The UEFA Champions League continues this week with the second leg of the last four round-of-16 matches.
Sportsnet’s panel of soccer writers and broadcasters preview this week’s matches and offer their predictions.
Wednesday programming alert: Watch Manchester United vs. Olympiacos (on Sportsnet) and Borussia Dortmund vs. Zenit St. Petersburg (on Sportsnet World). Live coverage begins at 3:30 pm ET/12:30 pm PT. | Sportsnet World Online | TV schedule
Manchester United vs. Olympiacos
Gerry Dobson: Its hard to believe just how bad things have become for Manchester United. Wayne Rooney calls the weekend loss to Liverpool “one of the worst days of my life in football.” Before now there had been only rumblings surrounding David Moyes’ future at Old Trafford, but now the knives are out. If they fail to overturn the 2-0 deficit suffered at the hands of Olympiakos in the first leg, then the calls for his dismissal will be loud and clear.
The most troubling part of their loss on the weekend was their inability to break down Liverpool’s defence. It was an anemic performance against a team not exactly known for excellent defending this year. Liverpool wins by outscoring the other team. So now United has to find a way to score at least twice against Olympiakos and keep a clean sheet at the same time. Neither possibility seems likely.
Here’s more trouble for the Red Devils. Olympiakos won 2-0 in the league on the weekend to secure their 41st Greek League title. They are young, healthy and fully committed to bringing glory back to Greece. Having watched Manchester United’s implosion on the weekend they won’t be intimidated in their trip to the Theatre of Dreams. It’s become a Theatre of Nightmares for the home team this season. Olympiakos have not been to the quarterfinals since 1999 and they’ve lost all 11 previous trips to England. They may lose the game this week, but they could still advance.
Prediction: Manchester United wins 2-1.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Zenit St. Petersburg
Thomas Michalakos: Barring an unforeseen capitulation at the Westfalenstadion, Jurgen Klopp should manage to oversee a routine 90 minutes and confirm passage into the last eight. Luckily for Dortmund, a 4-2 first-leg victory in St. Petersburg has sucked the life out of this return fixture, but more importantly it gives them an ideal opportunity to rebound from a disappointing 2-1 league defeat to Mönchengladbach over the weekend. The domestic campaign has gone belly up, so Klopp can focus all his resources in Europe, where results have been positive and consistent.
Zenit were lucky to make it past the group stage (one win, six points), and it was clearly evident during their defeat three weeks ago. Manager Luciano Spaletti received the axe last week, and the latest rumours have Andre Villas-Boas heading to Russia as the Italian’s replacement. Another defeat on the weekend to CSKA Moscow (1-0) has continued the trend of poor results. The ship is sinking fast.
Prediction: Borussia Dortmund wins 2-0.
Tuesday programming alert: Watch Chelsea vs. Galatasaray (on Sportsnet) and Real Madrid vs. Schalke 04 (on Sportsnet World). Live coverage begins at 3:30 pm ET/12:30 pm PT. | Sportsnet World Online | TV schedule
Galatasary vs. Chelsea
James Sharman: Of course the storyline entering this one centres around Didier Drogba returning to Stamford Bridge for the first time since his legendary spell at the club came to an end. That’s hardly a surprise, as Drogba, along with Frank Lampard, John Terry and Peter Cech are the figureheads that represent the Blues rise to global icons in the Abramovich era.
Galatasaray visits Stamford Bridge following that 1-1 draw in first leg, and will meet a team practically unbeatable at home. Six wins and a draw in its last seven European knockout matches is impressive, but of course nothing quite like Chelsea’s Premier League form under Jose Mourinho at home—in that competition Chelsea has never lost under the Portuguese.
These are the matches Mourinho lives for, his team know exactly how to grind out results, so expect a typical Chelsea counter-attacking philosophy which will demand standout performances from Galatasary’s energy players such as Yekta Kurtulus and Felipe Melo. Chelsea is also coming off a loss to Aston Villa on the weekend, a damaging loss for its league title credentials. Mourinho’s teams generally don’t hang their heads and put in back-to-back stinkers. Not a good omen for the Turks.
Prediction: Chelsea wins 2-0.
Real Madrid vs. Schalke 04
Jamie Doyle: If ever a Champions League knockout tie was over at the halfway mark, it’s this one. Real Madrid come home to the Bernabeu to finish off a Schalke side they mauled 6-1 in the first leg in Gelsenkirchen. Schalke’s one hope of advancing lay in a win at home, capitalizing on Real’s recent history of struggling against German opposition. To say they failed in that is something of an understatement.
All that’s left now is to play out the last 90 minutes. It’s not to say there’s nothing left in it at all: a combination of Real’s likely inclination to take their foot off the gas, and Schalke’s likely determination to restore some pride could lead to an interesting match. Schalke should score, and they may even get a result. But they won’t win by six goals, even with Real missing injured striker Karim Benzema, who accounted for two tallies in the first leg.
Prediction: Real Madrid wins 2-1.