Champions League latest

Well the draw for the group stage of this year's iteration of the Champions League tournament has been announced and it appears as though we will have exciting action very early on! While Group A is relatively mundane, we have Manchester United grouped with the likes of Shakhtar Donetsk, Real Sociedad, and Bayer Leverkusen. I'm going to step out on a limb here and say that United are probably favorites to win the group with either Leverkusen or Donetsk grabbing second place. Personally, I'd love to see the Ukrainians get through but I'll say Leverkusen most likely wins that race though it will be close. Last but not least, Real Sociedad will probably show well for themselves but finishing fourth in the Spanish league isn't quite up to standard as far as international competitions are concerned. Their squad depth may be an issue as they will be relying heavily on the likes of Claudio Bravo in goal and Carlos Vela up top.
Moving on to Group B now, we have Real Madrid and Juventus alongside Galatasaray and Kobenhavn of Denmark. As far as this group is concerned, if Real and Juve are not the two teams qualifying, it will be considered an upset. Having said that, I pick the Turkish side Galatasaray as the team to do it as they have quality players and the belief to punch above their weight. Honestly though, I think Juventus will take top honors as Real Madrid settle for second. While it would be nice to see the Danes take a point or three from this round of matches, such results would be surprising given the pedigree of their competitors.
Group C may be one of the closer ones with Benfica and Paris Saint-Germain my picks at advancing at the expense of Olympiacos and Anderlecht. As much as I would enjoy a close race, I think PSG might get their act together this season which leaves Benfica as the side that might under-perform. If that is the case, I could see the Greeks of Olympiacos under the leadership of Avraam Papadopoulos and coach Jose Miguel Gonzalez Martin del Campo - otherwise known as Michel. Though Olympiacos don't have the big names, their squad should be put together well enough to earn some points. As for Anderlecht, the Belgian side may have it tough this year on the international stage. Though it would be great if the likes of Sacha Kljestan and Guillaume Gillet could step up and pull the team through, the lack of big talent may leave them dreaming of better years.
Onwards to Group D where defending champions Bayern Munich face Manchester City, CSKA Moskva, and Viktoria Plzen. While Bayern and City are the obvious picks of this group, I would be very surprised if CSKA did not bloody a few noses. Czech side Viktoria Plzen may have a hard time of it though.
As for Group E, the likes of Chelsea, Schalke, and Basel make this group one to watch while Steaua Bucuresti may find life difficult away from Romania. Chelsea and Schalke are my picks to go through however if either side under-estimates Basel, it will be to their peril.
Group F is another one of the closer groups this year as Arsenal, Dortmund, Marseille, and Napoli have been drawn together. Though Marseille may be a formidable side in France, I am not sure if this will be their year internationally. Though it would be a miracle to recreate their 1993 run, I think they would have the right to be ecstatic if they even got out of the group. As for Arsenal, they might also have a hard time of it though if Szczesny, Vermaelen, and Mertesacker can keep the goal clean; it will just be down to the likes of Rosicky, Podolski, Walcott and company to score at the other end for them to do just fine. Nevertheless, my choices for teams to make it out of the group are Napoli and Dortmund though the Germans may well fall if they don't get their heads on right.
Almost done here as Group G should be straightforward with Atletico Madrid and Porto my choices of getting through while Zenit and Austria Wien are kicked out. Though the Russians should put up a decent fight at home, I think the Iberians may be too much for them. Austria Wien on the other hand should consider themselves lucky if they register a single victory.
Last but not least, Group H is where all the champions of yester-year have congregated: Barcelona and Milan are probably first choice picks as Ajax and Celtic will look forward to their home games and dread leaving their borders. Hope you are excited for the first matches!

Thrilling stuff in Scotland!

Sorry for the long hiatus away from the blog-posting! What a brilliant second-leg performance we were treated to today as Celtic took on Shakhter Karagandy in Champions League qualifying. Though the Kazakh side performed admirably at home in the first leg, winning 2-0, the Scottish Champions were noticeably not at their best. On the other hand, returning to Glasgow they really kicked things into a higher gear though the scoring did not start getting toasty until the 2nd half. While Kris Commons did put away his opportunity, starting just into stoppage time of the 1st half, it was really in the 2nd where Celtic began to truly dominate. Striking home off his left foot, Commons put the first goal away beautifully to give the hosts a confidence booster going into the locker rooms. Coming out of the gates, Georgios Samaras was the man to bring Celtic level in the 47th minute. While the defensive efforts on the part of Karagandy were admirable, they eventually withered under the opposition of the Scottish side. In the first minute of stoppage time of the 2nd half, James Forrest was the man on form with a sweet strike off of his right foot. This third goal then was the nail in the coffin of the dreams of the Kazakhs as far as European competition is concerned. More later! Hope you enjoyed the games today.

