In-depth preview: The Champions League knockout round starts tonight, and the 8 groups of duels have their own highlights, and it is not easy for the dark horse to upset
For green fans, this Spring Festival can be described as happy, the Asian Cup has just ended, and the focus of the five major leagues will be staged immediately, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Inter Milan have established the advantage of leading the way, and Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City can be said to have no one to let anyone. After that, this season's Champions League knockout campaign will take over the baton and continue to present excitement for everyone. There are a lot of highlights in the 8 group duels, and it's hard to say who will have the last laugh. The strength of Chinese Mi VS Atletico Madrid is particularly eye-catching, and the fate of giants such as Real Madrid, Bayern, and Barcelona is also touching. As for the performance of the youth army Arsenal and the ambitious Paris, whether they can successfully win the opponent who is not as strong as themselves, it depends on the performance of the main general.
Matchup 1: Leipzig VS Real Madrid (home first and then away, the same below)
Date: February 14, tomorrow
Highlights of the game: Real Madrid lacks a major general, what to do
The first to start will be the Leipzig vs Real Madrid match. Obviously, there is a big gap between the strength of these two teams, and as the top king of the Champions League, Real Madrid's promotion is naturally favored. However, the upset of the Asian Cup kept reminding the Galaxy Battleship not to be careless, and the serious injury situation in the team also made Real Madrid not too easy to win in the first leg.
Obviously, Bellingham's injury is a concern for everyone, and it is also the most critical factor restricting Real Madrid to continue to move forward. After joining Real Madrid at Belin this season, he quickly became the leader of the team. The victory of the game, the completion of the goal, and the creation of opportunities, he is basically there. Now that they have been injured, it is naturally a very unfavorable condition for Real Madrid. VS Leipzig, who can take his place will be a key point.
In addition, Real Madrid's No.9 finishing problem and the lack of reliable manpower at central defender have also been accumulating for a long time. This time, Ancelotti's command will be very important, and it will be their capital to keep moving forward.
Leipzig, the lineup is relatively neat, but the recent form is bad enough, the last 5 games 1 win (Union Berlin) 1 draw and 3 losses are not enough to see, meet the experienced Real Madrid, the fierce is less auspicious. If Roze's team wants to create a miracle, it will depend on the performance of the youngsters, such as whether Harvey Simmons can explode in the big arena and whether Sesko can prove his potential.
Matchup 2: Copenhagen vs Manchester City
Date: February 14, tomorrow
Match highlights: The return of the king of the Blue Moon
Compared to Real Madrid's short-term short-term squad, Manchester City is the opposite. Prior to this, the injuries of major key gentlemen such as Haaland and De Bruyne caused them to encounter difficult moments. But fortunately, Guardiola withstood it, they survived the darkness and loneliness, and ushered in a new dawn. Haaland is still so vigorous after recovery, scoring two goals in the Premier League to help the team pass the test, not to mention De Bruyne, whose 240 minutes of one goal and four assists prove that he is still the "world's top midfield master".
The game against Copenhagen was not difficult for Manchester City, and the only thing to watch was that Haaland was able to "brush" a few goals. Considering the issue of protecting the combat health of the players, it is estimated that Guardiola will give the youngsters a chance when the team is ahead. Look at Doku, Bob and others, is it possible to set off a storm of youth?
For FC Copenhagen, the focus can be on their centre-forward Oscarsson and midfielder Badji. Both players are 19 years old, but they have played the main team and played well. VS Manchester City, they have the opportunity to wrestle with the top teams of Green, and it is also their moment to show the world what they are capable of. Play well, have a chance to go to the giants.
Matchup 3: Lazio vs Bayern
Competition time: February 15, the day after tomorrow
Match highlights: Thomas Tuchel's redemption
But when it comes to the knockout competition, it is basically a "surprise" for Lazio. After all, they have not been very good in the league this season (they are only in 8th place) and have no goal in Europe. Unexpectedly, the group successfully qualified for the knockout round, and there was still a chance to continue fighting. Of course, after meeting Bayern in the draw, such a "chance" is small, very small.
However, Bayern have had their own problems, with Thomas Tuchel on the brink of resignation, and his inefficient management of the team is his main problem. Bayern have always been in control of the game, but they have done a poor job of creating chances and taking them. After being humiliated by Bayer Leverkusen 0-3, he lost the initiative in the title race. On the basis of the clear state at the top that Tuchel's basic condition for continuing as manager is that he "must win the title", perhaps the Champions League is one of his few options. Against Lazio, Bayern should give full play to the pressing advantage and consider the battering ram's resoluteness. After all, the opponent is a team that likes to shrink back, and their own attack power is already very poor, VS Bayern will naturally consider maintaining the 0-0 score. How to use Kane, how to combine wingers and forwards, is a key point in Tuchel's work.
Matchup 4: Paris vs Real Sociedad
Competition time: February 15, the day after tomorrow
Match highlights: Mbappe's "last stand"
With Mbappe and Real Madrid's transfer affairs still "in trouble", he once again embarked on the longed-for Champions League journey. Although it is difficult to win a Champions League trophy in Paris, "thinking" is the basis of "realization", what if it is realized? Mbappe will naturally focus on the game, after all, he once vaguely told reporters that he hopes to bring the Champions League to Paris and then leave. Joining the Galaxy Battleship, what he wants is to "leave when he becomes famous", not "join again if he can't fight".
