It is quite early to discuss next season’s Champions League particularly with the World Cup looming ahead but Inter’s historic treble was much more than a great achievement. It proved once again how difficult it is to repeat as a champion in Europe’s elite club competition. For the Nerazzurri winning the Champions League is the ultimate experience having waited for more than four decades to repeat as champions of Europe.

President Massimo Moratti helped fund the building of the Nerazzurri squad and brought in Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho with the specific objective of bringing European glory to Milan considering the current Serie A title holder have not won the Champions League since the 1960s. Previous boss Roberto Mancini succeeded in breaking the dominance of Juventus and Milan since the early 1990s but failed to combine domestic success with an extended run in Europe’s elite competition as he never guided the Nerazzurri to the Final.

Mourinho succeeded in winning Serie A, Coppa Italia and the Champions League yet he is racing to the exit door leaving the Nerazzurri in a delicate situation following the best season in the club’s history. Players such as Maicon and Diego Milito are now being linked with a move to Real Madrid which is Mourinho’s likely destination. It is only time before Mourinho is confirmed as the boss in Madrid unless he has a change of heart and opts to stay with the Nerazzurri. Other clubs are beginning to assess their chances of luring some of Inter’s key players to leave the peninsula as Arsenal have reportedly shown interest in goalkeeper Julio Cesar while Manchester City are looking to capture midfielder Esteban Cambiasso. These reports might not become reality but all these claims are a major distraction for a club celebrating a historic treble and with some of the star players headed to South Africa 2010.

Assuming Mourinho and some of the players jump ship, the Nerazzurri will be losing some key components while skipper Javier Zanetti is only getting older despite his consistent displays. Zanetti deserves credit for his fighting spirit and for putting in solid performances time and again despite his age. Below is a brief look at some of Inter’s main competitors for next season:

Barcelona: The former holders were ousted by Inter and will be looking to regain their lost title. Barca are one of the most talented teams in the world with Lionel Messi and Xavi Hernandez leading the charge. Barca have added a star name in the shape of striker David Villa while the Catalans remain in pursuit of Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas. If they do sign Fabregas then the team will likely start the next La Liga season and Champions League campaign as one of the favourites.

Real Madrid: The record winners of the Champions League will welcome with open arms Mourinho who has made it clear he will only leave the Nerazzurri for Madrid. In Madrid he will have greater individual talent to work with yet less of a cohesive unit and a weaker team spirit. Mourinho will be motivated to turn this team of stars into a strong and unified squad. Los Galacticos already have former Milan idol Kaka and world record signing Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks but it would not be a surprise if Mourinho asked for Maicon and Diego Milito to be signed from Inter. If they do, then Los Galacticos will be considered as a firm favourite considering they only missed on La Liga title by three points and many forget it does take time for news players to gel together.

Chelsea: Ironically Mourinho was shown the doors at Stamford Bridge because he failed to bring European glory to the London club but he did punish his former employers by eliminating them in the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating them twice home and away. Chelsea hired former Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti and the Italian succeeded in leading the Blues to a historic double by winning the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season in charge. Ancelotti made it clear his main objective for next season is to repeat the domestic double and to win in Europe. While Chelsea have a strong squad with experience and talent, the players as individuals are below the talent level of Spanish giants Real and Barca.

Bayern Munich: Bayern proved they are a solid team after a slow start to the season and the final in Madrid was perhaps a small representation of their season as they only began to show their potential after conceding the first goal to Inter’s hero Milito. The Bavarians will have Arjen Robben (despite rumours linking him with Juventus;  just unlikely to happen for a number of reasons) and French star Franck Ribery will apparently return after missing the Champions League final due to suspension. The Germans are a solid group but like Chelsea they are not on par with Real and Barca if individuals are compared on a position by position basis.

