2011-12 UEFA Champions' League Matchday III Wrap

Tuesday October 18th and Wednesday October 19th:

And it continues with arguably the first of the two most crucial fixtures in the group stages. This is when some groups start to develop some definite shape while some teams start to worry. Matchday Three is all about separating the men from the boys and whittle down the 32 teams to an elite sixteen, followed by a commendable eight. This is where it starts to get serious.

The 2011-12 UEFA Champions League rolls on. Watch all the highlights here.

We continue to recap the action by breaking down the results by type, style and function.

Europhiles Notebook - Promotion Report

We run the rule over the promoted clubs form the top leagues in Europe this season. Find out how each club is doing after having made the step up over the summer. We grade them from A-D base on their performances so far.

2011-12 UEFA Champions' League Matchday II Wrap

Tuesday September 27th and Wednesday September 28th:

Things got more interesting on Matchday Two as increased motivation met improved gameplay. Teams are now warmed up as the domestic seasons are in full swing. Everyone has played at least five league games with the odd cup tie - and while some teams have lost the odd manager, most are well oiled machines who want to get on the board in Europe to get in better shape for the rounds ahead.

The group stage displays a unique symmetry. Two matchdays are in September, two more in October and the final two in November. By the end of Matchday Two, everyone has played one home game and one away game in Europe. Laces out, it's the big time now.

As always the midweek threw up the usual mix of expected and surprising, impressive and encouraging, boring and thrilling. 32 teams, eight groups, double round robin home and away, six games each.

We recap the action by breaking down the results by type, style and function.

Europhiles Notebook - Euro Qualifying's Top Upsets

Only the last pair of matches remain in the qualifying campaign for Euro 2012. Arjblog reviews the top upsets so far:

Moldova 2 - 0 Finland - September 3 2010

For a team ranked 122 in the world, that has never qualified for an international tournament and actually finished last in its previous qualification group, winless, behind Luxembourg (World Cup 2010 UEFA Group 2), the win over Finland in Chisinau was easily the greatest result in its short history. Only admitted to FIFA and UEFA in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse, Moldovan football is still in its germinal stages with the fall exploits of Sheriff Tiraspol and Zimbru Chisnau in qualifying for the continental tournaments, the only time one hears of it. Goals from Alexandre Suvorov and Anatolie Doros created instant history as they threw an immediate spanner into Finland's works - a blow from which the Finns barely recovered all campaign.

Europhiles Notebook - Euro Qualifying's Lesser Stars

A look at some of the unsung heroes of qualifying, many of whom will exit the tournament after the qualifiers and all of whom get none of the spotlight. Arjblog brings you the players who have impressed during the 2012 European Championships Qualifying Rounds:

(Trivia alert: There are two players below whose last names start with a double 'l')

The Unsung XII:

Mikael Forssell - Finland - The striker who bombed out at Chelsea has been a Godsend for the Finns at international level. Despite another disappointing qualifying campaign, Forssell has been on fire netting seven goals in eight games. With Finland sitting fourth in their group going into the final pair of matches, Forssell has scored almost half their total of 15 goals, with important strikes against both Netherlands and Hungary. It looks like Leeds have been paying attention as they brought the 30 year old back to England, on a free transfer from Hannover in the summer. Only Miroslav Klose and Klaas Jan Huntelaar have scored more goals than him in the qualifiers.

Europhiles Notebook - Euro Qualifying Crucial Matches

With some of the groups decided and the frantic race for final spots reaching the home stretch, these are the key matches remaining in qualifying for the 2012 European Championships.

Group A - Turkey v Germany - October 7 2011

Qualification is on the line for the Turks as a win would see them out of reach for Belgium. In addition this game is all about pride with many millions of expatriate and newly arrived Turks calling Germany their home, despite holding on to their proud culture. The irony that many of Germany's clubs, as well as national senior and youth teams feature talented and pivotal young Turkish talent, is not lost on those who will be watching. Finally the game gives Turkey a massive chance to regain an measure a parity and exact revenge against the team that eliminated them in the semi-finals of both World Cup 2002 and Euro 2008.

2011-12 UEFA Champions' League Matchday I Wrap

Tuesday September 13th and Wednesday September 14th:

Matchday One rarely excites and in the final analysis matters even less. Most teams are getting the rust out of their systems and have either played too few games or are still fitting in the summer recruits. Still it's the kick-off for the most televised and hardest football tournament in the World. Global Soccer's crown jewel - the UEFA Champions' League.

32 teams, eight groups, double round robin home and away, six games each.

We recap the action by breaking down the results by type, style and function.

Big Match Weekend 1

Need to follow the big matches this weekend ?

