Euro 2016 Quarter Final Preview

We've only 7 matches remaining in a thrilling Euro 2016 and the pressure has been cranked up a notch in the quarter finals. We had some shocks in the round of 16 that has set up some very interesting matches that are difficult to predict.

Poland v Portugal

Poland were expected to defeat Switzerland in previous round but did so unconvincingly and needed a penalty shoot out to progress. The strike duo of Robert Lewandowski and Arkadiusz Milik is yet to find form and with the competition gradually getting tougher, Poland will need their stars at their peak.  Milik has only one goal to his name in the tournament so far, but has had a handful of chances, he has to start converting them if they are to launch any meaningful assault in the tournament. Jakub Blaszczykowski grabbed the goal against Switzerland and has been a threat down the right wing all tournament, linking up well with Lukasz Piscczek. These pair will be critical against Portugal.

While they had no 'big' nations in their group, Portugal struggled to get results, with Cristiano Ronaldo becoming increasingly outspoken. Portugal are the only team left in the tournament yet to win a game within 90 minutes. The introduction of Renato Sanches in the second half against Croatia gave the side a creative outlet, starting off the move which resulted in the goal for Ricardo Quaresma Neither side has been entirely convincing in this year's tournament despite both being potential dark horses. Poland will be favourites for the tie with a lethal strike force up against a suspect Portuguese defence while the Portuguese have largely rode their luck to get to this stage in the tournament but will continue to look to Cristiano Ronaldo for their inspiration. Poland to advance.

Wales v Belgium

The last British team in the tournament, take on Belgium whom they met in qualifying for the tournament. Belgium, largely regarded as one of the favourites for the tournament from the outset were shocked in their opening match against Italy but have pulled themselves together and a 3-0 win over Republic of Ireland and a 1-0 win over Sweden secured a runners up spot. Against Hungary in the previous round, they were exceptional and romped to a 4-0 win. Eden Hazard showed what ihe is capable of as he scored once and created four chances, one of which was an assist for Michy Batshuayi. Belgium are very good on the counter attack, and punished Hungary who gave them too much space, however the loss of Jan Vertonghen will be a major set back for the Red Devils. 

Wales took four points off the Belgians in qualifying, with the victory coming thanks to a winner from Gareth Bale. Wales showed that they can play football in the final group game against Russia in which they won 3-0. Joe Allen and Aaron Ramsey were very good on the ball the ball with the former sliding the latter through for the opening goal. Crucially, Wales have showed that they don't totally rely on Gareth Bale, with the aforementioned Allen and Ramsey stepping up to the plate. Against Northern Ireland, they weren't convincing, and it took a wicked ball flashed into the box from Bale to deflect off Gareth McAuley past Michael McGovern in goal. Wales will put up a fight, but with Belgium beginning to reach the heights expected of them, I tip them to progress.

Germany v Italy

Dubbed the glamour tie of the round, Germany are yet to concede a goal in the tournament having defeated Northern Ireland and Ukraine 1-0 and 2-0 in the group stage, goalless draw with Poland and a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Slovakia in the round of 16. Only selecting 1 striker in Mario Gomez could prove a tricky issue particularly against the Italians as Joachim Low has experimented with Mario Gotze up front in a false nine position with minimal success. The introduction of Gomez up top against Northern Ireland gave Germany a cutting edge and the scoreline could have been anything, if it wasn't for the exploits of Michael McGovern in the Northern Irish goal.

Antonio Conte has proved the doubters wrong once again by masterminding a 2-0 victory over the holders, Spain. Another masterplan will need to be conceived if Italy are to defeat the World Champions. Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli have patrolled the backline orchestrated by Juve team mate, Gianluigi Buffon and another top performance will be required if Italy are to win. Italy's siege mentality has produced some memorable games and has neutralised sides who are perceived to play 'attractive football.' The rotations made by Conte in the final group match against Ireland could prove crucial, particularly if the game goes the full distance. The bookies tip Germany however this match has the makings of being settled on penalties, with the Germans coming out on top.

France v Iceland

Despite topping Group A and defeating the Republic of Ireland 2-1 in the round of 16, the hosts have not been convincing, but find themselves in a favourable quarter final tie against Iceland. Two goals from Antoine Griezmann overturned a 1-0 deficit in the second half against Ireland and the dismissal of Shane Duffy allowed them to consolidate their lead. Dimitri Payet's creativity has been a major positive, and will play a big part in the match against Iceland. Laurent Koscielny and Adil Rami looked nervy, particularly in the first half against the Irish and this will be highlighted by the Icelandic side as a possible area to exploit. 