Manchester United: Manchester have one of the best managers in Sir Alex Ferguson but he can certainly be stubborn leading him to make the odd mistake here and there, particularly when it comes to offloading certain players or refusing to bring in the appropriate players to replace outgoing stars. The Red Devils did not replace Cristiano Ronaldo and their challenge for Chelsea in the Premiership and before that in the Champions League tie against Bayern  faltered once it became clear Wayne Rooney is carrying injury. If Manchester do not sign a couple of solid players, in particular one goal scorer to complement Rooney, then they will likely fall short in the early knockout stages with perhaps a quarter-final spot at best.

There are other less likely contenders but the strongest ones would be Italian duo Roma and Milan yet the two sides have a number of limitations such as their restricted budget for bringing in players and in the case of the Rossoneri an aging squad. Milan will need Brazilian stars Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato to stay and will hope a capable coach will take charge at Milanello to promote a few promising players from the youth sector and sign a number of quality players to reinforce the team. As for Roma they have do not have a deep bench and their first team is often riddled with injuries due to the age of some key players such as Francesco Totti. It is unlikely either squad will win the Champions League but they can play the role of a spoiler if their stars remain healthy and fit.

It is quite hard to repeat in the Champions League as shown by the famous Milan side in the 1990s which dismantled Barca 4-0 in an epic encounter only to loss the next year in the final to Ajax Amsterdam who in turn were defeated the following year by Juventus. The Bianconeri would go on to play in two more consecutive finals yet the curse of repeating would also prove to be their downfall despite having the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Alessandro Del Piero (at his peak).

The Round of 32 produced a few dramatic results including a thrilling two-leg sweep of Roma by Panathinaikos. The Greek club won both legs by identical 3-2 scores and should be full of confidence for their matches against Standard Liège.

A quick look ahead to the Round of 16. Depsite their domestic foibles, I do expect Liverpool’s overall depth to show against Lille. Lille have performed well this season and I think they will keep the tie close but ultimately the Reds will move on.

A potential upset in the making sees Fulham take on Italian giants Juventus. Juve have struggled for form this season and I look for master tactician Roy Hodgson to engineer a win.

PREDICTIONS:
Hamburger SV v RSC Anderlecht
FC Rubin Kazan v VfL Wolfsburg
Club Atlético de Madrid v Sporting Clube de Portugal
SL Benfica v Olympique de Marseille
Panathinaikos FC v Royal Standard de Liège
LOSC Lille Métropole v Liverpool FC
Juventus v Fulham FC
Valencia CF v Werder Bremen

(photo courtesy of uefa.com)

Wow. There are some really great match-ups that have emerged from today’s draw at UEFA headquarters. I’m going to give a quick rundown and early predictions though I reserve the right to change my mind before kick-off of the this round!

The tie that will likely generate the most press is the Inter Milan – Manchester United clash. It is a return to English soil for former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. Mourinho and Alex Ferguson have always been cordial but there have been tense moments between the two. One was brought on by Mourinho’s celebratory run down the touchline at Old Trafford in March 2004. Jose celebrated Francisco Costinha’s last-minute equaliser as if he had scored it himself. That goal knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League and Porto went on to victory in the final, which elevated Mourinho to the status of being one of the eilte managers in the game.

In another interesting twist, Chelsea will welcome back another one of their former bosses as Claudio Ranieri’s Juventus have been paired with Chelsea. Completing the Anglo-Italian showdown is the clash of two attack-minded sides as Arsenal take on AS Roma.

A thought for poor Lyon who were matched up against the current form team in Europe, Barcelona. It’s going to be a tall mountain to climb for the French champs but it is not impossible.

I will do a more thorough breakdown in the weeks leading up to the next round but for now, here are my early predictions based on current form:

Chelsea v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v FC Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Liverpool
Arsenal v Roma
Inter Milan v Manchester United

Who do you think will advance? Which match-up are you most anticipating?

With only three places left in the next round of this seasons Champions League and with only five teams capable of filling those spots it seems like a good time to look ahead to the draw for the knockout stages.

Once again all four English sides look set to qualify for the next round, with only Chelsea yet to confirm their place with the Blues needing a victory over Cluj in the last match to make sure. However that would seem to be a formality (famous last words!) and along with La Liga the Premier League will once again be the dominant force in the knock-out stages.

