Throughout history, people have been kicking a ball but the earliest scientific evidence suggest that it was an exercise from a military manual in the second and third BC in China – it was called Cuju. Modern football took years in the making after the Chinese forgot about cuju.

In 1872, the first ever international football game took place when England faced Scotland. I don’t know if that was a great match or not but since then, there have been many teams, players and matches that have redefined football history.

From 1930, when the first World Cup took place in Uruguay, to Spain lifting the trophy in 2010, a lot has happened. Many heroes emerged and took center stage as fans sat in awe of them and cheered them on.

To commemorate all that is now past, here are some of the items from the retro section of the Soccerlens Store.

Maradona 1986 World Cup Jersey

A thrilling 3-2 victory over West Germany in the extra time of the final marked the end of a tournament that was completely dominated by Diego Maradona. It was Argentina’s 2nd title.

The blue and white striped Argentina shirt comes with the name and number of Maradona printed on the back of the shirt.

Click here to buy Maradona 1986 World Cup jersey online.

Juventus 1977 UEFA Cup Jersey

The significance of this triumph for Juventus fans is the fact that this is the only triumph for an Italian side in an official European tournament without foreigner players in its first team squad.

It was a two-legged final against Athletic Bilbao and Marco Tardelli had given Juve a slender 1-0 lead in the home leg. Juve traveled to Spain and striker Roberto Bettega doubled the lead. Bilbao won the game 2-1 after Jose Churruca and Carlos Ruiz scored but Juventus won the title on away goals.

Juve wore this blue away shirt in the second leg of the final:

Click here to buy Juventus 1977 UEFA Cup jersey online.

Cruyff 1974 World Cup Jersey

A lot can be said about Johan Cruyff, he has almost single-handedly revolutionized modern football with the help of the Catalan giants Barcelona – both as a player and a coach.

The first Dutch international to receive a red card, Cruyff, was unlucky to have collected the runners up medal in 1974 and 1978. However, he was the chosen the best player in the 1974 World Cup.

His managerial expertise indirectly resulted in Spaniards winning the Euro 2008 and the World Cup 2010.

Here is Cruyff’s famous shirt with two stripes:

Click here to buy Cruyff 1974 World Cup jersey online.

Brazil 1971 Three Star Jersey

When Brazil beat Italy in the final of the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, it was their third world title. They have gone on to make it five titles now but that was their third in four attempts.

1970 also marked the end of the Pele era, and this three star away jersey from 1971 is how he left Brazil. It took Brazil 24 years to win another World Cup.

Click here to buy Brazil 1971 three star jersey online.

Man City 1969 FA Cup Winners Track-top

The 1969 FA Cup was the last major English trophy that Manchester City had won until their recent 2011 triumph. The ’69 final was played between Man City and Leicester City at the Wembley Stadium.

Neil Young scored the only goal of the game as the cup win earned them the right to compete in the 1969-70 European Cup Winners’ Cup – which City went on to win as well.

Here is the track-top that was worn by the players after they have won the FA Cup:

Click here to buy Man City 1969 FA Cup winners track-top online.

AC Milan 1963 European Cup Jersey

Wembley stadium witnessed AC Milan and Benfica go head-to-head for the 1963 European Cup final. Two goals from Jose Altafini in the second half over-turned the first half strike of the legendary Portugal midfielder Eusebio and Milan clinched the their first European Cup title.

This is the white shirt Milan wore in the final that day:

Click here to buy AC Milan 1963 European Cup jersey online.

Puskas 1954 World Cup Jersey

Hungary was in top form prior to the 1954 World Cup, winning everything that came their way. They were unbeaten in 32 games. They became the first non-UK team to beat England at Wembley – they thrashed them 6-3 and then later 7-1 in Budapest.

In the group stage, Hungary violently defeated West Germany 8-3 and now the Germans were their last hurdle. Ferenc Puskas and Zoltan Czibor gave them a two goal cushion but they failed to capitalize on that. The efficient Germans won the final 3-2 (Max Morlock and Helmut Rahn were the goal-scorers).

Here is the number 10 jersey that Puskas wore in the final:

Click here to buy Puskas 1954 World Cup jersey online.

John Charles 1950s Leeds Utd Jersey

Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at center forward or center back. In the peak of his career, he plied his trade at Leeds United and Juventus. He made a return to Leeds at the age of 31 but was soon sent back to Italy as he joined Roma for a season.