Look no further - Arjblog will tip you off on this weekend's European League action, so you can stay ahead of the game.

These are the most intriguing games this weekend, keep an eye on them.

Friday Sep 9 2011:

Milan v Lazio at San Siro in the Italian Serie A

Defending Champions versus last year's fifth place team

Players to watch:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Milan

Miroslav Klose - Lazio

Pick - Milan +1

The Youth Files - The Best of The Rest

Europe's brightest young talent, who are plying their trade outside the Big Five leagues. They may not yet be at a club in England, France, Germany, Italy or Spain, but on their current form, they soon could be. Arjblog reviews the best of the rest:

The Top XV from Elsewhere:

Xherdan Shaqiri - Basel - 19 - After shocking England with a goal in September 2010 during a Euro 2012 qualifying match; the Swiss striker, of Albanian parentage; is continuing to make a real name for himself at home. Potent and central at club, where he has racked up 65 appearances and 10 goals since 2009, while earning a call up to the Swiss World Cup side. This summer he helped the U-21s reach the European final against all conquering Spain. Fast, robust and with a real ability to invent the game, his creative genius is only overshadowed by his powerful shooting.

Yaroslav Rakitskiy - Shakhtar Donetsk - 22 - Yet another technical tyro in the stable of Ukraine's richest and currently biggest club, Rakitskiy is one of the diamonds that manager Mircea Lucescu has polished from the rough before unleashing in the first team. A strong and imperious defender, he has already graduated to becoming a first choice at the back despite his tender years, at both club and national level. 45 appearances for Donetsk have been supplemented by 11 appearances for the U-21s and three goals in 10 caps for Ukraine.

Necip Uysal - Besiktas - 20 - A creative midfielder who is one of the main technicians in the the Black Eagles' engine room, Uysal is fast emerging as the latest midfielder of top quality that the Turkish national team can call upon. Having played 38 times last season for the club in both league and Europe, he proceeded to earn four caps for the national team.  Nominally a solid deep lying player, he does have a tough streak that saw him dismissed twice in the league last year.

2011-12 European Football Wrap - Episode Three

The latest week of Euro action saw some crushing results for four title favourites, while several other top teams registered solid wins. A couple of thrilling games as well with Valencia, Cologne and a pair of teams in Scotland trading goals aplenty.


But abject misery and heartache for a pair of 1991 FA Cup semifinalists. However a great weekend for United, City, Real and Barcelona fans. We may also have seen the last of one of Europe's greatest managers, who is now at a personal nadir.

Wenger's last days ?

Step this way for Episode Three of the Euro League Wrap.


Weekend of August 27:

France:

Three of the title contenders all won with two of them putting in strong performances, winning away at teams that started well.

PSG turned the screw on Toulouse with an away victory that saw them surge up the table. With fellow contenders Olympique Lyon also winning at nascent league leaders Montpellier, and Lyon beating Olympique Marseille at home, all three protagonists used round 4 to throw down the gauntlet to the rest of the league. As impressive as PSG And Lyon's wins were however, Lille's home triumph over Marseille, arguably the fourth title chaser, was the most newsworthy. They also draw first blood in the first match between the big four.

Jeremy Menez

New star Kevin Gameiro, Turkish forward Mevlut Erdinc and winger Jeremy Menez, all got on the scoresheet against Toulouse, for whom Etienne Capoue, put into the early lead. Toulouse had seven points from their first three games and finally lose their first one. Miralem Pjanic and Jeremy Pied put Lyon into an unassailable lead before Henri Bedimo pulled on back for Montpellier, who still lead the table with nine points from four games, but dropped their first points of the season.


Sochaux made up for their Europa League elimination at the hands of Metalist Kharkhiv, by edging St. Etienne at home. Ryad Boudebouz scored a double, either side of a striker from Pierre Aubemeyang. Fellow Europa League hopefuls Rennes, who fared far better, beating 1991 European Cup Champions Red Star Belgrade, also won, beating Caen at home 3-2. Razak Boukari, Jeris Ekoko and Abou-Kader Mangane putting Stade into a 3-0 lead before goals from Thomas Heurtaux and Younes Belhanda made it interesting at the death.

Europhiles Notebook - Presenting PSG

Malaga was looked at here. Today we focus on PSG, the latest financially doped club in Europe and the only one in France.

Paris St.Germain:

"PSG has an enormous potential - they are the only big football club in a city of 12 million inhabitants! That's unique in Europe. Our aim is to qualify for the Champions League every year as of 2012. Then, from 2015, we want to play a major role in Le Championnat. We don't want to sign Lionel Messi, but we want to invest in the big stars of tomorrow from all over the world, including France."

