Warm balls, fixed draws and the groups of death!

These are the CHAMPIONS!! As the beautiful and iconic anthem rings in our ears, we know that the UEFA Champions League is back! The European transfer window has also concluded. Most teams have played a few matches in their domestic leagues and matchday 1 of the Champions League as well! But what about the tie ups and how did they come about? UEFA conducted its premier club competition’s draw on 30^th August in the French principality of Monaco. More on that and the goals of the week in the latest round of matches.

The UEFA draw usually held at their headquarters in Nyon or Monaco elicits excitement as club directors and officials descend to watch the drama unfold. UEFA secretary, Gianni Infantino, conducted the draw as always. And as is the custom, the warm balls conspiracy refuses to die down! So what exactly is the warm balls theory? Well internet and whispers mongers have always floated the idea that UEFA ‘fixes’ the draw by placing the bigger teams in easier groups so that they could advance to the latter stages and attract more buzz and revenue. Naturally, a fixture like Manchester United vs Real Madrid would generate a lot more eyeballs and exposure if they played each other in the semis or finals rather than playing each other in the group stages and run the risk of an early elimination. So UEFA apparently ‘heats’ some balls in a bowl and the those usually conducting the draw, are aware then that they have to pick those balls to give a favourable draw. UEFA, though, has time and again denied such a thing and also stated that such things would not be possible on an open stage in front of billions watching around the world as well. Speculation though continues to persist!

As for the draws themselves, some mouth watering clashes occurred. Group A has some formidable pedigree with Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid. Both got off to winning starts. AS Monaco have the potential to cause an upset, but their squad will surely become stretched like it showed against Atletico Madrid. Regularly shorn of their best players, this could mean an early exit from the Champions League.

Group B is the trickiest one to predict. With Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur seeded first and second, the toughest challenge will come from Inter Milan. Returning to the competition after 6 years, Inter could provide a stiff challenge to rest of the group. And they are already causing fireworks. 2 goals in the final 6 minutes turned the tie on its head and Tottenham again collapsed at the death, displaying old weaknesses. Captain Mauro Icardi’s exquisite volley and Mario Vecino’s header condemning the Lilywhites’ to a defeat from the clutches of victory. PSV Eindhoven look out of their depth in this group, with Barcelona swatting them aside in a commanding performance – Lionel Messi chipped in with a lovely hattrick and Ousmane Dembele scoring a fine goal as well.

Then comes perhaps the real group of death – Group C. Paris Saint Germain, Liverpool and Napoli are all attacking sides and could provide the most entertaining group stage matches this season. The first match bore witness to that as an enthralling match ended with a slightly injured Roberto Firmino coming off the bench to grab a superb winner within minutes of the end. Crvena Zvezda, simply known as Red Star Belgrade, turned out to be a tough nut to crack for Napoli. The Eastern European stadium brought back memories some 80’s nostalgia, along with passionate crowds, turning it into a cauldron . PSG and Liverpool, beware!

With no real favourites here, any two of Schalke, Porto, Galatasaray or Lokomotiv Moscow could go through in Group D. . Bayern Munich are unquestionably the top dogs of Group E. Second could be up for grabs though, and Benfica, AEK Athens and Ajax will all fancy their chances The script played out to the hilt with Bayern recording an easy away day victory in Lisbon courtesy of Robert Lewandowski and Renato Sanches, netting against his former club. Similarly, Manchester City should be cruising through Group F and would be targeting maximum 18 points against their less illustrious rivals – Lyon, Shakhtar Donetsk and Hoffenheim. But their opening day shock loss at home to Lyon should bring them crashing down back to Earth! An entertaining match was served up in Ukraine as well, with Shakhtar and Hoffenheim sharing the spoils.

Defending and record 12 time champions Real Madrid should have no problem topping Group G with last years’ surprise semi finalists, AS Roma, finishing as likely runners up in the group. Real Madrid started their title defense in perfect form, swatting aside the Romans 3-0. Away trips to Moscow could be tricky though for both. And last but not the least, Cristiano Ronaldo returns to his Old Trafford with his new team Juventus looking to down Manchester United once again in some electric Group H clashes. Ronaldo though, received a controversial red card after appearing to pull Valencia defender Jeison Murillo’s head. Juventus believe though it was unfair. Replays too suggest it was unclear whether he actually did even get a hand on Murillo. But intention is all that matters. The match officials deemed it violent conduct enough, to send him off. That didn’t stop Juventus from still winning comfortably as a Miralem Pjanic penalty double ensured the 3 points. Man United won comfortably in Bern as well with goals from Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial making short work of Young Boys.

India U-23 — Young Blue Tigers line up against Maldives in the SAFF final

India’s decision to send its U23 team to the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) championship seems to have paid off. Despite losing the final to Maldives 2-0, its been a good exposure for the youngsters. India have some bright talents coming up in that squad, such as Anirudh Thapa, Manveer Singh and Sumeet Passi. Its important the AIFF continues giving them the best exposure and hopefully they will soon be seen in the first team. The senior team are gearing up for crucial matches against China and Oman in the coming months as preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in UAE. Coach Stephen Constantine has his work cut out to ensure a respectable performance from the Blue Tigers at the Asian Cup.

Goals of the Week