Champions League draw outcome

By David Lee Wheatley

Arsenal and Celtic really lucked-out at the Champions League group stage draw on Thursday evening when handed the toughest-looking opponents of the round.

Under-fire Gunners boss Arsene Wenger could have done with a much easier task than facing Group F foes Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Napoli. Dortmund, of course, present the most stern test having reached the final of last season's competition and strengthening their side substantially during the summer. Napoli have also been very busy in the transfer market under new head coach Rafa Benitez and appear at their strongest for years. Benitez is a former Champions League winner as manager of Liverpool and beat his north London rivals to the signature of Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Higuain recently. Meanwhile, Marseille are probably the only side Arsenal would expect to defeat home and away, but they're no mugs and will take some beating on their own patch.

Scottish champions Celtic scraped by Kazakh side Shakhtar Karagandy to qualify for the tournament proper and were given the 'Group of Death' as a reward! Firm favourites Barcelona, Italian giants Milan and Dutch legends Ajax make up a pool that Celtic will have been having nightmares about ever since the balls were drawn. The positive side for the Glasgow club must be that they'll have an opportunity to experience three wonderful European nights at Celtic Park during the first stage of the Champions League, but they face an extremely difficult uphill battle to get into the top two. However, Neil Lennon's men will take heart from last year when they beat off Benfica and Spartak Moscow to qualify along with Barcelona for the last-16 before falling to Juventus.

Group A looks reasonably straightforward for Manchester United, having been drawn alongside Shakhtar Donetsk, Bayer Leverkusen and Real Sociedad. Leverkusen aren't the force they once were towards the beginning of the new Millennium, while Sociedad are good but complete novices at this level of competition. Donetsk will be a tough away trip for anybody, but shouldn't trouble United at Old Trafford. David Moyes' side possess plenty of experience within the squad on the highest European stage and they shouldn't fall at the first hurdle.

Clear favourites to progress from Group B are glittering European clubs Real Madrid and Juventus, with Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen looking decidedly ordinary in comparison. It would be a major surprise if either of those top teams lose out on qualification.

Laurent Blanc leads Paris Saint-Germain into a reasonable standard group consisting of Benfica, Olympiakos and outsiders Anderlecht. PSG, while viewing the Champions League as the next huge leap in their project to reach the pinnacle of world football, will expect to get beyond the first round and perhaps as far as the semi-finals. Benfica should be strong enough to secure second, but don't rule out Greeks Olympiakos.

Manchester City were teamed with reigning European champions Bayern Munich, fresh from winning the UEFA Super Cup yesterday against a defensively determined Chelsea side. City failed miserably at Europe's top table so far under Roberto Mancini and will hope for much greater success in the competition under new hot-seat incumbent Manuel Pellegrini. Bayern should top the group, while CSKA Moscow present a potentially tricky tie for Manchester City to negotiate. Minnows Viktoria Plzen make up the four, but are expected to falter in last place.

Group E was reasonably kind to Europa League holders Chelsea, who got Schalke, Basel and Steaua Bucharest in their pool. Schalke undoubtedly represent their strongest opposition and especially now following their capture of Kevin-Prince Boateng from Milan and the potential loan signing of Spurs striker Manu Adebayor. Huntelaar is also a massive threat up-front and the Germans could create a few shocks along the way this season. Basel over-achieved in Europe during the last two campaigns, but always lose a couple of their best players each summer and it'll be interesting to see how this year's version cope. Steaua won their first domestic championship for seven years to get into the tournament and don't carry enough threat to trouble Chelsea or Schalke.

FC Porto and Atletico Madrid appear strong contenders in Group G and shouldn't hit too much trouble when faced with Austria Vienna and Zenit. The Russians of St. Petersburg will be tougher to dismiss than the Austrians, but still won't pose enough questions for the group favourites to answer. Atletico look especially nifty this season, despite the loss of superstar Radamel Falcao to Monaco. The experience of David Villa is adequately off-setting the Falcao sale and Diego Simeone has an attacking team fully capable of conquering any rival.

Of the British sides involved, Arsenal, Manchester City and Celtic look most vulnerable to elimination, while Chelsea and Manchester United should go through comfortably. In the longer run, Chelsea look most likely to challenge for the title outright along with outstanding holders Bayern, plus fellow giants Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Dortmund. Also, on the periphery stand Italian sides Milan and Juventus, both of whom could well be counted as 'Dark Horses' for glory come May 2014 in Lisbon.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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Bayern v Chelsea: The Report

By David Lee Wheatley

Fresh from the disappointment of losing his place in the Spanish national squad alongside Blues team-mate Juan Mata for their country's forthcoming World Cup preparations, striker Fernando Torres made a magnificent impact only eight minutes into UEFA's showpiece Super Cup clash involving Chelsea and Bayern Munich in Prague.

