3 Things I Learned From the Uefa Champions League Draw

1. It’s too damn long.

https://twitter.com/footymusings/status/636933636118478848

2. Arsenal can’t never get a break.

#FCBayern have faced #Arsenal three times in the #UCL since 2005 and have eliminated them all three times. #UCLdraw

— Cristian Nyari (@Cnyari) August 27, 2015

3. You CAN go home again. 

Memphis back to PSV, Mourinho back to Porto, and Arsenal back to the team they lose to every year.

— Graham Ruthven (@grahamruthven) August 27, 2015

I can’t predict anything until a ball is kicked (how’s that for hedging), but here’s how the groups shook out.

Group A

PSG

Real Madrid

Shakhtar Donetsk

Malmo

Group B

PSV

Man. United

CSKA Moscow

Wolfsburg

Group C

Benfica

Atletico Madrid

Galatasary

Astana

Group D

Juventus

Man. City

Sevilla

Monchengladbach

Group E

Barcelona

Leverkusen

Roma

BATE Borisov

Group F

Bayern

Arsenal

Olympiacos

Dinamo Zagreb

Group G

Chelsea

Porto

Dynamo Kyiv

Tel Aviv

Group H

Zenit St. Petersburg

Valencia

Lyon

Gent

On to the Next

Manchester United survived Olympiacos – and many a gloom & doom prediction – to advance to the Uefa Champions League quarterfinals. Time will tell if this good result is a turning point for David Moyes and his team or just a blip of good fortune in their season of misery.

Rounding out the quarterfinal lineup is Borussia Dortmund who survived a (sort of) comeback from Zenit St. Petersburg.

This Friday’s quarterfinal draw should be interesting.

Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Chelsea FC
FC Barcelona
FC Bayern Munich
Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain
Real Madrid

The only prediction I feel safe in making is that Chelsea will have to play one of the Madrid teams.

Chelsea Advances & Drogba Says Goodbye

Thanks to goals from Samuel Eto’o and Gary Cahill, Chelsea advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals. But the big story of the night was the love-in the Chelsea fans had for Didier Drogba who was returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time since he helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2012. The match may have been boring, but it had one of my favorite things: futbol moments – those little nuggets of human connection that bubble to the surface of the cutthroat sporting competition. Jose Mourihno & Drogba embracing before the match, Drogba being marked by his former teammates John Terry & Gary Cahill. I live for that stuff – even when it involves the hated Chelsea.

As for Chelsea’s chances in the CL, I’m putting them in the team-no-one-wants-to-face category, though I wouldn’t put it past Mourihno to park the bus all the way to Lisbon and win it all.

Only 2 more CL matches – Manchester United vs. Olympiacos and Borussia Dortmund vs. Zenit St. Petersburg – left to determine the remaining quarterfinalists.

It’s Baaaaack

After a two-month hiatus, UEFA Champions League returns this week. And because I never learn my lesson, I’m putting my shoddy prediction skills to work again. Here’s who I think will be celebrating when the round of 16 concludes next month.

Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich: The one everyone has been talking about since before the round of 16 draw occurred. Bayern have dominated everything they’ve done this season – losing only once (to Manchester City in the UCL group stage). And while Arsenal topped the Premier League for most of the season, they now sit second, and their form the past month has been shaky. I think Bayern will advance, but I am still not sold on them repeating as European Champions. Winner: Bayern Munich

Manchester City vs. Barcelona: Both teams bring good form into the tie, but I think the Catalans will advance easily. Winner: FC Barcelona

Bayer 04 Leverkeusen vs. Paris Saint-Germain: Even without injured Edinson Cavani, PSG should have too much for the Bundesliga’s second place club. That said, this is probably the matchup that most intrigues me in this round. Winner: Paris Saint-Germain

AC Milan vs. Atletico de Madrid: As with any tie involving Milan, this strikes me as a toss-up. Milan have performed poorly in Serie A all season and needed a Mario Balotelli wonder goal to beat lowly Bologna last Friday. That said, Atletico Madrid haven’t been any great shakes in La Liga – recently relinquishing their league lead to the Barca-Real tandem. Still, I think they will have just enough to get past Milan. Winner: Atletico de Madrid

Olympiacos vs. Manchester United: So, in December, I said Olympiacos had no hope of beating Manchester United. But Man U’s Premier League travails the last month – to say nothing of the pitiful loss to Sunderland in the League Cup – has to have given the denizens of Karaiskakis Stadium some cause for hope. Still picking the Red Devils to get through. Winner: Manchester United FC

Galatasaray AŞ vs. Chelsea FC: This only holds interest for me because of the reunion (of sorts) between Jose Mourihno and two of his former players – Didier Drogba & Wesley Sneijder. Otherwise – I got nothin’. Oh, Galatasary are currently second in the Turkish Super League. Chelsea will advance easily. Winner: Chelsea FC

FC Schalke 04 vs. Real Madrid: This should be easy for Madrid, but honestly, it’s hard to predict much with that team. As much talent as they have, they are still capable of throwing up random awful performances. I know little about Schalke’s performances this season, except to say they’re currently fourth in the Bundesliga and they just beat Bayer. This doesn’t help me predict anything, but since when has that stopped me? Winner: Real Madrid CF

FC Zenit vs. Borussia Dortmund: BvB are on something of an upswing, but even if that wasn’t the case, getting past Zenit should be easy peazy, especially with players like Henrikh Mkhitaryan returning from injury. Winner: Borussia Dortmund

Actual Rd of 16 Draw

I may have mentioned that my prediction skills are terrible. But hey – at least I got Arsenal vs. Bayern Munich right!

