Bayern Munich Win the Champions League Final

2013 Champions League Final:
Bayern Munich defeat Borussia Dortmund 2-1
Man of the Match: Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben went from going goalless in the first 88 minutes of the game to the hero with his game winning goal in the 89th minute to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League Final.

In what was one of the most exciting games I've ever watched, this game was a tale of two halves. The first half featured Borussia Dortmund with many opportunities against Bayern Munich's goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, and the second half was all-Bayern Munich for the most part.

With the game nearing extra time, Robben was able to get past the Dortmund defense and strike the ball past Dortmund's goalkeeper, Roman Weidenfeller. Robben had many chances throughout the game, and due to his poor right foot, went scoreless until the 89th minute.

If not for his late goal, I would have labeled Robben as the scapegoat had Dortmund somehow won this game. Robben was everywhere for Bayern and had opportunity after opportunity before putting a little bit of finesse on the game winner.

In the 72nd minute of the game, Dortmund defender Neven Subotic made the play of the game. Subotic was able to save a possible goal from Thomas Muller after Muller had an open net strike. The shot would have put Munich back ahead 2-1 much earlier in the game, but Subotic was able to keep the game tied for a little bit longer.

Neuer only let up the one goal in the game as Ilkay Gundogan scored on a penalty kick in the 68th minute of the game. Bayern defender, Dante, gave up the penalty because of a stupid challenge against Dortmund's Marco Reus inside the 18 yard box. Gundogan was able to score the penalty kick rather easily as Neuer guessed the wrong side.

The scoring started in the 60th minute when Mario Mandzukic got on the board for Bayern Munich. While his goal was very huge for Bayern Munich, he should have scored multiple goals in today's game as he also like Robben had many opportunities. His goal was assisted by Robben after Robben was able to attract the attention of Weidenfeller and cross the ball to Mandzukic for the goal.

At the end of the first half I couldn't help but think that eventually the goals would start pouring in. Both teams were able to get many good looks throughout the first half, with each team's goalkeeper somehow keeping both teams from scoring.

Neuer and Weidenfeller had their hands full as Neuer was busy stopping Reus from putting the ball in the back of the net on many occasions while Weidenfeller had to deal with the same from Mandzukic and Robben.

With the game now over and the 2012-2013 European season coming to a close, it's almost time to start looking at next season. As good as Bayern Munich played this year behind manager Jupp Heynckes, the team will likely look better next season as they bring in Pep Guardiola who used to be coach of Barcelona a year ago.

Guardiola has already been given a lot of money to try and bring in new players for next year's squad, and with the already addition of Mario Gotze, I think Bayern Munich have to be the favorite for next year's Champion's League.

While Chelsea probably weren't the most deserving team of the championship last year, you can't argue that Bayern Munich weren't the best team in Europe at the end of this tournament.

UEFA Champions League Final Preview

UEFA Champions League Final: Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund

How'd They Get Here:
Bayern Munich:
Round of 16 vs. Arsenal - Leg 1: Bayern Win 3-1, Leg 2: Arsenal Win 2-0, AGG: Draw 3-3 (Bayern Wins on Away Goals)
Quarterfinals vs. Juventus - Leg 1: Bayern Win 2-0, Leg 2: Bayern Win 2-0, AGG: Bayern Win 4-0
Semifinals vs. Barcelona - Leg 1: Bayern Win 4-0, Leg 2: Bayern Win 3-0, AGG: Bayern Win 7-0

Borussia Dortmund:
Round of 16 vs. Shakhtar Donetsk - Leg 1: Draw 2-2, Leg 2: Dortmund Win 3-0, AGG: Dortmund Win 5-2
Quarterfinals vs. Malaga - Leg 1: Draw 0-0, Leg 2: Dortmund Win 3-2, AGG: Dortmund Win 3-2
Semifinals vs. Real Madrid - Leg 1: Dortmund Win 4-1, Leg 2: Madrid Win 2-0, AGG: Dortmund Win 4-3

The Lineups:
Bayern Munich:
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
Defense: Dante, Jerome Boateng, Philipp Lahm, David Alaba
Midfield: Franck Ribery, Javi Martinez, Arjen Robben, Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger
Forward: Mario Mandzukic
Bench: Tom Starke, Daniel van Buyten, Xherdan Shaqiri, Luis Gustavo, Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Claudio Pizarro, Mario Gomez

Borussia Dortmund:
Goalkeeper: Roman Weidenfeller
Defense: Marcel Schmelzer, Mats Hummels, Neven Subotic, Lukasz Piszczek
Midfield: Ilkay Gundogan, Sven Bender, Kevin Grobkreutz, Marco Reus, Jakub Blaszczykowski
Forward: Robert Lewandowski
Bench: Mitchell Langerak, Felipe Santana, Sebastian Kehl, Moritz Leitner, Nuri Sahin, Oliver Kirch, Julian Schieber

The Game:

At the beginning of the semifinals, if you told me that the two teams in the final would be from the same country, I definitely would've thought it was Barcelona and Real Madrid. Those two Spanish teams were the favorites all season long and at the end of the semifinals it was the German squads that pulled off the upsets.

Both teams have won the Champions League Trophy before as Bayern Munich has won it four times, as most recently as 2001 and Borussia Dortmund winning the title their only time in 1997.

The key missing piece to this game is Borussia Dortmund midfielder, Mario Gotze. Gotze has been the key piece to the success of Dortmund all season with his superb play in the center of the midfield and he will be on the sideline for this game. Having Gotze on the field would've made for a huge story as he is moving to Bayern Munich over the summer.

Even with Gotze on the pitch, Bayern Munich were the better team all season, so without Dortmund's key player I just can't see Dortmund coming away victorious in this game. In the German Bundesliga this season Munich finished 25 points ahead of second-place Dortmund and only tasted defeat once to a German side all season long.

When I look at the starting lineups for today's game I am not surprised by anything. Each team is going with the lineups that have gotten them to this point in the season. When I compare the two's different parts of the lineups, I have the two teams coming out even:

Lineup Comparison:
Goalkeeper: Advantage Bayern Munich
Defense: Advantage Borussia Dortmund
Midfield: Advantage Bayern Munich
Forward: Advantage Borussia Dortmund

While I have the two teams coming out even with each having the advantage in two places, Bayern's advantages are much greater at goalkeeper and midfield while Dortmund doesn't have too big of an advantage at defense or the forward position.

The main difference between the two teams is the goalkeeper position. I have been saying all year that Manuel Neuer was the best goalkeeper in the world and I still believe it. While Weidenfeller isn't a slouch, I don't think he's in the same league as Neuer. Neuer will be the key in this game as he will have his hands full with Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus. Both of those guys will likely get a goal in this game, but Neuer will likely save around 10 throughtout the 90 minutes.

