Champions League Final Preview 2016

134 teams have been whittled down to the last two, in a repeat of the Lisbon final in 2014. Having clinched La Decima two years ago, a header from Sergio Ramos in injury time broke the hearts of Atletico Madrid to seal extra time, with Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring to allow Iker Casillas to lift the infamous trophy.

Both sides are aiming for their first trophy of the season, with neither toppling Barcelona who lifted the La Liga title almost two weeks ago. A shock defeat for Atletico at the hands of bottom side Levante in Week 37 ended their hopes thanks to a 91st minute goal from Giuseppe Rossi. A late Real Madrid surge coupled with a slump in form from Barcelona allowed them to get within an arm stretch, however despite a 2-0 win over Deportivo, Barcelona were able to defeat Granada 3-0 to pip their historic rivals to the post.

Real Madrid had a relatively stress free trip through the group stage, only dropping two points in a scoreless draw at the Parc-des-Princes against PSG. Free scoring going forward, they were water tight at the back, conceding just three goals all of which came in a 13 minute period at the end from Shakhtar Donetsk to leave the final score 4-3. An annihilation of Malmo was undoubtedly the most memorable point of the group stage in the last game thanks to four goals from Ronaldo, a hat trick from Karim Benzema and a goal from Mateo Kovacic.

A 2-1 defeat to Benfica and a nil-nil draw to Astana were the only blemishes on the card of Atletico Madrid in the group stage. The fiery atmosphere of the Turk Telecom Arena in Istanbul was matched with two unanswered Antoine Griezmann goals and the French forward dealt the same blows in the return fixture. Astana were also swept aside with Oliver Torres, Saul Niguez and Jackson Martinez getting on the score sheet.

Real Madrid were in complete control against AS Roma in the Round of 16 running out 4-0 winners on aggregate, while Atletico needed a penalty shoot out to separate themselves from Dutch side, PSV. Los Blancos nearly suffered a surprise shock in the Quarters, with Wolfsburg taking a surprise 2-0 lead into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, however a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick prevented an upset. Atletico had a significantly tougher challenge in the way in the shape of holders Barcelona. Fernando Torres' away goal was vital in the first leg, with Antoine Griezmann netting a header and scoring an 88th minute penalty to knock the holders out.

Both sides had semi final matches against very tough opposition. Real faced Manchester City while their neighbours faced favourites, Bayern Munich. A stunning goal from Saul Niguez gave Los Rojiblancos a lead after the first leg at the Vicente Calderon while their neighbours stood strong at the hands of Manchester City. Gareth Bale's deflected cross was enough to book his side's place in Milan while Atletico showed discipline and determination that they are fabled for to cling on to a victory on away goals, with Antoine Griezmann once again popping up in the right place at the perfect time.

A vital cog in the Atleti wheel that is rolling to Milan, Antoine Griezmann no doubt remains Diego Simeone's main attacking outlet. The former Real Sociedad player has already netted 7 times for his side in the competition this year as well as a further 22 goals in the league campaign. Griezmann is lethal on the break, with the pivotal goal coming from a swift counter attack at the Allianz Arena. The Real centre halves will certainly have their hands full. The work rate of Koke and Gabi in the midfield are the biggest positive for Simeone particularly as both will do their defensive duties but will also look to create the chances for the forward men. At the back, Atleti have a severely underrated keeper in Jan Oblak, as well as the experienced heads of Diego Godin and Juanfran.

It's hard to pick out which of Real's 'Galactico-esque' signings is the most important, but the chalice must be handed to Cristiano Ronaldo. With 16 goals in the competition, the Portuguese winger is 7 ahead of his nearest competitor. At 31 years of age, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down and has broke almost every record at the club in his 7 short years there. When marking him out of the game, Atletico would run the risk of opening up space for his team mates and he is professional enough to allow this to happen. Pepe and Sergio Ramos are crucial for the ten times champions on Saturday evening. Despite a decent defensive record in the competition, there has been times when they have looked shaky, particularly in the match at the Etihad stadium.

Both Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane are icons at their respective clubs. With Florentino Perez looking the Frenchman to emulate Pep Guardiola, Zidane was promoted from manager of Castilla to first team manager upon the sacking of Rafa Benitez in January. It has been a good six months for the rookie and Saturday could see the former play-maker cap it off with a victory. Unlike Zidane, Diego Simeone has the experience of managing his side in a major final, albeit a losing one. Simeone wrote the ultimate underdog story two seasons ago when he successfully guided his side to their first Spanish league title since 1996. Simeone has built his side in a model of himself - hardworking, physical, dedicated but also willing to bend the rules when necessary. Simeone stands on the touchline orchestrating every move his players make with passionate instructions, almost like playing a game of FIFA on the Xbox. A very animated coach, it is almost as if Atletico are playing with 12 players.

