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.

PSG - Serial Underachievers in Europe?

PSG had the Ligue 1 title all sewn up before they even took on Manchester City in the Champions League Quarter Final with a record margin. Currently sitting 30 points clear of Olympique Lyon in 2nd place, the side from the province of Rhone-Alpes are closer to the relegation zone than they are to the league leaders, a testament to the monopoly the Parisians have over the league. Despite all this domestic success, they are still perennial underachievers on the European stage.

Since their domestic success started in 2012-2013 with their first league title in 19 years, it is safe to say that PSG have been labelled as the 'nearly-men.' They have all the right tools, but just can't utilise them on the big stage. For the fourth time in a row, they have failed to progress pass the Quarter Final stage. How can side with world-class players such as Angel di Maria, Edinson Cavani, Thiago Silva, Marco Verratti and the notorious Zlatan Ibrahimovic constantly fail?

Admittedly last year, they faced Barcelona in the quarter final stage, a team that were right on the top of their game and eventual treble winners. They were beaten by a much more cohesive and well drilled side 5-1 on aggregate with the damage being done with a 3-1 loss in the first leg at the Parc des Princes. 

Yet just this year, they had a great chance of defeating Manchester City and progressing to their first semi final in this short spell. Despite the deciding goal from Kevin de Bruyne being a cracker, PSG coughed up too many chances in the away leg including an unconverted penalty opportunity caused by a stray pass from Serge Aurier. Equally, an error was capitalised on by Fernandinho in the opening leg, who threaded a ball through to de Bruyne and the Belgian opened the scoring in the tie. The second goal could also have been prevented but it levelled up the first leg and gave Manchester City two away goals.

In Marco Verratti they possess one of the world's brightest midfield prospect. Only aged 23, he has already made 105 league appearances as well as a further 29 in Europe. Even as one of the younger players in the French champion's side, so much of the play goes through him. Not only is he a quality passer of the ball that has been compared to the great Andrea Pirlo, but he also as a decent defensive side to his game, averaging 2 defensive actions per game this season. It will be interesting to see in the near future if more failings in the Champions League whether Verratti will jump ship to Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

Player performance wise, Angel di Maria has recaptured the form he displayed while at Real Madrid, while Ibrahimovic, at the tender age of 34 is still banging in goals for fun, 34 in the league this season. Edinson Cavani is an able strike partner for the Swede contributing 28 goals and 4 assists to the cause. It has however been rumoured in the past that the pair do not get on. Just last season, both were pictured becoming increasingly frustrated with each other, reaching the point where Ibrahimovic refused to pass the Uruguayan the ball on a simple two-on-one with the keeper and instead squandered the chance. It has been argued that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is holding the side back and this reasoning sounds very plausible

Too little domestic competition?
Everyone quickly jump to suggest that the lack of competition in the league will play a factor with the performances in Europe and I totally agree. It is human nature for players to ease of the gas when they are 3 or 4 goals up. In four of the last six league games this season, PSG have scored four goals. Against the bottom side, Troyes, they netted 9 times. scoring three goals in the opening 20 minutes. It's not surprising that if a side continually relaxes after 60-70 minutes, then it will become a vicious circle where they will struggle to concentrate mentally for the full match.

Poor manager?
There has been speculation of a change at the helm with the recent Champions League exit. Laurent Blanc has not had the toughest of jobs with PSG, particularly with having a budget bigger than any of the Ligue 1 competition. However, dealing with the amount of egos that he has to, he has to be credited. Blanc has been rumoured with the Manchester United job, however Jose Mourinho appears to be the most likely recipient if Louis Van Gaal does decide to retire. He has played the same tactic in Europe where they have been less effective. The 4-3-3 with either Ibrahimovic or Cavani up top and Angel di Maria on the flank, has been useful in the group stages, but they need to play a bit more conservative against the sides with more quality. It is likely that they wouldn't have the most possession so it would be more sensible to sacrifice an attacker to put another in midfield.

Are they likely to win the competition in the next 3 seasons?
I think they will eventually break their duck of not being able to qualify for the semi finals of the Champions League in the near future. Generally over the last years they have been unlucky with the groups that they have been placed in - Real Madrid in this year's group and Barcelona last year. As well as this they generally have been unlucky in the knock out rounds, receiving Manchester City in the quarter finals this season when they could have got Benfica or Wolfsburg. If PSG build up some momentum with good results in the group stage, coupled with fortunate draws in the next two rounds, it is very possible that they would have the confidence to defeat the big sides when the competition gets serious. I do believe with the quality of the players in the side, PSG will be crowned European Champions in the not too distant future.

Having been given the vote of confidence by the board this season, Laurent Blanc will remain in charge of PSG for the summer at the bare minimum. However the pressure must be building as they look to break their streak of bad fortune and enter into Europe's elite. 

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.

There is no 'Right Way' to play Football

Despite being the pre-tournament favourites to be the first side to retain the Champions League, the attacking threat of Messi, Suarez and Neymar was nullified and two Antoine Griezmann goals were enough to send Atlético Madrid through. The main talking points about the match were undoubtedly the two hand ball incidents involving Andrés Iniesta and Gabi, which referee Nicola Rizzoli adjudged the latter to have been outside the box.

