UEFA Champions League: Thoughts and Predictions for the Quarterfinal Draws

The UEFA Champions League began with 32 teams from various nations across Europe battling hard for the right to be called champions come May. In the group stages, there were some outstanding results as well as upsets but after a grueling six-match phase, the men were separated from the boys as 16 teams moved on to the next phase, eight teams were granted solace in the Europa League while eight other teams went home with nothing.

In the course of the first knockout round, a few sides gave a good account of themselves while others fell by the roadside.

When I saw the draw between Juventus and Celtic, I didn’t need any soothsayer to tell me how that would pan out and as expected, the Old Lady gazumped past the Scottish champions with a 5-0 aggregate victory. I didn’t know what stood out more for Juve – their efficiency in attack or their amazing defense.

Schalke were rewarded for topping a group that included Arsenal with what seemed like a stroll in the park against Galatasaray. After gaining a creditable draw in the volatile Turkey, complacency crept into their game in Germany and they were duly punished.

Elsewhere, PSG gave a good account of themselves against Valencia, as Malaga showed good form to overturn a solitary deficit to skip past Porto. Many Manchester United fans would be grieving from the events that happened at Old Trafford but credit must go to Jose Mourinho for taking advantage of the situation.

Germany’s contingent has been impressive in the competition as Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich are also in the last eight of the competition. While Dortmund can boast alongside Juventus for being unbeaten throughout the competition, Bayern can thank their lucky stars that their first leg showing against Arsenal was more than enough to seal qualification.

No one gave Barcelona a chance after they were humbled in the San Siro but the greatest footballer in the planet started a rout that saw the Spanish juggernauts sweep past Milan.

The draws of the quarterfinals have been held and there are some mouth-watering fixtures as well as those ones that seem like a stroll in the park. Without further ado, here are my thoughts as well as predictions for the quarterfinal draws.

Galatasaray vs. Real Madrid

Galatasaray would even consider a quarterfinal berth as a great achievement but nine-time champions, Real Madrid, stands in their way for a place in the last four.

With the shrewd acquisitions of Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder, to add to the likes of Burak Yilmaz, Felipe Melo, Emmanuel Eboue and Hamit Altintop, it’s fair to say that Fatih Terim has assembled a formidable side but I can’t see them going past the mighty Real Madrid.

Mourinho has a hunch that the La Liga is beyond his team, so he’ll divert all his attention to the Champions League while waiting for a derby clash against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey final. The Portuguese tactician’s star-studded squad is a favorite to go beyond Galatasaray and advance all the way to Wembley.

Winning the competition will put Mourinho in the history books as well, as he would be the first manager to win the competition with three different clubs – something to add to his impressive CV.

In what would seem like a fairytale, Mourinho will also come against three players he managed in three different teams – Drogba from Chelsea, Sneijder from Inter and Hamit Altintop from his current team, Real Madrid.

Prediction: Real Madrid victory

Borussia Dortmund vs. Malaga

I first knew about Manuel Pellegrini when he managed the Yellow Submarine of Villarreal. He managed a team that achieved a massive second place finish in La Liga but I ran out of superlatives for him when he guided his Spanish outfit to a semifinal Champions League place before losing to Arsenal.

The Villarreal class of ’06 had the likes of Diego Forlan, Jose Mari and of course, the legendary, Juan Roman Riquelme but Jens Lehmann’s brilliance in El Madrigal ensured that his team booked a place in the final at Paris.

Pellegrini’s adventure ended in Villarreal and he made a big step up to Real Madrid with a plethora of superstars to work with but his failure to win the La Liga after so much money was spent didn’t go down well with the Real Madrid hierarchy and he was sacked.

Right now, Pellegrini manages a Malaga side sitting at fourth place in La Liga. Unlike Arsene Wenger that has enough money in the coffers but chooses not to spend, Pellegrini’s hands are tied with a thick rope stronger than what the Philistines used on Samson.

Due to financial woes, Malaga sold big names like Santi Cazorla, Salomon Rondon and more recently, Nacho Monreal but the club has coped admirably with their losses, even to claim a quarterfinal berth after suffering a first leg defeat to FC Porto.

Malaga’s talented youngster, Isco, has been a shining light for the club and he is now in the radar of “bigger” European sides so it will be hard for the club to retain his services this summer.

Borussia Dortmund on the other hand, has the finest breed of upcoming youngsters as well as some experienced figureheads with verve for attacking football.

