Inter: From Riches to Rags

By now, you know about Inter's monumental failure in the Champions League. The holders got smashed by Bundesliga side Schalke 7-3 on aggregate, losing both games in route to their huge embarrassing failure (that's right: I quoted Tommy Boy).

I, for one, am shocked. I picked Inter to win this tie since they were coming off the heels of a gritty performance against Munich and a hot streak that saw them climb to second in the Serie A. Then...it all fell apart. What happened? Inter Coach Leonardo blames fatigue...Good one! How about bad tactics? Bad defense? Bad form? Bad everything. Raul's left foot alone could have defeated Inter in this tie. Reasons behind the collapse:

Milito and Eto'o wonder what could have been - in horrible kits

Tactics
It was clear after the Derby della Madonnina that Leonardo was a bit naive. It was made even clearer after two legs with Schalke. Both Massimiliano Allegri and Schalke Coach Ralf Rangnick figured out the key to defeating Leonardo's Inter: asphyxiating the midfield and running with pace at a weak defense.

Inter's dominating midfield turned hard work into goals last season under Jose Mourinho, often working their way up the field and inevitably allowing Wesley Sneijder to pull the final strings. This year, Sneijder has been in a more advanced role. This has urged opposing teams to isolate Sneijder, effectively cutting off Inter's attack. Rather than controlling the ball in the midfield, the Dutchman has relied on his teammates to give him the ball farther up the field, which has not happened of late and created a mess of Inter's attacking fluidity.

Defense
As a result of losing the battle in the middle of the park, Inter has not controlled play with their usual dominance. With control going to the opposer, the treble winners have allowed teams to run at their weak defense.

Andrea Ranocchia is young, talented, but not quite there yet. Christian Chivu is horrible. He's slow, dirty, gets sent off far too much, and wears a dumb hat. Lucio is not on form at the moment, since he has been injured and missed time in recent weeks. Maicon, as we all know, is a far better going forward than he is defending. Javier Zanetti is wonderful, but caught between the role of a midfielder and defender. He often tries to aid the congested midfield and moreover command his wing, since the team has not had a midfielder present along the lines for quite some time.

I can't fault Leonardo on this one. The defense has been a mess because of lingering injuries to Lucio and the loss of Walter Samuel - who is set to return and take part in the year-end failure. This has led to a back four that changes on a weekly basis and has not bonded as a defensive unit. Plus Chivu is just horrible!

Milan
At the time I was reluctant to admit it (since I was set on believing Inter would go through to the UCL Semis), but the loss to Milan was devastating for the players. It was demoralizing and exhausting. The team fielded their best squad three days before the crucial clash with Schalke because they had to - because it was the Milan derby. The game was brutal and the aftermath shocking. After a blip of good form which was sparked by the hiring of Leonardo, Inter were brought right back down to earth by their bitter rivals.

Raul
Look at this guy! Ageless! Raul has spurred Schalke on, netting five goals in Champions League play and having a hand in countless others. Hell, I even saw him tracking back on defense when Schalke was winning the first leg 4-1. Raul is synonymous with class. I am officially routing for this underdog story of a player and team for the rest of the tournament.

Raul celebrating with the faithful

As a Roma fan, I was joyous after seeing Inter collapse. As a blogger, I was ecstatic since I knew I could write about it!

From treble winner to trophy-less - that's my prediction, anyhow.

Champs League Q-Finals: High-Time For a Hero, No Time For Mistakes

It is nitty-gritty time in the UEFA Champions League. At this stage, minor gaffes and blunders could cost a team the chance to vie for the final. As we approach the crucial quarter-final matches of the tournament this week, I thought I would remind you of who's playing who, and lend my expert opinion on who will win:

Inter Milan vs. Schalke 04
Inter comes into the first leg of this match after being demolished by Milan in the Derby della Madonnina. Though morale might be low, the form of the holders is still on the rise. They have clawed their way back towards the top of the Serie A table, after a dismal start to the season, and will be ready as ever for a reaction against Schalke.

Schalke on the other hand, have been spotty all year round. They currently lie in 11th place and have recently fired their coach, which is strange for a UCL quarter-finalist. That said, they've been brilliant in Champions League play. Raul has been a real leader on the pitch and contributions from crafty Peruvian Jeffrey Farfan have created a beacon of hope for the struggling Bundesliga side.

Prediction: Inter will win this tie...their record against German opposition has been tremendous. But please note, I have been wrong about every prediction involving Schalke this season.

Real Madrid vs. Tottenham Hotspur
The Spurs run through Europe is subject to a major obstacle in Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid. Tottenham gaffer Harry Redknapp has guided his side through some difficult challenges thus far, but a quarter-final date with Madrid is the toughest yet.

Each team has a few notables missing: Karim Benzema for the Merengues (Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo are in the squad but doubtful) and Steven Pienaar for Tottenham (William Gallas is in the squad but doubtful). Welshman Gareth Bale most likely will feature and it appears that Gonzalo Higuain is back from a long injury layoff.

Prediction: Real Madrid will take the tie...Tottenham has ridden luck for far too long in such a high-caliber competition.

Manchester United vs. Chelsea

Two English powerhouses square off in what should be an entertaining quarter-final. Chelsea continue to falter in Premier League play while Manchester United remain on course to lift the title. At this moment, I do not think Chelsea has the form to overcome a sturdy side in United. Perhaps Fernando Torres will choose this vital moment to bag his first goal for the Blues?

Prediction: Manchester United will run away with this one...Chelsea are under-performing in the EPL and will most likely carry their poor form with them to the tournament.

Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Barcelona
Prediction: No description necessary - Barcelona will dominate this tie and waltz into the semi-finals. Shakhtar got lucky with their draw against dreadful AS Roma, but that luck has run out. This one was over at the drawing.

