I reckon Arsenal have the guts to bounce back from losing to Chelsea.
If they beat Olympiacos, they\’ll take charge of Group B.
Coquelin is a good player and capable of playing really well tonight.
Arteta came to Arsenal to play in the Champions League, so he might start even if his ankle isn\’t 90%.
We hope he\’ll be OK.
Let\’s face it,Greek football isn\’t up to much and I\’m fairly confident that Oxlade will have a better game against them this time. He couldnt beat their left back once last year and got subbed.
LAST NIGHT : some terrific Matchday 2 away wins by Celtic, Man Utd and Chelsea.
Incredibly, Celtic beat Moscow Spartak with 10 men. Chelsea got three late goals in a 4-0 win in Copenhagen against CL new boys Nordsjaelland, so Matchday 2 has been rewarding for British clubs so far
Memo to Man City : watch out for Stefan Reus, a two-footed midfielder in lethal form.
After reading a lot about Jürgen Klopp and Borussia Dortmund a year ago, I was underwhelmed by them in the Champions League last season. Very average side, I thought. It\’s conceivable that Klopp\’s boys will show tonight what I thought they could produce a year ago.
Manchester United needed only 14 minutes to concede and about 14 more to equalise when Rooney\’s free-kick went in off Van Persie\’s shoulder.
I\’d backed BTS, so I won that bet in 29 minutes.
And Van Persie won the game with a stretching volley from Rooney\’s superb lofted pass. With Chicharito starting up front with RVP, and Rooney roaming deeper, wanting the ball all the time, United looked more solid. No wingers last night but a great result.
What does all this mean? Maybe three things.
United have long needed a midfielder whom is a cross between Bobby Charlton and Paul Scholes and Veron Was not that player. He failed. Maybe Rooney can make that role his own now.
Secondly, wingers are part of United\’s DNA. They have always been an swashbuckling team who score plenty of goals from crosses and volleys and headers. When that works it’s penetrating and spectacular but that style often stutters and fails in this era, which is more about quick pass-and-move into the box.
Thirdly, I\’ve always said that Rooney, despite his obvious faults, can play with anybody and likes other footballers. That\’s something I\’ve never doubted. What we doubt it his character, fitness and consistency.
Fourthly, if the Mexican partners RVP, he won\’t score many goals. None of his partners does. But then Chicharito hasn\’t been doing it this year anyway.
I backed Juventus to beat Shakhtar Donetsk but they were lucky to draw 1-1.
Afro-haired Willian, Shakhtar’s Brazilian main man, has become a very shrewd, cute footballer, having developed a lot in last three years. He was 24 recently.
Willian hit a snap shot just past the post in 82 with Buffon rooted, then hit the bar in stoppage time.
Benfica 0 Barcelona 2 was another game where both goals were made by Messi.
Fabregas scored with his left foot after Sanchez stabbed in a cross in 6 minutes. Puyol dislocated his elbow and the veteran will miss Sunday\’s clasico,one assumes.
Belarussians Bate Borisov stuffed Bayern Munich 3-1 and this is a highly informative piece on that shocker.