Top 5 Storylines for 2014/15 Champions League Matchday 2
Two weeks after the first round of group-stage fixtures, the Champions League returns this midweek with its second matchday and a host of interesting matchups.
As we look forward to 16 mouthwatering fixtures across Europe this week, here are the top five storylines that provide intriguing context for Matchday 2.
The Start of a New Era for Ludogorets
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A couple of weeks ago, Champions League newcomers Ludogorets Razgrad did themselves proud with a valiant display at Anfield that showed Europe they wouldn’t roll over meekly to established footballing institutions during a 2-1 loss to Liverpool.
Yet the Bulgarians will only feel the full force and meaning of the Champions League for real on Wednesday when they welcome the arrival of current European champions and 10-time winners Real Madrid to their home soil.
Ludogorets won’t be able to bring Real to their city of Razgrad, since their stadium doesn’t meet UEFA requirements, but their visitors can rest assured that they will face a hostile atmosphere in the national stadium in Sofia.
Proud and Perfect Italians on the Road
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It’s been a while since Italian sides have reigned king on the European stage, and the fact that only two teams from Serie A are present in this year’s group stage says all about the problems in Italian football in recent years.
Yet this week, armed with perfect league records, Juventus and Roma will embark on a proud journey to face Atletico Madrid and Manchester City, respectively, to continue flying the flag for Italian football.
They have both been irresistible in league football so far this season. Will they be able to carry their domestic form into Europe?
Will England Do Better This Round?
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Last time around, Liverpool were the only team out of four from England to have secured a win—and even their victory over Ludogorets at Anfield was only secured via a last-minute penalty after a strong away display by the Bulgarians.
Matchday 1 got critics discussing the weaknesses of Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as Manchester City’s tough group-stage draw, not their famous attacking strength and Chelsea’s supposedly easy draw.
Not that they’ll be having a particularly smooth ride this week, though: Liverpool travel to Basel and Chelsea go to Sporting Lisbon, while City host Roma and Arsenal welcome Galatasaray. Let’s see if the Premier League really is the strongest league in the world.
Can Paris Saint-Germain Stem the Barcelona Tide?
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It’s not been the best of starts for French giants Paris Saint-Germain; with eight games played, they find themselves five points behind Ligue 1 leaders Marseille in fourth place, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s injury has not helped.
By contrast, Barcelona seem to have recovered their mojo, most recently thrashing Granada 6-0 with a Neymar hat-trick, with Lionel Messi recently having turned creator and laying on countless assists for his team-mates.
Tuesday sees Barcelona travel to the French capital in one of the most eagerly anticipated clashes of the Champions League group stage. PSG’s goal is to gate-crash the footballing elite; they have yet to truly make a splash at the European level.
But PSG head coach Laurent Blanc does not envisage a comfortable evening for his team, as Julien Pretot of Reuters reports (h/t Daily Mail).
Blanc is quoted as saying: "We'll be against our masters, almost, tomorrow."
The Curious Case of Rotating Goalkeepers
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A curious subplot involving two of the most high-profile teams in European football now centres around their goalkeepers: Both Manchester City and Real Madrid have applied their squad rotation policies all the way to the goalmouth.
Manuel Pellegrini decided to reward Willy Caballero with a starting spot in their weekend win over Hull City after last week’s Capital One Cup thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday, but rumors abound that Joe Hart, having been linked via the Daily Mirror's Aaron Flanagan with a shock move to Liverpool, will resume the No. 1 spot against Roma, according to The Guardian's James McMath.
Carlo Ancelotti has also adopted a rotation scheme with Iker Casillas attracting increasing criticism over his declining performance levels and Keylor Navas being awarded his first start for Real just last week. Will they revert to selecting Casillas only for cup competitions again?
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