Champions League 04/05 (Group Phase Draw)

[Thug_Paco]

I like this group man as now we can test ourselves against good opponents. Its like Mancini said u only get good opponents in the champions and thats what we got and i will be able to see the matches yippiieeee

 

[Frisko]

INTER SCHEDULE-OCTOBER 2004

03 October ROMA vs INTER
17 October INTER vs UDINESE
20 October VALENCIA vs INTER
24 October MILAN vs INTER
27 October LECCE vs INTER
31 October INTER vs LAZIO
{02 November INTER vs VALENCIA}

:cry2: :scared:

 

[Bianconeri]

Well, the lady luck didn't show her face to the Italians this time...

 

[Antti]

I rank Werder Bremen very high. They were able to impress me really last season and it's very unlucky that Inter got them from pot 4. I haven't been able to see Werder (expect highlights) during this season but according to results they have played extremely well.

It's true Klose isn't Ailton and they losed also another important player to Schalke 04 in last summer, one of the best central defender of Bundesleague Mladen Krstajic. But Frank Fahrenhorst (or even Finnish International Petri Pasanen who has played as the right fullback in their first mathces this season) can replace Krstajic and they have also good striker Nelson Haedo Valdez if Klose fails to impress. They have very good and competitive squad anyway.

Thomas Schaaf's Werder plays with 4-1-2-1-2/4-2-2-2. It's quite original back four, I think. Werder don't use real wingers whatsoever and their midfield consists two more defensive players (Baumann and Ernst) and two more offensive players (Micoud and mister X who replaces injured Kristian Lizstez). The strikers are good in air and have decentlly pace (not sprinters like Ailton though).

Sadly I don't have time to write more now but maybe I write later more about Werder.

 

[Interforeva]

This is not an easy group but I feel that if we play well then we should get through. I love the CL and can't wait for the first game!

 

[snake]

I just realised that each team we play won their respective seasons!! lol damn.

We face Bremen, champs of Germany over Stuttgart, Leversuken and Bayern munich.

We face Anderlecht, champs of Belgium.

We face Valencia, champs of Spain over Barcelona, Deportivo And Real Madrid.

:scared:

 

[Hammoudi]

Our group this year, on paper, is certainly easier than last year's and we know what happened then. None of the teams in this group is a european power house and none is a push-over either. I prefer it this way, we sort of know what we are getting, unlike last year when it all went wrong.

Valencia is obviously the team to beat, but as Han said their pre-season isn't looking good. They got three new players in attack and their defence is getting old. At least we know the team really well and even their new boys are familiar to us. I look for Toldo to repeat that monumental performance he had against them again. :star:

As for Werder, many guys here described them really well. They are a typical organized german team that play like a unit. Ailton absence isn't showing now but it soon will. Klose isn't as multi-dimensional as Ailton but the guy is an aerial-threat. And this could be the problem, both their forwards are sort of classic CF and we need tall and strong defenders. If Materazzi is off for some reason we could be in trouble, Adani anyone? :fero: . Their achilles heel could be their lack of CL experience since almost none of their players played regularly in the CL.

The only i know about Anderlecht is Kompany. I also know that they've been in the CL forever and they keep getting knocked early, please keep the trend for this year.

 

[Stefan]

Adani is gone, forget about him. We have burdisso who is very good in the air.

 

[cool_cuchu]

well,
this group is certainly as hot as helll..

last season champion from spain, belgium and germany.... facing this season scudetto ...

well, I was expecting us playing real madrid... that would be really cool..
my dream is to see inter trashes real ...

I was wishing inter got this kind of draw :

Inter
MU
Madrid
Bayern Muenchen


that would be really cool....

 

[Pravesh]

I was wishing inter got this kind of draw :

Inter
MU
Madrid
Bayern Muenchen


that would be really cool....

Yeah,
too cool that Inter's chance to qualify for the quarter-final wud had been a big question, cool-emre

Anyway, that's impossible, coz Man Utd, Real Madrid and B.Munich all are from the same pot (POT A).

 

[BFC82]

I wanted Inter to get Real Madrid or ManU for one reason, better chance for me to catch them on TV. ESPN2 almost always shows an ManU or Real regardless of who they are playing against. Anyway, Im optimistic about our chances, we should at least finish in 2nd with no problems. Only thing Im fearing is Mancini's lack of CL experience, remember the drubbing Lazio received in Rome last season, 4-1!