Jurgen Klopp has done brilliantly with BVB, winning back to back Bundesliga titles but his team has resigned the league to rivals, Bayern Munich, this season as they are 20 points behind the runaway Bundesliga table toppers.

In the Champions League, Dortmund stunned the football world topping a group that had the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City and Ajax. Their knockout phase victory over Shakhtar Donetsk was massively impressive but it was overshadowed by the events that took place in Old Trafford on the same night.

The fixture between Dortmund and Malaga won’t be a stroll in the park for either side, but I’ll bet my smart money on the German outfit that has been very impressive in Europe’s elite competition this season.

While Roman Weidenfeller orchestrates his back line with his vital experience, there are not many center backs better than Matts Hummels in the business and he even has the reliable Neven Subotic by his side. Lukasz Piszczek and Marcel Schmelzer are maturing to become great fullbacks in the making, but the wealth of talent in Dortmund’s midfield is unbelievable.

Ilkay Gundogan and Nuri Sahin are ranked among the world best cultured midfielders whle Sven Bender and Sebastien Kehl are good enforcers on their days. The exciting duo of Mario Gotze and Marco Reus can shatter any defense and there is also the goalscoring threat of Robert Lewandowski.

Malaga might boast about Isco as well as their experienced strikers in the forms of Roque Santa Cruz and Javier Saviola but I believe that Dortmund would be more than a match for the Andalusian outfit.

Prediction: Borussia Dortmund victory

Barcelona vs. Paris St.Germain

Money has become one of the major prospects in football but in reality, it’s not a guarantee for success. An Arab sheik or a Russian oligarch might have the funds to buy 10 Lionel Messis, but it still takes the right manager to guide that club past the finishing post.

If you want to search for practical examples, you can look no further than Chelsea, Manchester City and PSG.

Since Roman Abramovich’s takeover in 2003, he has changed more managers than the amount of times babies change diapers. His aggressive style of leadership has seen his side shift the balance of power from Manchester United and Arsenal, as his Chelsea side has won the Premier League on three occasions.

With the kind of money the Russian billionaire has pumped into his team, you would expect his team to challenge for all fronts but this season, his team is scarping for fourth place in the league. His side also made history for all the wrong reasons, as they became the first defending champions to crash out of the first hurdle.

Manchester City is another club that has been injected with some serious oil money since 2008 but they have only a FA Cup and a league title to show for it. If Mancini was under Abramovich’s payroll for failing to qualify to the knockout round for two seasons in a row, he would be searching for a new job.

Paris St. Germain is a team on the rise, and with Carlo Ancelotti at its ranks, it has attracted many superstars from Europe and none can look no further than the talismanic Swede, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Alongside Lucas Moura, Javier Pastore, Jeremy Menez and Ezequiel Lavezzi, the Parisien side has a strong attack but it’s also noteworthy to know that they have a fine goalkeeper in Salvatore Sirigu as well as solid center backs like Thiago Silva, Mamadou Sakho and Alex.

However, PSG is coming up against a Barcelona side that needs no introduction.

Despite the shortcomings at the back (I have my doubts in Victor Valdes’ ability in goal, Javier Mascherano is error prone in defense and  both fullbacks, Jordi Alba and Dani Alves, bomb forward while neglecting their defensive play), Barcelona has the most talented midfielders in business.

Xavi Hernandez, Cesc Fabregas and Andres Iniesta are ranked among the best passers in the business and in my honest opinion; Sergio Busquets is one of the most underrated holding midfielders in the game.

In attack, they have a David Villa finding his form again and of course, football’s very own version of black magic, Lionel Messi.

On their day, PSG is a force to be reckoned with but over the course of two legs, I can’t see them getting past the tournament favorites, Barcelona.

Prediction: Barcelona victory

Bayern Munich vs. Juventus

This is by far, the most mouth-watering draw of the quarterfinals.

On the red corner, you have a team that has come so close to winning the Champions League by virtue of being finalists only to be dealt a massive blow by the opposition. As far back as 1999, Bayern Munich was odds on to win the Champions League but it took two quick-fire late goals to hand Manchester United the title.

In 2010, Diego Milito’s brilliance was the difference between both sides but it was a more painful affair last season, as the Bavarian outfit lost the Champions League final at home after losing the lottery of a penalty shootout.

This season, Jupp Hecynkes made some modifications to the squad that was second best in every competition they played last season and he has gotten his fair share of revenge against Dortmund, as Bayern knocked them out of the DFB Pokal as well as holding a massive 20 point gap over them in the Bundesliga.

