Liverpool versus Inter Milan

This game is very important to both sides for entirely different reasons. For Liverpool it is the only competition they can win this season and if they fail to do so then it would leave them just chasing 4th place in the league to look forward to.

For a squad that has been so expensively assembled it would amount to a great disappointment and underachievement. It would also cast a very big doubt on the future of Rafa Benitez not only for next season but for the remainder of this season as well.

Rafa Benitez has been living on the achievement of winning the champions league for far too long as there have been far too many disappointing results in games during his tenure at Liverpool.

They have gone out to a second-string Arsenal team in both the FA cup and League cup in the past, lost to Burnley in the FA cup, beaten by a poor Benfica side in the champions league and just recently the major embarrassment of losing at home to Barnsley.

So this game against Inter Milan gives him a chance for a bit of redemption. Speaking of redemption, Inter Milan are not just playing for themselves but also for the credibility of SerieA as well because it would not do for them to continue to dominate in Italy but losing out to Liverpool in the second round of Champions league.

They are not exactly playing very well either but have been getting the results and they have been very fortunate with some decisions that have gone their way this season as well.

They have to prove to the sceptics at SerieA that they do not need referees favouring them to defeat teams and they also would like to banish the shame they brought on the game last season at Valencia where it turned into a free for all for a lot of players.

It is going to be very difficult as Anfield is a particularly hard place to go to and get a result but all depends on little things here and there.

Rafa Benitez is perhaps more tactically astute than Roberto Mancini and that might come into play but Liverpool never seem to be convincing for 90 minutes. They seem to always start well but them go into their shell and concede a goal.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic almost always seems to hide in games as big as this and it is important that other players like Julio Cruz, Esteban Cambiasso and Patrick Vieira are on their mettle.

Neither team is particularly creative in the midfield and it will be interesting to see how fragile Liverpool’s confidence really is and how Rafa can break down a well organised side or how much influence Zlatan can have on a big game.

Roma versus Real Madrid

Roma are not in good form and they would have to be at their very best to defeat Real Madrid. They have to find a way to pick the correct team for this game as Luciano Spalletti has demonstrated in the past that he is cannot pick the right team for a big game such as this.

Roma’s biggest problem is their lack of defensive nous and it is extremely important for them that Juan is back from injury as without him they would suffer.

They have creativity in abundance and they would need Ametrano Mancini, Daniele De Rossi, Rodrigo Taddei, Franceso Totti, Alberto Aquilani and Simone Perrotta to be all on their game tonight.

Real Madrid on the other hand are a very compact team and possibly the most efficient team in the world today. They still have their fragile moments in defence and their main weakness is on the flanks where both full back, Michel Salgado and Marcello are not up to the standard of Real Madrid quality.

It is a big blow that Robinho would miss this game as he has been electrifying this season and also the central midfield is not quite right to me as Guti is a very creative player but he is not mobile at all and his defensive qualities are non-existent whilst the likes of Wesley Sneidjer, Mahamadou Diarra and Fernando Gago have not been entirely convincing.

It should make for an exciting game though possibly the best of the night in terms of quality if they both play to anywhere near their maximum potential.

Olympiacos Fc versus Chelsea

Olympiacos have been better than usual this season and they may just surprise Chelsea in the first leg.

They do not really have many star players but have a number of excellent players that can hurt Chelsea.

Chelsea, it is reported in some quarters are looking to rest John Terry and Frank Lampard as they have 1 eye on Sunday’s Carling cup final but they still have a number of excellent players to come away with a win.

It all depends on manager Avram Grant as he is almost certain to play Didier Drogba as a lone striker and Olympiacos would have to be wary of him.

Schalke versus Porto

Both teams are in good form and this particular game can go either way depending on how well Schalke can put away the chances they create tonight and if they can manage to keep a clean sheet.

Porto are leading their league quite comfortably but are not always the best travellers in Champions league. They also seem to capitulate when things are going awry but they have enough quality to snatch an away win at a very intimidating atmosphere.

By: Dennis Neri

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