UEFA Champions League 2015-16, final in San Siro Milan

[Mick Pattaya]

The trading is done, the squads registered & all the big teams are raring to go. The UEFA Champions League 2015-16 is upon us, bringing back magical nights in football & all the best galacticos vying for the ultimate European prize.

 

This years edition will be all the more interesting keeping in mind that Euro-2016 is at the end of the season & with an extended continental championship (24 teams) new stars could emerge from this years UCL.

 

Barcelona are deservedly the defending champs & their triumvirate of Messi, Suarez & Neymar will go one again this year, intending to do what no other team has done before, that is win back 2 back UCL titles.

 

United are back in the pack & City have assembled their own galacticos to mount a serious challenge this time round. The usual suspects Real Madrid, Bayern, PSG are there as well.

 

The groups have been evenly mapped & all set for yet another rip-roaring season.

 

Group A: PSG, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Malmo

 

Group B: PSV Eindhoven, Man Utd, CSKA Moskva, Wolfsburg

 

Group C: Benefica, Atl Madrid, Galatasaray, Astana

 

Group D: Juventus, Man City, Sevilla, Borussia Monchengladbach 

 

Group E: Barcelona, Leverkusen, Roma, Bate Borisov

 

Group F: Bayern Munchen, Arsenal, Olympiakos, Dynamo Zagreb

 

Group G: Chelsea, Porto, Macabi Tel-Aviv, Dynamo Kiev

 

Group H: Zenit, Valencia, Gent, Lyon.

 

The final to be played at San Siro, Milan on 28th May, 2016.

 

 

[mcginley]

Apart from Bayern V Arsenal and City v Juve the group games look pretty grim

[Mick Pattaya]

Apart from Bayern V Arsenal and City v Juve the group games look pretty grim

There's Real vs PSG too, the Di Maria connection 55

[meaty]

City seem to have a permanent position in the group of death, I hope they do well this year.

[Mick Pattaya]

City seem to have a permanent position in the group of death, I hope they do well this year.

They have a poor UEFA co-efficient, they have also not helped their cause by barely getting out of the group stages in the last few editions. 

[meaty]

It will get better and with an easier group they will be big players in this competition in the future.

[Mick Pattaya]

Both Manchester clubs lost tonight, Utd suffered the double blow of a horrific injury to Shaw. The usual suspects Real, Atletico, PSG all won comfortably.

[mousemat]

They have a poor UEFA co-efficient, they have also not helped their cause by barely getting out of the group stages in the last few editions. 

 

In addition to your comment, the member associations co-efficient is slowly becoming a problem for the premier league and due to the mini re-emergence of Italian football we could lose a place in the Champions league.

 

English clubs do not take the Europa league seriously and another season of teams knocked out the round of 16 will see Italy close the gap.

 

Despite the billions invested in players our co-efficient is miles behind Spain.

 

http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/country/index.html

[Mick Pattaya]

Of the EPL teams surprisingly only Chelsea managed a win on match day 1. Thankfully a lot of goals were scored on both the days & fingers crossed the group stage does not become a drab.

[mancity09]

Of to Germany in the morning to watch city, a few hours in Amsterdam then get a train late afternoon, hoping for a good few days away and 3 points

[Mick Pattaya]

Cup of woes for the EPL teams continue, both Chelsea & Arsenal lost. Bayern next for Arsenal & they don't have a point on the board. Some surprising results elsewhere as well, goes to show the depth & strength of this competition. No easy nights. 

[mcginley]

Cup of woes for the EPL teams continue, both Chelsea & Arsenal lost. Bayern next for Arsenal & they don't have a point on the board. Some surprising results elsewhere as well, goes to show the depth & strength of this competition. No easy nights. 

 

 

Not a fan of the champions league group stages but the English clubs and fans (empty seats everywhere) seem to be treating it like the league cup

[davidge]

Delighted Arsenal lost.

Detest Wenger.

Lying shitbag.

[Mick Pattaya]

Delighted Arsenal lost.

Detest Wenger.

Lying shitbag.

Will buy you a drink on that 55

[mcginley]

Delighted Arsenal lost.

Detest Wenger.

Lying shitbag.

 

 

Will buy you a drink on that 55

 

Why the hate for poor Wenger?

[Mick Pattaya]

Why the hate for poor Wenger?

He's a pathetic cry baby, when he had big strong players like Viera, Kewon he couldn't see the fouls they committed from the touchline & now that he's got short statured players all he sees are the fouls opponents make on them.

[mcginley]

2-1 to Utd. Genius from Mata and another embarrassing performance from Rooney

[Mick Pattaya]

55, Manchester saves the day for England, both Utd & City win. Also expected victories for Real, PSG, Juventus.

[Mick Pattaya]

UCL back tonight. A mouth watering clash between Arsenal & Bayern Munich. Look forward to Lewandowski thrashing the Gunners. Also Chelsea needing a win & away at Dynamo Kiev. 

[Kane137]

I was there - fantastic game!

 

[mcginley]

Bayern were terrible and Neuer made one of his usual mistakes. A totally different side without Robben and Ribbery combined with Peps boring football

[Mick Pattaya]

Martial scored again as Utd salvaged a draw in Moscow, City won narrowly at home. Nicely poised for the derby next Sunday. Pity, the Real-PSG game turned out to be a damp squib, expected much more.

[Mick Pattaya]

Utd need to win today, hope they manage to break the duck & score early. CSKA Moskva will be a tough opponent though. City taken on Sevilla away while Real take on PSG, interesting to see Di Maria returning back to Madrid.

[Mick Pattaya]

Arsenal got a right shellacking from Bayern, looks like they have given up on this years UCL, Chelsea manage to win though, brilliant winner from Willian. Roma & Leverkusen playing out the best matches of the group stages.

[vimto66]

Arsenal, good side but cant make that transition to great,as fragile as ever!