The Dead Wait: UCL

Gattuso to keep Barcelona out; Bayern to finish it all off at the Allianz Arena? Lyon grinding it out and City cement their place in the quarters. 

Ronaldo's two goals was not enough for the Italian giants as Depay converted from the spot earlier to help Lyon crawl into the quarter finals. The champions league trophy still a missing piece in the trophy cabinet for Juventus. 

Manchester City repeated the scoreline from the first leg to comfortably put Pep's team in the last eight. Zidane just didn't have enough to snatch this one from the English side. 

Preview

Barcelona vs Napoli, Camp Nou.

Napoli travels to Spain to clinch a spot in the Last 8 but Barcelona stand in the way. The first leg ended one apiece in Italy. Barcelona struggled in that one but managed to get the all important away goal. Gattuso can keep Barca out but the lack of scoring in his team makes this tie all the more difficult. Camp Nou has been a comfortable ground for the host until Osasuna. The only trophy Barcelona can vie for is the UCL and a slip up would force fans to call for the manager's head. Messi well remains a threat Gattuso must neutralize. Napoli ought to take their chances as Barcelona have been poor in recent times. An early goal for the visitors will calm nerves. Mertens, Insigne and Callejon have the desired pace and speed to help the Gli Azzuri.

Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Allianz Arena.

A good showing away at the Stamford Bridge in March sets the tone for this encounter as Chelsea were taken to the cleaners in the first leg. Bayern come into this tie on the back of their 8th consecutive Bundesliga title. A sure force in Germany but must be well aware of the surprise Chelsea can pull if they take their foot off the gas. With limited squad at Lampard's disposal, he faces a daunting task of overcoming that 3-0 advantage Bayern have. A major boost is N'golo Kante traveled with the team to Germany  but will be without Azpi and Pulisic after both limped off in their FA cup final defeat to Arsenal. Willian  didn't travel with the squad too. 

Bayern has rested enough and have Thiago back as well. Koman and Pavard will be out. Coutinho and Kimmich can fill in to help Hansi Flick's men finish it off at the Allianz Arena.

Back again Wednesday.

The Long Wait: UCL Preview 2nd leg

Surety wasn't a perk when Covid - 19 broke onto the scene. Things were brought to a stand still as most were left to find more room in the four corners of their homes than they normally would prefer. 

Football was also away but only for a short while. The UCL didn't take it's concurrent effects as it's normally happened in recent seasons with the various domestic leagues in Europe. The hiatus brought about changes requiring adjustments and that we can say the various leagues adjusted to quite well. Approximately 160 days between both legs is what the change has given us but we move on from it though.

After the long wait these teams get to book their places in the quarterfinal and just as you know we will give you a preview of the final 4 games before the quarterfinal showdown in Lisbon. 

Juventus v Lyon, Allianz Stadium.

Lyon heads into the second leg with a 1-0 buffer as they prepare to face Juventus in Turin, Italy. Juventus comes into this tie after securing the ninth Serie A title in a row. They have proved their dominance in Italy but that UCL trophy has eluded them and with Ronaldo they will want to change that narrative. Lyon failed to make it into the CL places this season as the ligue 1 was cancelled. There is a good chance to make it back in the UCL next season if they make it all the way to the final. The one goal advantage gives them the upper hand but if Mauricio Sarri's side remain resilient and has Ronaldo and Dybala firing on all cylinders they can ease past the French side. Not forgetting the threat Lyon possesses as they have Depay back now with a more vibrant side - Tousart, Toko Ekambi and Houssem Aouar, ones to look out for. 

Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Etihad.

