Let battle commence

By Paul Simpson

Sixteen games, only 15 of which were finished, 29 goals, enough talking points to keep the European Parliament busy for a year - the UEFA Champions League has started in earnest. And even after one round of group games, pundits have begun picking over the performances and trying to decide who will win this tournament.

Reigning champions
With the departure of their inspirational coach José Mourinho, a false start under Luigi Del Neri, and new players settling in, Portuguese champions FC Porto face a transitional season. As such - and on the evidence of their 0-0 home draw against PFC CSKA Moskva - they could struggle to repeat last year's success.

Winning coach
Could Mourinho win the title again with Chelsea FC? After the 3-0 demolition of a defensively fragile Paris Saint-Germain FC, you would not bet against him. He has the hunger - he told Champions magazine he would like to hold the trophy for a bit longer next time he wins it - and the track record, winning five out of the last seven competitions he has entered as a coach.

Ukrainian challenge
No side from the other side of the former Iron Curtain has ever won the UEFA Champions League. This year, pundits looking for 'the new Porto', the new surprise package, have tipped Ukrainian runners-up FC Shakhtar Donetsk, although FC Dinamo Kyiv, on the evidence of the first half against AS Roma, look as accomplished as ever.

The new Porto?
Rinat Akhmetov, has ploughed millions into Shakhtar, is about to spend another €168m on a new stadium, and gave new coach Mircea Lucescu €84m on new talent. Defensive midfield player and skipper Anatoliy Tymoshchuk was the star man against AC Milan, but scoring sensation Ciprian Marica is a hot prospect.

French challengers
Not since Olympique de Marseille won the inaugural Champions League in 1993 have a Ligue 1 team claimed European club football's biggest prize. When the draw for the 2004/05 group stage was made, L'Equipe noted: "No presents for French teams." After defeats for AS Monaco FC and PSG, and with Olympique Lyonnais letting home points slip against Manchester United FC, such pessimism may be justified. Yet Lyon - fast, mobile, fluent and technically gifted - should not be written off.

Madrid conundrum
A 3-0 defeat against Bayer 04 Leverkusen (when, more worryingly, they only created one serious chance) is not the way Real Madrid CF would have wanted to start their Champions League campaign, but they are not out of it yet. However, much will depend on an injury-free Jonathan Woodgate, allowing Iván Helguera into the holding midfield role.

Italian contingent
A Serie A side has featured in 46 per cent of European Champion Clubs’ Cup finals. That is consistency for you, so Juventus FC, Milan, FC Internazionale Milano and even Roma have a chance, while for the third season in a row, the German press have decided that "this is the strongest [FC] Bayern [München] squad ever". This time, they may have a point - although they only beat Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC thanks to poor defending from the Israeli side.

English hopefuls
Arsenal also benefited from some sloppy defending to win their opening game against PSV Eindhoven, to leave them three points better off than they were at this stage last season. Perennial dark horses, the time may have come for Arsène Wenger’s men to fulfil their European potential, but how many times have you heard that before?

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