Iceland, like Wales, are exceeding all expectations. Armed with Aron Gunnarsson's long throw, they posed plenty of problems for England who didn't have the answers. Many thought the 1-1 draw against Portugal would be the highlight of the trip, but Lars Largerback and Heimer Hallgrimsson have had other ideas, guiding their side to a quarter final in their first tournament. They are very hard to break down, just ask any of their group stage opponents and are adept on the counter. Against England they showed that they can play some football, but have a major strength at the set piece. France are a better side than England so I expect them to learn from the mistakes that England made and expect them to qualify. Iceland can be proud of their achievements of everything that they have achieved and have written a great story in the year of the underdog.

Chicharito fires Real Madrid into the Semi Finals

Real Madrid pursue a second consecutive Champions League title, while Arda Turan's dubious red card halts Atleti's progress

Manchester United loanee Javier Hernandez, will have put his face in the shop window tonight with his very late winner that he scored the goal to send Los Blancos into the last four.

Despite several changes, Real Madrid were able to dominate the opening 20 minutes, but were unable to breach the typically disciplined Simeone side. Atleti did have their share of pressure, with Koke and Griezmann finding holes in behind the defence.

With the half time whistle blowing when the game remained scoreless, it was a game that wasn't very exciting, but fascinating nonetheless. Gamez had a shot saved by Casillas, while Ronaldo scuffed one wide before firing straight at Oblak when he really should have done better. Atleti conceded fouls to break up the game and frustrate Madrid and it was certainly working for the visitors.  

The second half started at a frenetic pace with Hernandez pulling a glorious chance across the face of the goal. The visitors were swinging balls into the box, but Real's defence dealt with them. Ramos found himself unmarked inside the box after a Ronaldo cross, but was unable to steer the ball to either side of Oblak. Likewise, a Koke header was straight at Casillas.

The tie swung in the favour of the Royals when a high foot from Arda Turan earned him a second yellow card. Real were able to make the extra man count, when Ronaldo squared the ball to Chicharito to give Real their first victory over Atleti this season.

Real Madrid's title defence continues as they march into the semi finals at the dispense of their city neighbours.

Man of the Match

I thought both Godin and Miranda had exceptional games, but my man of the match has to go to the match winner, Javier Hernandez. He ran every lost cause and was rightly rewarded with the winning goal.

The Time to Shine for the Old Lady

For all their domestic dominance in Serie A, Juventus have been less than impressive in Europe over recent years. Now however, they have received a favourable draw, and could find themselves in their first semi-final since the 2002/2003 season.

Leading the Serie A by fourteen points with ten games to go, I'm sure Massimiliano Allegri is pretty confident that the Scudetto is staying in Turin and has the luxury of concentrating their efforts elsewhere. Having won the last 3 Serie A titles under fan favourite Antonio Conte, the value of domestic silverware is waning and Allegri will be hoping to restore Juventus back to the European Stage.

There is no reason why the Old Lady can reach a semi-final with a quarter final tie against Monaco. Fresh from a riveting win over Arsenal, The principality club will offer stiff opposition, not to be underestimated, as the Gunners found out in the previous round. From the first leg it was evident that the pace they have in Anthony Martial and Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco are devastating when playing on the counter attack and the unpredictability that Berbatov brings will ask Juve questions that need to be answered.

The away leg first will suit the Ligue 1 side better meaning that they know what they have to do when in the home leg. For Juventus they will have to combat the pace on the flanks, through Stephan Lichsteiner and Patrice Evra. Defensively, The Turin side are solid, particularly in the league, only conceding 14 goals in 28 games domestically. Not only this season, but over the past years, Juve have had an excellent defence, compared to those of the top European sides.

Similar to Juventus, Monaco also have an exceptional defence. Coach Leonardo Jardim has transformed the defence, particularly with Aymen Abdennour at the heart. The Tunisian was a star performer in the Arsenal tie and constantly put his body on the line for his club. The defence was well organised as Alexis, Welbeck, Oxlade-Chamberlain or Walcott never faced any one on ones. If Juventus' midfield can isolate Tevez or Morata with a defender, they will have the beating of them. With Juve likely to have most of the ball, they should hope to play the ball to the feet of Tevez and look for Morata to feed off him.

At home, I expect Juventus to record a positive result. In the league they have a near flawless record, blemished by the odd draw. Since October 2010, they have only lost twice, once on penalties in the Super Cup against Napoli in late December and the second in the Coppa Italia tie versus Fiorentina at the beginning of March. This is a phenomenal record, regardless of the quality of teams in the league. Monaco will find it very hard to leave Turin with a draw, never mind a precious victory.

In the away leg, if they get a good result at home, then Juventus can return back to their stereotypically defensive side that epitomised Italian football for many years. It's a risky strategy, but with the defensive prowess of the Old Lady, I wouldn't be surprised if they were able to pull this off. Monaco seemed comfortable sacrificing possession to Arsenal - they had 43% at the Emirates and 30% at home - so expect Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal and co. to dictate the tempo of the play. A victory for Juve would pose a difficult situation for Monaco as they may have to negate their defensive duties in search of a goal. This would suit Juve, particularly through the speed of Tevez, Morata and Lichtsteiner. 