While only a short 20 minute car journey down the M-30 separates the sides, their style of play are polar opposites. Atletico Madrid are a well drilled side that are very difficult to break down as Barcelona and Bayern Munich found out in the previous rounds. Their rivals often rely on the individual brilliance of the stars within their ranks and are often a lot more fluid in their approach. Real will have the majority of possession without a doubt, but Atletico are experts at winning football matches with less possession. Their triumph in the Vicente Calderon over Bayern Munich only required 31% while 28% was enough to see off Barcelona in the second leg. Zinedine Zidane's men could do no worse than scoring an early goal within the opening quarter of the game, forcing Atleti to become a bit more adventurous. Likewise, if the first goal goes to Griezmann and co, it heaps an enormous amount of pressure onto their opponents.

I fancy Atletico to win their first European Cup. The agonisingly defeat in 2014 will stand them in good stead for the match on Saturday. Since that defeat, Simeone and his side have progressed and the match at the weekend will be an indication as to whether they have learnt from previous lessons.

Champions League Semi Final Predictions

It was a rather pleasing three out of four correct results for the Champions League Quarter Finals, with only the Atletico v Barcelona tie letting me down. The competition has been whittled down to just 4 teams, with just another three matches remaining until they get their hands on that illustrious European title.

Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich

I would fancy Atletico Madrid if they had the away match first, particularly as how it worked so effectively against Barcelona. Pep Guardiola is in the hunt for his first European title in his last year with this Bayern side, and he will undoubtedly make this the priority. Bayern play an efficient style of play similar to Barcelona and can be lethal on the break. Robert Lewandowski has been in red hot form this year and he will need to rely on all of his goal scoring instinct if he is to penetrate a very strong defence.

Looking at Atletico Madrid, they delivered a masterclass in how to counter attack against Barcelona something which Bayern will need to be very aware of. Antoine Griezmann is lethal along with Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco. Captain, Diego Godin will undoubtedly make his presence felt, while Fernando Torres is beginning to recapture is form. A very interesting battle that could tilt the game is the one in the midfield between Koke and Gabi of Atleti and Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso of Bayern. If Bayern win or achieve a score draw in the first match, I would expect them to go through, particularly as Atleti would be chasing the game away from home.

With Barcelona having lost the last three league games until the 8-0 demolition of former Champions League semi finalists Deportivo, it threw the race for the division title wide open with Atleti sitting level on points with the Catalan giants. In the league, Atleti have conceded the least amount of goals (16) with Barcelona their closest competitors 13 adrift. Bayern have a comfortable 7-point buffer on Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Like their opponents, they have conceded the least amount of goals in the league (14), but are also joint top scorers with 72. With Barcelona out, many will tip Bayern Munich as favourites to lift the trophy.

Manchester City v Real Madrid

Manchester City become the first English side since Chelsea in the 2013/2014 campaign. Undoubtedly they will be underdogs, particularly with their unpredictable league campaign of late. Vincent Kompany will play a big part, whether or not he is on the pitch as he has drastically improved City when fit. With Manuel Pellegrini being replaced by Pep Guardiola in the summer, the Chilean will want to go out with a bang, having already secured the Capital One Cup title in March. Like the other semi final, if City had the away match first I would fancy them as I don't see them keeping a clean sheet away from home. Kevin De Bruyne was an excellent purchase by Pellegrini and has been one of the stand out performers contributing 15 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for City this season.

On their day, Madrid will rip any team to shreds and are very dangerous on the counter attack. Cristiano Ronaldo has notched up 47 goals in just 44 games this season as well as assisting 15 times and just another 3 goals will mean that he has scored 50 goals in a season for the 6th year in a row. It's one thing about planning to stop him but actually doing it is a completely different thing. Gael Clichy will certainly have his hands full. Toni Kroos is an expert at controlling the game from midfield and it will be interesting to see if they can dominate possession against a useful City midfield. Like David Silva, James Rodriguez and Isco Alarcon tend to roam about making it very difficult for the opposition to mark. City have their work cut out to prevent this potent attack from firing Madrid to the final. 

