I’m beginning to sound like a Manchester United supporter but I think the Red Devils are favourites to win a second consecutive Champions League title when they face Barcelona in Rome tonight.
Man U have the edge for two reasons. First, while everyone raves about the potency of their attack, Man U, on their day, have the defensive nous to keep Barcelona’s equally frightening attack at bay. They’ll miss the work rate of the suspended Darren Fletcher in midfield, but Anderson will be a more than adequate replacement alongside Michael Carrick in front of the back four. If Rio Ferdinand returns, as expected to partner Nemanja Vidic in central defence – and they have a good game – Braca’s attack will have a hard time breaking them down.
Second, and perhaps more importantly, Braca’s defence is racked with suspensions and injury trouble. Full backs Dani Alvez and Eric Abidal are out suspended; centre backs Rafa Marquez and Gaby Milito are out injured, and although Carles Puyol should return to partner Gerard Pique - or fill one of the full back slots – it’s going to be a make-shift Barca defence against the guile and power of Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo in one of the most potent attacking pairs in Europe. If they don’t improve on their showing at Stamford Bridge in the semis it could be a long night.
So, it’s advantage Man U – at least on paper.
But having said all that, there are two things that could swing this for Barcelona.
First, of course, is the crazy attacking talent on this team and their ability to keep the ball and carve openings out of nothing. There’s no question that they’ll dominate possession, and those pint-sized maestros, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, are as creative as they come, and if anyone can breach United’s vaunted defence, they can. Then ahead of them are three of the most skilled poachers in world football – Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o - who have already scored 97 goals between them this season. They weren’t quite as prolific against Chelsea in the semis, but I doubt Man U will play as defensively as the Blues did, and that might well give Barca room to play.
The second factor in favour of a Barca win is tradition. The Champions League – and the European Cup before it - is strewn with a long history of final upsets – underdogs overcoming their favoured rivals time and again to lift “the cup with the big ears”.
Where to begin? I could go as far back as 1962, when a favoured Barcelona fell short against Benfica, but I’ll try and keep it a little more contemporary – lest I begin to date myself. In 1983, Juventus, packed with Italian World Cup winners from the previous year – Rossi, Tardelli, Gentile etc. – and superstars Platini and Boniek, were taken out by German upstarts Hamburg; three years later, Barcelona lost to Steau Bucharest on penalties, in Spain, and the following year, Rabah Madjer’s cheeky back-heel helped Porto beat Bayern Munich.
There’s more: Red Star Belgrade topped star-studded Marseilles in 1991, and then Marseilles themselves beat much-favoured AC Milan in ’93. The following year, Barcelona’s “Dream Team” – Romario, Stoichkov and co – was expected to run over a Milan side deprived of regulars Baresi, Costacurta and Marco van Basten yet it was the Italians that won 4-1.
Two more: Juventus were big favourites against Dortmund in 1997, yet a pimply-faced teenager called Lars Ricken scored the decider in a 3-1 Dortmund win. And then there’s Istanbul in 2005, when Liverpool came from three down to beat Milan.
Man U may be favourites, but I’m not sure that tag means much where Champions League finals are concerned.
I’m looking forward to a Barcelona win – against all the odds.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Good Season for 'Pool, but Man U Better
Man Utd may have claimed a third consecutive title, but for me, that’s not the real story of 2008/09 English Premiership season.
Don’t get me wrong, Man U were certainly worthy winners – you get what you deserve after a 38 game season – and there can be no arguments about why they finished top of the pile again. They obviously boast the biggest and best squad in the league, have quality players all over the pitch (and bench and beyond), had a time-tested and pretty stable team in place, and in Sir Alex Ferguson, they have the most accomplished football coach of this generation – and any other for that matter. They started the season as favourites, and despite some rough patches along the way, finished as many expected they would.
For me though, the real story is the emergence of Liverpool – ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal - as the biggest threat to Man U’s crown. As a Liverpool fan, I know I’m going to get slated for bias, but numbers don’t lie and the fact that the Anfield Road side finished just four points behind the champions (and greatly improved on last term’s 4th place finish) is just the tip of the iceberg. For one thing, when the season kicked off in August, only the most hardcore of Liverpool fans would have truly believed that they would still be within shouting distance of the title in May.
Yet Liverpool turned in what, in Premiership terms, was a watershed season to push Man U all the way to the tape. In the process, they lost just two matches all season (Man U lost 4, Chelsea 5 and Arsenal 6) and finished with 86 points – their best ever tally in the Premiership, and a 10 point improvement on last season.
