2009-10 UEFA Champions League Group C Preview
Europe Football's Premier Tournament Enters the Group Stage
Sep 13, 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 C
Real Madrid (Spain), FC Zurich (Switzerland), Olympique de Marseille (France), AC Milan (Italy)
Group C has one clear tournament favorite in Real Madrid, a seven-time champion trying to regain its glory in AC Milan, a side looking to an old manager to restore glory in Marseille, and a Swiss team largely outclassed in this group in FC Zurich.
Real Madrid
The group stages of the Champions League will be the first test to see if the new generation of ‘Galacticos’ will translate into a record tenth European championship. Christiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Xabi Alonzo, and Karim Benzima already have plenty of pressure on them to succeed after Madrid spend record amounts to acquire these players; the Champions League final at the Bernabéu in May will add to the pressure. There are plenty of questions for Manuel Pelligrini’s side. Chief among them is whether all these attackers can co-exist on the same field. One thing that is not in question, however, is Los Merengues advancing from this group.
FC Zurich
FC Zurich makes their first journey into the group stages having not had any success on the continental level since the 1970s. Being drawn against Real Madrid and AC Milan, who knocked them from the UEFA Cup last year, was probably not their ideal scenario. The Golden Lions exciting attack is lead by Swiss international Almen Abdi, but ultimately it is their questionable defense that will limit the Swiss champions’ success. Bernard Challandes’ side will find it hard to gain a point in Group C.
Olympique De Marseille
The only French team to have won the Champions League/European Cup (1993), Olympique de Marseille figures to play a spoiler role in Group C. The Ligue 1 runners-up feature several key players and celebrated manager Didier Deschamps at the helm. Mamadou Niang captains an attacking side that features Brazilian Brandão and summer signee Lucho Gonzalez who will add playmaking to OM. Like many other Madrid refuges, Gabriele Heinze spent the summer searching for a new team and has landed in Marseille to help goalkeeper Steve Mandanda anchor the defense. OM features many questions including the consistency of both Brandão and Hatem Ben Arfa. For Marseille to have a chance in this group, they must make the most of their points at home and take all six points from FC Zurich.
AC Milan
The Rossoneri return to the Champions League following one season in the UEFA Cup. The seven-time champions face a tough road ahead and many questions in the locker room. This is a team desperate to see Ronaldinho and Andrea Pirlo return to form for them to have any chance at success beyond the group stages. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was brought in to help young Brazilian Alexandre Pato and veteran striker Fillipo Inzaghi add spark to an offense that lacks creativity. Alessandro Nesta’s return should shore up a defense missing Milan legend Paolo Maldini for the first time in 25 years. Summer signees Thiago Silva and Oguchi Onyewu were brought to help fill Maldini’s big shoes. First year boss Leonardo is already showing signs of struggling with a team that clearly misses Kaká. For the Red Devils to advance, they desperately need to find their form.
Prediction
The clear favorite of this group and a challenger for the Champions League title is Real Madrid. Marseille provides Milan a good challenge for the second qualifying spot from this group, while FC Zurich’s time will be short lived. This group features many interesting match-ups including Kaká’s return to the San Siro, Europe top two scorers Raúl and Inzaghi on the same pitch, and the two most successful clubs in Champions League/European Cup history – Real Madrid and AC Milan. The first and last match-ups of the group stage will pit OM versus Milan to decide which team advances.
Group C Results:
Match Week 1 - September 15, 2009
Other Group Previews
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