Champions League Quarterfinal Leg 1 Tuesday Predictions: Iberia v England.

By: chris | April 7th, 2009

For our patience over the international break we’ve been rewarded with some midweek Champions League football. It’s not what you’d call the ‘glamour day’ of the quarterfinals – that’s reserved for tomorrow’s Chelsea v Liverpool & Barca v Bayern – but sometimes that’s the beauty. The football has the capacity to easily surpass our expectations and provide some moments we’ll talk about rather than the teams.

Villarreal v Arsenal
Manchester United v Porto

As always, we’ll have a Liveblog up later in the day with Daryl on duties.

Villarreal v Arsenal

Villarreal are one of the most infuriatingly inconsistent teams in Europe, much less La Liga, and Arsenal have found their stride as both Cesc and Adebayor return. It mostly depends on whether the Yellow Subs take their lithium on the day, but you’d have to think Arsenal have the edge right now.

Prediction: Three key factors:

i. Santi Cazorla, Villarreal’s mighty magician, is out for the year with a broken leg.
ii. The Yellow Subs are coming off a 3-0 loss to relegation fighters Almeria.
iii. A brief look at Villarreal’s schedule tells us that they haven’t beat a team which sits in the top half of the current La Liga table since…since…September 14th.

Oh boy. Arsenal 2-1 (Adebayor)

Odds:

Villarreal win: 17 – 10
Draw: 11 – 5
Arsenal win: 13 – 8

More odds here.

Bonus Prediction: Villarreal keeper Diego Lopez will be sent off in the 12th minute and backup Sebastian Viera will take the place of Robert Pires.

Manchester United v Porto

The drama of ManU’s late-winner on the weekend really veiled the fact that they looked like anything but a team whose hiccup was firmly behind them. A reeling Aston Villa really deserved something from that game and with Porto quietly undefeated since November 1st, this game is far from a foregone conclusion – even at Old Trafford.

Prediction: I can’t say that I’d back Porto over the two-legged tie, but they’re a very good team and with ManU not quite in tip-top shape they can certainly bring something back with their luggage and very well might. 0-0

Odds:

ManU win: 2 – 5
Draw: 10 – 3
Porto win: 8 – 1

More odds here.

Bonus Prediction: If Porto manage to win at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho will take the credit. Somehow.

Go click yourself over to Champions League Offside for more previews and predictions.

Now it’s your turn. Correctly predicting the winner is one point, scoreline is two points and a bonus point for a correct goalscorer.

Villarreal – Arsenal
ManUtd – Porto

So predict a winner, scoreline and one bonus goalscorer to win the fabulous (imaginary) prize behind door number C.