Champions League Draw and Predictions

(Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

The draws are made and we have seen some football powerhouses drawn against each other in the quarterfinal stages of UEFA champions league. 

For some teams it has been an easy journey up till now, you see the likes of Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich scoring goals as if they were playing against school teams. Others like Manchester United, Chelsea, Villarreal, and Arsenal specially had put in immense amount of effort for advancing to the quarterfinal stages.

As I look at the draws, I cannot refrain myself from making conclusions.  Arsenal has drawn against the easiest of all the eight teams. Villarreal can pose a threat to the Gunners but not as much as other qualifiers might have done, both of the teams are on the fourth spots in their respective leagues.  

Arsenal on a given day can topple big teams, only this season they beat both of their arch rivals Man United and Chelsea, with the later being an away win, but they also have been very much average against the smaller clubs. If Arsenal plays with its full first team squad; I do not see Villarreal getting the better of the Gunners. The first leg being away is also an added advantage for Arsenal to wrap up the tie quickly. Looking at the current league form, I feel Arsenal will be victorious 3-1 on aggregate, the speed and passing game will succeed.

Looking at the present form of Man United, they should consider themselves lucky to be paired against FC Porto, am I saying that Porto is an easy team? No sir, but looking at the current league situation, the moral of the players will be low having faced back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Fulham.

Still United have a great chance of advancing to the semifinals, where if my above given prediction is right they will face Arsenal, which would be yet another interesting match between the two biggest English rivals. I say United will go through by beating Porto 2-0 on aggregate. United play first leg at old Trafford, which is an advantage for them.

Without even a little hint of a doubt, the most interesting match amongst all the quarterfinals will be when Liverpool and Chelsea meet up. Moreover, if you take it from me, Liverpool will come out on the top in both legs.

Liverpool has a newfound vigor, the will to win. This can be clearly seen in their last few matches, where they completely crushed teams like Real Madrid, Man United, and Aston Villa by scoring fanatical amount of goals in the process.

Chelsea on the other hand have started to shine under new boss Guus Hiddink, but Liverpool’s fire power is too much to be contained by Chelsea’s defense. My guess is Liverpool winning 5-3 on aggregate.

Another Interesting match would be Bayern Munich against Barcelona. We know how Barca has been playing, which in few words can be described as “simply phenomenal.” Munich on the other hand has been playing equally attack-minded football. It is nearly impossible to predict what would happen when these powerhouses collide, but this one is certain, it will be a goal galore.

If there is any team that can prove to be a thorn in Barcelona’s stride it has to be Munich. Both play almost the same style of football. Both have players that can make something out of nothing, and personally it would be an honor to see Messi and Ribery going against each other one more time.  No prediction for this match, but the feeling is that Munich might come out on top.

Let us see how things turn out on April 7 and 15.

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