Champions league 2014/15 last 16 match reviews

Champions league 2014/15 last 16 match reviews

Paris St-Germain vs Chelsea

First leg:

Chelsea will feel very lucky to come away with a point against a determined PSG side. The French champion's attack caused Chelsea to be on the back-foot and defend for most of the first half (something which they are often used to in big games). Cavani was a menace for the Chelsea back four, creating space on the left wing which was left by Ivanovic trying to expose the PSG back-line. Two ironic things happened when Chelsea scored. One, it was strange that in Europe's third best team that three defenders combined for a well-worked goal. Two, their forwards weren't sharp enough in preparation for the return of Champions league football. Blase Matuidi and Edison Cavani were by far the best players of the game and combined on 54 minutes for the equaliser. Cavani has been vital for PSG during this season's Champions league and showed his much-improved work ethic. Both teams will feel that the real contest will be at Stamford Bridge after a quite unexciting game that only had a few moments of pure quality.

FACT: Branislav Ivanovic scored his first European goal since his winner in the Europa league final against Benfica last season. 

Second leg:

Chelsea underperformed against French champions PSG, as the game finished 2-2. Chelsea were subsequently knocked out of the tournament on the away goals rule and were a shadow of their decent performance at the Parc des Princes. Ex-Chelsea player David Luiz received heavy media criticism for going against his pre-match statement that he wouldn't celebrate if he scored against the team he won the Champions league with. The Brazilian scored in the 86th minute after Gary Cahill's 81th minute goal. Hazard scored a 96th minute penalty after Thiago Silva's handball, but the experienced defender redeemed himself by scoring in the 114th minute to win the tie for PSG and to bury the demons of last season's quarter-final exit to Chelsea. However, the biggest story from this game was one of an ugly nature. Ibrahimovic was sent off after 30 minutes for a tackle on Oscar but every outfield player for Chelsea ran towards the referee, causing outrage from PSG players and fans on social media. Like Ibrahimovic said, it was like a bunch of babies surrounding the Swedish forward. I'm sure he'll be okay with 180,000 Euros for getting through to the Champions league quarter-finals.

FACT: Ibrahimovic has received four red cards in the Champions league, the joint-highest with Edgar Davids.


Manchester City vs Barcelona

First leg:

Luis Suarez claimed a 2-1 win for the Catalan club in his first return to England since a £75 million move from Liverpool in the summer. His first goal ,scored after 13 minutes, could be considered lucky, having bounced off Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, after Messi crossed into the penalty area. City don't really create any flowing football that they had in their previous game (5-0 battering of Newcastle at the Etihad) and were then 2-0 down after half an hour thanks to another Suarez goal. He was often the villain of the Premier league during his time at Liverpool but there is no doubt that he deserves a huge price tag of £75 million to reflect his abilities. City grew into the game in the second half and Aguero give them some hope after scoring on 69 minutes. They seemed to threaten Barcelona after the goal but fell short when Clichy was sent off for a clumsy challenge on Dani Alves for a second bookable offence. The moment that made headlines was when Joe Hart saved Lionel Messi's 93rd minute penalty after a tired Zabaleta fouled his international team-mate. Messi panicked and headed wide with the follow up, meaning that City have hope going into the second leg.

FACT: Sergio Aguero has scored 11 goals in his last 10 Champions league games.

Second leg:

Manchester City crashed out of the Champions league to Barcelona (3-1 on aggregate) and a 1-0 win in the second leg at the Camp Nou. The score line didn't match the slick overpowering football that Barcelona's star Lionel Messi showed. In recent seasons, Messi has dipped off in globally accepted form (even though he is still world-class) but he displayed his attacking quality against City and showed football fans around the world that he's back to his best, after rumours of a bizarre world-record transfer away from the Catalan club. Joe Hart received high pride for his continuous last-ditch saves to keep City in the game (even Messi said he was brilliant). City didn't show much desire and were simply outclassed in the Camp Nou.