Liverpool also scored more goals than any other team (77); had the best goal difference (+50); and were the only Premiership team not to lose on their home field – the first time they’ve achieved that since 1988. Add to these home and away conquests of BOTH Chelsea and Man Utd, and it’s clear that Liverpool have just had a season like they haven’t since the halcyon days of the 1980s.
That they didn’t crown a great season with the title is for me just another testament to the quality of the team that finished above them, and not – as some would argue – down to the “failings” of manager Rafa Benitez, or “too many draws”.
To address the first point, it’s curious that the very same critics that have labelled Liverpool a “two-man team” can now turn around and criticise a manager that has led that same team within 4 points of the title. Surely, if the players aren’t up to scratch, - and, remember, those two trees that make a forest were missing for large chunks of the season - the manager must have had something to do with the team’s progress. Benitez has slowly and surely built a team that has proved that it can compete with the best teams in Europe and I find it ridiculous that some are quite happy to blame the man for every little slip while failing to acknowledge the tremendous strides he’s made in 5 years at Anfield.
As for the second point, how many draws is too many? It’s all relative, isn’t it? Sure, Liverpool should have won a few more games, especially at home, but 11 draws is only too many because Man U drew just 6. But it’s become almost gospel for all the TV talking heads to say “they drew too many games”.
The funny thing, as I just learnt, is that the last time Liverpool lost two matches in a season, back in 1988, they drew 12 matches – and still won the title by 9 points! And did you know that Arsenal drew 12 matches in 2004? Yes, that was the same season they completed a full season without a single defeat and won the title by 11 points!
So can we really pinpoint how the title was lost in such simple terms? After all, if Liverpool had won at both Tottenham and Middlesbrough – the two matches they lost – they’d be champions now. Even one win and a draw would have sufficed. So, maybe they lost too many matches??
And you know what else? Chelsea drew “only” 8 matches, but I’m sure they would have loved to swap their 5 losses for draws, a scenario that would have left them with 12 draws. Too many, surely, but good enough to overhaul Liverpool and earn 2nd place.
Of course, there are no prizes for second place, and all these are scant consolation for us Liverpool die-hards. Yet, when earlier this week a friend asked why Liverpool “failed to win the title”, it was hard for me, as you might have gleaned, to think of this season as a failure.
My answer: Liverpool had a very good season, better than most – except Man U, who had a great season.
Don’t get me wrong, Man U were certainly worthy winners – you get what you deserve after a 38 game season – and there can be no arguments about why they finished top of the pile again. They obviously boast the biggest and best squad in the league, have quality players all over the pitch (and bench and beyond), had a time-tested and pretty stable team in place, and in Sir Alex Ferguson, they have the most accomplished football coach of this generation – and any other for that matter. They started the season as favourites, and despite some rough patches along the way, finished as many expected they would.
For me though, the real story is the emergence of Liverpool – ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal - as the biggest threat to Man U’s crown. As a Liverpool fan, I know I’m going to get slated for bias, but numbers don’t lie and the fact that the Anfield Road side finished just four points behind the champions (and greatly improved on last term’s 4th place finish) is just the tip of the iceberg. For one thing, when the season kicked off in August, only the most hardcore of Liverpool fans would have truly believed that they would still be within shouting distance of the title in May.
Yet Liverpool turned in what, in Premiership terms, was a watershed season to push Man U all the way to the tape. In the process, they lost just two matches all season (Man U lost 4, Chelsea 5 and Arsenal 6) and finished with 86 points – their best ever tally in the Premiership, and a 10 point improvement on last season.
Liverpool also scored more goals than any other team (77); had the best goal difference (+50); and were the only Premiership team not to lose on their home field – the first time they’ve achieved that since 1988. Add to these home and away conquests of BOTH Chelsea and Man Utd, and it’s clear that Liverpool have just had a season like they haven’t since the halcyon days of the 1980s.
That they didn’t crown a great season with the title is for me just another testament to the quality of the team that finished above them, and not – as some would argue – down to the “failings” of manager Rafa Benitez, or “too many draws”.
To address the first point, it’s curious that the very same critics that have labelled Liverpool a “two-man team” can now turn around and criticise a manager that has led that same team within 4 points of the title. Surely, if the players aren’t up to scratch, - and, remember, those two trees that make a forest were missing for large chunks of the season - the manager must have had something to do with the team’s progress. Benitez has slowly and surely built a team that has proved that it can compete with the best teams in Europe and I find it ridiculous that some are quite happy to blame the man for every little slip while failing to acknowledge the tremendous strides he’s made in 5 years at Anfield.
