Tuesday, April 3, 2012

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04.04. (Wed) 20:45 Chelsea - Benfica

UEFA Champions League: Fernando Torres, SL Benfica v Chelsea
Getty

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Chelsea

Cech
Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole
Lampard, Essien, Ramires
Mata, Torres, Sturridge
Benfica

Artur
Maxi Pereira, Luisao, Javi Garcia, Emerson
Matic
Bruno Cesar, Aimar, Gaitan

Cardozo, Rodrigo

Didier Drogba may be sidelined for the hosts after missing the win over Aston Villa on Saturday with a toe injury while Raul Meireles(knee), another who didn't feature at Villa Park, faces competition from Frank Lampard, Ramires and Michael Essien for a starting place in midfield if he re-gains fitness.

David Luiz sustained ankle ligament damage during in the game and probably won't feature, Gary Cahill is likely to step in for the Brazilian, after replacing him against the Villans.

Up front, Roberto Di Matteo's only real decision is whether to play Daniel Sturridge or Salomon Kalou, however he may choose to play another midfielder depending on his gameplan.

The visitors are in somewhat of an injury crisis with several of first team players ruled out for the trip to London.

Defenders Ezequiel Garay, Jardel and Miguel Vitor are all in line to miss this tie with injuries, leaving defensive midfielder Javi Garcia a probable make-shift centre-half.

Meanwhile youngsters Luis Martins, Andre Almeida and Ruben Pinto will travel with the squad for the clash.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Chelsea have won every home game in the Champions League this season.
  • The Blues have scored 14 at Stamford bridge, while conceding just once, the least of anyone in the tournament.
  • No English side has ever failed to progress from Europe after winning the first-leg away from home.
  • Excluding qualifiers, the hosts have scored in ten European matches in a row for the first time, consecutively winning their last four games.
  • The Premier League team have netted first in every one of their nine Champions League games this season.
  • Benfica have failed to claim a victory against English opposition in their last five attempts.
  • Argentine playmaker, Nicolas Gaitan has the joint most assists in the competition along with Real Madrid's Karim Benzema. (5)
  • The visitors have netted eight out of their 12 goals in the first-half, the highest proportion of any side in this season's tournament.
  • The first leg, in which Di Matteo (pictured) masterminded the Blues to a 1-0 victory, was the first time that Benfica failed to find the back of the net in the Champions League this campaign.
  • Chelsea have David Luiz, Ashley Cole and Raul Meireles one yellow away from missing the semi-finals. The Eagles also have no less then five players walking the tightrope: Artur, Ezequiel Garay, Luisao, Bruno Cesar and Javi Garcia.
Prediction
It's hard to see Chelsea throwing this one away. The Premier League side head into the game in fine form under Di Matteo, having won six from eight games. The Blues managed to nullify the Portuguese outfit's attacking threat in the first-leg and you'd fancy that to be the case again at their fortress, Stamford Bridge.
Add to this the fact that Torres is finding his feet as well as Juan Mata shining week in week out the west Londoners should have enough to bag another goal or two and secure their progression to the semi-finals.
Editor's Prediction
Chelsea 2-0 Benfica

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04.04. (Wed) 20:45 Real - APOEL

Spain: Real Madrid, Nuri Sahin
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PROBABLE LINEUPS

REAL MADRID

Casillas
Altintop, Pepe, Varane, Coentrao
Granero, Sahin
Callejon, Kaka, Ronaldo
Higuain
APOEL

Chiotis
Poursaitidis, Kaka, Jorge, Boaventura
Morais, Pinto
Charalambidis, Marcinho, Manduca
Ailton

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho looks set to make significant changes to the team that thrashed Osasuna at the weekend for the Champions League quarter-final second leg against APOEL on Wednesday.

Ricardo Carvalho and Lassana Diarra are both out injured, but Jose Callejon has shaken off an ankle problem and could feature. Xabi Alonso returns from suspension, but may be rested on the bench, while Nuri Sahin could deputise for Sami Khedira, who sat out the Osasuna game with a virus.

Injury-hit winger Angel Di Maria is likely to be named on the bench again as he continues his recovery towards full match fitness.

APOEL will be without Marcelo Oliveira and Ivan Trickovski due to injuries sustained in the first leg in Cyprus, although Gustavo Manduca is available after serving a one-match ban. Savvas Poursaitides (thigh) and Nektarios Alexandrou (groin) also picked up knocks in the first leg, but the duo are likely to be fit in time for the clash.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Real Madrid have a near-perfect record in this season's Champions League, winning eight of the nine games played so far.
  • Los Blancos have emerged victorious in 26 of the 27 European ties in which they have held a lead from the first leg.
  • Madrid's 3-0 triumph in the fixture in Nicosia was their 200th victory in the European Cup/Champions League.
  • APOEL finished third in the Cypriot top-flight's regular season before the league split into three groups of four. They are now involved in play-off action against the rest of the top four - AEL Limassol, Omonia and Anorthosis Famagusta - to determine the destination of the title.
  • The Cypriots have won six of their last eight matches in all competitions.
  • Esteban Solari (pictured right) has netted 55 goals in 98 league games over two spells for APOEL, who have never lost when he has scored.
Prediction
APOEL have done remarkably well to make it this far in Europe's elite club competition, but a tie against the stars of Real Madrid was always going to be mission impossible for the Cypriots, and another Madrid victory looks all but a certainty at the Bernabeu.
Editor's Prediction
Real Madrid 3-0 APOEL