The Champions League group stages have come to an end and it’s hard to know quite how to feel about it yet. Three English clubs progressed – which is a positive for most Premier League fans – but this year’s edition of Europe’s elite competition did not provide the sort of unpredictability that we expect.
Despite some mouth-watering groups being drawn, little was riding on gameweek six. Groups were decided for the most part, with the battles largely being for Europa League placing. Whether this was a sheer coincidence or a result of the increasing gap between clubs across Europe, we are yet to be able to tell. One thing that may give us an indicator, though, is that only six nations are represented in the last 16.
For all the bemoaning of the group stages this season, the Champions League is still a fortnightly gift to football fans. A pleasant release from the repetition of domestic football, and even a dead-rubber-littered final round of fixtures had its own points of fascination.
Here are FIVE things we learnt…
Dortmund upset the odds
After winning 8-4 in their last Champions League game, it was fair to say that goals were expected from Borussia Dortmund’s trip to Real Madrid. Neither side disappointed, of course, as the match finished 2-2 after a flowing, open 90 minutes of action.
Few expected Thomas Tuchel’s side to recover from 2-0 down, but they upset the odds once again. Their fearless, gifted young players were a joy to watch as usual as they turned the game around to top the group.
Star Spurs
A strong performance against Chelsea – despite eventual defeat – was followed by the annihilation of Swansea for Spurs. Things were looking up, players were returning to form and perhaps it wasn’t all bad for Mauricio Pochettino.
CSKA Moscow are not the hardest opponents the Lilywhites will face this season, but the standard of Spurs’ display cannot be discounted. With Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen returning to their best form, the blip of late looks to be long forgotten.
Nightmare for Besiktas
In the knowledge that a victory away at Dynamo Kyiv would send them through to the last 16, Besiktas collapsed emphatically. Falling to an eventual 6-0 defeat, with two red cards, so the Turkish giants will have to settle for Europa League football.
While Napoli and Benfica’s clash could have been the tie of the round had Besiktas won competed against Kyiv, the demise of the Black Eagles removed any potential excitement from the group. An opportunity lost, more than anything, for Besiktas, who are a team to be avoided in the Europa League.
Foxes in trouble
Poor league form for Leicester has been excused by their Champions League performances. Guaranteeing progression with a game to spare, Claudio Ranieri tinkered with his side for their trip to FC Porto on Wednesday night.
The results were harrowing. Battered by the Portuguese side, Leicester were thrashed 5-0 and looked far from the standard required to compete at the top level. This result in isolation could have been attributed to a lack of concern in a dead rubber, but it carries a more worrying message when aligned with their recent form.
Poor Unai
Paris Saint-Germain simply are not used to failure. Having won four straight Ligue 1 titles, success has become second nature. Heavy investment has brought such results, yes, but they have built a reputation as one of Europe’s footballing powerhouses.
Now, with Unai Emery as manager, it’s all looking a bit more challenging. Off the pace domestically – having lost 3-0 to Montpellier last weekend – and finishing second in their Champions League group have revealed some cracks. Emery has questioned his players already and they only just nicked a draw at home to Ludogorets. It’s far from a disaster, but PSG are perhaps learning that even they will have dips.