Champions League Final Preview 2016

134 teams have been whittled down to the last two, in a repeat of the Lisbon final in 2014. Having clinched La Decima two years ago, a header from Sergio Ramos in injury time broke the hearts of Atletico Madrid to seal extra time, with Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring to allow Iker Casillas to lift the infamous trophy.

Both sides are aiming for their first trophy of the season, with neither toppling Barcelona who lifted the La Liga title almost two weeks ago. A shock defeat for Atletico at the hands of bottom side Levante in Week 37 ended their hopes thanks to a 91st minute goal from Giuseppe Rossi. A late Real Madrid surge coupled with a slump in form from Barcelona allowed them to get within an arm stretch, however despite a 2-0 win over Deportivo, Barcelona were able to defeat Granada 3-0 to pip their historic rivals to the post.

Real Madrid had a relatively stress free trip through the group stage, only dropping two points in a scoreless draw at the Parc-des-Princes against PSG. Free scoring going forward, they were water tight at the back, conceding just three goals all of which came in a 13 minute period at the end from Shakhtar Donetsk to leave the final score 4-3. An annihilation of Malmo was undoubtedly the most memorable point of the group stage in the last game thanks to four goals from Ronaldo, a hat trick from Karim Benzema and a goal from Mateo Kovacic.

A 2-1 defeat to Benfica and a nil-nil draw to Astana were the only blemishes on the card of Atletico Madrid in the group stage. The fiery atmosphere of the Turk Telecom Arena in Istanbul was matched with two unanswered Antoine Griezmann goals and the French forward dealt the same blows in the return fixture. Astana were also swept aside with Oliver Torres, Saul Niguez and Jackson Martinez getting on the score sheet.

Real Madrid were in complete control against AS Roma in the Round of 16 running out 4-0 winners on aggregate, while Atletico needed a penalty shoot out to separate themselves from Dutch side, PSV. Los Blancos nearly suffered a surprise shock in the Quarters, with Wolfsburg taking a surprise 2-0 lead into the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, however a Cristiano Ronaldo hat trick prevented an upset. Atletico had a significantly tougher challenge in the way in the shape of holders Barcelona. Fernando Torres' away goal was vital in the first leg, with Antoine Griezmann netting a header and scoring an 88th minute penalty to knock the holders out.

Both sides had semi final matches against very tough opposition. Real faced Manchester City while their neighbours faced favourites, Bayern Munich. A stunning goal from Saul Niguez gave Los Rojiblancos a lead after the first leg at the Vicente Calderon while their neighbours stood strong at the hands of Manchester City. Gareth Bale's deflected cross was enough to book his side's place in Milan while Atletico showed discipline and determination that they are fabled for to cling on to a victory on away goals, with Antoine Griezmann once again popping up in the right place at the perfect time.

A vital cog in the Atleti wheel that is rolling to Milan, Antoine Griezmann no doubt remains Diego Simeone's main attacking outlet. The former Real Sociedad player has already netted 7 times for his side in the competition this year as well as a further 22 goals in the league campaign. Griezmann is lethal on the break, with the pivotal goal coming from a swift counter attack at the Allianz Arena. The Real centre halves will certainly have their hands full. The work rate of Koke and Gabi in the midfield are the biggest positive for Simeone particularly as both will do their defensive duties but will also look to create the chances for the forward men. At the back, Atleti have a severely underrated keeper in Jan Oblak, as well as the experienced heads of Diego Godin and Juanfran.

It's hard to pick out which of Real's 'Galactico-esque' signings is the most important, but the chalice must be handed to Cristiano Ronaldo. With 16 goals in the competition, the Portuguese winger is 7 ahead of his nearest competitor. At 31 years of age, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down and has broke almost every record at the club in his 7 short years there. When marking him out of the game, Atletico would run the risk of opening up space for his team mates and he is professional enough to allow this to happen. Pepe and Sergio Ramos are crucial for the ten times champions on Saturday evening. Despite a decent defensive record in the competition, there has been times when they have looked shaky, particularly in the match at the Etihad stadium.

Both Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane are icons at their respective clubs. With Florentino Perez looking the Frenchman to emulate Pep Guardiola, Zidane was promoted from manager of Castilla to first team manager upon the sacking of Rafa Benitez in January. It has been a good six months for the rookie and Saturday could see the former play-maker cap it off with a victory. Unlike Zidane, Diego Simeone has the experience of managing his side in a major final, albeit a losing one. Simeone wrote the ultimate underdog story two seasons ago when he successfully guided his side to their first Spanish league title since 1996. Simeone has built his side in a model of himself - hardworking, physical, dedicated but also willing to bend the rules when necessary. Simeone stands on the touchline orchestrating every move his players make with passionate instructions, almost like playing a game of FIFA on the Xbox. A very animated coach, it is almost as if Atletico are playing with 12 players.

