2008-2009 UEFA Champions League – Round Of 16 Preview (Part I)
February 23rd 2009 18:45
The Champions League's first knock-out stage is upon us, and there are already several match-ups that can make any fan drool with anticipation. Here's how things look up this year.
First, the confrontation between Manchester United and Inter Milan reunites old nemeses Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. Both teams are currently sitting at the top of their respective leagues and have been making headlines recently for their impeccable defensive play. United's Edwin Van der Sar has broken the British record for consecutive clean sheets in a season while it takes a great deal of resiliency to break through Milan's disciplined back-four. Both teams are also solid in midfield with Esteban Cambiasso, and Dejan Stankovic orchestrating the play for Milan. United have the veteran Paul Scholes whose knack for jumping late on a play often disturbs the opposition defenders, and Michael Carrick – a shutdown midfielder-type with a great vision of the field. Ryan Giggs can also come in and make an impact in center midfield for the Red Devils.
It's in attack that things differ. While Ferguson can count on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, and Carlos Tevez, Mourinho has the solid duo of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano. Both strikers are dangerous, but sometimes it feels like they work individually instead of combining their forces – a far cry from United's constantly shifting forwards.
All signs point to a tight battle between both teams. Still, English clubs have the reputation to fail badly in Italy. Manchester United went against history last season by eliminating AS Roma 3-0 on aggregate (Arsenal also achieved this feat with a majestic performance at the San Siro which allowed the Gunners to eliminate AC Milan). This one has all the makings of a classic.
Next up is Arsenal who will meet AS Roma. Here we have two teams struggling to string great performances together, Arsenal more so than Roma. Arsene Wenger's men seem to have lost all the flash and creativity that distinguished their play. The loss of Fabregas and Theo Walcott has hurt considerably especially since Samir Nasri seems to be slowing down. Arshavin has shown some promises on Saturday against Sunderland, but the big question mark will be how they'll counter Roma's attacking midfield which is really the heart of the Italians' attacks. I still say they're missing a solid defensive midfielder, and their defense is prone to mistakes when facing relentless pressure.
Barcelona is the only club in this round of 16 which can expect an easy victory barring a miraculous performance by Olympique Lyon – a highly unlikely possibility. The Spanish giants seem to have slowed down in their domestic season probably due to the number of fixtures packed in January-February. You can be sure that Pep Guardiola isn't too happy about his team's recent results so expect Barcelona to come out guns blazing on Tuesday.
The final confrontation taking place this Tuesday will see Atletico Madrid facing Porto – a balanced match if you ask me. But don't expect either the team to go far past this round.
I'll post Part II sometime between tonight and tomorrow afternoon.
First, the confrontation between Manchester United and Inter Milan reunites old nemeses Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho. Both teams are currently sitting at the top of their respective leagues and have been making headlines recently for their impeccable defensive play. United's Edwin Van der Sar has broken the British record for consecutive clean sheets in a season while it takes a great deal of resiliency to break through Milan's disciplined back-four. Both teams are also solid in midfield with Esteban Cambiasso, and Dejan Stankovic orchestrating the play for Milan. United have the veteran Paul Scholes whose knack for jumping late on a play often disturbs the opposition defenders, and Michael Carrick – a shutdown midfielder-type with a great vision of the field. Ryan Giggs can also come in and make an impact in center midfield for the Red Devils.
It's in attack that things differ. While Ferguson can count on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov, and Carlos Tevez, Mourinho has the solid duo of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano. Both strikers are dangerous, but sometimes it feels like they work individually instead of combining their forces – a far cry from United's constantly shifting forwards.
All signs point to a tight battle between both teams. Still, English clubs have the reputation to fail badly in Italy. Manchester United went against history last season by eliminating AS Roma 3-0 on aggregate (Arsenal also achieved this feat with a majestic performance at the San Siro which allowed the Gunners to eliminate AC Milan). This one has all the makings of a classic.
Next up is Arsenal who will meet AS Roma. Here we have two teams struggling to string great performances together, Arsenal more so than Roma. Arsene Wenger's men seem to have lost all the flash and creativity that distinguished their play. The loss of Fabregas and Theo Walcott has hurt considerably especially since Samir Nasri seems to be slowing down. Arshavin has shown some promises on Saturday against Sunderland, but the big question mark will be how they'll counter Roma's attacking midfield which is really the heart of the Italians' attacks. I still say they're missing a solid defensive midfielder, and their defense is prone to mistakes when facing relentless pressure.
Barcelona is the only club in this round of 16 which can expect an easy victory barring a miraculous performance by Olympique Lyon – a highly unlikely possibility. The Spanish giants seem to have slowed down in their domestic season probably due to the number of fixtures packed in January-February. You can be sure that Pep Guardiola isn't too happy about his team's recent results so expect Barcelona to come out guns blazing on Tuesday.
The final confrontation taking place this Tuesday will see Atletico Madrid facing Porto – a balanced match if you ask me. But don't expect either the team to go far past this round.
I'll post Part II sometime between tonight and tomorrow afternoon.
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