Well, what do you think?

Champions League Round of 16 - Feb. 15th Preview

The excitement is building as we edge closer to the Champions League knockout stages. The quest to reach the final at Wembley begins tomorrow. Poise, class, and a little bit of luck will be needed to see teams through to the next round. Sensible Soccer will preview each match day in a series of installments. And now, a preview of tomorrow's fixtures:

AC Milan vs. Tottenham 

Leg 1 will be played in Milan at San Siro. 

Champions League new-boys Tottenham will take on Serie A leaders AC Milan in what should be a thrilling, two-legged affair. The question is: which teams will we see? Given the pedigree of each side, both teams have been inconsistent with their results this year. Even though Milan are tops, their campaign has been riddled with draws to sub-par teams. The Rossoneri are a much different Serie A leader from Mourinho's dominating Inter side we saw last season. Nevertheless, they are a talented squad in control of a tough league. 

Tottenham have also produced spotty results, often winning a big game then dropping the next. The Spurs lie in 4th place in the cagey Premier League. That said, both teams are coming off a set of thrilling wins over the weekend, so hopefully we will see a well contested match.

Missing Persons: The injury list for this fixture is quite hefty on both sides. It is looking like Tottenham will be without lynchpin midfielders Luka Modric or Rafael Van der Vaart - the latter being more likely to start because somehow he always shows up on the team-sheet come gameday. Even worse, it seems increasingly unlikely that powerful winger Gareth Bale will feature at San Siro, the sight of his scorching Group Stage hat-trick. The Spurs are fortunate to have an in-form replacement, Niko Kranjcar, ready to dress and impress. 

Milan's injury problems run throughout the lineup - at the back, the squad will be without new signing Nicola Leggrotaglie or veteran Gianluca Zambrotta; Rodney Strasser and Ignazio Abate are listed as doubtful for the clash. Luckily, the Rossoneri have been boosted by the return of Alessandro Nesta and Luca Antonini, who will likely start alongside Daniele Bonera and Thiago Silva. In the midfield, Milan will be without role-players Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini.

Some interesting things to note: a few new Milan signings are indeed cup-tied...that's right Milanisti, Cassano, Van Bommel, and Emanuelson will not be featuring in the tournament. Spurs fans will breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that their top winter signing, Steven Pienaar, is eligible.

Key Questions:
1. Who will control the midfield? With both teams likely to field second choice players, I am wondering who has the depth to grab control of the midfield. The team who comes out on top after 90 minutes will be the one with the best cohesion in the middle of the park.

2. How will Milan cope with Tottenham's style of play? Tottenham taught Inter a hard lesson that sent tremors throughout world football during group play. The English style had embarrassed the holders. It will be interesting to see how Milan handles the gruff play of the Spurs.

3. Can Tottenham hold Zlatan at bay? The key to beating Milan is to stifle their hitman, Zlatan Ibrahimovic (if you don't believe me, see the match report of Roma's win in Milan right before the holiday break). It looks like Younes Kaboul will miss the trip to San Siro, so that cancels out the big man out-muscling Ibra scenario. The onus will largely fall on veteran William Gallas. Spurs fans: pray for a good Gallas showing.

Prediction: Injuries aside, I still believe this will be one of the more exciting fixtures during the Round of 16, given the talent and dazzling play of both teams. I think we will see a draw at San Siro. For Tottenham to be satisfied, they will need to bag a crucial away goal.

Valencia vs. Schalke 04

Leg 1 will be played in Valencia at the Mestalla.

One year ago, Schalke were top contenders for the Bundesliga crown, giving Bayern Munich a run for their money. It got even better in the summer, when the club made top signings in the form of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Raul. Then, the new season started and everything went wrong. Shockingly, Schalke sits in 10th place in Bundesliga. A strange turnaround for a side with motivation and top players. Nonetheless, Schalke will take on La Liga side Valencia in one of the weaker clashes in the Round of 16.

The David-less Valencia are holding course in La Liga, maintaining their perennial 3rd place slot after leap-frogging Villareal at the weekend. The Spanish side has not lost in 2011 and are unbeaten in 9-games.

Missing Persons: The good news for Schalke is that the squad is fully fit. The same can not be said for Valencia. Top stars Juan Mata and David Albelda have been out of action for a few weeks and are doubtful for the game. Strangely, these omissions have not hurt Valencia's form, as they are coming off a huge win against Atletico Madrid this past weekend.

Key Questions:
1. Can Huntelaar and Raul do it again? The talented duo accounted for half the side's goals in group play and will need to continue their good Champions League form if they hope to see the quarters. Raul has lined up against Valencia many times in his career and will look to terrorize the back line in his first trip home since joining Schalke.

2. Will Neuer be able to hold off the flood? Manuel Neuer has made a whopping 4-5 saves per game in Bundesliga play, often times standing on his head to get a result for the struggling side. The highly rated shot-stopper will have to remain steadfast against a quick Valencia attack to give Schalke hope.

3. Will Valencia's stars be missed on the grand stage? Sure, the absence of Mata and Albelda in the Valencia lineup against inferior La Liga sides has been manageable, but what about a knockout match versus a team hoping to grasp onto a motivating result? Valencia has a scorer in Roberto Soldado (5 goals in CL play) but might miss their play-maker Mata and holding midfielder Albelda, should they not start.

Prediction: I think Valencia will win the first leg of this tie. The Spanish side are in form and motivated, which you can not say about Schalke. For the Bundesliga side to make a dent in this game, Klaas needs to be in session. Huntelaar or Raul need to notch an away goal to have any hope of celebrating after the return leg in Germany.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's previews of Arsenal vs. Barcelona and AS Roma vs. Shakhtar Donetsk.