Manchester City's league season is virtually over with the side sitting in fourth and just looking to consolidate Champions League football for next year. Fifth place Manchester United are snapping at their heels and just sit two points behind. This poor position most likely played a part in the downfall of Manuel Pellegrini, but he would be able to salvage a bit of pride with a trip to Milan on the 28th May. As for Madrid, what was looking like a disappointing season has all of a sudden sparked into life. They looked down and out of their domestic league, 12 points behind their Catalan rivals, however the 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Nou Camp seemed to be the catalyst and 4 matches later, find themselves just one point behind the holders.

We have two ties that are quite close to call, even though it would be easy to pick out the favourites. I do think that Real Madrid will be able overcome Manchester City, helped by the second leg in the Santiago Bernabeu in front of their own fans. Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich is one that could go anyway. Atletico will take confidence that the Bavarians play a similar style of football to Barcelona, but at the same time it will still be very difficult. If Atletico can keep a clean sheet at home then I do think they will win, however Bayern remain my favourites to progress.

There is no 'Right Way' to play Football

Despite being the pre-tournament favourites to be the first side to retain the Champions League, the attacking threat of Messi, Suarez and Neymar was nullified and two Antoine Griezmann goals were enough to send Atlético Madrid through. The main talking points about the match were undoubtedly the two hand ball incidents involving Andrés Iniesta and Gabi, which referee Nicola Rizzoli adjudged the latter to have been outside the box.

The 'proper way' to play football was a phrase coined around the time when Chelsea won the Champions League, by keeping a very rigid, defensive shape and hitting teams on the counter attack. Like Jose Mourinho and Roberto di Matteo who masterminded the victory, Atlético  play to their strengths and under the stewardship of Diego Simeone, they have done that brilliantly. Los Colchoneros don't play attractive football and haven't done since the Argentine took over, but what they do display is a great team work ethic and a siege mentality against sides that are perceived as superior in quality that is so refreshing to see. I love watching Simeone on the side lines as he displays the same passion as just an ordinary supporter on the touchline, he knows what that club is about.

Simeone had not defeated Barcelona in seven attempts since their victory last night, yet it is not surprising that he has masterminded an upset on the biggest of stages. Upon the final whistle, I noted, as did the pundits on BT Sport, that he marched straight down the tunnel, not partaking in any of the celebrations that the players were having with the Vicente Calderón faithful. He knows the hard work is only beginning if we wants to instill himself in Atléti history by going one step further than in 2013.

Antoine Griezmann got both of the goals last night, and with the recent news emerging that France will not be considering Karim Benzema for the Euros squad, there is a big chance that the former Real Sociedad winger could be finding himself leading the line. The first goal that 25 year old scored last night came out after a great run into the box matched by a cross with pin-point precision from Saul and was glanced into the back of the net, leaving Marc-Andre Ter Stegen no chance in nets. Barcelona were given a warning earlier in the game with Griezmann, remaining unmarked, heading a tame effort into the the safe clutches of Ter Stegen.

The second goal arrived courtesy of an Andrés Iniesta hand ball. Apart from the moment of shock with Iniesta committing a cynical and professional foul I thought Rizzoli should have brandished a red card to the Barcelona captain. The argument was made that Mascherano was able to get back on the line, therefore not making it a goal scoring chance, however I doubt that the Argentine would have been able to prevent a shot if Iniesta had missed the ball and Griezmann got a clear, first time shot off. Up steps the Basque player with a nervous look on his baby face to strike past the German keeper. It was a nervous penalty with Ter Stegen getting a paw to the ball, and some claiming that the keeper should have done better.

Atlético Madrid would run through brick walls for each other as well as their manager. This was evidenced once the second goal went in when the home side played very conservatively not giving Barcelona a sniff. Simeone was at his raving best with arms flailing everywhere in an attempt to gee-up the crowd to roar their heroes home. Godin followed suit, and led from the front with terrific defending as well as the odd cynical moment where he tried to wind his opponents up. The one moment that typified this side for me was when the captain made a surging run forward with the ball, only to lose out to Sergi Roberto and haul him to the ground to stop Barcelona from building an attack. Cynical yes, but it was effective as it allowed Atléti to regain their shape.

Simeone and his Atlético side have proved once again that there is no right way to play football like they did in the quarter final stage of 2013. No team will take this side lightly and they will fancy themselves against any of the other teams in this tournament.

Champions League Quarter Final Predictions

Rather surprisingly only Chelsea let me down in my predictions for the last 16 round. This time however, we have a few more ties which are a lot less clear cut. Wolfsburg reach the quarter finals of the competition for the first time in their history, as do Manchester City, and they face Real Madrid and PSG respectively. Bayern Munich face Benfica and Barcelona lock horns with Atletico Madrid in an all Spanish affair.