When Bayern was paired against Arsenal in the first knockout round, they put up a great show at the Emirates but if football didn’t favor the away goal rule, they would have entered extra time with the English side as they were on the end of a 2-0 loss.

Like all German sides, Bayern’s play has been downright efficient as they dispatch teams with clinical accuracy while creating records on the go at the back.

Ex-Bayern legend, Sami Kuffour’s fears have been realized as they have been drawn against the Italian superpower in the form of Juventus.

Antonio Conte’s side made history last season to go through the entire campaign unbeaten with the only loss coming in the Coppa Italia final to Napoli on the last game of the season.

Conte has revolutionized the 3-5-2 formation and he has also done well to use the personnel that act as round pegs in round holes, as the Old Lady is now a force to be reckoned with.

Giorgio Chiellini, Leandro Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli have become a reliable and cohesive unit in front of the legendary goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon. In front of them is the amazing Andrea Pirlo that unlocks defenses like hot knife through butter.

Pirlo also has Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal offering support in midfield and while many people think that Juventus still needs a figurehead in attack (Fernando Llorente will solve this), Mirko Vucinic, Sebastian Giovinco and Fabio Quagliarella have done their bits in making Juventus’ attack formidable.

It’s going to be very hard to confidently make a prediction for this tie but after seeing Arsenal teach Bayern a football lesson in their backyard, I’ve come to the conclusion that their defense is not as impregnable as people make it seem.

It’s true that Manuel Neuer is one of the best goalies in the business and I’m a huge admirer of Dante but I still have my concerns about Daniel van Buyten and Jerome Boateng. Bayern has some fine attackers in their ranks, but they can be profligate at times, and it could be their own undoing against a clinical side like Juventus.

I’m sorry Bayern Munich fans, but I’m with the Old Lady on this one.

Prediction: Juventus victory

Conclusion

After sharing my thoughts and predictions, I strongly feel that after the quarterfinal fixtures, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Dortmund and Juventus would be the last teams standing.

I won’t make any predictions for the team that would win the competition yet. That’s for another day.

Are my predictions the same as yours? Do you have different views?

Feel free to share them with your comments.

Sayonara.

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Positives Taken From Arsenal’s Win Against Bayern

Rosicky, why so serious?

In a competition as fiercely contested as the Champions League, two away goals are usually good enough to book a place in the next round of the competition, after a two-legged affair of course.

Let me use the first knockout fixtures of this season’s competition to verify my claims. Unlike Juventus and Galatasaray that banged in an impressive three goals in enemy territory, Paris St. Germain, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund scored two goals on their travels and they all booked quarterfinal berths.

Arsenal on the other hand, had a daunting task at hand but they still managed to score two away goals in a feared ground like the Allianz Arena. However, after a shocking first leg showing, the excellent away performance came to nothing, as the painful away goal rule ensured that the Gunners are gearing up for their eighth consecutive trophy-less campaign.

I hate to go down memory lane but the first half goals from Toni Kroos and Thomas Mueller were avoidable to say the least. As expected, Arsenal’s schoolboy defending against a ruthless opposition like Bayern was enough to hand the Bavarian outfit a chance in the quarterfinals. Lukas Podolski offered his side some hope but Mario Mandzukic’s effort drove the nail in Arsenal’s coffin.

After the first leg, the Gunners were more or less outgunned, outclassed and out of the Champions League.

A fortnight later, an early goal from Olivier Giroud restored some hope for the Gunners but Laurent Koscielny’s goal was too little too late. On the night, Arsenal won the battle but Bayern ultimately won the war.

Arsene Wenger was proud of his team for their inspired performance against Bayern but a lot of work has to be done to secure a Champions League spot come May.

Despite the negative outcome at the end of the game, there are a few positives taken from the game. Here’s my take.

Lukasz Fabianski’s Claim for a First Team Place

In the football world, the name”Lukasz Fabianski” isn’t the type that gives opposition attackers chills down their spine. On the contrary, it’s the kind of name that makes opposition attackers lick their lips with the prospect of banging a boatload of goals past him.

His past records speaks in volumes – that inexplicable howler against Porto in February 2010, the comic moment against Wigan in April 2010 and many more shaky performances that earned him that unwanted nickname “Flappyhandski“.