Manchester City came back to the Etihad with that 2-1 advantage against the recent La Liga champions, Real Madrid. The Los Blancos were stunned in the final minutes at home as Pep Guardiola's side took the needed motivation before heading into this second leg. Gracefully perched back into the UCL despite their initial two-year ban allowing Pep the chance to win an European trophy with Manchester City. The league cup in England the only accolade he has in his trophy cabinet this season. Kevin De Bruyne in some fine form this season and the bigger piece to Pep's jigsaw. The UCL will be a better end to the season if he is able to overcome the threat from Real Madrid. Zidane is no freshman to the UCL. His three-peat record still lingers and approaching this would be a sweet one to see with no pressure on his shoulders. Lots of threat for Pep to neutralize, and Benzema one he won't take his eyes off. Hazard is back from his injury but Bale and James Rodriguez not in the squad with Ramos' suspension making him unavailable.

We are well aware and will be ready by 19:00 GMT when the UCL second legs kick off. 

Enjoy and see you on the happy side this evening. Back again tomorrow. 

UCL Ro16: 2nd Leg Part A

Mourinho visits Leipzig; PSG,BVB - 2nd leg in Paris as ATM make it to Anfield and hope for Valencia?

Torrid times in the wake of Covid-19 leaves football across some countries in Europe suspended. With precautions taken and the passion spread across; the return legs of the UCL Round of 16 continues ...

Injuries have plagued Mourinho's side, and a tough trip to Germany makes it even worse. Steve Bergwijn is the latest player to be on the treatment bench. Tottenham was out of sorts in the 1st leg with no precision in needed areas. Lamela came on and brought some spark to the game but had little time to make the demanded impact. A poor showing over the weekend against Burnley attests Spurs troubles, and Dele Alli is left to lead the Spurs attack. RB Leipzig's big win away from home leaves the team in good standing as it makes it bid for quarter-final progress. Julian Nagelsmann has not had the best of results lately but baring Spurs' troubles he can nick this one.  

PSG v BVB will be played behind closed doors amid the wake of the global threat of Covid-19. Mbappe comes into this tie on the back of a hattrick and an excellent team performance before this tie. Tuchel knows to exit at this stage will come with some stick and inefficiency on his part as manager.  A 1-2 loss in the first tie and with no fans in the stadium clamp down the progression of Les Parisiens but are known to deliver at home. Dortmund has had a magnificent run this season and is doing great in the CL. A good result gets them through and must prevent the dangerous attack of PSG from scoring. Erling Braut Haaland is also a threat the French side must handle. Lucien Favre has a lot of weapons in his arsenal and can close in on a victory when he gets it all right tomorrow night.

Jurgen Klopp's side looks to be running on tired legs as he makes that gradual approach towards the finish line. A series of hard-fought wins have not been convincing. A shock away at Watford but bounced back over the weekend. Atletico Madrid comes intending to defend, and Klopp must devise strategies to break down the defence. Jordan Henderson and Keita are available for selection. ATM has it all to do and will be with Diego Costa and Joao Felix. Felix got on the score sheet at the weekend and will bring that motivation in this fixture. 
An exit will be a blow for Klopp and celebrations for Simeone.

Atalanta got a chunk of Valencia far away in Italy. The three-goal buffer in that 4-1 win is enough to take Gian Piero Gasperini and his side to the Mestalla stadium. The run in the CL has been a nicety for Atalanta and qualification to the next round is more than enough achievement for the target set. Valencia has it all to do, but progression not a possibility with below-par performances in recent games. The expected heights of the Spanish side not reached, thus limiting their chances of qualification. Gameiro, Rodrygo and captain Dani Parejo can get Valencia going, and will need to give it everything tonight. Hateboer stole the show the last time out with great counter-attacking football. Ilicic and Gomez remain the spine of the Italian outfit and would be happy to go another step closer.

UCL Review: First Leg Ro16

Atalanta run riot in Bergamo, Haaland stunned PSG, a frustrating night for Juve and Pep steals the show in Madrid.

The first leg of the UCL Round of 16 just ended, and we will discuss the happenings in the various fixtures.

Valencia's bid for UCL KOs progression hit wavy moments at Atalanta. It was a disappointing night for the visitors as Atalanta run riot in Bergamo. Josip Ilicic's form in 2020 paid dividends as he got on the score sheet to register his first CL goal of the campaign. Valencia looked disjointed and caught lost in possession often, giving the home side chances to break and cause damage. Hateboer got on the end of these breakaways to help seal the victory with two goals heading into the second leg. A consolation for Albert Celades' men but the damage, already done as it ended 4-1.

