It's a Double Date!

Fascinating matches around Europe this week as we learned the finalists of both the Champions League and the Europa League. In the first competition, Atletico Madrid were victorious over Chelsea by a 3-1 margin despite a 0-0 home fixture! It was a tense second leg with Fernando Torres putting the home side up in the 36th minute. Adrian Lopez equalized for the Spaniards just before the half time interval, while teammates Diego Costa and Arda Turan slotted home in the 60th and 72nd minutes respectively to decisively eliminate the English side from contention in the Final. In the other semi-final, Real Madrid had a 1-0 lead after the first leg at home and were traveling to Germany to face Bayern Munich in what had the opportunity to be a massive battle. Instead, the performance was anticlimactic as Bayern crumbled in the first half. Sergio Ramos struck twice within five minutes - in the 16th and 20th minutes - to put the Germans on the ropes. Cristiano Ronaldo then struck a third in the 34th minute to make it a 4-0 aggregate scoreline. It was clear that Bayern didn't have much to add to the conversation going into the second half, pressing forward somewhat better though never convincingly. Ronaldo's second strike, in the 90th minute, sealed the defending champions' fate: Bayern were out in humiliating fashion and an all-Spanish Final was set for the Champions League. Interestingly, both sides that lost had majorities of possession; Bayern more so with almost 65% of the ball. Just goes to show that it is more important to know what to do with the ball than to sit around holding it!

As for the Europa League, one of the semi-finals lived up to the billing while the other ended with a whimper. Juventus-Benfica was a harsh slog with a 1-2 scoreline from the first leg. The fact that the Italians had almost five times as many opportunities on goal than the Portuguese did not help Juve. Neither did the lion's share of possession, 63% going to the second leg hosts. In fact, by the end nerves were showing and tempers flared with three red cards coming in the last 23 minutes - two of those coming in the 89th minute. There were no goals in Italy, despite Juve's best efforts. Hopefully that is not a foretaste of what is to come in the Final! Turning to the Spanish semi-final now, Sevilla were outplayed in Valencia up until literally the final minute of the match. Sofiane Feghouli scored in the 14th minute for Valencia followed by an own goal by Sevilla's keeper Beto in the 26th minute. Matters were not helped by Jeremy Mathieu's 69th minute strike that gave the hosts an aggregate lead of 3-2. Against the run of play, though, Stephane Mbia headed home in the 4th minute of stoppage time of the second half to make it 3-3 on aggregate, Sevilla going through on away goals.

Just to recap then, the Champions League Final in Lisbon, Portugal will pit Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid while the Europa League will see its conclusion in Turin, Italy with Benfica and Sevilla facing off for glory. Expect a blog post in the near future to examine the respective team's chances. I would love to see Atletico and Benfica winning the respective competitions, but more later! Hope you enjoyed the matches!

Champions League Semi-Final 4/23/2014 Part II

And I'm back! The match between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich was a lopsided affair with an awkward conclusion. Prior to the play where Karim Benzema slotted home in the 19th minute, and in the subsequent game, Bayern were the team in ascent. They dominated possession - with 64% of the ball - and had almost double the number of chances as their Spanish counterparts. On the bright side for the Germans, they will be playing at home and should have an almost complete roster so long as goalkeeper Neuer is able to maintain his fitness levels. Alcantara and Shaqiri will likely remain out for the second leg, but Bayern definitely have the quality to drown Madrid in goals - so long as they can actually put a few in the back of the net! On the Madrid side, Alvaro Arbeloa will likely remain absent for the second leg. If Sami Khedira, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Gareth Bale can maintain their health, Madrid may actually look better than they did in their home fixture! As far as my predictions go, after the respective first legs, I still think that Atletico Madrid may have too much under the hood for Chelsea to handle. The English side will obviously have a boost being at home, but I could imagine things going south for the hosts if Atletico get the first goal. On the other hand, Real Madrid are sitting in a more comfortable position against Bayern Munich, there is no doubt about it. However, the Germans remain an incredibly talented side, and with 11 chances on target in Madrid, I would expect them to make at least one at home.

Champions League Semi-Final 4/23/2014

Alright then! What a pair of games we had this week as Atletico Madrid were held to a 0-0 draw at home in Spain against English giants Chelsea and Real Madrid took an early 1-0 lead against a dominant Bayern Munich side in Madrid. In the first match-up, Atletico had a majority of the opportunities though they were unable to get through the Chelsea defense. Having said that, all is not lost for the Spaniards. While it will certainly be no easy task, Chelsea remained goalless in the first leg as well. Adding to the woes of the English side, goalkeeper Peter Cech and John Terry may miss the second leg while Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel received bookings that disqualify them from competing in the next match. The dubious status of Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto'o does not help matters. I will admit that I would love to see Atletico in the Final. If Thibaut Courtois and company can keep things together, the Spaniards will have at least one representative in the Champions League Final. More later, gotta run!

