Sevilla – CSKA Moskva 16 March 2010

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Sevilla last 5 matches:  

Sevilla last 3 home matches:

CSKA last 5 matches:

CSKA last 3 away matches:

One all result in aggregate before this decisive match will kick off and Sevilla has the motivation and support of the home crowd to go past the Russians from CSKA Moskva.

Sevilla is not doing so well these last few week with the team’s last victory dating back on 20 of February, almost one moth without the taste of success for this highly competitive Spanish side in all competitions. These latest performances let them fall to the 4th spot of the Primera Division and created a 3 point gap from third Valencia and mounted the pressure from next in line Mallorca and Deportivo for a spot in next season of the Champions League.

The goal scored in the first leg of the confrontation will give them a very important advantage over their competition as in theory they can settle for a goalless draw and still qualify. This would be a very risky strategy and Sevilla will most likely search for a goal before closing all paths to it’s own goalkeeper leading me to believe that this will be a match with few goals.

CSKA Moskva presence in this stage of the Champions League is enough reason to celebrate for them but we have to note the result obtained in the first leg as they had not played any official matches this year.

The Russian Premier League joust kicked off and for CSKA it was a good debut as they went past Amkar Perm one goal to nil. They have left the impression of a team concentrated on defense with little initiative in attacking fact supported by their recent result, only one goal per match scored in the last 3 played.

My tip:  Sevilla to win (and qualify, under 2.5 goals)

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Chelsea – Inter 16 March 2010

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Chelsea last 5 matches:  

Chelsea last 3 home matches:

Inter last 5 matches:

Inter last 3 away matches:

With Internazionale Milan leading in overall with 2-1, this should make a very exciting and disputed match on Stamford Bridge with Chelsea having the advantage of the home crowd and away goal.

Chelsea will most certainly push for the offensive from the start but the English team will have to worry in defense as a goal received from Inter will make life very difficult. The team’s form has seem a big improvement since their trip to Italy as they won in the FA Cup against Stoke and last week crushed West Ham in the Premier League 4-1 to stay joust 2 points behind leaders Manchester United in the table.

Their home matches have been their strong point this season, losing only once in the domestic league and no matches without points in this season of the Champions League.

Inter is on a downward spiral both in match performance and results, their loss last week against Catania 3-1 left them with joust one point advantage over rivals AC Milan in the Serie A, far from their comfortable lead in the start of the year.

Their match against Chelsea on home ground was a good one and especially Jose Muorinho has a point to make against the English side. Their mission is very hard and with a goal received on home ground, qualification in the next round is especially difficult.

My tip:  Chelsea to win (and qualify)

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Real Madrid – Lyon 10 March 2010

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Real Madrid last 5 matches:  

Real Madrid last 3 home matches: 

Lyon last 5 matches:

Lyon last 3 away matches:

With a 1-0 result in the first leg for Lyon this should be a very interesting and disputed match and a chance for Real Madrid to show their strength in front of the home crowd.

Real Madrid is the clear favorite in this match with Olympique Lyon’s advantage of only one goal but the fact that the Spanish giants have no away goal may pose some problems and influence the overall result.

They are a real force on home pitch proving this with results in all competition from the Primera Division in which they have won all 13 matches played this season with an impressive goal ratio and also in the Champions League.

Lyon played a great match 2 weeks ago in the first leg between the 2 but their mission on Santiago Bernabeu is very hard, having to put up to the pressure of the supporters and a strong Real Madrid side on it’s own territory.

The French side suffered a setback and missed a great opportunity for the top spot last week as they settled with only one point from the trip to relegation bound Boulogne. They show some real problems in away matches lately with only one victory in the past 5 matches played in all competitions.

My tip:  Real Madrid to win (and qualify)

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Arsenal – FC Porto 9 March 2010

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Arsenal last 5 matches:  

Arsenal last 3 home matches:

Porto last 5 matches: 

Porto last 3 away matches: 

Second leg in this phase of the knock outs in the Champions League and Arsenal welcome FC Porto in their attempt to surpass a one goal deficit and make it to the next round.

A very close match in the first leg with FC Porto winning 2-1 in front of the home crowd but now things look very different as Arsenal is winning match after match in the English Premier League and sitting joust 2 points from leaders Manchester Unite and a Porto team that is having real difficulties in it’s domestic league with no chances for a championship title.

Arsenal is showing a superb form and with a total of 51 points their share the second spot of the Premier League with Chelsea ready to make a real surprise and aim for the first spot until the end of the season. The first leg results also favor the English side as the away goal could make a world of a difference but one threat for them comes from the growing list of injured players like Fabregas and Van Persie joust to name the top 2.

As expected FC Porto played a very good match in the first leg and managed the victory, but with joust 2-1 advantage their task is very hard on Arsenal’s pitch.

They are struggling in the Portuguese Liga having lost the derby match against Sporting Lisbon with an embarrassing 3-0 and last week managing only a draw against bottom side Olhanense.

My tip:  Arsenal to win (and qualify)

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Inter last 5 matches:  

Inter last 3 home matches: 

Chelsea last 5 matches:

Chelsea last 3 away matches:

With both Inter and Chelsea leading in their domestic leagues, this looks like the match of the evening in the Champions League with the traditional Italian-English rivalry placing it’s mark.

Internazionale Milan has lost ground lately, with important points waisted against lower ranked teams and now only 5 points separate them from followers AS Roma in the Serie A.

Their last match saw 2 of their players sent off in a very tense matches, but the team managed to resist and claim a point i their goalless draw against Sampdoria. They are a team that is dominating adversaries on home ground from start to finish but Chelsea is a though nut to crack. It all depends on how well the players can be motivated in this crucial phase of the competition.

