UEFA Champions League 2nd legs - Who will progress?
The whole of Spain and all the football pundits who felt it will be an El Clasico final were shell shocked after the outcomes of the 1st leg of both the semi finals in Germany.
Bayern Munich 4-0 F.C. Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund 4-1 Real Madrid C.F.
The results which left everybody with their mouths wide open. Not even the German supporters could believe what had happened. In Munich, where an extraordinary team performance from Bayern thrashed Messi and co, Lewandowski stole the hearts of millions when he became the first ever to score four goals against Real Madrid and inspired Dortmund at Induna Park. Many fans around the world still think the semifinals were over after the 1st leg itself, while many others feel there is still hope and the Spanish giants can turn it around in the 2nd leg.
Let us now try to predict what is going to happen in the 2nd legs of both the games which are going to be played in Spain. Will the Germans keep their cool and go all the way? Or will it be the Spanish teams who will be on top? Which two of these top teams will play their dream final at Wembley?
FC Barcelona vs Bayern Munich
I am not a huge fan of either clubs, hence this prediction can be very true indeed. What went wrong with Barcelona in the 1st leg? Many Barcelona fans say it was because Messi was not fully fit and was not able to give his 100%. Some say a string of bad refereeing decisions reduced the morale of the team. For me, it’s very clear. Barcelona were outclassed. The tactics worked perfectly, Barcelona were allowed to keep possession in their half but as soon as they entered the Bayern half, they were closed down, and that too very physically. We must not forget that Barcelona are not used to physical play. Without the experience and influence of captain Puyol, they looked weak with the centre half pairing of Pique and Marc Batra. With the midfielders not allowed any options to pass and wingers under-performing, everything went wrong for Barcelona.
The 2nd leg to be played at Camp Nou will give just slight hope to the hosts. One must not forget that they are one of the best clubs in the world and if little Messi starts his magic, Bayern could be very much worried. With Messi recovering day by day, Barcelona fans can breathe a bit more freely as he will be key to deciding the outcome of the match. Barcelona need to learn from their mistakes at the Allianz Arena and play according to the German tactics if they have to get something out of the game.
With Javi Martinez under the nose of Messi all the time, Barcelona may play with a second striker to take the man. Philip Lahm, the captain usually so reliable is expected to keep Pedro/David Villa quiet unless Tito Vilanova decides to go with Iniesta in the wings who will be most of the times in the middle.
David Alaba may prove to be a weak point for Bayern since he is not a proven defender and there is no assurance that he will not get pressurised by the atmosphere at the Camp Nou. Dante and Boateng have been fantastic for Bayern this season, and unless some magic from Lionel Messi, I don’t see a reason why they should be worried. With Schweinsteiger at the heart of the Bayern Munich midfield, Bayern look even stronger as he cuts out those through balls and closes down quickly. And we all know he can attack, hence Xavi and Iniesta must be on their toes to stop that from happening. Ribery vs Dani Alves is a battle which everybody seems to be interested in, but for me, Ribery will win this battle far more easily than we can imagine. With Dani Alves going down the right side to attack, Ribery could find himself in acres of space on the counter. Robben has to make sure Jordi Alba does not do any damage, because he is a very good attacking player and Robben is very lazy when it comes to his defensive duties.
Sergio Busquets must realise that this is not La Liga where he is allowed lot of space, Thomas Muller, a man in great form is always ready to pounce on an opportunity that comes his way. I have already mentioned how weak both the centre backs are for Barcelona. Marc Batra can’t cope up with the pressure and Pique has been out of his game for almost a year now. If they don’t find their form back, it could be a walk in the park for Mario Mandzukic, who returns after missing the 1st leg due to suspension and is likely to replace Mario Gomez as lone striker for Bayern Munich.
