Football Leagues » Champions League Articles » Champions League 2011-2012 Round of Sixteen
Champions League 2011-2012 Round of Sixteen
Champions League 2011-2012: London teams keep England flag flying
Ozren Podnar
Shockingly, only two out of four Premiership teams have made it to the round of 16 of the Champions League. Even worse, both survivors, Chelsea and Arsenal, have been paired with the strongest unseeded rivals, which effectively cancelled out any advantage that the seeded status usually brings to the winners of the respective groups in the first stage.
Arsenal, the winners of a difficult group with Marseille, Borussia Dortmund and Olympiacos, do not start as favourites against the mighty Italian champions of AC Milan, although Arsene Wenger claims that the odds are 50-50. Still, Gunners' fans will comfort themselves with the knowledge that Arsenal have never been eliminated by an Italian club in eight previous confrontations in European competition.
In fact, the Arsenal have done quite well in Italy, thrashing Inter 5-1, Milan 2-0 and Juventus 1-0, all on foreign turf.
Chelsea might have a slightly easier job against Napoli in a tie already marked by rumours that the Neapolitan coach Walter Mazzarri is touted as a possible successor to Andre Vilas-Boas at Stamford Bridge. In any case, both London representatives have progressed in the premier continental competition unlike any of their north-western rivals.
Manchester is arguably the city with the most expensive pair of soccer teams in Europe (alongside Milan, that is). But none of the two will take part in the knockout stages of the Champions League (unlike both Milan teams).
Manchester City had terrible luck going out of the competition despite a famous win over Bayern, due to Napoli's simultaneous trouncing of the already eliminated Villarreal.
And Roberto Mancini's squad even have an excuse of sorts since they were drawn in a tough group with powerhouses like Bayern and a revamped Napoli reminiscent of Diego Maradona's golden generation.
Manchester United in turn were beaten by an unfashionable and underrated Basel on the last day losing 2-1 when a draw would have seen them through. However, Basel were one minute away from winning 3-2 at Old Trafford showing they had accurately read United's game.
Ten years ago the Swiss performed the miracle of knocking out Liverpool, which makes us think that their next giant killing is not far away.
While we're on the giant-killing topic, no-one deserves more credit than APOEL of Cyprus. Not even Basel, who at least hail from an established soccer nation, Switzerland. The Cypriot wonder had been handed a group with three much wealthier and experienced teams in Porto, Zenit and Shahtar.
Each a winner of the Europa League (ex-UEFA Cup) since 2008 and perennial European contenders. Guess what? APOEL of Nicosia topped them all in spite of living on a measly €11 million annual budget - less than half of what Porto alone made last summer by selling Radamel Falcao to Atletico Madrid.
Undefeated in their group, APOEL will now attempt to upset Olympique Lyon in the round of sixteen, while the runners-up, Zenit, will encounter Benfica, one of the culprits for Manchester United's sensational European demise.
Basel on the other hand face almost insurmountable odds against Bayern in a clash of two teams responsible for the early exit of the two Manchester rivals. The remaining ties will see Real Madrid travel to a frozen Moscow to struggle on CSKA's artificial grass, while Real's arch-enemies Barcelona expects no such weather or surface-related hardships at Bayer Leverkusen. Finally, a much-improved Internazionale under Claudio Ranieri should prove a bit too strong for Didier Deschamps' Marseille.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2011-2012
(1st leg Feb 14/15 and Feb 21/22; 2nd leg March 6/7 and March 13/14).
Milan vs. Arsenal
Napoli vs. Chelsea
Lyon vs. APOEL Nicosia
Basel vs. Bayern
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Barcelona
CSKA Moscow vs. Real Madrid
Zenit vs. Benfica
Marseille vs. Inter
|
|