Wolfsburg v Real Madrid

Viewed as one of the easier ties that Madrid could have got, they will cast their minds back to last years semi final in which they were expected to defeat Juventus with relative ease. Under Deiter Hecking, the German club has come on leaps and bounds and deservedly have made it through to this round. Wolfsburg have invested the money received by the sale of Kevin de Bruyne very wisely, bringing in players such as Julian Draxler. Madrid will undoubtedly be favourites, but the pressure on Zinedine Zidane and his team will be immense, particularly as they sit 12 points adrift of Barcelona at the top of La Liga. I tip Real Madrid to win the tie in front of their own fans in the second leg, with Wolfsburg running the home side close and achieving a score draw in the first leg.

Bayern Munich v Benfica

Bayern survived an almighty scare against Juventus in the previous leg, with a late Thomas Muller strike saving Pep Guardiola's blushes and forcing extra time. Like Madrid, they will perceive this to be one of the better ties to get and I do expect them to progress. Both sides are fabled for their vociferous atmospheres and the return leg to the Estadio da Luz will send shivers down the spine as Benfica return to the quarter finals for the first time since 2012. Both sides sit top of their respective leagues with Benfica two points ahead of fierce rivals Sporting CP while Bayern lead Europa League quarter finalists, Borussia Dortmund by 4 points. Benfica are a strong outfit and they defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon back in September. Although they cant be taken lightly, I do expect Bayern to have the tie sewn up in the Allianz Arena, however if the Portuguese side come away from the first leg with something, then anything is possible.

City v PSG

England's sole representatives in the quarter finals this year welcome French champions Paris Saint-Germain to the Etihad Stadium. Defeating Chelsea in the first knockout round, the Parisians are in the fortunate position of being able to rest their first eleven in the run up to the Champions League matches having secured the Ligue 1 title in record time with a 9-0 thumping over Troyes last week. However this could prove a negative, as it will prevent the side from getting any match practice with the league matches effectively being a dead rubber and could hinder them when pace increases in Europe. This match is finely balanced and gives Zlatan Ibrahimovic the chance to end his career in Paris in style having decided not to extend his contract. Manchester City have had a mixed season this year. With the league out of their hands and progress in the FA Cup halted in the 5th round, the Champions League represents the last opportunity for Manuel Pellegrini to get success as the City manager. I can see this tie going the distance with both sides struggling to break each other down. City to win on penalties.

Barcelona v Atletico

Last but certainly not least, Atletico meet tournament favourites, Barcelona in a repeat of the 2014 semi final. On that occasion, Atletico triumphed, but have not defeated the Catalan giants since in the 7 games since then, losing 6 and drawing 1. The Madrid side scraped through against PSV Eindhoven in the last round, courtesy of Juanfran netting the deciding penalty after enduring 310 minutes of goalless football. It is obvious that Atletico will look to frustrate and absorb Barca pressure and then hit the holders on the counter attack. This worked with aplomb in the last European meeting between the sides but they have struggled to stop the dreaded MSN trio from scoring in the matches since. I fancy Barcelona to win overall, but Atletico will definitely pose a different challenge to Arsenal in the previous round.

There are once again some very intriguing ties thrown up by the chiefs at UEFA, feel free to leave your tips on who you think will triumph and if there will be any shocks this season.

What will 2016 have in store for football?

We've got all of the 'New Year, new me' pleasantries, where we announce our plans to hit the gym more often or be a better person. Now that those are all out of the way, what will 2016 have in store for us football fanatics?

The headline act will be the European Championships in France commencing on the 10th June. It won't be the same as any other competition mostly down to the extra teams added. For me, this will be the second international tournament that I will have covered, having done the World Cup over a year and a half ago. Unfortunately I'll have to settle to watching it from the comfort of my living room, due to other commitments but it promises to be an intriguing competition. The world champions, Germany will undoubtedly be favourites, however they did suffer several set backs losing to both Poland and the Republic of Ireland in qualifying. France will back themselves on home turf, and rightly so, while Spain will also be up there and will look to bounce back after a poor World Cup. Although not at a match, I will be in Marseille for the end of the tournament so will be rooting for the French if Northern Ireland are shocked and dumped out in the early rounds. My opinions on the group stage are available here...

