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Exclusive: Italian Teams May Struggle Against Premier League Power - John Barnes
Liverpool and England legend John Barnes - currently managing the Jamaican national team - gives Goal.com his take on this week's terrific line-up of Champions League matches involving the Premier League quartet...
| Bet: | Returns: | Inter £12.50 | Draw £57.50 | Novara £100.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Inter £12.90 | Draw £50.00 | Novara £110.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Inter £12.50 | Draw £55.00 | Novara £100.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Inter £12.50 | Draw £55.00 | Novara £120.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Inter £12.50 | Draw £50.00 | Novara £100.00 |
|
Feb 21, 2009 3:48:41 AM
New Football Pools pundit John Barnes is anticipating a clean sweep for English clubs against their Italian opponents, but feels the game between his former club Liverpool and Real Madrid is tougher to predict. He told Goal.com:
Chelsea v Juventus
I expect Chelsea to beat Juventus in their Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge but not because of the arrival of Guus Hiddink. I would’ve fancied Chelsea to beat the Italians if Big Phil Scolari had still been in charge too. The Italian clubs are not as strong as they once were and are generally not as physically strong as the Premier League clubs who they don’t seem to be able to compete with.
Hiddink has inherited a healthy situation at Chelsea. The team is challenging on all fronts for trophies and if he wins silverware he’ll get all the credit whereas if Scolari had been given time I believe they would have improved without the drastic managerial change.
I don’t buy into the theory that Chelsea will do better in Europe due to Hiddink’s Champions League experience compared to Scolari’s lack of it. It’s a cup competition so anything can happen. A proven track record in this competition doesn’t mean too much in my view.
It will be interesting to see how Chelsea line up under the Dutchman, whether it’s a 4-4-2, 5-4-1 or whatever. Will Didier Drobga be paired with Nicolas Anelka in attack? Well only if Hiddink likes the balance of the team. He may want to structure the side with five in midfield which would only mean room for one striker. Don’t get me wrong, both strikers are wonderful players in their own right - but Hiddink won’t risk playing them together if it unbalances the team.
Inter v Manchester United
Inter are currently the best Italian side by a mile and will win the Serie A title comfortably once again this season. You can’t compare Italian football to the situation in Scotland where one of two teams always wins the title, but Inter don’t currently have to extend themselves every week to remain the best. Manchester United on the other hand have to play at the top level week in, week out, so it may be hard for Inter to rise to this occasion.
Jose Mourinho will have his Inter side pumped up for this one and will be well prepared tactically as per usual though I don’t think the Portuguese coach has an Indian sign over Sir Alex like some have suggested. The fact is Mourinho’s coached some great sides in the past so it’s not overly surprising his record is good against United.
One player that United will have to watch out for is Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He is the shining light of this Inter side and has improved dramatically under the tutelage of Mourinho. The Swede has always had the ability, but under the former Chelsea man he has improved his attitude and work ethic. Ibrahimovic is one of the few Inter players who possess the ability to hurt United; unfortunately for Jose, Manchester United have far more threatening players and therefore will win.
Arsenal v Roma
Roma have not had the best of league campaigns but then again nor have Arsenal. However, I fully expect the Gunners to win this one. The Italian league is not what it once was and we’ve seen they struggle against the pace and fluency of Arsenal in the past in this competition.
As long as Arsenal play with confidence then I don’t think Roma will be able to live with their athleticism and quick passing. The Italians have some good players, particularly Francesco Totti who doesn’t run around as much as he once did but is an inspirational figure and talisman for the club.
Arsene Wenger’s side will have too much athleticism, strength and pace for Roma over two legs and if they can recover their confidence and style then I see a comfortable home win for Arsenal.
Real Madrid v Liverpool
The Real Madrid v Liverpool Champions League game promises to be a mouth-watering clash. Rafa Benitez’s side are doing OK, five points off the top of the Premier League while showing great signs of resilience and consistency. Real Madrid on the other hand are 10 points off leaders Barcelona in Spain, though they have hit some excellent form since Juande Ramos took over.
Real legend Raul has scored a few goals of late to set a new club record whilst Arjen Robben is playing out of his skin. It’s not an exaggeration to say the former Chelsea man is the star of a talent-packed Real Madrid line-up at the moment. However, I would not single anyone out as the main threat to my old club as the Spanish champions are spoilt with an abundance of good players.
Real Madrid may be strong but Liverpool have shown they are as good as anyone on their day in Europe. They’ve shown tactically they know how to stop the opposition hurting them defensively in recent big game clashes with Barcelona and AC Milan. Therefore, Liverpool certainly won’t fear Real. However, this is a very tough match to call.
Liverpool have shown that they can be resilient and hard to beat at the grounds of some of the biggest clubs in Europe so won’t be worried about the Bernabeu. The fact that the 2nd leg is at Anfield is a huge boost to Liverpool as they’ve shown on countless occasions just how strong they are in front of their own fans.
I certainly expect Juande Ramos to be more than aware that Rafa’s team possess the resilience to clinch some superb results on their travels in Europe and may adjust his team accordingly.
