UEFA Champions League

Tottenham registered a memorable 1-0 win away at the San Siro in the first leg of this tie, but have lost their way in the Premier League since then, looking unlikely to finish in the top 4 this season. Milan haven’t fared much better in terms of performances but they are top of the table and leading the title race against Inter.

But it’s not just about Champions League qualification – it’s about fulfilling your potential, pride and history – one club trying to make it, the other trying to revive it. Milan will have to considerably raise their game even if Tottenham are not at their best.

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The absence of key Barcelona defenders, Guardiola’s back problem, Arsenal’s 2-1 lead and a new-found confidence in the domestic league means that the Gunners travel to Camp Nou looking forward to upsetting the Spanish club. Although you cannot discount Barcelona’s attacking prowess – and indeed the match could be over in the first half – Arsenal have the quality to at least score once in the second leg – and given their 1-goal advantage from the first leg, it all points to a close and most-watchable Champions League match.

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Last year’s Champions League finalists meet at the San Siro on Wednesday as Inter Milan and Bayern Munich contest the first leg of their round of 16 tie.

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Bolstered by injuries to key personnel at Manchester United and their lacklustre away form, Marseille will be going all-out to beat the Red Devils in the first leg. The game is United’s first of four straight away matches, and they need to start winning these games if they are to succeed in Europe / win the league title this season.

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In the buildup to the Champions League second round tie between Lyon and Real Madrid, Karim Benzema sat down to talk about his time at Lyon, the move to Real Madrid, Zidane, the upcoming Lyon v Real Madrid game, and …

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Watching their respective seasons unfold, it seems unlikely that either Chelsea or Manchester United will be celebrating at Wembley come 28 May 2011. It’s not to say that they’re not capable of winning the Champions League – only Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid and…ahem…Tottenham stand as genuine contenders alongside them – but all signs so far point to an almighty struggle to reach their league objectives and no luck on the European front.

Having said that, if you had to bet on the two Premier League teams most likely to win the Champions League at the start of the season, it would have been Manchester United and Chelsea, and if they can turn their average form around and their players start earning their hefty paycheques, a last-eight / last-four berth awaits at least one of these two sides.

Hey, at least they’ve got it easier than Arsenal, right?

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We’ve heard it all before – Madrid will finally end Lyon’s unbeaten run against them. No, seriously, with Jose Mourinho at the helm, Madrid can really beat Lyon. Except we heard that with Barcelona, too, and no points for guessing how that went.

Madrid have new players, they have Mourinho, and they have all the expectations in the world weighing on them. It’s the kind of game Madrid need to win if they are to be taken as seriously as they tend to take themselves (actually, the game to win would be Barcelona at Camp Nou, but Madrid aren’t in a position to pick and choose).

A 1-1 draw then?

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Welcome to the latest brand new episode of the fastest growing football podcast around, 3 Up Front! In today’s jam-packed show Adrian Clarke guides Iain Spragg and Iain Macintosh through a selection of topical debates that include; The Champions League is …

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After Wayne Rooney reminded us all that he used to be a fairly decent professional footballer with his derby day belter against Manchester City last Saturday, the received (Sky Sports-infused) wisdom seems to be that the decidedly off-colour striker’s effort was, without need for second thought, the greatest overhead kick ever scored by anyone, anywhere, ever.

However, that’s not quite the case – as the following, ten-strong video essay will hopefully attest to.

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David Villa scored the first goal of the game, capping off a pass from Lionel Messi in the 26th minute and Barcelona were cruising to an away win until halftime. Arsenal remained a constant threat to Barcelona’s goal throughout but …

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Tottenham recorded a memorable 1-0 win over AC Milan last night and put themselves in a very strong position ahead of the return leg at White Hart Lane. Milan had few answers for Tottenham’s verve and attacking intent, and although …

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What should be regarded as an upset, Tottenham got away from San Siro with an away goal lead whereas AC Milan should have just gone for the kill – they do have the players to do so. Also, since Zlatan …

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