Things are getting hotter
So, the list of the final 16 teams to battle it out in the knockout phase of the Uefa Champions League has been completed. It means that when the action resumes in the New Year, England and Germany will dominate the action because all of their four representatives have come out of their respective groups. Following closely is the Spanish Primera Liga which has been represented by three sides.
A major league that will be disappointed is the Italian Serie A whose sole representatives will be fading giants AC Milan after Juventus were unexpectedly eliminated in the snowy conditions of Istanbul in Turkey and Rafa Benitez’s Napoli did the rare thing of failing to qualify after collecting 12 points in what was billed as the Group of Death. You have to feel for the Italians who do not deserve to go to the Europa League.
The list is completed by France, Turkey, Greece and Russia who have contributed one team each to Monday’s draw. It means leagues like the Dutch Eeredivisie and the Portuguese Liga, which have perennially produced teams for this stage of the competition, will miss out this time. It must be acknowledged that there are not many pushovers in the draw and we should brace for several tasty fixtures.
The fact that the likes of the Arsenal, Manchester City and Milan have finished as runners-up in their respective groups is a guarantee that we shall have several big-name matches in the round of 16. The Gunners, for example will be paired with one of the following sides: Real Madrid, Paris St Germain, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. For the Citizens, you just have to replace Bayern with their domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund.
For finishing top of their respective groups, Manchester United and Chelsea find themselves with five possible opponents as well. The Red Devils will face one among Milan, Zenit St Petersburg, Schalke 04, Olympiakos and Galatasaray. You could say none of those sides should be daunting to a United side that has done very well in this competition so far. For the Blues, you replace Schalke with Bayer Leverkusen.
United fans will be wondering how their club is failing to replicate its positive run in the Champions League on the domestic scene. Collecting only two points out of a possible 12—which includes two consecutive home defeats—is relegation form and, for a team used to winning, this is a new experience to many of these fans. This is where people’s loyalty is strongly tested and I have already seen people who are having second thoughts.
I said last week that December fixtures for David Moyes’ men are not the hardest but they have failed to win their opening three matches. Being 13 points away from the top means that leaders Arsenal can afford to lose the remaining four matches this month and still not be caught even if the defending champions collected maximum points over that period. United are simply running out of games.
Without United slightly out of the title-fight picture, focus this week will be on this afternoon’s early kickoff at Etihad Stadium when City look to maintain their 100 percent home record against the Gunners. Should Arsene Wenger’s men become next in the line of victims at the Eastlands slaughter house, there will be no shortage of teams hoping to profit.
The weekend’s action will end with another top-of-the-table clash at the White Hart Lane as Tottenham Hotspur host my Liverpool, the biggest winners of last weekend’s full set of results. Things are getting hotter and hotter, no?