I think Mario Mandzukic and Franck Ribery will do the some of the scoring early for Munich with Mario Gomez coming on in the second half for Mandzukic and scoring the game winner. Dortmund rely on two guys for most of the scoring, but Bayern has five or six guys in their lineup that could possibly do the damage today.

I'm expecting a close game for 90 minutes and wouldn't be shocked if this somehow went past the 90 minutes. I'm just hoping that this game doesn't come down to the crap shoot that is the penalty shootout.

My Prediction: Bayern Munich win 3-2
Man of the Match: Manuel Neuer
Goals: Bayern - Mandzukic, Ribery & Gomez / Dortmund - Lewandowski & Reus

Champions League Semifinals Leg 2

The second legs of the Champions League semifinals are today and tomorrow at 2:45 pm on Fox Soccer. To the surprise of many, both of the German sides were able to come out victorious in the first legs with each winning rather handily over the Spanish opposition. Borussia Dortmund were victorious 4-1 over Real Madrid with Bayern Munich winning 4-0 over Barcelona.

Borussia Dortmund @ Real Madrid (Tuesday @ 2:45 on Fox Soccer) (AGG: Dortmund 4-1)

The key for this game is whether or not Real Madrid can STOP Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski managed to score all four goals against Real Madrid in the first leg and was unstoppable. He had his way with Madrid's back four and made goalkeeper, Diego Lopez, look like he didn't belong out there.

I'm shocked to see Diego Lopez has been named the starting goalkeeper after the last performance and thought that Real Madrid should definitely change it up and go with their captain, Iker Casillas. Casillas has been the guy in front of net for years now and has managed to lose his starting job due to injury. He should have been the first choice in front of goal for Madrid and it shouldn't have even been a question.

Madrid will need to win this game either 3-0 or 4-1 most likely if they are going to advance. They need to outscore Dortmund by at least three goals in order to tie up the aggregate. If the game ends 3-0 Madrid they would advance. If it ended 4-1 it would go to penalty kicks. If Dortmund scored two or more goals then Madrid would need to win by at least four goals.

Dortmund will likely come into this game trying to play defensively. They have the three goal lead and will be trying to do everything in their power to keep that lead. Expect the center backs of Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic to have their hands full today, but they should be able to keep it from not getting too out of hand.

If Madrid is going to win they are going to need a surplus of goals that they just weren't able to get in the first leg. Gonzalo Higuain is getting the start with Karim Benzema likely coming on at halftime. They will both need to score if they are going to want to end up in the final. Cristiano Ronaldo will likely get one goal so they will need their defense to step up and possibly keep Dortmund scoreless. Ronaldo was the only man for Madrid to get a goal in the first leg.

While I think Madrid will get a good amount of goals, I'm not sure if they have a four-goal night in them today. I think Dortmund will be able to get the one goal they'll need as they will keep this game close enough to advance.

Prediction: Real Madrid wins 3-1 (Borussia Dortmund Advances on Aggregate 5-4)

Bayern Munich @ Barcelona (Wednesday @ 2:45 on Fox Soccer) (AGG: Munich 4-0)

As crazy as it was to see Real Madrid lose by three goals, it was even crazier to see Barcelona go down by four. Thomas Muller led Bayern Munich with two of their four goals with Arjen Robben and Mario Gomez each adding one apiece.

The team that is considered the best in the world manage to go scoreless in one of the biggest games of the year and they will have to change a lot if they are going to advance to the final. Their defense allowed four goals, which is unheard of for Barcelona. Their four or five defenders that they use are all arguably a part of the top 10 defenders in the world right now.

Barcelona can't afford to let in a single goal tonight and if they do it will likely be over. If one goal is to go in for Munich, Barcelona would have to score at least six in order for them to advance. If Barcelona is going to advance they are going to have to pull off the impossible.

I'm expecting Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas will have to come out and try to get some goals on the board early. They can't afford to wait too far into the game to start racking up the goals. I could even see Barcelona going to a three-man defense in back and trying to play a much more offensive game.

In all seriousness I just don't think Barcelona has a shot in hell at advancing. There's no way that Bayern Munich is going to slow down their scoring and there's no way Barcelona is going to score five or six goals. Manuel Neuer will have a long night tomorrow, but it will be worth it when his team is playing in what will likely be an all-German Champions League Final.

Prediction: Barcelona wins 3-2 (Bayern Munich Advances on Aggregate 6-3)

Champions League Semifinals Leg 1

The Final Four of soccer is starting up in a couple of hours as the Champions League semifinals will feature the two best teams from Spain and Germany. Barcelona and Real Madrid will try to prove why Spain has the best two teams in the world today, while Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will try to prove that their German teams are right up there with them.

Barcelona @ Bayern Munich (Tuesday @ 2:45 on Fox Soccer)

Barcelona and Bayern Munich have been the best two teams in Europe so far this year. They have both gone on to win their league titles relatively easy and have dominated just about everyone on their way to this semifinal match-up.

Lionel Messi has been cleared to play for Barcelona for this game and he will be the man to watch. He has been the best player in the world the last few years and hasn't shown any signs of possibly losing the top spot. With a healthy Messi, Barcelona are considered to be the favorites to win the Champions League as he has managed to score 57 goals in the 46 games he has played so far this year.

While Messi is the man to watch for Barcelona, they still feature many other world-class players in Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas. The three of them are considered to be some of the best midfielders in the sport of soccer today with Xavi and Iniesta both being perennial runners for player of the year award.

Barcelona's back four has switched depending on who has been healthy this year, but the five main guys splitting time back there have been Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Dani Alves, Javier Mascherano and Carles Puyol. The five of them have done a great job in helping goalkeeper Victor Valdes protect the goal all season long.

The man to watch for Munich is goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. With Madrid's Casillas being injured for a majority of this season, Neuer has stepped up as the world's best goalie. Neuer has been the key to Munich's resurgence as the top team in Germany and one of the best teams in the world. Prior to his arrival they were relying on lesser-caliber goalkeepers that had trouble when playing against the world's best.

Munich has many players on their side that could add goals for the German squad. Mario Mandzukic and Mario Gomez will split the time at striker for their side with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery providing the help on the wings. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller will be the guys in the central midfield trying to control the game that will likely be controlled by Barcelona's passing. Munich will have to try and keep possession between those three guys as Barcelona has shown all year that they can keep possession for the majority of the game on their way to victory.

This game will feature two of the best offensive squads in the world with both teams trying to just contain the other squad rather than stop them altogether. Messi and Mandzukic will both find the nets for their squads, it's just a matter of who else will end up finding the net that will change the outcome of the game. With Munich playing at home today, I like them to come up victorious as Messi might not be 100 percent fit.