Probably not so special to 2016, but the Champions League is not failing to live up to expectations. Barcelona are bidding to be the first side to retain the trophy and are looking very strong. I am crying out for a Barcelona v Bayern final. Pep Guardiola will be after revenge for last years semi final, while the Bavarians are looking imperious in the league. If the sides do meet, neither leg will be as one sided as the match at the Camp Nou last season. For the English sides, Man City look the most likely to progress and could be flying the flag for the Premier League at the conclusion of the last 16 ties, while Juventus have their work cut out if they are to replicate their exploits of last season. A few dark horses have emerged and could possibly trouble the bigger sides in the later rounds. I tip Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid and possibly Benfica to do just that. Check out my prediction for the last 16 here.

Looking at the Premier League, we are treated to another enthralling season. This year, we have seen Leicester City capitalise on the inconsistencies of the top 6. It will be interesting to see if The Foxes can keep up their title charge and finish in the top 4. While the Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez grab all of the headlines, all the team have been doing their bit. Defensively they have been very solid with Wes Morgan a rock, and Kasper Schmeichel producing wonderful performances. While Leicester look good, the rest of the 'big sides' have work to do if they are to come out victorious in May. Arsenal have the inform Mesut Ozil, but lack consistency, a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Southampton evidence of this. Liverpool are in the process of rebuilding under Jurgen Klopp while City are struggling to grab the bull by the horns. United don't look like they will mount a title challenge yet and Chelsea are recovering after sacking Jose Mourinho. The quality of football leaves somewhat to be desired but it sure is exciting.

Serie A is also shaping up nicely. Internazionale lead proceedings with 39 points while Fiorentina and Napoli follow in second and third respectively a point behind. Fourth sees holders Juventus on 36 points while Roma are a further 3 adrift. Sassuolo are performing beyond all expectations in sixth place despite the sales of Simone Zaza and Jasmin Kurtic in the summer transfer window. Juventus took only nine points from their first eight games but have recovered and are currently in the middle of an eight match win streak since their defeat against Sassuolo. The champions are back and will probably remain favourites to lift the Scudetto at the end of the season. I've watched quite a few Inter matches this season and have been very impressed with the style of football Mancini's men are playing. I wrote a piece on both Milan sides earlier in the season, but since then AC Milan have drifted down the table. They don't score many goals, but they're defensively solid, conceding only 11 goals in the league to date. Napoli are playing a very attractive brand of football but lack consistency and this was evident in their 2-1 victory over Torino.

I would have normally published an article on the Ballon D'Or at the start of December, however this got postponed due to various educational reasons. The finalists this year are again, quite predictable. Lionel Messi will undoubtedly be the favourite to win his fifth Ballon D'Or award. The Argentine forward contributed 43 league goals to his side's victorious La Liga season another 10 as he secured Barcelona's Champions League title. Barca team mate, Neymar joins Messi on the short list, but is most likely there to make up the numbers. Nevertheless the 23 year old Brazilian has had super 2015. Despite in Messi's shadow, Neymar scored 39 goals in 51 games and has frightened many defences with his dribbling and pace. Cristiano Ronaldo topped the La Liga goal scoring charts with 48 and did tie with Messi for Champions League goals, however the Argentine received the award for top marksman due to his superior number of assists. Ronaldo also surpassed the great Alfredo di Stefano and Raul to become Real Madrid's top goal scorer.

2016 is just a week old and we've already had the first managerial casualty. Zinedine Zidane took the poisoned chalice upon himself after Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, fired Rafa Benitez after a 2-2 draw away to Valencia. A Madridista through and through, Benitez left with dignity, releasing a very emotional statement thanking everyone for the opportunity to manage at his boyhood club. The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager will not have any trouble finding work in the short term due to his decorated CV at different clubs over Europe. At the start of his tenure at Santiago Bernabeu, I thought that he would do a decent job and would bring solidity to a Real Madrid defence that often let them down last season. Instead, he sold Asier Illaramendi and refused to bench some of the Galacticos in order not to upset higher powers at the club, which led to his downfall. Zidane takes the reigns, but don't be surprised if they change hands before the year is out.

Football never fails to throw up a few surprises and I certainly expect many to happen before the close of 2016. Let me know your thoughts on 2016 or any memories that you wont forget from 2015.

Chelsea Dominate in Israel

Chelsea stroll to a comfortable victory in Tel Aviv through goals from Gary Cahill, Willian, Oscar and Kurt Zouma. Chelsea dominated from start to finish and their task was made easier with the sending off of Tal Ben Haim shortly before half time.

Right from the first whistle, it was a fast paced game. The home side had a very good chance early on when a free header was directed over the goal. Jose Mourinho will be shocked at how easily it was for the Maccabi man to lose the central defenders.