Liverpool enjoyed moving the ball from left to right without having to trouble Jan Oblak in post. The reds were slow in transition allowing Atletico Madrid to get the defensive shape intact all through the game. Jurgen Klopp has called on the Anfield magic in the 2nd leg and is hoping to get the expected results. Saul Niguez's goal separates the two sides after he got on the end of a loose ball from a corner. 

Erling Haaland again stole the show as he became the youngest player to reach double figures in the CL. His brace against Tuchels' star-studded side was enough to take them through with Neymar halving the deficit. He reaches ten goals now and can get more if Dortmund go through. Lucien Favre will look to build on the confident performance when they visit Paris. 

Jose Mourinho's Spurs did not cover themselves in glory when Timo Werner's shot from the spot away from home got the German outfit a step closer to qualification. Spurs could not get a grip on the game as Julien Nagelsmann dominated the midfield. The introduction of Lamela and Ndombele was brilliant but still lacked the cutting edge to get Spurs back in the tie. 

At the Stadio San Paolo, Dries Mertens got Napoli in the lead on the half-hour mark. Genaro Gattuso was cautious in his approach after the goal but some good work down the right from Semedo to find Griezmann got the scores level. Barcelona kept pushing but had no answers. Vidal got sent off after a double yellow for indiscipline. Quique Setien has another chance at the Camp Nou after a not-so-disappointing UCL debut as manager.

Bayern Munich was at their absolute best when they visited Chelsea. Two quick goals in the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half from Gnabry and the 3rd from Lewandowski helped the Bavarians steamroll past the blues. Alphonso Davies got a great balance in attack and defense. Chelsea needs to be more daring in the return leg. A tough trip to the Allianz Arena for Frank Lampard, can he overturn the tie? 

Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated figure for large parts of the game. At the hour mark, Man City had twice as many attempts on goal as Real Madrid but was down by Isco's goal. A tweak in formation got De Bruyne freed, he assisted Gabriel Jesus and later converted from the spot after Carvajal brought down Sterling in the box in the final quarter of the game. Zidane lost control in the second half after holding Pep's side. 

Lyon managed to win the first leg at home against Juventus. Ronaldo was mostly starting plays rather than getting on the end of them. Juve's midfield lacked dynamism and the final passes to cut through defences. Houssem Aouar broke away from Sandro to find Lucas Toussart who was charging through the middle. A buoyant and noisy crowd in the Groupama stadium after the final whistle. The second leg in Turin awaits.

Player of week: Hans Hateboer (Atalanta)

Goal of the week: Haaland's second vs PSG

What will be your picks? Leave your comments.

UCL: Ro16 part 2

Red Hot Bayern face Chelsea at the Bridge; Setien's first CL trip, Lyon hosts Juve and Pep makes a return to Spain.

The sequel of the Round of 16 continues this week as teams seek to be in good standing before the return legs. 

Bayern Munich is firing on all cylinders and a tough trip against Frank Lampard's blues is not an easy task. Hans-Dieter Flick has gotten a full grip on this team. They went through the group stages without a defeat and the 7-2 mauling away from home against Tottenham is one that still lingers in our minds. Chelsea got the advantage the last time both teams met. Frank Lampard managed to do an elite double over Jose Mourinho, and that should be enough boost to go into this tie. Lampard has his squad strengthened with the arrival of Tammy Abraham but faces the conundrum of having to choose between Tammy and Giroud as the latter was a class act over the weekend. 