Prediction: Bayern Munich win 3-2

Real Madrid @ Borussia Dortmund (Wednesday @ 2:45 on Fox Soccer)

When you look at the prestige of these two clubs and the names that will be featured in this game, you'd expect Real Madrid to run all over Borussia Dortmund. However, that is not the case as the German side has already shown twice this season. In group play the two teams played twice with Dortmund winning one game and the other ending in draw. In the first game Dortmund won 2-1 with goals coming from Marcel Schmelzer and Robert Lewandowski with Cristiano Ronaldo getting the lone goal for Madrid. Alvarao Arbeloa scored an own goal while Marco Reus adding one of his own for the Dortmund side in the second game which ended in a 2-2 draw. Pepe and Mesut Ozil added the two goals for Real Madrid.

Neither of these teams will be winning their respective league titles as the two teams playing in Tuesday's game will be claiming those trophies. Madrid will be trying to win their tenth European title this year and are the favorite to come out of this pairing. They haven't been able to defeat the German side yet this year, but with them setting all of their focus now on the Champions League, they should be able to come out victorious.

Whenever people talk about Real Madrid the first name that comes to mind is Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is the main key to Madrid's chances, but he is not who I am worried about. All year long fans and journalists have complained about the lack of goals coming from strikers Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain. Both Benzema and Higuain have struggled this season with finding the back of the net and there have been many rumors of Madrid trying to go after some new strikers in the summer transfer market including Falcao of Atletico Madrid and Edinson Cavani of Napoli.

If Madrid is going to advance they are going to need Benzema and Higuain to step up or they will likely end up going home. If they can each manage to get at least one goal out of the two games that should be enough with Ronaldo and others being able to get in some others to advance.

Dortmund will be relying on their big three of Lewandowski, Reus and Mario Gotze for their scoring. Lewandowski and Reus have done most of the scoring for Dortmund this year with Gotze being the main playmaker for their side. Gotze has been a player on most team's radars with the summer transfer market coming up and has shown to be one of the best attacking midfielders in all of Europe.

With Madrid's usual starting goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, possibly sitting on the bench for this game, I think there will be plenty of goals to come from this week's game. Madrid was unable to defeat Dortmund so far this season and with this week's match-up taking place on the road, I'm expecting this game to end in a draw.

Prediction: Draw 2-2

Champions League Quarterfinals Leg 1 Part 2

The second set of leg 1 of the quarterfinals will be played today. The second leg of these match-ups will be played next Tuesday. During yesterday's quarterfinal games Bayern Munich defeated Juventus 2-0 and Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona played to a 2-2 draw.

Today's Games:

Galatasaray (Turkey) @ Real Madrid (Spain)

Real Madrid are currently on their quest for "La Decima," which would be their tenth European Cup title. Madrid struggled all season during La Liga and will likely have no shot at catching Barcelona the rest of the way so winning the Champions League is the only trophy they really have a shot at the rest of this season.

Real Madrid have been carried by the play of Cristiano Ronaldo all season due to some goal struggles by both Karim Benzema and Gonzala Higuain. It is likely that during the summer they will offload one of them if not both and bring in Falcao from Atletico Madrid or Neymar from Santos. Ronaldo will likely score at least one of Madrid's goals today as he will be trying to match Messi who was able to score one of Barcelona's goals yesterday.

Jose Mourinho will be coaching against two of his former players today in Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder. Both were brought into Galatasaray over the winter transfer window and will be the key for the Turkish side if they will be able to advance past the Spanish giants. Mourinho coached Drogba while at Chelsea and Sneijder during his time at Inter Milan.

Drogba will likely do the scoring for Gala during today's game, but I don't see their squad getting any more than one goal against Madrid's defense. Madrid has way too much talent in their back four and Diego Lopez has been playing very well in the absence of captain Iker Casillas. I think Madrid will be able to get multiple goals from their squad, it's just a matter of how many they will finish with.

Prediction: Real Madrid win 3-1

Borussia Dortmund (Germany) @ Malaga (Spain)

In my opinion this is the weakest match-up of any of the four quarterfinals this year. Out of the eight teams left in the tournament I think Dortmund are the sixth best team left and Malaga is the worst team that is left in the Champions League. Neither team are the best team left from their country as Dortmund are being outplayed by Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and Malaga is currently behind both Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga.

Robert Lewandowski of Dortmund and Isco of Malaga have been each team's best offensive weapons thus far in the Champions League and those will be the two players to watch today. I don't think a lot of goals will be scored in this game as both teams will kind of even each other out. I expect Dortmund to advance between these two teams as they are the better team but with Malaga playing at home I think they will be able to play this game to a draw.

Prediction: Draw 1-1

Champions League Quarterfinals Leg 1 Part 1

The quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League are finally here. The first legs of the quarterfinals will be played today and tomorrow with the second legs being played next Tuesday and Wednesday. The final eight teams remaining are Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Malaga, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Galatasaray.

Today's Games:

Barcelona (Spain) @ Paris Saint-Germain (France)

These two teams are currently the best teams in their home countries and with a win in this game would be moving closer to the claim of being the best team in all of Europe. Barcelona have been arguably the best team in soccer the last two or three years and PSG has been moving closer and closer to possibly claiming the top spot. Both teams have gone completely different ways of building their teams with Barcelona bringing up must of their players through their youth squads and PSG going out and buying some of the world's best talent.

One of the key players at PSG right now is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic is a former player of Barcelona who had a falling out with the team about playing time and eventually moved to Italian side AC Milan before joining PSG last summer. Ibrahimovic and teammate Thiago Silva both left AC Milan to come to PSG over the summer and have been the keys for PSG's great season. The two of them are the keys for the French side.

Barcelona has managed to do what many teams haven't been able to do successfully. They have had a great youth program that has seen the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta grow up while playing together on the same team since before they were teenagers. They have been three of the top five players of the last three or four years and are the reason Barcelona are the best team in the world.

Both teams will manage to get a couple of goals in this game and as good as PSG is playing I don't know if they will be able to get a win over Barcelona. This game will likely end even as PSG will likely not lose at home.

Prediction: Draw 2-2

Juventus (Italy) @ Bayern Munich (Germany)

This game could easily be the championship game. Both teams are currently the best teams in the countries just as Barca and PSG are in theirs. Gianluigi Buffon of Juventus and Manuel Neuer of Bayern are two of the best goalkeepers in the world if not the best right now. Both teams will rely heavily on the play of their goalkeepers as they will try to slow down each teams scoring.

I think that Bayern Munich is one of the three favorites to take home the Champions League this year. Outside of the Spanish giants in Barca and Real Madrid they have the most talent at every position. The play of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben will likely decide how many goals Bayern ends up with today as they are two of the best in the world when it comes to creating goals for themselves and others on the outside.

I think both goalkeepers will be able to keep the scoring relatively low, but Bayern will get enough for a win that will give them the edge when the second leg is played in Italy.

