Liverpool must be wary of Real’s RodriguezThe UEFA Champions League continues this week with Matchday 4 of the group stage. Sportsnets panel of soccer writers and broadcasters preview this weeks matches and offer their predictions. Real Madrid vs Liverpool Gerry Dobson: Last season, Liverpool was so good in the league and was well equipped to compete in the Champions League. This year they actually are in the Champions League, but have a faint hope of advancing. Last months 3-0 win by Real Madrid at Anfield was a clear indication of the gulf that exists between the two sides. And consider that while Liverpool was being shut out by Newcastle in the league on the weekend, Madrid dismantled Granada 4-0. James Rodriguez scored a wonder goal in that encounter which highlights even more the problems Liverpool are having in that department without Luis Suarez. They desperately need Daniel Sturridge in the squad. Their anemic attack has netted just seven goals in the seven games theyve played without him. He has travelled with the team, but whether he sees any action or not remains to be seen. As if to add salt to the wound, Carlo Ancelotti has pronounced Gareth Bale fit and ready to go. Cant you just see him and Ronaldo giving Liverpool fits this week? I can. Prediction: Real Madrid wins 3-0. Tuesday programming alert: Watch Zenit Saint Petersburg vs Bayer Leverkusen on Sportsnet World at 11:45 am ET, Real Madrid vs Liverpool on the four main Sportsnet channels at 2:30 pm ET, Arsenal vs Anderlecht on Sportsnet ONE at 2:30 pm ET, and Juventus vs Olympiakos on Sportsnet World at 2:30 pm ET || Also, watch these games at 2:30 pm ET online at Sportsnet World NOW: Malmo vs Atletico Madrid, Basel vs Ludogorets, Benfica vs Monaco and Borussia Dortmund vs Galatasaray. Arsenal vs Anderlecht James Sharman: With Theo Walcott returning after almost a year out of action we can begin asking just where will he fit into the Arsenal starting 11 that now includes a brilliant Alexis Sanchez patrolling wide areas? The solution might be Arsene Wengers 4-4-2 as debuted against Burnley on the weekend, where Sanchez played centrally with Danny Welbeck. Still, the Anderlecht game will not resolve this conundrum, but it is something to consider as we search for a reason to explain Arsenals recent improved form. This improvement was kicked off by that late come-from-behind 2-1 win against Anderlecht two weeks ago. Prior to that result, the Gunners dropped points in two straight, but have since won both games and not conceded, albeit against poor opposition. A win for Arsenal coupled with Galatasaray dropping points away to Borussia Dortmund will advance Wengers side from the group phase. A defensive injury crisis for Arsenal is currently being glossed over by positive results, but Jack Wilshere will be missing for this one through sickness—his improved play of late will be missed. The Belgians played well in the reverse fixture and were unfortunate to drop points, but one win in its last six is hardly the form Anderlecht will want to take into the Emirates. Prediction: Arsenal wins 3-0. Juventus vs Olympiakos Dan Riccio: “We will give great intensity and it is mandatory for us to win.” Max Allegri, Juventus manager, is not holding his punches ahead of this clash. He knows how big this game is for the Bianconeri. If Juventus are to live up to their status as a ‘big club then this, as Allegri states, is a mandatory victory. Anything less likely means Juventus will miss out on the knockout stages of the Champions League for a second straight campaign. Juventus should be encouraged by Olympiakos record away from home in this competition—winless since Oct. 2, 2013 when they beat Anderlecht 3-0 in Belgium. Prediction: Juventus wins 3-0. Borussia Dortmund vs Galatasaray James Doyle: Its hard to account for whats going in Dortmund these days. Two years removed from a Champions League runner-up spot, BVB are in the Bundesliga relegation zone after 10 games. They have the fourth-worst goal differential in the German top flight. Theyre on a seven-game winless streak in the league. Its just plain nuts. A Champions League matchday may be just what they need. Dortmund are a different team outside of the Bundelsiga—theyve won their last six games in the Champions League, German Cup and the UEFA Super Cup by a combined margin of 18-1, including wins against Arsenal and Bayern Munich. And, of course, that 4-0 away win a couple of weeks ago against Galatasaray. At home, at the legendary Westfalenstadion, BVB should be even better against the Turks. So lets forget the league—as Dortmund are likely keen to—and assume this nonsense trend continues. Prediction: Borussia Dortmund wins 2-0 Wednesday programming alert: Watch Manchester City vs CSKA Moscow on the four main Sportsnet Bayern Munich vs AS Roma on Sportsnet ONE at 2:30 pm ET, and NK Maribor vs Chelsea on Sportsnet World at 2:30 pm ET || Also, watch these games at 2:30 pm ET online at Sportsnet World NOW: Sporting vs Schalke, Athletic Bilbao vs FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk vs BATE Borisov, Ajax vs Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain vs APOEL FC. By Sportsnet Staff The UEFA Champions League continues