Champions League and Europa League Update! 4/11/2014

One step closer to the Final now, with both the Champions League and the Europa League entering their Semi-Final stages. In the former, Atletico Madrid will face Chelsea while Real Madrid take on holders Bayern Munich for the right to compete in the showpiece event in Lisbon. In the face-off between England's remaining representative Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, the sheer depth of the Madrid bench may out-perform the London side. If the Blues can get the likes of Samuel Eto'o, Andre Schurrle, and Marco Van Ginkel back into the side, they will arguably look much the better team. Atletico meanwhile will be set on getting Diego Costa and Arda Turan back into their side ahead of their first leg encounter in Madrid. Much will depend on Atletico's home performance as Chelsea have consistently under-performed away from home. As far as the defenses are concerned, Chelsea's Peter Cech obviously has the most experience at this level of competition between the two - though I would conjecture that Thibaut Courtois may have the better put together defensive front. If Diego Costa isn't at 100% fitness, I would predict Chelsea getting through by the skin of their teeth. Turning now to the Real Madrid-Bayern Munich match-up, it is curious that the Germans have no back-ups for Manuel Neuer since Tom Starke and Lukas Raeder are both out through injury. All the same, the Germans would be my pick to go through if Cristiano Ronaldo is less than 100% fit and the likes of Sami Khedira, Alvaro Arbeloa, and Marcelo are out. Bayern will doubtless continue to miss the talents of Thiago Alcantara and Xherdan Shaqiri though I think Mario Mandzukic, Arjen Robben, and Thomas Muller alone could get the Germans past the Spaniards. Gareth Bale will remain a menacing option for Real; and Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria, or Isco may have a burst of form. Having said that, the defensive stalwarts for Bayern such as Philipp Lahm, Rafinha, Jerome Boateng, and Dante should keep the heat off of Neuer. I'm actually not sure which way the opener in Madrid will go. Bayern have traveled well in the tournament thus far, though Real have been in terrifying home form so they may well earn themselves a hard-fought lead. That'll just mean the second leg will leave everything to play for!

As for the Europa League, we have a mix of Iberian and Southern European contestants this year with Benfica paired with Juventus and Sevilla poised to take on domestic opponents Valencia. I'll start with the all-Spanish bout with Sevilla the team that I am not-so-secretly rooting for. For one thing, they have the depth of bench to let them compete at this level despite injuries to (arguably nonessential) midfielders Denis Cheryshev and Sebastian Cristoforo. Otherwise, Javier Varas has been as fit as a fiddle with Beto a more than adequate stand-in if circumstances require. As for scoring talent, Kevin Gameiro is an obvious target man for the Valencia defense though Carlos Bacca and Vitolo have proved deadly. Unless Sevilla cement at least a two goal lead (for best results, without allowing any away goals) when they greet Valencia in the series opener, I think Valencia's Paco Alcacer and Fede Cartabia may be enough to push them through. Now for bad news on Valencia: Diego Alves, their top keeper, will likely be out due to injury for at least the first game in Sevilla. Vicente Guaita has been a decent stand-in, I do not expect he will have as easy a time as he did against Basel in the second leg. Rather, Sevilla should be disciplined and I wouldn't be surprised to see a scoreline similar to the one we saw in Basel: 3-0 for Sevilla? Let's see if it happens! Between Juve and Benfica, I have mixed emotions. These are two teams that I have greatly enjoyed watching. Defensively, the two sides have opposite problems. Whereas the Portuguese may be missing their goalkeeper Artur for the first leg, the Italians are without three - yes three! - significant defending talents: Andrea Barzagli, Federico Peluso, and Angelo Ogbonna. Having said that, Bonucci, Caceres, and Chiellini are in as is Gianluigi Buffon. Rubin Amorim is also doubtful for Benfica, though Rodrigo and Lima are the great attacking prongs of the Portuguese side. Oscar Cardozo is always a danger man, while Eduardo Salvio, Lazar Markovic, and Nicolas Gaitan may hit a run of form to propel their team into the Final. As well as being fabulous defenders, Luisao and Ezequiel Garay may surprise by adding to their respective goal tallies as well. Over on the Italian side, the incentive to perform is certainly evident as Juve would be playing at home in Turin if they get through the Portuguese. Pablo Osvaldo will probably be shut down by Benfica, though with names such as Sebastian Giovinco, Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente, Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, and even Paul Pogba on the roster, the Old Ladies can never be written off. With both sides having a phenomenal record thus far in the Europa League, it is honestly a crap-shoot. I might favor Juve to make some magic, but don't expect Benfica to take anything lying down. Jan Oblak has performed admirably in the Eagles' goal, and if he is called to represent the club again, I would expect a performance similar to Benfica's matches against Tottenham Hotspur. Enjoy the games!

