Champions League Group Stage Matchday 1 *spoilers*

[Youstolemyname]

Well, the most prestigious cup competition in club football starts again today. There truely are some mouthwatering fixtures ahead of us. I fancy Inter Milan or Real Madrid to end up overall winners this year.

Tonight's fixtures:

Barcelona v Levski Sofia, 19:45
Bayern Munich v Spartak Moscow, 19:45
Chelsea v Werder Bremen, 19:45
Galatasaray v Bordeaux, 19:45
Olympiacos v Valencia, 19:45
PSV v Liverpool, 19:45
Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk, 19:45
Sporting v Inter Milan, 19:45

Wednesday's

AC Milan v AEK Athens, 19:45
Anderlecht v Lille, 19:45
Dynamo Kiev v Steaua Bucuresti, 19:45
FC Copenhagen v Benfica, 19:45
FC Porto v CSKA Moscow, 19:45
Hamburg v Arsenal, 19:45
Lyon v Real Madrid, 19:45
Man Utd v Celtic, 19:45

Some juicy matches in there. Celtic v Man U will be a real physical challenge. It's a pity Keane isn't still at the Celts. Lyon vs Madrid is another that stands out in my eyes as a good fixture for the neutral.

Chelsea will get a good game off Werder Bremen while Arsenal *should* turn Berlin over. I am worried about Liverpool vs PSV. Liverpool have been playing awfully in recent weeks and could come unstuck against a well organised dutch side. Their head coach, Ronald Koeman, beat us both legs at Benfica and Jan Kromkamp will be giving their team plenty of inside info. Nervously going to watch it on ITV later...

Let battle commence!

 

[Youstolemyname]

Liverpool are lucky not to be one down. Bellamy and Dirk Diggler linking up well but are lacking service from the midfield. I think they will sneak one later in the day.

Neither Sissoko or Zenden seem sure as to who should take the game by the scruff of the neck. I would have chosen Alonso + Sissoko or Zenden but not our two most defensive minded midfielders in the same line up. I expect Rafa to bring Zenden off for Xabi or Stevie if it stays 0-0 to around the hour mark.

Pennant is fairly anonymous, Aurelio keeps bombing forward but his final ball lacks the quality it needs.

Also, can someone please kill David Pleat? Kthxbye

 

[Youstolemyname]

@ all the 'one man team' comments

How many of you actually watch Liverpool week in week out? Or go to football regularly for that matter. It is the Soccer AM armchair fans that are becoming a scurge of football. Armed with their petty clichés and that's about it.

Gerrard is our best player by far but we can, and have won without him. Just ask Everton fans what happened when he got sent off in the derby game last season.

 

[Youstolemyname]

Our defence has been dodgy all season. Even in pre-season they looked off the boil. Dunno what is up with Liverpool at the moment but they seem to have lost their confidence all over the park.

Maybe the new arrivals coupled with the squad rotation is damaging the rhythm of the players. I can see us getting a spanking off Chelsea this weekend too.