Prior to Wednesday’s fixture against Bayern, Fabianski hadn’t played any competitive game for an entire year with his last start being that shameful FA Cup fifth round defeat to Sunderland in that pitch good enough to rear cattle.

Despite his glaring lack of match fitness, Wenger chose to give the Pole a rare start – a move worth its weight in gold.

Fabianski was very assured in goal and he parried when he was meant to as well as smothering the ball when he was meant to. There were no scary moments from crosses, no communication errors between him and his back line and most importantly, no reasons to point any fingers at the manager for selecting him because he put up a very commanding performance.

Many Arsenal fans (me included) still rate Wojciech Szczesny highly but in my honest opinion, Fabianksi made one hell of a claim for Szczesny’s jersey and I certainly won’t mind if he retains his place against Swansea this weekend.

The return of Kieran Gibbs to full fitness will see the young fullback battle hard with new boy, Nacho Monreal, for a first-team berth. Szczesny was in dire need of such competition and it’s good to know that Fabianski has used this performance as a benchmark to challenge his compatriot.

If there’s anyone that needed some competition – it’s Szczesny.

Arsenal’s Awesome Defending

This season, there have been some words to describe Arsenal’s defense – horrible, shambolic, useless, atrocious, putrid…you name it. On Wednesday night, it was the exact opposite.

Arsene Wenger made one hell of a Bould move (pun intended) to keep his captain, Thomas Vermaelen, out of the side. With Bacary Sagna still out injured and Monreal cup-tied, the boss opted for Sagna’s able deputy, Carl Jenkinson on the right while Kieran Gibbs’ return from injury proved timely indeed as he slotted into the left back position with consummate ease.

Laurent Koscielny was Arsenal’s best center back by a far mile last season but with Per Mertesacker clearly being a favorite with the boss, Kos had to make do with a place on the dugout to accommodate the “captain”.

When Thomas Vermaelen joined Arsenal in the 2008/09 campaign, he was a colossus at the back and endeared himself into the hearts of Arsenal fans with an aggressive style of defending no different from Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic. After a truly remarkable campaign that saw him work his skins off both offensively and defensively, Vermaelen earned a place in the 2009 Team of the Year and he was tipped for great things at the club.

His second campaign was plagued by injuries and he was sorely missed. Since his return from his long term Achilles tendon injury, his form has dwindled badly. When he was appointed as club captain following the departure of RVP, his form went downhill and it seems as if he’s “burdened” by the extra responsibility.

Koscielny came into the picture in 2011 but after some initial rash displays, the Frenchman grew with confidence and an extended run of games saw Kos mature really as a player.

Alongside the calm, composed and coordinated Big Friendly Giant, Koscielny put up a Man of the Match performance and capped it up with a goal that made his team a goal shy of making history.

On the back of Koscielny’s performance in the Allianz Arena, I and many Arsenal fans out there will be livid if the Verm retains his place against Swansea by the mere fact that he’s the captain. His performance in the North London Derby was very poor and like Szczesny, he could do with some time on the bench to reflect on his form.

The fullbacks, Gibbs and Jenkinson, were awesome as well and it was really amazing to see how they dealt with the threats of world-class players like Arjen Robben and Thomas Mueller. Both players also contributed in attack while maintaining their defensive shapes.

After a collective defensive performance, Gibbs spoke about how the team proved that they have character, while Jenkinson proved his worth yet again to the club with this brilliant post-match interview.

While the defense did their bit to keep a massive clean sheet against Bayern, kudos must also go to Arsenal’s midfield and forward line for playing their parts in the success story.

Santi Cazorla and Theo Walcott were drafted as the wingers but there were times when they became emergency fullbacks to quell the threat the Bayern attack posed from the flanks. Olivier Giroud was a thorn in the flesh of the Bayern defensive line as he closed them down superbly forcing Daniel van Buyten and Dante to make unplanned clearances rather than a pass to a teammate closeby.

Tomas Rosicky should also be commended for that tactical foul he committed against Robben that ensured that he took one for the team. For a player of his immense talent, it’s really sad to know that he hardly commands a first team berth.

Arsenal’s impressive defending forced the likes of Kroos, Robben and Mueller to fire shots from distance and when the shots came from close range, there was a certain Lukasz Fabianski stepping up to the challenge with a plethora of saves.

Overall, it was a 5-star performance from Arsenal in terms of defending. If they defended like this all season long, we wouldn’t be struggling to get a Champions League spot at this point in time.

Clinical Efficiency in Attack?

Arsenal is a team that has made profligacy its watchword in recent times.