Barcelona will be far away in Naples as they seek to put last season's disappointments behind them. A not-so-convincing performance in the group stages but secured a place in the knockouts. Setien faces Gattuso in his first UCL tie with the Catalan giants. He may have had some stick thrown at him for his gameplay, but a win allows him to win the hearts of his fans. Gattuso has gotten good results recently and will up this tie as a test to see how he matches up against the best. Messi got back on the scoresheet after his goal drought. Gattuso must get his team to stop the magic of Lionel Messi. Manolas gets to do this job, but a collective effort from Napoli could prevent Messi from being trigger-happy. 

Lyon will wait for the arrival of Juventus at the Groupama Stadium. Rudi Garcia has not impressed in the competition. He faces the Old Ladies of Italian football with a hungry Ronaldo - scoring in his 11th consecutive Serie A match. Memphis Depay is out for the rest of the season. Lyon comes into the tie without their talisman but can call on Dembele and Aouar to see this tie through. Sarri has depth in his squad and can call on any when the need arises. Dybala has not hit top gear this season. De Ligt and Bonucci form that great defensive pairing at the back for Sarri. Qualification depends on this defence to shut out the Lyon attack.

Pep's Man City will do a flight to the Spanish capital to take on Zinedine Zidane's men. Zidane has had an on-and-off season. Injuries have been a bother to his team's progress. He will be without Eden Hazard but can call on the likes of Vazquez and Isco to deliver. Vinicius has not hit the heights expected of him though. Federico Valverde has been a revelation this season. Pep bolsters his squad with the arrivals of Laporte at the back. Manchester City have struggled without him, and his return is very much appreciated. Pep eyes this competition after City's 2-year ban from UEFA. A good result away from home against the competition's best will get his 3rd UCL trophy.

UCL: Ro16 Part 1

Leipzig faces Mou's Spurs, Tuchel back to Signal Iduna and Liverpool continues its title defence at Atleti.

The storms may have calmed in northwestern Europe and European football returns after a long break. The first quartet of games will take place this week and the remaining four, next week. 

With all four games happening at the same time, Valencia goes to Atalanta after their narrow escape in Group G. They bid for another chance in Italy when they face Atalanta in Bergamo. Albert Celades edged Ajax to ensure qualification into this round. A lone goal was just enough to do the business. Atalanta also comes into this game with some nerve. It took a final group game magic. Josip Ilicic has eight goals in 2020 and can cause an upset for the Spanish visitors although he never found the back of the net in the group stages. Valencia on paper looks the better side but underestimating Atalanta will be at their peril. 

Tottenham Hotspur and RB Leipzig lock horns at the Tottenham stadium. Julien Nagelsmann secured Leipzig through to the knockouts to make it top of their group. His team has not been convincing but have taken the results when necessary. Their results domestically have been unusually sparse and have been knocked off first place in the Bundesliga. They are advantaged to have the first tie away from home. Timo Werner will be looking to get on the scoresheet for the RedBull sponsored side. Mourinho however after bolstering his squad during the winter break should have a good run in the knockouts stages. He will be without Son and Kane, but Steve Bergwijn could give the attacking impetus required. The defensive issues befalling Mou continues, and solutions are needed to ensure progress to the next round. 

Thomas Tuchel will be in the away dugout when he returns to the Signal Iduna in this exciting clash. He knows the ground so well but comes in as head coach to ensure progress with Les Parisiens. The French side has been bootless in this part competition over the years and may not have Neymar available, but Mauro Icardi and Mbappe can fill in the void as they were exceptional in the group stages. Lucien Favre will be looking to shatter the dreams of the visitors as he can now rely on the services of the goal machine, Erling Haaland. The grapple with Internazionale to ensure qualification was admirable. They have it all to do when they face their former boss. The Yellow Wall as always will be boisterous until the final whistle is blown. 

Arguably the best team in European football now will continue their title defence at the stadium that helped secure their sixth. Jurgen joked about having the home dressing room to have the same kind of energy in the final last year. He also lavished praise on Diego Simeone for his good works with Atletico Madrid. He will have a full squad back for the first time this season as he faces Atleti. A good result away should be enough to get them through. Joao Felix is a doubt for the clash, but Diego Costa returns. Carrasco also returns after his spell in China. The criticism from fans is the unwillingness of Simeone to change his style bearing the limitless attacking forwards he has. The diversity in attack is mouthwatering, and a tweak could see better results and fans happy. 