The 'proper way' to play football was a phrase coined around the time when Chelsea won the Champions League, by keeping a very rigid, defensive shape and hitting teams on the counter attack. Like Jose Mourinho and Roberto di Matteo who masterminded the victory, Atlético  play to their strengths and under the stewardship of Diego Simeone, they have done that brilliantly. Los Colchoneros don't play attractive football and haven't done since the Argentine took over, but what they do display is a great team work ethic and a siege mentality against sides that are perceived as superior in quality that is so refreshing to see. I love watching Simeone on the side lines as he displays the same passion as just an ordinary supporter on the touchline, he knows what that club is about.

Simeone had not defeated Barcelona in seven attempts since their victory last night, yet it is not surprising that he has masterminded an upset on the biggest of stages. Upon the final whistle, I noted, as did the pundits on BT Sport, that he marched straight down the tunnel, not partaking in any of the celebrations that the players were having with the Vicente Calderón faithful. He knows the hard work is only beginning if we wants to instill himself in Atléti history by going one step further than in 2013.

Antoine Griezmann got both of the goals last night, and with the recent news emerging that France will not be considering Karim Benzema for the Euros squad, there is a big chance that the former Real Sociedad winger could be finding himself leading the line. The first goal that 25 year old scored last night came out after a great run into the box matched by a cross with pin-point precision from Saul and was glanced into the back of the net, leaving Marc-Andre Ter Stegen no chance in nets. Barcelona were given a warning earlier in the game with Griezmann, remaining unmarked, heading a tame effort into the the safe clutches of Ter Stegen.

The second goal arrived courtesy of an Andrés Iniesta hand ball. Apart from the moment of shock with Iniesta committing a cynical and professional foul I thought Rizzoli should have brandished a red card to the Barcelona captain. The argument was made that Mascherano was able to get back on the line, therefore not making it a goal scoring chance, however I doubt that the Argentine would have been able to prevent a shot if Iniesta had missed the ball and Griezmann got a clear, first time shot off. Up steps the Basque player with a nervous look on his baby face to strike past the German keeper. It was a nervous penalty with Ter Stegen getting a paw to the ball, and some claiming that the keeper should have done better.

Atlético Madrid would run through brick walls for each other as well as their manager. This was evidenced once the second goal went in when the home side played very conservatively not giving Barcelona a sniff. Simeone was at his raving best with arms flailing everywhere in an attempt to gee-up the crowd to roar their heroes home. Godin followed suit, and led from the front with terrific defending as well as the odd cynical moment where he tried to wind his opponents up. The one moment that typified this side for me was when the captain made a surging run forward with the ball, only to lose out to Sergi Roberto and haul him to the ground to stop Barcelona from building an attack. Cynical yes, but it was effective as it allowed Atléti to regain their shape.

Simeone and his Atlético side have proved once again that there is no right way to play football like they did in the quarter final stage of 2013. No team will take this side lightly and they will fancy themselves against any of the other teams in this tournament.

Race for the BPL Title

With just 6 games left of the 2015-16 Premier League season, Leicester sit top of the table with a 7 point advantage over nearest rivals Tottenham. Just four more wins from their last games secures Premier League glory in what has been an astonishing team performance galvanised by the managerial expertise of Claudio Ranieri at the helm. Where does this leave the 'top four regulars'?

After a horrific start to the season, Roman Abramovich quickly waved the axe at Jose Mourinho to be replaced by Guus Hiddink. Since then Chelsea have rose up the league table and are now hunting for a spot in Europe. Despite the supporters not wanting to admit it, neither Manchester United and Liverpool are ready for a title charge and contain too much 'dead weight', evidenced further by either side not being able to topple Leicester and Spurs. The other side of Manchester have faltered too much and Pellegrini has rightfully paid the price by not getting his contract renewed at the end of the year. Admittedly, injuries have not helped, but with the quality in depth in the City set up, they really should be blowing the rest of the competition away.

That just leaves Arsenal. Currently sitting in 3rd place, a point off their North London rivals, this was Arsenal's year, to borrow the phrase, and yet again they have blown it. Arsene Wenger will be held to account even more than in previous years, where they had the ever-young excuse of 'we can't compete against Chelsea/United/City (delete as appropriate) who spend all around them.' At 8 points adrift, I don't see Arsenal catching Leicester particularly with tricky away matches to West Ham and Manchester City. Admittedly, it the rest of their fixtures are against considerably weaker opposition, most of which are currently battling relegation. Dropped points at the weekend will make it very difficult to catch up and even if they throw together a run of form, it could be a case of too little, too late for the Gunners.

Leicester City have been a breath of fresh air for the Premier League this season and have quickly endeared themselves into the hearts of everyone. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have ripped defences to shreds and are rightly at the top of the pile and much of this can be attributed to the managerial expertise of Claudio Ranieri, who possibly would not have been at the club had his Greece side not succumbed to back to back defeats to Northern Ireland and the Faroe Islands. Nobody could have predicted the mesmeric rise of Leicester City and I can even be quoted as to say that they will finish outside the top 6! A win at the Stadium of Light on Sunday secures the side Champions League football next season, and nice amount of money for the owners to hopefully put back into the club.

The real challenges start when the league concludes for the East Midlands club. Regardless whether they win the title or not, they will come under pressure to sell their key men such as Kasper Schmeichel, Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, N'Golo Kante among others. Ideally, I'm sure they would want to keep hold of most of their side and improve it with additions from the transfer window, but I don't think they would pass up on the opportunity to charge one of their rivals a fortune. After all, they got most of their players for pennies compared to the rumoured values of them currently. From a business aspect, it will be a win win situation.