U-17 European Championship

Well it has been a long and winding road but it looks as though we are approaching the end. Hosts Slovakia were lucky enough to make it to the Semi-Finals before being bested by the Italians in a 0-2 encounter. Mario Pugliese's 3rd minute opener probably left a bad taste in the host's mouth, however despite several opportunities the Slovakians could never get a hold of the game. Elio Capradossi's 64th minute goal put the last nail in the coffin as Italy progressed to their first ever Euro U-17 Final and the hosts were left wondering about what might have been. As for the other Semi-Final match-up, as I post this Russia and Sweden are presently tied goalless as they approach the end of the 1st half with equal efforts though the closest chance thus far came from Sweden's Erdal Rakip. Check back later for my post on the Final which will take place on May 17th. Enjoy the games!

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!

Looking forward to this weekend

Well, doubtlessly one of the biggest games this weekend takes place in Spain as Atletico Madrid greet cross-town rivals Real Madrid in what is sure to be an intense game, particularly if Cristiano Ronaldo is ruled out for the match! Prior to this match-up, Athletic will be taking on Barcelona in what will hopefully be an interesting game but I cannot really predict how it will turn out. Either Barca will turn on to get the Champions League beating out of their minds or they will continue in their downward spiral. Over in France, Lyon will be meeting St. Etienne as Evian welcome PSG. In theory both of these games should be pretty straight-forward but you never know, Evian's home advantage may inspire them to a draw! As for Portugal, the majority of the action involves the two sides chasing league leaders Benfica - Porto and Sporting Lisbon. While the northern team greet Setubal, in what should be 3 points for the hosts; Sporting may be challenged by Nacional despite being at home. As for the Italian league, just about all of the big names are in action as Roma welcome Siena to the capital for what I would think would be a win for the home side. While the grudge match between Torino and Juventus should be action-packed, I tip the visitors to win as their class is simply too much. Milan v.s. Catania should end in the host's favor Fiorentina, Lazio, and Inter Milan should beat their respective competition: Sampdoria, Parma, and Palermo. Last but not least, Napoli should manage their match against Pescara. On to Germany now! While Dusseldorf face on fire Dortmund, Schalke will have to contend with Hamburg in Gelsenkirchen. Finally, England will see Manchester City play for pride against West Ham as Tottenham face Wigan and Newcastle and Liverpool fight it out in Newcastle. The other prize fight will be between league victors Manchester United and their hosts Arsenal. Then, of course, there is Chelsea v.s. Swansea which should not be too hard for the Blues.

Latest from the Europa League!

Well we have two very close games on our hands as Fenerbahce were able to make it 1-0 against Benfica in Turkey while Basel were edged 1-2 by visiting Chelsea. Though it is true that the margins of these scorelines can be easily overturned, Chelsea's 1st leg against Basel was remarkably close. The opportunities were about level though the Blues had a slight advantage. Despite Victor Moses' 12th minute goal, the English side were absolutely wasteful of their chances. While Yann Sommer, Basel's keeper, played a good game, the real reason the margin was not greater was Chelsea's complacency. Having said that, Fabian Schar slotted home in the 87th minute from the penalty spot to equalize in a bit of luck for the Swiss side. At least, that is what it seemed like until the 4th minute of stoppage time of the 2nd half when David Luiz pulled a rabbit out of his hat: he struck a wonderful free-kick that found its way to goal. As for the game in Turkey, Benfica really should have gone for goal as much as they fouled: committing 17 of the latter, they only had 2 real chances. That, however, is a side story to the match. More significant was the fact that Fenerbahce struck the posts not once or twice but thrice - including a penalty opportunity that the Turks really should have put away. Nevertheless, the home side maintained their motivation and found goal in the 72nd minute through Egemen Korkmaz who actually converted off the woodwork! The header from Korkmaz really did illustrate which side deserved the win on the night as Benfica's defense finally fatally faltered after a poor clearance. As far as the second leg goes, Benfica at home will be a different animal than the one we saw away - that is, as long as they keep their heads and play the game that has brought them success thus far. While Cristian and Dirk Kuyt will make sure that Benfica will need to be impenetrable defensively, the Portuguese side should have the talent to at least give Fenerbahce a run for their money. As for the Basel - Chelsea game, Chelsea's strength at home will probably just be too much for the Swiss visitors in the 2nd leg. Enjoy the weekend!

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.