This week features the second leg of the elimination round of the Champions League. The Champions League is considered to be far and away the most prestigious club competition in sports, involving the top teams from almost every League on the continent. The number of clubs eligible per League is decided by a rating system put in place by UEFA (Union of European Football Associations). The maximum number of teams eligible for any Leage is 4. Some of the countries lucky enough to have four participating teams include the Barclay’s Premierleague, the German Bundesliga, the Spanish Primera, the Italian Serie A, and the French Ligue 1. I’m sure none of these names come as a surprise, and while there are occasional dark horse teams in the mix a this point in the competition, history shows that the cream tend to rise to the top and dominate the presence. So anyways, here’s what’s going on this week.
Tuesday:
Several weeks ago, there was plenty of excitement in the competition. Atletico Madrid, who currently sit second in the Spanish Primera between gians Real Madrid and Barcelona, took down Serie A participants AC Milan. The Rossineri fought hard at home, but ultimatly could not hold off Atletico, allowing a late away goal which could prove fatal to the Italians if they fail to find the net in Madrid.
(Mario Balotelli’s face speaks to Milan’s disappointment as Atletico goal scorer Diego Costa walks by)
Title defenders Bayern Munich saw off Arsenal 2-0 after a red card was shown to Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny for taking down Dutch winger Arjen Robben in the box on a clear goal-scoring opportunity. Ten-man Arsenal fought valiently, but ultimately could not hold off the dominant offensive power in the Emirates Arena. The Munich giants now have the gunners at home at the Allianz in Munich, and are expected to snuff the Gunner’s champions league hopes with a decisive performance. However, it would be foolish to write Arsenal of just yet, as the past two years have seen Arsene Wenger’s men stage some frightening second-leg comebacks. Two years ago Arsenal fell 4-0 at home to AC Milan, only to come one goal short of bringing the competiton level with a 3-0 win in Milan. Last season, they fell 3-1 at home to Bayern, only to bring the aggregate score level in Munich at 3-3 with a 2-0 victory. Unfortunately, the number of away goals scored is used as an aggregate tie-breaker, which saw the German giants advance and eventually hoist the trophy.
(Toni Kroos’s one-time shot flies past back-up keeper Lukasz Fabianski into the top corner)
Wednesday:
In the first leg, Barcelona defeated British side Manchester City 2-0 under extremel similar conditions to the Arsenal-Bayern fixture. What was looking to be a fantastic competition was marred by a second-half red card by City defender Martin Demichelis. The Argentine took down fellow International teammate Lionel Messi sloppily with a clear path to the goal, setting up a penalty which was put away with ease by the four time Balon D’Or winner. Suffice it to say that Manchester City certainly has its work cut out for its visit to Barcelona two days from now, entering the monstrous Camp Nou, a compact, steep-sided stadium with an intimidating 100,000 fan capacity and an even more daunting history of success.
(Camp Nou in Barcelona with an epic colored seating arrangement)
However, if the contracts of the City players are any indication of their ability to step up to such a task, then we should have quite the game on our hands as Manuel Pellegrini’s men will claw their way towards the two goals they need to survive.
A much less inspiring fixture features the Bundesliga’s second place club, Bayer Leverkusen, traveling to Paris where will take on big, bad Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s high-flying Paris Saint-Germain. In Leverkusen, Zlatan lead the French Ligue 1 leaders to a 4-0 victory, dominating half the scoreline and producing one absolute stunner that silenced the Bayarena.
(Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after an incredible goal against Leverkusen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZTZJJ1WyWQ
Check out this link to see what this looked like…
Perhaps Leverkusen will put up a fight, but to be completely candid this just isn’t Leverkusen’s year in the Champions League.