On any other season, Spurs would be the side that everyone wants to win but they have been pipped to the post by Leicester. Spurs are beginning to reap the rewards of the signings that were acquired with the money gained from the sale of Gareth Bale. Nacer Chadli and Christian Erikson in particular have often gone under the radar in terms of performances. Erik Lamela blows hot and cold but on his day can be scintillating. It is often a frustration of mine that he cannot be more consistent and injury free as he has the talent to beat any defender on his day. Toby Alderweireld has been a revelation at the back having been bought from Atletico Madrid in the summer. Sent on loan to Southampton last year, the Belgian was constantly at the heart of the Saints' early run of form and has picked up from where he has left off.

Undoubtedly however, all the plaudits have been going the way of Dele Alli. The teenager was signed by Pochettino in February 2015 for an initial fee of £5m. Hindsight may be a wonderful thing but there will be many other sides kicking themselves at not purchasing the player. He announced himself to the stage with his first goal in the 1-1 draw against Leicester City, as well as scoring memorable goals against Crystal Palace as well as cracking strike in an international friendly against France. Like Leicester, Spurs have unearthed a lower league gem and one that has rose to be touted as one of the best English prospects. He will also be exciting to watch for English fans in the white jersey when playing at the European Championships this summer.

How will Spurs and Leicester fair in the transfer market and in the Champions League next season?

The club owners will be licking their lips at the prospect of Champions League football. From a financial point of view, they will receive €12m for competing in the group stage of the Champions League while also bagging a healthy €1.5m for each win and €500k for each draw.  On top of this, they have the added market pull of offering Champions League football. The money must be spent wisely, or else they will just descend back into mid-table mediocrity, particularly as the other teams around them will spend big. According to http://www.totalsportek.com/, the champions will collect just under £78.8m while the runners up will receive £77.6m and this is excluding television money. The managerial nous of Ranieri and Pochettino will be seriously tested as they aim to replicate what they have achieved this year.

The season is reaching an exciting climate and it is looking likely that we will have a new name on the Premier League trophy and I certainly look forward to see how the current top 2 sides approach the coming transfer market. 

Champions League Quarter Final Predictions

Rather surprisingly only Chelsea let me down in my predictions for the last 16 round. This time however, we have a few more ties which are a lot less clear cut. Wolfsburg reach the quarter finals of the competition for the first time in their history, as do Manchester City, and they face Real Madrid and PSG respectively. Bayern Munich face Benfica and Barcelona lock horns with Atletico Madrid in an all Spanish affair.

Wolfsburg v Real Madrid

Viewed as one of the easier ties that Madrid could have got, they will cast their minds back to last years semi final in which they were expected to defeat Juventus with relative ease. Under Deiter Hecking, the German club has come on leaps and bounds and deservedly have made it through to this round. Wolfsburg have invested the money received by the sale of Kevin de Bruyne very wisely, bringing in players such as Julian Draxler. Madrid will undoubtedly be favourites, but the pressure on Zinedine Zidane and his team will be immense, particularly as they sit 12 points adrift of Barcelona at the top of La Liga. I tip Real Madrid to win the tie in front of their own fans in the second leg, with Wolfsburg running the home side close and achieving a score draw in the first leg.

Bayern Munich v Benfica

Bayern survived an almighty scare against Juventus in the previous leg, with a late Thomas Muller strike saving Pep Guardiola's blushes and forcing extra time. Like Madrid, they will perceive this to be one of the better ties to get and I do expect them to progress. Both sides are fabled for their vociferous atmospheres and the return leg to the Estadio da Luz will send shivers down the spine as Benfica return to the quarter finals for the first time since 2012. Both sides sit top of their respective leagues with Benfica two points ahead of fierce rivals Sporting CP while Bayern lead Europa League quarter finalists, Borussia Dortmund by 4 points. Benfica are a strong outfit and they defeated Atletico Madrid 2-1 at the Vicente Calderon back in September. Although they cant be taken lightly, I do expect Bayern to have the tie sewn up in the Allianz Arena, however if the Portuguese side come away from the first leg with something, then anything is possible.

City v PSG

England's sole representatives in the quarter finals this year welcome French champions Paris Saint-Germain to the Etihad Stadium. Defeating Chelsea in the first knockout round, the Parisians are in the fortunate position of being able to rest their first eleven in the run up to the Champions League matches having secured the Ligue 1 title in record time with a 9-0 thumping over Troyes last week. However this could prove a negative, as it will prevent the side from getting any match practice with the league matches effectively being a dead rubber and could hinder them when pace increases in Europe. This match is finely balanced and gives Zlatan Ibrahimovic the chance to end his career in Paris in style having decided not to extend his contract. Manchester City have had a mixed season this year. With the league out of their hands and progress in the FA Cup halted in the 5th round, the Champions League represents the last opportunity for Manuel Pellegrini to get success as the City manager. I can see this tie going the distance with both sides struggling to break each other down. City to win on penalties.

Barcelona v Atletico

Last but certainly not least, Atletico meet tournament favourites, Barcelona in a repeat of the 2014 semi final. On that occasion, Atletico triumphed, but have not defeated the Catalan giants since in the 7 games since then, losing 6 and drawing 1. The Madrid side scraped through against PSV Eindhoven in the last round, courtesy of Juanfran netting the deciding penalty after enduring 310 minutes of goalless football. It is obvious that Atletico will look to frustrate and absorb Barca pressure and then hit the holders on the counter attack. This worked with aplomb in the last European meeting between the sides but they have struggled to stop the dreaded MSN trio from scoring in the matches since. I fancy Barcelona to win overall, but Atletico will definitely pose a different challenge to Arsenal in the previous round.