Ownership:

Wise words from Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the new chairman of the Paris St. Germain board, on behalf of the Qatar Investment Authority, who own a controlling stake in the club. PSG, like Malaga, have big plans for the future but seem to want to do it in a reasonable way, one step at a time. Ironically, dominating the French League may come first and easier than  making much of an impression in Europe, just ask Olympique Lyon, but the sentiment is sound - consistency first, contention later.

Europhiles Notebook - Meet Malaga

Malaga and Paris St. Germain are the latest additions to the Jetset, clubs which are owned by either billionaires and or billionaires posing as consortiums, and expected to compete.  This is in marked contrast to clubs like Aston Villa, Blackburn and Roma, who although owned by rich foreigners are not as financially powerful or not expected to compete. And in the case of Rovers, are neither.

So, like with two kindergarten kids kicking up a stormy tantrum, we pause to look further in depth at the two aforementioned clubs, newly rich and full of newsworthy signings ... and Ruud Van Nistelrooy; to see what the hype is all about. Who are on their squads, what are the managers like, can they actually make good on their pre-season ambition ? Arjblog runs the eye over them, starting with the Spanish side.

Malaga CF:


Background:

The club used to once be the reserve team of similarly named Malaga CD. Once the latter folded in 1992, the current club changed its name from CA Malagueno, expanded into the fanbase and acquired the traditions that existed for its one time senior club. A bit like Barnet or Arsenal Reserves taking over Arsenal's premiership credentials. But wait, Arsenal has premiership credentials ? Oh. Malaga CF is now the official successor to Malaga CD and even has a crest that is very similar to that of its former senior team, replete with brown leather ball.

Europhiles Notebook - 15 European Managers to Watch

Europe's Most Interesting Managers in 2011-12 and beyond.

Most of the names on this list are the next generation of managers, with former players and several unknowns having risen to the top through repeated demonstration of aptitude and hard work. The compilation is mostly off the beaten track and introduces several of the names who will be helming clubs despite not getting much screen time or column inches in the mainstream press. These are some of Europe's best managers, and most will be around for the better part of the next two decades.

Unai Emery - Valencia, La Liga

The fresh faced young manager leads the Bat, once again, out of Mes(tell)a as it seeks to get a little closer to the big two of Barca and Real. Extremely popular with the ladies, Emery is the latest in young managerial talent in La Liga. Successfully led his club to third place in the league and a decent showing in Europe despite the notorious boardroom machinations and mountain of debt at the club, Emery can handle the pressure while delivering an eye-catching, successful product on the pitch. Valencia are the third most successful club in Spain and many neutrals' choice but with Bilbao, Villarreal, Atletico, Sevilla and now, Malaga all at large, the 39 year old has his work cut out to retain Los Ches position in the league.

Andres Villas-Boas - Chelsea, Premiership

Having swept all before him in a treble winning season with Porto, where the Portuguese giants won the league, cup and Europa League title in 2011, he was scouted by and moved to Chelsea. Charged with taking back to the summit in England as well as finally scaling the peak of the UEFA Champions' League, the former protege of Bobby Robson has to prove himself all over again in the most televised and popular league in the world. A football fanatic with a keen attention to detail, his methods owe more to his understanding and passion of the sport than to any actual playing experience.  The youngest top flight manager in the big leagues, at just 33, Villas-Boas is living the dream that many an armchair fan has every day.  His move from Porto to Chelsea set a record for managerial transfers at 15 million euros.

Robin Dutt - Bayer Leverkusen, Bundesliga

The near namesake of this author is a keen student of the game and one of the latest prodigies from the German Coaching Academy. Having made his name with Freiburg, whom he took to sixth for the better part of the 2010-11 Bundesliga season, Dutta was offered a place at Bayer Leverkusen before the season ran out. Now at the helm of one of Germany's biggest clubs and also in the Champions' League, Dutta will be working in the big time, under scrutiny from both foreign and domestic press. Extremely highly regarded as a shrewd manager, his motivational and tactical skills, will get further hones in the cauldron of expectation and continental competition. Dutta has a bright future ahead of him and will be one of the foremost managers of his generation.

Walter Mazzarri - Napoli, Serie A

Mazzarri is the latest managerial wizard at Napoli, haven taken San Paolo team through the glass ceiling that separates Champions' League football from upper midtable. His Napoli teams are fluid, irrepressible and exciting, with the awareness and control to attack on either flank, hold the ball up or break at will. In the Champions' League this season. After a successful sting with Sampdoria where he made the Cup finalists as well reach continental competition after a sixth place finish, his last two seasons witb Napoli has seen them finish sixth and third. The spiritual successor of Marcelo Lippi, Fabio Capello and Arrigo Sacchi but with a far more expansive style and attacking philosophy. One day Mazzarri will lead Italy to an international final in the next decade. You read it here first.

