UEFA Champions League: A look at the contenders

With the playoff rounds over and all the teams seeded, the draw for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League is set to take place in Monaco at 17:45 CET ( 22:15 IST) tonight. Here is an article to illustrate how the draw works. UEFA announced the final seedings in the early hours of Thursday morning in India.

Here are some teams from weaker pools who can create trouble for the higher seeded teams:

• Manchester City (Pool 2)
• Juventus (Pool 3)
• Paris Saint-Germain (Pool 3)
• Borussia Dortmund (Pool 4)

Here is a look at the teams that can challenge to take the crown away from Chelsea , come May next year:

(Not in any particular order)

FC Barcelona (Pool 1, Spain)

Perhaps the most feared team in Europe, the Blaugrana may be reeling from the loss of Pep Guardiola over the summer, but that does not make them any easier to face. Tito Vilanova did work under Pep and has understandably not changed the most successful playing style in modern football. With players who have developed learning that style, not a single player looks out of position in the team, and the possession that the Catalans retain can frustrate any opposition they may have to face. And they also have the luxury of having (arguably) the best player in the world leading their attack.

Key Players: Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Pique

Strengths:

Quick attacking playRetaining possession and frustrating opponentsTalented players producing individual goals quite oftenConfidence in the team having won so much over past few years

Weaknesses:

Lack of Plan B, as highlighted against Chelsea last season, seem to run out of options when attacking against a team happy to sit back.Standard of defence is not up to the mark, as evident in the Super Copa tie against Real Madrid, when at least 2 goals could have been stopped if the defence had been more disciplined.

Real Madrid (Pool 1, Spain)

The other strong contender from Spain, and just as lethal. Real Madrid boast of a plethora of stars in the squad and “The Special One” to manage them. Undone only by penalties last season against Bayern Munich, Mourinho is desperate to win the ultimate prize in club football with Real Madrid, and so are the players. Los Blancos have an illustrious history in Europe’s top competition, but have fallen behind in the last decade and are keen to reassert their position as Europe’s top club.

Key Players: Casillas, Ramos, Ronaldo, Özil

Strengths:

Balance overall on the pitch, strong in defence as well as attackMourinho’s tactical geniusTalented players producing individual goals quite often, especially from the wings

Weaknesses:

Inconsistent at timesLack of confidence after not having performed well in the competition for the last decade

Manchester United (Pool 1, England)

The most successful team in England domestically has also won the most number of European titles in England. Having acquired the services of Robin Van Persie from Arsenal and Shinji Kagawa from Dortmund, Sir Alex is clearly keen to attack for titles on all fronts this season. Possessing what could be the most lethal attacking partnership up front of Rooney and RvP, the Red Devils could be the team to beat this season in Europe, if the players ‘click’. And one does expect them to click under the managerial prowess of SAF. After a dismal outing last season in UCL, having been eliminated in the group stages after a defeat to FC Basel, Manchester United players, fans, and manager alike, cannot wait to be back in business in Europe. Excluding last year, Manchester United have an exceptional history of performance in the UCL in recent years, having reached the final 3 times out of the last 4, and lifting the trophy in 2008.

Key Players: Rooney,Van Persie, Vidic, Kagawa

Strengths:

Never-say-die attitude. United have a history of scoring goals in the dying minutes of the game, most notably in the UCL final against Bayern Munich in 1999.Excellent wing playOne of the best defences in Europe if Vidic stays fitSir Alex’s man management skills, as well as technical prowess

Weaknesses:

Squad not as deep as one would like, and injuries could cause some real concerns keeping mid-week fixtures in mind.Could have a hard time dictating play in the centre of midfield.

Chelsea FC (Pool 1, England, Current Champions)

Chelsea are perhaps the most unpredictable of all the contenders in Europe. Chelsea did not boast of an attractive brand of football last season, but they got the job done and lifted the coveted trophy in Munich, having beaten the “home” team on penalties. Criticised for “parking the bus” against Barcelona in the semi final, they did beat them, which is what matters for the Chelsea fans. However, the blues are expected to play a very different game this season, after the departure of Drogba to China, and the arrival of Eden Hazard. Fernando Torres also seems to have finally found some of his form back, and paired with Hazard, who has set the Premier League alight so far, the pair are capable of producing goals that don’t just go on the scoreboard, but are easy on the eye, too.

Key Players: Terry, Mata, Hazard, Torres

Strengths:

Strong defence built around their captainConfidence of being current championsGifted players with great technical ability

Weaknesses:

Relatively inexperienced managerTeam has to get used to playing without a talismanic Ivorian up frontMidfield looks a bit shabby without Lampard

Manchester City FC (Pool 2, England)

The champions of England have a very small history with the European competition, and that’s not too illustrious either. Having been placed in the “Group of Death”, which was to be expected since they were seeded low last time, Manchester City did not make it through to the Round of 16, having lost out to Bayern Munich and Napoli. The disaster in Munich also comes to mind when Tevez allegedly refused to take the field on instructions from Mancini, and as a result did not feature for the blue half of Manchester for several months. City do possess undoubted quality on the pitch, and Mancini knows how to manage his players. They are sure to cause trouble to any team in Europe they may come against, and the English teams will surely be thankful they cannot be paired with Manchester City in the group stages, at least.