There are once again some very intriguing ties thrown up by the chiefs at UEFA, feel free to leave your tips on who you think will triumph and if there will be any shocks this season.

Ageing Like A Fine Wine: Aritz Aduriz Style

Midweek, 35 year old Aritz Aduriz scored one of the memorable goals in the Europa League. In this day an age, football relies on pace and power, normally associated with youth, but the Basque striker joins an elite club of players that effectively get better with age.

The Bilbao front man has been on fire for his club, scoring 88 goals in 121 games since he rejoined the Basque side from Valencia in 2012. That is quite a tremendous record for any striker. Aduriz is a poacher, not so much playing off the shoulder of the last defender, but more in terms only taking one touch to score. However he is partial to the odd spectacular goal, scoring a bicycle kick against Eibar in January.

This season, Aduriz has netted on 26 occasions, one behind the best player in the world, Lionel Messi and three more than Messi's partner in crime, Neymar. Admittedly though, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez are streets ahead in the goal scoring charts. Aduriz leads the charts when compared to any of the Barclays Premier League top scorers with Romelu Lukaku on 20 goals in all competitions and Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane on 19 goals. Surely there would have been a few Premier League sides that could have needed him this season?

Rather surprisingly, Aduriz has been scoring goals at a steady rate throughout his career. Playing at Valencia, Vallodolid and Mallorca, he has scored 27, 22 and 24 goals at each club respectively, not too bad when you consider the talent he was up against. With 26 goals so far and about a third of the season remaining, you wouldn't bet against him reaching 30 goals for the season.

Looking towards the Euros, he has certainly done his chances no harm in claiming a spot in France. In previous seasons, Aduriz has been faced with fierce competition, Fernando Torres, Fernando Morientes, Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata to name a few. His style of play wouldn't have resembled something which Vicente Del Bosque's Spain would have suited, favouring a more agile false nine, rather than the strong frame which Aduriz provides.

Based on form, he has to go, particularly as he has outscored Del Bosque's favoured trio combined of Paco Alcacer, Alvaro Morata and Diego Costa, falling four short of Aduriz' benchmark. There will be severe pressure put on Del Bosque by the Spanish media to select him and rightly so but he has been speaking highly of Aduriz's form so a call up is looking likely. He has represented Spain before, just once back in 2010 as replacing Fernando Llorente in the 77th minute of a Euro 2012 qualifier. While it won't be a debut in the Euros, it'll certainly feel like it.

His only honour as a player to date has been the Super Cup win against Barcelona in August 2015, but even then he scored a hat trick in a simply terrific performance against last season's treble winners. He has become an icon in Bilbao helped and further instated his name in the club's folklore with his performance during that match. With the Europa League 1st knockout round against Marseille poised in the favour of the Basque club at 1-0 with the home leg to come, Aduriz will be looking to fire Athletic Bilbao into the round of 16. Similarly, he will be looking to get his side's faltering league campaign back on track in a bid for European football next season.

The next time you are getting bossed about by a person 20 years your senior, you can always point to the tale of Aritz Aduriz - the fine wine that got better by age.

Emphatic Milan Win Derby Della Madonnina

Goals from Alex, Carlos Bacca and Mbaye Niang give AC Milan the bragging rights tonight in the Derby della Madonnina.

It was a very lively start in the Milan derby with both sides really trying to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. Inter debutant Eder had a great chance when a cross was flashed across the six yard box, but he couldn't hit the target with his header.

Juraj Kucka troubled the Inter back line with a surging run into the box. His driven cross tried to find Mbaye Niang, but Samir Handanovic got down low to intercept. Eder and Ivan Perisic were finding joy down the Milan right with a lovely flick releasing Perisic. The Croatian tried to find Jovetic but excellent positioning from Alex cleared the ball.

Ignazio Abate flashed a ball across the box, with Keisuke Honda in the box, but the Japanese international couldn't supply the finish and the ball was cleared for a corner. Moments later, Honda delivered a cracking cross to be met by the head of Alex and the big Brazilian nodded into the back of the net to break the deadlock.

At half time, both sides had plenty to reflect on. Inter were getting joy down the Milan left with Luca Antonelli often being left exposed while the Nerazurri did have chances to score in the opening half but were often fluffed wide. For the Rossoneri, they looked threatening on the counter attack and the next half would play into their hands as they would not have to commit bodies forward.

From the first whistle of the final half, young goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma got entangled with Eder and after shouts for a penalty were dismissed, Inter coach Roberto Mancini was sent to the stands. The referee performed admirably, as he respected the occasion and tried to let the game flow through playing advantage. He didn't brandish the first yellow card until the latter stages of the second half.

As the half progressed, Inter began to force the game more leading to more and more sloppy errors. Their hosts seemed comfortable as they hadn't created a meaningful chance in the 20 minutes however they got a golden chance from the spot minutes later. Mauro Icardi got a shot off from inside the box that forced a terrific save from Donnarumma in nets. On the rebound, the official behind the goal adjudged Alex to have fouled the Inter captain. From the spot, the 16 year old stood strong and watched Icardi thump the post with his shot.

The game was put further out of reach in the 73rd minute. Niang had the ball on the right flank and delivered a sumptuous ball into the 6 yard box which Carlos Bacca was happy to deflect past Handanovic in nets. Bacca had not really got into the game up until this point but popped up when required to provide the home side with a cushion.

The game was put out of Inter's sight with less than 15 minutes. Giacomo Bonaventura dispossessed Davide Santon to give Milan a three on two counter in the Inter half. The ball was shifted to Mbaye Niang, who dispatched the ball on the second attempt past Handanovic. Milan were more clinical than their rivals while Inter often squandered their opportunities.

