World Soccer - UK (2019-09)

EUROPEAN PEDIGREE HOW THEY QUALIFIED TACTICAL TALKING POINT

Ajax last won the European Cup in
1995, more than 20 years after
their Cruyff-inspired three-in-a-row
triumphs in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
After last year’s run to the semi-
finals, fans fear it may be another
20 years before such a generation
of players appears again.

Champions League runners-up
twice, losing to Real Madrid in 2014
and 2016, after defeat in the 1974
European Cup Final against Bayern
Munich in 1974. Cup-winners Cup
winners in 1962 and three-times
Europa League winners (2010,
2012 and 2018).

The club’s one and only European
silverware success is the 1988
UEFA Cup. In the Champions
League, the high point has been
reaching the 2002 Final in
Glasgow, where a team led by
Michael Ballack lost to Zinedine
Zidane’s Real Madrid.

Portugal’s most decorated club
were European champions in 1961
and 1962, inspired by a young
Eusebio, and runners-up in 1963,
1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990. They
also reached the Final of the UEFA
Cup/Europa League in 1983, 2013
and 2014.

Competing in the Champions
League for the first time, but they
reached the semis of the 1988
Cup-winners Cup as a second-tier
side. They took part in the 2016-17
Europa League group stage, but
failed to qualify last year after losing
to Copenhagen in the qualifiers.

Five-times European champions
(in 1992, 2006, 2009, 2011 and
2015) with a record four Cup-
winners Cups (1979, 1982, 1989
and 1997). They have reached the
Champions League knockout stage
every year since 2005, when Lionel
Messi made his debut for the club.

Bayern are by far Germany’s most
successful club, with five European
titles, the latest in 2013 (to add to
1974, 1975, 1976 and 2001). Having
also won the 1967 Cup-winners
Cup and 1996 UEFA Cup, they are
one of a handful of clubs who have
won all three European club trophies.

Continental champions in 1997,
when they unexpectedly beat
Juventus 3-1 in Munich. Runners-
up to Bayern in the all-German
2013 Champions League Final at
Wembley. Won the Cup-winners
Cup in 1966 and were UEFA Cup
runners-up in 1993 and 2002.

Ajax won their 34th Dutch league

title but still had to pre-qualify

for the group stage. They came

through a potential banana skin

against Greek champions PAOK,

winning 5-4 on aggregate, and

then saw off APOEL of Cyprus with

a 2-0 aggregate victory.

For all the speculation over which

Ajax kids might step up to replace

the likes of Matthijs De Ligt (sold to

Juventus) and Frenkie De Jong

(Barcelona), it was 30-year-old

Dusan Tadic and 36-year-old

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar who scored

crucial goals in the qualifying rounds.

Second in La Liga, 11 points behind

Barcelona but eight ahead of

Real Madrid. But the key figures

in last season’s team – Griezmann

(Barcelona), Rodri (Man City), Lucas

Hernandez (Bayern) – have gone,

with the money from their sales

used to fund a major rebuild.

Will new star Joao Felix (€126m

from Benfica) be deployed off the

main striker or at the front of a

diamond behind a front two in a

more adventurous formation? And

how will Atletico cope with the

departures of key defenders Diego

Godin, Juanfran and Filipe Luis?

After Bosz’s arrival last December,

Leverkusen’s fortunes improved

dramatically in the second half

of the season, moving from ninth

place at the winter break to

sneaking into the top four. Kai

Havertz and Julian Brandt were

both outstanding in attacking roles.

Like Bosz’s Ajax and Dortmund

sides, Leverkusen’s attack-minded

approach features a high line with

aggressive pressing. Can Kerem

Demirbay, signed from Hoffenheim

for €32m, replace Dortmund-

bound Brandt as a free-roaming

number eight?

Champions of Portugal for a record

37th time after a remarkable

turnaround under Lage. They

moved from fourth place to top

spot in the early months of 2019.

Youth was the key, but exciting new

talent Joao Felix was sold to Atletico

Madrid this summer.

Benfica have invested heavily in

their youth system in recent years

and the sale of academy products

has revolutionised the club’s

finances. However, can the latest

batch of youngsters step up?

Notably, can Jota fill the gap

left by Felix?

Third place in Serie A last season

was the highest finish in Atalanta’s

112-year history. They impressed

with their attacking outlook, with

key roles for Papu Gomez and

Dusan Zapata, alongside midfielder

Remo Freuler and full-back

Timothy Castagne.

New signings – Luis Muriel (Sevilla),

Martin Skrtel (free) and Ruslan

Malinovskyi (Genk) – have boosted

the squad. They remain hugely

dependent on Gomez, but how will

the 31-year-old cope with midweek

Champions League games in

addition to the Serie A campaign?

Barca retained the Spanish Liga

title with ease. It was their eighth

league championship in 11 seasons

but it did not compensate for

the disappointment of losing to

Liverpool in the Champions League

semi-finals, when they threw away

a three-goal lead from the first leg.

The summer arrivals of Frenkie De

Jong and Antoine Griezmann give

Valverde valuable new tactical

options. Barca spent the summer

flirting with Neymar over a return

to the club. But how would the

Brazilian fit in with Messi, Luis

Suarez and Griezmann?

Bundesliga champions yet again

after overhauling Dortmund, but

they lost some big names – Mats

Hummels (Dortmund), Arjen

Robben (retired), Franck Ribery

(Fiorentina), Rafinha (Flamengo)

• this summer. Ivan Perisic and
  Philippe Coutinho came in on loan.

Bayern broke with convention by

spending big on young defensive

reinforcements (Benjamin Pavard

and Lucas Hernandez) while French

midfielder Michael Cuisance (€10 m

from Gladbach) slipped under the

radar, with all the attention focused

on Coutinho’s loan from Barcelona.

Finished second in a tight

Bundesliga title race, losing out

to Bayern despite having held

a comfortable winter lead. Their

young team had an average age

of 24, with Marco Reus and Jadon

Sancho the stars, and Paco Alcacer

emerging as the key goalscorer.

Will the returning Mats Hummels,

discarded by Bayern, give the

backline the solidity it needs? New

signings Thorgan Hazard and Julian

Brandt give new wide attacking

options. In the striker role, will Favre

opt for false nine Mario Gotze or

the more conventional Alcacer?

GROUP STAGE

2019-20

Through...

beating APOEL

Central...Diego

Simeone

Home...BayArena

Key...Papu

Gomez (right)

Options...

Frenkie De Jong

Loan...Philippe

Coutinho

Gap...Jota (left)

Press...Lucien Favre