Champions League Update: 4/3/2014

After the first round of games, you could be forgiven for being underwhelmed by the teams left at this stage. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid finished level 1-1 as did Manchester United and Bayern Munich. However, they were well-played matches all around with serious implications for the respective second legs. In the first match-up, despite having more than four times as many opportunities as their opponents from Madrid, Barca only scored through Neymar in the 71st minute - trailing for a good fifteen minutes after Diego struck Atletico ahead early on in the first half. Despite the number of yellow cards, Atletico may well feel optimistic about welcoming the Catalan side on April 9th as their home performance against AC Milan in the last round demonstrated: a 4-1 victory over anyone at this level of competition should raise some eyebrows. At the same time, Barcelona have traveled decently in the competition, winning 0-2 away at Manchester City. In the other pairing, United will be happy about salvaging a draw though they really should have scored at least a second. Bayern meanwhile were not on their game at Old Trafford, but still managed to draw even through Bastian Schweinsteiger in the 67th minute after Nemanja Vidic gave the English a lead in the 58th minute. The loss of Schweinsteiger will be hard felt in the German camp after he was sent off, but they are the kind of quality side that can persevere through such obstacles.

Yesterday we saw another kind of game. Paris Saint-Germain trounced Chelsea, though PSG may rue conceding the 27th penalty which Eden Hazard converted. Zlatan Ibrahimovic's injury may prove problematic, however Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore should prove enough to counter anything the Blues throw at the French side. David Luiz's own goal in the 61st minute surely helped the French side, suffering from a lack of confidence as Chelsea's counter-attacking style proved deadly. Hopefully Salvatore Sirigu can continue his good form in goal and his defense stays strong against a talented Chelsea side. In Spain, Real Madrid were dominant to no one's surprise as Borussia Dortmund were without significant players and clearly unable to cope. Gareth Bale got the ball rolling for the Spaniards, striking in the 3rd minute to shatter the Germans' concentration. Midfielder Isco performed admirably, tacking on a second goal in the 27th minute to put Madrid in a great mood going into the break. If Dortmund had perhaps focused more on goal scoring and less on card collection, they may have performed better with 42 % of possession and a decent 14 attempts against Iker Casillas. Cristiano Ronaldo struck in the 57th minute to make it 3-0 and essentially hammer in the final nail of the Dortmund coffin. I don't expect the Spanish to surrender their lead, even if Dortmund get all of their players at 100% fitness. Have a great weekend and expect a Europa League update in the near future!

Next Round of the Champions League! 3/21/2014.

With the quality sides in at this stage of the competition, there were always going to be some mouth-watering match-ups! This year did not disappoint as we will see Barcelona versus Atletico Madrid, and Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund. Of these two ties, I would think Barca and Madrid would be the two sides making it into the Semi Finals. In the latter, I think that injuries alone will cause the Germans to rue what could have been. As for the showdown between Barca and Atletico, it will undoubtedly be much closer. While I would tip the Catalan side to claim victory, that isn't to say that Atletico will just roll over. In the same way as Juventus' match-ups in the Europa League with Fiorentina were a heated contest, only decided by an Andrea Pirlo free kick, I believe Barca will edge their domestic rivals. Moving on now, Paris Saint-Germain will be taking on Chelsea while Bayern Munich will face Manchester United. In the first game, I would love to see Chelsea lose to their French opponents and I think it is possible. If PSG can explode out of the gates in their opening home match, I think they have the goal-scoring talent and defensive consistency to show the Blues the way out. Having said that, if the team from London - the last English representatives at this stage of the tournament - can get the likes of Ashley Cole and David Luiz, and perhaps even Marco Van Ginkel, back into the squad, it will be a very tight affair. Bayern's match with Manchester United will depend heavily on whether or not United can make some magic at home in the first leg. If they perform with the same spirit they showed coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the first leg to win 3-0 over Olympiacos, they may very well head to Germany with their heads held high. I think Bayern might just have too much for the Red Devils though; particularly with the injury to Robin van Persie. Make sure to check back for updates on the matches!

Champions League Performances from Today - 2/26/2014

A tale of two cities this week as Galatasaray met Chelsea on the field of battle while Schalke cowered against the awesome might of Real Madrid. In the first match-up, Fernando Torres put the Blues ahead in the 9th minute of the first half. While both sides had about the same number of opportunities, the Turkish side had slightly more of possession. Aurelien Chedjou's 65th minute strike was well-deserved and the fact that Chelsea tallied a total of four yellow cards to Galatasaray's one illustrates that the English side did not have a good game. Nevertheless, a 1-1 scoreline is relatively good for Chelsea, meaning Turkey's last surviving representative in the Champion's League will have to give it their all in the away fixture. I wouldn't put their chances too high but with the likes of Muslera (and replacement Eray Iscan) in goal, Sneijder, Drogba, and Umut Bulut - well - you can't quite count them out just yet. Injuries may prove to be an issue for the Turks.
Over in Gelsenkirchen, the first ten minutes of the game could have gone either way. In truth, that was the last time Schalke looked like much of a team though. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar's goal in the 91st minute of stoppage time was a consolation goal after Benzema, Bale, and Ronaldo each struck twice to make it a 1-6 game. The French and Welshmen were the only scorers of a tense first half though the second half witnessed an explosion of goals. Not the kind of start that the Germans would have wanted to their Round of 16! With that kind of scoreline, I wouldn't be surprised if the return leg in Madrid was just a formality because the chances of Schalke turning this around are next to zero. Having said that, it'd mean there will be nothing holding either side back so it may just be another goal fest. Look for a Europa League update in the next couple days!