Up front, they also have a bite. Carlos Tevez has proven a useful signing, scoring 16 goals. Alvaro Morata has edged out Fernando Llorente over the last few weeks, as he offers more mobility. Llorente is often used as a go to man whenever they are in great need of a goal. His height and physicality allows the wide men to swing balls into the air, and he often delivers.

The Madrid derby will undoubtedly overshadow this, but I look forward to this just as much. Juventus adopt a 4-3-3 formation instead of the standard 3-5-2/5-3-2 that we were used to seeing during the Conte era. A 4-3-3 will match up against Monaco, who play a similar formation. Lichsteiner loves to get forward on the right, and this could be somewhere which Monaco may be able to exploit.

While Paul Pogba was an icon during previous season, his exploits this year have only added to his value. The young Frenchman is their linchpin and he will be at the centre of any European success in the next few years. Similarly, they have Kingsley Coman, a young attacker, highly rated in the Juve ranks. We know Tevez can unlock any defence as we know, and the defence is solid. It’s written in the stars for Juventus FC.

I would tip Juventus to progress to the semi-finals, as Monaco are a relatively young team, and this could be one step too far for the French side. As for the semis, I’m not convinced they are able to compete at the top level against the European elite. This is a massive opportunity for Juventus and Turin will be bouncing when Les Monegasques visit on the 14^th April.

Champions League Quarter Final Draw 2015

For the second time in three years the Champions League Quarter Final round will be an English free zone. Eight teams make up the four ties with the marquee match being the rematch of last years final, an all Madrid derby. Here, I'll offer you my predictions as to how I think this round will pan out.

Paris Saint-Germain v Barcelona

Both teams met against each other in the group stages with each side picking up a victory. PSG have two team of the year centre backs, but Messi and co will be looking to exploit this considering David Luiz is likely to play. The first leg in Paris will suit PSG, as a positive result would mean they have everything to go and defend for in the Nou Camp. For Barcelona they will definitely target Luiz and try to pull him out of position and this shouldn't be too hard considering the wealth of talent at the disposal of the Catalan giants. Both sides play similar 4-3-3 formations with Marco Veratti playing similar role to Sergio Busquests in the middle of the park. I do think the first leg will be a tentative, cagey affair with the game in the group stages fresh in Barca minds and PSG not wanting to concede an away goal. I think PSG will come win at home, leaving a enthralling encounter to be had at the Nou Camp but I do believe Enrique's Barca will come through the tie as their class and panache will be evident in the second leg.

Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid
Atleti want to banish those memories of Lisbon 2014 when Real ran riot in extra time to score three unanswered goals and clinch La Decima. For Real, they want to avenge the 4-0 drubbing their opponents dished out last month in February. Atleti know how to beat their City rivals, having only lost to them once in the last seven matches. The Rojiblancos scraped through a tie against German side, Bayer Leverkusen on penalties and will certainly need to play a lot better if they are going to out muscle their city counterparts. As for Los Merengues, a comfortable away win against Schalke was enough to secure a victory in the tie even though they lost in the home leg. Madristas expressed their frustration at the final whistle of the game with the waving of white tissues in the air. Carlo Ancelotti will now be feeling the pressure. It's predictable how Simeone will line up his side, defensive and solid - not looking to concede and looking to punish on the counter. Ronaldo and co. will have the majority of possession but it will be what they do with the ball that determines the outcome of the tie. I will not be surprised if this goes the full distance but do think Atleti will edge out Real and hammer the final nail into the coffin of Carlo Ancelotti.

Porto v Bayern Munich
On paper this match looks incredibly one sided, but having rarely witnessed Porto play, it's difficult to say whether this is true or not. A draw for Porto in the first leg, preferably goalless, would deny Bayern the away goal which could be a deciding factor in the tie. . By the time the tie comes around, Bayern will be able to rest a few key players in domestic fixtures in order to prepare for the game. On the other hand, Porto have everything to play for in the Portuguese league and they trail Benfica who are on top of the pile by four points. The Portuguese side have a few useful operators in their ranks, including Casemiro, the loanee from Madrid, Bruno Martins Indi and Jackson Martinez. Casemiro is a sturdy defensive midfielder with a useful shot on him, but his discipline can let him down sometimes. Up front, Martinez is an experienced striker who knows where the goal is. I am confident in predicting a comfortable Bayern win and passage into their fourth semi final in since 2010.

