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The Controversial One
December is one of the most important month of the year and for the 16 clubs who have qualified for the knock-out round of the Champions League, the date of the draw is one of the most eagerly anticipated days of the year. The next round doesn't take place until February but the planning and preparation starts immediately and this draw comes as the reward for a hard campaign between September and December.
Closed Shop in Champions League?
Those who have been worrying about the Champions League being a closed shop for the top teams from the top leagues will be viewing the draw with a little bit of dismay as yet again, the same old faces appear.
England and Spain have four teams each through to the last 16 which means these two nations make up half of the remaining competition. La Liga and the Premier League are generally observed as being the biggest leagues in the world so it isn't a surprise to see their success translate to the European stage and the next best represented league is Serie A, with three Italian club sides making the knock out rounds.
Portugal then supplies Porto and Sporting Lisbon to the competition, with Germany, France and perhaps surprisingly Greece filling out the rest of the tournament.
This round of the competition still sees teams from the same country unable to play each other and as teams cannot face the team they have already faced in the group stages, this limits the amount of teams that are available for each side to face.
Barcelona are hardest hit, Spain’s only group winners cannot be paired against their group runner up Sporting Lisbon or La Liga rivals Villarreal or Real and Athletico from Madrid. This means the remaining runners up all know they have a strong chance of facing Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona who look to be in top form at the moment.
Which Annoyed Barca more? Chelsea or Mourinho?
This means there could be a mouthwatering Barcelona versus Chelsea tie, with passions running high the past few times these clubs faced off against each other.
If this is the pairing then things may be quieter as Chelsea are now managed by the more sedate Scolari as opposed to Jose Mourinho, who loved to wind up opposition fans and managers. This game may be quieter for Barca but they still stand a chance of coming up against their old adversary as Inter Milan, currently managed by the Special One, are one of the other runners up they may be drawn against.
Inter Milan looked to be in complete control of their group after their first three games but they failed to win any of their last three matches and in the end they stumbled over the line in a very unconvincing manner. Inter Milan have strengthened their lead at the top of Serie A but their European form is causing concern for their fans.
The other two teams who could face Barcelona are Lyon or Arsenal, two teams who play exciting football so if this is the match that comes out, there should be a feast for football fans.
Busy Time for Current Champs
Reigning Champions League winners Manchester United may have their current thoughts occupied with winning the FIFA Club World Cup but you can guarantee that Alex Ferguson will be awaiting news of the draw with baited breath. Manchester United cannot face Villarreal, Chelsea or Arsenal in the last 16 but there could be some intriguing match-ups in the next round for the Red Devils.
Like Barcelona, Manchester United have a history with Jose Mourinho and the English media will be praying for another Fergie v Mourinho clash although there will be some who hope to see it at a later stage of the tournament. Drawing Sporting Lisbon would see Ronaldo return yet again to his former club, although United did overcome Sporting Lisbon comfortably when the sides last met in the group stages of the Champions League.
Will Ramos Return to England?
Lyon caused a shock against United when they won the home leg 1-0 but were defeated at Old Trafford to spin out of the tournament and if United are paired against Athletico Madrid, it will see Diego Forlan return to Manchester hoping to knock out his former team. And the last remaining possible opponent would see Manchester United versus Real Madrid, a match which would undoubtedly be watched in huge figures around the world. Given the torrid time that new Real boss Juande Ramos had in England with Tottenham Hotspur, it would not be a massive surprise to see him return to the country so soon and lady luck may give him a chance to prove to the English media that he is not the dud they made him out to be.
Mourinho Dislikes Merseyside too
Two semi-final Champions League defeats at Anfield (as well as an FA Cup semi final defeat to Liverpool) must haunt Mourinho, even more so given that Avram Grant managed to guide the Blues to Champions League victory over the Scousers. No doubt Mourinho will consider he has a lot of unfinished business to take care of back in England and an Anfield triumph will probably be high on his list.
Given that Inter Milan can only face five teams in the last 16 and two of them are English, there is a reasonable chance that the outspoken one will be back on British soil before too long.
Group Winners Not Strong as Before
Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool stand out as group leaders and the teams that the runner up clubs won’t want to face but there are a number of teams who topped their groups that can be defeated.
Roma edged out Chelsea and have regular experience at this level but their domestic form is poor this season and a team like Real Madrid or Arsenal will not be too scared of drawing them. Also, drawing Roma will give a club experience of playing in Rome, the host city for this seasons final and this experience may be of benefit.
Likewise, there are unlikely to be too many teams scared of facing Panathinaikos and even Bayern Munich, Porto and Juventus are not the teams they once were or as good as their tradition and name suggests.
In recent years, the group winners have found a great level of success in this round of the tournament but there may just be a few of the runners up looking to this draw and believing they have a very strong chance of reaching the quarter final stages.
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
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