Key Players: Kompany, Silva, Toure, Aguero

Strengths:

Quality players in every position, as well as depth in squadPlayers have had time together to settle inConfidence after being crowned champions of EnglandCaptained by one of the best defenders in World Football

Weaknesses:

Inexperience against Europe’s top clubsSquad’s ability to cope with mid-week fixtures not yet tested

Arsenal FC (Pool 1, England)

Many may not consider the North London outfit a contender for the Champions League any more, having lost several key players over the last few seasons, but it is definitely too early to write off Arsene Wenger’s side. The Frenchman is known to produce extraordinary results with modest players, and there is no evidence yet that the Gunners cannot perform well in Europe this season. Having acquired the services of world-class talents Cazorla and Podolski, it is a matter of time before they start to click and score the large number of goals Wenger’s sides of the past are known to score.

Key Players: Vermaelen, Cazorla, Podolski, Wilshere

Strengths:

No burden of expectations in EuropeExperienced managerImprovement in defence over last season

Weaknesses:

Tame-looking squadNew players with perhaps untested strategies

Juventus (Pool 3, Italy)

The strongest contender from the peninsula are undoubtedly the champions of last season, having gone unbeaten in the domestic league. Juventus have never been far from headlines, but last season it was more good news than bad. Their manager of last season, Antonio Conte’s ban, however, may change things for the Turin Giants. Nonetheless, they definitely pose a considerable threat for the teams looking to challenge for the crown. Having acquired the services of Andrea Pirlo last season on a free transfer, Juventus swept aside all domestic competition aside with the help of the veteran midfielder, who was also Italian player of last season. Boasting of the best defence in Italy, Juventus conceded only 20 goals last season thanks to the prowess of the likes of Chiellini, Barzagli and their veteran goalkeeper Buffon. Fans may be left asking for more in the attack department, but after the return of Sebastian Giovinco from Parma, where he scored 36 goals last season, the Old Lady does look capable of producing enough number of goals to challenge for any trophy.

Key Players: Buffon, Chiellini, Pirlo, Giovinco

Strengths:

Very strong defenceStrong Midfield, retained 62% possession in Serie A last seasonTalismanic players capable of lifting the team

Weaknesses:

Conte’s ban may weaken the team tacticallyThe potential of the attack force is yet to be tested against Europe’s best

Milan (Pool 1, Italy)

The second most successful team in Europe, having won 7 European titles, may not look too threatening this season, after losing Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to PSG in the summer, and with not many major signings made. The Rossoneri did attempt to acquire the services of ex-Milan midfielder Kaka from Madrid, but the pursuit was in vain. Replacing someone like Ibrahimovic is a daunting task for any team, and the loss of the talented defender Thiago Silva does not help either. The squad looks aged and tired at a glance, lacking any sort of depth, but one would not rule them out just yet. They have plenty of impact players such as Pato and Pazzini, who was recently acquired in a swap deal with Inter Milan.

Key Players: Pato, Boateng, Pazzini, Aquilani

Strengths:

Big club, fans and management alike know how to deal with changeImpact players who can create trouble for any team

Weaknesses:

Lack of depth as well as quality in the squadWill require a completely new shape after having lost 2 fringe players

Bayern Munich (Pool 1, Germany)

The runners-up last season in as many as 3 competitions – Bundesliga, Deutscher Pokal, UCL – the Bavarian outfit will be keen to land their hands on silverware this season. And they certainly have the quality required. They have one of the strongest squads in Europe on paper, and they proved that they can perform well in big games, having reached the final of the Champions League and lost out to Chelsea, only on penalties. Having been outshone in Germany by Dortmund over the past 2 seasons, the relative weakening of Dortmund having lost Sahin and Kagawa in the last 2 summers respectively, will give Bayern hope to go for it on all fronts. They are a balanced side, with players having played with each other for a long time now, and are definitely a team to look out for in this season’s Champions League. Having confirmed the signing of Javi Martinez yesterday, they have definitely added great quality to the team. Some may call him overpriced, but if Bayern are lifting the Champions League at Wembley in May 2013, who will bother to look at the balance sheets?

Key players: Neuer, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Gomez

Strengths:

One of the best goalkeepers in the world in Manuel Neuer, guarded by Badstuber and Boateng, who are both very good defenders.Great attacking threat from the wings with the likes of Lahm, Robben and Ribery attacking from the flanksMario Gomez up front, who has proved he can rack up a large number of goals

Weaknesses:

Can be considered chokers, having lost out last time in the final being favourites, and having most players from the German squad, which lost to Italy at the Euros quite miserably.

Notable omissions:

Borussia DortmundParis Saint-Germain

Auther’s Prediction: Close competition between Bayern and the Spanish giants, with Barcelona edging it at the end. Disappointing outings by the English sides.