Champions League Predictions! 2/22/13

Having worked through the first legs of the Champions League, how about some predictions for who will manage things in the respective 2nd legs and who will go on? When Schalke welcome Galatasary to Germany 3 weeks from now, it will be with an air of excitement as the German side should feel positive after earning a draw away in Turkey. While their domestic performances have been less than exemplary, the Germans have found new life on the international stage. One important thing for the Germans to do, though, will be the closing down of Burak Yilmaz who has been phenomenal for the Turkish side this season. Additionally, Schalke must ensure that Hamit Altintop does not explode into form in the coming game which would prove particularly difficult. Galatasary on the other hand will have to score goals while also keeping the likes of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Benedikt Hodewes in check. The verdict? Schalke will pull victory out of the hat though it will be very close. As for the game between Juventus and Celtic, the Italians have arguably sealed the deal with a 3-0 lead going into the home match in Turin. While Celtic have been improving their away performances in recent years, Juve are simply a class above the Scottish side who are struggling to capitalize on the talents of Giorgos Samaras and Gary Hooper in particular. Conclusion? Juventus will consolidate and dominate at home. Next up is Valencia v.s. PSG in a game which is sure to provide excitement as the French side edged the Spaniards 2-1 in the first leg. Being in that position of power, PSG may be the slight favorites though I would argue that Valencia have more established scorers performing in the tournament thus far. PSG will have to put Jonas, Roberto Soldado, and Sofiane Feghouli off their games while Valencia will admittedly have to worry about Ezequiel Lavezzi in particular. On the one hand, PSG have the better record thus far in addition to the greater average goals a game. Of interest to Valencia's defense is the fact that PSG have scored all of their goals from inside the 18 yard box meaning defensive strength will be required in keeping back the French side's strikers. My opinion is that PSG will edge Valencia out of the competition though it will be a tough fixture. Over to the Trans-Iberian fixture between Malaga and Porto which currently stands 1-0 in favor of the Portuguese side. While the 1st leg defeat was Malaga's first loss in the competition, it might be a sign of worse things to come as the Spaniards only barely have a better goal tally than their opponents and Porto have dominated as far as opportunities on goal are concerned. If the Portuguese begin converting, we may well see an American football scoreline as the final whistle is blown. As far as defensive tasks are concerned, Porto must contend with Eliseu, Duda, Joaquin, and Isco while Malaga will have to keep an eye on the likes of Jackson Martinez, Silvestre Varela, Lucho Gonzalez, and of course Joao Moutinho who gave the Portuguese side the lead coming into the 2nd leg. While it probably won't be a blow out, I wouldn't be surprised if both sides scored a goal each. In the end, Porto should make it through as the combination of home field advantage and expertise at this level of competition will be too much for the giant-slayers from Malaga. As for the highly anticipated game between Bayern and Arsenal, the Germans should secure victory as they simply out-man and out-gun the Gunners! While 3-1 isn't a perfect lead for Bayern, the English side will be hard pressed to out-score a side with the likes of Thomas Muller, Claudio Pizzaro, and Toni Kroos scoring so freely. Nevertheless, the Germans must beware of the prowess of Arsenal's Lukas Podolski and Gervinho! The last word on the subject is that Arsenal will likely say good bye to the Champions League competition once more as the Germans progress in a consolidated fashion into the Quarter-Finals. Of course, there is also Dortmund's match-up with the talented Shakhtar Donetsk who have a slight advantage on the goal front though a less-impressive record. Dortmund remain undefeated thus far into their campaign though they will have to begin converting the multitude of their opportunities! At the same time, Donetsk are in no way unacquainted with the art of shooting with the likes of Willian, Luiz Adriano, Alex Teixeira, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring 11 goals between one another. The Ukrainian side's defenders will have to close down Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus though if they have any intention of progressing. Unfortunately, I can't see one of these two talented teams taking an outright victory as the home advantage will do wonders for the Germans while Donetsk may be said to have a slightly superior attacking display. I would suggest that the Germans will either win it late or struggle through on penalties. Of course, there is then Barcelona's 2nd leg fixture against Italian giants AC Milan: the Catalan side have a slight advantage as far as goals scored and record is concerned though on average they are not scoring enough to overturn a 2-0 deficit from the 1st leg where Milan dominated despite a clear minority of possession. Having said that, if the Spaniards can convert more of their host of opportunities the game will be a good one. While generally striking from within the 18, possession shouldn't be an issue for the Catalan side though as has already been noted they must either score or die. As for AC Milan, the majority of their attempts actually come from outside of the 18 while their defense must remain resilient if they want any chance at progressing. Barcelona will have to find someone other than Lionel Messi to score goals if Milan cover him as well as they did in the last game. On the other side of the field, Milan have no real center of goal scoring though both Pato and Stephen El Shaarawy have struck twice each. At the same time, I will be interested to see if Sulley Muntari will be able to reproduce his form from the 1st leg should he be given the chance to play again. By way of conclusion I will say that if Barca can tighten up defensively and have another striker take a run of form - relieving even a little of the pressure on Messi - they will at least have a chance of progressing. Otherwise, AC Milan will tear the Spaniards apart once more, possession statistics be damned! Last but certainly not least, Manchester United v.s. Real Madrid will display two sides who have had a turbulent campaign thus far. While the 1st leg ended even, 1-1, Real Madrid have actually had the best of opportunities going into the 2nd leg. Having said that, if United's defense stands tall, Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez may well further increase their goal tallies for the Red Devils. To accomplish this, United will have to contend with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, and Jose Callejon. Finally, if Manchester United have any hope of progressing it rests in the ability of keeper David de Gea. If they get into a scoring match Madrid will undoubtedly win therefore another defensive miracle working on the part of the Spaniard will be required if Manchester United expect to advance. While I wouldn't be surprised if the game extends to penalties, I could see United edging the game in regulation. Enjoy the break and catch your breath for the 2nd legs!