Champions League
December 10, 2009
It's been a bit of a topsy-turvy week for German teams in the Champions League. Both Stuttgart and Bayern Munich were in danger of crashing out after stumbling towards the last group game in need of a win to qualify while Wolfsburg, who had looked the strongest of the Bundesliga sides, just needed to hang on for a draw while hoping CSKA Moscow failed to win at Besiktas.
Wolfsburg's luck ran out at home to Manchester United on Tuesday night, losing 3-1 to a makeshift United team which had only one first choice defender fit enough to take to the field. With Moscow scraping a last minute winner in Turkey, the Germans will now be looking forward to Europa League action from now on.
Bayern, however, produced one of the performances of the group stage to grab the victory they needed over Juventus to progress to the last 16. With the winner of the clash in Turin guaranteed the final qualification spot behind Group A winners Bordeaux, it seemed a tall order for Louis van Gaal's stuttering side. But Bayern tore an uninventive and profligate Juventus side to pieces on Tuesday, winning 4-1 and booking their place in the knock-out round.
Stuttgart will be there too after a 3-1 win on Wednesday night over Romania's Unirea Urziceni. New coach Christian Gross watched his team plunder three goals in eleven minutes to effectively end the game by the quarter-hour mark. The victory moved Stuttgart above the Romanians into second place in Group G, claiming the last qualifying spot and securing their involvement in at least two more Champions League games.
Previous winners and current champs await
Qualifying as runners-up in their respective groups, Bayern and Stuttgart will be drawn to play teams which won their groups in the Round of 16. This means that the Germans face a two-leg play-off with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Fiorentina, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal. Stuttgart may also face Bordeaux, winners of Bayern's group, while Bayern could get Sevilla, the top team in Stuttgart's.
Considering the pedigree of those teams still in the competition, both Stuttgart and Bayern face a tough but not unfathomable challenge to reach the quarter-finals. Out of the big guns laying in wait, Barcelona are the current holders, Manchester United have contested the previous two finals, Real Madrid are nine-times winners, while Chelsea have featured in a final and two semi-finals in the last three years.
Since winning the title in 2001, the best Bayern have managed is four quarter-final appearances while qualifying for the last 16 twice. Stuttgart made the quarter-finals once in 2003 but failed to get out of the group stage in 2007.
But the records of previous years mean little in the heat of competition. Just ask Real Madrid. They may be the all-time record holders with nine titles but they haven't won the Champions League since 2002 despite spending heavily every year in pursuit of Number 10.
Bayern's demolition of Juventus led to an avalanche of superlatives with more than one newspaper warning the rest of Europe that "Bayern are Back!" With players which seemed previously at odds with each fitting together in Turin like jigsaw pieces, and with Franck Ribery still to return from injury, Bayern could prove a real challenge to any of the teams still in the competition should the Juventus win inspire a lasting confidence in the Bavarians.
Bayern, Stuttgart hoping for luck of the draw
Bayern will prefer one of either Fiorentina or Sevilla for their first knock-out round. Munich have met the Viola from Florence on just two occasions in the Champions League, winning one and drawing the other. Given their recent performance in Italy, the Bavarians won't fear a visit to Tuscany and will feel confident of overcoming Fiorentina in their home leg at the Allianz Arena.
Fiorentina were somewhat surprising Group E winners ahead of Olympique Lyon and Liverpool but their sweeping counter-attacking style, durability and concentration proved to be a winning formula. A cavalier approach by the Germans, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery leading the charge, may find themselves caught on the break or beaten at the death by a trademark Viola late goal unless Bayern can effectively turn dominance into goals.
Sevilla are a different, unknown proposition for Bayern as the two have never met in a competitive game. Sevilla may have had an easier route through the group stages but their European record is impressive for a club of their side. While the Yellow Submarine have yet to establish a Champions League pedigree, they won back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007 before stepping up a level where they have since proved to be difficult opponents.
Sevilla are a dangerous attacking team fielding Brazil's current darling Luis Fabiano, record signing Alvaro Negredo and the predatory Frédéric Kanoute up front. Bayern will have to win the midfield battle to prevent Sevilla's creative heart of Jesus Navas and Diego Perotti feeding the front line.
It's not called the Champions League for nothing
Stuttgart will also hope to avoid the biggest names in the draw and may also favor a tie with Fiorentina, along with Bordeaux. However, the French champions have proved themselves to be no slouches in their first Champions League campaign for ten years. Despite not being the most free-scoring team in the competition, Bordeaux's strength has been their defense, shipping just two goals in the group stage. Stuttgart will need another rapid goals tally while hoping the likes of Marc Planus and Michael Ciani have a slow start in Bordeaux's back four.
Of course, the Gods of Soccer are rarely that benevolent. Both Bayern and Stuttgart may find themselves having to deal with Barcelona's European Footballer of the Year Lionel Messi and the supporting cast of world class midfielders which back him up. They could get a draw against the new galacticos of Ronaldo, Benzema and Kaka at Real Madrid or have to cope with Wayne Rooney and Co. should Manchester come calling. Germany's representatives could also find themselves heading to London to deal with either the youthful attacking threat of Arsenal or the physical might of Chelsea.
Soccer is full of clichés but none of them ring as true as one particular standard when applied to the knock-out phase of the Champions League: there are no easy games at this level.
Author: Nick Amies
Editor: Ranty Islam