Prediction: Munich win 2-1

Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Preview Part 2

There are four games this week being played. The only game that seems to be out of reach is the Bayern Munich-Arsenal game as Bayern hold a two-goal lead and will be home in their match. The match that I think will be the biggest this week is the AC Milan-Barcelona clash on Tuesday.

The games being played this week and last are the second legs of the round of 16. The winners of this round will advance on to the quarterfinals in the first week of April. As bad as I am at picking almost every other sport, I'm currently ranked 27th on ESPN's Champions League pick'em so I'm hoping my picks continue to go in that direction.

Tuesday's Games:

AC Milan @ Barcelona (Aggregate: Milan 2-0)

In this first leg between the two AC Milan came out and shocked most of the world by defeating Barcelona 2-0. Without Mario Balotelli for the Champions League they were still able to score two goals against arguably the best team in the world at this point. Milan's goals came from Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari who have given Milan the two-goal lead going in to the second leg.

Barcelona will be playing a very offensive game today as they are already trailing two goals due to the aggregate. They will likely need to score at least three goals if they are going to win today due to them not scoring any goals as the away side in the first leg. I'm expecting Milan to play a very defensive game which scares me. They will likely be playing with two defensive midfielders in hopes of keeping Lionel Messi and the rest of the Barcelona attack from getting a lot of looks today.

I think it is inevitable that Barcelona will come out scoring. Milan was able to stop them from scoring in the first game and I just don't see them being able to do that again. Whether or not Milan is able to add a goal of their own today will be what decides everything. If Milan can score at least one goal that would mean that Barcelona would need to score four for the win. My guess is Milan get at least one today and keep Barcelona from scoring more than three and advancing due to the away goal rule.

My prediction: Barcelona win 3-1 (Aggregate:Draw 3-3) (Milan advance on away goals)

Galatasaray @ Schalke 04 (Aggregate: Draw 1-1)

The first match ended in a draw between the two with Jermaine Jones scoring for Schalke and Burak Yilmaz scoring for Galatasaray. This game isn't getting as much coverage as the other game of the day due to the other two clubs being two of the biggest in the world, but each of these teams can be a real threat due to their guys up front.

Schalke's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Galatasaray's Didier Drogba both didn't score a goal during the first leg and I'm guessing both of them will be giving each other's defense some trouble in this game. The addition of Drogba and Wesley Sneijder in the recent transfer window has greatly strengthened the Turkish side and this is a time where their added leadership and play need to be high if they are going to advance.

I'm expecting a couple of goals to be scored in this game. I think both teams will be playing offensively due to the aggregate being tied at ones. Whether or not Galatasaray will be able to score multiple goals is what will decide this game because of the away goal rule. I'm guessing Schalke will return home though and outplay Galatasaray on their field today.

My prediction: Schalke win 2-1 (Aggregate: Schalke win 3-2)

Wednesday's Games:

Arsenal @ Bayern Munich (Aggregate: Bayern 3-1)

The first game saw Bayern come to London and completely outplay Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Bayern had two goals in the first half from Toni Kroos and Thomas Muller with Lukas Podolski bringing it closer in the second half with a goal of his own for Arsenal. It was when Mario Mandzukic added a third goal for Bayern that the match-up between these two teams appeared over.

Today Arsenal will have to pull off a miracle. If they are going to win this game they are going to need to score at least three goals as the away side just as Bayern did in the first leg. Manuel Neuer is in my opinion the best goalkeeper in the world at this point. I'm highly doubting that Neuer will give up any more than two goals at any point so the likelihood of Arsenal pulling that off isn't likely going to happen. Not only that but I just think Bayern are the much better team than Arsenal and I'm expecting them to win at home.

My prediction: Bayern win 2-1 (Aggregate: Bayern win 5-2)

FC Porto @ Malaga (Aggregate: Porto 1-0)

In the first game between the two sides I thought that the play of Joao Moutinho would be what would shift the game for the Portuguese side. 10 minutes into the second half and Moutinho scored the only goal of the game that will now be heading for the second leg between the two teams on Wednesday.

If Malaga is going to win this game they are going to have to play a much better game than they did the first time around. They only had two shots on goal for an entire 90 minutes and only had possession of the ball for only 37 percent of the game. The player to watch in this game will be Isco for Malaga. If they are going to advance it's going to be because of him. He's going to need to help Malaga get a goal or two if they have any hopes of making it on to the next round.

My prediction: Draw 1-1 (Aggregate: Porto win 2-1)

Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Review Part 1

There were four games played this week from teams all over Europe. The one game that got all of the attention though in this week of Champions League games was the Manchester United at Real Madrid match where Cristiano Ronaldo was making his return to Old Trafford.

Each of the games that was played this week were the second legs of the round of 16. The winners of this round have all moved on to the quarterfinals that will be played in a little less than a month. As of right now I'm currently ranked 27th on ESPN's Champions League Pick'Em.

Tuesday's Games:

Real Madrid @ Manchester United - Madrid win 2-1 (AGG: Madrid win 3-2)

It's sad how all anyone will talk about in this game is the red card that was given to Nani. All that should have been given at that point was a yellow card. A red was just too much. I thought that the game was very close up until the red card was given and thought that the game could have gone either way. Once the red card was given I thought that Madrid would be able to take this game and they did just that.

The own goal that Sergio Ramos let in was awful and to see a player of his caliber make such a bonehead play I really thought Madrid were done at that point. The goals by Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 66th and 69th minutes put the game out of reach for Man U. Once those two were scored the home team had to score at least two more while playing down a man in 20 minutes and that just wasn't going to happen.

It's sad how a game that was so good will be remembered for a bad call by a referee but in the end as a Madrid fan I'm happy with the outcome. In my opinion Madrid made some great substitutions with each of them really helping their side. Kaka, Modric and Pepe all did their part when coming on for Madrid late in the game.

My player of the match though was goalkeeper Diego Lopez for Real Madrid. He made seven saves and if it wasn't for the own goal would've had the clean sheet. I wasn't a fan of him going to the ground at the end of the game to waste time, but in the absence of captain Iker Casillas I think Diego Lopez did a great job and should get a lot of credit in Madrid moving on. You could argue for Modric or Ronaldo for scoring the goals, but I think it was the goalkeeping by Diego Lopez that was really the key in keeping the game close.

I think Madrid have to be one of the favorites to win the Champions League at this point. Barcelona could be knocked out next week so it will probably come down to Madrid and Bayern Munich winning it all.

Shakhtar Donetsk @ Borussia Dortmund - Dortmund win 3-0 (AGG: Dortmund win 5-2)

This game wasn't televised live and it didn't seem like it had to be. I expected Dortmund to come out and score multiple goals on Shakhtar but I wasn't expecting them to completely dominate the entire game the way that the did. Three goals from Felipe Santana, Mario Gotze and Jacub Blaszczykowski were just way too much for the away side that went scoreless.