Champions League 11/26/2013

What a brilliant round of fixtures we saw today! With goals in all but one of the match-ups, let's get right down to business! In the first game of the day, Zenit St. Petersburg were able to tie Atletico Madrid 1-1 in a tight affair in Russia that saw the hosts dominate their guests in terms of possession with 62% of the ball. Zenit also had more opportunities than Atletico though all in all it was a very good game. Atletico continue their unbeaten run as Zenit must wait until the final match of the group-stage to achieve their qualification hopes. Probably the most surprising result was Basel's 1-0 victory in Switzerland over Chelsea to deny the English side a place in the knock-out round at least for today. The hosts waited until the dying minutes of the match to strike through Mohamed Salah in the 87th minute setting up a nail-biting final minutes as the Blues tried to equalize unsuccessfully. The 0-0 draw between Steaua and Schalke in Romania, however, means that any of the top three teams in Group E can make it to the next round depending on the results of the final group games which will poise Schalke against Basel and Chelsea welcoming Steaua to England. Wrapping up Group G really quickly, Porto tied 1-1 with Austria Wien meaning the Austrians have no hope of progressing while Zenit and Porto will be eying one another for the 2nd position spot into the next round. Up in Scotland, Celtic essentially banged their head into a wall for 90 minutes as attempt after attempt went wanting and AC Milan struck three times to sink the B'hoys. In the other Group H fixture, Ajax were surprising victors over Barcelona in an affair in Amsterdam that ended 2-1 for the Dutch. In the process, Ajax knocked Celtic out of contention and set-up a mouth-watering final match with Milan-Barca and Ajax-Celtic deciding who will make it out of this contentious group. Last but certainly not least: Group F. With the likes of Arsenal, Dortmund, and Napoli, it was always going to be a close one and it has proved nothing less! As Marseille continued their dismal form, going 5 games without securing a single point in the table, Arsenal completed a 2-0 match-up against the French side. In the other match-up, Dortmund and Napoli put on a grand display with the Germans securing a 3-1 victory over their Italian competitors. The result means that Arsenal take poll position at 12 points as Dortmund and Napoli each have 9. Depending on how the last set of games go, any of the three teams may well make it through. Given their terrible form thus far, Dortmund should feel confident going to Marseille on December 11th while Napoli will hope that they perform better at home when they host Arsenal on the same day. Keep an eye out for the games coming tomorrow!

Champions League Leading Up to Thanksgiving! (11/25/2013)

After all of the exciting international action, we return to the club level with the latest round of the Champions League taking place tomorrow, Tuesday the 26th. The match-ups are thrilling as always and have the potential of deciding who we'll see in the knock-out rounds. Russia's Zenit St. Petersburg greet Atletico Madrid of Spain in a match-up between Group G's top two. Having said that, the 7 point gap between Madrid who are up top and Zenit who presently hold 2nd contributes to the must-win nature of the match: Portugal's Porto will be hosting Austria Wein in a game that should go the way of the Portuguese. If that is the case and the Spaniards claim victory in Russia, the table would have Madrid untouchable with 15 points and Porto in 2nd with 7. Austria Wein are playing for pride at this point with just a point to their name as a loss for Zenit would drop them to 3rd with just 5 points and a game to play.
Over in Group E, Switzerland's Basel host England's giants Chelsea. Despite the imperfect nature of Chelsea's qualification campaign up to this point, they sit top of the group with 3 points over 2nd place Schalke. Basel, in 3rd, have 5 while 4th position Steaua Bucuresti have 2. The home field advantage should help the Swiss side, though I cannot see them overpowering the Blues. Over in Romania, Steaua will hope for a better performance against Germany's Schalke at home though the latter side are arguably the favorites.
Group H's bottom of the table Celtic will hope to put on a show in Glasgow when they face Italy's AC Milan. Though typically better at home, I can't help but feel the Scots will fall to the power of the Italians. Nevertheless, the hope of qualification may spur Celtic to victory - 3 points and a Barcelona victory against Ajax would position Celtic in 2nd a point above Milan. I doubt it'll happen but I'll be cheering for them! Group leaders Barcelona sit tidy with 10 points and should play well in Holland when they face-off against 3rd position Ajax who have 4.
Rounding up the action tomorrow, Group F has co-leaders Arsenal taking on bottom-of-the-table Marseille at home in England. With 0 points up to this point, I think the French side would be incredibly lucky to get through the 90 minutes with a draw. The other side with 9 points, Napoli, travel to Germany as they face 3rd place Dortmund who have 6. Victory for the Germans would move them up to at least 2nd thanks to a superior goal difference than their Italian counterparts. With that in mind, the performance over the weekend by the Gelsenkirchen side was not confidence-inspiring: losing 3-0 at home to Bayern Munich! I would not say that Napoli are quite at Bayern's level, and their recent performances have been less than ideal. Based on the team-sheets, the continued losses of Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer, and Neven Subotic will hurt the Germans - particularly defensively. At the same time, Marek Hamsik's injury on the Napoli side decreases their goal-scoring options. In the end, the Italians arguably have a greater depth in terms of goal-scoring, but the match will be decided by the defenses. Enjoy the games and look for more tomorrow!

