CL Group G Thread - Arsenal, Porto, Fenerbahce, Dynamo Kiev

Matchday One
FC Porto vs. Fenerbahçe SK - Wednesday 17/09
FC Dynamo Kyiv vs. Arsenal FC - Wednesday 17/09

Matchday Two
Arsenal FC vs. FC Porto - Tuesday 30/09
Fenerbahçe SK vs. FC Dynamo Kyiv - Tuesday 30/09

Matchday Three
Fenerbahçe SK vs. Arsenal FC - Tuesday 21/10
FC Porto vs. FC Dynamo Kyiv - Tuesday 21/10

Matchday Four
Arsenal FC vs. Fenerbahçe SK - Wednesday 05/11
FC Dynamo Kyiv vs. FC Porto - Wednesday 05/11

Matchday Five
Fenerbahçe SK vs. FC Porto - Tuesday 25/11
Arsenal FC vs. FC Dynamo Kyiv - Tuesday 25/11

Matchday Six
FC Porto vs. Arsenal FC - Wednesday 10/12
FC Dynamo Kyiv vs. Fenerbahçe SK - Wednesday 10/12

Really feel sorry for Fenerbahce players for a trip to Kiev in December, possibly with a very important game to be played...

Just a reminder of how Dynamo Kyiv qualified for the CL. Last qualifying round they met Spartak Moscow, who have a very decent squad:

Spartak Moscow v Dynamo Kyiv 1-4
5 Bazhenov 1-0
28 Bangoura 1-1
45 Milevskiy 1-2
47 Bangoura 1-3
86 Milevskiy 1-4

Dynomo Kyiv v Spartak Moscow 4-1
4 Aliyev 1-0
24 Bangoura 2-0
47 Dzyuba 2-1
49 Milevskiy 3-1
78 Milevskiy 4-1

It was a bad draw IMO.

One fast tempo team, probably not the strongest of pot 1 but nevertheless the worst possible to our style of play.
One team that plays with passion, almost impossible to defeat at home and improving a lot in the aways games as we've seen last season.
One fast counter attack team, that one along with Shaktar i wanted to avoid the most. They are quality, people understimate them and they strike back with venom.

All in all the teams are not hyped like others in other groups but all have a good chance of qualify and for the second year running we get no "weak" team in our group and will fight with all to the end.

Good things: well as far as i've read Arsenal fans think we are no threat or at least the weaker opponent of the group and if their team thinks the same then that will suit us very well. We play better when understimated. Arsenal can be devastating on their day but if things do not go well they lose consistency and since their team is young we can use that in our favor.
Fener, being a passionate team may plays more with their hearts sometimes and lose some organization, still they have a lot of quality in their team so we must be ready to fight back.
Kiev is a dangerous team but if we can avoid their venom of their counters and control the rythm of the game we can get good results i think.

Our team is not in good form yet and some players are still getting to know eachother better but if we win the first 2 game at home and get a good away result at Emirates we can have a good shot at the 2 top places. This will go till the last day though.

De Guzman wrote:Just a reminder of how Dynamo Kyiv qualified for the CL. Last qualifying round they met Spartak Moscow, who have a very decent squad:

Spartak Moscow v Dynamo Kyiv 1-4
5 Bazhenov 1-0
28 Bangoura 1-1
45 Milevskiy 1-2
47 Bangoura 1-3
86 Milevskiy 1-4

Dynomo Kyiv v Spartak Moscow 4-1
4 Aliyev 1-0
24 Bangoura 2-0
47 Dzyuba 2-1
49 Milevskiy 3-1
78 Milevskiy 4-1

Bangoura scored v Man U and Roma last season + he was decent when he played for Le Mans and with Milevskiy on form they should be a decent pairing.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:Bangoura scored v Man U and Roma last season + he was decent when he played for Le Mans and with Milevskiy on form they should be a decent pairing.

Milevsky is class. A pitty we didn´t sign him a couple of years back now i doubt we could afford him anyway.

My vote for group of death

Fener may be slightly past their sell-by date, but will still cause trouble. The other three will all take points of each other.

Good news for Arsenal, Quaresma is off to Inter.

With Kiev like Moscou and the other eastern teams you never know what you can get. It's a bit the same for Ukraine and Russia, capable of the best like the worst. Arsenal should top this group, with Porto and Fenerbache playing for the second place.

It is always good to start with a win and even better when there is a draw in the other game but we shouldn´t suffer so much in this game.