I hadn't really heard of Shakhtar before this because they play in Ukraine so they should be happy with the fact that they got this far in the tournament. Dortmund are now on to the quarterfinals where they will probably be the underdog against whoever they are playing. A possible Dortmund-Bayern match-up between the two best German teams in the quarterfinals could be huge.

Wednesday's Games:

Valencia @ Paris Saint-Germain - Draw 1-1 (AGG: PSG win 3-2)

This wasn't the most exciting game of the week by any means. PSG came into this game with the lead and a draw would have sent them on to the next round. They came out playing a very defensive game to make sure that they left the game with the win. When Jonas scored the first goal of the game in the 55th minute for Valencia, it was only then that PSG started to press the action in fear of possibly giving up another goal which would have possibly ended with Valencia moving on to the next round.

Ezequiel Lavezzi scored an equalizer though 10 minutes after the scoring started to even up the game for PSG which would be the end of the scoring for the day. Valencia were able to secure possession for almost two-thirds of the entire game, but were unable to get any really good chances with only three shots on target of the eight that the team took. PSG will be moving on to the next round and with the return of Ibrahimovic for the quarterfinals could have their sights on moving even further in the tournament.

Celtic @ Juventus - Juventus win 2-0 (AGG: Juventus win 5-0)

I didn't expect Celtic to come into this game and somehow pull off one of the biggest comebacks in recent history and move on to the next round and Juventus made sure that it didn't happen. Juventus scored two goals and held Celtic scoreless for the entire 90 minutes. Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella did the scoring for Juventus, while Gianluigi Buffon had a very good game in goal for the home team making five saves and not letting anything by him.

Juventus are on to the quarterfinals with a very good showing in the round of 16. Celtic were definitely not one of the best teams left in the tournament, but the way that Juventus outplayed them in the two games really gives them hope at possibly winning this entire tournament. I don't know if they are going to have enough scoring to beat Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the later rounds, but they have showed that they are one of the best defensive teams in Europe and with Buffon in back should be able to keep any game close going forward.

Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Preview Part 1

There are four games this week in the Champions League, but only one of them is really drawing any attention at this point. In the other three games being played of the week the home teams are all favored to move on to the quarterfinals, but it's all about the other game, Manchester United vs. Real Madrid.

The games being played this week and next are the second legs of the round of 16. The winners of this round will advance on to the quarterfinals in the first week of April. As bad as I am at picking almost every other sport, I'm currently ranked 84th on ESPN's Champions League pick'em so I'm hoping my picks continue to go in that direction.

Tuesday's Games:

Real Madrid @ Manchester United (Aggregate: Draw 1-1)

While watching the first leg a couple of weeks ago all I could keep thinking was, how many goals will each of these teams end up with? At the end there was only two goals scored in the entire 90 minutes with each team scoring one apiece. The amount of great looks that each team had I was in disbelief that the game ended with such a low score.

My player to watch in this game has to be Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is making his return to Old Trafford as the enemy for the first time since leaving the Red Devils in 2009. In the first leg Ronaldo was successful in scoring and did so without celebrating afterwards in a show of respect to his former club. His goal helped tie the game up for Madrid after Danny Welbeck's goal 10 minutes earlier. The final 60 minutes of the game went goalless as both teams goalkeepers and defense kept either team from getting a real clean look.

With the aggregate currently tied at 1:1 I am expecting a very similar game to the first one, just with more goals. I could see Manchester United playing a more defensive game with Real Madrid playing a more offensive game in this one. Man U already have the one away goal and if they were able to keep Madrid scoreless would advance to the next round. If Madrid are able to score two-plus goals, chances are that they will be the team moving on.

My prediction: Madrid win 3-2 (AGG: Madrid 4-3)

Shakhtar Donetsk @ Borussia Dortmund (Aggregate: Draw 2-2)

The first game between these two teams had four goals scored between the two teams evenly with two apiece. Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels did the scoring for Dortmund with Darijo Srna and Douglas Costa adding the goals for Shakhtar.

With Dortmund returning home for the second leg they are the favorites to win this game. I think they will be able to score multiples goals and keep Shakhtar scoreless. Marco Reus and Mario Gotze both were goalless for Dortmund in the first leg and I doubt they will both remain scoreless in this one. Gotze is my player to watch in this game as he could be using this stage to get his name out there even more with the possibility of a potential move to a bigger club during the summer.

My prediction: Dortmund win 2-0 (AGG: Dortmund 4-2)

Wednesday's Games:

Valencia @ Paris Saint-Germain (Aggregate: PSG 2-1)

With Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo getting all of the love for being the best players in the world Zlatan Ibrahimovic is currently showing France and the rest of the world why PSG was so smart to buy him from AC Milan over the summer. In 33 games this year Ibrahimovic has managed to score 28 goals while playing for a new team in a country he had never played in before. Ibrahimovic will not be playing in this game for PSG, however as he was sent off at the end of the game with a red card.

While Ibrahimovic is such an important player for PSG, I just don't think Valencia will be able to beat them even without Ibrahimovic on the pitch. The first leg saw goals come from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore for PSG with Adil Rami adding one for Valencia.

I wouldn't be surprised if PSG played David Beckham in this game. Beckham's experience in big games could be a huge help to the French side and without Zlatan up front they could probably use the leadership that Beck would bring. My player to watch in this game is Lucas Moura. Lucas has recently joined PSG during the winter transfer session and will likely give Valencia fits all evening. I'm expecting the same score as the first leg in this one.

My prediction: PSG win 2-1 (AGG: PSG 4-2)

Celtic @ Juventus (Aggregate: Juventus 3-0)

This game couldn't be any more over before it started than it already is. Juventus managed to score three goals in the first game on the road and would have been the favorite when returning home for the second leg anyways. Alessandro Matri, Claudio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic did the scoring for the Italian side the first time around which leaves this game almost 100 percent out of reach for Celtic.

I'm guessing that Juventus won't put their best team on the pitch tomorrow because they are almost guaranteed to be moving on to the next round at this point so I'm expecting this game to be much closer than the first. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Celtic came out and drew Juventus or even won the game, but I still think Juventus will manage to win this game no matter who they put on the field. My player to watch is Gianluigi Buffon. Buffon will likely be in goal and as long as he doesn't have the worst game of his career come Wednesday his side should move on.

My prediction: Juventus win 2-1 (AGG: Juventus 5-1)

Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg Preview Part 2

The first week of the Round of 16 is over and the second week begins Tuesday afternoon. There will be four games in the next two days between eight of the best teams in all of Europe. Each of the games being played this week are the first legs of two and the second legs will be played later on in March.

All games will start at approximately 2:45 EST either on Tuesday or Wednesday with one game each day being featured on Fox Soccer Channel live.