The match had been billed all week as a needle-filled head-to-head between trainers Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, but having each played down their supposed rivalry, it was finally down to business on the field of play.

Belgian ace Eden Hazard displayed grace and skill when firstly turning smartly and then running with absolute gusto from his own half, before playing the ball wide for Andre Schurrle on the right. The German sent in a pinpoint low cross for Torres, who was deadly from inside the box with an emphatic finish on the half-volley, leaving Manuel Neuer no chance.

Bayern were almost totally in control of possession after falling behind, which led to a fine save from hometown boy Petr Cech down low to his left following a good effort from French danger-man Franck Ribery on 16 minutes. Muller then got free on the right side of the penalty area only to see his shot blocked into the side-netting by Cole.

Goalscorer Torres blazed a shot over the bar as the half neared an end, as Europa League holders Chelsea attempted to put a golden seal on a first-half full of counter-attacking menace from Mourinho's men.

Reigning European champions Bayern bit back spectacularly two minutes after the restart when the inspirational Ribery collected the ball 30 yards from goal, advanced and unleashed a powerful right-footed drive past the despairing reach of Cech. He almost struck again immediately after, but the finish was tame in comparison with the equalising effort.

Fans of the Bavarian giants were in full voice as their heroes became increasingly threatening in their forays forward, with a 55th-minute free-kick from the left by Ribery finding Robben in space amongst a snoozing Chelsea rearguard, but he ballooned high and wide when in position to do much better.

Guardiola was getting animated on the touchline, as Bayern's undoubted dominance failed to translate into a second goal; it was all German pressure by the hour mark and the Blues were struggling to cope.

Brazilian defender Dante almost undid Bayern's hard work when inexplicably losing possession on the edge of his own area to Schurrle, his cross finding Oscar who's straight shot was met by the onrushing Neuer's legs. The resultant loose ball pinged out to Lampard 20 yards out, but he fired way over.

What a contest it was turning out to be; especially in comparison with several Super Cups of the past that've largely flattered to deceive, eventually lulling most observers into a peaceful sleep through utter boredom. In contrast, both sides on view tonight desperately wanted to win and were putting up a great fight to claim the honours, while fans inside the stadium were creating a cacophony of noise.

With 12 minutes remaining, captain Frank Lampard sent in a tempting corner from the right which was met by a David Luiz flick-on in the direction of Ivanovic behind him. The Serbian reacted quickly to head agonisingly against the crossbar, while keeper Neuer flapped at thin air.

Chelsea were coming on strong and Neuer was forced to pull off a smart point-blank save from a Luiz leaping header shortly before a savage blow was dealt to the west Londoners' hopes of victory with a red card for the over-zealous Ramires with only four minutes left on the clock.

The two sides couldn't be separated and so matters moved on to extra-time; a daunting prospect for a tiring 10-man Chelsea team, or so it initially appeared.

However, two minutes into the first-half of added time, Hazard received the ball on the left before cutting in menacingly and hitting a 15-yard thunderbolt under a slow-motion Neuer to defy the odds. They then retreated ever deeper into their defensive third to see out the rest of the opening extra-time period, while blocking everything Bayern threw at them.

Bayern were back in the hunt after the resumption of play and Mandzukic was denied an equaliser by an incredible Cech save when it seemed a certain goal.

Mourinho waved his arms furiously to get the Chelsea fans and players rallied for one last Herculean effort, as Ribery lined up a free-kick with time ticking away. The Man-of-the-Match curled a delightful effort towards the top corner, only for the defiant Cech to palm it away to his right.

It looked for all the world that Chelsea were going to hold on, but injury-time saviour Javi Martinez shattered their dreams with a neat finish from inside the area to take the tie to penalties.

In a tense atmosphere, the first three kicks from each side were beautifully executed and then star man Ribery made it 4-3. Afterwards, Ashley Cole got lucky when his attempt hit the inside of the post before trickling in and it was still all to play for. Bayern then made it 5-4, leaving sub Romelu Lukaku with the task of keeping his side in the contest. His penalty was far too soft and much too close to Neuer, who made the short leap to his left to gather the ball easily and hand the prestigious trophy to the Munich outfit.

If this evening's show is a sign of things to come when the world's premier club competition gets underway in earnest, then we can look forward to a compelling list of fixtures throughout the campaign as the continent's greatest clubs do battle for right to call themselves Europe's best.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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Where will Bale fit at Madrid?

By David Lee Wheatley

Gareth Bale's protracted move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid moved a step closer today with the revelation of the player's lawyers arrival in the Spanish capital to finalise the switch, as Bale already indicated his own agreement with the personal terms on offer.

Unfortunately, the PFA and Football Writers' reigning Player of the Year let himself down slightly with his refusal to train at current club Spurs since Tuesday, due to the growing frustration he feels over the tedious nature of negotiations regarding the size of an expected world-record transfer fee.