Champions League November 6th 2013

More thrilling action today as Porto will be hoping for more success than their Portuguese counterparts Benfica had yesterday. They face off against Zenit St. Petersburg who have proven staunch opponents in the past several meetings between the two sides. I would tip the Russians to seize victory based on their record thus far in the competition as they stand a point above the Portuguese side. Atletico Madrid's match against Austria Wein should be a far more straightforward affair with at least 1 goal separating the two sides. The injuries on both sides might make for a tentative match-up though the hopeful return of Leo Baptistao should prove positive for the Spaniards as he has found goal once in 5 games for the Madrid side. The likes of Diego Costa, Arda Turan, and Gabi should be enough to swing the game in Atletico's favor. Barcelona-Milan will likely be a critical affair with 3 points for the Spaniards arguably sufficient to get them through to the next round. 3 for Milan would put them at the top of the group. I would suggest a draw or a Milan victory given the injury problems Barca have gone through with Isaac Cuenca, Ibrahim Afellay, and Jordi Alba side-lined and Adriano and Gerard Pique operating at less than 100% efficiency. Nevertheless, the likes of Messi and Neymar alone should give Milan a run for their money. A strong defense will be critical for the Italians. Dortmund v.s. Arsenal is a crucial showdown in Group F with the two and Napoli tied at 6 points each. If Marseille have any hope of putting in a good showing this year internationally, they will have to really impress in Italy as they travel to fight Napoli. Their odds are not good, shall we say. Returning to the bout in Germany, Arsenal will be hard pressed after losing in England to the Germans. Injuries on both sides will force both coaches to reconsider their tactics with the likes of Theo Walcott, Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Jack Wilshere missing for Arsenal alone. Sebastian Kehl, Lukasz Piszczek, Ilkay Gundogan, Mats Hummels, and Marcel Schmelzer are all at various fitness levels for Dortmund. My prediction is that Dortmund will either claim victory or settle for a draw. The arguable minnows of Group E, Basel's match against Steaua Bucuresti should see at least a goal as the return of Valentin Stocker bodes well for the Swiss side. The fact that 3 points would put Basel into contention for a qualification spot should motivate them to success at home. As for the other Group E match-up, Chelsea will be expecting victory at home despite the loss of Fernando Torres and Ryan Bertrand. Their German opponents Schalke will be missing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jefferson Farfan; although whispers of Adam Szalai, Roman Neustadter, and Kyriakos Papadopolous putting in a shift will excite Gelsenkirchen fans. At the end of the day, Chelsea should win the match by a goal. Celtic's road game against Ajax is relatively difficult to call with both sides missing players such as creative talent Bojan Krkic and defensive stalwarts Adam Matthews and Steven Mouyokolo. I think the home field advantage might tip the affair in the Dutch side's favor as the Scots are notoriously poor performers abroad. Enjoy the games!

Champions League highlights.

Well we are up and running again with international club football as there were some huge surprises in the opening round of fixtures! Playing at home to Chelsea in England, one would be forgiven for assuming that the Blues would crush the Swiss competition put on by FC Basel. You'd be wrong of course as the minnows - though Europa League semi-finalists last year - stunned the home side with a 2-1 margin. The almost unknown talents of Mohamed Salah and Marco Streller put the Swiss side on the right road despite the fact that the London side had scored the only goal of the 1st half through Emboaba Oscar with a clean right-footed strike. Elsewhere, Swedish-born Johan Wiland arguably had the best game of his career as Danish side Kobenhavn managed to salvage a point from their match-up against Italian giants Juventus. Thanks to Nicolai Jorgensen's 14th minute goal the Danes got off to a fantastic start though they eventually succumbed to Fabio Quagliarella's deadly foot in the 54th minute. Over in Greece Olympiacos were thrashed badly by their French opponents PSG though they did not go quietly. While the phenomenal Edison Cavani got the scoring started in the 19th minute, Vladimir Weiss' equalizer for the Greeks in the 25th minute was a thing of pure beauty. Bypassing two defending players on his way to goal, his eventual strike was just about as sweet as the build-up to it. Nevertheless, PSG had shaken off their shock by the 2nd half as Thiago Motta struck twice - in the 68th and 73rd minutes - before Marquinhos tacked on a 4th in the 86th minute of play. While not a 4-1 victory, Manchester United's 4-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen was also entertaining besides the fact that it was the game where Wayne Rooney struck his 200th goal. It took 22 minutes for the goal tab to be broken but finally it was with Rooney volleying through off of a nice cross from Patrice Evra. Capitalizing on United's failure only moments before, Leverkusen managed to equalize in the 54th minute through Simon Rolfes after a sweet layoff from Son Heung-Min. 5 minutes later the red devils were again on a high though as Robin Van Persie sliced home from a golden opportunity courtesy of Antonio Valencia. By the 70th minute things were looking even rosier for United as Rooney struck once more following a long goal kick from De Gea and an interesting header from Emir Spahic. Only to rub salt in the wounds, Valencia proceeded to make it 4 for the good in the 79th minute after an amazing breakthrough with pace. For Leverkusen's pride, defender Omer Toprak did get them a 2nd in the 88th minute following lousy defending on United's part.

