2009-10 UEFA Champions League Group B Preview
Europe Football's Premier Tournament Enters the Group Stage
Sep 11, 2009
UEFA’s 2009-2010 Champions League season is here. The groups have been drawn amongst much fanfare, the matches are set, and the competition to be crowned champions of Europe is ready to begin.
This is a breakdown of the teams in each of the eight groups. Two teams will advance from each group into the quarterfinal knockout stages of the Champions League.
Group B
Manchester United (England), Besiktas (Turkey), CSKA Moscow (Russia), VfL Wolfsburg (Germany)
Group B has one clear tournament favorite in Manchester United, two domestic league champions in Besiktas and Wolfsburg, and a Russian team with plenty of recent Champions League experience. While Man U is the class act for Group B, the battle to be the second team to advance out of Group B should be heated.
Manchester United
The real question for the Red Devils is how far Wayne Rooney and company can go in their first year without Christiano Ronaldo. Man U is a team with realistic aspirations of winning the English Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League so it is unlikely any of their opponents in Group B will give them much trouble. Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad is rarely matched on the pitch, and he is keen for his lads to avenge last year’s finals loss to Barcelona. Look for Nani to take on a more important role this season. The questions for this squad are how much Dimitar Berbatov will contribute and how well aging stars Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Gary Neville will perform.
Besiktas
The Turkish champions are led by star Nihat Kahveci who charmed the soccer world at Euro 2008. This team has many aging players whose best days are possibly behind them – notably attacking midfielder Yusuf Simsek and keeper Rustu Recber. While the Black Eagles will continue to challenge for their domestic crown, they will be largely out classed in the Champions League and unable to keep up with the pace of Man U and Wolfsburg. Former Italian international Matteo Ferrari was brought in to shore up the back line, while 19-year old Onur Bayramoglu will add some spunk to the attack.
CSK Moscow
Runners up for the 2009 Russian League title, CSK Moscow is no stranger to the group stages of the Champions League. The 2009-2010 season will be their fifth consecutive reaching the group stage, but they have yet to progress to the knock-out stage. Manager Juande Ramos has landed in Moscow after falling out of favor at Tottenham followed by a stint as the temporary manager at Real Madrid to end last season. If Ramos can regain the successes he had at both Sevilla and early on at Tottenham, them CSK Moscow could advance out of this group. The Koni are lead by Russian number one Igor Akinfeev who is unshakeable at the goal and Russia’s 2008 Young Player of the Year, Alan Dzagoev. Moscow hope that Dzagoev’s playmaking skills will complement their new attackers Guilherme and Mark Gonzalez. Truly what Moscow lacks is the required pace to get back on defense against Europe’s top teams. Advancing to the knock-out stages is unlikely.
VfL Wolfsburg
With a one-two punch featuring Brazilian striker Grafite and Bosnian youngster Edin Dzeko leading the way, VfL Wolfsburg surprised all and claimed the Bundesliga title last year. Armin Veh’s side enters their first Champions League campaign out to prove that last year’s domestic success was not a fluke but rather proof of more glory to come. While Grafite and Dzeko lead the attack minded squad, the key to Wolfsburg’s success is not allowing the counter attack from CSK Moscow or Besiktas to overwhelm them. Die Wolfe should progress from Group B along with Manchester United.
Prediction
The clear favorite of this group and a challenger for the Champions League title is Manchester United. VfL Wolfsburg should be able to beat out CSK Moscow and Besiktas for the right to advance to the knock-out stages. The key matches for this group will be when CSK Moscow and VfL Wolfsburg face off in mid-September and then in late November. Otherwise, the only real drama will be to see how Sir Alex formulates his line-up without Ronaldo.
Group B Results
Match Day 1 - September 15, 2009
Other Group Previews:
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