With the last four finals being contested by English sides the teams from the Premier League have become the ones to avoid and once again this season won’t be any different.

Whilst there have been a couple of impressive performances by the English sides, Arsenal’s 5-2 win in Fenerbache being the standout one, all four look like they will qualify at a canter. In truth only Chelsea have been really tested in qualifying for the next round, that mainly coming from their trip to Rome.

We have already seen Liverpool and Manchester United up against the other big force in the Champions League, the Spanish sides, and really in all four games the English sides should have taken all three points.

The only side capable of challenging the Premier Leagues dominance of Europe will be Barcelona. The Catalan giants have been in remarkable form this season, destroying all of those in front of them and if you are drawn against Pep Guardiola’s side in the knock-out stages then good luck!

Barcelona looked a shade of the side you might have expected when they took on Manchester United last season but with Lionel Messi leading the way the Premier League sides will be wary. Apart from Barca though there doesn’t look to be any series contenders to the English dominance.

Looking through Europe you still have the big names in the next round, such as Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Lyon but not even these sides look good enough to upset the football odds and claim Manchester United’s crown.

Despite all four sides leading their respective leagues, or being in second place, and having on paper the quality to challenge for the Champions League you just can’t see it happening. Inter and Juventus play in a league where the quality of football is dreadful amongst the sides outside of the top seven. Bayern Munich still have a good side on paper with Franck Ribery, Miroslav Klose and Bastien Schweinsteiger good enough to walk into any side. However they aren’t playing like a team, with disjointed performances being a hallmark of their season. As for Lyon they will probably walk the French league again but once again there resilience on Juninho means if he doesn’t play well they will crumble.

All four are good sides and there are more teams left in this seasons competition that you would group in that category but they aren’t great like United where last season. I don’t believe them to even be good enough to upset Chelsea (if they make it), Liverpool and Arsenal.

How the tide has turned from ten years ago when those English sides left in the competition would be wary of whoever they drew in the knock-out stages. Whoever the Premier League sides draw I would expect them to all go through to the quarter finals and I wouldn’t be surprised to see two or three sides make up the semi-finals as well with the winners once again coming from Premier League.

Three people have been killed and at least one more injured after a taxi blew up in St Petersburg. A spokesman for Russia’s emergencies ministry told the BBC that the taxi exploded during rush-hour just outside the Udelnaya underground station in the north of St Petersburg. That station is not far from Zenit’s training ground and it is not known who the blast was targeted at. Russian officials say the blast could have been caused by a hand grenade. A criminal investigation is now under way and I will bring you more coverage as it becomes available. Some reports are suggesting that the government may ask UEFA to postpone the game until it completes its investigation of the incident.

Real Madrid have suffered another major injury blow as striker Ruud van Nistelrooy’s season looks to be over after it was announced that he will undergo an operation to correct a problem with his right knee. The reigning Spanish champions already have Arjen Robben and Mahamadou Diarra out of action due to calf and thigh problems, while Rubén de la Red is still recovering after fainting on the pitch on 30 October. de la Red’s football future is in doubt after Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon revealed to a Spanish radio station that the Spain international could be suffering from a heart problem. de la Red will not return to action unless doctors are certain that his health is not in danger.

The 32-year-old former Manchester United and PSV Eindhoven star damaged his knee during Real’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at Juventus in October. He travelled to the United States last week and underwent exploratory surgery. He is being treated by Dr. Richard Steadman, who previously operated on van Nistelrooy in 2000 prior to his move to Manchester United FC from PSV Eindhoven. Along with damaged cartilage, a cyst on the players’ cruciate ligament was discovered, leaving club doctors in no doubt that the player required an operation.

Despite being troubled by the problem all season, van Nistelrooy made six league appearances for Madrid, scoring four times as well as firing in another three goals in four UEFA Champions League games. He is the second top-scorer in Champions League history with 60 goals.

Dr Richard Steadman will be a busy man as he will also be treating Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves. Hargreaves will not play again this season after undergoing surgery on his right knee with a further operation to follow on the left.