This week's games include Bayern Munich at Arsenal and Malaga at FC Porto on Tuesday with Barcelona at AC Milan and Schalke 04 at Galatasaray on Wednesday.

Last Week's Results:

Juventus defeated Celtic 3-0
Paris Saint-Germain defeated Valencia 2-1
Real Madrid drew Manchester United 1-1
Shakhtar Donetsk drew Borussia Dortmund 2-2

Tuesday's Games:

Bayern Munich @ Arsenal

Arsenal are welcoming Bayern Munich to the Emirates Stadium in this Tuesday matchup. The Gunners haven't been having as good a season as the team had expected and losing Robin van Persie to rival Manchester United definitely did not help out the team. Bayern have been on an absolute roll this season and have been almost untouchable in the Bundesliga. They currently have a 15 point lead over second place Borussia Dortmund and should now be able to put all of their focus on winning the Champions League.

While I do believe that Arsenal has a chance at winning this game I just think the Gunners are going to be out-gunned in this one. Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott will probably help Arsenal get a goal or two, but I just don't think two goals will be enough to beat Bayern. I'm expecting Bayern to score multiple goals because they just might have the most firepower in this entire tournament right now. With forwards Mario Mandzukic, Thomas Muller and Mario Gomez each of those guys will get their chances, but I'm thinking the midfield will be the key for them. Franck Ribery, Toni Kroos, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben will be too much for Arsenal to deal with.

My prediction: Bayern Munich win 3-2

Malaga @ FC Porto

Neither of these teams really have a shot at winning the Champions league this year so whichever team manages to get to the next round should be happy with that result. Malaga are currently fourth in Spain's La Liga and FC Porto currently are tied at the top of the Portuguese Liga.

Malaga have been a team on the rise the last couple of years in Spain, but Porto has been THE team when it comes to soccer in their country. There isn't a large discrepancy between the teams talent levels, but I think the homefield advantage Porto will be having should be enough to aid them to victory. My players to watch in this game are Joao Moutinho of Porto and Isco of Malaga.

My prediction: Porto win 2-1

Wednesday's Games:

Barcelona @ AC Milan "Game of the Week"

That guy in the picture above happens to be the best player in the world right now. As someone that isn't a fan of his or his team it is very hard for me to say this. He's the LeBron James of soccer right now and as much as people might argue that Cristiano Ronaldo is better, I just can't pick anyone over Messi at this point.

Now AC Milan is my favorite team in Italy and with the recent addition of "Super" Mario Balotelli they will have a chance in this game. Do I think they can beat this team??? Probably not. Barcelona have to be the favorite to win every time they step on the pitch. With Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas behind Messi it's gotten to a point where you can almost expect Messi to score at least once every game with one of those three guys behind him setting him up.

What this game is going to come down to is whether or not the scoring duo of Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy will be able to score in this game. It's not a matter of whether or not Barca will score because they will, it's just a matter of will Milan be able to match them goal for goal in this one. I'm predicting that the home team will be able to get on the board and match them with two goals but if Barca scores any more than that I think they will win this game.

My prediction: Draw 2-2

Schalke 04 @ Galatasaray

In what will likely be the least watched game of the week one of the three German teams left, Schalke 04 will be traveling to Turkey to play Galatasaray. There are two key players in this game that I would really like to see play and they both play together for their native Netherlands during international play. Those two are Schalke striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Galatasaray's recently purchased midfielder Wesley Sneijder. Huntelaar has been a goal machine since coming to Germany to play for Schalke and I wouldn't be shocked if he put up a couple goals on the Turkish giants in this one.

I think a key to this game will be experience. Schalke played in a much harder league in the Bundesliga and due to Sneijder only recently joining Galatasaray I'm not sure how much of an impact he might actually have in this game. I was originally going to say this game was going to end in a draw, but the more I think about it Schalke will have the better team on the pitch and should walk out the winners on the road.

My prediction: Schalke win 2-1

Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg Preview Part 1

The group stage is finally over and 16 teams remain with the possibility of being crowned the Champions of Europe. Half of those 16 teams will be playing games this week with two games happening today and two tomorrow.

This week's action includes 1st leg games between Juventus and Celtic, Paris Saint-Germain and Valencia, Borussia Dortmund and Shakhtar Donetsk, and the "Game of the Week" between Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Today's Games:

Juventus @ Celtic

Juventus come into this game having finished first in the Group E table while Celtic finished second in Group G. Juventus are currently sitting atop the Italian Serie A table and all signs are pointing to them winning this year's title rather easily. Celtic is also atop of their league title and currently have an 18 point lead in the Scottish Premier League.

Juventus are the major betting favorites in this game. They are the better team that plays in a much better league. Celtic hasn't really had any competition in Scotland this year due to Rangers being relegated due to financial reasons. Juventus should be able to win both games against Celtic rather easily behind their goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

My prediction: Juventus win 2-0

Paris Saint-Germain @ Valencia

This game should be the closer game of the day. PSG finished first in Group A and currently sit atop French Ligue 1. Valencia finished second in a very weak Group are F and are currently struggling in fifth place this season in Spain's La Liga.

Valencia are a slight favorite over PSG because they are the home team, but I'm expecting the now French giants to be able to win this game on the road. Valencia won't make it easy for them, but PSG just has way too much firepower up front especially with Zlatan Ibrahimovic leading the way.

My prediction: PSG win 2-1

Tomorrow's Games:

Manchester United @ Real Madrid "Game of the Week"

Cristiano Ronaldo is making his first appearance against his former club. Most would argue that Ronaldo is the second best player in the world right now only behind Barcelona's Lionel Messi and all of the talk is on how Ronaldo will play against his former team.

Manchester United are coming into this game after finishing first in Group H and are currently leading the English Premier league by eight points. Real Madrid aren't having as great a season as they have had as of late and are struggling to keep most of their players healthy. Real Madrid finished second in Group D and are currently third in Spain's La Liga.

Without any hopes of winning La Liga, Real Madrid have put almost all of their focus on possibly winning their 10th Champions League title (was once called European Cup as well). Manchester United have been on a roll this season and are making it known that they are once again the best team in England.

This game is going to come down to what one player does. If Ronaldo plays well then Real Madrid will walk out the winner. If he ends up struggling this game could end poorly for Madrid and Los Blancos could be on their way out of the Champions League. I'm expecting Ronaldo to rise to the occasion today and wouldn't be surprised if he added multiple goals for his side.

My prediction: Real Madrid win 3-1

Borussia Dortmund @ Shakhtar Donetsk

This game is really taking a backseat to the other game of the day. Dortmund managed to finish ahead of Real Madrid in the Group D table and are currently second in the German Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich. Shakhtar Donetsk tied Chelsea in Group E for second place, but managed to score more away goals when the two played each other which gave them the edge in the table. Shakhtar Donetsk currently sit atop their Ukrainian Premier League table and are currently dominating the rest of their league.

