Tuesday 16 September 2008

Tonight's Champions League

Is going to be very good.

There are three former City players in action.

Andreas Isaksson starts in goal for PSV Eindhoven, tasked with keeping out Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan and Kun Aguero. If PSV are to scrape out of Group D, they need to win this evening. The favourites for that group are Liverpool, for whom Albert Riera sits on the bench tonight.

And Nicolas Anelka leads the line for Chelsea tonight, who have stuck with the same eleven which so comfortably beat City on Saturday evening.

I think both English teams' games tonight will be good. Laurent Blanc has got Bordeaux playing a bit like Arsenal, through the midfield pairing known as 'YoYo': Yoann Gourcuff and Yoan Gouffran. Check out the goal they set up for Marouane Chamakh last weekend below.

That was against Marseille, Liverpool's opponents tonight. Whilst Rafa Benitez is a master of the two legged tie, the group stage was a real struggle for them last year. Marseille (along with PSV and Atletico Madrid) are not very easy opponents, and could cause Liverpool some problems. Mamadou Niang and Bakari Koné both have the pace to trouble Jamie Carragher, and Javier Mascherano, imperious on Saturday, will face in Hatem Ben Arfa a sharper opponent than the lacklustre Anderson or Scholes.

I do expect both English teams to win. But I think the games will be exciting.

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