FACT: Joe Hart made the most saves by an English keeper in Champions league history.
  Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid

First leg:

Bayer Leverkusen beat last season's finalists Atletico Madrid in a surprising 1-0 victory for the mid-table German side. The home side played well against a well-structured Madrid side and finished the game with 66% possession but committed 25 fouls. It was a smash and grab game in many aspects, with is common in first leg matches, as both sides looked for a slender advantage to take into the second leg. Nine players were booked and one player booked again to be dismissed on 75 minutes (Tiago for Atletico). Ultimately, Hakan Calhanoglu scored on 57 minutes after the Turkish international found the roof of the net from a great free-kick from team-mate Bellarabi. Atletico are not out yet but Bayer have every reason to get their hopes up before the second leg at the Vicente Calderon on 17th March.

FACT: 36 fouls were committed in the game, 25 by Bayer and 11 by Atletico.

Second leg:

Atletico Madrid advanced into the Champions league quarter-finals after taking winning the tie 3-2 on penalties. Mario Suarez scored on 27 minutes to make the tie a draw and both teams dug in to extra-time but couldn't separated. The unfortunate player to miss the vital penalty was Bayer striker Stefan Kiessling and was listed down with Calhanoglu and Toprak as the Bayer Leverkusen players to miss penalties. The German outfit looked to creep past last season's runners-up by doing their best with the possession they had at the Vicente Calderon but Atletico played much better than they did in Germany three weeks previously and just about deserved to go through into the next round.

FACT: Atletico had lost their last three European penalty shoot-outs.


Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund

First leg:
Juventus won a tight game against Dortmund after missing a few good chances to kill the tie. Carlos Tevez scored on 13th minutes, his first goal from a free-kick for Juventus. Five minutes later, Chellini slipped and Marco Reus punished the Italian by striking past Buffon to level the score. Álvaro Morata's cool 42nd minute strike boosted the Italian side, who could have walked away from the game with an even stronger advantage over the domestically-struggling Dortmund (if Carlos Tevez had scored a handful of second-half chances). This tie looks like has plenty more to offer and I'm sure it will deliver in the second meeting at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park.

FACT: Juventus has only lost one European game at the redeveloped Juventus stadium.

Second leg:

Dortmund lost 3-0 to Juventus at the Signal Iduna Park and were knocked out 5-1 on aggregate. Before the game, 25,000 Dortmund fans in 'The Yellow Wall' unveiled a brilliant display that referred to their win over Juventus in the 1997 European Cup final. However, the German outfit didn't live up to the performance in the 1997 European final as they were dominated by Carlos Tevez, who scored a brace. Static defending didn't help Dortmund in their bid to overturn a 2-1 defeat at the Juventus stadium and to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions league. Tevez and co fairly advanced into the quarter-finals.

FACT: Carlos Tevez has now scored six Champions league goals this season. The last Juventus player to achieve this was David Trezeguet, in the 2005-06 season.


Schalke vs Real Madrid

First leg:

Ronaldo ended his three match goal drought as Real Madrid won 2-0 in Gelsenkirchen in the first of two games which Schalke fans won't be happy to watch for many reasons. Los Blancos did win comfortably in Germany against Di Matteo's side but didn't completely dominate the game. Schalke had eight shots and three shots on target, even with the loss of ex-Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to a thigh injury. Left-back Marcelo then scored on 79 minutes to wrap up the game in the champions favour. Its not all gloom for Schalke, who were missing a few key players from the starting XI, as they were solid defensively for long periods of the game. However, they will most likely not advance past Real Madrid into the quarter finals. No team would to be honest.

FACT: Cristiano Ronaldo has now scored 58 goals in 58 Champions league games.

