Chapter 132 UEFA Champions League Pattern

There must be a Premier League team in the UEFA Champions League final for five consecutive years. The last three quarter-finals have occupied the top three. Although only Liverpool and Manchester United held the Big Ear Holy Grail in five years, there is no doubt that the English team has formed a group advantage in this top European club event. After last season, the Premier League BIG4 In the new season's UEFA Champions League group stage, they are all in the first place and become seeded teams.

After drawing lots, the four major giants in the Premier League have also found their respective positions.

Successfully avoided the second-tier Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Juventus. As soon as the grouping situation was revealed, the British media cheered, "This is really a great sign for the English team."

In BIG4, Chelsea's Group D opponent is relatively well-known. As the winner of the Portuguese Super League four times in a row, Porto has also won the championship twice in the Champions League. Among them, there were many players who are now playing for Chelsea when they won the championship in the 2003/04 season, Ferreira, Carvalho, Deco and Bosingua. It can be said that despite Mourinho's departure, the London Blue Lions still have a very close relationship with Portugal.

There have been four matches between Porto and Chelsea before, and the Blues have won 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. In fact, on the whole, Chelsea beat Porto twice.

Atletico Madrid, like Chelsea, has reached the Champions League final but has never tasted the cup, but Atletico Madrid's glory was 36 years ago.

Last year, Atletico Madrid, which was in the same group as Everton, was ranked second in the group after the Reds with an unbeaten record. Unfortunately, it was eliminated by Porto in the first round of the knockout match. Although Atletico Madrid has not played against Chelsea before, the La Liga team has not won against the Premier League five times before, but Aguero, who had a "gossip" with Chelsea in the summer, can work hard in front of the London Blue Lions. As for the Greek competition in Cyprus in the same group, it is not mentioned.

Combined with the Premier League schedule, Chelsea does not need to be upset by objective factors such as home and away games. No wonder Kenion implicitly expressed his joy after the game at the draw. "We are on the road again. We have been looking forward to go further (enter the finals and win the championship). There is no easy game or group, but we have avoided the big team, and we don't need a long trip away."

What makes Chelsea relaxed is the headache of Manchester United, who has reached the Champions League final for two consecutive seasons. CSKA Moscow and Besiktas are not high-grade teams in the second and third gear, but one is in Russia and the other is in Turkey, which means that the Red Devils need two long-distance "marathons" and the fourth gears. Wolfsburg, the strongest Bundesliga champion, is also in the same group.

Ferguson said, "It's a little difficult, especially the need to visit Russia and Turkey. In recent years, the Central Army has made great progress, and it has always been difficult to compete in Turkey. We also know the quality of Wolfsburg, who won the Bundesliga last year.

The three teams have not touched Manchester United before, but the home stadium of CSKA Moscow is familiar to the Red Devils. In 2008, Manchester United defeated Chelsea in the finals and picked up the Holy Grail.

And the schedule is also slightly unfavorable to Manchester United. In the third round of the group stage, after playing Besiktas in Turkey, they will play an English derby with Liverpool at Anfield on the weekend. When they arrived in Moscow, it was freezing in December. Fortunately, this is the last round of the group stage. In other words, the Red Devils want to The main players must try their best to lock in the promotion quota in advance.

In stark contrast to Ferguson, Liverpool official Purslaw said, "The Red Army is very happy."

Lyon and Fiorentina are indeed a little famous in Europe. In the opinion of Liverpool officials, this can prevent opponents from hurting people secretly. According to the strength of the Red Army, as long as they cheer up, it is not difficult to get the qualification for promotion. However, in fact, Liverpool has not had the experience of playing an official match with the three teams in this group. Of course, since the "Red Army" entered the 21st century, except for losing to AC Milan in the 2006/07 final, they have not been defeated by Serie A teams, and they have also won more or lost against Ligue 1.

Only after the third round of the group stage against Fiorentina and the sixth round against Lyon, playing at home against Manchester United and Arsenal in the league will somewhat distract Liverpool. Therefore, Liverpool star Dalglish, who watched the whole process of the lottery at the scene, said, "You should never underestimate the Italians. They are well organized and efficient. Lyon has achieved great success in this event.

Arsenal also seemed cautious. Gazidis, a club official, said, "Some people may think at a glance that this is undoubtedly an automatic promotion, but we don't think so." Who can make trouble for the gunman? What about Dutch champion Alkmaar, Greek Super League champion Olympiacos or Israel's Standard Liague? This is Alkmaar's second appearance in the Champions League in 27 years; Olympiacos is a regular, but they have only won 16 times against England in the past, as for the standard Ligiers.

In 1993, when the two teams met in the second round of the Winners' Cup, the Gunners fired 10 shots to kill their opponents.

UEFA President Platini is well known to hate the Premier League team. The overwhelming strong performance of the English team in recent years is completely contrary to Platini's strategic plan to pursue balanced support the weak.