With the home crowd on side, Maccabi looked dangerous on the counter attack. It was shocking how vulnerable Chelsea's back four looked when Tal Ben Haim (the striker) ran with the ball in the 5th minute. After 15 minutes Chelsea had got a foothold in the game and were controlling the possession. It was often made easier with Tel Aviv gifting the possession back to the English side.

Chelsea made the break through on 20 minutes with Gary Cahill pouncing on a rebound after his own header. The Maccabi keeper pulled off a magnificent save to prevent the former Bolton man from scoring the first time around as he tipped the header onto the post, but was helpless to prevent Cahill smashing in his first European goal since the tie against PSG last season.

Chelsea were very comfortable and there were plenty more goals in this for Mourinho's men. They regularly found space and Maccabi had to tighten up if they wanted to prevent a hammering. One thing that was noticeable about Chelsea's play was that they were not committing men into the box. They seemed more keen on trying to walk it into the back of the net and often succeeded only for the end product to not be there.

The game was effectively over when former Chelsea man Tal Ben Haim (the centre back) was dismissed after lashing out at Diego Costa. Initially it looked as if the referee had overreacted, but replays showed that the red card was correct. At half time, Chelsea were firmly on top and there were more goals definitely in this.

Maccabi Tel Aviv did expose some of Chelsea's defensive frailties with Hazard occasionally neglecting his defensive responsibilities. These chances were few and far between, but it would only take one chance to equalise. A second goal would take all of the momentum out of Maccabi and allow Chelsea to stroll to the final whistle.

Maccabi's Serbian U21 keeper made two terrific saves before Zahavi flashed a shot towards the goal only to draw a superb save from Asmir Begovic. Chelsea were living dangerously. A long ball counter attack once again undone Chelsea.

The game was sealed by that man Willian with 15 minutes left. Yet again the Brazilian stepped up with the goods with a superb free kick - his 6th free kick goal of the season. Chelsea had got the crucial vital goal to seal their win. The third goal followed shortly after with a Baba Rahman firing a cross across the box to be met by the head of Oscar for his first goal of the season.

Chelsea had a few more opportunities to increase their lead through Pedro Rodrigues, but it was Kurt Zouma who leapt highest to bullet a header towards goal and the keeper wasn't able to keep the ball out of the net. Willian was on form and guided Chelsea one step closer to knock out qualification.

Even Stevens in Ukraine

Chelsea leave Ukraine with a point after a competent defensive performance against a side who were average at best.

Willian went closest just after the break when a free kick rattled the cross bar, but neither side really looked liked they wanted to claim all three points.

It was evident from the start that Jose had set his Chelsea team up to not lose. A rigid formation,  full backs not looking to be adventurous and holding midfielders sitting and patrolling in front of the centre-halves. A typical Mourinho side when playing away from home in the Champions League. 

Willian and Cesc Fabregas had a few early opportunities, but it was Hazard who hit the post from the left. Replays showed that it was an excellent fingertip save from the Kyiv goal keeper. Vitaliy Buyalskiy had the first meaningful attempt for Kyiv but the shot was straight at Asmir Begovic.Chelsea had a penalty appeal turned down on 16 minutes when Cesc Fabregas drove into the box and seemed to fall over a lazy leg. While Savage and co persisted that it was a penalty all night long, it looked to me as if the Spaniard fell over too easily. 

Nemanja Matic had an excellent chance to give Chelsea the lead when his mazy run into the box left him with a great opportunity, but he poked it wide with his right foot. It was a run that warranted a better attempt than what was offered. Surely if he had taken the shot with the left then it would have made the attempt much easier than it already was? Buyalskiy had another shot on the turn that was sweetly struck and would have beaten Begovic if it weren't for a slight deflection.

In the first half, a pleasing feature for Mourinho was the pressing offered by the attacking players. It hassled and hurried the Kyiv players and they often won the ball back after a long ball by the keeper. Nevertheless it remained goalless at half time. Shortly after the break, Chelsea's dead ball demon struck an absolute peach of a free-kick that cracked the underside of the bar. Willian has a track record of set piece goals have already registered one against Maccabi Tel Aviv in round one.

Kyiv had more possession early in the second half but seemed reluctant to do anything with it. Neither side looked as if they wanted to go on and win the game leaving a draw as the likely outcome. Eden Hazard had a shot blocked from the edge of the area after a drag back from Willian. On the counter, it was a good opportunity with the Belgian unmarked, but equally good defending prevented a shot on target.