Part one of the knockouts is upon us, let's tuck in and enjoy it as it unfolds.

UCL: GW 6 PREVIEW

Chelsea, Inter Milan & Liverpool must grab spots as UCL group stage closes. 

It will be all done and dusted after the final whistle is blown around all Europe come Wednesday night. As it closes, the UCL will not be around until February next year. We look at the possible outcomes as we discuss teams likely to make it out of the respective groups.

Group E will kick start the last round of games in the CL when all teams in the group will do an early kickoff. Liverpool will make the trip to Austria as they visit Marsch's red hot goal-scoring side. RB Salzburg will make history if it can make it past the group but at the expense of holders, Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp rotated his team in their victory over the weekend. That has his team sharp and prepared for this fixture. Salzburg comes into this game on the back of a win at the weekend. Haaland could add to his tally and Mane comes in after being rested.
Napoli will wait for the arrival of Genk and need a draw to make it into the round of 16. They get the easier of the two games, and it makes for an easy route to the knockout stages. 

Barcelona has already made it out of Group F, but the struggle lies at the 2nd and 3rd. Inter Milan has to beat the table-toppers to make it to the knockouts. Antonio Conte can take his chances giving the not so convincing football from Ernesto Valverde. The San Siro awaits the tie and performing so well at the Nou Camp, Internazionale will take their chances to book the second spot from the group. Dortmund will also be in a tricky contest against Slavia Praha. The advantage comes when Lucien Favre plays this fixture at the Signal Iduna. He will do himself some good if he gets his selection right as Jadon Sancho proved his choices wrong when he came on as a sub against Barcelona. 

Chelsea will face Lille as Ajax and Valencia will try to cancel each other with the opportunity they have on their hands. A good result for Erik Ten Haag and the knockouts is a destination for him. Chelsea chiefly has nothing to lose and with Lille not performing well in the CL Frank Lampard can make it past the groups with an easy win.
Lyon and RB Leipzig lock horns at the Red Bull Arena. Nagelsmann looks at this game and beefs up his CV with a good standing of qualifying out of the group. Timo Werner is doing well and going into the game he will be a possible outlet for the German outfit. Lyon need a win, and that will be at the detriment of Leipzig if Lyon win. Benfica can go through but must cut the variance in goals to positives against Zenit and hope for a Leipzig victory. 

Group C will have the early kickoffs on Wednesday. Manchester City will be in Croatia to play the last of the group games. They will be up against Dinamo Zagreb. Atalanta will be happy with their ride and the trip to Ukraine. There may be a glimmer of hope if they beat Shakhtar Donetsk, and City get the better of Dinamo. Quid pro quo, they make it into the KOs. Bayern can make it out of Group B unscathe, and Mourinho's Tottenham have it all to close that chapter. A 5-0 victory for Mou over the weekend is enough to get into this encounter. He will also have the first leg scoreline serving as a reminder as he approaches this game.
The Bavarians have qualified but will need more impetus going forward as they are without a manager and that loss over the weekend, a definite highlight. 

Atletico Madrid ought to win when they face Lokomotiv at the Wanda Metropolitano. A win puts all other efforts of Bayer Leverkusen in absolute futility. Bayer Leverkusen can qualify, and that is only secured if they get the victory against Juventus. Real Madrid secured qualification the last time out. PSG and Club Brugge will see out the remaining of the fixtures in Group A to bring the group stages to a closure. 
This is where we are and let us see how the story unfolds as we roll the last dice. 

UCL: GW 5 REVIEW

Leipzig, Liverpool held to draws at home and the Barca trident on the score sheet.

We take a sneak peek into the happenings across Europe as we look at the performances this week from Europe's elite competition.