The Frenchman has a famous saying: "Excessive will definitely defile football."

Therefore, when Eduardo made a fake fall in the qualifying match, Platini, as the president of UEFA, came out and said, "It may be banned."

When Chelsea played against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals last season, Barak and Drogba were angry because of the referee's unfair decision.

According to the BBC: In the group stage, Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal did not meet big-name teams, and first avoided Real Madrid with Cristiano Ronaldo.

If you look at other groups, Bayern Munich PK Juventus; AC Milan PK Real Madrid; Barcelona PK Inter Milan are much heavier than the top four of the Premier League.

indicates that the top four of the Premier League seem to take advantage, but if you consider the rules and depth, in fact, UEFA is not kind to the English club.

Because the rules of the first round of the knockout match are to avoid the same national club and the same group team in the group stage, it is very likely that the Premier League BIG4 will be strongly blocked in the last 16, just like last season. Since there are two super teams in Group A, Group C and Group F, it can be achieved that whether the Premier League team ranks first in the group stage or advances in the group stage, it can have a strong opponent on the way to advance to the top eight.

Of course, according to UEFA's usual practice, it is likely to "retain the most champion team" before the top four. If the Premier League BIG4 once again "fierce" clears all the obstacles in the first round of knockout, then what awaits them will be the inevitable "internal consumption", because only way is the safest. The method of "annihilating" the English club.

Regardless of the situation after qualifying, UEFA undoubtedly gave the most special treatment in the top four of the Premier League to the defending champion Manchester United.

Avoided Real Madrid, Inter Milan, Juventus..., but Ferguson still regarded CSKA Moscow, Besiktas and Wolfsburg as difficult opponents after the UEFA Champions League group draw. The Lord's caution is indeed reasonable. In fact, combined with the comprehensive factors such as the schedule, even Manchester United, which has reached the Champions League final for two years, is really not a good draw this time.

No one wants to meet Wolfsburg, who is undoubtedly the strongest in the fourth gear. As the Bundesliga champion "Wolfburg" last season, it has maintained an unbeaten record of 20 league games at home in the Volkswagen Arena.

This made Ferguson say, "We also know the strength of Wolfsburg. They are the team that won the Bundesliga championship last season."

David Gill, CEO of the club, also mentioned Wolfsburg in particular: "I don't think most teams want to be in a group with the Bundesliga champions, but we draw them." Of course, compared with Manchester United's rich experience in playing in Europe's top league events for many years, Wolfsburg is a rookie.

In addition to Wolfsburg, Besiktas was also the domestic champion last season, but compared with the Bundesliga club, they have much more experience in European games.

Among them, Turkey's home court is recognized as the "home of hell". Liverpool was defeated at the Inonu Stadium in 2007, and Manchester United's latest visit to Turkey was also a loss and a complete defeat of 0-3 (defeated to Fenerbahce without sending all the main players).

Besiktas midfielder Simsek said, "We, like other teams, have a chance to advance in this group. Manchester United is world-class strength, but Besiktas also defeated Chelsea in the 2003 Champions League. We have the ability and are eager to beat any team in this group.

CSKA Moscow, now coached by Zico, is a headache, although its home stadium, Lujniki Stadium is a blessed place for the Red Devils to beat Chelsea in 2008 to hold the Holy Grail.

As the champion of the 2005 UEFA Cup, CSKA Moscow is also a regular player in the European game. Although there is no bright record in the Champions League, one thing to note is that the Gunners did not take advantage of CSKA Moscow in the two rounds in the 2006/07 season, which is considered the last season. In Villa, the Russian Premier League team has been unbeaten in nearly four confrontations with the Premier League team. What's more surprising is that Manchester United's previous five games against Russia have been 4 draws and 1 loss, which is a strange record for the Red Devils.

Of course, the long distance and unfavorable schedule cannot be ignored. To get to Istanbul, you need to fly about 2,700 kilometers in the air. To get to Moscow, Manchester United needs to travel more than 2,500 kilometers, and according to the schedule, it is in late October. If the temperature is below 10 degrees, it is absolutely normal, and according to the schedule, after the two rounds of confrontation with the Russian football club. On the weekend, Manchester United also need to play away against Liverpool in the domestic league and Chelsea at home.

Aldonin, the main midfielder of CSKA Moscow, said excitedly after the drawing ceremony: "I'm very happy to meet Manchester United. I always want to play with them, because Manchester United has been one of the best clubs in Europe over the years. Of course, I think we can control our own destiny no matter which team we face. Our goal is always the same: to fight to win a place in the knockout match!"

Manchester United is worried about the Champions League, while Real Madrid is crazy about the Champions League!

Real Madrid encountered AC Milan, Marseille and Zurich in the draw of the UEFA Champions League group stage, and the Galactic Battleship will be severely tested from the beginning. Real Madrid Athletic Director Padreza was interviewed as a club representative. He said that although this is a strong group, Real Madrid will do its best to qualify.