While only a short 20 minute car journey down the M-30 separates the sides, their style of play are polar opposites. Atletico Madrid are a well drilled side that are very difficult to break down as Barcelona and Bayern Munich found out in the previous rounds. Their rivals often rely on the individual brilliance of the stars within their ranks and are often a lot more fluid in their approach. Real will have the majority of possession without a doubt, but Atletico are experts at winning football matches with less possession. Their triumph in the Vicente Calderon over Bayern Munich only required 31% while 28% was enough to see off Barcelona in the second leg. Zinedine Zidane's men could do no worse than scoring an early goal within the opening quarter of the game, forcing Atleti to become a bit more adventurous. Likewise, if the first goal goes to Griezmann and co, it heaps an enormous amount of pressure onto their opponents.

I fancy Atletico to win their first European Cup. The agonisingly defeat in 2014 will stand them in good stead for the match on Saturday. Since that defeat, Simeone and his side have progressed and the match at the weekend will be an indication as to whether they have learnt from previous lessons.

Champions League Semi Final Predictions

It was a rather pleasing three out of four correct results for the Champions League Quarter Finals, with only the Atletico v Barcelona tie letting me down. The competition has been whittled down to just 4 teams, with just another three matches remaining until they get their hands on that illustrious European title.

Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich

I would fancy Atletico Madrid if they had the away match first, particularly as how it worked so effectively against Barcelona. Pep Guardiola is in the hunt for his first European title in his last year with this Bayern side, and he will undoubtedly make this the priority. Bayern play an efficient style of play similar to Barcelona and can be lethal on the break. Robert Lewandowski has been in red hot form this year and he will need to rely on all of his goal scoring instinct if he is to penetrate a very strong defence.

Looking at Atletico Madrid, they delivered a masterclass in how to counter attack against Barcelona something which Bayern will need to be very aware of. Antoine Griezmann is lethal along with Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco. Captain, Diego Godin will undoubtedly make his presence felt, while Fernando Torres is beginning to recapture is form. A very interesting battle that could tilt the game is the one in the midfield between Koke and Gabi of Atleti and Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso of Bayern. If Bayern win or achieve a score draw in the first match, I would expect them to go through, particularly as Atleti would be chasing the game away from home.

With Barcelona having lost the last three league games until the 8-0 demolition of former Champions League semi finalists Deportivo, it threw the race for the division title wide open with Atleti sitting level on points with the Catalan giants. In the league, Atleti have conceded the least amount of goals (16) with Barcelona their closest competitors 13 adrift. Bayern have a comfortable 7-point buffer on Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Like their opponents, they have conceded the least amount of goals in the league (14), but are also joint top scorers with 72. With Barcelona out, many will tip Bayern Munich as favourites to lift the trophy.

Manchester City v Real Madrid

Manchester City become the first English side since Chelsea in the 2013/2014 campaign. Undoubtedly they will be underdogs, particularly with their unpredictable league campaign of late. Vincent Kompany will play a big part, whether or not he is on the pitch as he has drastically improved City when fit. With Manuel Pellegrini being replaced by Pep Guardiola in the summer, the Chilean will want to go out with a bang, having already secured the Capital One Cup title in March. Like the other semi final, if City had the away match first I would fancy them as I don't see them keeping a clean sheet away from home. Kevin De Bruyne was an excellent purchase by Pellegrini and has been one of the stand out performers contributing 15 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for City this season.

On their day, Madrid will rip any team to shreds and are very dangerous on the counter attack. Cristiano Ronaldo has notched up 47 goals in just 44 games this season as well as assisting 15 times and just another 3 goals will mean that he has scored 50 goals in a season for the 6th year in a row. It's one thing about planning to stop him but actually doing it is a completely different thing. Gael Clichy will certainly have his hands full. Toni Kroos is an expert at controlling the game from midfield and it will be interesting to see if they can dominate possession against a useful City midfield. Like David Silva, James Rodriguez and Isco Alarcon tend to roam about making it very difficult for the opposition to mark. City have their work cut out to prevent this potent attack from firing Madrid to the final. 

Manchester City's league season is virtually over with the side sitting in fourth and just looking to consolidate Champions League football for next year. Fifth place Manchester United are snapping at their heels and just sit two points behind. This poor position most likely played a part in the downfall of Manuel Pellegrini, but he would be able to salvage a bit of pride with a trip to Milan on the 28th May. As for Madrid, what was looking like a disappointing season has all of a sudden sparked into life. They looked down and out of their domestic league, 12 points behind their Catalan rivals, however the 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Nou Camp seemed to be the catalyst and 4 matches later, find themselves just one point behind the holders.

We have two ties that are quite close to call, even though it would be easy to pick out the favourites. I do think that Real Madrid will be able overcome Manchester City, helped by the second leg in the Santiago Bernabeu in front of their own fans. Atletico Madrid v Bayern Munich is one that could go anyway. Atletico will take confidence that the Bavarians play a similar style of football to Barcelona, but at the same time it will still be very difficult. If Atletico can keep a clean sheet at home then I do think they will win, however Bayern remain my favourites to progress.

What will 2016 have in store for football?

We've got all of the 'New Year, new me' pleasantries, where we announce our plans to hit the gym more often or be a better person. Now that those are all out of the way, what will 2016 have in store for us football fanatics?

