World Soccer - UK (2020-12)

Porto were not the most attractive side in
Portugal last season. Such shortcomings,
however, counted for little as the Dragons
won their 29th league title. No one can
say they did not deserve their success.
They were solid, aggressive, unified and
consistent. They failed to score in only
one game all season and were victorious
in all four head-to-heads versus fellow
big-hitters Benfica and Sporting.
Not all in the garden is rosy, though.
Their failure to qualify for Champions
League football last term has left them
in a precarious financial situation, which
inevitably resulted in the sale of some key
players. Moreover, they still are subject
to a number of FFP transfer restrictions.

Shakhtar do not get nearly enough credit
for their accomplishments in Europe in
recent times. The Miners have reached
the Champions League knockout stages
twice (2015 and 2018) and have fared
well in the Europa League, twice making
the semi-finals (2016 and last term).
For a club living in exile – fleeing from
Donbass in 2016 due to the on-going
conflict – playing in Lviv, Kharkiv and now
Kiev, they have performed way better
than anyone could have expected.
Ukrainian champions in nine of the last
11 years, Shakhtar have not come flying
out of the traps for the new domestic
season. Luis Castro has been especially
dissatisfied with the team’s pressing game
and unusual lack of compactness.

The Bretons will enjoy their first-ever
taste of Champions League wine. The
Rouge et Noirsare traditionally known
in France as a cup team, always capable
of raising their game in knockout mode.
Last season, though, they discovered the
recipe for domestic league succes. The
third-highest step on the Ligue1 podium,
their best-ever finish,was ajustreward
for a durable, tightly-knit group.
Not a club to traditonally splash out,
they were unusually busy this summer
signing wingersJeremy Doku (Anderlecht)
and Martin Terrier (Lyon), striker Serhou
Guirassy (Amiens) and goalkeeper Alfred
Gomis (Dijon), while Edouard Mendy and
Raphinha left for the Premier League.

PORTO

Not easy on the eye, but effective

RENNES

Cupspecialistsreadytocauseastir

SHAKHTAR DONETSK

Eastern Europe’s best hope

What’s the reaction been to Fabio

Silva, Danilo and Alex Telles leaving?

Bad. While the sale of Fabio Silva alone

netted a cool £35.6m – not bad at all for

a19-year-old with just a handful of first-

team starts – large swathes of Porto fans

were only interested in what the deals

say about the club’s lack of ambition.

In what ways do they threaten most?

They are very dangerous from set-pieces,

withawiderangeof well-choreographed

routines and several superb exponents

of a dead-ball delivery. Opponents also

need to watch out for their new Iranian

striker Mehdi Taremi, who was brought

in from Rio Ave. This could be his year.

Big move...Can

Taremi step up?

Most wanted...

Camavinga

Naturalised...

Junior Moraes

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

COACH

Luis Castro

Methodical and

demanding. Not so

long ago, Benfica

were thinking of

headhunting him.

KEYMAN

Taison

Attacking midfielder,

left-winger or second

striker, who reserves

his best work for the

Champions League.

YOUNGSTER

TO WATCH

Dodo

Attack-conscious

Brazilian right-back

who has bullet-from

-a-gun pace.

COACH

Julien Stephan

Masterminded a

Europa League win v

Arsenalin2018-19

before guiding Rennes

to French Cup glory.

KEYMAN

EduardoCamavinga

Teenage box-to-box

sensation. Recently

became France’s

youngest player

inacentury.

YOUNGSTER

TO WATCH

Jeremy Doku

18-year-old Belgian

likenedinstyletoPSG

starKylian Mbappe.

COACH

Sergio Conceicao

Thesideisa100per

cent reflection of his

character: combative

and uncomplicated.

Known for his feisty

press conferences.

KEYMAN

Pepe

Evergreen centre-

back who sets the

emotional tone for

the entire team.

YOUNGSTER

TO WATCH

Fabio Vieira

Attacking midfielder,

20, with a wand for a

left foot. Top talent.

What are Rennes’ strong suits?

Stephan has them very well-drilled in

their attacking and defensive transitions.

They are rock-solid at the back, boasting

one of the meanest defences in Ligue1.

A switch to a 4-3-3 has also given them

more thrust and variety going forward.

With first-choice goalkeeper Mendy

moving to Chelsea, what is Plan B?

Rennes plumped for a similar profile,

bringing in Mendy’s understudy in the

Senegal national team, Gomis. He will

not have it all his own way, though. Early

this season, veteran Romain Salin, 36,

did a fine job standing in for the Mendy.

“The best one will play,” says Stephan.

Can they live without their Brazilians?

Absolutely not. Brazilian attacking-third

flair has been the fuel in the Shakhtar

tank for the best part of two decades,

featuring such Samba alumni as Willian,

Fernandinho,Jadson, Douglas Costa and

Bernard. It’s still the formula today, with

Taison, Marlos, Alan Patrick and Tete

feeding lone strikerJunior Moraes.

What about their Ukrainian talent?

Keeper and skipper Andriy Pyatov is a

superb last line of defence. Aged 35, he

is a key figure for the national team and

imminently set to reach the100-cap

barrier. Left-back Viktor Korniyenko, who

has just been promoted to the first team,

looks to have a bright future as well.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE