Manchester City vs Celtic: Preview and Prediction

Manchester City vs Celtic
UEFA Champions League – Group C
Date: Tuesday, 6th December 2016.
Kick-off at 19:45 UK.
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester.

The final positions for all four teams in the Group C of the UEFA Champions League has been already confirmed after matchday 5. Barcelona have won the group with 12 points and will be joined by Manchester City with 8 points. The Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach qualified for the Europa League, while Celtic are eliminated. As a result, the matchday 6 offers the managers the luxury of resting their key players to protect from injuries and possible bans.

Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw by Monchengladbach on matchday 5, which confirmed Barcelona are group winners due to their 2-0 away win at Celtic. While Gladbach with 5 points is guaranteed a place in Europa League. While Celtic with 2 points cannot finish third even with a win against Manchester City due to an inferior head-to-head record against Gladbach. The same can be said about the German side, as they lost 4-1 on matchday 1 to Pep Guardiola’s team and they cannot be second if they finish with same points as the Premier League side.

Manchester City vs Celtic: Head-to-Head Stats

The 3-3 thriller on matchday 2 at Glasgow is the lone competitive meeting between Manchester City and Celtic. Raheem Sterling scored on both end, first an own goal and later the equalizer within 7 minutes. Moussa Dembele scored the other two goals for Celtic, while Nolito and Fernandinho found the back of the net for City.

The only other official meeting between the two sides is a friendly at Manchester on 2009 which was won by City by a 2-1 margin. Manchester City haven’t played against any other Scottish sides in a UEFA competition.

While Celtic have played against English Premier League sides on 19 occasions and they hold a moderate record of 7 wins, 6 draws and 6 losses. They also managed 3 wins and 2 draws from their 9 trips to England, losing 4 times.

Manchester City vs Celtic: Prediction

Manchester City will be keen to bounce back from the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea on the weekend, while also keen to maintain their unbeaten record at home in this season’s Champions League. Pep Gaurdiola’ side has been off-colour lately, but they do have a chance to gain some confidence from this fixture with a win as Celtic are one of the worst away sides in the Champions League. No surprises are expected here as in the first leg at Glasgow, City to win is a straight pick for this fixture.

Dynamo Kyiv vs Besiktas: Preview and Prediction

Dynamo Kyiv vs Besiktas
UEFA Champions League – Group B
Date: Tuesday, 6th December 2016.
Kick-off at 19:45 UK.
Venue: NSC Olimpiyskiy, Kiev.

Dynamo Kyiv have nothing to lose as they welcome Besiktas to NSC Olimpiyskiy on Tuesday night. They will be playing for pride as they are already out of Europe’s competitions this season.

Kyiv are winless in their 5 Champions League group outings this season, they have lost 3 and drawn 2. They’re on the foot of the group B table with just two points and have no hopes of qualification no matter the result. Kyiv are already condemned to draw, but can bow out with huge respect if they win this fixture.

Meanwhile, Besiktas may make their first Champions League knockout round debut if they win this game. They are just a point behind Benfica and Napoli and a win will automatically qualify them irrespective of the other result. Also Besiktas have a chance of qualifying if they draw this game provided the other game produces a winner.

Dynamo Kyiv vs Besiktas: Head to Head Statistics

The two teams have come a long way, they have played 9 times against each other. Kyiv have won 5 of their 9 meetings with Besiktas lost 2 games to Besiktas and drawn 2 games. They are unbeaten at home against Besiktas with 3 wins and a draw in their 8 home games against Besiktas.

Kyiv have been good against Turkish sides, they have lost just 3 games in their last 19 games. They have won 11 games against Turkish clubs, 7 of the wins have occurred at Kyiv home ground. On the other hand, Besiktas have lost 6 games against Ukrainian side in their previous 11 games, with 3 wins which have been at home. Besiktas haven’t won a game on Ukraine, they have lost 4 times and drawn once.

Dynamo Kyiv vs Besiktas: Prediction

Judging by Kyiv’s poor form, Besiktas will be ready to grab their first win on Ukrainian soil. We expect win from them as they prepare to make their round of 16 Champions League debut.

Benfica vs Napoli: Preview and Prediction

Benfica vs Napoli
UEFA Champions League – Group B
Date: Tuesday, 6th December 2016.
Kick-off at 19:45 UK.
Venue: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon.

The group B of the Champions League is still a tight contest, as one out of these three clubs Napoli, Benfica and Besiktas will be dropped to the Europa League. Benfica and Napoli will battle it out at Lisbon as the winner of the two will finish top.

Napoli seem to be halfway into the next phase, their came out winners in the reverse of this fixture at Italy. A draw is enough to qualify Napoli for the next round of the competition regardless of Besiktas result. They will enter this game with full confidence, having trashed Inter Milan 3-0 at home on Friday.

On the contrary, the home team Benfica won’t be praying for a draw in this game. They are on same point with Napoli and are above Besiktas with a point. A draw will jeopardise Benfica’s Champions League campaign should Besiktas win on same night.

Benfica vs Napoli: Head to Head Statistics

This game will mark their 4th meeting against each other and the second time the two teams are playing at Benfica’s home ground. Benfica haven’t been successful in their previous game against Italian teams.

They have played 30 times against Italian teams, but have lost 16 times. Benfica have won 9 games against Italian sides and drawn 5 times in their previous 30 games. 6 of Benfica’s 9 wins against Italians have come at home ground, they have lost 3 times at home and drawn 4.

Napoli’s 11 games against Portuguese teams have produced 5 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats. Also on the road, they have won once at Portugal, lost twice and drawn twice.

Benfica vs Napoli: Prediction

This game will be filled with entertainment as the group’s qualification partly depends on this result.

We expect Napoli to grab at least a draw in this game, considering their recent good form.

Basel vs Arsenal: preview and Prediction

Basel vs Arsenal
UEFA Champions League – Group A
Date: Tuesday, 6th December 2016.
Kick-off at 19:45 UK.
Venue: St. Jakob-Park, Basel.

Arsenal’s ambition to finish top of group A depends on PSG’s result against Ludogorets. A win may not be enough for Arsenal to clinch the top spot if PSG win, as they are behind on Head to Head record. They will be travelling to St Jakob Park to face Basel on Tuesday night.

Arsenal’s 2-2 draw in their last Champions League outing against PSG 2 weeks ago have dealt them a blow in the race for top table finish. They have already qualified and on the 2nd spot of the group table tied on same point as PSG. Furthermore, Elneny and Xhaka may get the chance of facing their former club.

Meanwhile, Basel also depends on Ludogorets result, they need to finish ahead Ludogorets on points else they will the Europa League. They are currently 4th in the table, with same points as Ludogorets but behind on head to head record.

Basel vs Arsenal: Head to Head Statistics

The reverse of this fixture has been the only game between the two teams in the past. This will be Arsenal’s 6th game against a Swiss side, having gone flawless in their previous five. Basel will be playing their 26th game against an English team, but have been poor in their previous games. They have won only 6 of their previous games against English side and lost 11.

Basel vs Arsenal: Prediction

The game will be a tough one with the two teams aiming to get the best results to achieve their respective ambitions. Arsenal will definitely grab at least a point in this one but a defeat won’t derail their qualification.

Basel have the advantage of playing in front of their home fans and will hope to impress them. We expect a win from the gunners but that won’t guarantee them a top finish as they have to depend on PSG’s result.

Barcelona – Mönchengladbach: Algo más que un trámite para olvidar el Clásico

El Barcelona afronta la última jornada de la frase de grupos con los deberes hechos y con el objetivo de olvidar el testarazo de Ramos que dejó helado el Camp Nou y a los propios jugadores. Ya con la primera plaza asegurada, los de Luis Enrique buscarán el triunfo ante un Borussia que ya dijo adiós a la Champions en la pasada jornada

Se ha convertido en habitual que la última fecha de la fase de grupos no sea nada más que un trámite para el Barça. Tras la victoria en Celtic Park, los azulgrana reciben al Borussia sabiendo que terminarán esta primera fase de la competición en lo más alto. Así pues, todo hace indicar que Luis Enrique rotará priorizando una Liga que admite pocos fallos más tras el empate ante el Madrid.

No obstante, el partido ante los alemanes -que vienen de encajar un contundente cuatro a uno ante el Borussia Dortmund- es algo más que intrascendente si se analiza como está actualmente la plantilla azulgrana. Un triunfo supondría dejar aparcado el amargo empate ante el conjunto blanco, además de volver de una vez por todas a la senda de la victoria tras haber encadenado ni más ni menos que cuatro empates seguidos.

El encuentro ante el ya eliminado Borussia puede ser importante también para el más que conocido ”fondo de armario”. Jugadores como Digne, Arda o Alcácer tendrán una nueva oportunidad para demostrar por qué se les ha traído a un equipo como el Barça, en el que el nivel de exigencia es altísimo. Los nuevos fichajes y los jugadores que no suelen ser titulares están más cuestionados que nunca y deben empezar a adaptarse al sistema de juego que propone Lucho (que también está más cuestionado que nunca).

Pero no solo hay que mirar lo deportivo en un encuentro de Champions. Una victoria en una competición de tal calibre supone un ingreso económico muy importante y a veces, sale más a cuenta asegurarse un triunfo aunque el equipo ya haya asumido su objetivo que dejarlo pasar. Aún así, todo hace prever que el técnico asturiano dará descanso a la mayoría de los hombres que disputaron el Clásico pensando en el futuro.

Sin embargo, parece que dos de los pesos pesados como son Messi e Iniesta jugarán esta última jornada de la fase de grupos. El primero, por las propias palabras de Luis Enrique, que ha asegurado la presencia del del argentino. El segundo, con el fin de que empiece a coger ritmo tras haber dejado grandes sensaciones en el pasado encuentro ante los merengues.

FICHA TÉCNICA

Encuentro: Barcelona – Borussia Monchengladbach. Fase de grupos de la Champions League 16/17

Estadio: Camp Nou (Barcelona)

Fecha y hora: Martes 6 de diciembre, 20:45h.

TV: Bein Sports. 

Posibles alineaciones

• Barcelona: Cillessen; Aleix, Umtiti, Mathieu, Digne; Rakitic, Denis, Iniesta; Messi, Alcácer, Arda.

• Borussia Mönchengladbach: Sommer; Christensen, Elvedi, Strobl; Korb, Kramer, Dahoud, Wendt; Stindl, Hazard, Raffael.

Árbitro: Sergei Karasev

El Bayern sueña con su revancha ante el Atlético

Bávaros y madrileños volverán a verse las caras en un duelo sin ninguna trascendencia para la clasificación del grupo

Los rojiblancos dejaron a los alemanes sin la final de la pasada edición de la Champions

Aunque no habrá nada en juego a efectos clasificatorios, el partido que esta noche disputan Bayern de Múnich y Atlético de Madrid es de todo menos un partido sin trascendencia. La noche del 3 de mayo sigue muy presente en el recuerdo de todos los aficionados del Bayern, en el que fue uno de los mejores partidos de la era Guardiola y una de las victorias más amargas de la historia del club (2-1), apeado por tercera vez consecutiva en semifinales de la máxima competición continental. Ahora, seis meses más tarde y con todo decidido en el grupo de cara a los octavos de final, ambos rivales vuelven a verse las caras en el mismo escenario y con inevitables ansias de revancha en los dirigidos por Carlo Ancelotti.

Será la sexta vez que Bayern y Atleti crucen sus caminos, la cuarta en la Champions League, con un balance reciente nada positivo para los de Múnich: dos derrotas en los últimos tres enfrentamientos, ambas en el Vicente Calderón. A favor del Bayern estará el escenario, donde los muniqueses no pierden en Champions desde la derrota por 0-4 ante el Real Madrid en las semifinales de 2014, y el bagaje general ante los equipos españoles como local: 17 victorias, cinco empates y solo dos derrotas. En contra, que solo se impusieron en dos de los últimos siete enfrentamientos de la Liga de Campeones ante equipos españoles. 

Carlo Ancelotti, quien estuvo en el banquillo visitante en la última derrota como local del Bayern de Múnich en Champions, confesó que su equipo saldrá con la “motivación alta” ante los madrileños pero, sobre todo, con la intención de “confirmar lo bueno que hemos hecho en los últimos partidos y ante un equipo que siempre nos ha dado muchos problemas”. Por su parte, Diego Pablo Simeone, al igual que hiciese la pasada temporada, elogió sin cortapisas a su oponente: “Es un equipo increíblemente bueno. Pueden jugar varios sistemas”. 

UN ANCELOTTI VERSÁTIL

Un tema, la variabilidad táctica del Bayern, que ha sido objeto de debate en los últimos días en Múnich, después del cambio de sistema de Ancelotti en Mainz pasando del inamovible 4-3-3 al 4-2-3-1. Con la baja de última hora de Boateng por problemas en un hombro y la posible presencia de Arturo Vidal, el técnico italiano podría optar por volver a situar a Müller más cercano del área y contar con dos extremos puros, además de sumar un jugador más en el mediocentro, donde no podrá estar Xabi Alonso, también por problemas físicos. El que sí estará en el once será el capitán Phillip Lahm, quien igualará con Oliver Kahn (102 partidos) como el jugador con más participaciones en la Champions con el Bayern. 

Por su parte, los de Simeone llegan sin urgencias a Múnich pero con la motivación de poder convertirse en el sexto equipo que consigue el pleno de triunfos en la fase de grupos de la Champions y la convicción de un equipo que se ha acostumbrado a jugar partidos de enorme tensión en los últimos años. Con la única ausencia de Filipe Luis los colchoneros preparan sin presión un nuevo asalto al Allianz Arena. Delante, un Bayern de Múnich con menos dudas que hace unas semanas, espera impaciente tomarse su particular revancha.

Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid: Preview and Prediction

Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid
UEFA Champions League – Group D
Date: Tuesday, 6th December 2016.
Kick-off at 19:45 UK.
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich.

The matchday 6 fixture between Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid might look like a formality on paper as the La Liga side are already confirmed as group winners and the Bundesliga giants on second place has no chance to catch them. However, both teams could come out with strong elevens as there are some record they are eyeing on.

Atletico Madrid have won their 5 group games so far and another win against Bayern will make them the 7th team in Champions League history to win all their group games. Bayern on the other hand, will be looking to extend their winning run at home in the Champions League to 15 games.

Bayern Munich were humbled by the Russian minnows FC Rostov with a 3-2 win on matchday 5. While Atletico defeated Dutch side PSV Eindhoven 2-0 at home to seal the knockout ticket as group winners.

Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid: Head-to-head stats

The first leg clash ended in a 1-0 win for Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon, courtesy of a first half goal from Yannick Carrasco. They had a chance to extend the lead in the second half, but Antoine Griezmann missed from the penalty spot.

The teams also met on last edition’s semi-final, and Madrid got the better of Bayern on away goal rule after the aggregate over two legs were tied at 2-2. Atletico won 1-0 at home, but lost 2-1 in the second leg in Munich.

It is worth to take a look at Bayern’s overall record at home against Spanish La Liga sides. They had won 17 and drew 5 out of the 24 matches so far, losing just twice.
Atletico Madrid visited Germany to take on Bundesliga sides on 17 occasions. They had managed 5 wins and 3 draws, losing 9.

Bayern Munich vs Atletico Madrid: Prediction

Bayern Munich are back to winning ways after going without a win in three consecutive matches in all fixture. However, they are still way behind their usual best and largely struggled to keep clean sheets this season. Atletico have already confirmed their place as group winners and they are also not in very good shape. They were held to a goal-less draw in the weekend by Espanyol and next up is a tough trip to Villarreal. Expect Simeone to rest some key players and this will play straight into the hands of the hosts. As a result of the above analysis, our pick for this match is Bayern to win with both teams getting on the score-sheet.