Chelsea is in a similar position in the English Premier League, with a 4 point advantage over Manchester United and feeling the pressure from their rivals. In the last 5 played they ended one in a draw against Hull City and lost against Everton, both matches away.

Only one victory for them in the last 3 matches played whilst traveling and important injuries like Deco, A. Cole, M. Essien and J. Bosingwa, all valuable players especially with such a busy schedule.

My tip:  Draw

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Porto last 5 matches:  

Porto last 3 home matches: 

Arsenal last 5 matches: 

Arsenal last 3 away matches:

The second match on Wednesday in the Champions League and Arsenal will have a very difficult task away to FC Porto as the team encountered a loss in form recently.

FC Porto may seem like a candidate to win this first leg but even with this the decisive match will be played in London and qualifying to the next phase will take all their concentration and determination.

Porto managed to improve on their situation recently in the Portuguese Super Liga with 3 victories in the last 5 matches played and are now on the third spot of the table, still a long way from the driver’s seat with a gap of 9 points from leaders Benfica and 8 from second Braga. They lost ground last week as they ended in a goalless draw their trip to Leixoes.

With their 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the weekend, Arsenal managed to put an end to 4 matches without victory, 3 of tows in the Premier League and one in the FA cup witch marked their exit from the competition.

Only theoretical chances for them in the fight for the Premier league title as they sit 6 points from leaders Chelsea and 5 from Manchester United. In this match they have a great handicap missing out important players as R. van Persie and A. Arshavin.

My tip:  FC Porto to win

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Bayern last 5 matches:  

Bayern last 3 home matches: 

Fiorentina last 5 matches: 

Fiorentina last 3 away matches:

Second day of the Champions League and it seems like Bayern Munchen may have the easiest task of all teams still involved as they welcome a struggling Fiorentina to the Alianz Arena.

Bayern Munchen is flying high with a string of victories that seems endless both in the German Bundesliga and also in the DFB Pokal. Trailing leaders ayer Leverkusen in the domestic league only due to a poorer goal ratio, the team is set to win the championship title and please the crowds with performances in the Champions League.

No less than 12 consecutive victories for the German giants, the last time they lost any points was late November in a 1-1 draw against rivals Leverkusen. The same story in home matches where they reached 7 consecutive victories and look unbeatable on their pitch.

Fiorentina may be the weakest team to gain access to this phase of the competition, surrounded by European football giants, the small Italian team will consider this one of their greatest performances.

No victories for them in the last 5 matches played, 4 in the Serie A and one in the Cup with a very important loss to their side as striker Adrian Mutu, who impressed at the start of the year,  is suspended from all competitions. Nonetheless we have to remember that Fiorentina finished top of group E, 2 points in front of Lyon and leaving Liverpool in the Europa League.

My tip: Bayern Munchen

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Lyon last 5 matches: 

Lyon last 3 home matches:

Real Madrid last 5 matches:

Real Madrid last 3 away matches:

The Champions League is back on and with it, this new phase of the competition will place head to head the best clubs on the continent as is this match in which french giants Lyon will welcome Real Madrid.

Although Lyon is not enjoying a great form, the team managed to hold on to the 4th spot in the Ligue 1 table, joust one point behind Lille and the third spot which will grant them another place in the UCL for next season.

With dramatic fluctuations in results recently, on home ground Olympique Lyon is a force winning 4 out the past 5 matches played both in the domestic league and in the Cup.

Real Madrid finished top of Group C in the Champions League with a comfortable 4 points advantage over AC Milan. Spirits are sky high at the club after Barcelona’s defeat on Sunday which bough Real joust 2 points behind the leaders and relaunched the Primera Division fight.

They are in a good form but showing important signs of weakness whilst playing away, nonetheless with a match of this importance motivation will not be an issue.

My tip: Draw

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AC Milan last 5 matches: 

AC Milan last 3 home matches:

Manchester last 5 matches:

Manchester last 3 away matches:

The match that will grab most of the attention from football lovers this Tuesday with a confrontation between AC Milan and Manchester United and old rivalry between Italy and England.

Milan’s results lately may not put them in the driver’s seat against a force such as Manchester United but the “rosso nerri” have showed time and time again that in derby matches they can overthrow any adversaries.

With only one victory in the past 5 matches played in the Serie A and Copa Italia the team managed to stay on the third spot of the league table joust 2 points from AS Roma and a match less than their adversaries.

Manchester United where stopped from achieving 5 consecutive victories last week by Aston Villa witch held them to a 1-1 draw. They are faced to similar problems that they encountered in the last matches of the group phase as Owen Hargreaves, N. Vidic, R. Giggs and j. O’Shea are injured.

Some trouble in matches played away lately for them with this draw against Aston Villa and a loss to rivals Manchester City, the team is trailing Chelsea by only one point in the Premier League.

My tip: AC Milan to win

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*matches in all competitions

Liverpool last 5 matches: 

Liverpool last 3 home matches:

Fiorentina last 5 matches:

Fiorentina last 3 away matches:

At first glance many would say that this is a very interesting game
to watch but as both teams lack any motivation except maybe a morale
boost for further matches all is decided in Group E of the Champions
League.

Liverpool, with 7 points in total is third in the group and stands no
chances of advancing in the stats. Their place in Europa League is
assured as 4th Hungarian side Debreceni have yet to claim any points in
their campaign.

Coach Rafa Benitez will certainly rest some of it’s top players for
this one as the team’s position in the Premier League is still below
expectations. Fernando Torres is back from injury but is expected to
start the match on the bench and goalkeeper Reina set to be rested for
this one.

Fiorentina top the group table with 12 points, 2 above second Lyon
and only a loss here will see them lose the first place.

The Tuscan team will play a team witch is very close to their best
11, only former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu still recovering from a knee
surgery.

My tip: Liverpool to win