Champions League 2012-13: The week-end after Champions League Day 1

There is a chance for us to talk about Champions League matches, but let’s wait with this until we are closer to the second matchday. Before that we’ll make the traditional week-end round-ups and talk about the two big surprising teams at the Champions League – BATE Borisov and CFR Cluj. So don’t miss the next-week post about Belorussian and Romanian champions. 

In the week preceding the Champions League group stage kick-off Arsenal

Champions League 2012-13: The last week-end before the group stage kick-off

In the week preceding the World Cup qualification matches, there was, as always, plenty of interesting action going on in the European pitches.

In the first clash involving two Champions League participants

Champions League 2012-13: Group G, Group H and Ranking

                                             Group G

SL Benfica – Portuguese runners-up

UEFA Ranking: 13

Transfer amount of all players: EUR 174,0 mio

3 most prolific players: Maxi Pereira, Oscar Cardozo, Gaitan

Ambitions for the season:

Champions League 2012-13: Group D, Group E and Group F

                                            Group D

Manchester City FC – English champions

UEFA Ranking: 20

Transfer amount of all players: EUR 489,3 mio

3 most prolific players: Kompany, Silva, Aguero

Ambitions for the season:

Champions League 2012-13: Group A, Group B and Group C

Now when the Champions League 2012-13 participants are allocated into groups, it is time to compare them by means of some interesting facts and figures.

                                           Group A

FC Dynamo Kyiv - Ukrainian runners-up

UEFA Ranking: 22

Transfer amount of all players: EUR 132,0 mio

3 most prolific players: Miguel Veloso, Kranjcar, Yarmolenko

Ambitions for the season:

Champions League 2012-13: All 32 arrived

As it is easy to notice, we are full house now – the last 10 teams have joined to complete the final list of 2012-13 Champions League group stage. The 32 teams represent 17 European countries. Spain and England have 4 participants; Germany, France and Portugal will send 3 teams; Italy, Ukraine and Russia will have 2 and Netherlands, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Denmark, Greece and Scotland – 1 representatives. The draw will take place on Thursday, the results of which we will discuss next week.

But before the draw,

Champions League 2012-13: The first El Classico of the season

The Dutch Ajax started showing its class only in the second round of Eredivisie. The champions moved with a course of a goal per 10 minutes until the score became 5-0. For the remaining time the opponent received some air to breath. The final score is

Champions League 2012-13: FC Zenit St. Petersburg and FC Shakhtar Donetsk

Zenit St. Petersburg, Russia

UEFA Ranking: 24

Champions League participations: 2 (2008-09, 2011-12)- best result - 1/8 finals (2011-12)

Total transfer amount of all players: 146,4 mln €

The most expensive players:

Champions League 2012-13: The Top Supercups Allocated

The previous weekend gave us lots of exciting supercup matches with a large number of goals scored.

On Saturday the Italian champion met the national cup winner in Beijing. This was the first match for Antonio Conte to be absent due to his disqualification. Another important name missing in the Juve squad was Giorgio Chiellini. This could be the reason why Napoli found it too easy to pass through the Turin side defense. After some beautiful goals from both sides the score was 2-2 before the teams went on to the extra time.