The Guardian details that Steadman has developed special surgical techniques which allowed several United States Ski Team members to return to competition and win Olympic medals. In 1976 he was named Chief Physician for the United States Ski Team and in 1989, his work was recognised with his election to the US National Ski Hall of Fame.

Hargreaves has not played since September 21st because of the persistent tendinitis which has restricted his opportunities at Old Trafford since his 2007 move from FC Bayern München. United are also missing Paul Scholes through a knee injury though he should return to action much sooner than his colleague.

Dynamo Kyiv’s substantial injury list has grown by one more. Defender Olexandr Romanchuk has been ruled out for at least six months with a double fracture of his left leg sustained in a Ukrainian Cup quarter-final match. Kyiv look like they will also be missing midfielder Milos Ninkovic, centre-back Taras Mikhalik and goalkeeper Olexandr Shovkovskiy ahead of their important MatchDay 5 fixture with Arsenal.

Villarreal’s leading scorer Joseba Llorente will not be available for the Spanish club’s two remaining fixtures in the Champions League as he needs approximately a month to recover from a tear in his right thigh. Llorente had been enjoying a good start to his career at Villarreal, scoring six times in eleven league games so far this season.

He joined the Yellow Submarines on a four-year contract from Real Valladolid in the summer after scoring 16 times in 39 appearances during the 2007-08 season. After coming on as a substitute, he scored a second-half hat trick against Aalborg BK in Villarreal’s memorable 6-3 win on October 21st.

Juventus defender Jonathan Zebina will miss up to three months after undergoing surgery on an inflamed tendon in his left leg.

CFR 1907 Cluj will be without striker Didi and defender Gabriel Muresan is a doubt for the visit of AS Roma next Wednesday. Didi suffered a recurrence of a problem with his left knee in a league game against FC Unirea Urziceni while Muresan is struggling with a muscle strain.

One of the great fixtures in European football returns tonight when Real Madrid travel to Turin to take on Juventus. After a home victory against Zenit St Petersburg and a surprise 2-2 draw in Belarus against BATE in their opening games back in the Champions League, the arrival of the Madrid giants confirms the Old Lady’s return to the upper echelons of European football after the Calciopoli scandal saw them relegated to Serie B for the 2006-2007 season.

It has been a rapid return to the big time for Juventus. Under the tutelage of former captain Didier Deschamps they secured promotion from Serie B at the first attempt. Deschamps quit after just one season and ex-Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri was hired with the mission of getting them back to the top as soon as possible. In his first season he led them to a very respectable third place finnish and as a result, a place in the Champions League qualifying rounds.

To see them return to their natural place within Europe’s elite so soon makes you question whether they were punished severely enough for their part in the match-fixing that shook Italian football. However the decisions of top players like Gigi Buffon, Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet not to jump ship have been vindicated and Del Piero enjoyed arguably his finest season yet upon return to Serie A, scoring 21 league goals and winning the Capocannonieri award for being the leagues top goalscorer for the first time in his illustrious career.

Returning to the Champions League was vital for the recovery of the club as the money that the tournament generates will be much needed if they are to challenge for major honours again soon. In their absence Inter have gone from strength to strength.

Over the summer Juve splashed out on Palermo striker Amuari and Sevilla’s Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen. While the signings were met with mixed response from the fans, the money spent showed the clubs intent on challenging Inter’s stronghold on Serie A and making an impression in the Champions League.

However the optimism surrounding the new campaign has soon faded away. Injuries to key players have exposed the lack of strength in depth in the squad, especially defensively where Buffon’s excellence in goal had saved them last season. In midfield they have lacked creativity, which has led to criticism of the signing of Poulsen. The Dane is a very capable defensive midfielder but when paired with Momo Sissoko in the heart of the midfield there is no spark and this puts even more pressure on the ageing shoulders of Del Piero. Injuries to Camoranesi and Ranieri’s lack of faith in Tiago have also meant that the gifted young midfielder Sebastian Giovinco has been thrust into the spotlight and has been expected to deliver.

