Yesterday's games wraps up the 1st stage of 2015/2016 UEFA Champions League Quarter Final games and the results are as follows:
Barcelona 2-1 Atletico Madrid.
(Suarez 63, 74 Torres 25)
Luis Suarez's brace gives Barcelona edge (Pic: DailyMail)
This game was undoubtedly one of the most difficult fixture compared to the others, and it was an entertaining fixture. The two Spanish giants started the game with panache and aplomb, MSN individually missing chances before Griezmann himself coming close. The first goal of the game came from their lowkey Nemesis, Fineboy el nino Torres, former liverpool striker scores with a finish in between Ter Stegen's legs in the 25 minute. He later goes on to pick a yellow in the 29th minute and another yellow in the 35th minute which unsurprisingly earns him an early shower.
Poetic init?
The first half ends with ten man Atletico holding on to a 1 goal lead. Luis Suarez, another former liverpool striker equalizes for the Champions League defending Champions on the 63rd minute and then scores again on the 74th minute. This is the 2nd game in a row when Atletico scores first and still goes ahead to bottle it to Barcelona. Just so you know fouls stats are 19-16, to be honest i expected way more.
It was a good game to watch, Atletico would be excited with their away goal but will not be happy with lack of their striker Fernando Torres.
Prediction: Barcelona to qualify
Bayern Munchen 1-0 Benfica.
(Arturo Vidal 2)
Arturo Vidal celebrates his early goal (Pic: Goal.com)
I have to come clean with you and tell you this was a boring game to watch, apart from the Vidal 2nd minute header coming from when future legend Juan Bernat picked him out. Vidal still went ahead to have the most chances of the games with Benfica's defenders choking out the Polish great Lewandowski and Versatile Thomas Muller. Pre match conference before this game Bayern's boss mentioned that Benfica had the best defense in the competition and it would be difficult to score them, well he did not lie. The best chance of the game did come from the Polish great though, missing an open goal in the 89th minute to seal off the game.
The Bavarians would be disappointed to come out of this home tie with just a goal, and the Portuguese leaders would know they have a great chance of qualifying to the semi finals if they have a good result at Lisbon. Bayern had 8 shots and 6 on target and Benfica had half of these respectively. What are the chances?
Prediction: Bayern Munchen to qualify.
Wolfsburg 2-0 Real Madrid
(Ricardo Rodriguez pen 18, Maximilian Arnold 25)
Wolfsburg Celebrate their 2-0 win over Real Madrid (Pic: The Guardian)
To say anyone could have predicted this result turning out this way, you need to get at me so you can predict my future for me. Wolfsburg have just 3 wins in 15 games, 1,2,3 in 15 games that means 1 win every 5 games and 10 times Champions league winner were fresh from defeating fierce rivals Barcelona with 10 men at Camp Nou. Lets repeat that again Wolfsburg with a form of 1 win in every 5 games defeated Real Madrid who are fresh from coming behind to beat Barcelona at Camp Nou with ten men, 2 unreplied goals. The beauty of football.
An 18th minute penalty from Ricardo Rodriguez as it appeared that Casemiro fouled Andre Schurrle in the box and the Swiss made no mistake from the spot to give the German 8th position team a 1 goal lead at the Volkswagen arena. Seven minutes later Arnold tapped in Wolfsburg's 2nd after a cross from Henrique to send the home fans to Euphoria. Madrid had chances to score, but did not take them and from a team planning on riding on their El classico's victory to win their 11th European trophy this was a very disappointing result.
Wolfsburg would be happy with this result,and would go to the Santiago Bernabeu knowing that if they are organised and play a very defensive game they will go through to the semifinals. Real Madrid on the other hand would need 3 goals to qualify if they are to avoid penalty shootouts and they know an away goal conceded would make things very difficult for them to qualify.
Prediction: Wolfsburg to qualify (What can I say, I'm a fan of fairytales)
Paris St Germain 2-2 Manchester City
(Ibrahimovic 41, Rabiot 60 - De Bruyne 38, Fernandinho 73)
Kevin De Bruyne celebrates his goal against PSG. (Pic: Citizen.co.za)
The best game of the quarter finals so far, it contained everything a football soap opera required except a red card. 4 goals, yellow cards, yellow cards which seemed like red because of the missing next game implication, several penalty shouts, a penalty save, a howler, etc. Just imagine everything you think deserved to be in a telenovela of football and you will have it in this game. A penalty miss by Ibrahimovic as returnee from injury Joe Hart, guessed the right way and saved the penalty. The french 2015/16 league winners went behind after a first-rate finish from De bruyne which left Trapp with no chance, after he was put through by Fernandinho and some comical defending from David Luiz. A howler from Fernando allowed Zlatan Ibrahimovic grab an equalizer 3 minutes after, when he could not take the ball out of his danger area and was put under pressure by the big Swede. Second half begun and the french Champions took the lead from a former City academy player, Rabiot finish after some abysmal defending from Man city in the 60th minute. 13 minutes later the Citizens equalize from Fernandinho after another set of poor defending from prodigal boy Aurier.
Matuidi and David Luiz wont feature in the 2nd leg at Man City's home due to yellow cards picked up today and with Verratti already injured and City possessing away goal advantage. Blanc would need his players to dig deep to salvage qualification against City and if Man City can get their defense in shape, they would need to just play their game at home to get qualification.
Prediction: Manchester City to qualify.
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