"Abandon all hope or you who enter" was the writing that, menacingly, stood out on Dante's gate of hell. However, the slogan, without wanting to be blasphemous, seems perfect for the 2011/2012 Champions League too, obviously above the Barcelona logo. Because, at least on paper, no one seems able to worry the blaugrana, reigning champions and further strengthened by a majestic transfer campaign. In football, however, it is known, being favorites can represent more of a burden than an advantage, so there are some possibilities that some of the other big Europeans will be able to snatch the big-eared cup from SuperBarça. The first team to have to compete against the blaugrana will be AC Milan, who are awaiting a very important test at the Camp Nou tonight. Of course, today's match won't decide anything, but for the Rossoneri it will be essential to quantify their strength and possibly their limits. But in Europe there are not only Barcelona and Milan. Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter and Bayern Munich, in short, the best of world football will compete in the Champions League which is about to begin. And so let's move our casting of votes and predictions on the big ones in Europe, aware that as much as it should be, the final judgment will be given by the pitch. We missed you in the Champions League and now we can't wait to watch you closely.
BARCELONA AGAINST EVERYONE, WILL ANYONE BE ABLE TO STOP HIM?
VOTE: 9
Only because 10 is exclusive to Maradona and Pele. This wonderful Barça seems truly unstoppable and unassailable, a feast for the eyes and for the mind, a unique and incomparable product of football, rigorously with a capital C. An almost perfect team for 3 years already, which this summer was enriched with two not bad jewels: Sanchez (who, however, was injured and will be out for a couple of months) and Fabregas. Guardiola, aware that after so many successes the risk of having a "full stomach" increases, has decided to reinforce the squad with two 90-metre players, which will allow him to raise internal competition and change the tried and tested 4-3-3 if necessary . So, you may be wondering, what are they playing for the Champions League? The ball is round friends of First Online, you too know it very well, and games must be played before being won. This Barcelona is wonderful, but not invincible, nobody is in football. The Catalans start out as favourites, but to win the cup again they will have to sweat, even if starting from the round of XNUMX. In fact, the group, apart from Milan, sees Viktoria Plzen and Bate Borisov as sparring partners rather than opponents. So let's get ready for the usual feast of goals, which are never lacking when Barcelona play.
REAL MADRID TO THE RESCUE, MOU PLAYING EVERYTHING FOR EVERYTHING.
VOTE: 8,5
History says that Josè Mourinho's teams always give their best in the second season. And if Real Mou reached the semi-final last year (beaten by Barcelona), the accounts are done. However, the Mourinhian theorem is not law, and if so far it has been successful with Porto and Inter, so it has not been with Chelsea, with which the Portuguese coach has failed to win the cup. Therefore, Real Madrid begins the Champions League with the pressure of those who know they can no longer afford second places, which in the Spanish capital are equivalent to failure. Then seeing the hated Barça win, win and win again, risks giving Mourinho a nervous breakdown, who will have to be good at convincing his friends that the Catalans are not all that superior. In this sense, the Super Cup matches helped, even if Pep Guardiola once again lifted the trophy. However, Madrid have strengthened, mentally (in August they faced Barça without fear, unlike last season) and technically. Sahin, the best player in the Bundesliga, and Fabio Coentrao, a versatile player of the highest level, were added to the already excellent squad. A certain Kakà still sits on the bench, someone who if he were to get back in shape would upset the balance of all of Europe. The group, tricky but all in all affordable (Ajax and Lyon are no longer what they used to be, and Dinamo Zagreb have already applied for the last place in the standings) shouldn't create problems. The beauty will be seen from February onwards, when Mou will have to go back to being the king of the knockouts. Necessarily overcoming the Barcelona syndrome. Otherwise the same will be fatal.
TWO FINALS (LOST) IN THREE YEARS: MANCHESTER UNITED SEEKS REVENGE.