Back-to-back defeats against Palermo and Napoli have left the Old Lady in 12th position, already 7 points behind Jose Mourinho’s Inter and Ranieri is feeling the heat. General manager Jean Claude Blanc had admitted that things aren’t going according to plan. He said: “There’s disappointment, it is a difficult moment”, he continued, “However, we do not stop here, we know we have to work hard, we have to get organized especially with all the injuries we have: we are Juventus, we have to win even with the players available.”

The pressure on Ranieri hasn’t been helped thanks to his public spat with Inter manager and the man who replaced him at Chelsea, Jose Mourinho. Ranieri had said “Unlike Mourinho I don’t need to win to be sure about what I am doing.” Mourinho replied, dignified as ever, by saying: “Ranieri was right, I do need to win things to be sure of what I am doing. That’s why I have won so many trophies in my career. By contrast he has the mentality that winning isn’t crucial and at nearly 70-years-old he has just won a Super Cup and other small tournaments. He is too old to change his mentality.”

Harsh as Mourinho’s words may have been, especially given that Ranieri is 57, there is an element of truth to them which has not been lost on the Juventus fans. The club have a history of great managers including Marcelo Lippi and Fabio Capello and when compared, Ranieri falls a long way short.

All this means that they are renewing acquaintances with Real Madrid at a bad time. Bernd Schuster’s side may have struggled in the Champions League over the last couple of years but they have won the last 2 La Liga titles and have put together a squad that, if not as good to watch as the Galactico era team, is far more efficient. They are a team who seem capable at scoring at anytime and as they showed in the Madrid derby at the weekend, they have the mental strength and hunger to keep searching for a win right until the end.

The last time the 2 clubs met was back in April 2005 when Juventus overturned a 1-0 first leg defeat in the Bernabeu to go through 2-1 on aggregate. A victory tonight would be more than welcome. Not only would it give them 7 points and put one foot in the next round, it would also ease the pressure on Ranieri and provide him with more time to prove his doubters wrong.

On the newly re-launched Third Half podcast (a roundup show for all the Talk web sites), I had a great discussions with host Jonathan Starling about the goings-on of Matchday 2. Download the episode from EPL Talk.

It was a Matchday that saw debutants BATE Borisov and CFR Cluj pull off draws (and one might say they were unlucky to not win outright) against their more experienced opponents.

Were Real Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea guilty of not coming prepared for their opponents? Real Madrid seemed to feel they could sit on their 2-1 lead after bossing the early going. Zenit had other ideas and attacked relentlessly in the 2nd half and were unlucky not to get something from the match.

Juvenuts came out flat against BATE and quickly found themselves two goals down. They struck back and levelled things before the end of the first half but seemed content to play for the draw in the 2nd.

Chelsea were fortunate in many ways to escape with a draw. Cluj played a very disciplined, organized game and did not let themselves get played off the park. Chelsea had a slight advantage in ball possession but not too the point where I felt they dominated the bulk of the match. The matches are only going to get tougher for the new teams and I don’t think anyone is going to be underestimating them anymore.

Matchday 3 should be fascinating as some of the ‘second-tier’ clubs face off against one another and we should start to see some patterns emerge from the groups.

Enjoy the podcast and I’ll be back next week with more news and analysis.

Just a quick editorial note to start, I had hoped to complete my Group Previews before Matchday 1 but that was not the case. I will still be pushing those out, hopefully finish before Matchday 2 hits. Now, on to last night’s action.

After absences last season for perennial Champions League participants Bayern Munich (pictured at the right) and Juventus, both clubs returned to action with wins yesterday as Groups E-H were in action. Bayern, who played UEFA Cup football last season after a run of ten consecutive appearances in the Champions League competition, are hoping to reclaim their place amongst the ‘big’ clubs of Europe. Juventus, who were absent for three seasons because of their demotion to Serie B for match-fixing, are also looking to re-establish themselves as one of the elite clubs in Europe.