As for the second point, how many draws is too many? It’s all relative, isn’t it? Sure, Liverpool should have won a few more games, especially at home, but 11 draws is only too many because Man U drew just 6. But it’s become almost gospel for all the TV talking heads to say “they drew too many games”.
The funny thing, as I just learnt, is that the last time Liverpool lost two matches in a season, back in 1988, they drew 12 matches – and still won the title by 9 points! And did you know that Arsenal drew 12 matches in 2004? Yes, that was the same season they completed a full season without a single defeat and won the title by 11 points!
So can we really pinpoint how the title was lost in such simple terms? After all, if Liverpool had won at both Tottenham and Middlesbrough – the two matches they lost – they’d be champions now. Even one win and a draw would have sufficed. So, maybe they lost too many matches??
And you know what else? Chelsea drew “only” 8 matches, but I’m sure they would have loved to swap their 5 losses for draws, a scenario that would have left them with 12 draws. Too many, surely, but good enough to overhaul Liverpool and earn 2nd place.
Of course, there are no prizes for second place, and all these are scant consolation for us Liverpool die-hards. Yet, when earlier this week a friend asked why Liverpool “failed to win the title”, it was hard for me, as you might have gleaned, to think of this season as a failure.
My answer: Liverpool had a very good season, better than most – except Man U, who had a great season.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Red Men, Wenger’s Boys and Blues’ blues
I think Patrice Evra hit the nail on the head when he described that Arsenal – Man U Champions’ League semi-final in midweek as “Eleven men against Eleven babies”. Quite frankly, I was thinking along similar lines – men v boys, actually – as the Red Devils toyed with Arsene Wenger’s team at the Emirates on Tuesday. Man U showed yet again why they are favorites to retain the Champions League this season while Arsenal looked, yet again, like a group of promising youngsters. Nothing wrong with that, of course, except that Arsenal has been a team of promising youngsters for three to four years now.
Will they ever fulfill that potential? Time will tell, and if they keep buying the likes of Andrei Arshavin they’ll certainly have a good chance. But if, like last year, their best players keep leaving for greener pastures, that trophy drought may extend well beyond the current five year mark.
Tuesday certainly did nothing to bring to mind the thrilling Arsenal-Man U clashes of just a few years ago. When the likes of Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry often matched and sometimes bested whatever Man U had to offer. Those days sure served up a more compelling contest than the one-sided fare we sat through last week.
As for Man U, what else is there to say? On Tuesday’s form, the Premiership title is a sure lock. Or can Arsenal, with nothing to play for save pride, be truly expected to mess things up at Old Trafford next week? It was another demonstration of both the resources at Sir Alex’s disposal as well as the wily old man’s tactical acumen. How many managers – if they had them - would leave 60 million pounds worth of strikers on the bench in a Champions’ League semi final, even if they did have a slender lead from the first leg? Yet, with Ronaldo’s special abilities, Man U could afford to start with both Berbatov and Tevez on the bench, and still win convincingly without ever getting out of second gear. Sure, the early goals helped, but, let’s face it; the rest of the game was hardly a contest.
You can’t say the same about what transpired at Stamford Bridge the next day though. That was a full-fledged battle between two highly committed teams. Chelsea’s early goal meant they could then spin their spider-web across their penalty area and sit back and watch Barcelona constantly get entangled in it. Barcelona, needing to come forward in search of a goal, invariably left gaps at the back and Chelsea – who defended superbly - had the better of the game and certainly had the chances to put it away.
Some people say Chelsea’s gameplan was negative and not what they’d call “good football”. I say that’s nonsense. Defending is as much a part of the game as attacking, and it would have been foolhardy on Guus Hiddink’s part to set up his team to Barcelona’s advantage. The only failing in Chelsea’s strategy is that they didn’t see it through. Barcelona had a poor game by their standards, but that’s largely because Chelsea wouldn’t let them play. Ballack and Essien played like an advanced pair of centre backs, denying Eto’o and Iniesta any space in the middle, while Malouda tracked Dani Alvez at every turn. It must irk every Chelsea fan that the one decent cross Dani Alvez managed all game, led to Iniesta’s late, late equalizer – which was also Barca’s first shot on target.