Funnily enough, there are even times when Arsenal hardly gets a sniff at goal as well – the away fixtures against Norwich, Manchester United and Chelsea as well as the home fixtures against Swansea (league) and Schalke are testaments to support these claims.

But with only four attempts on goal against Bayern, the Gunners scored two. Had Gervinho connected well with the ball after receiving Santi Cazorla’s inch-perfect pass, the Gunners might have been in the draws for the quarterfinals.

Prior to his early goal against Bayern, Olivier Giroud was going through a run of six games without a goal, as his last strike was that vital header against Liverpool that gave Arsenal a glimmer of hope before Theo Walcott’s drive leveled the contest. Like Giroud, Walcott’s last goal came six games ago, and since then Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla have been scoring the goals before Per Mertesacker did the double over Tottenham in the North London Derby.

In this “drought”, Giroud and Walcott have probed opposition defenses to no avail and it was only befitting that both players combined superbly to score that vital early goal Arsenal craved. Some say that Walcott miscued his shot while others say that it was a perfectly drilled cross into Bayern’s danger area but one thing was more certain than death, taxes and England losing on penalties – Giroud firing home from close range.

Late on, Koscielny rose the highest to nod the ball home and it took one hell of a scramble to retrieve the ball from Manuel Neuer before taking it to the center circle. The great Bayern Munich heralded as a quality side that was no match for Arsenal, were so humbled at home that they had to resort to the shameful tactic of time wasting while waiting for the ref to spare their blushes with the sound of his whistle.

If only Mikel Arteta crossed a better ball into Bayern’s danger area late on, Arsenal might have had three goals in five attempts.

Pride Restored and Another Chance to Set Things Right

A morale-boosting victory over a European juggernaut like Bayern Munich would be the push the Gunners need to make a final surge for that coveted Champions League spot.

After the sheer disappointments of humiliating losses to AC Milan and Sunderland,It took a resounding 5-2 victory over Tottenham to hit the ground running for Arsene Wenger’s men last season.

This was followed by a Robin van Persie-inspired victory over Liverpool, a nerve-raking 3-0 win over AC Milan, a late victory over Newcastle, a solitary win over Everton and a confident performance against Aston Villa before that blip against Queens Park Rangers.

Despite a shaky end to the campaign, that seven game winning run saw the Gunners leapfrog Tottenham to third place and they retained that position on the last day, celebrating St. Tottentingham’s Day in the process.

This season, the Gunners are in a similar position and they’ll have 10 cup finals to play, starting with a trip to Capital One Cup champions, Swansea. While the Gunners will have to rely on Tottenham and Chelsea to drop points, they’ll have to do their parts by winning all their remaining fixtures.

According to the Gunners’ fixture list, they are set to lock horns against Swansea, Reading, West Brom, Norwich, Fulham, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers, Wigan, Newcastle and the game in hand against Everton.

With the exception of Manchester United, these games are winnable on paper.

There are many more positives taken from this game. Feel free to share yours with your comments.

Sayonara

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Bayern 0 Arsenal 2: Victory Not Enough

Gunners saluting the away fans

With a fixture against Bayern Munich in mind, Arsene Wenger chose to rest a couple of players which turned out to be his undoing as his second-tier side was ousted from the FA Cup by a lowly Blackburn. The “rested” players took to the pitch against Bayern at the Emirates but the quality of the German side saw them through.

Everyone had written the Gunners off judging from what they had seen in the first leg because they had it all to do against a Bayern side so formidable at home this season. The manager made some changes to his squad with Lukasz Fabianski playing his first game in a year, coming in for Wojciech Szczesny that has been in a poor patch of form recently.

Kieran Gibbs made a timely return from injury as Laurent Koscielny replaced another player in poor form, Thomas Vermaelen. With Jack Wilshere injured, an able replacement, Tomas Rosicky, played in his stead.

The Gunners arrived at the Allianz Arena with a putrid run of three defeats in four so many tipped them to fall by the road side. However, everyone was stunned when Arsenal went off to a flyer with the early goal they craved.

In a swift counter attack, Santi Cazorla fed Aaron Ramsey and the Welshman did well to look up to locate Rosicky. The Czech maestro teed up Theo Walcott which coincided with a slip from David Alaba and the pacey winger drilled a cross through Dante’s legs to the path of Olivier Giroud that finished aplomb.

