This is (apparently) what to expect from the Last 16 of the Champions League
Most people who want to see the future need a time machine.
For football fans, it's a bit easier than that. We have Football Manager.
Thanks to the bizzare, almost frightfully accurate realism of the dangerously addictive alternative to real life computer game, it can be used to simulate future events.
Which is why, with the draw for the Champions League Round of 16 now done, we figured we would use Football Manager to see exactly how the knockout stages of the competition will play out.
As you can see below, we have played out every single fixture from the Round of 16 through to the final in Cardiff - and the simulation suggests Real Madrid are set to win their third Champions League in four seasons.
Here's the round-by-round breakdown…
Round of 16 – Arsenal Out, City and Leicester Through
There’s more heartbreak at the hands of Bayern Munich to come for Arsenal fans, as they’re eliminated by the German team once again after a thrilling tie. A 2-1 defeat in Munich is followed by an epic contest at the Emirates where, with Arsenal leading 2-1 and the match heading for extra-time, Robert Lewandowski heads home in the 87th minute to break The Gunners’ hearts.
There’s better news for the other English sides as Manchester City ease past Monaco and a 2-0 home win at the King Power Stadium is enough to give Leicester an away goals victory over Sevilla.
RESULTS (aggregate scores)
Manchester City 4-1 Monaco
Real Madrid 5-2 Napoli
Benfica 1-5 Dortmund
Bayern Munich 4-3 Arsenal
Porto 0-3 Juventus
Leverkusen 1-3 Atletico Madrid
PSG 3-6 Barcelona
Sevilla 3-3 Leicester (Leicester win on away goals)
Quarter-Final – End of the English Interest, Bayern thrash Dortmund
Both Man City and Leicester are eliminated in the last eight, ending any English interest in the tournament. An Antoine Griezmann goal in Madrid is enough to send Atletico Madrid through at the expense of Pep Guardiola's side, after the teams had played out a 2-2 draw in Manchester.
Leicester also recorded a 2-2 draw at home against Real Madrid in perhaps the tie of the round but were dismantled 4-0 at the Bernabeu, with Islam Slimani seeing red for Ranieri’s men.
Elsewhere, Bayern asserted their dominance over fierce rivals, Dortmund with a comprehensive 7-0 aggregate win. Thomas Müller bagged four goals over the course of the two legs.
RESULTS (aggregate scores)
Bayern 7-0 Dortmund
Manchester City 2-3 Atletico Madrid
Leicester 2-6 Real Madrid
Juventus 1-6 Barcelona
Semi-Final – Madrid Derby, Ancelotti has the Last Laugh
Spain was guaranteed at least one finalist with both Madrid sides paired off against each other. A fairly drab 1-1 draw at the Vicente Calderon was soon erased from the memory by a pulsating clash at the Bernabeu that saw Bale and Ronaldo at their very best, scoring a goal each either side of a Luka Modric strike to book their place in the final.
Carlo Ancelotti took on familiar foes, Barcelona as he led his Bayern side into the semi-finals. They were able to restrict the Barcelona trio of Neymar, Suarez and Messi to just a single goal over the two legs, with Manuel Neuer making numerous high quality saves. Robert Lewandowski was the hero for Bayern, heading in twice in the first leg at the Allianz to give Bayern the momentum that they duly held to join Real in Cardiff.
RESULTS (aggregate scores)
Atletico Madrid 2-4 Real Madrid
Bayern 3-1 Barcelona
Final - it's Real again
The eagerly anticipated final lives up to the billing with four goals in the regulation ninety minutes. Gareth Bale gives Madrid the lead after 33 minutes before two second half goals from Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski give Bayern the lead. Alvaro Morata grabs a dramatic 85th minute equaliser and a nervy extra-time period follows with neither side particularly troubling the scoreline.
In the shootout, Kimmich misses early on for Bayern but is cancelled out by Sergio Ramos striking the crossbar but it is Renato Sanches whose miss is decisive when he fires over to hand Real the trophy.
RESULT
Bayern 2-2 Real Madrid (Real win 4-3 on penalties)
No comments:
Post a Comment