Second leg:

Due winning the second leg 4-3, Schalke couldn't advance past the cup holders into the quarter finals as they lost 5-4 on aggregate. Real's star trio (Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale) were heavily criticised going into the game in the Spanish capital for poor goal scoring form (Gareth Bale had scored just one in his last eight La Liga games). Real were slow off the mark and conceded after 20 minutes but were level five minutes later thanks to Ballon D'or winner Ronaldo. Ex-Real striker Huntelaar then scored on 40 minutes but Ronaldo struck back just before half-time. Benzema scored to make it 3-2 to Los Blancos but Sane virtually drifted unmarked on the edge of the penalty area and curled home a fabulous finesse shot to make it three all on the night. On 84 minutes, Huntelaar got his second to really make Real sweat. However, no more goals came in the dying minutes and Real narrowly progressed through. Despite this, their fans weren't happy and booed their star-studded team at the final whistle.

FACT: Real Madrid advanced into their fifth consecutive Champions league quarter-final.


Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich

First leg:

Shakhtar held out Bayern Munich in a game that was very different from what people had predicted before kick-off. The game was littered with fouls and this aided Shakhtar over the course of the game (as they only had 36% possession and one shot on target all game). Seven players were booked in total, with Xabi Alonso receiving two yellow cards and was sent off with 65 minutes gone. Thomas Muller threatened the Ukrainian side's goal multiple times, through decent link-up play with Arjen Robben, but Shakhtar did enough to hold out for a comfortable 0-0 draw on their behalf.

FACT: Xabi Alonso was sent off in his 100th Champions league game.

Second leg:

Bayern battered Shakhtar at the Allianz Arena in a 7-0 demolition of the Ukrainian side. Muller (brace), Boateng, Ribery, Badstuber, Lewandowski and Gotze all scored to see off any real threat to their Champions league progression. The German champions haven't lost at home in all competitions since losing 4-1 to real Madrid in last season's semi-final second leg and used this stat to their full advantage, having 79% possession and 13 shots on target. Bayern will hope for more threating opposition in the quarter-finals.

FACT: The fastest ever Champions league red card was awarded to Shakhtar's Olexandr Kucher after 2 minutes and 39 seconds.


Arsenal vs Monaco

First leg:
Arsenal face going out of the Champions league at the last 16 stage for another season as they lost 3-1 to Monaco at the Emirates stadium. There had been an in-depth look at the French club where Arsene Wenger used to manage and whilst the verdict had been that the club had been hit by FFP (Financial Fair Play), the club was turning towards youth and not towards expensive buys that would be sold off to save their wage budget. No-one for saw Monaco being 2-0 up after 53 minutes and even when Chamberlain scored on 91 minutes, the atmosphere around the ground was one of shame and defensive agony. Monaco then added a third on 93 minutes to leave Arsenal's hopes of getting to the quarter-finals in tatters. Even with a favourable draw, Arsenal can't grab the last 16 by neck and ease on past into the quarters-finals, which they haven't reached since 2010. The second leg is pointless as I don't see Arsenal scoring three goals and being tight at the back at the same time.

FACT: Oliver Giroud missed all of his six attempts from inside the penalty box. Berbatov scored with his only touch in the penalty box.

Second leg:

Arsenal couldn't overcome Monaco's first leg victory to advance to the quarter finals of the Champions league for the first time in five years. Although they won 2-0, thanks to a 36th minute goal from Oliver Giroud and a 79th minute rebound from Aaron Ramsey, they were again knocked out on away goals. Mesut Ozil came under criticism for swapping shirts at half-time, farther adding to his reputation as the scapegoat of the Gunners. Monaco were very defensive and didn't have a shot on target, a fact that angered Arsene Wenger in the post-match commentary. It seemed that Arsenal are stuck in a repetition of failure in the Champions league under Wenger and this is one of the reasons why I think Wenger should resign as manager and give someone else a chance to refresh Arsenal's squad and tactics.

FACT: Monaco hadn't conceded in four home Champions league games this season until Giroud scored the opener.