After a poor delivery from a set piece by Willian, Andriy Yarmolenko broke down the left flank. Beating Zouma, he found Artem Kravets with a reverse pass but his shot was parried by Begovic. Coveted by many European clubs, Yarmolenko wasn't able to really force himself on the game in the first half when he was against Cesar Azpilicueta. Now up against Zouma, usually a centre back, he started to get on the ball and excite the Ukrainian support.

The last 10 minutes of the game saw both sides come close. Yarmolenko had a ball that flashed across the area and Begovic clutched it into his arms at the second attempt despite a Chelsea player sliding in. The ball could have easily ended up in the back of the net. The last minutes smelt of desperation from the hosts. They failed to create any purposeful attacking moves on Chelsea throughout most of the game and when they realised there were only minutes left, Gary Cahill and John Terry were able to snuff out any potential dangers.

A point in Ukraine, a place that hasn't been the happiest of hunting grounds for English teams in the past, is definitely secretly pleasing for Jose. Like Kyiv, Chelsea failed to create anything from open play and set pieces were where they went closest. Nothing that this Ukrainian side offered will worry Chelsea as they welcome their hosts tonight to Stamford Bridge on 4th November. 

Dominant Performance as Chelsea Brush Maccabi to the Side

Goals from Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa and Fabregas help sweep Maccabi Tel Aviv to the side as Chelsea start their European campaign with three points.

Chelsea dominant the whole match and they made a strong start. Willian was sent through on goal and attempted to round the keeper but was brought down. Penalty Chelsea and it was a perfect chance to settle the nerves evident from the players and supporters. An out of form Eden Hazard stepped up and sent the ball into Row Z. A penalty can be the easiest form of gaining confidence, however missing one can destroy it.

Chelsea did open their European account this year through Willian in the 15th minute. The Brazilian international whipped a dangerous ball into the box and even though no player got a touch on it, the ball found its way into the back of the net. In the opening 20 minutes the goal scorer was probably Chelsea's brightest player. He was the only player willing to take the Maccabi defence on and he was able to beat them more often than not. Unfortunately for the Blues, he was subbed off before the 25 minute mark with a hamstring injury.

Maccabi Tel Aviv didn't create many goal scoring opportunities but they had a glorious one from a set piece free kick. It was a tremendous delivery and found the head of Eran Zahavi who failed to even hit the target. The Israeli really should have done better, if he had left it, there was a Maccabi player free and arguably with a better angle to head the ball. The Israeli champions didn't get many opportunities, so aspirations of coming away from Stamford Bridge with any points briskly died when they failed to capitalise.

On the stroke of half time, substitute Diego Costa was fouled in the box and another penalty was awarded by the German official. This time Oscar stepped up and cooly slotted the penalty into the bottom left corner, showing Hazard how it should be done. Two goals up at half time and the West Londoners were coasting. For the second half Chelsea need to continue to starve the visitors of possession and keep piling on the pressure. It paid dividends when Chelsea pressed from the front as they received possession in the danger zone. More of this and as Maccabi Tel Aviv tire then more opportunities will arise.

The second half represented more of the same. Chelsea dominated and didn't really give their visitors a sniff of the ball. They eventually sealed the game up with a superb volley from just inside the box. It was a terrific piece of skill and something that he needed to do to get him off the mark for Chelsea in Europe. Chelsea were now content to keep the ball without making many more headways into scoring more goals. They were more concerned about preserving the clean sheet and who can blame them?

Despite this Chelsea were getting more opportunities through Baba Rahman and Hazard and it was only a matter of time before the fourth goal was scored, much to the testament of the Tel Aviv performance. Unpredictably, it did come and was on the counter. Chelsea broke with four against two and even though Loic Remy's shot was saved, Cesc Fabregas was on hand to finish the move. Chelsea were in cruise control for the remainder of the match, just the way Mourinho would have wanted ahead of welcoming Arsenal at the weekend. It was a case of job well done, but secretly they will be delighted with the result and performance.

It was the new boys that stole the light tonight and two of them in particular have stuck their hand up for inclusion against Arsenal. Baba Rahman was impressive down the left and looked a real threat as he got forward at every stage. The summer signing will be pleased with his debut and Jose will have no second thoughts about this signing so far. Similarly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was instrumental for the 75 minutes that he was on the pitch. He was effective at breaking up the Maccabi as well as making surging runs forward from midfield. These runs caused problems for the defence and Mourinho must include him on Saturday afternoon, particularly with his midfielders being in such bad form.

Mourinho got the win he wanted but there will be concern shown to Willian who had to retire from the game prematurely despite being one of the best players on the pitch. Looking at the Arsenal game, Jose will have some decisions to make selection wise and will look to get one over the ol' enemy.

