Source: Daily_Mail
So, how's it going in the race to the Champions League final?
Something to shout about: AC Milan's Alexandre Pato[LNB]It was supposed to be boring. The big guns waltzing past the minnows and easing through to the knockout stages without even having to break sweat.[LNB] Oh how wrong the doubters were! At the halfway stage of the Champions League group stages there is still plenty to play for, and, for the competition's traditional powerhouses, everything yet to lose.[LNB] Of all Europe's big guns, only Chelsea, Manchester United, Lyon and Sevilla have a 100 per cent record while, in stark contrast, Liverpool, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are among those in real danger of suffering the most premature of exits.[LNB] We've had our fair share of shocks, too, with Zurich beating AC Milan in the San Siro, champions Barcelona losing at home to Russians Rubin Kazan and Romanians Unirea smashing four past Rangers at Ibrox. Whether we'll see a new name in the Champions League final at the Bernabeu on May 22 remains highly debatable.[LNB] But, at least for now, the underdogs look intent on giving the favourites a serious run for their money.[LNB] Goal-den boy: Milan's Alexandre Pato scores in the 3-2 victory over Real Madrid[LNB]Galacticos groundedTwo defeats in their last threematches and suddenly Real Madrid are in crisis, wondering how they cancope without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo. Karim Benzema - one of thegalacticos brought to the club in a £225million summer spending spree -admits the club's attacking talents are struggling to gel. [LNB]'We don'tmanage to spread the game to the flanks,' says the France star. 'We allget in each other's way.' [LNB]AC Milan boss Leonardo has also been underpressure after poor results, but sublime Brazilian compatriot AlexandrePato got him off the hook with a well-taken double in the 3-2 win atReal worthy of the No 7 shirt he inherited from Andriy Shevchenko.[LNB]. . .and Barca come a cropperUnbeatenin 12 games this season, surely Barcelona couldn't lose to a team mostpeople had never heard of? The defending European champions can countthemselves a little unlucky for finishing on the end of a 2-1 defeat byRubin Kazan. [LNB]They didn't exactly take the match lightly, fielding astrong team and peppering the goal with 24 shots compared to theRussians' three. Barca now need to win in Kazan next to get breathingspace in a tight group with Inter Milan and Dynamo Kiev.[LNB] Jose Mourino desperate for a special recovery [LNB]Italian job: Dynamo Kiev forward Andriy Shevchenko[LNB] Take a look at the scene above -just why is the self-confessed Special One feeling a little less than, er, special right now? The answer comes after a quick glance at the Group F table which shows Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan rock bottom after three winless matches.[LNB] A 2-2 draw at home to Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday only added to Mourinho's woes, with the fact that it was a certain striker named Shevchenko who ran the show only adding to the Portuguese's frustration. [LNB]Inter have now gone eight Champions League matches without a win and the pressure is mounting. [LNB]Victory in their next match, in Kiev, is an absolute must.[LNB]Dan's the manDan Petrescu and Unirea Urziceni are clearly a match made in heaven. Not only are the Romanian champions nicknamed the 'Chelsea of Ialomita' but they have a badge copied from that of the west London club. [LNB]And the rookie manager and former Stamford Bridge favourite took a huge step towards establishing himself as Unirea's very own 'Special One' with his match-changing substitutions at Rangers which helped clinch a 4-1 win. [LNB]It was Unirea's first success in Europe and puts them second with two home games to come, including, next, the return of Rangers.[LNB]...but the Scots are flopsAfter watching Rangers get thumped by Unirea, you have to question the wisdom of giving a Scottish team direct entry into the group stages. Average sides like the current Rangers crop do not bring anything positive to the table.[LNB]Beware of the RussiansIt is no surprise if Rubin Kazan are a new name to you. They developed from a club linked to a secretive Soviet munitions plant and even once had the bizarre name 'PO Box 747'. But coach Gurban Berdiyew has polished a team with few stars and would dearly love to sign top scorer Alejandro Dominguez, who is on loan from Zenit St Petersburg. CSKA Moscow, who lacked ambition against Man United, should take note. [LNB]How they stand [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People:Cristiano Ronaldo, Alexandre Pato, Karim Benzema, Jose Mourinho, Andriy ShevchenkoPlaces:Barcelona, Milan, France, Europe