Basel vs FC Porto

First leg:

Referee Mark Clattenburg over saw a game that was largely one sided and a highly intense game between Basel and Porto. Nine players were booked and a Porto equaliser was ruled out before Danilo scored a late penalty to earn Porto an important away goal. Although Basel were not up to the pace of the game that had been set by Porto early on, demonstrated by having 37% possession and having one shot compared to Porto's fifteen, but did lead the game until the 79th minute. It just shows how teams are now focused on using possession, even when they don't have much of it. A 1-1 draw probably wasn't a fair result for both sides, as Basel had done well to lead with one chance and very little possession, were as Porto dominated long spells of the game and didn't accept defeat. Like PSG vs Chelsea, the second leg will provide a more cutting edge look at how these teams trutly shape up.

FACT: The last time Basel reached the quarter-finals of Europe's elite competition was in the 1973-74 season. They lost 6-5 on aggregate to Celtic.

Second leg:

The second leg of this tie looked to be a tight game in which both teams would have a wide catalogue of chances to progress through to the quarter-finals. This wasn't the case on the night as Porto swept Basel aside in a 4-0 victory and aided to their surprising but yet good Champions league run. Arsenal transfer target Jackson Martinez was ruled out with a groin injury that he suffered in Porto's last league game but Porto dominated without him and deservedly beat their Swiss opponents. The pick of the goals was Real Madrid loanee Casermio's 30 yard free-kick on 56 minutes. Although the remaining teams in the competition will be looking to draw Porto, they could still face a tough two legged affair against the Portuguese champions, who have gained momentum under Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui.

FACT: Porto reached the Champions league quarter-finals for the first time since 2009.

 

 

Teams progressing into the quarter-finals:

 

• PSG
• Barcelona
• Atletico Madrid
• Juventus
• Real Madrid
• Bayern Munich
• Monaco
• Porto

Quarter-finals matchups:

• PSG vs Barcelona
• Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
• Porto vs Bayern Munich
• Juventus vs Monaco

Barcelona defeated Manchester City 3-1 on aggregate, ending English involvement in the Champions league (following Chelsea's and Arsenal's exits on away goals to PSG and Monaco respectively).

Everton vs Liverpool review: Gerard's last-ever derby doesn't match hype

Everton vs Liverpool review: Gerard's last-ever derby doesn't match hype

Steven Gerard's last-ever Merseyside derby didn't match the pre-match hype that domestic media had forecasted for the Liverpool legend. The game was a grim spectacle compared to last season's derby at Goodison (a fantastic 3-3 draw) and even though Liverpool were the dominate team for the majority of the match, no team really looked like finishing off the other and walking away with three points. Jordan Ibe, who spent last season on loan at Derby, was named in the line-up for only his second league start and blossomed under the intensity of the Merseyside derby (coming the closet to opening the deadlock on 26 minutes with a great effort that smacked off the post). Everton were quite reluctant to go forward in the second-half, even with the much-needed pace of Aaron Lennon introduced in the 60th minute. I was puzzled why Ross Barkley was put on in the 84th minute (especially because he was ready to come on just before half-time). Everton may have stopped the run of poor results but they still haven't addressed the problem of transforming possession into clear-cut chances. The fact that it took till the 87th minute for Seamus Coleman to register Everton's first shot on target proves this.

All in all, Gerard and co will be disappointed not to come away from Goodison with three points after creating more chances and taking the fight to Everton. Martinez's side will look at the positives before they head to Stamford Bridge, hoping to improve dramatically on the 6-3 loss in the reverse fixtures in September. There will be no big sign-off for Gerard from the Merseyside derby but at least both teams walked away with something from a grim game. 

FACT: This was only the second goalless meeting between Everton and Liverpool in their last five matches.

Gerard's last-ever Merseyside derby wasn't what the media expected it to be.

Everton vs Liverpool preview: Gerard's last-ever Merseyside Derby

Everton vs Liverpool preview: Gerard's last-ever Merseyside Derby

As an Everton fan, Steven Gerard has become a figure of frustration over the years as he always seem to pull something out the bag against his fiercest rivals, no matter what form he is in. In 32 games against the Toffees, Gerard has scored ten goals and received two cards. Everton fans will be glad to see the back of one of Liverpool's greatest players (if not the greatest!) and look forward to derbies without the ex-England captain in the Reds line-up. Weather he starts in his last-ever derby would be a no-brainier for most fans,players and managers but Rodgers will decide what is best for the team(like any manager should).

