Best of all, we haven't even started the knockout rounds yet, but they kick into gear this week and over the next month we will surely be treated to some classic encounters. This year more than ever it seems like a brave task to attempt to call the winners of the eight ties, but I shall give it a go nonetheless.
CELTIC v JUVENTUS
Regardless of what happens to Celtic from hereon in the competition, it has been a successful year for the Scottish champions. They were horribly unlucky not to take something from the Nou Camp before going one better and defeating Barcelona in the return match. Neil Lennon has worked wonders with the Hoops and he is also ensuring that they keep their eye on the ball domestically, with another SPL title as good as confirmed already. Two-time winners Juventus are back in the knockout rounds for the first time in four years and, like their opponents, they are successfully combining a good European run with a probable retention of their domestic title. While this generation may lack the sparkle and pazazz of Nedved, del Piero and Trezeguet, they are very difficult to beat and they have a true midfield genius in Andrea Pirlo. It would be no great surprise if Celtic got a result, even a win, at Parkhead, but over two legs the organisation and class of Juve is likely to prove too much for the Scots.
VALENCIA v PSG
Valencia are no strangers to the Champions League knockout rounds, even though they are having a tough season of it in La Liga. While their group was admittedly not the most challenging, they still made sure of qualifying in emphatic fashion, and they also have a lethal striking weapon in Spanish international Roberto Soldado. They take on a Paris Saint Germain side which collectively lacks experience in this tournament but has been assembled at great cost and is managed by Carlo Ancelotti, who twice took AC Milan to continental glory. The undoubted star of this PSG team is striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who despite playing for several of Europe's biggest clubs has never been in a Champions League-winning side. Valencia will also do well to keep tabs on Ezequiel Lavezzi, who played in the last 16 a year ago with Napoli. PSG have a reputation for flattering to deceive but they look a different prospect in 2013 and could give France some much-needed quarter-final representation.
REAL MADRID v MANCHESTER UTD
UEFA and their broadcasters must have been grinning from ear to ear when these two names came out of the hat. In short, this is a meeting of two of the biggest clubs in world football and they have plenty of previous, including the epic quarter-final of 2003. Real Madrid's need is the greater, with their La Liga title defence set to falter after a shaky start to the year from which they are still trying to catch up. That said, Jose Mourinho's charges didn't become a bad team overnight and when ex-Man Utd wizard Cristiano Ronaldo is at his best, he usually goes to town on opponents. United, though, will be buoyed by opening up a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League over the weekend and, not for the first time, they are showing signs of being able to obtain results without producing outstanding performances. They won't fear Ronaldo either as they have their own poacher supreme in Robin van Persie. When the draw was made in December I firmly fancied Real Madrid but events since then have left me quizzing that decision. It's fiendlishly tough to call; looking at the two teams as a whole, though, I reckon Madrid have that bit more overall than Man U, so I'll stick with my original call.
SHAKHTAR DONETSK v BORUSSIA DORTMUND
It's rather unfortunate that this tie had to be on the same night as the Madrid-Man Utd match, as it pits together two of Europe's most exciting and improving clubs. Shakhtar were the one team that fans of group-winning clubs seemed particularly keen to avoid in the draw and they have already put Chelsea to the sword this season. Their Brazilian contingent of Fernandinho, Jadson and Luiz Adriano are guaranteed to excite, although they recently sold the highly-rated Willian to Anzhi Makhachkala. Meanwhile keen observers of European football will know all about Borussia Dortmund, German champions in the past two years but set to lose out to Bayern Munich this term. Jurgen Klopp's young side outclassed Real Madrid and Manchester City in finishing top of their group and they are an excellent team to watch. For now they have, crucially, held on to leading marksman Robert Lewandowski, and they have midfield dynamite in the form of Mario Gotze and Marco Reus. A truly tasty two-legged tie is in prospect, with the breathtaking talent of Dortmund narrowly favoured to come out on top.
ARSENAL v BAYERN MUNICH
When these two met in the last 16 in 2005, they played at Highbury and the Olympiastadion respectively. Now the action takes place at the Emirates Stadium and Allianz Arena, with the status of the clubs also changing over the past eight years. Arsenal were among Europe's most feared outfits at the time but despite qualifying for the Champions League last 16 for the 13th year in a row they no longer strike panic into the continental big boys. For all the creative talent of Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott and (pending fitness) Jack Wilshere, they are brittle at the back and can be picked apart by mid-table Premier League sides, not to mind the best Europe has to offer. Bayern could be forgiven for feeling sorry for themselves after blowing it in last year's final but instead they have made light work of getting out of their group, as well as opening up a seemingly unbreachable gap in the Bundesliga. Their 'Super Mario' front two of Gomez and Mandzukic could make hay when they are on form, something that Arsenal fans won't want to hear. Bayern took the spoils in their 2005 clash and look well placed to do so again this time.
FC PORTO v MALAGA
An intriguing Iberian clash of the blue and white stripes lies in store. Porto are locked in an inseparable head-to-head with Benfica in their domestic league and had little difficulty in getting to the last 16 in Europe. That was despite the sale of star striker Hulk last August, but they overcame the loss of Radamel Falcao a year earlier and have unearthed another gem in Colombian youngster James Rodriguez. As for Malaga, their remarkable journey continues. The Champions League debutants began the season burdened with debt and forced to sell key players, but they took the group stage by storm and can still boast class acts in Isco and Eliseu. Unfortunately their perilous financial situation means they will be suspended from European competition in 2013-14 but that doesn't mean they can't keep impressing in this year's tournament. Manuel Pellegrini is an excellent, under-rated manager and he can guide Malaga into the last eight.
AC MILAN v BARCELONA
These two seem to meet so often that you could nearly expect 'Groundhog Day' star Bill Murray to make an appearance. They played each other four times in last season's Champions League and will do battle twice more over the coming weeks. AC Milan endured a terrible start to the season but since December they have surged up the Serie A table, capitalising on the indifferent form of so many of their rivals. New signing Mario Balotelli is ineligible for European action but another young forward, Stephan El Shaarawy, is making a real name for himself at the San Siro. He can make an even bigger name for himself if his goals account for Barcelona, who even by their standards have been sublime this season. They have dropped just seven points in La Liga in 23 games, scoring a mammoth 78 goals. A large portion of those, of course, are attributed to Lionel Messi but Alexis Sanchez, Pedro, Cristian Tello and Andres Iniesta have also contributed plenty to the scoring department. Milan made life difficult for Barca last season, drawing twice and making the Catalans work hard to win the other two, and while they are likely to be an equally tough proposition again, it would be downright folly to expect Barcelona to lose right now.
GALATASARAY v SCHALKE 04
Considering some of the other marquee ties on offer, this clash will struggle to garner much attention outside of Turkey and Germany, barring an extraordinary incident. For Galatasaray their presence in the knockout stages brings back memories of the beginning of the 21st century, when they were at their peak and came close to knocking out Real Madrid in a quarter-final. One link from past to present is that of coach Fatih Terim, who roused his players after their lost their first two group games. They have also struck riches in the transfer market of late, bringing in former Champions League winners Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder. Schalke qualified as group winners and tend to do well in this tournament, which is just as well seeing as their domestic form is woeful. They sacked Huub Stevens in December, bringing in the relatively unknown Jens Keller as his replacement. It doesn't look great for them right now but as long as they have Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to call upon, there is always hope. Neither team stands out as a firm favourite, with Schalke's recent tournament pedigree perhaps tipping the scales in their favour - just.
0 Comments