English quartet plus Real Madrid have something to prove, while Barcelona have a new manager and Málaga new horizons
At this time of the year it can feel as if the football programme is packed with rehearsals, while the true drama lies weeks or months ahead. This, however, is a delusion. The draw for the Champions League group phase on Thursday will command attention, but there has been stress, misery and joy already.
Málaga, for instance, claimed a place in the tournament proper for the first time after following a home win over Panathinaikos with a goalless draw in Athens. The outcome would have gone largely unnoticed by the world at large, but the significance and jubilation will have seemed limitless to the team, its supporters and their manager, Manuel Pellegrini.
Perhaps the store of experience amassed by the 58-year-old was of use, but that would not have spared him anxiety. With so much at stake, Pellegrini would have felt as many nerves as there would be for a relative novice such as Neil Lennon when his Celtic team set out to consolidate on Wednesday night after beating Helsingborg in the away leg.
By and large, it is undeniable that the elite are in a privileged position. All four of the English clubs go straight to the group phase. Chelsea may have come sixth in the Premier League, but they are Champions League holders. In principle, it is impossible to improve on that, but Roberto Di Matteo seems set on making his side more expressive.
The leading English clubs usually have a store of knowhow that they draw upon to consistent effect. That, all the same, is not to be taken for granted. Arsenal, for instance, made a great effort to recover from a 4-0 defeat to Milan and won 3-0 at home in last season's competition, but it was still galling for the club to take their leave.
While alterations would have been necessary, it was no part of Arsène Wenger's scheme to sell Robin van Persie to Manchester United. That transfer, all the same, enhances Sir Alex Ferguson's team, offering the sort of depth that challenges players. Wayne Rooney, once he is over that laceration to his leg, has a task before him to ensure he is on the field at kick-off for the big occasions such as those provided by the Champions League.
Elsewhere, there must be scrutiny of Manchester City. Roberto Mancini is no longer being accorded limitless means and the origins of that scepticism may lie in the European front. His side lacked the cosmopolitan expertise anticipated from the manager.
United were similar to City in being knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage, but Ferguson's feats in so many other years leave him with rather more credit to draw upon. It was telling that Mancini's current priority appears to be bolstering the defence.
The resilience on the domestic scene was never echoed on the European front. City conceded eight goals over the course of 10 matches in the Champions League and Europa League. That was unsatisfactory and Mancini's reported interest in spending £12m to take the Serbia defender Matija Nastasic from Fiorentina seems plausible.
None of England's sides look all that formidable. These are early days, but there may well be a greater diversity to the later stages of the Champions League. Even now, we have witnessed how severe the challenge can be. Borussia Mönchengladbach must have been aghast to lose 3-1 at home in the first leg of the qualifier with Dynamo Kyiv.
While there will be plenty of expertise, no one is unassailable. Barcelona's air of superiority disappeared when Chelsea had the effrontery last season to win the semi-final with Fernando Torres's stoppage-time goal at the Camp Nou. With Pep Guardiola giving up the manager's post, there may be a small interruption to their affairs.
Economics usually tell and it is no coincidence that clubs from La Liga, the Premier League and the Bundesliga are expected to make an impact. The Spanish economy in general may be in feeble condition but José Mourinho will not be reduced to cobbling together a lineup of Bosman recruits for Real Madrid.
The manager is unaccustomed to disappointment and it is entirely possible that the successes he relished with Porto and Internazionale will be repeated by his current squad. Indeed, anything less would be intolerable to him.
Read more... Champions League elite in a privileged position ahead of group stage draw | Kevin McCarra
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