UEFA Champions League - Quarter Final, 2nd Leg - Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th April 2011

This is it. My first 'blog'.

My profile says I'll be doing Premier League games, but I'm going to attempt to predict any important upcoming matches, so I'll start with the 2nd Legs of the UEFA Champions League taking place on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th April 2011.

From the picture, you can see where my allegiances lie, so we'll kick off the predictions with this game.

Manchester United v Chelsea

This could be the game that ends Chelsea's season, and Ancelotti's reign. Rumour has it his job is safe, but Fergie wasn't lying when he mentioned Chelsea's 'obsession' with winning the Champions League and how it is visible through signing Torres. Failure to progress in Europe for Abramovich's Army tonight could see Ancelotti, who achieved brilliant things in his first season in charge, returning to Italy next month and walking in to the first Job Centre he finds.

Talk of the game itself will undoubtedly revolve around the penalty that never was, but you don't need me to point out the luck Chelsea have had with similar decisions in the past. If it had been given, and converted, it would have have made for a much more exciting game tonight. However, United bossed the game throughout and deserved no less than a win. That said, Chelsea are still a top team, and will give everything tonight. Their recent performances have been very patchy, and it is clear Torres, Drogba and Anelka just doesn't work. For me, Torres isn't good enough at the moment, but I can see Drogba leaving in the summer and Torres becoming the Blues focal point. He needs to prove himself, and an in-form Torres would make light work of opening the scoring at Old Trafford. He simply isn't in form, although I'm starting to tempt fate right now*.

All the talk about tonight and I haven't even mentioned the subject of the above photograph. Fully fit after serving the first half of his suspension, he would love to be the match winner again. Slowly but surely, he's starting to win back each and every United fan since the whole transfer-request-debacle earlier in the season. Whether Chelsea manage an away goal or not, I think United's dominance at Old Trafford this season has been too strong for most (West Brom aside) and I can see Chelsea getting their precious away goal, but not before United already hold a two-goal lead, with another goal finishing off the night.

Summary: Two almost-full-strength squads promises to be an exciting match, but United's class to shine through.

Manchester United 3 - 1 Chelsea
Agg: 4 - 1

*And just for a bit of fun... Has Torres Scored For Chelsea?

____________________________________________________________

Shakhtar Donetsk v FC Barcelona

After the result last week, I believed Shakhtar did themselves a favour with the hammering they received at Camp Nou. It meant Barcelona wouldn't be desperate to win, and Donetsk could try and, at least, hold them to a draw, therefore preserving their long running unbeaten home record. However, a major shock to the Ukranian footballing world occured on Saturday when Shakhtar conceded their 55-match unbeaten home run against Obolon Kyiv. Still, it is a phenomenal record, regardless of what league you play in, and shows they are a very strong side at home. They are, however, without a few key players, including their captain, and Croatian star, Dario Srna, along with left-back Razvan Rat and defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy, formerly of Barcelona. The young Brazilian Douglas Costa looks a real talent, and they'll surely be looking to him to create.

As for Barcelona, they are very much expected to rest players, with El Clasico approaching this Saturday. Iniesta is suspended, whilst Puyol, Bojan and Abidal are all injured. They still must be considered favourites for the tournament, and it would take a massive amount of effort for Shakhtar to turn this game on it's head. I don't think effort will be the issue, I just think they'll be left exhausted at the end of the game, whilst congratulating Barcelona on progressing.

Summary: The first leg finished the tie. Shakhtar could still take some pride and go for a win against what is likely to be a weakened Barca side, but it won't be big enough.

Shakhtar Donetsk 2 - 1 FC Barcelona
Agg: 3 - 6

____________________________________________________________

Tottenham Hotspur v Real Madrid

Another tie that looks to be finished before a 2nd leg ball is kicked, everyone's new favourite team Spurs can take great pride from their efforts this year. What Crouch was doing, we'll never know, and why nobody had a Strepsil for Aaron Lennon is another one of lifes great mysteries. The red card so early on ruined the game as a contest, and there was only going to be one winner after that. Spurs' defensive efforts were in vein, as they simply got played off the park, and could not cope with Adebayor's height. Like Shakhtar, they'll need the performance of their lives, plus key players fit. Gareth Bale is an obvious talent, but recently hasn't been effective at all. Rafael 'Signing of the Season' Van Der Vaart is reportedly upset that Harry Redknapp keeps subbing him before the 90 minutes are up, and the boy is a wonderful footballer, so it'd be good to see him play until the end, when the opposition start tiring. Apparently, Lennon is back, and he can cause problems, along with Luka Modric who is a sensational footballer and can create something out of nothing.

Real Madrid went into the first leg wanting to keep their players available for this weeks game, as 5 players were on a yellow card. Due to Crouch removing Spurs' edge, only one of Madrid's 5 (Pepe) got booked, therefore won't play any part on Wednesday. Mourinho is a top manager, and he'll know his squad well enough to know that Pepe won't be missed. The key man in this match for Madrid, as with any match they play, is the £80m man Cristiano Ronaldo. They remain very far from a one-man team, but Ronaldo, as we saw countless times in the Premiership, has the ability to win a game on his own. I doubt he'll get a warm welcome back to England, but at United, he thrived on boo's and bad press. Whether he has an important role to play in this game is unclear, as Madrid have an obvious advantage.

However, I can't see Mourinho letting his team sit back on this, and I'm sure they'll nick an away goal or two, finding holes in Tottenham's likely-to-be-stretched defence.

Summary: Like Shakhtar, Spurs can leave with dignity intact, as I believe they have the ability to steal a win in front of their home fans. However, I can also see a Madrid goal completely killing off any sniff of a comeback. Too little, too late, for Spurs, I'm afraid.

Tottenham Hotspur 3 - 1 Real Madrid
Agg: 3 - 5

____________________________________________________________

FC Schalke 04 v Inter Milan

Well, well well. The reigning champions got themselves in a right old pickle, didn't they? It all looked so bright with Stankovic's incredible volley, and it really was all downhill from there. Conceding 5 goals in front of your own fans doesn't do anyone any favours, but credit to Schalke for bagging 5 away from home to the Champions.

Why they employed Rafa Benitez at the start of the season, I don't know. He ruined the club, like he did with Liverpool, leaving them both at unacceptable positions in their own leagues. For a team winning their domestic and European treble, they should not have employed someone failing to excite at the club that once adored him. That said, Leonardo has done well domestically since taking over, a move that wasn't welcomed due to his connections with AC Milan.  

Schalke were a team who were performing so poorly in the Bundesliga that their manager was sacked, and the new man in charge, Ralf Rangnick, seems to be working wonders. The signing of Raul by Magath in the summer was a masterstroke, because he definitely hasn't lost his eye for goal. They will again be missing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, formerly of Inter's main rivals, but that didn't seem to stop them scoring in the first leg.

Inter will be without Christian Chivu, who didn't complete the first leg after being sent off, so instead they welcome back Walter Samuel, who hasn't played for 5 months due to a cruciate ligament injury.

Summary: For Inter to have any chance of progressing, they'll need to win by at least a 4 goal margin, and I don't see that happening. Schalke are only just favourites to win in their own back yard, but must be hot favourites to go through. However, I don't think they'll get any further than United or Chelsea in the Semi Finals.

FC Schalke 04 2 - 0 Inter Milan

Agg: 7 - 2