Barcelona was on song when Borussia Dortmund visited the Nou Camp. Messi was at his magnificent best as he assisted two goals and scored on his 700th appearance. Jadon Sancho came on to give the away side some hope when he pulled one back and had a shot deflected onto the crossbar. Lucien Favre approached the game to hold the Catalonians and hit on the counter, but  Niko Schulz failed to take his chance early on.  Messi took over and was at his mesmerising best.
Lautaro Martinez and Lukaku are forming the best strike partnership. The latter troubled opposition defenders with his brute strength and link-up play and he got his first UCL goal for Inter. Lautaro's brace showed his great positional play.  Antonio Conte was his animated self on the touchline.

Frank Lampard was unlucky to leave Spain with all 3 points as there was another VAR drama involved. Kepa made a great stop to Dani Parejo's penalty but just watched on as Daniel Wass' attempted cross hit the upright to turn in. Ajax was away in France and got the deserved win as Lille kept on fluffing their lines. Erik Ten Haag got away with a 2-0 victory. 
Mourinho got his first CL victory with Spurs as the comeback was spurred by Harry Kane and Dele Alli to make it 4-2 against Olympiakos. Robert Lewandowski also got four against Red Star Belgrade. The Czech Republican could not survive the onslaught from the Bavarians.

Paulo Dybala got the only goal of the encounter when Juventus squared off against Atletico Madrid. He hit a freekick across the face of goal as it curled in at Oblak's far post. Manchester City salvaged a point when Gundogan got the equalizer for Pep's side at home against Shakthtar. Atalanta did well to grab their first win of the campaign as they saw off Dinamo Zagreb at home.
Haaland put the game to bed as RB Salzburg got the better of Genk. Genk managed to pull one back, but could not match the strength of the Red Bull outfit.

Real Madrid and PSG set up a mouth-watering encounter at the Bernabeu. Karim Benzema got the two goals for the Los Blancos, but two late goals from the French side put them level as they grabbed a point to still lead the group. Mbappe and Sarabia got the goals for the PSG as Hazard walked off injured.
Dries Mertens got Van Dijk on the turf as he raised through the Red's defence to get Napoli's goal before the break. Carlo Ancelotti kept it tight till the Lovren got the better of Mertens in the box to score from a corner.

A good week of UCL football but other teams need to wait until the last game week to see it through.
Player of the week. Robert Lewandowski.

UCL: GW 5 PREVIEW

The UCL has returned with Jose Mourinho; Who else joins Bayern, Paris SG, and Juventus in the last 16?


The international break does not appear any sooner than in March, and that leaves a list of grueling fixtures for clubs as the UCL group stages edges closer to the end.We do a deep dive into some of the matches across Europe this week as we look at possible qualifications and what teams need to do to book qualification to the last 16. 

PSG and Real Madrid will go at each other again tomorrow night at the Bernabeu. It was a horror show for the Spanish giants in the first game week. Angel Di Maria was at his magnificent best in that encounter. Thomas Tuchel has the firepower in his arsenal to go away from home and cause Zidane trouble. Zidane should be able to match the technical nous of Tuchel to keep the scoreline respectful as qualification for either team looks a sure bet.
Juventus will welcome the visit of Atletico Madrid in Turin. A stalemate in the previous encounter leaves everything on the line as Diego Simeone will be looking to seal qualification after his loss to Bayer Leverkusen. Atletico is known for its work-rate and rugged footballing approach and seems to have lost that. A victory will be a psychological boost to Diego Simeone's side. Juventus, on the one hand, having qualified must see the rest of the games through for the competition's formality. 

Mourinho made a return to the dugout as he took over from Pochettino. A turbulent victory over the weekend but he returns to Champions League action with Spurs as they play host to Olympiacos. It will be a boost for him if he can make it two wins from two games to kickstart his managerial career at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. Pep Guardiola will need just a point to make it to the knockout phase but needs to skip the Shakhtar Donetsk hurdle.
Dinamo Zagreb can reach the last 16 after a long time out of the UCL if they can collect all 3 points from Atalanta provided City get the victory over their opponents.
 
