Post your predictions for the 1st round of games in the 2011/12 Champions League Group Stages. The first round of matches are: Tuesday, 13 September 2011 Apoel Nicosia v Zenit St Petersburg, GpG, 19:45 Barcelona v AC Milan, GpH, 19:45 Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal, GpF, 19:45 Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen, GpE, 19:45 FC Porto v Shakhtar Donetsk, GpG, 19:45 Genk v Valencia, GpE, 19:45 Olympiakos v Marseille, GpF, 19:45 Plzen v BATE Borisov, GpH, 19:45 Wednesday, 14 September 2011 Ajax v Lyon, GpD, 19:45 Basle v SC Otelul Galati, GpC, 19:45 Benfica v Man Utd, GpC, 19:45 Dinamo Zagreb v Real Madrid, GpD, 19:45 Inter Milan v Trabzonspor, GpB, 19:45 Lille v CSKA Moscow, GpB, 19:45 Man City v Napoli, GpA, 19:45 Villarreal v Bayern Munich, GpA, 19:45 My predictions for matches involving the English sides: Chelsea 2 Bayer Leverkusen 0. Borussia Dortmund 2 Arsenal 0 Benfica 1 Man Utd 3 Man City 3 Napoli 0
Here is my predictions... Tuesday, 13 September 2011 Apoel Nicosia 0-2 Zenit St Petersburg Barcelona 2-1 AC Milan (I expect AC Milan to be reduced to 10 men after some top class diving from Barce) Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Arsenal Chelsea 0-0 Bayer Leverkusen FC Porto 3-1 Shakhtar Donetsk Genk 0-2 Valencia Olympiakos 1-1 Marseille Plzen 0-1 BATE Borisov (This is a game I definitely wont want to watch) Wednesday, 14 September 2011 Ajax 2-1 Lyon Basle 2-0 SC Otelul Galati Benfica 0-2 Man Utd Dinamo Zagreb 0-3 Real Madrid Inter Milan 2-0 Trabzonspor Lille 1-0 CSKA Moscow Man City 2-1 Napoli Villarreal 1-3 Bayern Munich
I think Barcelona will hammer AC Milan. People go on about AC Milan like they are still a World Class team but in reality they are very poor, as is Italian football in general.
I don't think AC Milan are a great team but I do think they are a tougher team to beat than they have been, and they do have a decent goal threat.
My predictions for matches involving the English sides: Chelsea 3 Bayer Leverkusen 1. Borussia Dortmund 1 Arsenal 1 Benfica 0 Man Utd 2 Man City 2 Napoli 1
Chelsea 2 Bayer Leverkusen 1. Borussia Dortmund 0 Arsenal 0 Benfica 1 Man Utd 2 Man City 2 Napoli 2 Some others Barcelona 3-0 AC Milan, FC Porto 2-0 Shakhtar Donetsk Villarreal 2-1 Bayern Munich Ajax 1-1 Lyon Im not going to pretend im knowledgeable enough about the others to make a prediction.
Apoel Nicosia v Zenit St Petersburg, 1 - 3 Barcelona v AC Milan 3 - 1 Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal 2 - 0 Chelsea v Bayer Leverkusen 2 - 1 FC Porto v Shakhtar Donetsk 1 - 0 Genk v Valencia 1 - 2 Olympiakos v Marseille 2 - 2 Plzen v BATE Borisov 1 - 2 Wednesday, 14 September 2011 Ajax v Lyon 2 - 0 Basle v SC Otelul Galati 3 - 0 Benfica v Man Utd 2 - 2 Dinamo Zagreb v Real Madrid 1 - 4 Inter Milan v Trabzonspor 3 - 0 Lille v CSKA Moscow 1 - 2 Man City v Napoli 3 - 1 Villarreal v Bayern Munich 1 - 2 Those are my honest opinions
Fair point, that's factual Italian clubs will get exposed for being has beens and mediocre, again at the highest level. Barca will sh...it on AC milan. Milan sign Liverpool rejects That pretty much sums up where there at, whilst Barca sign Fabregas and Sanchez, not on the same planet.
Difficult to predict who will win each game and by how much, that's a bit pointless. But you know who will contend for the Champions league. Only a few teams, Barcelona or Real madrid, or possibly Man city. Apart from them i can't see any other team winning it. I hope Eriksen, Cissokho do well. As well as Hazard and Subotic.
How is aqualani a liverpool reject? most liverpool fans on here during pre season were commenting how hes there best midfielder and how they wanted to keep him, he left cause he didnt like the prem league.
Probably. . Btw im not denying that italian football is going downhill, its deffinately going downhill, they got lucky mourinho managed inter and won them a champs league, cause i dont think any other manager would have done it. But thats debatable
He was poor. If he was that good they would have kept him. He's average, that's why, and Milan have no money. so sign average players, makes sense.
Probably. He did do well to win the champions league, whilst inter were by no means the best side in the competition, they had world class players like Lucio, Eto'o, Sniejder, Maicon, and very good players like Cesar, Zanetti, Chivu, ageing Samuel, Millito, a very good team. They did have referee erros go there way vs Barca both legs, and Chelsea should have had a penalty at the san siro. Winning it with Porto + Uefa cup aswell, proves he is a special coach for short term, and is a winner, probably the best coach in the world in that. Yeah, italian football is mediocre, there's no money in it.
Firstly against barca they dindt really have errors go there way, for example motta should have never been sent off, was blatant diving, which is the definition of barcalona at moment lol. but other than that i agree with you, but at your aqualani post, i wonder have you ever watched him play? hes acctually quite good, good passer, good control, can shoot from ranger, good croser can beat a man, watch him this year in the champs league you'll see what i mean