Paul White/Associated Press
The semi-finals of the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League return on Tuesday and Wednesday, as Bayern Munich will play host to Atletico Madrid before Manchester City pay a visit to Real Madrid.
All four teams will like their chances of advancing to the final, as just a single goal was scored during the first leg. Atletico beat Bayern 1-0 at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, but a visit to the Allianz Arena will prove an entirely different challenge.
Real failed to find an away goal at the Etihad Stadium, but their record at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu has been exemplary in Europe this season, and they’ll feel confident they can beat City.
Here’s a look at the full schedule, along with TV info and live stream options:
Date | Time | Match | First-Leg Score | TV Info | Live Stream |
Tuesday, May 3 | 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Bayern Munich vs. Atletico Madrid | Atletico 1-0 Bayern | BT Sport Europe (UK)/Fox Sports 1 (USA) | BT Sport Live/Fox Soccer 2Go |
Wednesday, May 4 | 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Real Madrid vs. Manchester City | City 0-0 Real | BT Sport Europe (UK)/Fox Sports 1 (USA) | BT Sport Live/Fox Soccer 2Go |
UEFA.com
Winners of their last seven matches across all competitions, Atletico enter Tuesday’s match in superb form and well-rested. Only a handful of first-choice players started against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga during the weekend, and while the likes of Antoine Griezmann had to make an appearance to save the day, the Rojiblancos didn’t waste much energy in the 1-0 win.
RECOMMENDED SURE BET:
SOCCER PREDICTIONS FOR MONDAY
02-05-2016
Bahrain » Premier League 2015/2016 :
Busaiteen - Al Riffa (0:2)2 Alternative Handicap.
Manama Club -
Al-Muharraq (0:2)2 Alternative
Handicap.
Denmark » Superliga
2015/2016:
Esbjerg - Odense 1win
England » Premier
League 2015/2016:
Chelsea – Tottenham 1win (BANKER
GAME)
England » Championship
2015/2016:
Brighton – Derby (0:2)2
Alternative Handicap.
Burnley - QPR 1win(BANKER GAME)
Germany » Bundesliga
2015/2016:
Werder Bremen - VfB
Stuttgart over1 GOALS
Italy » Serie A
2015/2016:
Genoa - AS Roma 2win (BANKER
GAME)
Napoli - Atalanta 1win
The same can be said for Bayern, although their Bundesliga outing against Borussia Monchengladbach ended in disappointment. The Bavarians should have celebrated their record 25th title on Saturday, but instead,
Andre Hahn scored a late equaliser and postponed those celebrations, with the game finishing 1-1.
Star defender Jerome Boateng returned to the pitch after a lengthy injury absence in that match, and per Bayern’s official website, he believes the home-field advantage will be crucial:
I was very happy to be out on the pitch again. But it's clear that I'm not yet back at the level I had before the injury. It was too early for the full 90 minutes.Bayern will have to be at their best to beat an Atletico side that doesn’t concede a lot of goals, and the Bavarians haven’t hit those heights in a long time. Manager Pep Guardiola’s troops peaked very early in the 2015-16 campaign, but in the last few months, they’ve shown signs of weakness.
[…] We're very, very strong at home. We'll build on that. I'll try to recover as much as possible and recharge my batteries.
Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
Juventus came within minutes of knocking them out of the Champions League at the Allianz Arena, and they perhaps would have advanced if not for a poor offside call against Alvaro Morata. Benfica also troubled the Bavarians in the quarter-finals, and while the Portuguese side have plenty of European experience, they’re not of the same class as the semi-finalists.
It’s difficult to bet against Bayern at home, but likewise, it’s difficult to bet against any Spanish team in Europe, via ESPN FC’s Dermot Corrigan:
Bayern have a fantastic team, but based purely on form, Atletico have to be considered favourites at this point.Ahead of draws reminder that Spanish clubs have won 45 of their last 48 ties against non-La Liga opponents.— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) April 15, 2016
Prediction: Bayern 1-1 Atletico
Real Madrid vs. Manchester CityJon Super/Associated Press
Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have been banged up in recent weeks, and without the prolific duo, Wales international Gareth Bale has been tasked with keeping Los Blancos’ Spanish title dreams alive.
He came through in a big way at the weekend, scoring the team’s only goal at the Anoeta to see Los Blancos past Real Sociedad in La Liga, but City will give Real a much tougher challenge at the Bernabeu.
Fortunately for the hosts, their home record in Europe has been astounding, via Squawka Football:
Per Goal’s Joe Wright, Zidane thinks Benzema and Ronaldo will be “ready” for Wednesday’s clash, but even if they return to health in time, they won’t be 100 per cent. That will put even more pressure on Bale, but in the last few weeks, the former Tottenham Hotspur star has looked up to the task.Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the Champions League this season:— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 26, 2016
WWWWW
Goals: 18
Clean sheets: 5
Conceded: 0 pic.twitter.com/ANVPoSey6z
City rested their stars in the 4-2 Premier League loss against Southampton on Sunday, clearly prioritising the match against Real. The likes of Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany will all play a big role in a potential upset, with the first two in particular needed to add a dose of creativity to the attack.
Jon Super/Associated Press
The Citizens dealt with Real’s pressure well in the first leg, but Los Blancos are an entirely different beast at home. Per Sky Sports News HQ, David Silva won’t be there to orchestrate City’s attack, and Zidane will feel comfortable sending his troops high up the pitch and pressing the Citizens early.
City’s back-ups couldn’t get the job done against Saints, showing the clear drop in quality between the starters and the bench, so expect Real to turn Wednesday’s match into a marathon and run the visitors into the ground.
Prediction: Real 2-0 City
CREDIT TO:http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2637223-champions-league-2016-semi-final-schedule-live-stream-tv-info-predictions
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for your contribution