Rudi Garcia - Lille, Ligue 1

Essentially, according to Garcia, football is simple. Take a team with a couple of talented players, add in some combative defenders and robust midfielders, preach an up-tempo style while regularly drilling them to be the fittest, strongest and most enduring team and you will win all before you. Last season Lille was regarded with a degree of respect, but Garcia made them into double winners. His team are the fastest team in the league, never tires and he added sparkle with the elevation of Eden Hazard from talented youngster to world class winger. Despite losing some of his best players over the break, Garcia will ensure his team are hard to beat, a threat on the road and still the pacy juggernaut that comes at your from all sides. Probably the fittest manager on this list, and arguably, Europe, he regularly leads his charges on runs while putting them through their paces in training.

Europhiles Notebook - World Cup Qualifying Reaction

The World Cup Qualifying Draw threw out some interesting combinations.

53 nations face off in nine groups with the aforementioned group of Spain and France being the only one with five countries.  As has been the recent case with Eurozone qualifying, the (nine) group winners and best second placed team go through to the final.  The eight remaining nations square off in four two legged playoffs to make up the remaining four berths.  In total 14 European countries contest the finals.

Spain and France being drawn together in Group I of the 2014 European World Cup qualifying campaign is the most notable and newsworthy emergence from the draw.  The 1998 winners and powerhouses will face off against the current champions twice as they look to take the automatic spot from the group.  Belarus, who are currently locked with France in the same Euro 2012 qualifying group, Finland and Georgia make up the numbers.

Among the other big nations, England are reacquainted with Montenegro in Group H while Poland, who reached the finals in 2002 and 2006, and Ukraine, 2006 participants, are the other pedigreed teams.  Moldova and San Marino wil do no better than target practice.

Group G will provide plenty of twists and turns with any of Greece, Slovakia or Bosnia capable of going through as group winners with Latvia, Lithuania and Liechtenstein filling out the table.

Portugal and Russia make the headlines in Group F with Israel, who beat Russia in Euro 2008 qualifying, at large.  Northern Ireland, so plucky at home, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan round out the group.

Group E looks to be another open group with Switzerland the nominal favourites but Slovenia, who featured in South Africa last year, and Norway will provide stiff opposition.  Other teams are less of a threat, namely Albania, Cyprus and Iceland.

Group D is a straight fight between perennial powerhouses Holland and talented Turkey, the only team that can stop the Dutch from another perfect qualifying campaign.  Hungary and Romania are much improved and will give the Turks plenty of competition for second.  Estonia and Andorra are the two paperweights.

Germany and Ireland go head to head in Group C with Austria, always dangerous and Sweden, who always qualify, making the fight for second an interesting one.  Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan make this the most geographically disparate qualifying section.

Group B sees Italy and Czech Republic contest a close race that has Denmark on the outside looking in.  Bulgaria's latest generation of players are hardly awe-inspiring and they may just make up the numbers, along with Malta and Armenia.

Finally, Group A is the closest one with all six teams essentially in contention for the top two spots.  Serbia and Croatia (please, no fighting in the stands) renew their rivalry while Scotland and Wales engage in their own battle of Britain. Belgium and Macedonia have little past history but will fancy their chances against all the others. Interestingly three of the countries here were once part of Yugoslavia – Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia.

Europhiles Notebook - Ten Clubs To Follow This Season

The new season is upon us and we get introduced to the clubs who will be filling the newsreels and storylines in 2011-12.

There is life in Italy beyond Milan, Inter and Roma. There are excellent clubs in Spain outside Barcelona and Real Madrid. There is great football being played in Eastern Europe and both Germany and France have exciting champions who are well worth watching.

With most of the newsprint and web real estate devoted to the Premiership and the big clubs in Europe, we bring you ten other clubs worth following as the season unwinds. They may not be household names and the folks at Fox Soccer and CNN are unlikely to give them much time, but keep them in mind and watch their fortunes.

Ten Clubs to watch this season:

Borussia Dortmund

Who - German Bundesliga club from the city of Dortmund in the industrial heartland of the country. Play in yellow shirts with black trim/stripes. Sell out practically every home game.

Nickname - The Black and Yellows.

Home Ground - Signal Iduna Park.

Last year - Won the 2010-11 Bundesliga title at a canter and on a budget.

This year - One of the favourites to retain their league crown and should impress in a return to the Champions' League.