Against Real Sociedad, it should be said that this is a good sign. Although the opponent qualified for the Champions League last season, this season they have won the top spot in the group, which is very good. But after the departure of the main team (Hisashi went to the Asian Cup), the overall performance was very bad, as evidenced by the 1 loss and 3 draws in the past half month. Therefore, as long as Kubo is stuck, the offensive of the Imperial Shrine will be reduced by half. Considering Li Gangren's "small relationship" with Kubo, he should know how to limit his friends. This Asian derby is also quite eye-catching.
Of course, the key decisive point is still with Mbappe. In previous editions of the Champions League, Paris had lost in the first few editions, and this time, if they want to make a difference, they must stay focused from the beginning. Considering that the advantage of the local league has reached 11 points, there is no suspense, and Paris can put all their energy on hold here to "break the boat".
Matchup 5: PSV Eindhoven vs Borussia Dortmund
Contest time: February 21, next Wednesday
Match highlights: The power of the Eredivisie overlords
PSV Eindhoven have been in good form this season, leading the Eredivisie and qualifying for the Champions League, and the draw with Arsenal and the win over Sevilla are indeed outstanding and they should not be underestimated. The team's veteran Luuk de Jong has completed 26 goals and 11 assists, and the old and strong are the team's goalscorers, and the central defenders Van Aanholt, Dest and Ramalho have also played very well, and have only been scored 10 times after 21 rounds of the Eredivisie, which shows the praise of skill.
In contrast, Dort's ups and downs are naturally much greater, and the attack side also lacks a reliable point. If they can't open up PSV Eindhoven's defensive system, then it could be a big deal to be upset by their opponents. After all, the team's midfield injuries make it difficult for them to start all of their starts, and this season's defensive formation is not something they are very good at. 26 goals conceded is not a small amount. Fortunately, the team has played well recently, and they have adapted well after Sancho's return, with four wins and one draw in the last five games, allowing them to return to the top four of the Bundesliga.
Matchup 6: Inter vs Atletico Madrid
Contest time: February 21, next Wednesday
What to watch for the game: Perhaps the closest group
The competition between Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid is estimated to be the closest group in the first round of the knockout round, and it is likely to be the most fierce group. For the Nerazzurri, winning Juventus and Roma in recent matches is of great strategic significance. At present, they are seven points ahead of second-place Juventus with one game in hand, which can be described as a clear advantage. This also allowed them to accumulate self-confidence and bring good support for the next Champions League competition.
Against Atletico, Thuram Jr.'s play and Barella's back-up will be crucial. On the one hand, although captain Lautaro is the top of the Inter team and has improved significantly this season, he is not good at attacking and opponents will inevitably try their best to set up defense, so it is unlikely that he can finish the game. At this point, Thuram Jr. will be crucial if he can play the role of No. 9. In addition, the small map has very diverse attributes, and the arrangement of side, middle, and retreat can make Inter's layout N possible, which is very good for breaking the defensive system led by Simeone. Similarly, Barella's back-to-back insertion is the key to solving Atletico's man-to-man and zone defense, and if he runs freely, Atletico's set-up will inevitably fail.
Matchup 7: Napoli vs Barcelona
Contest time: February 22, next Thursday
Highlights of the game: "Freemasonry"
Obviously, Napoli and Barcelona have been in poor shape lately. On the one hand, the coaches of both teams (Xavi and Mazzari) are very unpleasant to the fans, and the poor performance and the "not very harmonious" atmosphere in the team seem to be a common problem; on the other hand, as the defending champions, they do not play well enough in the local league, how can they bring confidence to the Champions League knockout stage? Interestingly, when two teams with similar problems meet, it depends on who is "worse".
From a technical and tactical point of view, the efficiency of the side duel and the combination of the side will be the key to who can advance. Both teams have big centre-forwards and top-class full-backs, so look at who is more efficient with the combination of Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia, and the combination of Lewandowski and Yamal.
Matchup 8: Porto vs Arsenal
Contest time: February 22, next Thursday
Highlights of the game: The gunner's firepower
Although Porto's entry into the knockout round sounds a bit "unexpected", as a black shop in the league, they have performed well in European competitions in recent years, and it is not the right attitude to underestimate them. With Taremi on the verge of a move and a dip in form, the team's Ivanilson took over the charge and was their top scorer this season. VS Arsenal, how well he performs is key. The lack of creativity in midfield is a big problem for the Portuguese giants, and if Arsenal are very resolute in defending, it will certainly not be enough for the goalscorer to create chances on his own.
Arsenal, on the other hand, was full of creativity in the 6-0 win over West Ham. Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka's goals, as well as Rice's strategy and Havertz's back-and-forth movements, were outstanding overall. This is what Arteta recognizes and many Arsenal fans are happy about. In addition, Porto's defenders are mostly veterans, and if they encounter Arsenal's fast-playing whirlwind in the game, it is estimated that it will be difficult to parry. Therefore, Arteta's team is a good choice to bring up the speed of the race, run more and fight harder, compare physical strength and endurance. VS Porto, as long as Arsenal maintain their style of play, the chances of promotion are very good. After all, they are going to be in contention for the title this season.
(Ribo)