AC Milan were simply terrific on the counter attack and thoroughly deserve their win. The game could have easily been a different story if Mauro Icardi had converted the penalty just before Milan's second goal. It's a massive three points for the Rossoneri as they continue their push for a top three finish. 

Juventus Maintain Winning Run at Samp Expense

Two of Italy's inform sides met in Genoa, but it was Juventus who came out on top to cut their gap to two points just behind Napoli at the top of Serie A

Juventus controlled the play early on with high pressing and got their reward when Paul Pogba used his chest to control before guiding into the back of the net. The Old Lady continued to threaten with Patrice Evra and Stephan Lichtsteiner getting further forward from the wing back positions and in turn, pinning Sampdoria's full backs in their defensive third.

Paulo Dybala was lively and often created space in the Samp defence. Allegri had given the little Argentine a free role and he was looking threatening from the home side's point of view. Dybala whipped a brilliant free kick in from far out on the right which was crying out for a flick by a Juventus player, instead, it missed everyone and forced a stretching save from goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.

Towards the end of the first half, Sampdoria had a good spell of possession. A free kick on the edge of the box was unable to beat the wall but Samps were beginning to string a few passes together and looked dangerous. Pressure off the ball made Juventus hurry and often concede possession. Nevertheless, it remained 1-0 to the away side at the break.

It took just over a minute into the second half for Juventus to score and it was Sami Khedira who poked the ball past the onrushing Sampdoria keeper. Paulo Dybala threaded a beautiful ball through to the German World Cup winner who supplied the finish. Juventus now looked comfortable and Sampdoria had a mountain to climb.

Juventus looked like adding to their score while Sampdoria struggled to pose any kind of a threat to the Juve defence at all. The home side had a glorious chance to get themselves back in the game when Antonio Cassano stood a love ball up to the back post, but Samp top scorer Eder couldn't hit the target. It really should have ruffled the back of the net.

Dybala had a strike bound for the bottom corner of the net expertly saved by the Sampdoria goal keeper which would have sealed the game. The home side gave the ball away cheaply in the midfield to Paul Pogba and they will be punished in the future.

Antonio Cassano halved the deficit in the 64th minute when he found the back of the net. This gave the home side momentum and confidence to grab the equaliser. Sampdoria continued to press, but Juve got possession of the ball and begun to take all of the momentum and pace out of the game.

Sampdoria were getting opportunities in the last 5 minutes of the game. Ervin Zukanovic just headed over from a free kick while Buffon plucked a dangerous cross out of the air shortly after. The comeback died when Niklas Moisander lunged in on Simone Zaza and was sent for an early shower in somewhat controversial circumstances. It looked a definite yellow, but the brandished straight red card left me perplexed as to what the logic of the referee was.

Juventus notched their ninth straight win in Serie A and now move to within two points of league leaders, Napoli. For Vincenzo Montella's Samps, they remain in 13th, eight points off relegation.

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.

Insigne Wonder Goal Helps Napoli to Victory

A sensational strike from Lorenzo Insigne and a goal from captain Marek Hamsik cancelled out Fabio Quagliarella's penalty in a Serie A clash at the Stadio San Paolo.

Going well in Serie A, Napoli had the first good chance of the game, falling to Jose Callejon. Daniele Padelli got down well to stop the former Real Madrid player from breaking the deadlock. The home side were playing some fantastic one touch football in the opening stages and another long shot from Callejon had Padelli at full stretch.

Lorenzo Insigne opened the scoring as the game approached 15 minutes. One touch passing between Gonzalo Higuain and Jose Callejon created space for Insigne, whose looping shot beat Padelli in nets. Napoli weren't letting their visitors have a moments rest, but the Turin side managed to force a fine save out of Pepe Reina when Fabio Quagliarella leaped highest after a cross from Cristian Molinaro.

Quagliarella's 11 game goal drought didn't last too long after that chance when he converted a dubious penalty awarded for a foul on Bruno Peres. It looked as if the ball was rolling harmlessly across the goal line while Faouzi Ghoulam lunged in. The tackle even looked like Peres had flopped over the defender's leg and fooled the referee. Credit must be given to Torino who risked everything by playing out from the back with Padelli dummying Insigne on the edge of his 6 yard box.

Torino's defence was poor for the majority of the opening half, and the match and they couldn't hold on until half time. Insigne found Marek Hamsik in between the centre backs and, despite the very narrow angle, found the back of the net via the legs of the Torino keeper. The dismay on the face of Torino coach, Giampiero Ventura, was a picture that summed up their half.

The second half started in a much slower tempo to the first with both sides not creating as many chances as the first half. 2-1 up, this didn't worry Napoli while Torino would have to throw more caution into the wind as the half progressed. Insigne had a great free kick that hit the cross bar and deflected over. It was a great strike and I don't think Padelli would have got to it had it been several inches lower.

Torino had their best chance of the half, when Maxi Lopez caught Kalidou Koulibaly napping at the back. The 31 year old Argentine surged into the box, but his squared ball was unable to find Afriyie Acquah. With 10 minutes left and still a goal down, Torino still looked unable to gain possession of the ball and therefore unable to throw men forward. Napoli were comfortable and it would be their own undoing if they were to throw their lead away. With exception to chances for substitutes Dries Mertens and Maxi Lopez, neither goal was significantly troubled in the closing moments of the game.

