Buzzin Football

I’m really looking forward to the 2nd legs of the UEFA Champions League this week with both games poised on a knife-edge.

Tonight Manchester United take a 1-0 advantage to the Emirates Stadium to face an inform Arsenal.  The good news for Arsenal is they can be confident of beating Man Utd, especially with the return of first choice striker, Robin Van Persie. They won 2-1 last November in their Premier League encounter. The bad news is that I can’t see Manchester United not scoring themselves.

Arsenal were really fortunate to only lose by one goal at bin the 1st leg, but their failure to score the all important away goal will, I believe be their undoing.

A similar fate awaits Chelsea when favourites Barcelona visit Stamford Bridge tomorrow night, following a 0-0 1st leg at the Nou Camp last Tuesday.

Chelsea managed to keep a clean sheet due to Guus Hiddink’s tactical genius, but that means, if Barca score tomorrow night, Chelsea will need to score twice.

Barcelona face Chelsea after they humiliated Real Madrid in La Liga on Saturday with a 6-2 thrashing at the Bernabieu Stadium.  I’m not sure this shock result will concern Chelsea or Guus Hiddink as they were already fully aware of the attacking prowess of Messi, Eto’o and Henry. It is nothing but a timely reminder of the size of the task ahead.

Like Arsenal, Chelsea will need to score.  That will open both games up and at times, leave space for a counter-attack; and if there were two teams that are likely to punish a team with a quick attack it is Man Utd and Barcelona.

There was an obvious game plan in the first leg for Chelsea to stop the quick inter-passing ‘give and go’ attacking football of Barca.  It worked, but Chelsea had to hold on.  Can Chelsea beat Barcelona tomorrow night?  That depends on whether Barcelona have a plan b, and whether Chelsea can nulify the best looking attack in the world while being an attacking threat, themselves. That is a big ask.

I am hoping for goals and exciting free-flowing football in both games.I really can’t see Manchester United not going through. But I think Chelsea are going to have to play out of the skins to create a repeat of last year’s UEFA Champions League final.