Shakhtar Donetsk are very small favorites over Dortmund, but I'm expecting these teams to finish even tomorrow. Expect the striking pair of Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus to help add a goal or two for the away side and make sure that the home team doesn't walk out with a win.

My prediction: Draw 2-2

1/30 & 1/31 Soccer Results

Spanish Copa Del Rey Semifinals:

Yesterday's Result:

Barcelona @ Real Madrid (1st Leg) - Draw 1-1

Only two goals scored in a game between the best two teams in the world, who were each playing with their backup goalkeepers. If you thought that was the most shocking part of the game, the fact that neither of those goals scored were by either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the most telling part of the game.

The first half of El Clasico remained scoreless but during the 50th minute Cesc Fabregas gave Barcelona the lead and the game was starting to appear as if the game would end in a 1-0 win for the away side. It wasn't until the 81st minute of the game when Real Madrid's Raphael Varane scored a header to tie the game up. Varane is the teams fourth best center back  and he is the main reason Real Madrid has any chance of possibly continuing on to the championship. If it wasn't for injuries and suspensions to starting center backs Pepe and Sergio Ramos, the young Varane never would have gotten the chance to prove how helpful he could be.

(Original prediction: 2-2 Draw)

Today's Result:

Sevilla FC @ Atletico Madrid (1st Leg) - Atletico Madrid won 2-1
(Original prediction: Atletico win 2-1)

English Premier League:

Yesterday's Results:

Liverpool (7th - 35 Pts) @ Arsenal (6th - 38 Pts) - Draw 2-2

Both teams came into this game really needing a win so that they could move up in the league table. Instead both only left with one point in a game that was really entertaining from the beginning. In a game with very little defense this game could have ended up with 4 goals a piece. Both teams continued to get shots off throughout the game, but neither finished enough of their shots to end the game with a win.

When Luis Suarez got the game started in the fifth minute with a quick goal for Liverpool the game looked like Liverpool would be able to keep it up all game but that was the only goal of the first half. After fifteen minutes went by in the second half the game really picked up for the next 10 minutes.

In the 60th minute of the game Jordan Henderson scored a goal that then gave Liverpool a 2-0 edge over the Gunners and at the time it was looking like Liverpool would walk away with the win. However four minutes later Olivier Giroud scored off of a header and three minutes after that Theo Walcott scored to tie the game up 2-2.

Both teams had opportunities after all four goals had been scored, but neither team was able to finish one home. Was very impressed with the pair of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez as I believe the two of them will form a very good striking pair at the top of the formation for the Reds.

(Original prediction: Liverpool win 2-1)

West Bromwich Albion (9th - 34 Pts) @ Everton (5th - 41 Pts) - Everton won 2-1
(Original prediction: Everton win 3-2)

Tottenham Hotspur (4th - 42 Pts) @ Norwich City (14th - 27 Pts) - Draw 1-1
(Original prediction: 1-1 Draw)

West Ham United (13th - 27 Pts) @ Fulham (12th - 28 Pts) - Fulham won 3-1
(Original prediction: Fulham win 1-0)

Southampton (16th - 23 Pts) @ Manchester United (1st - 59 Pts) - Manchester United won 2-1
(Original prediction: Manchester United win 3-0)

Chelsea (3rd - 46 Pts) @ Reading (17th - 20 Pts) - Draw 2-2
(Original prediction: Chelsea win 2-0)

Wednesday Soccer: El Clasico & More

Today's Games:

Spanish Copa Del Rey:

Barcelona @ Real Madrid (1st Leg)

For those of you that love the big names and love seeing the best teams playing against each other, it doesn't get any bigger than this game. The two best teams in the world and the two best players in the world are featured in this one.

Barcelona are currently having the much better season up to this point and Real Madrid are dealing with a lot of injuries as well as suspensions for this game. Barcelona are coming into this game with a very healthy squad that has been on a tear. Madrid is going to need which ever goalkeeper is starting today to fill the void that will be missing without captain Iker Casillas along with a very depleted back four without Pepe and Sergio Ramos.

What this game will more than likely come down to is the productivity of Cristiano Ronaldo. If Ronaldo can score a goal or two this will likely be the decider in the game. If he is held scoreless I think this game will end poorly for Los Blancos. While Messi has been on a tear as of late and will more than likely break even more goal records, he has had a lot more help this season than Ronaldo has.

Due to all of the guys out for Real Madrid in this game they might just be hoping for a draw at best. Even though they are at home they are going to need a miracle to win this one.

My prediction: 2-2 Draw

English Premier League:

Liverpool (7th - 34 Pts) @ Arsenal (6th - 37 Pts)

If it wasn't for the Madrid-Barcelona game today, this would easily be the biggest game on tap. Liverpool and Arsenal are both fighting for the possibility of making the Champions League and both are currently sitting outside of the top four. Liverpool are currently 3 points behind Arsenal, so with a win today they would be able to tie them for the sixth spot in the league table.

Both teams have played very similarly up to this point in the season and are both looking for more consistency out of their clubs. They don't have the big names that they might have had five years ago due to some teams spending a lot more money than they have in the past, but both of these teams remain very competitive within the league.

The player to watch in this game is Luis Suarez. If it wasn't for Robin van Persie this year, he would be the best forward in the Premier League. His 16 goals are leading a Liverpool team that has been without any other real striker help for the majority of the season and he will likely have to come up big for a Liverpool win today. Behind recent signings of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, this Liverpool team is looking to improve on it's scoring and whether or not either of these players play today could have an effect on the game.

My prediction: Liverpool win 2-1

West Bromwich Albion (8th - 34 Pts) @ Everton (5th - 38 Pts)

My prediction: Everton win 3-2

Tottenham Hotspur (4th - 41 Pts) @ Norwich City (13th - 26 Pts)

My prediction: 1-1 Draw

West Ham United (12th - 27 Pts) @ Fulham (14th - 25 Pts)

My prediction: Fulham win 1-0

Southampton (15th - 23 Pts) @ Manchester United (1st - 56 Pts)

My prediction: Manchester United win 3-0

Chelsea (3rd - 45 Pts) @ Reading (18th - 19 Pts)

My prediction: Chelsea win 2-0


Yesterday's Results:

Italian Coppa Italia Semifinal:

Juventus @ Lazio (2nd Leg) - Lazio won 2-1 (3-2 Aggregate)
(Originally predicted Juventus would win 2-1 (3:2 on aggregate)

English Premier League:

Newcastle United @ Aston Villa - Newcastle won 2-1
(Originally predicted a 2-2 Draw)

Manchester City @ Queens Park Rangers - Draw 0-0
(Originally predicted Man City would win 3-0)

Wigan Athletic @ Stoke City - Draw 2-2
(Originally predicted Stoke City would win 2-1)

Swansea City @ Sunderland - Draw 0-0
(Originally predicted a 1-1 Draw)

Tuesday Soccer Preview

So far on the year I'm 7-5 with predictions.