VOTE: 8
Years go by but Sir Alex Ferguson never seems to get old. The guru of English football (70 years old on December 31st) has been leading Manchester United for 25 years, with which he has hoarded trophies of all kinds (37!) but despite this, every year he manages to renew the team in an incredible way. The results then almost always prove him right, so Manchester United is a candidate as one of the favorites for the next Champions League. The big-eared cup is a bit of a cross and delight for Sir Alex: he won it twice (Barcelona '99 and Moscow 2008) but just as many times it got out of hand right in the final act (Rome 2009 and London 2011). Of course, the numbers are on his side, given that in the last 4 years he has managed to go all the way 3 times, but the two lost finals clash a bit with the greatness of the character. Who also started very strong in the Premier League this year, has strengthened the team (taking goalkeeper De Gea, central defender Jones and left winger Young) and confirmed very interesting young players (Cleverley and Smalling, 43 years old together). In short, the cards to be protagonists in Europe are all there, starting from a group that shouldn't cause any problems (Benfica, Basel and the Romanians of Otelul Galati).
WILL CHELSEA BE ABLE TO GIVE ABRAMOVICH THE UNREACHABLE CUP?
VOTE: 7,5
Since becoming owner of Chelsea (2003), Roman Abramovich has only one obsession: the Champions League. In recent years, despite the ton of millions spent, Chelsea has never managed to please him. Only once, in his Moscow, the Blues were very close to giving him the coveted trophy, but captain John Terry, slipping on the penalty spot, nullified everything, allowing the hated rivals Manchester United to celebrate the cup in front of him. In London it is said that there is a sort of curse separating Abramovich from the Champions League, and at first glance it would seem true, given that, where the mistakes from the penalty spot did not arrive, the referees took care of it (remember Mr. Ovrebo in Chelsea – Barcelona 2009?). However, if you look closely, even the Russian ultra-billionaire has put something of himself into it, collecting coaches as if they were stickers (Ranieri, Mourinho, Grant, Scolari, Hiddink, Ancelotti and now Villas Boas). Who knows if the Portuguese baby prodigy (paid 15 million!) will be able to dispel the curse, but in the meantime, Chelsea weren't the protagonists of the transfer market for the first time. In fact, despite Villas Boas' requests, only Mata from Valencia and Raul Meireles from Liverpool arrived at Stanford Bridge. A little bit for those who absolutely must win the cup with big ears, even if the group (Valencia, Bayer Leverkusen and Genk) should allow the Blues to qualify without problems. The round of XNUMX will be played after the January transfer market, and who knows if Abramovich will then feel the desire to spend money on his Chelsea again.
SHEIKS ARE SERIOUS! MANCHESTER CITY THE LOOSE CANON.
VOTE: 7,5
More complete than Chelsea, but certainly more inexperienced. The Citizens reappear on the European Cup window after 43 years, with the aim of reaching the bottom immediately. It won't be easy, because money isn't enough to win in Europe, but Manchester City certainly have a team of absolute quality. The transfer market gave Roberto Mancini very strong players: above all Kun Aguero, Marotta's Juve's forbidden dream, but also the French players from Arsenal Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri. In short, a lot of stuff, if added to Dzeko, Tevez, Balotelli, Yaya Tourè and so on. However, City will start with an infernal group, already nicknamed by all "the iron group". Bayern Munich, Villarreal and Napoli, with whom Mancini will already face tomorrow evening. The “City of Manchester” game promises to be beautiful, and even if the Citizens are favourites, Mazzarri's men can create problems. Certainly, however, Manchester City is a candidate to be the loose cannon of the Champions League. Which Sheikh Mansour wants badly, and usually, when he gets something into his head…
THE FINAL AT HOME COULD BE BAYERN MUNICH'S ADVANTAGE.
VOTE: 7
It is said that cats have 9 lives, and that Germans even 10. Bayern Munich are starting this edition of the Champions League without being the favourites, which is also usual, but with a stimulus that should not be underestimated: the final of the May 19, 2012 will be played right at the Allianz Arena. For Jupp Heynckes' boys a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate the big-eared cup at home, which is why this year's Bayern should be taken even more into consideration. The team then remained at a good level, excellent from the waist up (Robben, Ribery, Muller and Gomez form one of the strongest attacks in the world) mediocre in defense (Badstuber and Van Buyten would struggle to play in an Italian mid-table team) . However, the organization of the game could make the difference, already decisive in 2010 with Van Gaal (but then Inter won in Madrid) and now changed with Heynckes, who seems to pay more attention to the defensive phase than the Dutch holy man did. Of course, the road to the final is already very tough (we already talked about group A in the chapter dedicated to Manchester City) but the Germans like challenges. The Champions League is warned.