Then there were all those penalty appeals that had the Chelsea players in attack mode – on referee Ovebro – after the game. Okay, Pique’s ball-handling was clear enough and should have been a penalty – unless the ref was unsighted and didn’t see it or ruled it unintentional. As for the other three, I think they were all debatable. When Dani Alvez fouled Malouda in the first half, it’s clear that the initial contact happened outside the box. Drogba did have his shirt pulled – and then left – when he went past Abidal in the box, but he didn’t need to collapse so dramatically and you have admit, that would have been a really soft penalty. As for the last minute Ballack shot into Eto’o, yes, I’ve seen them given but surely a man jumping in the box with his back to the ball shouldn’t be called for a penalty. Besides, Ovebro then sent off Abidal, giving Chelsea a one-man advantage – they never made it count – with a quarter of the game to play.
Nevertheless, I’ll concede that Chelsea were unlucky that they didn’t have another referee on the day, but that’s part of the game. You don’t always get the calls you want or deserve and it’s quite futile to attack the ref after the fact, as Drogba and co. shamefully did on Wednesday night.
It’s often said that small details determine close games and for me, Chelsea fans should consider two incidents as the seek answers for their team’s failure to reach Rome:
First, on 51 minutes, Anelka set Drogba up with a perfect pass and a great opportunity to put Barca away. He did well to calmly take Pique out with a neat cutback, but then, with a gaping goal beckoning, he hit his shot straight at the onrushing Valdez and the chance was gone.
Then, right at the end, when John Terry’s clearance of Alvez’s cross fell to Eto’o in the box, his heavy first touch gave Essien the opportunity to toe poke the ball to safety. He missed the ball completely, allowing Messi to set up Iniesta and, well, to use that time-worn cliché, the rest is history.
Sure, you can blame the referee, but, right or wrong, what he does isn’t within the team’s control. But Drogba had the chance to score, and Essien the chance to stop Barcelona. It was within their control. They failed, and Chelsea failed.
And that’s why it’ll be Barcelona v Man U in Rome on May 27.
A few words on the Premiership race, which could very well end this weekend. It’s Man Utd’s title to lose now since they have to drop 6 points for Liverpool to have any chance at all.
With four games left to play, that’s unlikely to happen, even when you consider that two of those games are usually two of the toughest tests that Man U would face in any season. They host city rivals Man City on Sunday, and then welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford a week later.
With the other two games away to Wigan and Hull, there’s no question that the two home matches offer the only hope of a Man U upset and Liverpool fans everywhere – including yours truly – will be hoping against all hope.
But when you consider that Man U have won 15 of 17 matches at home this season, you’ll understand why it’ll take a minor miracle to dethrone them from their perch. That’s not to say it’s impossible though –even if Liverpool must take maximum points from their last three games (West Ham, West Brom and Spurs) to complete this unlikely scenario.
Bottom Line: If Man City don’t repeat last season’s Old Trafford win on Sunday, the race is done and dusted.
Will they ever fulfill that potential? Time will tell, and if they keep buying the likes of Andrei Arshavin they’ll certainly have a good chance. But if, like last year, their best players keep leaving for greener pastures, that trophy drought may extend well beyond the current five year mark.
Tuesday certainly did nothing to bring to mind the thrilling Arsenal-Man U clashes of just a few years ago. When the likes of Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry often matched and sometimes bested whatever Man U had to offer. Those days sure served up a more compelling contest than the one-sided fare we sat through last week.
As for Man U, what else is there to say? On Tuesday’s form, the Premiership title is a sure lock. Or can Arsenal, with nothing to play for save pride, be truly expected to mess things up at Old Trafford next week? It was another demonstration of both the resources at Sir Alex’s disposal as well as the wily old man’s tactical acumen. How many managers – if they had them - would leave 60 million pounds worth of strikers on the bench in a Champions’ League semi final, even if they did have a slender lead from the first leg? Yet, with Ronaldo’s special abilities, Man U could afford to start with both Berbatov and Tevez on the bench, and still win convincingly without ever getting out of second gear. Sure, the early goals helped, but, let’s face it; the rest of the game was hardly a contest.
You can’t say the same about what transpired at Stamford Bridge the next day though. That was a full-fledged battle between two highly committed teams. Chelsea’s early goal meant they could then spin their spider-web across their penalty area and sit back and watch Barcelona constantly get entangled in it. Barcelona, needing to come forward in search of a goal, invariably left gaps at the back and Chelsea – who defended superbly - had the better of the game and certainly had the chances to put it away.