Everton's win against Crystal Palace was long over due but a win or a loss in the derby can either decrease or increase the pressure on a manager. Loanee Aaron Lennon gives Roberto Martinez a new option from the bench in a game which is always high-intensity and can either offer quality football or a scrappy and unpleasant game for spectators and players. Liverpool seem to have a new potential trio in the absence of last season's deadly duo (Suarez and Sturridge) and they are Sterling, Coutinho and Sturridge. Liverpool are more confident going into the derby, having only lost one in their last thirteen games and having summer signings ,such as Lazar Markovic, show their abilities on the pitch. However, on derby day, form and preparation goes out the window.

FACT: The Merseyside Derby has the record for the most red cards in Premier League history (13 for Everton, 7 for Liverpool).

Gerard has proved to be a key player for Liverpool in Merseyside Derbies and this will be his last-ever one in one of England's greatest rivalries. 

          

Will Mayweather vs Pacquiao happen?

Will Mayweather vs Pacquiao happen?

For years, boxing fans have fantasied about the two best fighters of their generation going head-to-head in the greatest blockbuster main-event of all-time. The two fighters are Floyd Mayweather and Filipino Pacquiao, who hold the WBC and WBA welterweight championships (Mayweather) and the WBO welterweight championships (Pacquiao) between them. Mayweather is undefeated as a professional across five weight divisions and Pacquiao is an eight-division world champion. The pair have respect from every boxing fan and boxer at any level. Now, speculation has been spreading across the Internet faster than a six second Vine after the pair were spotted at an NBA game on Tuesday 27th January 2015, between Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat        

Pacquiao's publicist Fred Sternburg said that a bout between the two had 'a way to go but is moving in a positive direction'. A bout between the two has been called for since the pair both rose to stardom around 2008. Pacquiao reportedly agreed to fight Mayweather on 13th March, 2010, which each fighter getting $25 million upfront. The fight preparation was set out like the Holy Grail of Boxing. The eight-page agreement was so detailed that it indicated which of the two fighters would step onto the scale first at the weigh-in (Pacquiao), who would walk to the ring first (Pacquiao), who would be introduced first (Mayweather) and who had first choice of the locker room (Mayweather). The fight was supposed to be held at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, a venue which has become Mayweather's home for boxing in recent years. The bout was called off because of the division in the two camps relating to drug testing. Mayweather wanted random blood testing by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which Pacquiao rejected as he didn't want to have blood removed from his body thirty days before the fight because he thought it would put him at a disadvantage for the fight (which I totally agree with). After a long and frustrating period of debate about the blood testing window, the fight was officially cancelled off on January 7th 2010.

Pacquiao has tweeted in recent months about fighting Mayweather and about 'giving boxing fans what they really want'. Mayweather has set the ball in motion after swapping numbers with Pacquiao in a surprise and unscheduled first meeting between the boxing legends. Call it what you will but it seems that both competitors have reached the point in their careers when they want to give the fans what they want. It sounds cheesy but they could have ignored each other and decided to move on to negotiate other fights. Let's not forget that Mayweather said that he wanted to fight two more times before retiring for the second time in 2015. One of those fights has been and gone, defeating Marcos Maidana on 13th September 2014. So, a fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao could be the last fight in Mayweather's undefeated career and that would make the occasion thousand times more significant. 

Every boxing fan will have their own opinion on two vital questions. One, will it happen? Two, if the fight does happen, who will win? For me, I think it will happen as both fighters seem like they want to fight to happen before they bow out of boxing. In terms of a winner, I think Mayweather may just edge it because of his aggression and punching power. However, it will be a highly intense and evenly matched bout between two of boxing's greats. Hopefully, the fight will happen and fans aren't left wondering who would have won the greatest fight of all-time.