Towards the end of his career, he could be seen at Cardiff City and as a player-manager at Hereford United and Merthyr Tydfil.

To commemorate this great all-rounder of football, here’s a shirt from one of Leeds’ dressing rooms of the 1950s (not literally):

Click here to buy John Charles 1950s Leeds Utd jersey online.

Italy 1934/1938 World Cup Winners Jersey

In 1934, Italy hosted the World Cup tournament themselves and defeated Czechoslovakia. In 1938, France hosted the World Cup but Italy managed to defend their title successfully as they defeated Hungary 4-2.

Inter Milan legend Giuseppe Meazza played both the World Cups and he played instrumental parts in their triumphs.

Click here to buy Italy 1934/1938 World Cup winners jersey online.

Uruguay 1930 World Cup Final Jersey

Uruguay hosted the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930. Uruguay faced Argentina in the final which was a repeat of the match-up in the 1928 Olympic final – which Uruguay had won 2-1. The final was won with the same ratio of goals but the scoreline was 4-2.

93,000 fans watched the final where different balls were used in each half but those are just details. This is the shirt Uruguay wore in the first-ever FIFA World Cup final:

Click here to buy Uruguay 1930 World Cup final jersey online.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Nine teams are through from the group stage but 16 other sides can still dream of joining them this week. Here’s a look at the the key deciding matches of today and tomorrow.

Seven places remain to be filled in the 16 December round of 16 draw.

Group winners FC Bayern München, FC Internazionale Milano, Real Madrid CF, Arsenal FC and holders FC Barcelona plus fellow qualifiers SL Benfica, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, APOEL FC and AC Milan are already confirmed in the knockout phase but 16 other sides are still competing to join them. Eight clubs will transfer to the UEFA Europa League round of 32 for finishing third in their sections.

For our US-based readers – you can win signed UEFA Champions League gear and other prizes just by watching this week’s Champions League games, courtesy of Heineken.

Tuesday 6 December

Group E

Chelsea FC v Valencia CF
KRC Genk v Bayer 04 Leverkusen

• Leverkusen are through even if they lose and Chelsea and Valencia draw to join them on nine points; in that scenario the German club would come top. A win against already eliminated Genk would secure first place.
• Whoever prevails at Stamford Bridge progresses with the losing side finishing third. A score draw will be enough for Valencia while a goalless result will take Chelsea through unless Leverkusen lose.

Group F

Olympiacos CF v Arsenal FC
Borussia Dortmund v Olympique de Marseille

• Arsenal have clinched qualification as group winners but any of the other three teams could still end up second, third or fourth.
• Marseille are second so a victory in Germany would be sufficient, or a draw if Olympiacos fail to win.
• Olympiacos must win and hope Marseille do not. If Olympiacos draw they will still advance if Dortmund triumph 2-0 or by a margin of three or four goals. Any other two-goal or a one-goal margin of Dortmund victory would take Marseille through.
• Dortmund need to beat Marseille by four goals or more and hope Olympiacos lose, or by five goals or more should Olympiacos draw.

Group G

APOEL FC v FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Porto v FC Zenit St Petersburg

• APOEL are confirmed as the first Cypriot outfit to get past the group stage and will finish top if they overcome eliminated Shakhtar, or if they draw and Zenit fail to win.
• Porto have to win to pip Zenit to the other qualifying berth.

Group H

FC Barcelona v FC BATE Borisov
FC Viktoria Plzeň v AC Milan

• Barcelona will come first and Milan second.
• Third-placed Plzeň are two points ahead of BATE and the Czech club will only be denied a UEFA Europa League berth should they lose to Milan and Borisov win in Barcelona.

Wednesday 7 December

Group A

Manchester City FC v FC Bayern München
Villarreal CF v SSC Napoli

• Bayern have clinched the group and Villarreal will finish fourth.
• Napoli, in second, are a point above City. To overtake the Italian team, City must win against Bayern and hope Villarreal avoid defeat.

Group B

FC Internazionale Milano v PFC CSKA Moskva
LOSC Lille Métropole v Trabzonspor AŞ

• Inter Milan have topped the group yet a single point separates the other three sides, with Trabzonspor a point clear of Lille and CSKA.
• Lille or Trabzonspor will end up second should they win their encounter in France.
• If that match is drawn, CSKA can pip Trabzonspor to the runners-up spot with victory in Milan. If CSKA do not triumph in those circumstances, Trabzonspor would go through on seven points, the joint-lowest tally since it became three for a win.
• CSKA will come fourth if they lose; however, a draw will give them third place unless the other game also finishes level.