Some people say Chelsea’s gameplan was negative and not what they’d call “good football”. I say that’s nonsense. Defending is as much a part of the game as attacking, and it would have been foolhardy on Guus Hiddink’s part to set up his team to Barcelona’s advantage. The only failing in Chelsea’s strategy is that they didn’t see it through. Barcelona had a poor game by their standards, but that’s largely because Chelsea wouldn’t let them play. Ballack and Essien played like an advanced pair of centre backs, denying Eto’o and Iniesta any space in the middle, while Malouda tracked Dani Alvez at every turn. It must irk every Chelsea fan that the one decent cross Dani Alvez managed all game, led to Iniesta’s late, late equalizer – which was also Barca’s first shot on target.
Then there were all those penalty appeals that had the Chelsea players in attack mode – on referee Ovebro – after the game. Okay, Pique’s ball-handling was clear enough and should have been a penalty – unless the ref was unsighted and didn’t see it or ruled it unintentional. As for the other three, I think they were all debatable. When Dani Alvez fouled Malouda in the first half, it’s clear that the initial contact happened outside the box. Drogba did have his shirt pulled – and then left – when he went past Abidal in the box, but he didn’t need to collapse so dramatically and you have admit, that would have been a really soft penalty. As for the last minute Ballack shot into Eto’o, yes, I’ve seen them given but surely a man jumping in the box with his back to the ball shouldn’t be called for a penalty. Besides, Ovebro then sent off Abidal, giving Chelsea a one-man advantage – they never made it count – with a quarter of the game to play.
Nevertheless, I’ll concede that Chelsea were unlucky that they didn’t have another referee on the day, but that’s part of the game. You don’t always get the calls you want or deserve and it’s quite futile to attack the ref after the fact, as Drogba and co. shamefully did on Wednesday night.
It’s often said that small details determine close games and for me, Chelsea fans should consider two incidents as the seek answers for their team’s failure to reach Rome:
First, on 51 minutes, Anelka set Drogba up with a perfect pass and a great opportunity to put Barca away. He did well to calmly take Pique out with a neat cutback, but then, with a gaping goal beckoning, he hit his shot straight at the onrushing Valdez and the chance was gone.
Then, right at the end, when John Terry’s clearance of Alvez’s cross fell to Eto’o in the box, his heavy first touch gave Essien the opportunity to toe poke the ball to safety. He missed the ball completely, allowing Messi to set up Iniesta and, well, to use that time-worn cliché, the rest is history.
Sure, you can blame the referee, but, right or wrong, what he does isn’t within the team’s control. But Drogba had the chance to score, and Essien the chance to stop Barcelona. It was within their control. They failed, and Chelsea failed.
And that’s why it’ll be Barcelona v Man U in Rome on May 27.
A few words on the Premiership race, which could very well end this weekend. It’s Man Utd’s title to lose now since they have to drop 6 points for Liverpool to have any chance at all.
With four games left to play, that’s unlikely to happen, even when you consider that two of those games are usually two of the toughest tests that Man U would face in any season. They host city rivals Man City on Sunday, and then welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford a week later.
With the other two games away to Wigan and Hull, there’s no question that the two home matches offer the only hope of a Man U upset and Liverpool fans everywhere – including yours truly – will be hoping against all hope.
But when you consider that Man U have won 15 of 17 matches at home this season, you’ll understand why it’ll take a minor miracle to dethrone them from their perch. That’s not to say it’s impossible though –even if Liverpool must take maximum points from their last three games (West Ham, West Brom and Spurs) to complete this unlikely scenario.
Bottom Line: If Man City don’t repeat last season’s Old Trafford win on Sunday, the race is done and dusted.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Don't Bet On Chelsea
I know. It’s been a while. But is there a better time to return to action than now? With matters coming to a head in the Champions League and the Premiership race dragging on I have little choice but to put pen to paper - or fingers to keyboard, I suppose – and offer up my tuppence worth. Of course, there’s also the little matter of the battle for supremacy in La Liga - which by the way appears to have been settled at the Bernabeu last Saturday. And even Ligue One in France has it’s share of drama, with both Bordeaux and Marseilles looking to upstage perennial champions Lyons, who are looking for a 8th consecutive title.
