APOEL VS REAL MADRID
It will be the upset of the champions league era if Apoel get a result against Madrid. This was the one team that every club wanted as a "guarantee" into the semis,and it looks like Madrid got what they wanted. By reaching the quarter finals Apoel have shown tenacity and courage, especially in their last match against Lyon, by going on to win on penalties. They will need to be fearless and attack Madrid (which my prove suicidal) and play the "perfect" game according to their coach Ivan Jovanovic, and not give away cheap possession or free kicks against a team like Madrid that needs no encouragement to score.
Real enter this game on the back of thumping Real Sociedad 5-1, to end a bad week that contained two consecutive draws, sending offs, media blackouts and just about everyone losing their heads in a Real shirt. They should negotiate this first leg comfortably even though Xabi Alonso will be absent due to suspension. There is a saying that the hardest games to win are the ones where everyone expects a victory, complacency will be Madrid's biggest rival in this match, and Mourinho will have to ensure his players are focused 100% to avoid embarrassment.
Barring any surprises this tie could be over in this leg making the return at the Bernabeu a dead rubber.
BENFICA VS CHELSEA
This is a tie that is more complicated than people might realize. Benfica arguably dominated against Manchester United in the group stages and saw off a very talented Zenit side in the last round. With players like Gaitan, Aimar, Cardozo, Saviola and Nolito; they have players that are technically gifted and can control the midfield a characteristic that can be Chelsea's undoing in this first leg.
Frank Lampard recently said that Chelsea were not "as good as we used to be" which means that while they are still capable of glorious nights like against Napoli, they can no longer hold that level of consistency as witnessed in the matches after the European tie. The question is whether they can raise their game for Benfica; is it in them to give another performance or was the match in the last round a one-off, a reaction needed due to the Villas-Boas sacking. Their match on the weekend against Spurs again highlighted the lethargic movement in their midfield, Chelsea can no longer control games so they must find a way to nullify Benfica's attacks while still remaining potent for the ever crucial away goal. Drogba starts in attack for me no because of Torres' form this season but because the midfield is set up for him to feed off scraps and use his strength to create chances. A player like Torres flourishes best in a quick and fluid midfield, something that will need to be addressed in the summer.
Benfica to win 2-1 with Stamford Bridge playing the all decisive match next week.
Notes:
Ranieri fired. No surprise here, doesn't make much of a difference. This season is a write off for Inter with serious rebuilding required in the summer, but with financial fair play coming it seems they will have pick up some gems from their recently crowned NextGen U-19 champs.
PlayStation players do exist, just look at the scoring records of Messi and Ronaldo.They are racking up the type of numbers you get if playing on amateur on Fifa.
Euro's are getting closer, just wanted to state that.
Goal of the week
Crouch vs Man City
Bossman.
No comments:
Post a Comment