Last step to the Final(s)

The Final matches of the Champions and Europa Leagues have been decided and we can expect some absolutely golden performances! While it is going to be an all-German affair in the Champions League, Bayern and Dortmund should give us a positively exhilarating match - so long as they stick to the attacking football that has led them this far. While I wouldn't put it past the north-westerners to go for broke, I think the Bavarians will be too much for Dortmund. Having said that, it should be a close match but expect Lewandowski to be pinned down by the Bayern defense: they realize after both domestic and international appearances that he is the attacking linchpin of the Dortmund side.

Then there is the Europa League Final which pits Benfica of Portugal against Chelsea of England. Saying that Chelsea are the favorites in this tie is an understatement as the big-money club have the bigger players, the better pedigree, and the hunger to win at least one piece of silverware this year since they have lost their domestic opportunities. Nevertheless, the Portuguese shouldn't just roll over for the London side. The atmosphere will be a lively one in Amsterdam and the two sides should put on a decent display. While Benfica technically have the better record of the two sides thus far, Chelsea's goal-scoring prowess is slightly better than Benfica's. Despite the fact that Chelsea have had a few more chances than Benfica have doesn't really  play into it as the Portuguese have actually done more with less. Having said that, Benfica will have to close down the opportunities count for the Blues while making a few of their own! Oscar Cardozo will have to be on terrific form - both as goal-scorer and shot-creator - if Benfica hope to have any chance of taking the title. Defensively, the Portuguese side will also have to shutdown the likes of Fernando Torres, Victor Moses, and David Luiz if they are to have any chance of winning the tie. Lima and Rodrigo for Benfica will also have to pitch in as far as chance-creation goes while Juan Mata and Eden Hazard (both of Chelsea) will hope for exceptional games. If Frank Lampard is on form on the night, Chelsea will at least get a goal. One way or the other though, the Blues will be my reluctant pick to win. Hope you enjoy the games!

Champions League Semi-Final Part II

Well color me impressed! While I knew that the home crowd support and attacking prowess of hosts Dortmund would be a challenge for Real Madrid, I certainly did not expect them to blow the Spaniards out in a similar fashion as Barcelona were destroyed in their 1st leg encounter with Bayern Munich. Robert Lewandowski's 8th minute strike for the Germans was obviously the best way the game could have started for Dortmund but as Cristiano Ronaldo equalized in the 43rd minute, one could be forgiven for thinking Real Madrid would start making back ground in the 2nd half. They would clearly be wrong though as Dortmund's 1st half possession dominance continued into the 2nd half, culminating in three more goals for Lewandowski before the game had run its course. How was this possible? Defensively, Madrid just had some lapses as they could not hold onto the rampant German opposition. The 2nd leg encounter will have to be something special on the part of the Spaniards as they will have to stop the scoring as well as make a handful of their own! Though Dortmund technically remain undefeated in their away encounters - another draw on their record would do just fine in this situation - Madrid's home performances allow for some hope on the part of Ronaldo, Ozil and company. Madrid will have to put in a double shift, but I would not put it past them. At the same time, how exhilarating would a Bayern - Dortmund Champions League Final be? Hope you enjoy the games! Do not forget to catch the Fenerbahce v.s. Benfica Europa League match today as well as Basel against Chelsea! I will report on those tomorrow.

Exhilarating domestic action!