The headline act will be the European Championships in France commencing on the 10th June. It won't be the same as any other competition mostly down to the extra teams added. For me, this will be the second international tournament that I will have covered, having done the World Cup over a year and a half ago. Unfortunately I'll have to settle to watching it from the comfort of my living room, due to other commitments but it promises to be an intriguing competition. The world champions, Germany will undoubtedly be favourites, however they did suffer several set backs losing to both Poland and the Republic of Ireland in qualifying. France will back themselves on home turf, and rightly so, while Spain will also be up there and will look to bounce back after a poor World Cup. Although not at a match, I will be in Marseille for the end of the tournament so will be rooting for the French if Northern Ireland are shocked and dumped out in the early rounds. My opinions on the group stage are available here...

Probably not so special to 2016, but the Champions League is not failing to live up to expectations. Barcelona are bidding to be the first side to retain the trophy and are looking very strong. I am crying out for a Barcelona v Bayern final. Pep Guardiola will be after revenge for last years semi final, while the Bavarians are looking imperious in the league. If the sides do meet, neither leg will be as one sided as the match at the Camp Nou last season. For the English sides, Man City look the most likely to progress and could be flying the flag for the Premier League at the conclusion of the last 16 ties, while Juventus have their work cut out if they are to replicate their exploits of last season. A few dark horses have emerged and could possibly trouble the bigger sides in the later rounds. I tip Wolfsburg, Atletico Madrid and possibly Benfica to do just that. Check out my prediction for the last 16 here.

Looking at the Premier League, we are treated to another enthralling season. This year, we have seen Leicester City capitalise on the inconsistencies of the top 6. It will be interesting to see if The Foxes can keep up their title charge and finish in the top 4. While the Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez grab all of the headlines, all the team have been doing their bit. Defensively they have been very solid with Wes Morgan a rock, and Kasper Schmeichel producing wonderful performances. While Leicester look good, the rest of the 'big sides' have work to do if they are to come out victorious in May. Arsenal have the inform Mesut Ozil, but lack consistency, a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Southampton evidence of this. Liverpool are in the process of rebuilding under Jurgen Klopp while City are struggling to grab the bull by the horns. United don't look like they will mount a title challenge yet and Chelsea are recovering after sacking Jose Mourinho. The quality of football leaves somewhat to be desired but it sure is exciting.

Serie A is also shaping up nicely. Internazionale lead proceedings with 39 points while Fiorentina and Napoli follow in second and third respectively a point behind. Fourth sees holders Juventus on 36 points while Roma are a further 3 adrift. Sassuolo are performing beyond all expectations in sixth place despite the sales of Simone Zaza and Jasmin Kurtic in the summer transfer window. Juventus took only nine points from their first eight games but have recovered and are currently in the middle of an eight match win streak since their defeat against Sassuolo. The champions are back and will probably remain favourites to lift the Scudetto at the end of the season. I've watched quite a few Inter matches this season and have been very impressed with the style of football Mancini's men are playing. I wrote a piece on both Milan sides earlier in the season, but since then AC Milan have drifted down the table. They don't score many goals, but they're defensively solid, conceding only 11 goals in the league to date. Napoli are playing a very attractive brand of football but lack consistency and this was evident in their 2-1 victory over Torino.

I would have normally published an article on the Ballon D'Or at the start of December, however this got postponed due to various educational reasons. The finalists this year are again, quite predictable. Lionel Messi will undoubtedly be the favourite to win his fifth Ballon D'Or award. The Argentine forward contributed 43 league goals to his side's victorious La Liga season another 10 as he secured Barcelona's Champions League title. Barca team mate, Neymar joins Messi on the short list, but is most likely there to make up the numbers. Nevertheless the 23 year old Brazilian has had super 2015. Despite in Messi's shadow, Neymar scored 39 goals in 51 games and has frightened many defences with his dribbling and pace. Cristiano Ronaldo topped the La Liga goal scoring charts with 48 and did tie with Messi for Champions League goals, however the Argentine received the award for top marksman due to his superior number of assists. Ronaldo also surpassed the great Alfredo di Stefano and Raul to become Real Madrid's top goal scorer.

2016 is just a week old and we've already had the first managerial casualty. Zinedine Zidane took the poisoned chalice upon himself after Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez, fired Rafa Benitez after a 2-2 draw away to Valencia. A Madridista through and through, Benitez left with dignity, releasing a very emotional statement thanking everyone for the opportunity to manage at his boyhood club. The former Liverpool and Chelsea manager will not have any trouble finding work in the short term due to his decorated CV at different clubs over Europe. At the start of his tenure at Santiago Bernabeu, I thought that he would do a decent job and would bring solidity to a Real Madrid defence that often let them down last season. Instead, he sold Asier Illaramendi and refused to bench some of the Galacticos in order not to upset higher powers at the club, which led to his downfall. Zidane takes the reigns, but don't be surprised if they change hands before the year is out.

Football never fails to throw up a few surprises and I certainly expect many to happen before the close of 2016. Let me know your thoughts on 2016 or any memories that you wont forget from 2015.