by Darren Douglas

Created on: October 02, 2009

There are several clubs throughout Europe who have at one time or another been at the top of the pile. This is something reflected in practically all sports and other walks of life, dynasties rise and fall through periods of dominance and drought. Past powerhouses of European club football include Ajax, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

These teams have won the European Cup/ Champions League more than twice and in successive years, and the competition represents the pinnacle of World club football. The last 25 years has seen such dominance get watered down, but still the prize is only seriously contended by a number of clubs across the continent- the usual suspects so to speak.

If we focus on this season thus far, there appears to be a potentially new shift on the horizon. Just two games into the Champions League group stage, and it is becoming apparent that the dynamics of European club football is reflecting more that of international football. It has been a common soundbite in recent years that there are no easy international matches anymore, and likewise judging by some of the results, the same could now be said for the highest level of club football.

If you only take a fleeting look at the scorelines of this weeks round of Champions League matches, you could be forgiven for thinking that there were some mistakes in the reporting. The stand-out results involved both of Milan's clubs. Firstly Jose Mourinho's Inter only managed a 1-1 draw in Russia against Rubin Kazan, and then on Wednesday AC Milan fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Swiss champions FC Zrich.

Whilst it is true that Rubin Kazan are the current holders of the Russian Premier League, this season is their debut in the Champions League. Their own domestic campaign is also yet to get underway. Yet despite any supposed lack of match fitness, the hosts were ambitious and determined against Mourinho's team, taking the lead after only 11 minutes through the Argentine Alejandro Domnguez.

Inter then rode their luck and narrowly avoided going further behind, before the Serie A champions realised that the 'Special One' might be a little bit livid and hit back. After Samuel Eto'o was spectacularly denied, Inter eventually equalised through Stankovi and his header at the far post from Maicon's deep cross.

The second half saw Inter go down to ten men when Balotelli rather harshly received a second yellow card in the sixtieth minute. From then on in the visitors were on a damage limitation exercise that almost

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