Now that the group stage is officially half way finished in the 2012-13 Champions League, it is a good moment to take a look at which teams have performed poorly so far. In compiling this piece, a number of factors were considered such as the competition for each team, the statistics, the results in their matches, and how they have performed in their particular games.
10. Milan
Yes Milan has 4 points. And, yes, there are teams that have less points in their respective groups that are not on this list. But the point stands: Milan has not been world contenders by any means until now. They have scored three goals, but all of them came in one match and one was a gift from Zenit St. Petersburg's own Tomas Hubocan. They were shut down by a weak Anderlecht club and then proceeded to inflict little on Malaga.
9. Zenit St. Petersburg
When you are considered a favorite to win your group and then go out and lose your opening two matches, you have to be one of the more disappointing clubs in the tournament. The fact that they battled back from a 2-0 deficit against Milan is something to admire, but the fact they committed an own goal right back does not speak well for the unity of the club. They seemed to turn the corner against Anderlecht, but just barely as they scored in the 72nd minute on a penalty. This team still has time to make a run, but with two away matches remaining and with their only home match against potent Malaga, this team could be in for a nightmare finish.
8. Benfica
Benfica only has one point as well and statistically is worse than some of the teams that are ranked lower, but they drew a tough group that included the likes of Barcelona, Spartak Moscow and a surprisingly good Celtic side. They were expected to be one of the contenders in the group and while they played a solid match against Barca, their other two results were not promising. Fortunately, they have two more home games against Celtic and Moscow which could turn their standings around quickly.
7. FC Norsjaelland
They drew one of the toughest groups in the tournament and have performance decently. 7 goals against is not something to smile about, but shutting down a potent Juventus side is quite a feat. It is also essential to remember that this team was only trailing Chelsea 1-0 until there were 10 minutes left in the match. While the ugly score at home does not bode well, this team has shown some promise.
6. Montpelier
Montpelier has just one point in three matches in one of the "easier groups." Arsenal has not been a powerhouse this season and Olympiacos has been inconsistent throughout the tournament. Last year's French champs have scored four goals to their credit and played well against Schalke 04 and Arsenal, but they imploded against Olympiacos in a match they owned.
5. Galatasaray
The Turkish side has been underwhelming in this tournament this season. Their opening day performance against Manchester United showed some promise but a 2-0 loss to Braga quickly made it clear that they may be contenders. Throw in the fact that they have one point in this tournament thanks to an own goal from CFR Cluj's Dany Nounkeu and it is easy to see why this team has not been a strong one.
4. Anderlecht
The third and final Group C member proves just how weak that particular group has been thus far. Anderlecht should not be this bad with 0 goals scored in three matches. To their credit, they shut down Milan and limited Zenit to one goal, but they are not getting it done. Fortunately they still have two home matches remaining, which could help matters.
3. Lille
Lille is the only other team aside from Zagreb without a point in the tournament thus far. Like Zagreb they have also given up 6 goals in their first three matches, but they have one thing Zagreb doesn't: one goal scored. Lille also has a slightly more difficult group with the likes of last year's runner-up Bayern Munich and a surprising BATE Borisov squad. Valencia has also proven to be quite apt which has made Lille life miserable. They are one loss away from having two unimportant games. The fact that they have already wasted two home matches does not help matters down the stretch.
2. Dinamo Zagreb
Zagreb was never expected to do much in this tournament but their performance has certainly increased any expectations. Last year they finished with 0 points, 3 goals scored and 22 goals against. Based on three performances, things do not look like they will much better this year. They have already lsot their first three matches in Group A without scoring a goal. Defensively they haven't been much better with three straight 2-0 losses. The only silver lining to their performances thus far is that at this rate they won't be giving up 22 goals in the UCL this season. The only thing that has kept them from being the number one on this list is expectations.
1. Manchester City
Seems a bit unfair to pin Manchester City this high on the list considering the group they are stuck with, but the English Premier League champions have been awful in this UEFA Champions League. Against Real Madrid they scored with 5 minutes left to take a 2-1 that would usually mean victory. But they not only proceeded to blow the lead two minutes later, but lost the game in the span of five minutes as Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 90th minute. But it only got worse after that. They salvaged one point against Borussia Dortmund, but they were badly outplayed at home and if not for a late penalty that Mario Balotelli converted in the 90th minute, they would have lost this one as well. If not for Joe Hart's stellar keeping in that one, the match would easily end with more goals against. But their worst performance was their most recent as the team dropped a 3-1 decision to the arguably the weakest team in the squad. After taking a 1-0 lead early in the game, Man City imploded for three goals straight goals and watched their chances of advancing at the UCL start to go. The fact that they are currently tied for most goals allowed in the tournament (7 goals) does sooth the pain. What merits them being so far down the list despite being in such a tough group is the fact that since the Madrid match, this team has looked lethargic and out of place for lengthy stretches. This team has not played on par with expectations by any stretch of the imagination and has thus been if not the worst team, certainly the most disappointing one in the UCL to date.
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