Bruno Peres continued his good form this match with him often beating his opposite number. The Brazilian has pace and trickery and I wouldn't be surprised if he moves to a club with a higher reputation in the future. Gonzalo Higuain had another good game in the sky blue of Napoli, and he will be key for Napoli if they are to win the Scudetto this season.

An excellent first half consisting of aesthetically pleasing football was succeeded by a second half of very patient and dull football. Napoli were content with the 2-1 victory while Torino didn't have the fire power to trouble their hosts.

Champions League Round of 16

Three teams from England and Spain make it through to the knockout rounds of the Champions League while Germany and Italy supply two sides each, while France, Belgium, Russia, Netherlands, Ukraine and Portugal contribute 1 each. 

PSG v Chelsea

History repeats itself with Chelsea once again facing PSG in the last 16 of the Champions League. The tables have definitely turned for the London side as they currently lie in bottom half of the Premier League table as opposed to the top of the table this time last year. Despite having acquired Angel di Maria this season and Edinson Cavani on fine form, I can honestly see Chelsea winning this tie. Because of their poor form in the league, there is a good chance that Chelsea will put all their eggs in the Champions League basket. It will be close and Chelsea will have to penetrate a defence that has only conceded once in Europe, but I predict the underdog to upstage the favourites.

Benfica v Zenit

Definitely not a tie that will grab many of the headlines, but Benfica come off the back of a second place finish behind Atletico Madrid. They have improved dramatically in Europe considering finishing rock bottom of their group last season scoring only 2 goals and winning only 1 game. Looking at Zenit, they topped the group fending off the likes of Lyon, who finished rock bottom and Gary Neville's Valencia who drop into the Europa League positions. It was definitely a shock for them to finish on top, and I would tip the Portuguese side to progress, however this represents a real opportunity for Zenit to put Russia back on the football map.

Gent v Wolfsburg

Like Zenit, KAA Gent surprised many people to seal a place in the last 16 for the first time in their history, finishing behind the Russian side in their group. Likewise, Wolfsburg are competing in their first knockout round in the Champions League and have never played a Belgian side in the Champions League before. Bas Dost is Wolfsburg's top goal scorer and the Belgian underdogs will have to be on form if they are to stop him also Max Kruse will be key for the German Cup holders creating 33 chances so far in this season. The German side will be clear favourites to progress and I tip the side to make the quarter finals.

Roma v Real Madrid

Real Madrid find themselves a point off the top of La Liga leaders, Barcelona and head coach Rafa Benitez is becoming under increasing pressure. In Europe they have been somewhat of a free scoring outfit, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 11 times in the group stage alone. They also had a solid defence throughout the group stage, conceding three goals, all of which were in the away leg against Shakhtar Donetsk. Roma have never kicked on under Rudi Garcia since pushing Juventus for the title 2 years ago. Miralem Pjanic is their creative player while there still is life in the old legs of Francesco Totti. I predict Madrid to qualify easily.

Arsenal v Barcelona

This is possibly the most intriguing tie. Arsenal have had terrible luck with draws in the last 16 over the last number of seasons and it doesn't get much harder than a tie against in form Barcelona. Having had a terrible start in Europe, some may say that the Gunners were lucky to progress, but they have players stepping up to the plate. I have been critical of Mesut Ozil over the years I have been blogging but he is finally showing what he is capable of. The game against Barcelona is a massive test and it will be key that the German does not squander possession. Barcelona need no introductions and possess the best attacking force in Europe. I do think that the Catalans have enough to see off the challenge of Arsenal but it will not be easy.

Juventus v Bayern Munich

Beaten finalists Juventus are recovering in the league having won all of their last 5 matches. Juventus are a good side and you would struggle to find a side that can hold a lead better than the Italian giants. Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich has strengthened since the last edition and they look good. Vidal has been ever-present in the midfield while signing Douglas Costa from Shahktar Donetsk has proved and inspired decision. Paulo Dybala is an exciting prospect for the Old Lady and I have watched him turn out for both Palermo and Juventus in the last 2 seasons. He is quick and has the potential to cause problems. I tip Bayern's strength in depth to overcome Juventus. 

PSV v Atletico Madrid

PSV beat a disappointing Manchester United side to the second placed spot. They will look back on a very good victory against the Manchester side in game week 1 and another well fought draw at Old Trafford. Former Newcastle United reject, Luuk de Jong is their top scorer this season with 13 goals. During the group stage, PSV scored 8 goals and conceded 7. Looking at their opponents, Atletico Madrid topped their group with relative ease, recording 4 wins and a draw. In the league, the Spanish side sits in 5th position, 4 points off Real Madrid in second and further point off the league leaders, Barcelona. I don't see PSV troubling the 2013-2014 runners up, with Atletico finishing the tie at Vicente Calderon.

Dynamo Kyiv v Man City
Dynamo Kyiv surprised many to pip Porto to the last spot that qualifies for the knockout rounds. The Ukrainians have some useful players including winger Andriy Yarmolenko who was ever present in the group stage. Kyiv are currently battling it out for the league title with arch rivals Shakhtar Donetsk, who failed to qualify from the group stage. Manchester City have had many unfortunate draws since 2010/2011, facing Barcelona last year and the year before in both times where they qualify from the group stage. City should be strong enough to beat the Ukrainian side, particularly with the second leg in front of the Etihad faithful.

Liverpool tie with Sion

A dull 0-0 game with very few highlights allowed Jurgen Klopp's side to top their Europa League group while FC Sion qualify for the knock-out rounds in their very first European tournament.