With Arsenal gaining momentum from that early lead, Mikel Arteta slipped on the turf allowing Toni Kroos to get a chance at goal. The German blasted a shot goalwards but Fabianski made a good save. Kroos was at it again from a Philip Lahm pass but Fabianski was on hand to dive low for another impressive save.

Arjen Robben turned on the style as he waltzed past Walcott before blasting wide. Prior to that the Dutch winger was one on one with Carl Jenkinson in a counter attack and the young fullback did very well to evade the danger. Late on, Per Mertesacker’s poor clearance saw Thomas Mueller get a chance from the right but the side netting spared Fabianski’s blushes.

Kroos got his shooting boots on early in the second half but Fabianski was equal to the challenge yet again. Shortly afterwards, Luiz Gustavo used his left boot to curl the ball at Fabianski’s goal but it missed by a lick of paint.

Mueller executed an inch-perfect back heeled pass that sent Robben on the clear but Fabianski was having a stormer as he kept his footing to make a decent save from the Dutch winger.

Wenger sensed that his side was edging on the game so he brought in reinforcements in the forms of Gervinho and the Ox for Ramsey and Walcott.

Jenkinson drilled a cross into Bayern’s danger area but Giroud lost his balance in the key moment. With Cazorla within proximity, the Frenchman stretched his leg to locate his teammate but his effort was blocked. Bayern was certainly rocked and it was almost two when Gervinho connected with Cazorla with a neat one-two but as expected, his finish was piss poor.

Mueller fired another shot straight at Fabianski but the Polish keeper was taking no prisoners as he made another superb. With Szczesny rested at home due to “mental fatigue”, his compatriot made one hell of a claim for his shirt with this performance.

Late on, the Ox ran at Alaba on the right hand side before winning a corner. Cazorla stepped up to take the set piece and Koscielny rose the highest to head the ball home. At that point in time, Bayern was certainly in bedlam.

Mission impossible was turning into mission improbable.

The Gunners pushed on for that elusive third goal that would have booked a place in the quarterfinals and their cause was helped when Rosicky was fouled close to the center circle. With Mertesacker and Koscielny covering the entire length of the pitch to expect a lofted ball goalwards, the captain for the night, Mikel Arteta, sent his dead ball into oblivion, and that was pretty much it from an Arsenal perspective.

At the sound of the ref’s whistle, Bayern turned out to be the happier side as the Gunners two-goal victory wasn’t enough to book a quarterfinal berth.

Arsene Wenger hailed his boys and spoke about how he was proud of their performance. He groaned about the timing of the second goal and ran out of superlatives for defense. On his bit on the defense, I concur – Mertesielny were rocks at the back and their fullbacks balanced their offensive and defensive plays admirably.

The media continued to barrage the manager with questions, on leaving the Verm out, no English team in the quarterfinals and most importantly – if Fabianski will become his No. 1. However, Wenger made it obvious that he still favors Szczesny,

You are never No 1 forever and you are not on one game as well. He did well and you can only congratulate him.

Let me put this straight – I’m a big fan of Wojciech Szczesny. His stellar performances of the 2010/11 season earned him the No. 1 jersey and he did pretty well last season but when Wenger lacked trust in his deputies to the extent of playing Szczesny in cup matches, he became complacent.

This season, he has committed some errors that made his team pay and I’m in no mood to start mentioning those specific games. In my honest opinion, I would like Fabianski to get a run-out in the team to prove to Szczesny that he’ll need to step up to win his place back in the team.

There’s no question of who the better goalie is here but Szczesny needs some rest after a prolonged run of games. Fabianski did alright for someone who’s hardly had a game this season.

In defense, Kos the Boss played superbly – Vermaelen, take a seat. Ze Big Friendly Giant was more or less reliable on the night, Jenkinson played with a hell lot of heart and did well to cover and throw Robben off. Gibbs showed why he’s been sorely missed.

In midfield, Ramsey misplaced a couple of passes but as usual, put in a great shift. Arteta, unfortunately, committed some needless stupid fouls that cost us precious time but he did really well. TR7 looked very rusty and just needs more game time. He’ll be crucial now since Jack’s injured.

In attack, Walcott, aside from his pass which led to the goal, was pretty ineffectual, Cazorla did alright and couldn’t get out of tight situations like he usually does. Giroud scored the early goal we craved, did well getting stuck into the Bayern defenders and I’m proud of him for giving us hope. It was also good seeing him end his goal drought.

