Are We In For Another Surprise?

Football generally is full of surprises and we saw how Salzburg almost snatched victory against Bayern Munich. The Champions League has been unpredictable since I can remember and I was thinking Bayern would ease past Salzburg but it wasn't meant to be. Any team at this stage of the competition is here by merit and not by fluke. So, my predictions are not out of disrespect to other teams. It might be based on the quality I feel those teams possess or simply out of loyalty.

The competition is getting to the more intense and jaw-dropping parts because after this would be the Quarter Finals where most pairings cannot be influenced in any way and we would be treated to some mouth-watering clashes. We were almost treated to the Ronaldo v Messi treat when the round of 16 was drawn but due to technical error as they called it, it was reshuffled and in all honesty, I would have preferred that as a Manchester United fan because I feel PSG are not playing as a unit too, something I've seen often with Manchester United as well.

How do you think these teams would fare?

Chelsea v Losc Lille:

Chelsea are still not back to their brilliant best but they do just enough to get the result they need. We saw how they managed to win their semi-final and final clashes of their Club World Cup encounters and despite being strong on paper, I still believe they would win by just enough against Lille for this first leg encounter. I think a 2-1 victory would be enough because I don't see this Chelsea side scoring by more than a goal margin...maybe 2 at most. Ziyech would play an important role and if they find Lukaku in spaces that he liked, he might also score too but if a penalty is on the horizon, then Jorginho would get the job done.

Villarreal v Juventus:

The Yellow Submarine would have to be at their best against Juventus. Juventus has struggled this season, no doubt but with their experience in this competition, I don't see them losing against Villarreal. At most, it might be a draw but barring any unforeseen circumstances, I see Juventus edging this by 2-1 as well.

Atletico Madrid v Manchester United:

Atletico Madrid are suffering and it has taken its toll on their season in the league. They are out of form - losing matches they should be winning, losing players to injuries and also covid-19, I still believe that with their combative nature, they would put up a fight against Manchester United. Luis Suarez would want to get one over Manchester United for old time sake as Moreno said he did for Villarreal against Manchester United in the Europa League final due to his affiliation with Liverpool as well.

Manchester United have been unpredictable and you don't just know which United side would turn up. With the moments of collapse they suffered against Leeds United before they rally round to win, they can be sure that if they allow that moment against Atletico Madrid, there won't be a way back for them. They can take confidence from the Leeds match and if they play with that same energy, they might just win Atletico Madrid by 2-1 and 2 away goals would do them a world of good.

Benfica v Ajax:

Giant slaying Benfica playing against the exciting Ajax team, I would expect an evenly contested affair between these two sides and I feel Ajax might just edge it by the same scoreline as the others; 2-1 that is if they both didn't settle for a draw of whatever scoreline. We have seen how exciting Benfica can be, especially how they dismantled the Barcelona side in the group stage but the exciting and youthful Ajax team might pose that much of a problem for them which is why I am tipping Ajax to win and the worst case scenario; a draw.

It's going to be another week of exciting football to catch up with the Champions League and I can't wait to see what all these games have in store. What would your predictions be for these games?

Cheers.

Gingered Up! ❣️