Despite a near mis-hap from Simone Mignolet in the first minute, Liverpool controlled the possession in the opening of the match and had a great chance when Brad Smith crossed the ball to Divock Origi who failed to finish. The Belgian was unmarked and coughed up a very good chance which should have been converted.

Liverpool were quite happy to give possession to FC Sion and the Swiss side were struggling to do anything with it. The game wasn't played at a particularly fast pace during the first half with both sides happy to let the other take take the initiative. Sion had a few half chances but Origi had another chance but the defender covered and blocked expertly.

Liverpool had another good chance when Adam Lallana skipped by a few Sion challenges into the box, but was starved of options and the chance petered out. The chance was created down the left by Ben Smith's overlapping runs and James Milner. This is where Liverpool could get in behind the Swiss defence but the end product was often lacking.

It was a pretty dull first half, with neither side really pressurising each other. Liverpool were already qualified while Sion only needed a point to guarantee qualification.

There was virtually nothing to report on in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but the arrival of Philippe Coutinho was imminent and the Brazilian had every opportunity to conjure something up in the free number 10 role. Recovering after a four week lay off, Coutinho would want to lay down a marker for future matches.

Sion had several set pieces most of which were wasted poorly. One was a training ground routine which allowed a Sion player to remain unmarked and attempt to get a decent ball in but it came to nothing. Origi had a chance when the ball was slid through to him. With the keeper baring down on him, the Liverpool man had to try and take the ball around him but the keeper got hands and diverted in elsewhere.

Coutinho broke through the middle in between the defence and midfield, and slid Roberto Firmino through but the first touch from his fellow countryman was poor and the ball rolled harmlessly out for a goal kick. Inside the last 10 minutes. Smith once again broke down the left before hitting a teasing ball into the box. Origi failed to get any meaningful contact on the ball as the keeper clutched to it harmlessly.

It was a game with a draw written all over it and I probably should have guessed this from the standings before the match. Needless to say that it finished 0-0, but the Swiss supporters were incredible as they witnessed their side qualified for their first ever knockout round in Europe.

Higuain Sends Napoli Top

A brace from Gonzalo Higuain proved enough to see off the challenge of Internzionale at Stadio San Paolo.

The action commenced 65 seconds from the kick off when Higuain belted in a goal from the edge of the box. While Inter may claim that Jose Callejon handled the ball, it would have been a very harsh decision if penalised. Jaison Murillo missed a good opportunity to clear the lines and would have prevented the goal being scored.

Inter were nervy and Napoli were creating good opportunities. Marek Hamsik dinked a ball into the box but Callejon couldn't supply a finish. This is the first time I've watched Napoli this season and the changes Maurizio Sarri has made are incredible. Napoli are more easy on the eye to watch with their fluid passing style of play and more importantly, they look like a cohesive team. Under Rafa Benitez they often conceded from winning positions and never looked settled.

Lorenzo Insigne and Hamsik were getting too much space in between the Inter midfield and defence. This allowed the Neapolitan defenders to slide balls through to the creative midfielders and when they turned and run at the Milanese defence, they looked vulnerable. Napoli were having all of the ball and when Inter did get possession, they looked lost and eventually conceded the ball back to their hosts. They looked like they missed Geoffrey Kondogbia in the middle of the pitch.

Inter had a glorious chance five minutes before the interval. It was the first occasion in which Adem Ljajic got on the ball and decided to run with it. He found himself on the right wing and hit a low ball into the box only for Ivan Perisic to scuff the shot wide. Inter don't create many opportunities or score goals so this one represented a golden chance for the Nerazzurri to level it up.

Things got harder for Internazionale when Yuto Nagatomo received his second yellow card. Nice play from Allan on the right allowed him to evade one challenge and give himself space and time to dink the ball over Nagatomo before being taken out. There was no doubt that it was a second yellow card and it gave Roberto Mancini some thinking to do over the break if his side are to remain at the top of the table this week.

In the second half, Napoli displayed all of the dominance they showed in the first half, but weren't as creative and free-flowing, largely down to Mancini's astute tactics. They limited Napoli by keeping Hamsik and Insigne quiet and the second half remained scoreless until the hour mark. Higuain netted his and Napoli's second when a hopeful long header from Raul Albiol caught Murillo and Miranda off guard. The former Madridista had enough speed and power to hold off the challenges before burying the ball past Samir Handanovic.

From out of nowhere, Adem Ljajic halved the deficit five minutes later. An error from Faouzi Ghoulam poked the ball into the path of the Serbian international before taking a touch and curling it into the bottom corner. The goal gave Inter the lift they needed but also meant that their hosts had to concentrate for the remaining 20 minutes. Marcelo Brozovic had a mazy run which opened up a shooting opportunity, but his shot did not hit the target.

Inter had possibly their best opportunity of the game when Ivan Perisic threaded a ball through to the goal scorer, Ljajic and with Jonathan Biabiany free at the front post, he tried to pull the ball back to the edge of the area only for it to be easily intercepted. This was a massive opportunity that would have certainly resulted in the net bulging it the 24 year old had made the correct decision. Despite the missed opportunity, Inter had silenced the San Paolo and dragged themselves kicking and screaming back into the match.

After a great chance from Ljajic, Higuain had a great opportunity to net his hat trick and put the game out of the sight of the Milanese side. He beat numerous straggling challenges in a mazy run and released a shot that was goal-bound only for a terrific save from Handanovic to foil the World Cup runner-up. At the other end, both substitute Stefan Jovetic and Miranda had excellent headers that almost equalised. Jovetic was denied by the post, while a full stretch Pepe Reina thwarted Miranda. The reaction on the face of the former Liverpool keeper was a picture of relief at the end of the game.