Mayweather and Pacquiao exchange numbers at an NBA game, fueling speculation about a potential blockbuster final on 2nd May 2015.

Premier league review 2014/15: Mid November- Mid-January

Premier league review 2014/15: Mid November - Mid-January

The season is now firmly shaping up and for some teams it is almost impossible to see where they'll end up at the end of the 38 games. Only twenty one games, the mid to bottom of the table has become extremely tight and this could be one of the most exciting end to the relegation scrap (not too sound cliche!).

Surprise teams are still flying high but Swansea will be slightly worried after Bony sale

Southampton are still flying high after beating alot of teams comfortably. Their most recent result against Manchester United, a 1-0 win, demonstrates the possibly of them gaining European football for next season. Ronald Koeman is already a contender for Manger of the season as he has transformed a team that had its nucleus (Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Callum Chambers and Rickie Lambert) sold off to a team that is feared among other Premier league clubs. Southampton deserve full credit for buying players that fit their new manager's style of play well (which doesn't always happen when a club has alot of money from recent player sales).

West Ham are another team flying high, although they had a spell recently where they dropped some points. However, they currently sit in seventh and have the chance to jump up to fifth with a win over Hull at Uptown Park. Enner Valencia has been the star man for Big Sam's team, always popping up when they need a vital goal. Andy Carroll has also come into good form, with a fantastic goal in his last game against Swansea.

Swansea have been left with a hole in their team after Wilfred Bony agreed to join Manchester City for £28 million. Bony is currently away on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations but will be relishing in that his fantastic form has earned him a place in one of England's best teams. Swansea must fill that attacking hole fast if they want to finish among the top eight. It is hard to see who they will get has a good enough replacement but £28 million can persuade the majority of clubs to part with their top striker.

Some teams continue to struggle...
There are some teams that have not started their season at all. One of those teams is Everton. This season has become a total and complete contrast to last season's fifth place as they currently sit in twelfth place and has arguably the worst defence in the league. It seems that Martinez has become a victim of his past success, as defenders are nervous wrecks and teams know that they can beat Everton if they push up the field fast and don't let them settle. Small problems have slowly become season-threatening worries for the Everton faithful.

Arsenal aren't really struggling but they are being carried by Alexis Sanchez and his extremely out-of-place quality compared to the rest of the Arsenal team. Arsenal may not be in danger of having no season at all but they must buy a center-back and a central defensive-midfielder to have a chance of finishing in the top four (as always) and to take the pressure off their Chilean superstar.

Obviously there are teams near the bottom of the table that don't have a consistent enough run to make their fans think they won't be in a relegation battle at the end of the season. These teams are listed below:

• Everton
• Hull City
• Newcastle
• Aston Villa
• West Brom
• Sunderland
•  QPR

Chelsea don't look like they'll lose out to City

Chelsea may have been beaten by Newcastle and Tottenham away but they don't look catchable. True, Manchester City are close to them and have added to their difficult striker fitness regime by buying Bony, but Chelsea's team is fantastic and in my opinion is the third best team in the world (at club level). The list of quality players is endless and are known by every football fan across the world. In some games, they have stages of play which look exceptional and may to a certain extent can be seen as a carbon copy of Pep Guardiola's dominate Bayern Munich team.

Manchester City have bought the Premier league's top goalscorer in 2014 (20 goals) for £28 million (£25 million upfront cash and £3 million in performance related add-ons). Bony becomes the most expensive African player in history, passing Emmanuel Adebayor's £25 million transfer from Arsenal to Manchester City in July 2009.

Champions league 2014/15 last 16 match previews

Champions league 2014/15 last 16 match previews

NOTE: These predictions were made before the January transfer window opened in order to provide an immediate reaction to the draw.