Juventus v Monaco
Probably noted as a tie that not many will take an interest in, I think Juventus versus Monaco has to be taken seriously. It's a tie that both sides have the potential to win. Juventus have completed domestic domination in Italy, but have not been able to translate their supremacy in Serie A to Europe.  At the start of the season, Monaco were faltering and losing games, now however, Leonardo Jardim has turned them into a defensively solid unit - they have just lost three of their last 23 games in all competitions in regulation time, conceding just nine goals over that spell. Impressive. Juventus are also defensively solid, having kept nineteen clean sheets already this season and haven't conceded since a 2-1 home loss against Fiorentina on 5th March. Monaco have pace in Fererra-Carrasco and Anthony Martial up front, mixed with the guile and charisma of Dimi Berbatov. It will be interesting to see how this progresses against, Chiellini and Bonucci. Paul Pogba has been majestic this season and is certainly the jewel in the Old Lady's crown, but Monaco have a similar type of player in Geoffrey Kondogbia. I'm looking forward to this tactical tie, and think the match winners in Tevez and Pogba will keep the Italian flag flying in this years edition.

For the likes of Monaco and Porto, not many people expected them to get to the quarters and be in with a shout. I don't think we will see any exceedingly one sided ties in this round, and there is the possibility of an upset. Even if Monaco do not progress, they will have reached expectations in the tournament and with a young squad, it won't be the last we hear of them. First leg ties will be played the week commencing the 13th April with the return legs on 22nd April.

Champions League Quarter Finals

We are now into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and yet again, the draw has thrown up some exciting spectacles. A difficult day in store for United, a pleased Mourinho and a crunch match at the Bernabeu sums up the draw.

Manchester United v Bayern Munich

Arguably the weakest team left in the competition, Manchester United scraped through a tie against Olympiakos to face a mighty Bayern side, a side that won the treble last year. Bayern will be expected to comfortably dispatch this ageing, under-performing United side. However, this may work to the favour of the Red Devils. The label of underdogs enables them to play without pressure and freedom. With the inadequacies in the defence, United will not be able to sit back and absorb pressure, so risky football may be in store for the encounter. By doing this, anything can happen and they may sneak a result. After all, Man United are at their most dangerous when they are written off. On the contrary, Bayern Munich have been unstoppable this season. Unbeaten in the league, they possess a formidable defence and a potent attacking force. For me, Bayern to progress.

PSG v Chelsea

The other English team in the competition find themselves drawn against Zlatan Ibrahimovic's PSG. It is certainly not the hardest draw, and it gives them a chance of progressing to the next round. Especially playing away first, Mourinho will be hoping to come away with a draw, and then finish the tie off at Stamford Bridge. On his day, Ibrahimovic can be a handful for any defence so Chelsea will need to pay particular attention to him, which may leave spaces for the other attackers. Paris Saint Germain have lost just once this Champions League campaign this year against Benfica, but have recorded high scoring victories against Anderlecht, Leverkusen and Olympiakos. Mourinho has been in many quarter finals throughout his long prestigious career so he will have all the experience to pass to his players, unlike David Moyes. This is a tough one to call, but I believe Chelsea will narrowly defeat the Parisians. 

Barcelona v Atletico Madrid

Barcelona against Atletico Madrid will be a tight affair. Flying high at the top of La Liga, Atletico pose a threat to a side who will definitely be looking to rectify the abrupt exit in last year's competition. Barca wont breeze through this tie, particularly as Diego Simeone has constructed an onerous side and which has surprised many so far. In the last 16, Atleti brushed aside a poor AC Milan side, while Barca had the more difficult task of beating Manchester City. Los Colchoneros own a renowned striker in the form of Diego Costa who has 30 goals this season. While the tie will be competitive, I don't think the experience of Barcelona can be matched by Atletico. On the other hand, if Atletico can get a decent result in the first leg at the Nou Camp, then they stand a very good chance of qualifying in front of their own fans. Unfortunately for the Madrid side, I believe Barcelona have the experience and quality to defeat them.

Real Madrid v Borussia Dortmund

The final tie of the round is Borussia Dortmund versus Real Madrid, a replay of the semi final from last year. The previous result will spur Real onto get a positive result in which they were embarrassed in the first leg. It hasn't been an great season for Dortmund even though they are lying in 2nd position. Having lost 7 games in the league and 2 in the Champions League, Dortmund must be underdogs for the tie. I think that Madrid will overpower them. The combination of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale down the flanks and Luka Modric through the middle, has the potential to wreak havoc among this injury-stricken Dortmund side. The attacking prowess of Madrid in the previous round against Schalke emphasises the lightning pace of their counter attack, something which Dortmund must be aware of. Much like United, Dortmund scraped through their last 16 tie against Zenit which should have been a more comfortable affair.

All first leg matches will be played on 1/2 April with the second leg ties being played on 8/9 April.