Real Madrid realised recently what many sides in the past already knew - Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is an extremely difficult negotiator to compromise with. He's forever determined to reach the very best conclusion for his club by wringing every last ounce of value from any given deal, no matter how long it takes.

Despite the delays, it's likely the saga will end this weekend or Monday - transfer deadline day - at the very latest. When Bale does sign, the next unknown within this intriguing dynamic is where he will fit in amongst a galaxy of stars at the Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to be top dog at the club, evidenced once more during the last few days when it emerged he'd suggested to the Real hierarchy he simply didn't want the fee that eventually captures Bale to eclipse the £80m spent on him in 2009. Ronaldo is seen as something of a forerunner to the Welsh international and there are similarities; they frequently display versatility yet play in similar roles and have a penchant for scoring goals from deep-lying positions, both players take a stunning free-kick in similar style to one another and the two also enjoy running at pace towards petrified opposition defences.

Ronaldo can play wide, but has moved into a more central position at Real as time progressed in a parallel manner to Bale at White Hart Lane. Now the pair will be fighting for a starting berth in their favoured role in the middle of the attack, but only one can take the spot.

Meanwhile, competition on the left flank will come from Angel Di Maria, if he sticks around, and more prominently from the fantastic young Spaniard Isco, who is making waves early in his fledgling Madrid career following a summer move from Malaga.

If Bale aims for central midfield, but perhaps in a less advanced part of the pitch to Ronaldo, then he potentially comes up against stern competition from Mesut Ozil, Luka Modric, Kaka and Sami Khedira; all are not expected to remain at the Bernabeu, however.

The extremely highly-rated former Southampton man faces a battle on his hands just to gain a place in the starting line-up and could see his career stall if regular appearances aren't forthcoming. However, should head coach Carlo Ancelotti find a tactical solution within his plans that allows Bale and Ronaldo to co-exist in the same side, then Real Madrid could find themselves in possession of the most powerful attacking unit in European football.

What the Welshman will be desperate to avoid is a repeat of the spells suffered with the Castillian giants by fellow Brits including Jonathan Woodgate and Michael Owen, who both sat out large chunks of their stays due to a potent cocktail of injuries, suspension and a lack of faith from their manager; the splendid period in Spain enjoyed by former Liverpool star Steve McManaman will be the dream scenario for Bale to emulate.

Two-time La Liga and Champions League victor McManaman recently backed Bale to be a success in Madrid, while making it clear he'll need to concentrate on his football in an effort to cope with huge pressure from the media and public alike.

Should he manage to make an impression on the field, while learning the language and integrating off it, then 24-year-old Spurs phenomenon Bale will be fully capable of winning over the team's fanatical support amid Real's attempts to claim several major trophies during his stay.

He may have to cede main-man status to Cristiano Ronaldo, but football's latest superstar holds significant potential himself to further an outstanding reputation by creating a massive impact at one of the world's greatest sporting institutions.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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Transfer market set for overdrive

By David Lee Wheatley

With only five days left before the transfer window slams shut on most of Europe this summer, a selection of massive deals are expected to come to fruition in order to facilitate a massive amount of movement between clubs of all sizes over coming days.

Many managers voiced their disapproval recently of a transfer period that goes on beyond the start of the domestic fixture calendar, but there’s no denying the excitement generated for fans up-and-down the country surrounding the subject of who their team will bring in and/or lose by 2 September.

Gareth Bale refused to train with Tottenham Hotspur in a row over the protracted nature of negotiations between his current club and suitors Real Madrid, as the Welshman bids to force through a dream switch to the Bernabeu and it’s expected to trigger a knock-on effect throughout the Premier League once Bale finally completes his move.

North London rivals Arsenal plan to introduce at least two top-class players to appease their restless fans, with Real Madrid’s Angel Di Maria high up on Arsene Wenger’s wish-list. A deal for the Argentine winger largely depends upon Bale making it to Madrid and could be sealed quickly once Carlo Ancelotti gets his man.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have been linked with a plethora of potential signings, as have title rivals Chelsea and Manchester City. All appear ready and revved-up to pounce as deadline day approaches ever nearer on the horizon.

A little further down the pecking order, Newcastle United look set to sign two more strikers in the shape of Gomis from Lyon and old boy Demba Ba on loan from Chelsea, while the likes of West Brom, Crystal Palace, Sunderland, Fulham and Cardiff City all pronounced their intentions to add more recruits to their respective squads if at all possible.

The biggest mooted deals have taken an age to resolve and some are seemingly off altogether, with Arsenal target Luis Suarez set to stay with Liverpool and Manchester United intent on holding on to Wayne Rooney, whom Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been courting all summer-long.

However, more mega-money transfers are in the offing and will begin the cascading of cash through the major leagues of European football, making for a very interesting last few days of the window as clubs prepare for the long-haul to January before they can buy again.

Twitter: @davewh1980

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