Well, if you thought the European championships are the only interesting thing still happening in soccer, you'd be completely wrong! Yesterday we had the likes of Barcelona edging Levante 1-0, Real Madrid managing Real Betis 3-1, and Valencia obliterating Malaga by a 5-1 scoreline. Elsewhere, Fulham had a fierce match against visiting Arsenal which ended with the Gunners eking through by a 0-1 score. Over in Germany, Leverkusen absolutely destroyed Hoffenheim with 5 goals to the good as Bayern humiliated their hosts Hannover by a 1-6 scoring deficit. As Dortmund beat Mainz 2-0, Schalke were upset by their hosts Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0. Last but not least, Porto defeated Moreirense 0-3 away from home to stay within a point of 1st place Benfica. As for the action of today, Espanyol were able to score 2 against Getafe in Spain while the real thrillers came in England. After all, with the line-ups of Tottenham v.s. Manchester City and Liverpool v.s. Chelsea - today was always going to be exciting. While the greater result has turned out to be Spur's 3-1 victory over visiting City; Liverpool have an exciting game on their hands as they stand at a 1-2 deficit to the Blues. Over in Germany, Stuttgart were able to get a goal over visiting Freiburg in a 2-1 victory as Fiorentina scored 4 to Torino's 3 to earn three points in Italy. Over in Naples, Napoli got the three points from Cagliari in a 3-2 thriller as Sochaux and Bordeaux finished 2-2. As fun as these games have been though, make sure to keep an eye on these games too: Benfica v.s. Sporting - the Lisbon grudge-match - PSG v.s. Nice, Juventus against Milan which poses two of the arguably most quality Italian sides against one another today, and Sevilla take on Atletico. Hope you keep enjoying the games!

What has happened in the Champions League and what will be taking place in the Europa League

I'd like to start with the Champions League where Dortmund were able to edge Malaga in a white-knuckle thriller that had us all guessing until the final whistle. Despite the fact that the Spanish side were able to get themselves into a strong position for much of the 1st half following Joaquin's 25th minute goal and a strong showing through-out the pitch; the half ended 1-1 following Robert Lewandowski's equalizer in the 45th minute. While many may have thought that Dortmund would then go to work as the 2nd half began, the reality was that Malaga continued to dominate the game for all intents and purposes though failing to convert. Finally, Eliseu slotted home for Malaga in the 82nd minute - providing them with a lead that would have been golden against just about any other team. Not Dortmund though. Not only did Marco Reus level the score at 2-2 in the 1st minute of extra time but Felipe Santana struck a beauty in the 3rd minute that wrapped things up for the Germans as the full-time whistle blew only moments later.

Over in Turkey Real Madrid were able to make things work by the skin of their teeth against a Galatasaray side that for a few minutes looked like they might be able to overturn a crushing deficit. Though Cristiano Ronaldo got things off to a great start in the 7th minute, the game settled into a lull with the Spaniards defending with sporadic forays up the field. It was in the 2nd half when things really turned on for the Turkish side as Emmanuel Eboue brought Galatasary level on the night in the 57th minute. Then, in the 70th and 72nd minutes respectively Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba gave the Spaniards both barrels with a goal apiece. Unfortunately, Madrid managed the game until Ronaldo scored his second in the 2nd minute of extra time in the 2nd half. Though it was 3-2 on the night the aggregate score was a 5-3 affair!

Yesterday, Barcelona and PSG faced off in what was really an enthralling fixture as the visiting French side grabbed the lead early in the 2nd half through Javier Pastore. While this prompted Lionel Messi's introduction to the game, it should be noted that the Catalans peppered the PSG goal for much of the game without success. Then, in the 71st minute, magic happened. While the finishing shot came from the foot of Pedro Rodriquez, the play began as Messi surgically incised himself into the PSG defense. Laying off to David Villa, the striker passed to Pedro who punished the PSG players with a left-footed effort into the back of the net. Thanks to the 2-2 result in the previous leg, Barca went on to advance by the away goals rule.

As for the last of the Champions League games of the Quarter-Final round, Juventus greeted Bayern Munich in Turin to a match that was remarkably similar to the 1st leg. While both goals came in the 2nd half, Bayern held a significant amount of possession in addition to a modest advantage in chances. Of crucial importance was the fact that they converted their opportunities as Juve actually had a comparable chance tally. Of course, when Mario Mandzukic dove for his header in the 64th minute, the tie may well have been decided. Though Juventus goalie Gianluigi Buffon made a great first save, the ensuing goal sums up the story of his game: he played to the best of his ability but defensive deficiencies in front of him left him vulnerable to Bayern's lethal strikers.

Turning now to the Europa League, Rubin Kazan will host Chelsea in a 2nd leg that comes off of a 3-1 victory for the English side. While the Russians should do better at home, I cannot see them undoing the London side's lead. Their only chance will be if goal-tender Sergei Ryzhikov plays an unbelievable game and the likes of Jose Rondon, Vladimir Dyadyun, and Gokdeniz Karadeniz score at least one each. Otherwise, I anticipate a victory for Chelsea.

Up in England, Newcastle v.s. Benfica will be the game I will be watching as the English side hope to make right a 3-1 deficit. While the home field advantage will certainly assist the Magpies, the important thing will be whether they can score a lot of goals. Papiss Cisse and Shola Ameobi will be the go-to figures for those requirements. My prediction would be that defensive failings on the side of the home team will make it too easy for Benfica to score - putting the game out of the grasp of Newcastle.

