Champions League Draw Predictions

By Brian Lofrumento | 19th December 2008

Champions League Draw Predictions | read this item

champs-league-trophy The Champions League draw has put some mouth-watering fixtures on the table for April and March. Here’s who got drawn up against who:

Internazionale Milan (Italy) v Manchester United (England)

Perhaps the most exciting fixture of the second round, Sir Alex Ferguson will once again go to battle against Jose Mourinho. This tie pits the English champions against the Italian champions, and both sides are full of the best players in the world. With the first leg in Milan, United will need to come back to England with at least a draw under their belts. My pick: Manchester United.

AS Roma (Italy) v Arsenal (England)

Another exciting draw between and English club and an Italian club. Roma generally do well in this competition until they face Manchester United, and their style of play will ensure a competitive and entertaining match against Arsene Wenger. Wenger and his men have said that they can win this year’s Champions League, and this draw certainly hasn’t put them out of the running for that. Either side can win this one, and it’ll really depend on whether or not Arsenal’s youngsters can deal with the class of the Roma midfield. My pick: AS Roma.

Real Madrid (Spain) v Liverpool (England)

Yet another fixture that promises to be incredible, we’ll get to see Liverpool square off against Real Madrid. Rafa Benitez knows all about Real from his time in Spain, and on paper Liverpool will actually go into this match as favorites. The question for Madrid fans must be how Real will strengthen in January, with Klass-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra already headed the way of Santiago Bernabeu. Unless Juande Ramos can get his side in order, Liverpool fans should be feeling pretty good about this fixture. My pick: Real Madrid.

Lyon (France) v Barcelona (Spain)

The French champions against the Spanish leaders should be an exciting affair all around, but Lyon fans will be kicking themselves that they’ve received another tough draw. This is a Lyon side that has no troubles winning Ligue 1, but they never seem to cut it in the Champions League. This draw won’t help, but Barcelona does have some weaknesses. If Lyon can play an organized defensive match and hit Barcelona on the counter then they stand a chance of advancing to the quarterfinals. My pick: Barcelona.

Atletico Madrid (Spain) v Porto (Portugal)

Sergio Aguero and co. will be booking their flights now to Portugal as they’ve been drawn against Porto. Both sides are of very similar stature, so it’s hard to predict who will win this one. On paper Atletico Madrid just edge it, and we’ll once again get a chance to see some of the world’s brightest talents. As in the group stage, all eyes will be on Sergio Aguero as he tries to move Atletico Madrid deep into this tournament. Playing against Porto makes it very possible. My pick: Atletico Madrid.

Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) v Bayern Munich (Germany)

The minute Bayern Munich was drawn against Sporting, the German officials couldn’t stop grinning. One of the easiest draws available, Bayern fans must be delighted that they will be facing Sporting. That said, it certainly won’t be easy. Sporting have produced talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, and Joao Moutinho in recent years, and Bayern Munich haven’t been the giant that they once were. Both sides will believe they have a chance to win this one, so it should be interesting. My pick: Bayern Munich.

Villareal (Spain) v Panathinaikos (Greece)

One thing’s for sure: whoever advances from this fixture will face an extremely difficult quarterfinal matchup. These are arguably the two weakest sides in the second round draw, although Villareal have had some luck in Europe in the past. I can’t see Villareal getting knocked out here, as players like Giuseppe Rossi and Robert Pires are just too talented to lose to Panathinaikos over to fixtures. The Greek side will be counting their lucky stars that they haven’t drawn one of the bigger sides, and they do have a chance of beating Villareal. My pick: Villareal.

Chelsea (England) v Juventus (Italy)

It appears that this year will finally settle the debate about whether the Premier League is better than Serie A. This is the third fixture between an English side and an Italian side, and like the others it could really go either way. I think Chelsea will win this one, but if Alessandro Del Piero can get his troops rallied up then anything can happen. This tournament could be Luis Felipe Scolari’s saving grace as Chelsea manager, so you can bet your house that Chelsea will be taking this fixture very seriously. My pick: Chelsea.

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