Lisandro missed an incredible opportunity at 2-0 and that would have killed the game. He missed and Fener on the first time they shot they score and of course that changed the game.

We've missed plenty of chances and in the second half a couple more but the turks were more dangerous at that time and had also the opportunity to tie what would be unfair IMO.

Then the perfect substitution. Lino in...20 seconds....he scores a goal.

Oh well at least we can say at the momment

We're top of the group

Certainly sounds like a comfortable game for you guys...well done, winning home games is the key because it looks like Turkey and Kiev will be tough grounds to go to.

my prediction after matchday 1, arsenal wont go through from this group

I thought it was a decent result and the performance deserved better. But Arsenal always looked to have the worst group oif the English sides, with 3 tough away games.

If Kiev can hold Porto and Fener to home draws Arsenal should be OK. I would reckon on Arsenal to win at home against Kiev and the turks.

can see that not being enough those 2 home wins, can see defeats in the other 2 away matches and a draw at home with porto

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:my prediction after matchday 1, arsenal wont go through from this group

got to admire your stamina Frank, you keep making terrible predictions but doesn't break your spirit. Champion stuff

Anyone wishing to hazard a guess at our starting lineup for tonight?

Could Vela be due a start?

I reckon Bendtner is a dead cert.

I'm not a fan of a Bendtner-Ade partnership. Imo they are not complementary.

Don't know what Wenger will do, woulnd't be surprised if Djourou is 1 of the central defenders. Don't expect RVP to start.

I'ld go for something Wenger wouldn't do:

----------------Almunia---------------
Sagna------Kolo---Gallas-----Clichy
-------------Djourou*-------------
Theo---------Cesc-----------Vela
---------Nasri--------------------
--------------Ade----------------

(understand this is harsh on Denilson)

* would understand Denilson/Song too.

I agree that RvP won't start. Bendtner did well enough up at Bolton with Adebayor so thats good enough for me to give it another chance tonight.

Cesc Soler wrote:I agree that RvP won't start. Bendtner did well enough up at Bolton with Adebayor so thats good enough for me to give it another chance tonight.

Almunia

Sagna . . Djourou . . Gallas . . Clichy

Eboue . . Denilson . . Fabregas . . Nasri

Bendtner . . Adebayor

Same except I'd bring in Vela(and switch Nasri to the right) for Eboue.

Bendtner and Ade have got similar physique but they are completely different players, and as we've seen against Bolton (& in pre season) they can play well together.

A must win match tonight.

RVP

The-Frank-Tavern wrote:can see that not being enough those 2 home wins, can see defeats in the other 2 away matches and a draw at home with porto

Strike one.

De Guzman wrote:I'm not a fan of a Bendtner-Ade partnership. Imo they are not complementary.

I agree. adebayor telling bendtner that he was $h!t is far from complimentary

Or punching him in the face...

Bendtner ain't that great to be fair. Last night he was incredibly frustrating. His brain seemed to be working a couple of paces slower than everyone elses!

Think you're being a tad harsh on him here, he slipped a very clever ball into Adebayor who should have really buried it for his hatrick goal. Part of the reason why some don't find him effective enough is because he lacks the pace that the rest of the other forwards have.

I probably am. He's apparently a right bastard off the pitch though so I've never really warmed to the lad.

Vela looked very promising when he came on. He doesn't seem to want to impose himself on a game yet though which is probably why Wenger is slowly easing him in. He definately has the talent though - that dribble he went on into the box was sensational.

Yeah, it is funny how a players personality can have an effect on a judgement. I don't mind players with a certain arrogance though, if you look in the history books some of the greats have had it too.

That little jinking run in the box was very good, it was such a shame that he didn't put in an earlier shot - seeing as he is a composed finisher I'm surprised he didn't.

for me Bendtner is Ade back up. Rate Vela higher, wouldn't mind if him getting more chances. He can play left wing too.

Porto to scrap through...

Arsenal Squad vs. Porto

Goalkeepers:
Manuel Almunia , Lukasz Fabianski

Defenders:
William Gallas, Mikael Silvestre , Johan Djourou , Gavin Hoyte , Emmanuel Eboue , Kieran Gibbs

Midfielders:
Alex Song , Denilson , Abou Diaby , Aaron Ramsey , Mark Randall , Fran Merida , Jack Wilshere

Forwards:
Nicklas Bendtner , Carlos Vela , Jay Simpson

Some of the Carling Cup players are getting one last appearance before heading off to a Championship club on loan.