UEFA Champions League Group Stage Draw 2015/2016

With the Champions League group stage almost upon us, here is my prediction as to how each group will pan out:

  

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

Without doubt, PSG and Real Madrid lead the way in Group A. PSG have largely underachieved in this competition of late and Laurent Blanc will be hoping to turn the Parisian’s fortunes around. I fancy the Madrid to top the group, with PSG winning one of the matches against the Spanish Royals. As for Shakhtar, Douglas Costa will be sorely missed and Malmo won’t offer the top seeds much of a challenge as they are just happy to be welcoming European powerhouses to Sweden.

Group B – PSV, MUFC, CSKA, Wolfsburg

United fans have a reason to be optimistic about their chances in the group stage. The match against PSV will see Memphis Depay return to visit his former club. While it is a tricky group, United should be looking to win all their home games and sneak and draw or preferably a win at the away fixtures. Away, all games will test United through a mix of travelling, fearsome atmospheres as well as the decent players they will face. Undoubtedly, City have done their neighbours a favour in buying Wolfsburg’s best player. To qualify, I tip United, and Wolfsburg with PSV gaining the Europa League spot.

Group C – Benfica, Atletico, Galatasaray, Astana

Astana become the first Kazakhstan side to qualify for the Champions League, and will no doubt cause people to complain about the air miles they will rack up. Atletico will be favourites for this group and it will be an interesting affair for the second spot. Benfica are the Portuguese champions and we know about the pedigree of some of the Galatasaray players. Both sides endured dismal campaigns last year, finishing bottom of their respective groups. I tip Benfica to get second spot while the Turks will claim the Europa League spot.

Group D – Juventus, MCFC, Sevilla, B. M'Bach

Another ‘nightmare’ group for City fans that may not turn out to be that bad. Last year’s runners up, Juventus are yet to get off the mark in Serie A, recording two losses against Udinese and Roma respectively. Likewise, Monchengladbach are rooted to the bottom of the table, losing all three of their opening Bundesliga games. With City splashing the cash on some real talent, I think they will top this group and mount a real challenge towards the latter stages. I’m also tipping Juventus to progress while the German side struggle to be rooted to the bottom.

Group E – Barcelona, Leverkusen, Roma, BATE

Ready to defend their crown, Barcelona will be pleased with their group and I fully expect them to have qualification wrapped up with matches to spare. Roma have been disappointing in 2015 so far, winning just 11 of their games in all competitions. With Javier Hernandez on the verge of completing his move to Leverkusen, he will provide extra fire power to compete for a starting spot with Stefan Keißling. Although only two games in, Roma have started the season well and I would tip them for that second spot with Leverkusen in third.

Group F – Bayern, AFC, Olympiacos, Dinamo Zagreb

How many times over the last few years have Arsenal faced Bayern Munich in the Champions League? I think the qualification places already write themselves, barring a major upset. Bayern haven’t been the same side since they won the competition in 2013, and Pep Guardiola will be looking to prove to his doubters that he can win a Champions League without Lionel Messi. They will top the group, with Arsenal in second. While Arsenal have beaten the German champions injh Munich before, Wenger’s inadequacies in the transfer market leaves his side a long way off competing with the top European clubs.

Group G – Chelsea, Porto, Dynamo Kyiv, M. Tel-Aviv

Chelsea have had a poor start to the 2015/2016 campaign but should be confident about qualifying from their group. They have been handed a relatively comfortable group, which sees Jose Mourinho return to face the club that he won the Champions League with. Most people expect Chelsea to top, with Porto following behind. As for the other two, Dynamo have sought after midfielder Andriy Yarmolenko and Aleksander Dragovic while the Israeli side are under the stewardship of Jordi Cryuff and are looking dominant in the Israeli league. I’m predicting a Dynamo third place finish.

Group H – Zenit, Valencia, Lyon, Gent

Last but certainly not least, Group H. While it may not house any of the top European sides, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Lyon have a fantastic set up in central France, producing some top talents such as Nabil Fekir and Alexandre Lacazette. Retaining that talent has led them to struggle to compete with the top sides in Europe. Similarly, Valencia have decent players within their ranks. New purchase Rodrigo will form a partnership with Alvaro Negredo while Pablo Piatti will pull the strings in midfield. Both Shkodran Mustafi and Aymen Abdennour will provide muscle at the back. It will be an amusing watch to see which side will come out on top.

The new regulations for the Champions League groups have thrown up some interesting ties, who do you think will top the groups?