Group C

FC Basel 1893 v Manchester United FC
SL Benfica v FC Oţelul Galaţi

• Benfica, level with United and a point ahead of Basel but boasting a superior head-to-head against both clubs, are through. They will seal pole position with a success against Oţelul, who will be fourth regardless of their result.
• The encounter in Switzerland will decide the other qualifying place with Basel requiring a victory to overtake United, who last missed the knockout phase in 2005/06. If Benfica do not win, Basel or United will claim top spot with a victory.

Group D

AFC Ajax v Real Madrid CF
GNK Dinamo Zagreb v Olympique Lyonnais

• Madrid have won the section to make it past the group stage for a record 15th year running. Three points in Amsterdam will make them only the fifth team to register a perfect record in a UEFA Champions League group, and the first since Barcelona in 2002/03. None of the previous four have gone on to lift the trophy.
• With Dinamo finishing fourth, second and third positions are between Ajax and Lyon. Ajax are three points ahead and have a goal difference advantage of seven having drawn both games against Lyon 0-0. Therefore Lyon must win, hope Ajax lose, and overhaul their goal difference.

For our US-based readers – you can win signed Champions League gear and other prizes just by watching this week’s Champions League games, courtesy of Heineken.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Football fans are geniunely interested in buying the weirdest things if they are carrying their favorite club’s logo. Even if they have never used anything like it before but they must have it!

Two years ago, we did a little research and collected the weirdest football merchandise from around the globe and a particular jester hat in Barcelona colors got a lot of attention. This time around, we’ve added the weird merchandise to the Soccerlens Store.

Here are some of the weird football merchandise from the Store:

Rubber Ducks

So, your bath time gets very boring. How about we introduce you to a colorful rubber ducky with your clubs’ crest?

Click here to browse our rubber ducky range. Only available for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Golf

If you play golf, it sure as hell gets boring. Those long walks to the ball can be made more interesting if you buy a football club-specific golf ball or tees or something that will get you to think about an actual sport.

Click here to browse our golf range.

Real Madrid Jester Hats

Last time around, I found a Barcelona jester hat but this time around, we bring for you a Real Madrid jester hat!

Frankly, it looked much better in Barca’s colors.

Click here to buy the Real Madrid jester hat.

Nodding Dogs

Even if you didn’t know what it was called but you know what a nodding dog is because if you’ve been alive and around in the last ten years, you have seen it somewhere.

Unfortunately, nodding dogs are only available for Tottenham fans and Real Madrid fans.

Click here to: buy Tottenahm nodding dog | buy Real Madrid nodding dog.

Piggy Banks

If there’s any room left in your house which is not covered by an item bearing your club’s logo, get one of these and put it there. These are piggy banks…

Click here to browse our piggy bank range. Only available for Arsenal, AC Milan, Birmingham City, Celtic, Chelsea, Everton, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Rangers, Real Madrid & Tottenham.

Messi Towel

This is just unacceptable. Or maybe only for girls who really like Lionel Messi.

I’m a Barca and Messi fan myself but rubbing a photo of Messi up and down on my body is just too far across the line for me. There’s definitely nothing wrong with towels carrying club crests but this is one of the weirdest football merchandise in my opinion.

What’s next? Cristiano Ronaldo toilet paper?

Click here to buy Messi Towel, if you must.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

AC Milan and adidas have revealed their 2011/2012 third shirt.

We have already shown you the Milan away shirt for next season and how well that has turned out.

The third shirt is going to be black with red adidas pin-stripes on the shoulders, black collar and a green, white and red stripe on the chest.

Alongside the club crest, manufacturer and sponsor logo, Milan will bear a crest of the flag of Italy because they are the Serie A champions.

Image 1 of 8

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

AC Milan have revealed their 2011/12 away kit and the adidas manufactured shirt is exactly the same as the leaked images.

The design is simple. White shirt with a white collar and a red and a black stripe going down behind the crest. On the sides of the shirt, there’s a trim in the colors of the flag of Italy.

Under the back collar, the words “Associazione Calcio Milan” are written followed by a stipe in the colors of the flag of Italy.

