iceblizzard69
☠️ Banned ☠️
After two months, the Champions League is back. The format has changed, last year the round of 16 was another group stage but now it is a knockout round. Each series is 2 games, with the winner advancing based on goal differential. Here are the games for the first leg of the round of 16:
24th February 2004
Lokomotiv Moskva - Monaco
Celta - Arsenal
Bayern - Real Madrid
Sparta - Milan
25th February 2004
Deportivo - Juventus
Stuttgart - Chelsea
Porto - Man. United
Real Sociedad - Lyon
I personally don't think there will be any upsets. Tomorrow, Monaco, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Milan should all be able to win. Three of the four games tomorrow feature teams where one team is a lot better than the other, the only one kind of close being Bayern - Real Madrid, but I don't think Bayern will be able to win.
On Wednesday, Juventus gets to play Deportivo La Coruna. Deportivo has a very good side and this one may be close but I think the worst case scenario for Juventus would be a draw. After a stellar start, Stuttgart no longer leads the Bundesliga and will probably lose to Chelsea. Manchester United will not have defenders Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre for their match against Porto but they are still clearly the better side. Real Sociedad joins Celta Viga as two Spanish teams still in the Champions League even though they are both close to the relegation zone in La Liga. Lyon is one of the best teams in France and this might be a close. I predict a draw in this one.
24th February 2004
Lokomotiv Moskva - Monaco
Celta - Arsenal
Bayern - Real Madrid
Sparta - Milan
25th February 2004
Deportivo - Juventus
Stuttgart - Chelsea
Porto - Man. United
Real Sociedad - Lyon
I personally don't think there will be any upsets. Tomorrow, Monaco, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Milan should all be able to win. Three of the four games tomorrow feature teams where one team is a lot better than the other, the only one kind of close being Bayern - Real Madrid, but I don't think Bayern will be able to win.
On Wednesday, Juventus gets to play Deportivo La Coruna. Deportivo has a very good side and this one may be close but I think the worst case scenario for Juventus would be a draw. After a stellar start, Stuttgart no longer leads the Bundesliga and will probably lose to Chelsea. Manchester United will not have defenders Rio Ferdinand and Mikael Silvestre for their match against Porto but they are still clearly the better side. Real Sociedad joins Celta Viga as two Spanish teams still in the Champions League even though they are both close to the relegation zone in La Liga. Lyon is one of the best teams in France and this might be a close. I predict a draw in this one.