Paris St-Germain vs Chelsea

Jose Mourinho said he would welcome PSG in the last 16 (most likely because of the win over the French champions in March). The Special One's side is arguably the third most organised (and best) team in Europe this season (behind Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, respectively). Chelsea topped Group G with four wins and two draws and only had their 1-1 draw away to Mairbor to look down on. PSG do boast quality personnel, such as Edison Cavani, Thiago Silva and the mighty Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Although PSG didn't top Group F, thanks to a 3-1 loss at the Nou Camp on the final group stage matchday, they still have talent and are stronger than when they lost to Chelsea in last season's quarter-finals. However, I do think that Chelsea have spent the last two years reaching a point in football were they can confidently and successfully challenge any team, when they need to.

Winner: Chelsea. I think that PSG will be good opponents but will fall at the vital moments over the two games.

Manchester City vs Barcelona
For the second year in a row, Manchester City have been dealt the short straw and will face Barcelona for the second consecutive season in the last 16. The English side clinched second place in Group E by beating Bayern Munich 3-2 (thanks to a superb Aguero hat-trick) and winning for the first time on Italian soil on the final group stage matchday, beating Roma 2-0. Barcelona topped Group F with 15 points and have given promise to their supporters in a quest for fourth European trophy. Although City's progress in the Champions league has been limited when matched up against the money spent on the squad, they feel that will feel that they have nothing to lose and everything to gain when facing the three-time European champions.

Winner: Barcelona. Their team looks poised to go far in the tournament and City doesn't have the players to get past the Catalan club over two legs.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid
Bayer Leverkusen were tipped for topping Group C but finished second behind Monaco, who finished first despite only scoring four goals in the group stage. Bayer's side is full of a few fine attacking players, such as South Korean forward Son, but lack a side of extreme quality and diversity, which is what you need to sustain a successful Champions league run. As for Atleti, Simeone's men played good, solid and counter-attacking football that lead them to last season's Champions league final against their arch-rivals. They won Group A comfortably and I don't see Bayer being a worthy opponent for them.

Winner: Atletico Madrid. Atleti have a strong unit of players (Koke,Godin and Miranda) and will stroll past Bayer, who aren't knock-out stage quality.

Juventus vs Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund have so far played a very contrasting season on the European and domestic front. They won Group D (even though it was on goal difference) and have drawn one of the less intimating sides in the last 16 draw. However, in the Bundesliga, they are second from bottom before the start of the winter break and could be forced to break the bank to climb back up the table. Juventus played an okay group stage campaign and do actually have a decent pool of players to call upon for a tough game (Pogba,Tevez,Pirlo and Buffon). I think that this will be one of the more evenly contested ties in the last 16.

Winner: Juventus. The two games will be tough but I think that juventus will just edge past Dortmund because of the widespread talent in their squad, which Dortmund are lacking this season.

Schalke vs Real Madrid
Di Matteo's luck in the Champions league has turned sour after drawing the European champions in the last 16. Schalke only just clinched second place in Group G on the final matchday and don't seem to be in a consistent run. Ronaldo and co shouldn't have too much to worry about over the two games.

Winner: Real Madrid. The two teams are very different in both quality and depth and whoever got Real would have an uphill task before a ball was even kicked.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich
Shakhtar played quite well against the other teams in Group H but didn't finish in top spot because of their slip-up on matchday five away to Atletico Bilbao. However, they have drawn one of the giants of the draw and most use all their abilities to learn from games such as when Chelsea beat Bayern on penalties to win the 2012 final for inspiration and motivation. Bayern look efficient and adaptable to every opponent they play and will look to kill the tie quickly to rotate their team for the Bundesliga.

Winner: Bayern Munich. Shouldn't be a close encounter but Shakhtar have nothing to lose so they might has well give it everything they've got.

Arsenal vs Monaco
Arsenal have finally been handed an even tie in the last 16 after getting Bayern for the past few seasons when they got past the group stages. Arsene Wenger returns to the club that he managed between 1987 and 1994. Arsenal have improved in key areas such as defending from last season (and they have finally bought a striker!) and I think that they can go on a decent run if they play smart and don't get carried away in any game, at anytime. Monaco surprised me greatly as they won Group C, which was down to the defensive set-up of the French outfit. They will fancy their chances against Arsenal but will have to find a goal scoring rhythm to advance past the last 16.