I think adidas nailed this one and it will be made available to order online here.

Image 1 of 8

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

101 goalkeepers made over ten starts in Europe’s four major leagues during season 2010-12. Another fifty-six made at least one start in either the English Premiership, La Liga, the Bundesliga or Serie A. So after thirty eight games (thirty-four in Germany), which goalkeeper is best?

Of course evaluating custodians purely by stats is a fraught and inaccurate business. Goalkeepers, by their demeanour and wits bring more to a team than simply stopping shots, as per NHL netminders. They also command and organise their defence as well as arrange their players in best positions to defend set pieces. Also, they are often not at fault for the goals conceded, being beaten by lackadaisical or poor defending.

That’s not to say that quantification of a goalkeeper’s performance is useless. For one thing, we can evaluate definitively the differences across leagues.

GAA = Goals Allowed Average. Note the term “Start” has been used rather than “Games”. Due to the data available, we weren’t able to evaluate when goalkeepers conceded after coming on as a substitute. This also means that all the goals scored in a league throughout the course of the season may not be included in this table.

Perhaps as a result of a slower game tempo, of a reliance on a star individual, miserly defence or even plain and simple goalkeeping ability, Serie A produced consistently the best goalkeeper metrics across the board. That is, Goalkeepers in Italy conceded less goals per game, had a higher save percentage and produced a high level of saves per start.

Italian football has been notorious in the public sphere for it’s slower pace – unless you’re Napoli or Udinese this season – and infamous for low goalscoring. That isn’t necessarily borne out here – while the GAA was lower than in the other three major leagues, the increased Save Percentage counteracts that. This could also be a tactical measure, where Italian defenders are more “pigeon-holed” as defensive stoppers, eschewing forward play in favour of stolid defence.

Most surprising was the relative decrease in saves across the water in England. The Premiership produced the second-lowest save percentage and the second-highest GAA. Again, tactical considerations could be keeping these averages low or simply that the offensive play is superior. This could both back up and dispel the popular preconception that the Premier League is the most exciting and balanced in Europe, so while it’s interesting data it’s hardly definitive. While this table takes into account goalkeeper performance, it is we have said, impossible to divorce that totally from a defence’s (in)ability.

How would these numbers look then, if we removed the backups? Most clubs have one primary goalkeeper and at least one creditable custodian in reserve – take for example Italian Champions AC Milan who fielded Christian Abbiati thirty-five times during 2010-11 and Marco Amelia during the remaining three matches. The following table has removed all the players with less than ten league starts. The numbers don’t change much at all:

The greatest difference between the two is a minor increase in German Saves per Start and Save Percentage, while Spanish Save Percentage increased mildly as well. The GAAs, though changed in all leagues except Serie A, were minor adjustments. While it was a nice thought that a league’s overall goalkeeping quality could indicate how crucial defences were to the numbers, it is unproveable with the above results.

It’s perhaps telling that the greatest difference in the table above comes from Germany & La Liga’s goalkeeping starts: during the course of the Spanish season, forty-three players got a start between the sticks. Thirty-eight Goalkeepers got starts in the Bundesliga (forty-two, if adjusted for a twenty-team league), thirty-nine Italian league players and thirty-seven in the EPL. While the vast majority of each team’s matches were played by the starting GK (over 90% in all leagues), Germany had the most trust in their backups.

This means that backup keepers, whether for reasons of injury, form or rotation claimed 9.93% of the available starts in Germany while in Italy, starters accounted for an enormous 96.3% of the available starts.

In part two, we’ll go through Europe’s best and brightest goalkeepers by save percentage, Goals Allowed average and by league. In the meantime, you can find all the raw data here at Balanced Sports’ Goalkeeper Stats page.

For more analysis and comment, shoot across to Balanced Sports.  You can also follow Matthew Wood on Twitter @balanced_sports

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In the mid-90s a striker from Brazil was making tremors throughout the world football as he scored 42 goals in 46 appearances with PSV Eindhoven.

His journey continued from there to Barcelona to Inter Milan to Real Madrid and greatness pursued in all the four leagues he played in.

On the international level, he served the national Brazilian team for 18 years. Appearing in four World Cup and winning two and remaining the top overall scorer in World Cup with 15 goals.

Ronaldo has just made his last appearance in a yellow shirt in a friendly against Romania. He came on in the 30th minute and played until half-time.

Ronaldo had a couple of opportunities but could not score. He told the crowd:

“I had chances to score. Sorry for not finishing them correctly. Thanks to all of you for what you did in my career. When I cried, you cried with me. When I smiled, you smiled with me. See you soon, but on the sidelines this time. I’m very proud of being Brazilian.”

He is the man who changed world football forever by showing what pace, flair and exuberance can deliver. To commemorate all he has achieved, here’s a video comparing two eras – B.R. (Before Ronaldo) and A.R. (After Ronaldo).

He has sustained the game’s prominence not only in Brazil but in the rest of the world as well. He redefined what a center forward can be expected to do and brought Brazilian football firmly into the 21st century. This video is a tribute to his legacy:

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

New Juventus signing Andrea Pirlo believes that he can provide a major contribution to help Juventus return to being a top team in Italian football. Pirlo, who signed from Serie A rivals AC Milan on a three year contract, arrives at the Stadio Delle Alpi on a free transfer. The 72 capped Italian midfielder hopes to bring glory back to the city of Turin, with Juventus not winning a Scudetto since the 2002-03 season. Juventus did win two Scudettos in successive seasons from 2004 – 2006, but they were stripped in the infamous match fixing scandal that saw the club relegated to Serie B and the shame of a nation cast upon them.

Pirlo said: ‘There’s a desire to start winning again, since victories have been missing for a few years now. I want to win and take this team back to the top. It’s important to have a winning mentality.’

Pirlo is used to switching between big sides, having made the switch from Internazionale to arch rivals AC Milan in 2003 for 18 million Euros, and the midfielder knows what the Juventus fans expect and desire. He admitted: ‘I have received other offers  from other teams in Italy and abroad, but I picked Juve. When you go to Juve, you know what to expect. It will be a thrilling challenge‘.

Pirlo made 284 appearances for AC Milan in his seven year career with the Rossoneri and believes that the experience he holds from winning two Scudettos and two Champions League trophies will benefit the youthful squad manager Antonio Conte has at his disposal. Pirlo himself was limited to only 17 appearances at the San Siro last season, but is heavily respected in both Italian and World football and admits that he hasn’t had a proper conversation with manager Antonio Conte, but he will play in any position he is asked to by the recently appointed Juventus manager.

In other Juventus news, the Old Lady have captured Swiss international full-back Reto Ziegler on a four year deal from fellow Serie A side Sampdoria. Ziegler, who is only 25, has stated that he is ‘honoured to have joined Juventus‘ and he is looking forward to playing with ‘great champions‘ in Turin.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Silvio Berlusconi’s marquee signing last summer in a bid to discontinue Milan’s seven year drought without a Scudetto. Not only has the big Swede taken to Italian football like a duck to water as he did with rivals Internazionale prior to a brief spell in Spain, he has forged a formidable understanding with Robinho and Co that has seen them rise to the summit of Italian football once again.

Last week’s 0-0 draw in Rome clinched the Rossoneri their 18th Scudetto with celebrations reaching a wonderful climax last night with a 4-1 victory over Cagliari, prior to the handing over of the trophy to captain Massimo Ambrosini.

Big Ibra was presented the question of whether or not he believed Milan would end up winning the league? To which he replied “from the first day”. He had every right to be confident as his latest league triumph is his eighth on the bounce.

We take a look back at the eight championships he has won, that have spanned across three countries with five different clubs. An astonishing feat by Milan’s new darling.

Ajax: 2003/2004

Ibrahimovic had won an Eredivisie two years prior when Ronald Koeman began imbedding him into the Amsterdammers setup.

In his final season at the club his 13 goals in 22 appearances played a huge part as they pipped PSV Eindhoven to the post.

Juventus: 2004/2005

His transfer to Serie A was rather abrupt. He had played three games for Ajax at the beginning of the season netting three goals in the process, before an altercation with fellow teammate Rafael van der Vaart during an international match led to his sudden move to Turin.

The Old Lady shelled out €16million on their man and got a return of 16 goals in 35 league appearances.

Juventus: 2005/2006

The following campaign would culminate into the darkest period of Juve’s history.  They clinched the Scudetto with a monumental haul of 91 points, just three ahead of closest rivals Milan. By Ibra’s standards, his goal return was poor and only netted seven goals. In his defence his role was altered by Coach Fabio Capello who made him more of a team player than a target man.

