The UEFA Champions League continues this week with Matchday 3 of the group stage.
Sportsnet’s panel of soccer writers and broadcasters preview the marquee games and offer their predictions.
Liverpool vs Real Madrid
Gerry Dobson: Without Luis Suarez, this Liverpool side is only a shadow of last year’s edition that challenged for the Premier League title. They squeaked by Queens Park Rangers on the weekend with a performance that has been so typical this year. They weren’t good enough, got lucky and managed to pick up the full three points. Gone are the flair and the pace of a year ago. Mario Balotelli looks lost and disinterested much of the time. He’s among the league leaders with 26 shots but has yet to find the net.
Real Madrid on the other hand is flying right now. Cristiano Ronaldo has 15 goals in eight league games, more than the entire Liverpool squad. The Spaniards are firing on all cylinders, winning games and scoring goals for fun. There will be no Gareth Bale, who’s injured. But no problem really. They’ll win easily.
Prediction: Real Madrid win 3-1.
Wednesday programming alert: Watch Liverpool vs Real Madrid on all four main Sportsnet channels at 2:30 pm ET, Anderlecht vs Arsenal on Sportsnet ONE at 2:30 pm ET, and Olympiacos vs Juventus on Sportsnet World at 2:30 pm ET. || Also watch these games at 2:30 pm ET online at Sportsnet World NOW: Galatasaray vs Borussia Dortmund, AS Monaco vs Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen vs Zenit St. Petersburg, Ludogorets vs Basel and Atletico Madrid vs Malmo || TV schedule
Anderlecht vs Arsenal
James Sharman: Arsenal was brilliant in a 4-1 smashing of Galatasaray last time out, with Danny Welbeck inspiring some utterly ridiculous comparisons involving Thierry Henry. The Turks were awful, but the Gunners made them look that way, and that opening loss to Borussia Dortmund suddenly seemed a long time ago. Since then Arsenal have lost to Chelsea and tied Hull in the Premier league, so all those frailties and concerns have returned.
As usual Arsenal is injury ravaged, and had to play full-back Nacho Monreal at centre-back on the weekend. Jack Wilshere suffered his predictable injury and is questionable, and with the top two goalkeepers suspended and injured, rookie Emiliano Martinez might get the start. Could this all be a recipe for the Belgians to cause an upset? Arsenal have a tendency to react when being a game away from crisis, and since losing to Dortmund last time out, Anderlecht have drawn twice, but still have the one solitary loss on the season in all competitions.
Prediction: Arsenal wins 3-1.
AS Monaco vs Benfica
Dan Riccio: This is it for Benfica. Lose this match, and you can close the door on their Champions League campaign. Monaco hasn’t done great in Ligue Un this season, but are seeing their form improve of late, jumping into 10th place in the French top flight. Benfica have been the opposite—dreadful in Champions League and a force at home in Portugal where they lead their big rivals Porto by four points through seven matches. It won’t be easy for the Portuguese side to win in Monaco, but they are a much better squad than they have shown in the early going of this tournament.
Prediction: Benfica wins 1-0.
Olympiacos vs Juventus
James Doyle: Olympiacos are a very tough team to predict. Take the Champions League this year: in the first game out they beat 2014 finalists Atetico Madrid; in the next they loss to group minnows Malmo. The difference? Home field advantage. Fear the Greeks at home, where they’ve beaten Manchester United, Benfica and Arsenal in recent seasons.
Juventus, meanwhile, are pacing Serie A (as usual) but have developed a worrying propensity for disappointing away from home against lesser European sides, dropping points to Galatasaray, Copenhagen and Nordsjaelland over the past few years. A tough call to make, but you have to go with the trends.
Prediction: A 1-1 draw.
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