 

[Guy]

On paper Inter is better than the 3 other teams.
But Inter alwasy likes to give itself a hard time with needless losses.

Its a tough one, but it could be worse. Im ottimisto.

 

[mMontenegro]

Valencia - very tough oponent. But without their coach Rafa Benitez, they won't be dangerous as they were ... Still they have very strong team, with new playeres like Fiore, Coradi and Di vaio. I would be happy with 2 draws

Werder - without Ailton and Krstajic, they aren't strong as they were. Especialy they'll miss Ailton who was their top scorer in Bundesliga. Now they have Close who is averge. Expet 2 victories

Andrelecht - don't know them very much. they have Basegio, Atuba, Company and Jestrovic. I know they are very good at home, but that's all.

It isn't the best group, but at least there are no Russian or Ucraine team (playing on those freezing grounds was :scared: :yuck: )

 

[Shaun]

more stuff from the Werder Bremen website:

Klaus Allofs, General manager:
" We've been drawn in a group with strong competitors but it could have been worse. With all respect to teams such as FC Valencia, Inter Milan and RSC Anderlecht I consider us to have a good chance of reaching the quarter finals."

Jürgen L. Born, Managing Director:
" We came here optimistically and we are leaving optimistically. The Champions League is the most difficult league in football. Still, we believe we have opponents in our group who will not make it impossible to progress further."

Thomas Schaaf, Head-coach:
" We've gotten very interesting, very big teams with whom we can be satisfied. The Spanish and Belgien champions and the fourth placed team in Italy - sounds good to me. On the whole our group is difficult evaluate. Inter and Valencia have been involved in several transfares so we must wait and see how they begin their seasons. We'll definately approach our challenges courageously and go about our job confidently. Just looking at the other groups, no German side is going to have an easy ride into the quarter finals."

Fabian Ernst:
" I knew from the outset that there'd be no easy groups. All of the teams which have qualified for the group phase of the Champions League have international class. Sure Valencia and Inter Milan are the favourites in our group followed by Anderlecht and ourselves. Still, we have a chance to progress as quite often it's the form on the day that counts. It's quite ok that we start things off with such a 'Cracker' against Inter at the San Siro - that game is my personal highlight."

Johan Micoud:
" That's a tough group. I would consider Valencia to be strongest. They're Spanish champions and won the UEFA cup. Valencia are in possession of a strong defence and excellent individual players. The team have been Champions League participants for years and have a great deal of international experience. Inter Milan are also a top European club who have signed a fantastic new trainer in Roberto Mancini. The only one I know from the team is my compatriot Lamouchi with whom I played for AC Parma. RSC Anderlecht are also not to be under-rated. The Belgiens had a fabulous second half of the season and became champions.

The Champions League is a fantastic challenge for us and sort of an encore to the Bundesliga. For me personally the national league still takes top priority. If we want to establish ourselves in the Champions League in the long term then we must first achieve good league positions at home year for year. That's my goal with Werder Bremen."

Ludovic Magnin:
Inter is a mind blower. I saw they're return leg of the Champions League qualifier against FC Basel. They were amazing. They had had two chances and one goal in the first 30 seconds. Recoba and Adriano up front with Vieri just on the bench. That says it all. The Brazilian Adriano is simply the best striker there is at the moment. He's so fast and is on form now but we'll stop him! Even if he was top scorer at the Copa America. It's great for me to start our campaign in Milan. I grew up just 40 minutes drive from the San Siro and it was always my dream to play there. I would have prefared AC Milan but Inter is not bad either :yuck: ."

 

[Pani]

Thank God,that our opponent from 3rd group was Anderlecht!!!

 

[Frisko]

I would have prefared AC Milan but Inter is not bad either :yuck: ."

We'll make him swallow that remark! He'll regret ever saying that! :stuckup:

 

[Pravesh]

BREMEN - Champions League Group G opponents Werder Bremen lost 2-1 to Wolfsburg in Sunday afternoon's Bundesliga round three match.

WERDER BREMEN 1-2 WOLFSBURG (HT: 0-0)

Scorers: Brdaric (WO) 46', Thiam (WO) 53', Klose (WB) 71'



## Keep it up Werder Bremen.

 

[The_Egyptian_Interista]

Valencia will play tonight at home against Villarreal.

 

[Frisko]

Valencia's defender Ayala is to undergo knee surgery and will be out for at least 2 months. Great news for us

 

[Gismo]

I´m sad for him, but happy for Inter. :mute: