Focus on Beckham as Champions League football returns
After what seems like an eternity, Champions League football returns this evening as the last-sixteen knock out phase begins. And if you’ve been missing the competition, the good news is that it will be on your screen for the next four weeks thanks to the restructured fixture format which sees four games each week.
This week sees the first leg of the ties played between AC Milan and Manchester United, Lyon and Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina, and Porto and Arsenal. Some interesting match ups, but the attention in the English media this week has been focused almost exclusively on one man: David Beckham.
In case you’ve missed it, Beckham will line up (or more likely be on the substitutes bench) against his former club when Manchester United travel to the San Siro for their match against AC Milan. Despite four seasons at Real Madrid, it his through his loan club that he has the chance to take on his former team mates from a club he admits to having regrets at leaving.
His career since exiting Old Trafford has taken him to Milan via Madrid and Los Angeles, moves which probably have not transpired exactly as he would have liked. A La Liga title and the unprecedented growth of the Beckham brand is hardly a disaster though, and the former England captain can expect a warm welcome from the United faithful.
The game at the San Siro looks to be this week’s pick of the games, with United probably going into it slight favourites, although weakened through the absence of Anderson and, more importantly, Nemanja Vidic. Whilst their record against AC Milan in the Champions League is poor, Ferguson knows that this is not the same Milan side his team lost to in the 2007 semi-finals.
Having lost Kaka to Real Madrid in the summer, as well as manager Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea, the Rossoneri have had to regroup under the guidance of Leonardo. After an indifferent start to the season, they began breathing down the neck of leaders Internazionale, but have since dropped away after losing 2-0 to Jose Mourinho’s men.
They are not short of attacking options however, and Beckham will be fighting with Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato (if fit), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Marco Borriello, for a starting place as one of three at the top of Milan’s 4-3-3 formation. The indications are he will have to make do with a place on the bench, although his impact as a substitute has been clearly highlighted during his recent England career.
So some exciting, and evenly matched, ties to look forward to as a month of Champions League football kicks off. How do you predict this week’s games finishing? Can you see one of the eight teams in action this week lifting the trophy come May? As ever, let us know your thoughts.
Richard Bourne
