full of confidence and couldn’t be visiting the Allianz Arena at a better time. They could prove that they are serious title contenders and put Bayern’s season in big trouble.

The other big games this week see Dortmund go head to head with FC Mainz and Bremen will be looking to close the gap on Leverkusen as they take on struggling Freiburg. Werder will be without some key players as Claudio Pizzaro, Christian Vander an Tim Borowski are set to miss out.

However all eyes will be on the Vltins-Arena in Schalke. Young German keeper Florian Fromowitz is poised to take over in goal for the emotional match. Enke will be remebered at all league games this weekend, and black armbands worn in his honour.

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