Reflections : UCL Match Day 4

At the end of UCL match day 4, let us take a look at where all the teams stand and make some comments about the teams especially the more well known ones.

Group A - Bordeaux could be called the most outstanding team of the competition so far. Placed in a group where they were supposedly third best they have qualified with two games to spare and could easily top the group. If we compare this with their last appearance in UCL when they seemed so out of their depth that after a while it merely became a burden for them to play along with all the league fixtures, we realize just how far they have come. Laurent Blanc is quite simply one of the most promising young managers today. As for who will join them Juventus are likely to do so in spite of having not put on even a single convincing performance so far. However if Juventus fail to win on Bordeaux's home territory as Bordeaux have both their long time unbeaten home record as well as top place in the group to play for, the last match between Juventus and Bayern Munich in Turin becomes a cracker.

Group B - In a comparatively easier group, Manchester United have already qualified and Wolfsburg look likely to join them.

Group C - Although A C Milan and Real Madrid lead Marseille by only a point, it's hard to see even one of them not going through. In spite of their previous slip ups, by now they have acquired enough rhythm to get the better of Zurich. So considering that both of them manage to beat Zurich, the only way Marseille can qualify is by beating one of them and at least drawing with the other which looks a very tall order.

Group D - Chelsea and Porto have both qualified. Atletico Madrid have been a hopeless disappointment just like they have been in La Liga so far. However at least the latter offers a way back while the former doesn't other than the chance to play in Uefa Europa League.

Group E - Liverpool may consider themselves unlucky for having been the better team last night and yet coming back with only a draw. In fact anyone who watched Lyon last night would probably agree that their passing especially in the first half was so poor that it just didn't look like a Lyon side playing at home. However the detractors of Benitez insist that he has been lucky too many times in the UCL and his luck would have to run out some time. Still they are not totally out of it. If Fiorentina beat Lyon in Florence, then Benitez's luck will indeed run out for good. However if they only draw it will be all to play for between the two on the last match day. Liverpool will be at home but will be required to overturn a 2-0 deficit keeping the away goals rule well in mind. A win for Lyon though would have Liverpool only needing a win in the last match to qualify provided they beat Debrecen away as expected. Anything less than that and they will be out.

Group F - You must have heard the term death the leveler but at times football can be a real leveler too. The defending champions, the winners of the unprecedented treble, the envy of the rest of the football world, the one and only F C Barcelona are actually struggling to get out of their group in the very next season of UCL!!! What has gone wrong? Well we all give different explanations but are a little puzzled as well. The defense looked unconvincing since the very beginning of this season and there is an increased tendency to give the ball away in dangerous positions but even that does not explain the main problem which is that teams are lining up multiple walls of uncompromising defenders against the Blaugrana and they simply have no answer to it. Ibrahimovic was expected by some including this writer to be a plan B which could help Barca win such games by winning balls in the air and taking long shots at goal. On the evidence of last night, that plan is not even in it's nascent stages yet. Besides in the opinion of this writer, the world player incumbent Lionel Messi appears to be slightly slower nowadays. On the other hand Inter who are known to struggle in the UCL somehow managed to score an equalizer against Dynamo Kyiv in the 86th minute and then went on to win the game. Some of us including this writer do not like Jose Mourinho for his overly arrogant ways and the help he receives from Lady Luck at crucial times but the man does know how to get the job done. Now in the next match at Camp Nou, this writer expects Mourinho to line up multiple walls of defenders as is the fashion but also use the pace of Balotelli to run behind the high defensive line of the Catalans. If Barcelona lose to Inter which is by no means impossible and Rubin win against Dynamo at home, the world's best team will be knocked out even before the knock outs have begun. Football indeed is a leveler.

Group G - Sevilla have gone through as expected. Instead of celebrating that they are actually feeling a little disappointed not having already ensured top place which is understandable since this is one of the easiest groups. The other qualifying place is still open to all of the other teams.

Group H - Arsenal at times do look like being very close to a truly great team. With Fabregas having been one of the most outstanding individual performers of this season and Arshavin proving every day that a list of world class players is incomplete without him, Arsenal do have flair in abundance. Playing Van Persie as a target man seems to suit the 4-3-3 formation they now play. It will be interesting to see how they react if teams start putting multiple defensive walls against them as they do against Barcelona. However the defensive midfield and the defense could have been stronger with more world class battlers and the goal keeper position is now called their number one worry by several pundits. In a group as easy as this they have almost qualified and the second place still remains open to all of the remaining three teams.