However, the Calciopoli scandal had occurred and hit Italian football like a sledgehammer. Juventus’ role resulted in them being relegated to Serie B and stripped of their last two Scudettos. That also meant all of the Juventus players who had participated in those championship winning campaigns, were stripped of theirs.

Internazionale: 2006/2007

Juve’s relegation resulted in an exodus of their star players – including Zlatan who moved to the Nerazzurri for €24.8million. Ironically Inter were awarded the Scudetto that Juve had been stripped of the season before.

Inter coasted to their first outright title in 17 years with Ibra netting 15 goals in the process – thus becoming the club’s top scorer.

Internazionale: 2007/2008

He outdone himself the following year with 17 goals as Inter clinched their third straight league title in a tightly contested battle with Roma.

His brace on the final day against Parma ensured another season of the black and blue adorning the Scudetto patch.

Internazionale: 2008/2009

Roberto Mancini departed as coach and in his place arrived Jose Mourinho who got the very best out of his star centre-forward. Zlatan consolidated his best league tally to date with 25 goals in 35 appearances and securing the Capocannoniere (Serie A top goal-scorer).

In what was his best ever season in Italy turned out to be his last, as a big money move to La Liga loomed.

2009/2010: Barcelona

He made an eye watering transfer in a deal worth €66million to Catalan giants Barcelona in the summer of 2009. In what would be his one and only season in Spain, resulted in 16 La Liga goals. The Swede was harshly criticised as many felt he failed to adapt to his new surroundings, but that did not stop him finding the goals and end up with an impressive return – along with a Spanish league title.

2010/2011: Milan

A return to Italy occurred the following year with Milan in a €24million deal. This season he has been in instrumental form, being a huge key in the club’s rise to the top of Italian football. In his inaugural campaign he has netted 14 Serie A goals, as well as incorporating himself into a valuable team player.

With Silvio Berlusconi flirting with the idea of another potential superstar arriving in the summer, the future is looking exceedingly bright for Ibra and the Milanese giants.

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It has been yet another UEFA Champions League campaign that has been littered with thrills and spills. From the magnificence of Lionel Messi, to the Clasico debacle, the cream of the crop has rose as Barcelona and Manchester United make the final two at this year’s Wembley showpiece.

Everybody has had an opinion on just who would make it through the latter stages. Many gasped in horror in Italy as Tottenham Hotspur knocked out the mighty Milan, as they did in Rome as Shakhtar Donetsk humbled the Giallorossi. It is fair to say, this is the most unpredictable sport in the world but the guys at the Professional Football Players Observatory (PFPO) have done their utmost with their predictions – with a near perfect record.

The PFPO has recently innovated to predict outcomes of the major football competitions. The scenario envisaged for the current UEFA Champions League has proven to be quite accurate. From the final 16 onwards, they have correctly foreseen the outcome of 11 matches out of 14. If Barcelona is victorious come May 28th, they will reach their threshold of 80% correct predictions. However, the gap between the Catalonians and Manchester United is amazingly tight.

The criteria for the predictions is as follows. The strength of the clubs is based on four aspects; the experience accumulated by players in Champions League matches, their quality in terms of participation in recent international matches – weighted according to the level of the national team represented, the teams squad stability and the results obtained in the group stage of this year’s competition. The club with the richest squad has an index of 100 which has unsurprisingly turned out to be Barcelona.

Team Rating (lowest to highest):

• FC Copenhagen – 1
• Schalke – 10
• Marseille – 14
• Lyon – 22
• Valencia – 23
• Milan – 36
• Shakhtar Donetsk – 37
• AS Roma – 41
• Tottenham Hotspur – 44
• Bayern Munich – 56
• Arsenal – 59
• Internazionale – 66
• Real Madrid – 76
• Chelsea – 85
• Manchester United – 98
• Barcelona – 100

From the grading criteria, the vast contrast between Barcelona and Real Madrid is staggering with Blancos being 24 points behind their rivals. Surprisingly Milan were graded below Tottenham but were ultimately put to the sword by Harry Redknapp’s men in the last-16. Semi-finalists Schalke were graded second from bottom despite doing wonders to get to the last four, with Denmark’s Copenhagen ranked bottom with just one point.

Click the link below to access the prediction table along with the outcome of the results:

PFPO Champions League Prediction Table (PDF)

Follow Ross on Twitter: @RossMackiewicz

From Soccerlens.com - Football News