The remaining four matches of the UEFA Champions league
last16 first legs take place this week with some intriguing ties. In tonight’s
matches CSKA Moscow host nine times champions Real Madrid in another encounter
Chelsea will be at the Kingdom of Naples when they take on Napoli. In
tomorrow’s matches, Marseille play Inter Milan and Bayern visit Basel.
CSK Moscow vs. Real
Madrid (21 Feb 2012: Luzhniki Stadion: 19:00 CAT)
The Los Blancos will be heading to Eastern Europe in the
air of invincible having beaten Racing Santander 4-0 in the domestic league
over the weekend. They are one of the favourites to lift the title in Munich
together with their bitter rivals Barcelona. Despite winning all their group
matches, Jose Morinho’s man will find the going tough against the home side
that are unbeaten in five matches against Spanish opposition.
Napoli vs. Chelsea
(21 Feb 2012: Stadio San Paolo: 21:45
CAT)
This is one of the interesting games in this round of 16,
the other coach is under immense pressure and on the other hand Napoli coach-
Walter Mazzarri will miss both legs after losing an appeal against his two
match ban. On Sunday there were reports that Chelsea boss Andre Villas Boas
could be shown the exit door if the Blues are beaten by Napoli.
The home side have been a revelation this season with
their exciting strikers of Edison Cavani, Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi, the
Londoners will have their work cut out if they are stop the trio at the San Paolo.
It’s going to be interesting to see how both sides respond, it should be a
cracker.
Marseille vs. Inter
Milan (22 Feb 2012: Stade Velodrome: 21:45 CAT)
In a game that the tie that could go either way, on
Wednesday night the 1993 champions clash with 2010 champions at the Stade
Velodrome. On Friday night the Nerazzuri were handed a 3-0 at home by bologna
leaving the coach Claudio Ranieri with so much pressure to turn around things
at the Giuseppe Meazza.
With Ranieri’s future a hot topic, Marseille boss Didier
Deschamps has said despite the Milan outfit’s recent downturn in results, he
expecting a difficult challenge against the Italians. The French club will be
without their striker Remy who has been ruled out with a hamstring injury but
they will welcome the Ayew brothers from the AFCON.
Basel vs. Bayern
Munich (22 Feb 2012: Saint Jakob-Park
21:45 CAT)
Basel conceded ten goals in the group stages more than
any other club to reach the knockout phase. The Swiss side will pin their hopes
on their coach who knows a lot about the Germany side having spent nine years
in the Munich youth department- manager Heiko Vogel should be equipped enough
about the 2010 runners up.
Over the weekend Munich played to a goalless draw against
SC Freiburg in Germany’s Bundesliga but they should be fired to beat the Swiss
side and keep the dream of playing a home finale alive. In their last visit at
the St Jakob, Bayern Munich came from behind to win 2-1 in last season’s group
stages.
By Terence Mthembu
