Champions League: No guarantees for big guns Man Utd, Juve, Chelsea

The football we were treated to this Tuesday and Wednesday was some of the best I’ve ever seen. And that is why the Champions League continues to be one of the most watched sporting competitions the world over, irrespective of whether you’re a Malaysian catching the game on Astro Supersport, a bowl of Nasi Goreng and a cold beer keeping you company through the night, or a Yankee setting your alarm really early in the morning to watch a blockbuster game on Fox Soccer, your hands concentrating on your bowl of cornflakes while your eyes stay rooted to the screen. While last night brought entertainment to TV screens in the homes of millions of people the world over, it would have brought relief to some fans, while deepening the worry lines on the brows of others. Manchester United’s new manager David Moyes may have his detractors, but he has done very well in Europe. The Red Devils are on top of Group A and although his team have put together wins that require more grit and less guile, they will need to showcase the same form they’ve displayed of late in the league to put themselves in the knockout stages of the competition. A difficult trip away to Bayer Leverkusen is followed by a tricky home fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk. Their current form coupled with the Ukrainian team’s woeful form away from home means United are good value for three points at home, but a place on top of the group will swing on a win at Leverkusen. Moyes will be hoping his team showcase the sublime strike qualities of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie and do away with Ashley Young’s horrendous diving antics that won United a penalty against Sociedad which RVP missed. [caption id=“attachment_1218571” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Moyes will be hoping his team showcase the sublime strike qualities of Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. Reuters[/caption] Leverkusen are currently third in the Bundesliga, just four points off Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and one would expect them to feature in the last 16 in Europe this season. Leverkusen have already faced Shakhtar twice and although they might not be easy to come by, wins against United at home and Sociedad in Spain would see them through to the last 16. Group B features two heavyweights who would be widely tipped to reach the last 16 but Juventus are currently making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Real Madrid came away with a 2-2 draw in Turin two days ago and that means Antonio Conte’s team are currently with two points from two games, possibly one of the worst records the Bianconeri have in their long history in this competition. Madrid are all but guaranteed a place in the knockout stages, but Juventus will need to get three points when Copenhagen – locked on four points with Galatasaray. The Italians then travel to Turkey to take on Galatasaray in what is sure to be an intimidating atmosphere in Istanbul. Six points, however, are a must for the Serie A holders. Currently on top of Group C, Paris Saint-Germain are only a point away from a place in the knockout stages and given their fearsome strike partnership of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, it would take a minor miracle for them to not top Group C. The French capital outfit nearly knocked out Barcelona from last season’s competition and one would expect them to go further this time. Anderlecht are all but out of Europe, which means second place is likely to be contested between Olympiakos and Benfica, who are on seven and four points respectively. Bayern Munich and Manchester City became the first teams to confirm their presence in the Round of 16 and all that remains to be sorted out in Group D is who finishes on top of the Group. Bayern equalled Barcelona’s record of nine straight wins with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Viktoria Plzen courtesy Mario Mandzukic’s header and a win against PFC CSKA Moskva will see them string 10 wins in a row. City on the other hand will be happy to see the promised land of the knockout stages of the Champions League after failing to get there during their last two assaults on the last 16. Manuel Pellegrini’s team slaughtered the Russian side 5-2 and will be pleased to have overcome the mental block that his team developed under Roberto Mancini because of his team’s inability to excel in Europe. While Group D is very much an open and shut case, Group E is far from it. Chelsea moved to the top of the table with a 3-0 win over Schalke 04, with Samuel Eto’o returning to some sort of form and a rare Demba Ba goal giving them pole position ahead of the German outfit and qualifying for the last 16 will most likely be a three-way contest between these two teams and Swiss outfit Basel. The St. Jakob Park outfit may be the underdogs along with Steaua Bucharest here, but one must not forget their 2-1 upset at Stamford Bridge earlier this season. Neither should one discount their excellent showing that saw them reach the last eight of the Europa League last season. Arsenal, often pilloried for their soft centre, were expected to find it hard in Group F, dubbed the Group of Death because of the presence of Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, Serie A runners-up Napoli and winners of the debut UEFA Champions League final Marseille. The Gunners however have found in them a resilience that has borne them in good stead. Wednesday’s win against the German team at the Westfalenstadion saw them climb to the summit of the group courtesy Aaron Ramsey, who has undoubtedly been the North London outfit’s standout player this season. But in no way does that mean they are out of the woods. A tough trip to Napoli on the final day beckons them and should they pick up three points against Marseille at home, they should have done enough to guarantee them safety. Napoli have a similar situation, and they will most likely take heart from the Gunners’ win at Dortmund, attempting to do the same when they travel there. This means that Jurgen Klopp’s team will need to aim for maximum points if they are to take the first step in repeating (and possibly bettering) what they did last season. While Barcelona and Real Madrid are all but guaranteed a place in the last 16, what will give football purists around the world much joy is seeing Atletico Madrid alongside them. Diego Simeone’s Mattress Makers thumped Rapid Vienna 3-0 and second place is now a three-way tie between Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg, Portuguese giants FC Porto and Austrian side Vienna, who are at the bottom of the table. But Barcelona were always guaranteed a place in the Round of 16, given the carousel of passing that only the most wary of opponents can halt. Milan were awake for most of Wednesday’s game at the Camp Nou, but three minutes of absence from the Milanese rearguard was all that was needed for Barcelona to put on yet another passing masterclass. Lionel Messi (as expected) was at the forefront of it all and his brace and Sergio Busquets’ header means second place in Group F is sure to be a three-way tie between Celtic, Ajax and Milan. Thirty two teams take part in Europe’s premier club competition. With two games to go, only three teams are guaranteed a place in the Round of 16. The Champions League will bring heartbreak to some, joy to others. The show however must go on, and every minute of it is worth watching.