Let’s send a thank you to Russia for having teams in Champions League. Without their entrants, we would have eight matches crammed into one start time. but because of the time difference between the main of Europe and mother Russia, we get an early kick-off any time a Premier Liga team hosts a Champions League match.
UEFA Champions League Tuesday Preview, Predictions: Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid Resume Group Play
I have no idea why, especially early in group stage, UEFA can’t stagger start times to give us a chance to watch more live football. Thankfully, Spartak Moscow takes matters into their own hands today, a 12:30 p.m. Eastern time kick-off against Zilina.
The rest of the day’s matches kick-off at 2:45 p.m., with Groups E through H starting Champions League’s second match day. Amongst those in action are last year’s finalists (Bayern Munich), the two most successful teams in the history of European competition (Real Madrid and Milan), as well as two of England’s Big Three (Chelsea and Arsenal).
Unfortunately (with the possible exception of Milan’s visit to Ajax), there is no marqueé, must see match, but that’s not to say there’s a lack of compelling games. There are a number of questions to be answered. Can a surprisingly punchless Real Madrid break down Auxerre in France? Does a Bayern team without its best attackers have enough to get three in Basel? Will the momentum from their first league win carry-over for Roma? (When will this device run out of steam?)
Beyond those questions, here are the contexts and snapshots of today’s matches.
Group E
Where we left off: Bayern and CFR Cluj won on match day one, where a weak and slumping Roma squad looked ready to cede this group to München, giving Cluj and Basel hope of sneaking into group play.
Where we stand now: Roma beat Inter Milan this weekend, engendering hopes that this year’s slow start will prove as meaningless as last’s. Bayern is still the group favorites, but having sputtered out of the gate in the Bundesliga, perhaps this group is less of a foregone conclusion than it was two weeks ago.
Today’s matches:
Roma (Italy, 0 points) versus CFR Cluj (Romania, 3 points) - If CFR Cluj gets a draw, advancing out of this group becomes a reasonable goal. Having beaten Roma two years ago, the Romanian champions may fancy more than a single point.
Group F
Where we left off: While Chelsea was routing Zilina in Slovakia, Spartak Moscow was stealing three points from Marseille, winning without testing goalkeeper Steve Mandanda after a César Azpilicueta own goal gave the Russians a 1-0 win.
Where we stand now: Chelsea is still the group’s clear favorites, and while Marseille has answered many of the questions that surrounded their in-flux squad prior to the Spartak match, they need the Russians to give back the points they stole from the Stade Vélodrome.
Today’s matches:
Spartak Moscow (Russia, 3 points) versus Zilina (Slovakia, 0 points) - Spartak’s big favorites but is also approaching the end of a long Russian Premier League season. Fatigue could be a factor at some point in group play. Whether that’s enough to allow Zilina to take a point will depend on tactics and luck.
Group G
Where we left off: Milan and Real Madrid were winning by identical, 2-0 scorelines, but while Milan took a half to figure-out Auxerre (leading to a Zlatan Ibrahimovic brace), Real Madrid pummeled a Luis Suárez-less Ajax at the Bernabeu.
Where we stand now: Milan is still struggling to gel after the acquisitions of Ibrahimovic and Robinho. Real Madrid has only allowed one goal in six all-competition matches but have not developed an reliable means of scoring goals. Still, Milan and Real are big favorites to get out of this group.
Today’s matches:
Auxerre (France, 0 points) versus Real Madrid (Spain, 3 points) - Notice how I’m not actually picking the matches in these blurbs? I’m trying to save that for the end, though this game has draw written all over it - a scoreless one, at that. Auxerre’s difficult to break down. Real Madrid can’t break down Jenga, and José Mourinho would probably be philosophical a road point. All of which reminds me: Have we ever come of a consensus on an antonym for Must See TV?
Group H
Where we left off: Arsenal was outright rude in welcoming Braga to the Champions League with a 6-0 trouncing at the Emirates. Meanwhile, Shakhtar was being saved in Donetsk by a late Darijo Srna direct kick.
Where we stand now: Braga and Shakhtar are still vying for second behind Arsenal, making today’s match-up at the AXA one the of two most important games of this group (the other being Braga’s trip to Donetsk).
Today’s matches:
Sporting Braga (Portugal, 0 points) versus Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine, 3 points) - Fears that Shakhtar would falter after Fernandinho broke his leg were ill-founded. The Ukrainian club still leads their league, though a trip to the Quarry could see them miss their star midfielder while trying to crack Domingos Pacienca’s defense.
Partizan (Serbia, 0 points) versus Arsenal (England, 3 points) - Without Cesc Fábregas, this could prove difficult, should Partizan stay organized and force another Gunner to play locksmith. Jack Wilshire - today’s your day.
Picks
| Time (EST) | Group | Home | Road | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12:30 p.m. | F | Spartak Moscow | Zilina | 2-0, Spartak |
| 2:45 p.m. | E | Basel | Bayern Munich | 1-1 |
| E | Roma | CFR Cluj | 2-1, Roma | |
| F | Chelsea | Marseille | 3-1, Chelsea | |
| G | Ajax | Milan | 2-2 | |
| G | Auxerre | Real Madrid | 0-0 | |
| H | Sporting Braga | Shakhtar Donetsk | 2-0, Braga | |
| H | Partizan | Arsenal | 2-1, Arsenal |
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