Ernesto Valverde has not convinced fans with some of his matchday performances with the most recent one against Slavia Praha a worrying highlight. Borussia Dortmund did well to hold Barcelona in GW 1. A loss to Borussia Dortmund and Europa league looms for Barcelona if Inter gets the better of Slavia Praha. Antonio Conte needs points to make it out of the group stages and would fancy this matchup against Slavia Praha as the footballing of the Czech Republican side has been awful. They managed to get a draw against Barcelona and Inter though.
RB Leipzig sit on top of Group G with Lyon tailing them. Lyon will await Zenit in France and must be up to the task to keep pressure on Leipzig. A victory for Zenit opens up qualification chances as well. Julian Nagelsmann will be up against Benfica who languish at the bottom.  

Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti will be meeting for the fourth time in the last 2 UCL campaigns. Many Liverpudlians will remember the famous save from Allison in the dying minutes and Salah's turn off Koulibaly to score the only goal of the game at Anfield last season. Ancelotti visits again, but his run of poor results domestically makes this entirely difficult counting the kind of team the Reds are on their home turf.
The holders must beat Napoli to make it out of the group, and that will surmount to no pressure in the last game week. Erling Braut Haaland is red hot as he keeps banging the goals. A win for them keeps CL hopes alive if Napoli lose as Genk stand no chance at all now.
Chelsea will make the flight to Valencia in Spain. Lampard lost this game by a goal to nil the last time out. He got the win against Ajax away from home and can do same against Albert Celades' men. Valencia must get this win to make chances of qualification easy but at the expense of Lampard's Chelsea. Lille is out of the competition and will play host to Ajax. It is 7 points for Ajax, Chelsea and Valencia and just two places for qualification. Who makes it out? 

UCL: GW 4 REVIEW

Bayern Munich & Paris SG seal qualification, City need to wait and Rodrygo's brilliance highlighted.

The races are gradually inching closer to the final stages with calculations not appearing good for some teams. Bayern Munich and Paris SG have safely made it out of the groups unscathed and will be waiting for their opponents in the round of 16 despite having two games left to play. 

Real Madrid found their groove with Rodrygo having to make the perfect life at the Bernabeu as he got a hattrick in a six-goal thriller. Galatasaray will be disappointed with their start to the campaign. The team is yet to score a goal and have conceded eight goals in the four matches played. Sergio Ramos and Benzema's brace put the icing on the cake for the Los Blancos. 

Mauro Icardi got the only goal of the game as PSG beat Club Brugge to make it into the round of 16. Bayern Munich had a disappointing first half, goals from Lewandowski and Ivan Perisic sealed it for the Bavarians. Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed their trip away in Serbia as they put four past Red Star Belgrade. Olympiacos sit at the bottom with just a point; it is all but over for them. 

Manchester City must wait until the next game week to assure qualification. A defeat will leave it until the last game week. Mario Pasalic cancelled out Sterling's goal earlier in the second half. Kyle Walker will be proud to have debuted in post and not concede for the final ten minutes after Bravo was sent off. 

Dinamo Zagreb shot themselves in the foot when they blew away a two-goal cushioning late in injury time. Shakhtar Donetsk levelled the score with a penalty late on as the game ended with a red card each for both teams. 

Bayer Leverkusen picked up their first win of the campaign as they held on to a 2-1 lead at the Bay Arena. Alvaro Morata got the consolation goal with stoppage time left to play after Thomas Partey's miscued header to clear from a corner. Kevin Volland got the second goal for the Germans. Juventus left it late on a tricky night away in Russia. Miranchuk followed in on his header which hit the upright to cancel Ramsey's goal - Ronaldo would have loved to claim that. Ramsey just made sure the ball fully crawled in though. Sorry, Ronaldo. 

Napoli's draw at home in Naples to RB Salzburg sees Liverpool now top group E. Liverpool saw off Genk in a not so ruthless fashion but did the needed to get all 3 points. Erling Haaland occupies the top spot on the CL goals chart with seven goals. Napoli has not lost a game yet, a win in the next game week gives them the upper hand, and that depends on their trip to Anfield.