After last week’s semi-final first leg results, the odds must be on Man Utd and Chelsea making it a repeat of last year’s Champions League Final, although I am positive that both Arsenal and Barcelona will yet have a say in how things turn out. Indeed, anyone who witnessed Barcelona’s weekend demolition of Real Madrid in La Liga would hesitate to put any money on Chelsea reaching a second consecutive final. If you missed it, you sure missed a treat, as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi painted little passing patterns around the Meringues, and Thierry Henry – looking like his old Arsenal version – plundering two goals on their way to an emphatic 6-2 rout - and on enemy turf, to boot.
Chelsea’s stiff defensive showing at the Nou Camp did just about enough to stifle Pep Guardiola’s attacking machine in the first leg, but I’ll be shocked if the Blues resort to the same negative mindset in front of their home fans and this one should be a more open affair. As Barcelona showed at the weekend, they’ll play the same way, home or away, and if Chelsea give them the room they could be on the end of a hiding. Chelsea will be looking to take advantage of Barcelona’s less than stellar defense, especially with Carles Puyol suspended and Rafa Marquez injured, and they could do some damage from set-pieces where their superior physique – think Ballack, Drogba, Terry, Ivanovic, Alex – puts them at an advantage. It’s a tough call, and Chelsea will be no pushovers, but I think Barcelona will shade this one.
Arsenal managed to escape Old Trafford with a slim one goal deficit last week, but they’ll need to be at their very best to see off an in-form Man Utd at the Emirates. Sadly, Arsenal at their best includes Andrei Arshavin these days and the little Russian is ineligible for Champions League play. Man U seem to have found their best form again, since Sir Alex switched Wayne Rooney to that wide left role and let Carlos Tevez run riot down the middle, and if they have a good day it’s hard to see Arsenal winning this one. Most teams would be adequately distracted by a league championship race to take their eyes of the ball, but Man U boast a squad of both depth and quality and the likes of Ronaldo, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand will return refreshed after sitting out the weekend win at Middlesbrough. Regardless of what happened last week, Arsenal have been playing with confidence and the craft of Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor should be enough to earn them a goal or two. But keeping United off the scoresheet will prove a mountain too high to climb and the Red Devils should be on course for Rome come Tuesday night.
Whatever happens, enjoy the football. I‘ll be back with more on the Premiership, La Liga and France later in the week.
After last week’s semi-final first leg results, the odds must be on Man Utd and Chelsea making it a repeat of last year’s Champions League Final, although I am positive that both Arsenal and Barcelona will yet have a say in how things turn out. Indeed, anyone who witnessed Barcelona’s weekend demolition of Real Madrid in La Liga would hesitate to put any money on Chelsea reaching a second consecutive final. If you missed it, you sure missed a treat, as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi painted little passing patterns around the Meringues, and Thierry Henry – looking like his old Arsenal version – plundering two goals on their way to an emphatic 6-2 rout - and on enemy turf, to boot.
Chelsea’s stiff defensive showing at the Nou Camp did just about enough to stifle Pep Guardiola’s attacking machine in the first leg, but I’ll be shocked if the Blues resort to the same negative mindset in front of their home fans and this one should be a more open affair. As Barcelona showed at the weekend, they’ll play the same way, home or away, and if Chelsea give them the room they could be on the end of a hiding. Chelsea will be looking to take advantage of Barcelona’s less than stellar defense, especially with Carles Puyol suspended and Rafa Marquez injured, and they could do some damage from set-pieces where their superior physique – think Ballack, Drogba, Terry, Ivanovic, Alex – puts them at an advantage. It’s a tough call, and Chelsea will be no pushovers, but I think Barcelona will shade this one.
Arsenal managed to escape Old Trafford with a slim one goal deficit last week, but they’ll need to be at their very best to see off an in-form Man Utd at the Emirates. Sadly, Arsenal at their best includes Andrei Arshavin these days and the little Russian is ineligible for Champions League play. Man U seem to have found their best form again, since Sir Alex switched Wayne Rooney to that wide left role and let Carlos Tevez run riot down the middle, and if they have a good day it’s hard to see Arsenal winning this one. Most teams would be adequately distracted by a league championship race to take their eyes of the ball, but Man U boast a squad of both depth and quality and the likes of Ronaldo, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand will return refreshed after sitting out the weekend win at Middlesbrough. Regardless of what happened last week, Arsenal have been playing with confidence and the craft of Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor should be enough to earn them a goal or two. But keeping United off the scoresheet will prove a mountain too high to climb and the Red Devils should be on course for Rome come Tuesday night.
Whatever happens, enjoy the football. I‘ll be back with more on the Premiership, La Liga and France later in the week.
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