Ox did great in winning the corner which led to Kos’ goal. Gervinho, if he had scored, I’d forgiven him for being, relatively useless. Many Gooners on my TL were saying that he “did okay” but that’s what you’d get from Gervinho nowadays – “okay”.

Just a slight pity we didn’t have Jack tonight. Might have just given us that something special. His drive from midfield would have been a thorn in Bayern’s flesh.

For the eighth season in a row, the Gunners trophy drought continues.

For what it’s worth, this is the kind of performance that can spur the Gunners to surge for that coveted top four finish but you can never know what Arsenal has up its sleeves. This is the club that will beat Bayern away and lose to Blackburn at home.

Let’s hope for a Bayern-esque performance against Swansea. We will surely get three points if we play that way.

Besides, revenge is a dish best served cold and it would be nice to make them pay after we were Michu-fied at the Emirates.

Sayonara.

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Mission Impossible 5: Send Bayern Munich to Bedlam

Wilshere out of crucial Champions League tie

*Mission Impossible soundtrack in the background*

Agent Arsenal,

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to infiltrate behind enemy lines into the hostile Allianz Arena in Bavaria. Your sole aim would be to bang a boatload of goals past them because they stand in your way in your bid to reach the Promised Land not too far from your backyard – a place called Wembley. 

A fortnight ago, ze Germans invaded you in your turf and you were on the wrong end of some bashing so we had to extract you quickly from enemy territory.

Even the best agents have a bad day at the office, but you were surprisingly shocking in checking your rearguard as well as being toothless in attack.

Secret Nazi Agent Kroos, Toni Kroos, lighted you up with one hell of a finish. Shortly afterwards, it was Young Mueller Baby that scored the all-important second goal. Even if you managed to fictitiously get one back from Prinz Poldi, Luigi’s long lost brother, Super Mario Mandzukic killed off the contest. 

This time in Bavaria, you’ll be aided by a list of the finest 11 secret agents available redeployed from our world-class agencies.

Szszsz the big Pole will guard your sticks while ze Big Friendly Giant and Bosscielny will be at the heart of your defense. Don’t be bothered about the enemy striking from your flanks; we have stationed the Belgian Verminator and Lil’ Jenko’ there.

Your rearguard will be protected with holding midfielders like the Lego-haired Spaniard and Wales’ own version of Rambo, without the big guns and excess bullets though. With our combative general, Jackie Boy, out of the equation, we have decided to opt for some music in midfield, orchestrated by Little Mozart.

Your attack will be very potent with the raw pace of Usain Theo Bolt and the trickery of Saint Santi. The attack will be spearheaded by our purple-patch goalscoring Weapon of Mass Destruction from Francais, Legionnaire Giroud.

****

Agent Arsenal, the CIA record books tell us that no one, I repeat, no one has ever turned around a two-goal deficit at home but I’m pretty sure their historians were K.I.A when you were hammered with three unreplied goals at home to Inter. We deployed you for one hell of a mission impossible in San Siro, tagged the Italian Job, but you came back victorious courtesy of an inspired performance from Mr. Va Va Voom himself, King Thierry Henry.

Oh wait, they are right…you decimated Inter in the 2003/04 Group Stages. -____-

Should you fail to get past Bayern, it will be the third time in a row you’ll be ousted from the first knockout round. For a team that reached the final in 2006 and a semifinal berth in 2009, this is unacceptable.

I know that you’re not up to the Madrids, Barcas and Juventus’ of football, but on your day, you’re a force to be reckoned with. Need I remind you that you beat Madrid in the Bernabeu, Barca at the Emirates and you made a star-studded Juventus side look so mediocre in 2006.

I hate to say this but Bayern has conceded only three goals in the Champions League this season and that’s what you need to score to qualify. Anything less and you will be swimming with the fishes.

If this would give you any solace, they would be without Ribery the Elf, Nazi Colonel Schweiny and that Ghanaian bloke that preferred to serve the Fuhrer instead of staying with the Gold Coast.

Agent Arsenal, bring Bavaria to Bedlam.

This message will self-destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…

Sayonara

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Bayern Munich vs. Arsenal: Gunners Daring to Dream

Wenger the Optmist

 

*cleans off cobwebs from blog…sends Spiderman away*

After taking a self-induced sabbatical blogging leave like Pep Guardiola due to official duty, I’m back to doing what I love, as the Gunners are odds on to face a daring trip to the feared Allianz Arena with one foot away from the UEFA Champions League.