As for the Swiss encounter between Basel and Tottenham, if the home side can get even a goal against the English opposition then the odds will increase exponentially in their favor. A great deal of stress will be placed on the Basel defense as a break-out performance by Tann Sommer will translate to attacking efforts from talent such as Marco Streller, Valentin Stocker, and Fabian Schar. Of course, there is also the view that the team from Switzerland gave their best in England and will go down to Spurs having played all of their tricks. This will obviously rely on Hugo Lloris (or Brad Friedel) standing tall in goal - a completely viable option. Then, it will be the responsibility of characters such as Gareth Bale, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Jermain Defoe to score and keep doing so until the game ends.

Last but not least, Lazio v.s. Fenerbahce will demonstrate whether or not Lazio are just terrible travelers or legitimately poor. In Turkey, down to 10 men, it was understandable that the Italians get hit at some point or another. Having said that, Lazio know where the goal is and in front of a home crowd they should have the nerve to at least challenge the Turkish side. The pedigree of the Lazio side up to this point should not be discounted as they had not lost in Europe until the 10 man debacle. Additionally, they do remain undefeated at home. Fenerbahce's form also shouldn't be discounted, though, as the Turks have proved themselves formidable adversaries away from home. I'd give my vote to Fenerbahce but that is with the understanding that the Turkish side will give it their all and not take their feet off of the gas. Otherwise, giving Lazio the room to develop will spell disaster for the visitors. Hope you enjoy the games!

And as for the Europa League

We've had the first leg of Europa League Quarterfinal action then and some thrilling games to boot! While Chelsea triumphed over visiting Rubin Kazan, it was a reasonably close affair up until the half. While Fernando Torres did strike twice, the first was a relatively lucky opportunity in the 16th though the 2nd was absolutely golden: a brilliant header low and hard out of the reach of the keeper. Between these two goals though, Victor Moses converted a beautiful volley from a rebound in the 32nd before Bebras Natcho made it 2-1 from the penalty spot in the 41st minute. Then, there was classic Torres in the 70th, ending the game 3-1. My predictions for the 2nd leg would be that Rubin's notorious counter-attacking abilities will not be put to use as they at best draw in front of a home crowd. Realistically, Chelsea will just be too good for them this time around.

Meanwhile, another London side - Tottenham - welcomed Basel in a brilliant match filled with goals and comebacks as the English side actually went 0-2 down after a quickfire assault from the likes of Valentin Stocker and Fabian Frei. The former goal was a bit lucky as an initial shot from Marco Streller bounced off the woodwork and into the waiting grasp of Stocker who put it away with ease. The second meanwhile, from Fabian Frei, was another bit of luck as the ball somehow found its way to the big man who headed home at the back door. Tottenham were good to not let this hurt them though! Striking before the half was important and the goal came from Emmanuel Adebayor who reacted quickly to strike home Scott Parker's first effort. Last but certainly not least, Gylfi Sigurdsson made it 2-2 as he zipped in from the right side of the field and struck a sweet shot that was even sweeter as it deflected off of defending Fabian Schar who helped it past Basel's keeper Yann Sommer. As far as the 2nd leg is concerned, if Spurs play like they did early in the game they will have no chance in Basel. Having said that, if their performance on the continent is more like their second half then things may just go their way!

Next up is Fenerbahce v.s. Lazio which saw the home side strike late against a depleted Italian side which had an extremely sparse amount of chances. Pierre Webo broke the ice from the penalty spot in the 78th minute. Then, Dirk Kuyt slotted home against Federico Marchetti who was unlucky to get rid of a deadly free kick. It should be noted that before these 78th and 91st minute goals, Ogenyi Onazi was sent off in the 48th minute after receiving a 2nd yellow. Down to 10 men then, Lazio really were going to break at any moment as Fenerbahce dominated the chances tally. If Fenerbahce field the same high-performance team, Lazio will be put to bed quite easily no matter the fact that the Italians have the home field advantage. Lazio will need something special to beat the Turkish side.

Finally, there is Benfica v.s. Newcastle which was honestly a fantastic match. Papiss Cisse had a brilliant strike off a Moussa Sissoko ball in the 12th minute to start the affair in a positive light. The hosting Portuguese took a bit to get together but finally converted in the 25th minute. This was through Rodrigo who latched onto a sublime opening after Oscar Cardozo's attempt was defended by Tim Krul. Next, in the 65th minute, Lima sped into an opening after a defensive mistake which finished by rounding the keeper and putting the ball away. Last but not least, Oscar Cardozo struck clean from the penalty spot after Newcastle's Steven Taylor committed a handball in the area to make it 3-1 as the final whistle blew. If Benfica dominate the opportunities in England as much as they did at home, they will have a chance despite the fact that Newcastle are pretty fierce at home. Enjoy the games!