November 6th, 2008 - UEFA Championship league

The group stages of the UEFA Championship league has been going on since mid September but has been settled yet. This tournament is the ultimate clashing of titans. The group stage ends in on the 10th of December, so this is a perfect midway point to scout out what's happening in the groups. Below is a tidbit about the leaders of the groups and what to look for.

Group A
Chelsea - The club still leads their group by 1 point, despite the loss to Roma last game. The defeat was only their second loss under Luiz Felipe Scolari and the first loss for an English club in the tournament. Chelsea was not to keep their composure and confidence during the match. They're going to need to keep their frustrations in control if they still plan on clinching the leading spot in the group. Roma is just one point down from the leaders, and with the win on Tuesday they could have the confidence to pass up Chelsea.

Group B
Internazionale- Although Internazionale is the current top club in group B (and rightfully so), it may not last for long. Any one of the clubs could ultimately win the group. The matchups have ended in multiple ties, and wins and losses for all clubs. Internazionale's tie with Anorthosis this past Tuesday shows that even though Internazionale is the leader right now, the winning position could ultimately go to anyone.

Group C
Barcelona- Throughout group play so far two teams have dominated, Barcelona and Sporting. Both teams have consistently won matchups on the pitch against Bael and Shakhtar. I project that Barcelona and Sporting will finish in their standings at the moment, with Barcelona winning the group. Barcelona beat Sporting in an earlier game 3-1. Unless Sporting wins their next game against Barcelona standings will be staying as is.

Group D
Atletico and Liverpool - Both squads are tied for first with the same record. When the two teams met earlier this they tied 1-1 in both games. It's hard to say which team will win because they are so evenly matched, however I think Liverpool will lead the group. Torres is out, but when he comes back he will give Liverpool the push they need to win.

Group E
Man. United and Villarreal - It will come down to the game on the 25th for a winner to emerge. The two teams have consistently beaten their opponents and tied 0-0 in their first matchup against one another. My gut tells me that Man. U will come out on top due to their experience in the Championship League, however I'm secretly cheering for Villarreal. I'd like to see a new team come out on top for once and Villareal is very deserving.

Group F
Lyon and Bayern - Like many other groups there is a tie for the lead. I have to say I'm a bit surprised that Bayern has done as well as they are, but I'm glad Lyon is getting a bit more competition. The two play each other again (they tied in their first meeting) on December 12th.

Group G
Arsenal - Arsenal is leading but the group is in a tight race for the lead. I'd expected Arsenal to do better than they have, but their big players haven't delivered as much as they should have. They've made good opportunities for themselves, however they haven't been able to capitalize. I think they'll inevitably win the group, but they need to pull their team together.

Group H
Juventus - The standings in this group are really surprising to me. I expected Real Madrid to be closer in points to Juventus or even flip flopped, but not 4 points down. The fact that Real Madrid lost twice to Juventus shows just how overrated they really are. In the end Del Piero is just too good. I'm surprised that things played out how they did, but I can't say I'm not pleased.