However, we start our review of Wednesday’s action in Group E where scoreless draws were the order of the day. Celtic were held by Aalborg BK as goalkeeper Karim Zaza not only saved Barry Robson’s penalty in the first half but also produced a number of other great saves to keep the Scottish champions at bay. Aalborg got what they needed from this away match at Celtic Park, the point will be valuable as they battle in hopes of at least making a UEFA Cup spot. Celtic had another great chance to score 13 minutes from time when Samaras burst through on goal, only to be brought down by defender Michael Beauchamp, which earned him a red card. However, Zaza again kept out the resulting free-kick from Nakamura. A bit of a disappointment for Celtic one would figure and they will now need to get something from their return match with Aalborg if they hope to progress to the knockout rounds.

Manchester United and Villarreal also played out a stalemate at Old Trafford. The boost United received from Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to action in the second half was not enough as the Spanish-based club defended determinedly. United created a good number of “half-chances” and a few clear-cut scoring opportunities but do not look quite settled yet. Yesterday’s result is not a good omen for United as the last time Villarreal gained a draw at Old Trafford, three seasons ago, United did not make it out of the group.

In Group F, Bayern Munich overcame a stubborn Steaua Bucharest winning 1-0 to kick off their Champions League campaign on a good note. Bayern defender Daniel Van Buyten scored the game’s only goal in the first half before the visitors held off a second-half onslaught in the Romanian capital.  An accurate cross from Bastian Schweinsteiger found Van Buyten, who directed a header into the bottom left corner beyond the reach of Steaua keeper Robinson Zapata. After a solid start from Bayern, the German-based giants fell a step behind to end the first half and that continued into the second half Steaua can feel hard done by to not have claimed a point from the match. All in all, this was a good match with plenty of chances at both ends and both teams playing positively.

The other match in Group F was also an entertaining affair with Lyon coming back to tie Fiorentina 2-2. Fiorentina were denied a win on their return to the Champions League after a nine-year absence by a determined Lyon side. Jean-Alain Boumsong showed some of his old uncertain Newcastle form as his poor clearance allowed Zdravko Kuzmanovi? to cross for Gilardino to glance in from close range and give the visitors an early lead. Gilardino scored again to close out the first half after Adrian Mutu delivered a cross that he steered inside the far post. Lyon had turned around a two-goal deficit against Nice five days earlier and they turned the trick again last night. Benzema, as he was all match long,  was the catalyst for Lyon. He squared the ball for Piquionne to tap in Lyon’s first goal on 73 minutes and then scored from a set-piece in the 86th to give the French champions a valuable point. Fiorentina have to be disappointed in not closing out the win and it has to be viewed as points dropped for the Italians.

Group G saw FC Porto defeat last season’s surprise side Fenerbahce by a 3-1 scoreline while Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kyiv. Porto’s win is not surprising when you consider that they had lost just one of their preceding 20 Champions League home games. Goals in rapid succession from Lisandro and Lucho had the home team flying early. Fenerbahce’s big summer signing, striker Daniel Guiza, nabbed a goal on the half-hour but Porto tightened up defensively after that and added a goal late in injury time to secure their first Matchday 1 win since 1999.

Arsenal endured a tough trip to the Ukraine as FC Dynamo Kyiv scrapped out a 1-1 draw. Dynamo seemingly took a page from the Arsenal playbook as they had plenty of possession but created few clear-cut scoring chances. They finally made a breakthrough in the 64th minute after Bacary Sagna wrestled Ognjen Vukojevic to the ground to concede a spot-kick. Ismael Bangoura converted and it looked like Kyiv’s run without a group-stage win was about to end. However, William Gallas popped up in the area to turn home Theo Walcott’s low ball across the face of goal, earning Arsenal a point and extending Kyiv’s winless run to 14 group stage matches. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger stated after the match that he felt Kiev captain Andriy Nesmachniy “tried to destroy” Walcott, his star 19-year-old forward, and added that the left-back could have been shown the red card on a number of occasions.

Finally in Group H,  Sergio Ramos and Ruud van Nistelrooy scored for Real Madrid as they handled debutants BATE Borisov, winning comfortably by a 2-0 margin. BATE had chances to nick a goal from some of their set pieces but were lacking that little bit of quality that might have seen them take something positive from this match.