Winner: Arsenal. This tie will be quite even but I think Arsenal will go through because of their attacking options, especially in Alexis Sanchez.

Basel vs FC Porto
Basel edged through to the last 16 by the skin of their teeth and at the expense of Liverpool. Usually when that happens, you get a giant in the next round but Basel were matched up against one of the less intimidating group winners. Porto have had a strong campaign so far and will give Basel a good contest.

Winner: Porto. Basel aren't consistent enough and Porto seem to be having a whirl in this season's Champions league.

Champions league trophy.

Who will win the 2014 Ballon D'or?

Who will win the 2014 Ballon D'or?

On the 12th January 2015, in Zurich, one FIFA nominee will receive the ultimate individual price that football has to offer, the FIFA Ballon D'or. The three contenders are Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Manuel Neuer, some of the greatest players of my generation. In this post, I weight up their achievements and see who I think deserves the 2014 FIFA Ballon D'or.

Lionel Messi

Key achievements of 2014:

• Becoming the first player to pass Raul 71 Champions league goals
• Finishing runners-up in the 2014 World Cup with Argentina
• Becoming the highest goalscorer in Barcelona's history
• Became the highest goalscorer in La Liga history
• Won the 2014 Adidas Golden Ball (at the World Cup)

Messi is up there with the best of all-time. No one can argue against that point. However, football fans have realised that among Messi's spectacular stats and playing style, his stardom hasn't been as big as when he first stormed onto the European stage with Barcelona (winning the 2009 Champions league final against Manchester United in Rome). Messi has won the Ballon D'or four times before but I think that he hasn't reached his height of performance, as his attacking ideas seem to be the same game in game out. 

Cristiano Ronaldo

Key achievements of 2014:

• Won the 2014 Champions league with Real Madrid
• Won the 2013 Ballon D'or in January
• Won the 2013-14 UEFA Best Player in Europe award
• Won the 2014 Club World Cup with Real Madrid
• Scored the most hat-tricks in La Liga history (23)
• Won the 2014 UEFA Super Cup with Real Madrid
• Won the 2014 Copa Del Rey with Real Madrid
• Joint-winner of the European Golden Shoe (alongside Luis Suarez, both tied on 31 goals)

Ronaldo has really come into his own in the past two seasons and this can be proved by the number of individual awards he has gained over the past year. Although some would say that Messi has more goals than Ronaldo in some competitions (e.g. UEFA Champions league), Ronaldo has a much better overall attacking game (e.g. strength, stamina, aggression, and heading). Madrid don't depend on Ronaldo as much Barcelona do on Messi (aside the Spanish capital's transfer policy) and therefore displays that Ronaldo is, at the moment, just edging in the Messi vs Ronaldo saga.

Manuel Neuer

Key achievements of 2014:

• Won the 2014 World Cup with Germany
• Won the 2013/14 Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich
• Only conceding 4 goals before the winter break of the 2014/15 Bundesliga season
• Won the 2014 Golden Glove at the World Cup
• Won the 2014 DFB-Pokal Final with Bayern Munich

It was going to be an event of huge debate among football fans, who would be third on the nominee list behind Messi and Ronaldo. Aguero, Robben and Gareth Bale were among those for the third place on the finalists list but ultimately, FIFA chose Manuel Neuer. The World-cup winner has been in fine form all season for both Germany and Bayern Munich, with a brick-wall like status when playing opponents. Neuer has also become an icon for his midfield-like techniques when his defence play a high-line of attacking football. Although he has achieved alot for a goalkeeper in the modern game, Neuer is not comparable, in my opinion, to Messi and Ronaldo. However, he is definitely one of the best goalkeepers of all-time.

My prediction:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Lionel Messi
3. Manuel Neuer

The 2014 FIFA Ballon D'or finalists