The weekend was a classic case of what might have been as the team that vanquished Arsenal from the FA Cup, Blackburn Rovers, struggled to get anything out of a fixture against Millwall in last weekend’s quarterfinal match. To top it all off, they would face this season’s FA Cup surprise package, Wigan Athletic, if they manage to get past Millwall in the replay.

Manchester City on the other hand, awaits the winner of the Manchester United and Chelsea replay coming up in Stamford Bridge pretty soon.

Despite the glooms of the FA Cup, Liverpool gave me and many Arsenal fans out there reasons to smile as the unbeaten, unstoppable and red-hot Tottenham (*yawns*) activated the world-famous self-destruct button to allow the Reds grab all three points.

As Arseblog rightly stated, Hugo Lloris was invoked by the spirit of Manuel Almunia’s ghost, and trust me, that was a pleasurable sight watching Stewart Downing blasting the ball through that bloke’s legs to an unguarded net.

From an Arsenal perspective, Wenger must be gnashing his teeth in his failure to get Ajax’s Jan Vertonghen when he had the chance. For what it’s worth, Vertonghen was available when he opted for a calamity like Andre Santos before he was snapped up by Spurs.

Oh well, that’s football – you sign some, you lose out on some.

The investigations made after the alleged missile thrown at Gareth Bale in the last North London Derby has gained some ground, as Thomas Flint, an Arsenal fan, will appear in court after hurling a banana at Bale.

In football, a few players have their lookalikes – Fabio most certainly looks like Rafael, Petr Cech looks like James Blunt, Sami Khedira looks like Milan Baros and Gareth Bale looks like a _____ (fill in the gap).

However, tossing a fruit at the bloke was a poor piece of judgment from Mr. Flint, as the banana was best suited to be in his belly rather than being hurled at a professional player. We really need to kick racism out of football, like the way Abou Diaby kicked ________ in the 2007 Carling Cup final. *coughs*

With the football world firmly focused on tonight’s Champions League fixture between Barcelona and AC Milan, many would hope not to see any mysterious penalties or red cards for the visitors but Arsenal fans on the other hand, will be anxiously waiting for their team to put up one hell of a show against Bayern Munich in Bavaria.

If it’s any consolation, Arsenal lost miserably at home to Inter Milan a few seasons ago but a Thierry Henry-inspired hat-trick saw the Gunners run away with an historic 5-1 victory in San Siro. Unfortunately, we have Olivier Giroud, not that goal-crazy, highly technical, classy, swaggerlicious French legend with a bronze statue in our ranks.

Igweeeeeeeee!!!!!

For reasons best known to Frankenstein, Lord Voldemort and the Biker Mice from Mars, Arsenal’s stalwart, Arsene Wenger, has stated that his team can beat Bayern Munich,

“There have been a few wins by Arsenal in the Champions League that we are all very proud of. We just have to convince ourselves that we can do it in Munich as well.

“Yes, the chance is small, but the chance makes the impossible possible.

“That would be a great credit for our team if we do it. We have to try to achieve it.”

As a thoroughbred Arsenal supporter, I’ve seen my club defy the odds in European football – the amazing run to the 2006 Champions League final that saw the Gunners oust juggernauts like Real Madrid and Juventus, the Thierry Henry-inspired away victories in Italy against AS Roma and Inter Milan, the exhilarating 2-1 win over Barcelona, the enthralling first half performance that saw the Gunners sweep three past AC Milan and the list goes on.

Arsene Wenger has urged his team to attack Bayern Munich and he also stated that a positive mindset is vital for the 90 minutes. The bookmakers have harshly tipped Arsenal at 40/1 to get a good result from Munich but scoring three unreplied goals against this imperious Bayern Munich side in the Allianz Arena, a ground where they hardly concede goals, will certainly be too much to ask.

As expected, a few Gunners have given their takes on Wednesday’s fixture and Gervinho believes that a miracle could still happen at Munich, even if it would be a miracle if he plays. -_______-

It’s okay to have faith though, even if it could be on a futile affair as well.

Elsewhere, a prominent member of the Bayern hierarchy, Uli Hoeness, revealed that the club tried to sign Arsene Wenger, but the manager remained faithful to his team unlike from French money-seeking mercenaries, Spanish home-sicklers, a Cameroonian with hairstyle no different from a tarantula and that bow-legged Dutch disciple that sold out for 30 pieces of silver.

An extensive match preview will be published tomorrow.

As I always say,

Sayonara.

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