Padesa said: "This is a very difficult group, but we must do our best and kick out our highest level. These three opponents are very excited for Real Madrid. This year's Champions League final will be held in Bernabeu. If Real Madrid can reach the final, it will be a good gift.

Although Milan lost Kaka and the team's strength has declined a lot, Padesa still described the Rossoneriors as "the top giants in Europe". "Milan is a top team, and the confrontation between Real Madrid and Milan will be very high-profile and more important than the league."

Marseille may become a spoiler in this group, and Padesa also expressed his respect for the runner-up in Ligue 1. Marseille is an excellent team, and now they have replaced Lyon as the representative of Ligue 1. The confrontation between Real Madrid and Marseille will also be a very attractive match, especially the two former Real Madrid players Morentes and Heinze will encounter their old club.

Padsa finally mentioned Zurich, the weakest in the group, and the Real Madrid giant also reminded the team not to take it lightly. Zurich is the least famous team in this group, but it is also dangerous. They will definitely be very active in such a game, especially at home.

Please don't forget that the biggest reason why Real Madrid is crazy is that the final will be staged in Real Madrid Bernabeu. Even Real Madrid's new president Florentino said: "This season's Champions League final will be held in Bernabeu. If Real Madrid can reach the final, it will be a good gift. Of course, if you win the championship in the end, the city of Madrid will be crazy about the championship.

Florentino directly reported Real Madrid's biggest goal this season, which is to regain its dominance in Europe. Are you satisfied when you enter the finals? Florentino certainly won't think so!

This summer, Real Madrid invested a record 257 million euros in the transfer market.

If Ribery joins Real Madrid before the transfer window closes, this number will reach or even exceed the 300 million euro mark.

Barcelona has overtaken Real Madrid in all competitions, the domestic double championship, the Champions League runner-up, and is stimulated by the traditional sworn enemy. Today's Real Madrid must be called the Triple Crown, but if Florentino is allowed to choose the champion he most among the Triple Crowns, the first choice of the President of Real Madrid is obviously the Champions League.

"Barçao only focuses on Catalonia, and Real Madrid's vision is enlarged to the whole world." Although Bardano's words are a little extreme, there are also merits. Real Madrid has indeed always regarded the European battlefield as the most important strategic place.

In the previous five seasons, Real Madrid failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

For the best clubs of the 20th century, this is a completely unacceptable shame for Real Madrid, which has won the most Champions League championships (9 times) in history.

In addition, the UEFA Champions League final will be staged at the Bernabeu Stadium, and Florentino does not want his sworn enemy Barcelona to appear in the center of the final stage.

In order to revive Real Madrid on the European battlefield and defend the dignity of Bernabeu, Florentino reorganized the Galactic Battleship and spent a huge sum of 257 million euros.

In the flying banknotes, Kaka came, Ronaldo came, Benzema came, and the leading stars in the three major leagues of Italy, England and France were brought to Bernabeu by Florentino.

In terms of lineup level, Real Madrid finally got rid of the shadow of Calderon's civilianization, and the new Galaxy warship finally has the capital to challenge Barcelona. C Ronaldo and Kaka will continue to compete with Messi for the title of world's first player. Benzema's goal is to humiliate Ibrahimovic, while Javi Alonso is to strive for Real Madrid's midfield control to approach or even equal Barcelona with Harvey Xiaobai.

But while improving the team's lineup in an instant, Florentino also added a tight spell to himself.

The Champions League trophy is Real Madrid's primary goal. If Real Madrid fails to win the Champions League in the new season, the effect of Florentino's huge investment is bound to be questioned, and various negative news will follow. Even if Real Madrid wins the championship in La Liga, it will not help.

The Spanish media will definitely question what Calderon can do with 100 million euros, but why did Florentino spend 300 million euros?!

Don't forget that after the successful restoration, Florentino is still questioned by some media. Real Madrid fans regard Florentino, who is good at acquiring superstars, as a savior, but people will not forget how the first galactic warship fell and crashed.

After losing the gorgeous coat of excellent achievements, the internal contradictions of the first phase of the Galactic Battleship have been amplified and made public. Now in front of Florentino, there is only one way left. For the Champions League trophy, in order to make Florentino no longer say goodbye to Bernabeu as a loser, the new Galactic Battleship, go!

Compared with Real Madrid, which is considered to be the biggest favorite in the Champions League this season, Manchester United seems to be much more low-key, which is also fully shown in the odds of winning the championship.

BWIN announced the odds of winning the top 32 of the Champions League. Real Madrid, which introduced Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, ranked first with 1 to 4.25, and the defending champion Barcelona ranked second, followed by the three Premier League teams, Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. Inter Milan became the highest-ranked team in Serie A, and the Nerazzurri tied for sixth place with Liverpool. At the end of the list, Debrezen, Unionia and Greek Athletic were at the bottom with 1 to 1,000.