Champions League Group B

Real Madrid

Shakhtar Donetsk

Inter Milan

Borussia Monchengladbach

While not quite the group of death Inter have been in recent seasons, they still managed to draw the strongest team from pot 4 in Gladbach. It has been a long time since we saw Real and Inter play each other in the Champions League and there are several subplots to look forward to when the European giants face off. Zidane vs Conte is a managerial battle we can all get excited about, and in what seems like a role reversal of tradition, the Spanish champions have the better defence, while Inter have the firepower to score plenty. Marco Rose does possess the nous to pose at least a tactical challenge to both Zidane and Conte, but do Gladbach have the requisite squad quality? Finally, Shakhtar always make for an interesting opponent, and especially in their home away from home have the capacity to take points that could make things tense in this group.

Champions League Group A

Bayern Munich

Atletico Madrid

FC Salzburg

Lokomotiv Moscow

Not too much to get excited in this group. Bayern and Atletico faced off at the same stage in 2016-17 and both qualified without much drama then and I expect the same this time around. Salzburg are a much depleted side compared to the team that thrilled neutrals in the group stages last year, but should still have enough to get into the Europa League at the expense of Lokomotiv.

Since returning to the competition in 2018, Inter have provided the drama during the group stages of the Champions League. They have been in tough groups for two consecutive years. In 2018 they were paired with Barca and Spurs, failing to qualify for the last 16 after a last day draw at home to PSV. In 2019 they were paired with Barca and Dortmund, failing to qualify for the last 16 after a last day loss at home to a second string Barca. They’d probably like to avoid Barca for starters this time around and following that, try and seal passage to the next round before the last matchday. ⚽

The Champions League group stage draw almost never results in the kind of pairings we dream of. A lot depends on the teams in pots 3 and 4 if you are looking for a bonafide group of death. For 2020, the danger lies in Inter, Leipzig and Atalanta amongst the pot 3 teams. I am not so sure about Lazio with this being their first season back after quite a while. As for pot 4, you really have to stretch — Gladbach, maybe? Rennes are leading Ligue 1 right now with an exciting team but its their first foray into the Champions League, while Marseille have the history but are unlikely to strike fear amongst the favourites.

The news about Aguero’s extended absence adds to what feels like a challenging start to the new season for City. A campaign in which they have much to prove, starts without the talismanic presence of the Argentine and the already departed David Silva.

Mixed feelings on Bayern’s absolute hammering of Schalke. On the one hand, appreciation of excellence from the best team in Europe right now. On the other, the mediocrity of their opponents gives the new Bundesliga season a hollow feeling on its very first night. #FCBS04

The scoreline may reflect a typical easy win for Bayern. While they were the deserved winners, the Pokal final had its moments which made it an enjoyable watch. Leverkusen gave it their all, and were it not for some calamitous errors, the final score might have been closer. ⚽️

A terrible five minutes to determine a cup final. Leverkusen have 3 attackers clear on Neuer, miss a golden opportunity to come back in the game. A few seconds later and Hradecky does a Karius. Game over! #FCBB04

I am hoping we see more of Kieran Tierney injury free for Arsenal next season. We are starting to see glimpses of what a good player he is going to be for the Gunners going forward. #WOLARS

Arsenal aren’t going to be competing for the title anytime soon, but Wolves and Nuno are a good benchmark for the Gunners to measure their progress under Arteta. #WOLARS

Keeping all the vagaries and intangibles associated with their first game in three months aside, surely in a battle of two counter-attacking teams, Jose Mourinho would expect to be tactically superior to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer? #TOTMUN

If it isn’t the team goal of the season, Real’s third goal against Valencia is at the very least the best goal we have seen in football since it resumed. Statement win for Zidane’s men.

Is there a better way to come back from a really terrible injury than to score a beautiful volley with your first touch? Take a bow Marco Asensio!

Following on from a theme I mentioned yesterday, could the three-month break actually extend Modric’s career and add another season at the highest level for the Croatian midfield maestro? Looking as close to his best in a white shirt for the first time since the last World Cup.

The best player in La Liga right now not named Messi? Benzema. The Frenchman’s intelligence, link-up play and lack of selfishness was one of the key reasons for Ronaldo’s success at Real. Now we are slowly seeing how his runs and passes are enabling Hazard to be his best.

La Real’s poor form upon La Liga’s resumption may already be fatal to their hopes of Champions League qualification. Now that Atleti are in 4th, they are unlikely to relinquish a place in the top 4, especially as they have experience finishing on the home stretch.

Werner moving in July

It’s now confirmed that Werner will be joining Chelsea in July meaning he won’t play for Leipzig in what remains of their Champions League campaign. I don’t blame Werner for looking after his best interests, but it is frustrating that Leipzig won’t have him in a format that really gives underdogs their best shot at the trophy unlike other years.

On the 2020 Coppa Italia

Kudos to Gattuso and Napoli for winning the Coppa Italia. From the extended highlights that I just watched they clearly were deserved winners. From a neutral perspective one has to ask if there was any merit in the FIGC reducing the final stages of the Coppa to a glorified curtain raiser for the restart of Serie A. Domestic cups as it is struggle for relevance in comparison to leagues. It is usually the semifinal stage onwards that they creep back into the wider conscious. The pandemic enabled England to give the FA Cup a new sense of tournament excitement after the conclusion of the league. In Spain, they may even play the Copa final next year, because they believe the occasion of an all Basque final deserves the right circumstances. So why did it Italy feel the need to rush their cup? To this observer, it only served to increase the irrelevance of the competition and deprive us of the tension and sense of occasion a final of this magnitude deserves.

To put his liability into context, Luiz has conceded 4 penalties this season. He’s conceded a penalty against Liverpool and City and he’s been sent off against Chelsea and City. Arsenal can’t even think of winning big games if that’s the position your centre-back puts you in.

David Luiz … best laid plans and all. City were in the groove from minute 30. Don’t know what Arteta can do, especially as he doesn’t have options to alter the midfield dynamic.

One of my fears at the beginning of the pandemic when it seemed like sports won’t come back for a long time was that we will miss out on watching generational talents like David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne. What a pleasure it is to watch them both sooner than expected.

Xhaka’s injury so soon is a blow for Arsenal in a game of this magnitude. Perhaps Ceballos gives the Gunners a reason to play a more daring form of the game than they might have anticipated against City.

Missed the Premier League as much as anyone else. I am happy that the first game back between Villa and Sheffield United reminded me of one of the simple pleasures - the ability of football to put one to sleep.

Haven’t been active recently because of some situations in my personal life. But on top of that, a season with many interesting stories is now being overriden by a dominant one — coronavirus. I love football passionately, but closed door sport is not for me. Lets hope against hope that normalcy returns for the tail-end of the season.

I expected both Pep and Zidane to surprise, but still caught off guard by Aguero and Kroos not starting. Depending on the result, I can see very convenient narratives on both managers already forming.