Bayern must make sure that they are not complacent after their huge win in the 1st leg. Remember, they lost to Arsenal 2-0 at home after a 3-1 1st leg lead. Otherwise, from the above points only shows that Bayern are a team to beat and even though the match is at Camp Nou, Barcelona, the home team may well find it difficult to score even a goal against Bayern. It’s an improbable scenario that Barcelona can progress, they may even get 3 goals, but 4 goals are always tough against any opposition. With no away goal in hand, dreams seem to be fading for Barcelona and their fans.
Match Prediction: Bayern Munich 2-2 F.C Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid
If you ask me what went wrong with Real Madrid in the first leg, I would say ‘nothing’. They were outplayed in all aspects of the game by Jurgen Klopp’s men. Though one thing we all can say was an important factor in the game, is that Ozil played on the right hand side, here Angel Di Maria plays usually for Real Madrid. Luka Modric replaced Di Maria who became a father on the day of the 1st leg. Other than that handicap for Real, it was a great Dortmund performance. One very important thing that the Dortmund players possess, are their defensive abilities. Each and every player of the team is a very good defensive player. Real Madrid fans have more hope than the Barcelona fans as they have a precious away goal in hand and a 3-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu will be enough to see themselves through to the final. Real Madrid need to learn from their mistakes and play accordingly in the 2nd leg to have a chance to find themselves at Wembley.
The fact that they are playing the 2nd leg at home is a big bonus for Real Madrid, though Dortmund scored twice when these two teams met in the group stages at the Bernabeu. The returning right-back Alvaro Arbeloa could solve the problems at centre-back position for Real Madrid. Portugese defender Pepe has been very poor for past few months and with Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane at centre-back, Real Madrid look much more secure. Their main aim would be to stop the big guy from Poland, Robert Lewandowski, the man who destroyed Real Madrid in the 1st leg. A man with great instinct and the ability to convert chances into goals, he is the man to stop for Real Madrid.
Alvaro Arbeloa also won’t be very happy to be up against Marco Reus who bamboozled Real Madrid’s defence in the 1st leg. With Marcelo out for next two weeks, Fabio Coentrao fills his boots at left-back. If Iker Casillas makes a return, his inspiration would be much required for Real Madrid who’ll need it to the fullest. The form of Xabi Alonso will decide the leg according to me; usually an unsung hero for Real Madrid, this match could be one of the most important in his life. The former Liverpool midfielder was allowed no space whatsoever by Sven Bender and Ilkay Gundogan which stopped the supply forward.
Sami Khedira’s main role is to stop Mario Gotze from going into tricky positions and create chances. Real Madrid could find themselves in a dilemma if Ilkay Gundogan plays like how he played in the 1st leg. Such a clever player himself, the young German international could create a headache for Real Madrid midfielders. Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lukasz Piszczek was clearly won by Piszczek in the 1st leg, who closed down Ronaldo instantly after he took his first touch. Ronaldo on his day is unstoppable and if he is in the form which is capable of tonight, Dortmund fans will sweat a bit. With the return of Angel Di Maria on the right, Mesut Ozil can play in his favourite CAM position where he can feed either wings, and it will be the job of Sven Bender to stop him. If he fails to stop him, Real Madrid can pose a deadly threat. Angel Di Maria is too good for young Marcel Schmelzer, this is a battle which I think will be won by Di Maria. But he has to make sure he delivers perfect crosses for men to attack. Gonzalo Higuain is expected to start instead of Karim Benzema for Real Madrid. Matts Hummels and co, I don’t think will find him dangerous, especially because they have great chemistry at the back.
From the way things stand, Borussia Dortmund is expected to keep their nerves through the 90 minutes and see this through. The energy and commitment of Dortmund players will be too much to handle for Real Madrid. They will be knocked out without doubt unless a miracle happens in Madrid.
Match Prediction: Real Madrid 2-2 Borussia Dortmund
It will an all German final in my opinion. Nevertheless, let us hope the semifinal 2nd legs give us lot of entertainment and a bit of drama as well. Anything can happen in football.