Recent Pedigree - Won the Champions' League in 1997, won the German title in 1995, 1996 and 2002.

Why - The league's youngest team, packed with exciting, largely unknown players who play with speed, attacking flair and an enthusiasm you last saw on a school playground.

Manager - Jurgen Klopp - Eclectic, Eccentric and Electric. Gets the mazimum pump-per-nickel.  (I'll get my coat).

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Valencia

Who - La Liga club from city of Valencia on the Southeast coast of Spain. Play in white shirts and black shorts. One Spain's biggest clubs from outside Madrid and Barcelona.

Nickname - The Guys.

Home Ground - Mestella.

Last year - Threatened third place in the league before finishing fourth. Reached last four in Europa League.

This year - Should win the local league and cup double again. Could reach last eight in Champions' League or last four in Europa League

Recent Pedigree - Champions' League Runners up 2000 and 2001, La Liga Champions 2002 and 2004.

Why - Financially stricken club with a crazy board and history of poor player harmony that still manages to do well both in Spain and abroad. Some of La Liga's best players have found their feet at this club. The Logo has a bat above the shield. Yes, a bat.

Manager - Unai Emery - One of the faces of Spain's latest coaching generation - he is a miracle worker who has pacified the board, quelled player revolt, made a sparkling young squad go the distance on a tight budget. Also, with his good looks, extremely popular with the ladies.

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Lille

Who - French Ligue 1 club from the city of Lille in the North, near the Belgian border. Play in dark red shirts with black shorts, vocal but small home crowds of 8000.

Nickname - The Mastiffs.

Home Ground - Stade Lille-Metropole.

Last year - Won French League and Cup double.

This year - Could be challengers for the title again and go far in Europe.  However have seen a key striker, midfielder and defender transferred out.

Recent Pedigree - 2004 Intertoto Cup Winners. 2000 Ligue 2 Champions.

Why - The fittest, fastest and most positive team in the league.  Eden Hazard, Europe's most electric winger. Unfashionable working class club that puts the cat amongst the pigeons.

Manager - Rudi Garcia - Talented, excellent man-manager who is able to play stylish football on a budget.

Europhiles Notebook - What Ails Belgium ?

Just, what is wrong with Belgium ?

Belgium's Lineup During Euro 2012 Qualification

At the time of writing, Belgium sit second in Group A of Euro 2012 Qualifying. In a six nation group where each team plays 10 matches (double round robin games each of the other five teams, home and away), Germany are the distant leaders with 21 points from their seven matches. Belgium are way behind with just 11 from their seven completed games.

Jonathan Legear

With one of their three remaining games at home and matches against minnows Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan still to come, Belgium's progress from the group seems likely, but is still not assured. Although Belgium are in pole position amongst the trio of Austria, Turkey and themselves to reach the playoffs, plenty can still happen to unseat them in the runners-up spot - Germany have sealed the group and cannot be caught.

Steven Defour

With a tendency to drop leads, draw games they should win and an odd mental fragility, Belgium will still be looking nervously over their shoulder.  For one, Turkey sit but a point behind with a game in hand.  Intriguingly, the remaining game after the Eastern European nations is an away tie at Germany on October 6 2011.  Even if Germany were to rest their starters and give their regulars a breather, their strength in depth would still mean Belgium would face a daunting trip against a skilled and motivated lineup of fringe players and reserves. Moreover with Azerbaijan, celebrating its 100th year as a footballing nation and having already beaten Turkey at home, Belgium cannot guarantee three points from their trip to Baku.

Europhiles Notebook - Italy's Qualifying Campaign Snapshot

Forwards Italia!

A smooth qualifying campaign is not something Squadra Azzurri is known to do.  In fact, comfortable progression to a major tournament is rarely the Italian way. Past campaigns have all had the familiar mix of slow starts, creative atrophy and lethargic finishing coupled with player and managerial discontent in the shadow of press dissatisfaction. How fitting then, that after Italy’s worst ever showing at a World Cup, a complete overhaul ensued (another rarity on the peninsula) and one of the smoothest ever runs through a qualifying campaign has followed. Euro 2012 is still some distance away but Polkraine is in sight. Only a catastrophic meltdown over the remaining four games will see Italy miss out on automatic qualification from Group C.

Admittedly, the quality of the opposition has been somewhat lacking and while no one will be commending Italy for beating Faroe Islands 5-0, Italy have scored 11 goals from their five completed games and only conceded one. Contrast with previous shaky starts, where losses to Wales and France, draws at home to Lithuania and Yugoslavia as well as unconvincing wins over Georgia, Bulgaria and Cyprus have prompted both derision and disbelief.