Barcelona was at the Camp Nou when Slavia Praha held Ernesto Valverde's men to a goalless draw. Inter Milan gave away a two-goal advantage at the Signal Iduna. Hakimi Achraf added to his CL goal tally when he fuelled the come-back with a brace. Hakimi's goals sandwiched Julian Brandt's goal for the equaliser.

Chelsea and Ajax served fans with a blockbuster. Ajax left the home fans biting their nails when they went up 4-1. Jorginho slotted home two penalties and Reece James got his first senior goal to ensure it ended at 4-4. Two straight red cards to the centre backs of Ajax was harsh. Lille have very few to munch on after Valencia beat them 4-1. Leipzig saw off Zenit away at the Gazprom Arena. Lyon did enough to get within reach of Leipzig as they beat Benfica 3-1.

 


Player of the week: Rodrygo. 
Any other? Leave your comments and we can talk about the goal of the week as well. 

UCL Preview: GW 4

UCL Returns; Reverse fixtures begin and proviso quod for points to be bagged for qualification assurance.

Fixtures will reciprocate in the next game week ahead of clashes in the UCL. 

IC: gettyimages.

We are halfway through in the group stages. Chances of qualification are aplenty and with three games to go teams will pick as many points as possible to easily make it out of the groups.

Lucien Favre must make the most of the clash against Internazionale. A dagger in the final minutes from Candreva was hard to take. There is indeed another opportunity for Dortmund to make it right when Antonio Conte makes the trip to the Signal Iduna. Both teams have a win, draw and a loss and winning this game gives one the nod over the other. Barcelona, on the one hand, has taken the front foot and leads the group with 7 points. They face Slavia Prague who languish at the bottom of the group with just a point. They must protect their legacy and do their best.
The Reds will wait for the arrival of Genk at Anfield. Klopp gallantly dispatched Mazzu's men in the reverse fixture away from home. Anfield has been a fortress and Genk must be 200% motivated to be able to nick a point from the current holders come Tuesday night. RB Salzburg with Erling Haaland is prolific and was left gnashing in the previous encounter after his brace could not help salvage a point. Napoli did well to get the away victory but must finish the job when they meet again.

The Marvel-DC crossover got the victory far away in Amsterdam. Erik Ten Haag was utterly bewildered when Pulisic teed up Batshuayi to score the only goal. Odds were against Chelsea as they went away from home. Ajax must now dig deep to get points to keep the consistency. Ziyech was on song at the weekend and must replicate the same form when they make this trip to the bridge. Timo Werner played 45 mins of the encounter when these two met earlier. He scored three goals and assisted another three over the weekend and must win to be at the summit of the table. Nagelsmann has Zenit in his way and will trust his boys to deliver.

PSG had a blithe disregard for the footballing culture in Belgium as they dispatched Club Brugge with ease. Club Brugge must hope to ramraid the French champions to assure qualification proviso Real Madrid lose points when they face Galatasaray.
Crvena Zvezda will welcome the visit of Tottenham. It was a horror show in the last game week for Vladan Milojević as Spurs hit five past his team. Pochettino for all the troubles he is facing this season managed to get it right and must continue in the same vein on the road. It was not onesided when Bayern went away to Greece. They fought hard to get the victory. It would have been farcical a fortnight ago to say Bayern would make this clash without Niko Kovac but now it sure isn't.

Pep Guardiola showed some nerves of steel last weekend and can keep it going when they travel to Italy to face Atalanta who sit at the bottom. Juventus will also be going away in the coming game week with the clash against Lokomotiv in the waiting.
Bayer Leverkusen will play host to Atletico Madrid in Germany. Atletico were narrow victors in the last clash and were not so convincing but got the victory via Alvaro Morata. Peter Bosz finds his team at the bottom of the group with no points and has Diego Simeone to contend with.