My quick thoughts on what the balls threw up in Nyon (wait, that sounds bad. Oh well).

Manchester City vs. FC Barcelona: Well, some say City’s owners have been trying to recreate Barcelona in Manchester, so I guess this will be the true test of how far along they are in that (wait for it) project.

Olympiacos vs Manchester United: Given the way United have performed this season, Olympiacos will think they have a chance. They will be wrong.

AC Milan vs. Atlético de Madrid: Atletico have been so good this season (see how they ran away with Group G?), but this Milan team – shoddy though it is – will put up a fight.

Bayer 04 Leverkeusen vs. Paris Saint-Germain: One of the more intriguing and hard to call ties of this round. Technically, PSG should easily get past Bayer. But then, technically, Bayer shouldn’t even be in this round given how poorly they performed in their group.

Galatasaray AŞ vs. Chelsea FC: The reunion of Mou and King Didier.

FC Schalke 04 vs. Real Madrid: Like Bayer 04, Schalke shouldn’t even be in this round, and I don’t know if they’ll have enough to threaten this star-studded Madrid side.

FC Zenit vs. Borussia Dortmund: I appreciate that Zenit midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk has already started the trash talking months in advance of this tie. But Zenit had better enjoy being in the knockout stages while it lasts – cuz it won’t last long.

Arsenal FC vs. FC Bayern Munchen: My lone correct prediction. Hard to say how this one will play out. Bayern is the stronger, deeper team, but they just had their first loss of this season’s Champions League to Manchester City last week. And it was Arsenal who inflicted one of Bayern’s two CL losses last season (albeit past the point when it mattered). Another one that’s tough to call.

Rd of 16 Draw Projections

The Group Stage of UEFA Champions League is over, and to my mind, a whole new tournament begins with the round of 16 draw.

My projections for the draw before it’s revealed in a few hours:

Manchester United vs. AC Milan

Real Madrid vs. Bayer 04 Leverkeusen

Paris Saint-Germain vs. FC Zenit

FC Bayern Munchen vs. Arsenal FC

Chelsea FC vs. Olympiacos

Borussia Dortmund vs. Galatasary AŞ

Club Atletico de Madrid vs. Manchester City FC

FC Barcelona vs. Schalke 04

Matchday 4 – Gettin’ There

The round of 16, that is.

When we last left the UEFA Champions League, groups were just starting to take shape. Now that we’re more than halfway through the Group Stage, teams are starting to qualify for the round of 16. Specifically, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City have all qualified. Lots of other teams – Real Madrid, Arsenal – are thisclose to qualifying.

My takeaways from matchday 4:

• Zenit St. Petersburg still looking like they can qualify from Group G, but more to the point – Atletico Madrid is running away with that group.
• Juventus kept their qualification hope alive by coming back to draw 2-2 with Real Madrid. But they’re still at the bottom of Group B.
• The “Whoa!” result of the round: perennial whipping boys FC Copenhagen beat Galatasaray 1-0.
• Even more “Whoa!” Arsenal went to Borussia Dortmund’s ground and defeated the home side 1-0. Will be interesting to see which of the fancied teams – Napoli, Dortmund, Arsenal – won’t survive the Group of Death.
• Poor Real Sociedad have earned one point from four games. *smh*
• Meanwhile, Chelsea…yeah, sorry. I ran out of fucks to give.

Things are shaping up such that the last 2 matchdays will actually matter.

Tomorrow, the Europa League continues. I will try hard not to treat it like the red-headed stepchild.

Champions League: Quick Thoughts on Matchday 3

Group standings are now starting to take shape. Stuff I’ll be keeping an eye on when Matchday 4 comes around on November 5/6.

• I’m pleasantly surprised to see Zenit St Petersburg – one of my picks to move on from Group G – are in second place behind Atletico Madrid.
• With their loss to Real Madrid, Juventus are languishing in third place in Group B. Hmmm…
• Arsenal vs. Borussia Dortmund lived up to the hype, something of a rarity for marquee matches in this competition.
• Bayern Munich and Paris St. Germain both slammed down 5-0 wins today. Damn.
• Chelsea beat Schalke pretty easily, with Fernando Torres scoring 2 goals and continuing his European scoring form. See, I can say nice things about Chelsea.

For now, I’ll stick with my picks for group winners and runners-up (see below) – though Juventus and Benfica are starting to worry me:

Group A

Manchester United

Bayer Leverkusen

Group B

Real Madrid

Juventus

Group C

Paris Saint-Germain

Benfica

Group D

Bayern Munich

Manchester City

Group E

Chelsea

Schalke 04

Group F

Arsenal

Borussia Dortmund

Group G

Atletico Madrid

Zenit St. Petersburg

Group H

Barcelona

AC Milan