The results went as expected yesterday with Manchester City qualifying for the next round and real Madrid also following suit. Tonight, the match might offer a different path as Chelsea versus Athletico Madrid is still an open game, but it seems to be the end of the road for Lazio who already lost the first leg at home to Bayern.
While football remains an unpredictable exciting outdoor sport, its fine to still have expectations as that gives us something to long for. In that same vein, I will be examining the possible outcome of tonight matches in the champions league.
Bayern Munich versus Lazio
Bayern might not be able to reach the standard they set the last time out, but they are sure to still one team which is expected to win any competition or match they are in. After starting this season on a slower note, they have grown and become better as the season proceeds and this has seen them attain a level like that of last season.
The 4-1 wining result against Lazio in the first leg explains why you cannot underestimate them at any point in time. It was a classic match and they outmatched Lazio in the first leg. The second leg might result in a more unfavourable result for Lazio, but Lazio will be poised on avoiding the battering gotten in the first leg.
With Lazio being the last Italian team in the competition, their elimination will only show how week the Italian team has become. Bayern has been known to be a team that mercilessly destroys the team with a mouth-watering scoreline, but Lazio will be out to avoid that and set up their team in a defensive manner.
Of course, Bayern will win the match but it is likely for the scoreline to be around 2-0 or 3-1.
Chelsea versus Athletico Madrid
The Spanish domination on the champions league title might be ending with just Real Madrid in the next round but Athletico offers a challenging road for Chelsea to advance to the next round of the tournament. Chelsea might have won the first leg of the clash, but the match still appears open and tonight will decide who will be seeing in the next round.
While each team seems to be set up in a more defensive approach, it is no lie that Athletico possesses a more powerful attacking arsenal at their disposal. Chelsea defence appears to be doing great as the new coach Tuchel as managed to get it right for Chelsea but scoring goals remains a problem for the team. Since the new coach arrives, Chelsea has failed to score more than 2 goals in 13 matches, but their defensive records have been second to known.
Chelsea will likely set up their team in the same way they set it up in the first leg. A more balanced team with a conservative approach looking to hit on a counter approach. Athletico Madrid on the other hand will be more adventurous this time around as they will be looking to break the deadlock and get at least a goal against Chelsea. They possess the team to score but Chelsea has the team to suck all pressure and hit on the counter.
With Giroud on the forefront, Chelsea might likely be getting a goal as he helps create space for others to run into. Depending on who is on the flank, Chelsea might cause more damage to Athletico Madrid. The match might likely end in a draw but a goalless draw seems far from the point.
What are your predictions for tonight’s match-up?
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