The glamour matchup of the group saw Juventus eke out a narrow win over UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup holders FC Zenit St. Petersburg. Alessandro Del Piero scored from a free-kick to take all three points for the Italian club. I still think Zenit will be in the running for a top spot in this group and I look for an even better performance in their next match against Real Madrid.

(Note: Thanks have to go to 101greatgoals.com for the video links)

The second qualifying round brought two big upsets as Rangers and Anderlecht became two of the biggest clubs to be knocked out at this stage.

A 2-1 win (video highlights here) in Lithuania saw FBK Kaunas (pictured celebrating at the right) take full advantage of the 0-0 draw they earned at Ibrox to send the beaten 2007/08 UEFA Cup finalists crashing out of the UEFA Champions League. Full marks to Kaunas who played the two-legged tie perfectly and made the most of set-pieces in their home match to overturn an early Rangers goal from Kevin Thomson. Nerijus Radzius scored on a sweetly curled free-kick and Linas Pilibaitis headed in a corner kick from Rafael Ledesma, Kaunas’ talented Brazilian playmaker, three minutes from time to seal the victory.

Rangers had hoped to build upon last season’s thrilling run to the UEFA Cup final and reach the group stage of the Champions League. Reaching the group stage is a £10m (12.5m euro) boost for the clubs that make it. That can often allow a club the financial ability to make an additional quality signing or the ability to offer a pay raise and retain a star player.

FC BATE Borisov were in the driver’s seat after they pulled a surprise victory away against RSC Anderlecht in the first leg. Anderlecht came out flying in the return leg and took an early lead but the game turned in the second half when Anderlecht defender Nemanja Rni? collected a second yellow card on 71 minutes. BATE scored 12 minutes later to once again put themselves in control of the tie. Czech midfielder Jan Polák scored late for Anderlecht to level the game but BATE held on to their aggregate lead and their biggest win in European competition. Highlights of the second leg are available here.

A third major upset was almost had as FC Dynamo Kyiv survived a late scare in their home return leg against Drogheda United FC, holding on for a 2-2 draw to set up a tie against FC Spartak Moskva. After winning 2-1 in Ireland, a bit of overconfidence may have set in and the Ukraine-based team was pushed right to the very death by the Irish minnows.

Taking a quick look at the other second qualifying round games, Fenerbahce, on the strength of four goals from Semih ?entürk, crushed MTK Budapest 5-0 in the second leg to advance 7-0 on aggregate.  The most thrilling tie was between FC Basel and IFK Gothenburg. Basel scored a 4-2 win in the second leg to advance 5-3 on aggregate.

With no parachute into the Uefa Cup both Anderlecht and Rangers are now done with European competition for the season. Unthinkable for the fans of these clubs but delight for fans of their conquerors as they live to fight on for another round.I’ve re-posted the third round matchups, this time with my predictions on who will advance. I was 10 of 14 in the second round, which leaves me at 21/28 (75%) so far. I think this round is going to be the toughest to predict in some respects. While some of the biggest European clubs are entering the competition at this round and there are some clear mismatches, there are also some very even matchups such as the Atletico-Schalke fixture. There will be at least a couple of ‘smaller’ clubs that make it through to the group stage as some are paired together.

I’ve taken a couple of gambles and picked from the heart more than the head in some cases but it’s going to be an exciting third round either way.

2008/09 UEFA Champions League
Third Qualifying Round Fixtures
First leg: 12/13 August
Second leg: 26/27 August

Anorthosis v Olympiakos
Vitoria Guimaraes v FC Basel
Shakhtar Donetsk v Dinamo Zagreb
Schalke 04 v Atletico Madrid
Aalborg v Kaunas
Barcelona v Wisla Krakow
Levski Sofia v BATE
Standard Liege v Liverpool
Partizan v Fenerbahce
Twente Enschede v Arsenal
Spartak Moscow v Dinamo Kiev
Juventus v Artmedia
Brann v Marseille
Fiorentina v Slavia Prague
Galatasaray v Steaua Bucharest
Panathinaikos v Sparta Prague