If Steven Gerrard returns it will be a tremendous boost to the side as he’s the best player there is in England. Even if he isn’t available Liverpool should believe they can still beat Real and see a possible Gerrard return as a big bonus.
John Barnes for Goal.com
John Barnes is a pundit for the New Football Pools. To challenge John's prediction prowess or hear his weekly football podcast - or to play Footy 15, Premier 10 or any other of the Football Pools games on offer - visit www.footballpools.com.
Chelsea v Juventus
I expect Chelsea to beat Juventus in their Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge but not because of the arrival of Guus Hiddink. I would’ve fancied Chelsea to beat the Italians if Big Phil Scolari had still been in charge too. The Italian clubs are not as strong as they once were and are generally not as physically strong as the Premier League clubs who they don’t seem to be able to compete with.
Hiddink has inherited a healthy situation at Chelsea. The team is challenging on all fronts for trophies and if he wins silverware he’ll get all the credit whereas if Scolari had been given time I believe they would have improved without the drastic managerial change.
I don’t buy into the theory that Chelsea will do better in Europe due to Hiddink’s Champions League experience compared to Scolari’s lack of it. It’s a cup competition so anything can happen. A proven track record in this competition doesn’t mean too much in my view.
It will be interesting to see how Chelsea line up under the Dutchman, whether it’s a 4-4-2, 5-4-1 or whatever. Will Didier Drobga be paired with Nicolas Anelka in attack? Well only if Hiddink likes the balance of the team. He may want to structure the side with five in midfield which would only mean room for one striker. Don’t get me wrong, both strikers are wonderful players in their own right - but Hiddink won’t risk playing them together if it unbalances the team.
Inter v Manchester United
Inter are currently the best Italian side by a mile and will win the Serie A title comfortably once again this season. You can’t compare Italian football to the situation in Scotland where one of two teams always wins the title, but Inter don’t currently have to extend themselves every week to remain the best. Manchester United on the other hand have to play at the top level week in, week out, so it may be hard for Inter to rise to this occasion.
Jose Mourinho will have his Inter side pumped up for this one and will be well prepared tactically as per usual though I don’t think the Portuguese coach has an Indian sign over Sir Alex like some have suggested. The fact is Mourinho’s coached some great sides in the past so it’s not overly surprising his record is good against United.
One player that United will have to watch out for is Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He is the shining light of this Inter side and has improved dramatically under the tutelage of Mourinho. The Swede has always had the ability, but under the former Chelsea man he has improved his attitude and work ethic. Ibrahimovic is one of the few Inter players who possess the ability to hurt United; unfortunately for Jose, Manchester United have far more threatening players and therefore will win.
Arsenal v Roma
Roma have not had the best of league campaigns but then again nor have Arsenal. However, I fully expect the Gunners to win this one. The Italian league is not what it once was and we’ve seen they struggle against the pace and fluency of Arsenal in the past in this competition.
As long as Arsenal play with confidence then I don’t think Roma will be able to live with their athleticism and quick passing. The Italians have some good players, particularly Francesco Totti who doesn’t run around as much as he once did but is an inspirational figure and talisman for the club.
Arsene Wenger’s side will have too much athleticism, strength and pace for Roma over two legs and if they can recover their confidence and style then I see a comfortable home win for Arsenal.
Real Madrid v Liverpool
The Real Madrid v Liverpool Champions League game promises to be a mouth-watering clash. Rafa Benitez’s side are doing OK, five points off the top of the Premier League while showing great signs of resilience and consistency. Real Madrid on the other hand are 10 points off leaders Barcelona in Spain, though they have hit some excellent form since Juande Ramos took over.
Real legend Raul has scored a few goals of late to set a new club record whilst Arjen Robben is playing out of his skin. It’s not an exaggeration to say the former Chelsea man is the star of a talent-packed Real Madrid line-up at the moment. However, I would not single anyone out as the main threat to my old club as the Spanish champions are spoilt with an abundance of good players.
Real Madrid may be strong but Liverpool have shown they are as good as anyone on their day in Europe. They’ve shown tactically they know how to stop the opposition hurting them defensively in recent big game clashes with Barcelona and AC Milan. Therefore, Liverpool certainly won’t fear Real. However, this is a very tough match to call.
Liverpool have shown that they can be resilient and hard to beat at the grounds of some of the biggest clubs in Europe so won’t be worried about the Bernabeu. The fact that the 2nd leg is at Anfield is a huge boost to Liverpool as they’ve shown on countless occasions just how strong they are in front of their own fans.
I certainly expect Juande Ramos to be more than aware that Rafa’s team possess the resilience to clinch some superb results on their travels in Europe and may adjust his team accordingly.
If Steven Gerrard returns it will be a tremendous boost to the side as he’s the best player there is in England. Even if he isn’t available Liverpool should believe they can still beat Real and see a possible Gerrard return as a big bonus.
John Barnes for Goal.com
John Barnes is a pundit for the New Football Pools. To challenge John's prediction prowess or hear his weekly football podcast - or to play Footy 15, Premier 10 or any other of the Football Pools games on offer - visit www.footballpools.com.
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