Tuesday, January 29th

Italian Coppa Italia Semifinal:

Juventus @ Lazio (2nd Leg, Currently 1:1) "Game of the Day"

Today's "Game of the Day" is the cup semifinal between Juventus and Lazio. This is the second leg between two teams that are currently fighting for a spot in the final of the Coppa Italia in May. Juventus is having an amazing season up to this point and could possibly win the Treble (League, Cup & European Cup). Juventus is a part of the final 16 for the Champions League and are facing a weaker Celtic team so getting to the round of 8 shouldn't be a problem. As for Serie A, Juventus is currently sitting pretty in first place with Lazio two spots behind them in third. Juventus and Lazio should enjoy this season a lot while they can because there won't be many chances like this while the two big clubs from Milan are currently struggling.

Game 1 ended in a tie so a lot is riding on this game for both teams. The winner of this game will play the winner of Inter Milan and Roma in the Final in late May. Game 1 only saw two goals between the two teams with Federico Peluso starting the scoring for Juventus and then Stefano Mauri of Lazio tieing it up late in the game.

My prediction: Juventus win 2-1 (3:2 on aggregate)

English Premier League:

Quick Picks:

Newcastle United (16th - 21 Pts) @ Aston Villa (17th - 20 Pts)

My prediction: 2-2 Draw

Manchester City (2nd - 51 Pts) @ Queens Park Rangers (20th - 15 Pts)

My prediction: Man City win 3-0

Wigan Athletic (19th - 19 Pts) @ Stoke City (10th - 29 Pts)

My prediction: Stoke City win 2-1

Swansea City (9th - 33 Pts) @ Sunderland (11th - 28 Pts)

My prediction: Draw 1-1

Sunday Soccer Results

Yesterday, I did my first version of soccer predictions and I didn't do all that bad: 1/27 Soccer Predictions. Of the 12 games that I picked I went 7-5 on the day and took a real beating in England.

English FA Cup Fourth Round:

I got all three of my FA Cup game predictions wrong. In these three games where I thought the bigger clubs would easily win games against lesser opponents without breaking a sweat two of those teams were eliminated and Chelsea has a chance at redemption against Brentford due to the draw.

The main problem for why Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea are in the predicaments that they are is that they completely overlooked their opponents for these games and were more worried about their Premier League games that are going on later in the week. While winning trophies is important for most teams, some teams are so focused on winning their league titles that they under-perform year after year in their domestic cups.

Results: 

Chelsea @ Brentford - Draw 2-2
Tottenham Hotspur @ Leeds United - Leeds wins 2-1
Liverpool @ Oldham Athletic - Oldham wins 3-2

Spanish La Liga:

In La Liga my predictions were much better than in the FA Cup as I went 2-1. While I got the Real Madrid and Barcelona games right I didn't give those two teams enough credit as they went on to win by scores much larger than I predicted. The game that I got wrong was choosing Atletico Madrid to hold Athletic to a draw. Athletic proved to be too much for Atletico in this game as they easily won their game in shutout fashion.

While Real Madrid aren't having their best season right now this game just shows that in any game they could come out and drop multiple goals on teams. Barcelona is arguably the best team in the world right now and all signs are pointing to them winning La Liga along with the Champions League this year. It helps when Real Madrid and Barca have the two best forwards in the world right now as Cristiano Ronaldo of Real scored three goals and Lionel Messi of Barca outdoing him in his game by netting four.

Results:

Getafe @ Real Madrid - Real Madrid win 4-0
Osasuna @ Barcelona - Barca win 5-1
Atletico Madrid @ Athletic Bilbao - Bilbao win 3-0

Italian Serie A:

Finished 2-1 on the day with picks in the Serie A with the only game I got wrong being Torino at Inter Milan. Both the Roma-Bologna and AC Milan-Atalanta games played out very similar to that of what I guessed except the goal totals being a little off. Very shocked to see Inter not be able to grab the three points over a lesser team in Torino.

Results:

AS Roma @ Bologna - Draw 3-3
AC Milan @ Atalanta - AC Milan win 2-1
Torino @ Inter Milan - Draw 2-2

Other Games in Europe:

I don't follow the German Bundesliga or the French Ligue 1 as much as the leagues in England, Spain and Italy, however I thought I'd add a few games coming from some of the other big clubs around Europe. I'm starting to think these leagues are the ones that I need to keep picking as I went a perfect 3-0 with my picks in these games. Both Bayern and PSG seem destined to win their respective leagues and will more than likely be making noise come the Round of 16 in the Champions League in a couple of weeks.

Results:

Werder Bremen @ Hamburg SV - Hamburg win 3-2
Bayern Munich @ VFB Stuttgart - Bayern win 2-0
LOSC Lille @ Paris Saint-Germain - PSG win 1-0

Sunday Soccer Predictions

Today there are many important soccer games going on and some of the biggest clubs are in action. These are my predictions for some select games that will be going on later today.

English FA Cup Fourth Round:

Chelsea @ Brentford

While Brentford is the home team they have no chance at winning this game. Chelsea is the defending Champions League champions and one of the best teams in the Premier League. Brentford is in the third tier of English soccer currently and just getting to this point is probably a success for their team.

Prediction: Chelsea win 3-0

Tottenham Hotspur @ Leeds United

This will more than likely be the closest of any of the three FA Cup games today. While Leeds United isn't the same team they once were back in the 1990's they are still a team that tends to be competitive come cup time and is usually at the top of their league year after year. That being said Tottenham is definitely still better than the home team so I see them being too much for this team.

Prediction: Tottenham win 2-1

Liverpool @ Oldham Athletic

Liverpool is currently going through one of their roughest patches in the history of the club. However, there aren't many teams that Liverpool would have been happier to see this round than Oldham Athletic. Oldham is currently in the third tier of English football and are facing the possibility of relegation. I see Liverpool pulling out an easy victory over a team that they are much better than on paper.

Prediction: Liverpool win 2-0

Quick Picks:

La Liga:
Getafe @ Real Madrid - Real Madrid win 3-2
Osasuna @ Barcelona - Barcelona win 2-0
Atletico Madrid @ Athletic Bilbao - Draw 2-2

Italian Serie A:
AS Roma @ Bologna - Draw 1-1
AC Milan @ Atalanta - AC Milan win 2-1
Torino @ Inter Milan - Inter win 2-0

Other Games in Europe:
Werder Bremen @ Hamburg SV - Hamburg win 2-1
Bayern Munich @ VFB Stuttgart - Bayern win 3-0
LOSC Lille @ Paris Saint-Germain - PSG win 2-0