Complacency was a theme of Matchday 4, with losing finalists Chelsea showing how not to do it in Rome, where the 2009 final will be played.
Coming off the team bus casually, lining up nonchalantly in the tunnel against a team that had lost two of their first three games in Group A, Scolari’s high-scoring Blues looked as if they expected to walk it and then went 3-0 down in 58 minutes. After their 3-1` defeat John Terry admitted, “We sort of strolled in, thinking we were better than them, when clearly we’re not.”
That was Chelsea’s first defeat in a very competitive Group A. They have seven points, Roma six, Bordeaux six, and CFR Cluj four. Plenty of football still to be played there.
Atletico Madrid scored one of the finest counter-attacking goals of the season, when Maxi Rodriguez was set up by right back Antonio Lopez. A lucky penalty left Liverpool and Atletico level on eight points in Group D, with Marseilles and PSV each on three.
Barcelona also assumed they would annihilate Basel, as they had won 5-0 there on Matchday 3. The game finished 1-1
Ageing maestro Alessandro Del Piero got a standing ovation from 80,000 suporters in Madrid after scoring both goals. Afterwards, the 34-year old said that, “Juventus have never won at the Bernabeu in my lifetime.” He was in tears.
The Real Madrid defence isn’t good enough to win the Champions League.
A 0-0 at the Emirates was achieved by an improved Fenerbahce, who rode their luck as Robin van Persie missed chances from eight yards or less.
Having scored four goals against Tottenham, Arsenal only scored once at Stoke before drawing a blank on Matchday 4. Their next game is at home on Tuesday, November 25, against Dynamo Kiev, who are third in Group G on five points. Arsenal and Porto have 10 points.
Celtic led Manchester United from 13 minutes to 84, when Ryan Giggs equalised with a header from a rebound off keeper Artur Boruc. Man United and Villarreal have eight points.
Giant striker Luca Toni was missing for Bayern Munich when they visited Fiorentina, his old club in Group F. Adrian Mutu scored with a razor-sharp left-foot volley in 11 minutes. After that it was what you would expect, with plenty of Bayern tackles flying in a and few headers from Gilardino. Then a fabulous pass from Franck Ribery found midfielder Tim Borowski in the box and he buried the chance neatly in 78.
Like Manchester United, Bayern played away, conceded early and equalised late for a 1-1. They have eight points in Group F, as do Lyon, who beat Steaua Bucharest 2-0. Fiorentina have three draws and no wins. I think they’re better than that but, like everybody else, the Viola are in the results business.
Bottom line : only two teams have 10 points from four games – Juventus and Barcelona.
Arsenal, Man Utd, Villarreal, Lyon and Bayern all have 8.
Roll on February, when the knock-out games commence.