Mourinho maintains Midas touch in Europe
Reuters - Thursday 09 December 2010, 11:00
MILAN - Jose Mourinho's gamble of
swapping Champions League holders Inter Milan for recent
underachievers Real Madrid looks to have paid off following a
group stage where his new side excelled.
In contrast, Inter stumbled through to the last 16 in
wholly unconvincing fashion, suggesting the coach with the
Midas touch was right to bet the Italians would not be able to
repeat the highs of last season's glorious treble.
However, the Portuguese, whose only blot was a one-game
ban for ordering two of his team to pick up deliberate yellow
cards thus ruling them out of the final group stage game,
knows the Champions League is never won in December.
Real have failed to progress to the quarter-finals in each
of the last six seasons despite reaching the first knockout
round every time, so former Porto and Chelsea boss Mourinho
has work to do to become the first coach to win the trophy
with three clubs.
Finishing as the best group stage team with 16 points and
battering Auxerre 4-0 on Wednesday when already through bode
well, but threats in the knockout rounds lurk.
"We are prepared, in good form and focused on the
Champions League," Real's Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored one
against Auxerre as Karim Benzema hit a hat-trick, told
reporters.
"We know all our opponents are tough."
Bitter rivals Barcelona had two draws in Group D but the
magic of Lionel Messi, Xavi and company should sparkle even
more when the really big games come.
Inter were the only unit able to stop Pep Guardiola's side
last season but their chances of similar success this term
look doomed. Certainly their fans will say they can play no
worse.
BENITEZ PROBLEMS
Rafael Benitez is clinging to his job after Tuesday's 3-0
loss at Werder Bremen, albeit in a dead game, and he must hope
the club's top scorer last season, Diego Milito, can prosper
after injury and boost their European and domestic hopes.
City rivals AC Milan lurched through and the 2-0 home
defeat by eliminated Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday, where Zlatan
Ibrahimovic was rested for an hour, confirmed the view that
the seven-times winners are toothless without the Swede.
Ronaldinho's glory years are also now just a distant memory.
"I am calm about staying at Milan, I only want to do my
best to help the team," the 30-year-old Brazilian, no longer a
regular at the Serie A leaders, told Milan Channel after
speculation of a Janaury move.
"I feel the affection and love of the fans even when I
don't play. It's an important year."
The three big English sides, Manchester United, Chelsea
and Arsenal, are not in top form and must improve while
Tottenham Hotspur are the competition's joint-top scorers, but
their shaky defence will be severely tested in the knockout
format.
Last term's runners-up Bayern Munich have again quietly
made it through and Wednesday's 3-0 win over Basel when
already qualified shows their Champions League hunger remains
despite domestic woes.
Olympique Marseille and AS Roma did well to progress and
could pose opponents problems in February, even if hopes of
reaching the final look remote, similarly Schalke 04,
Olympique Lyon and Valencia.
FC Copenhagen and Shakhtar Donetsk punched above their
weight in the group stage, both making the first knockout
round for the first time.
Their entrance into the upper echelons of the competition
adds much-needed freshness and the pair will be eagerly
awaiting the draw on December 17 with some juicy last 16 ties
possible.