Champions League 2014: Last-Minute Predictions for Remaining Week 4 Fixtures
Tuesday's Champions League action didn't produce a lot of surprises, but filled with late drama and plenty of stunning goals, fans were still treated to a fantastic opening to Matchday 4.
Wednesday's slate of fixtures has a lot to live up to, but with a number of tasty matchups, there's little doubt we're in for another great night of football.
Ajax will host Barcelona while Bayern Munich play AS Roma, and Chelsea will travel to Maribor while Manchester City host CSKA Moscow. Here's the full schedule for Wednesday's action:
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| Bayern Munich | v | Roma |
| Manchester City | v | CSKA Moscow |
| Ajax | v | Barcelona |
| Paris Saint Germain | v | APOEL Nicosia |
| Maribor | v | Chelsea |
| Sporting CP | v | Schalke 04 |
| Athletic Bilbao | v | FC Porto |
| Shakhtar Donetsk | v | BATE Borisov |
Manchester City Will Finally Win a Champions League Match
Laugh it up, Premier League fans who don't support the blue side of Manchester. The Citizens' international struggles are widely documented, and their 2-2 draw in Moscow was but the latest instalment in what is quickly becoming a painful narrative.
Just don't expect it to continue past Wednesday. Coming off an emotional derby win against Manchester United and playing at the Etihad, the Citizens are primed for a strong Champions League outing.
CSKA just lost their massive clash against Zenit St. Petersburg on Saturday, and they already trail their rivals by seven points. Morale is low, and with virtually no chance of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages, the Russians can't afford to just sit back and defend on Wednesday.
Sergio Aguero is in lethal form, and his scoring record against the Russian side is impressive, via Football_Tweet:
As shared by the club's official Twitter feed, City manager Manuel Pellegrini refuses to call Wednesday's fixture a "must-win:"
But with Bayern Munich in top form and AS Roma not too far behind, City simply can't afford to drop any points at home. CSKA have to be defeated, and the Premier League champions will play accordingly.
Don't Expect Another Chelsea Thrashing of Maribor
Every year, we hear the same story. One of the top teams scores five or six against one of the smaller clubs, and on cue, fans and pundits speak out against the current tournament format, which allows too many "unworthy" clubs to compete over more established teams.
Whether it's Euro 2016 qualification or Champions League action, it's the same story every time. And those fans and pundits conveniently fail to mention the strong performances from the likes of APOEL, BATE and even Maribor, who secured a 1-1 draw against Schalke 04.
The days of top clubs consistently beating up on teams from the smaller leagues are over. Sure, you'll occasionally get the odd match out, like Chelsea's 6-0 win over Maribor, but then again, Roma received a 7-1 pounding in Week 3 as well.
Are Chelsea favourites on Wednesday? Or course. Will they cruise to another big win? Perhaps, but it's not likely. Even manager Jose Mourinho knows that, via Chelsea News:
The atmosphere in Slovenia isn't expected to be particularly unwelcoming, but Maribor will be very motivated to put in a strong performance in front of their own fans. I still expect the Blues to come away with three points, but I'd be surprised if they beat Maribor by more than two goals.
There Will be Upsets
Realistically speaking, there was only one truly surprising result on Tuesday: Arsenal's meltdown that resulted in a 3-3 draw against Anderlecht. A full matchday without a single upset? It's possible, but what would be the fun in that?
Barcelona have lost back-to-back La Liga matches and face a young and hungry Ajax squad fighting for their Champions League lives. Bayern Munich have dominated the 2014-15 campaign so far, but Roma will be eager to prove their heavy loss in Week 3 was a fluke.
Sporting are bottom in Group G and in dire need of a result—Schalke better be warned. And then there's Athletic Bilbao, who host group leaders Porto days after a big win over Sevilla.
Favourites are always just that for a reason, but don't sleep on some of the underdogs when Wednesday's action commences.
