UEFA Champions League: The good, the bad and the ugly

A fortnight ago, not many would have thought the present scenario in the 2012-13 UEFA Champions League. Match-day two just took everyone by surprise and gave a lot to offer. Europe’s heavyweights have started their campaigns with desired results and have produced a good mix of the productive game-play fans expect to watch. With regular predictions of the elite clubs in sight and a few surprises from new teams on the block and shabby showcase from the big spending clubs, European football has seen it all. What lies on the road ahead in the next four match-days will provide further zeal and excitement merged with sighs and heartbreaks. Here is a look at the good, bad and ugly sides of the UEFA Champions League

THE GOOD: Cristiano Ronaldo will perform with the same ability and prowess for which ever club he plays, stated Arsene Wenger a few days back. Four goals in two matches including a hat-trick in the second match against Ajax has put Jose Mourinho’s Real on a purple patch and with six points in their kitty. They surely are the contenders to finish favourites in the ‘Group of Death’ which includes clubs like champions of England, Holland and Germany. Alongside Ronaldo, Karim Benzema has shown yet again why he is the No.1 in the Madrid attack and both his goals in the two matches suggest that. Kaka’s influence for Real against Ajax showed that Mourinho now has a good headache in midfield selection for the season. Just when everybody wrote the Brazilian off and a lot was said on his Real Madrid career, Kaka has shown he isn’t finished yet.

Malaga’s entry into the elite brand of football has started with a bang. Six goals in two matches with six points show the Spanish side has not come on for holiday just like Villarreal last season. They have played brilliantly and even after the selling of key players and a monetary crisis, Malaga is here to play a good game. Similarly, BATE Borisov from Belarus is being considered as the early shining gem of this year’s Champions league. They stunned last season’s finalists Bayern Munich and six points from two opening games show they have a lot to offer. German champions Dortmund has been effective and well prepared this season after a dodgy affair last term. Four points and their class against City in Manchester show they are firm favourites to progress alongside Real.

Wayne Rooney’s return from injury and his teaming up with Robin van Persie showed the threat Manchester United possess upfront and both goals against CFR Cluj in Romania highlighted vision and grand finish. United, this time around, surely wouldn’t want an early farewell and with the form of these two prolific forwards, they can dent whatever back line other teams have. Manchester City‘s Joe Hart has been the best to watch this term so far and he is been superb to deal with whatever has been thrown at him.

THE BAD: Heavy spenders like Manchester City, Zenit and Paris St Germain haven’t kicked off their campaigns well. City, for the second time, has been put in a tough group but their game-play has looked out of sorts and so have their players. Against Real and Dortmund, it was only because of Joe Hart that City has stayed afloat, though it is unlikely they will qualify this season too unless Roberto Mancini gets his players to perform. Zenit’s pursuit of Hulk and Alex Witsel had put the Russian side in an interesting platform to perform well but they faltered badly against Malaga and a not so yesteryears AC Milan side. Their approach has been dis-heartening and Zenit doesn’t seem to do justice to all they are capable of yet.

French spenders Paris St Germain started well against Dynamo Kiev, but just when it matters against big clubs, they fizzled out against FC Porto. PSG need to get their act right from here on to fight for a place against Dynamo Kiev to progress, as Group A has a lot to offer and lies wide open. Manchester United’s defence looks very suspect with Nemanja Vidic’s injury and even Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are long term absentees. Their thin defence structure is capable of leaking goals and that has been the case against Cluj. Juventus who has been on a long winning streak need to pull their socks up and their draw against Shakhtar at home leaves them with two points and they definitely have to raise the bar and use their players effectively to progress.

THE UGLY: Sergio Busquets’ red card against Benfica will see him miss the next few games and this isn’t something Barcelona would have liked. The red card affair was added by a horrific blow with the injury to Carlos Puyol out for at least eight weeks with a dislocated elbow. That means Barca have their work cut out in defence and they have to put these incidents behind them. Jack Rodwell’s lazy pass across the defence saw Marco Reus snap a goal against City to suggest Mancini’s side has a host of problems. Dortmund deserved victory but a poor decision by referee on Neven Subotic’s handling the ball gifted City an undeserved point. Bayern Munich’s 3-1 loss to BATE Borisov shows the German side’s vulnerability and with Valencia in sight, Bayern need to put this shocker behind and move on.