Damn. Just like Malmo....Astana had to be given a tough introduction into the Champions League. Not only do they have the ex-cons for Atletico, but Champions League vets Galatasaray, and the Portuguese giants. Suffice to say, they are not coming out of this group. I don't want to hear anything about a fairytale, or you never know in football. Unless someone got paid in CASH, then Astana MAY squeeze into the Europa League spot. Can't give them anything beyond that.
All eyes are on Simeone and Atletico who should really clean house in this group. Their main threat will be Benfica, and those two matches can swing either way...I can't call a definite winner. Galatasaray just aren't good enough to head out of this pot. Losing Drogba as well, won't help, but even with him, they are just merely a good team but not up to the standard and level of Atletico and Benfica.
This will really be a chance to see what Jackson Martinez can do, who Simeone HOPES will stay for the long ride with the team. I'm not yet sold on him, and need to see more games with him and how he fits into the team before I can make a final assessment as to the skills he can use to pay those bills. Even beyond him, it's really about Simeone. He is the reason that Atletico are even an outside threat in this Champions League, and it will come down to his tweaking and tactics. But, the nimble Frenchman, Griezmann, is quickly becoming a very important player for them and may soon be the star of the team if he keeps on playing the way he's playing.
Benfica are always a good team. I would definitely put them at a higher level than Galatasaray and Astana, but I would have to give Atletico the edge based on the quality of Simeone. I think that PSG and Madrid may be the Hollywood matchup but this will be the more nuanced and tactical. It will be a one-goal deficit I feel in both legs, and if Benfica come out on top and win the group, it's not something that would shock me. But it's between these two teams. It would be MIND-BENDING like the Matrix if Astana somehow made it out of this group. They are just up against far too much experience and better players man-for-man for them to have any real hope of progression.
It would be pretty damn amazing.....for a first time club from Kazakhstan to make it through. And as that saying goes....once the ref blows that whistle, it's man vs. man and the other three teams have to go out and BEAT them and just can't take it through the motions.
HH