Napoli held on to go top of Serie A, while Inter can be pleased with a steely performance that almost snatched them a point. Napoli are an exciting team and Sarri will definitely have them competing for silverware at the end of the season.

Juve Cruise Past Palermo

Goals from Mario Mandzukic, Stefano Sturaro and Simone Zaza gave Juventus a comfortable victory in Sicily.

Palermo pressed high early on and looked to take the the game to their visitors. The high pressing caused some worry for Juve but they dealt with it well. The home side did have a chance inside the tenth minute when Vazquez broke on the counter, and found Oscar Hiljemark on the right edge of the box. The Swede fired over and didn't pose any threat to Gianluigi Buffon.

Stefan Sorrentino looked nervy in nets for Palermo, particularly in the opening 15 minutes of the match. He flapped at a few crosses that seemed relatively easy and this was something that Juve could exploit with the height of Mario Mandzukic in the box for the Turin side. Also, Juventus were getting joy through their wing backs, Juan Cuadrado and Patrice Evra who were being given space out wide, albeit for an offside flag or poor touch.

Leonardo Bonucci had a terrific chance after a Paul Pogba out swinging corner. The veteran defender was left unmarked but a poor connection with the ball and it sailed wide. Juve had another free header, this time from Palermo old boy, Paulo Dybala. The Argentine was unable to convert a golden opportunity.

At half time both sides had plenty to reflect on. Juventus had to take their opportunities that were given to them, while Palermo needed to pay more attention to Juve's win backs who were being keft one on one with their full backs. The home side also needed to capitalise on the break and be a bit more lethal.

The dead lock was broken 7 minutes after the restart when Paulo Dybala swung a tantalising ball into the box. Mario Mandzukic rose highest to nod past Sorrentino in nets. The goal had lifted the champions as they pressed Palermo and the Sicilians struggled to get any possession. 

The game continued in relatively the same vain. The first goal took the stuffing out of Palermo and they struggled to recover. Buffon was hardly troubled all night and despite being very well protected, I do think a slightly better team than Palermo could have tested and asked a few more questions of the defence.

The second goal killed the game with less than a minute to go. Paul Pogba rolled the ball into the feet of Stefano Sturaro who finished the shot into the bottom right corner of the net. Simone Zaza scored a third after a break from the half line. He played a one-two with Alvaro Morata before leaving the keeper no chance with his shot.

Juventus continue their resurgence as they move up to fifth position and just six points off the top of the table with two-thirds of the season to play. It has to be noted that the top three sides play tomorrow night, but the win for Juventus was needed, if not as emphatic as the scoreline suggests.

Chelsea Dominate in Israel

Chelsea stroll to a comfortable victory in Tel Aviv through goals from Gary Cahill, Willian, Oscar and Kurt Zouma. Chelsea dominated from start to finish and their task was made easier with the sending off of Tal Ben Haim shortly before half time.

Right from the first whistle, it was a fast paced game. The home side had a very good chance early on when a free header was directed over the goal. Jose Mourinho will be shocked at how easily it was for the Maccabi man to lose the central defenders.

With the home crowd on side, Maccabi looked dangerous on the counter attack. It was shocking how vulnerable Chelsea's back four looked when Tal Ben Haim (the striker) ran with the ball in the 5th minute. After 15 minutes Chelsea had got a foothold in the game and were controlling the possession. It was often made easier with Tel Aviv gifting the possession back to the English side.

Chelsea made the break through on 20 minutes with Gary Cahill pouncing on a rebound after his own header. The Maccabi keeper pulled off a magnificent save to prevent the former Bolton man from scoring the first time around as he tipped the header onto the post, but was helpless to prevent Cahill smashing in his first European goal since the tie against PSG last season.

Chelsea were very comfortable and there were plenty more goals in this for Mourinho's men. They regularly found space and Maccabi had to tighten up if they wanted to prevent a hammering. One thing that was noticeable about Chelsea's play was that they were not committing men into the box. They seemed more keen on trying to walk it into the back of the net and often succeeded only for the end product to not be there.

The game was effectively over when former Chelsea man Tal Ben Haim (the centre back) was dismissed after lashing out at Diego Costa. Initially it looked as if the referee had overreacted, but replays showed that the red card was correct. At half time, Chelsea were firmly on top and there were more goals definitely in this.

Maccabi Tel Aviv did expose some of Chelsea's defensive frailties with Hazard occasionally neglecting his defensive responsibilities. These chances were few and far between, but it would only take one chance to equalise. A second goal would take all of the momentum out of Maccabi and allow Chelsea to stroll to the final whistle.

Maccabi's Serbian U21 keeper made two terrific saves before Zahavi flashed a shot towards the goal only to draw a superb save from Asmir Begovic. Chelsea were living dangerously. A long ball counter attack once again undone Chelsea.

The game was sealed by that man Willian with 15 minutes left. Yet again the Brazilian stepped up with the goods with a superb free kick - his 6th free kick goal of the season. Chelsea had got the crucial vital goal to seal their win. The third goal followed shortly after with a Baba Rahman firing a cross across the box to be met by the head of Oscar for his first goal of the season.

Chelsea had a few more opportunities to increase their lead through Pedro Rodrigues, but it was Kurt Zouma who leapt highest to bullet a header towards goal and the keeper wasn't able to keep the ball out of the net. Willian was on form and guided Chelsea one step closer to knock out qualification.