this week with Matchday 4 of the group stage. Sportsnets panel of soccer writers and broadcasters preview this weeks matches and offer their predictions. Real Madrid vs Liverpool Gerry Dobson: Last season, Liverpool was so good in the league and was well equipped to compete in the Champions League. This year they actually are in the Champions League, but have a faint hope of advancing. Last months 3-0 win by Real Madrid at Anfield was a clear indication of the gulf that exists between the two sides. And consider that while Liverpool was being shut out by Newcastle in the league on the weekend, Madrid dismantled Granada 4-0. James Rodriguez scored a wonder goal in that encounter which highlights even more the problems Liverpool are having in that department without Luis Suarez. They desperately need Daniel Sturridge in the squad. Their anemic attack has netted just seven goals in the seven games theyve played without him. He has travelled with the team, but whether he sees any action or not remains to be seen. As if to add salt to the wound, Carlo Ancelotti has pronounced Gareth Bale fit and ready to go. Cant you just see him and Ronaldo giving Liverpool fits this week? I can. Prediction: Real Madrid wins 3-0. Tuesday programming alert: Watch Zenit Saint Petersburg vs Bayer Leverkusen on Sportsnet World at 11:45 am ET, Real Madrid vs Liverpool on the four main Sportsnet channels at 2:30 pm ET, Arsenal vs Anderlecht on Sportsnet ONE at 2:30 pm ET, and Juventus vs Olympiakos on Sportsnet World at 2:30 pm ET || Also, watch these games at 2:30 pm ET online at Sportsnet World NOW: Malmo vs Atletico Madrid, Basel vs Ludogorets, Benfica vs Monaco and Borussia Dortmund vs Galatasaray. Arsenal vs Anderlecht James Sharman: With Theo Walcott returning after almost a year out of action we can begin asking just where will he fit into the Arsenal starting 11 that now includes a brilliant Alexis Sanchez patrolling wide areas? The solution might be Arsene Wengers 4-4-2 as debuted against Burnley on the weekend, where Sanchez played centrally with Danny Welbeck. Still, the Anderlecht game will not resolve this conundrum, but it is something to consider as we search for a reason to explain Arsenals recent improved form. This improvement was kicked off by that late come-from-behind 2-1 win against Anderlecht two weeks ago. Prior to that result, the Gunners dropped points in two straight, but have since won both games and not conceded, albeit against poor opposition. A win for Arsenal coupled with Galatasaray dropping points away to Borussia Dortmund will advance Wengers side from the group phase. A defensive injury crisis for Arsenal is currently being glossed over by positive results, but Jack Wilshere will be missing for this one through sickness—his improved play of late will be missed. The Belgians played well in the reverse fixture and were unfortunate to drop points, but one win in its last six is hardly the form Anderlecht will want to take into the Emirates. Prediction: Arsenal wins 3-0. Juventus vs Olympiakos Dan Riccio: “We will give great intensity and it is mandatory for us to win.” Max Allegri, Juventus manager, is not holding his punches ahead of this clash. He knows how big this game is for the Bianconeri. If Juventus are to live up to their status as a ‘big club then this, as Allegri states, is a mandatory victory. Anything less likely means Juventus will miss out on the knockout stages of the Champions League for a second straight campaign. Juventus should be encouraged by Olympiakos record away from home in this competition—winless since Oct. 2, 2013 when they beat Anderlecht 3-0 in Belgium. Prediction: Juventus wins 3-0. Borussia Dortmund vs Galatasaray James Doyle: Its hard to account for whats going in Dortmund these days. Two years removed from a Champions League runner-up spot, BVB are in the Bundesliga relegation zone after 10 games. They have the fourth-worst goal differential in the German top flight. Theyre on a seven-game winless streak in the league. Its just plain nuts. A Champions League matchday may be just what they need. Dortmund are a different team outside of the Bundelsiga—theyve won their last six games in the Champions League, German Cup and the UEFA Super Cup by a combined margin of 18-1, including wins against Arsenal and Bayern Munich. And, of course, that 4-0 away win a couple of weeks ago against Galatasaray. At home, at the legendary Westfalenstadion, BVB should be even better against the Turks. So lets forget the league—as Dortmund are likely keen to—and assume this nonsense trend continues. Prediction: Borussia Dortmund wins 2-0 Wednesday programming alert: Watch Manchester City vs CSKA Moscow on the four main Sportsnet Bayern Munich vs AS Roma on Sportsnet ONE at 2:30 pm ET, and NK Maribor vs Chelsea on Sportsnet World at 2:30 pm ET || Also, watch these games at 2:30 pm ET online at Sportsnet World NOW: Sporting vs Schalke, Athletic Bilbao vs FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk vs BATE Borisov, Ajax vs Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain vs APOEL FC. ift.tt/1gB4pon
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 18:10:25 +0000
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