Majestic Real Madrid on fire

This must have been one of the most majestic games of football the Champions League has ever witnessed. Real Madrid did not look like a soccer team. It was more like witnessing a collection of ballerinas dazzling an entire continent with their magic. Inspired by the best soccer player in the world - dare I say, of all time? - Ronaldo, Real shows why it will win the competition.

Majestic Real Madrid on fire. 52245.jpeg

FC Schalke 04 1 Real Madrid CF 6
Huntelaar 90+1  Benzema 13, 57; Bale 21, 69; Ronaldo 52, 89

Benzema, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale, Ronaldo...Huntelaar. Real Madrid went to Germany and literally thrashed FC Schalke 04, showing why Carlo Ancelotti's team will win the Champions League this year. Benzema, Bale and Ronaldo are super-stars supported by a very solid midfield and defence network whose sector development as the game develops is second to none. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the best Real Madrid of recent years, if not of all time.

Galatasaray AŞ 1 Chelsea FC 1
Chedjou 65             Torres 9

Sorry, Mourinho. You played a brilliant game, scoring early and trying to control the rest of the game, and the tie, but meet Real Madrid in the semis and you will go back to London licking your chops and asking for more Class A eggs. Better do it more quietly this time because...

Previous Games in the Champions League

Olympiacos FC 2 Manchester United FC 0
Domínguez 38,
Campbell 55

Goals either side of the break gave the result to Olympiacos in Piraeus. Despite having less possession (46% to 54%), Olympiacos managed 12 shots, half of which were on target while United had eight shots, five off and three on. The first came after a shot from Giannis Maniatis on 38 minutes, deflected into the back of the net by Alejandro Domínguez. The second came on 55 from Arsenal loaned player Joel Campbell.

FC Zenit 2 Borussia Dortmund 4
Shatov 57, Mkhitaryan 4, Reus 5, Lewandowski 61, 71
Hulk 69 (pen)    

Borussia Dortmund got off to a super start with two goals by the five-minute mark. The first came on 4' from Mkhitaryan and Reus added the second a minute later. Shatov pulled one back for Zenit on 57' but Robert Lewandowski scored the 3-1 on 61 minutes. Hulk pulled back another on 69 minutes from the penalty spot but the Germans proved too strong and went two goals clear on 71' (R. Lewandowski again). While in football everything is possible, winning by three in Germany would be near to a miracle.

Arsenal 0 Bayern Munich 2
                 Kroos 54, T. Müller 88

AC Milan 0   Atlético Madrid 1
                      Diego Costa 83

Manchester City FC 0 FC Barcelona 2
                                    Messi 54 (pen.); Daniel Alves 90

The sending-off of Demichelis on 53' was the beginning of the end for City. Messi scored from the spot one minute later and Daniel Alves made City's woes more intense on 90'. It was a game which Barcelona controlled with 62 per cent of ball possession against City's 38. There were 10 Barça shots to Manchester City's 9 and 4 corners to one.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0 Paris Saint-Germain 4
                                      Matuidi 3; Ibrahimovic 39 (pen.), 42; Cabaye 88

Man of the Match Ibrahimovic scored a brace after Matuidi started off the best way for the Parisians. By the time Cabaye had sent the match out of Bayer's reach, Spahic was went off on 59', in a game in which PSG had 12 shots, all on target, to Bayer's 5 (3 on) and the visitors had a ball possession of 59% to 41%.

Champions and Europa League draws

The matches are drawn for the last 16 clubs of the Champions League and the last 32 of the Europa League The Champions League matches will take place on February 18/19 and 25/26 and March 11/12 and 18/19. The Europa League games will be on February 20 and 27. Zenit is the only flag carrier for Russia in the Champions, 3 teams continue in Europa.

Champions League fixtures

Tuesday 18 February & Wednesday 12 March:
Manchester City FC 0 FC Barcelona 2
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0 Paris Saint-Germain 4

Wednesday 19 February & Tuesday 11 March:
AC Milan 0 Club Atlético de Madrid 1
Arsenal FC 0 FC Bayern München 2

Tuesday 25 February & Wednesday 19 March:
Olympiacos FC 2 Manchester United FC 0
FC Zenit 2 Borussia Dortmund 4

Wednesday 26 February & Tuesday 18 March:
Galatasaray AŞ 1 Chelsea FC 1
FC Schalke 04 1 Real Madrid CF 6

England (4): Arsenal, Chelsea FC, Manchester City, Manchester United
Spain (3): Atlético de Madrid, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid
Germany (4): Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munchen, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04
France (1): Paris Saint-Germain
Italy (1): AC Milan
Greece (1): Olympiacos FC
Russia (1): Zenit Saint Petersburg
Turkey (1): Galatasaray AS

Europa League

Games to be played on February 20 and 27

Dnipro (UKR) v Tottenham (ENG)
Betis (ESP) v Rubin (RUS)
Swansea (English League - WALES) v Napoli (ITA)
Juventus (ITA) v Trabzonspor (TUR)
Maribor (SVN) v Sevilla (ESP)
Plzeň (CZE) v Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Chornomorets Odesa (UKR) v Lyon (FRA)
Lazio (ITA) v Ludogorets (BUL)
Esbjerg (DEN) v Fiorentina (ITA)
Ajax (NED) v Salzburg (AUT)
M. Tel-Aviv (ISR) v Basel (SUI)
FC Porto (POR) v Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
Anji (RUS) v Genk (BEL)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) v Valencia (ESP)
PAOK (GRE) v Benfica (POR)
Liberec (CZE) v AZ (NED)

Austria: Salzburg
Belgium: Genk
Bulgaria: Ludogorets
Czech Republic (2): Liberec, Plzeň
Denmark: Esbjerg
England: Tottenham Hotspur
English League, Wales: Swansea City FC
France: Lyon
Germany: Eintracht Frankfurt
Greece: PAOK
Italy (4): Fiorentina, Juventus, Lazio, Napoli
Israel: Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Netherlands (2): Ajax, AZ Alkmaar
Portugal (2): Benfica, FC Porto
Russia (2): Anzhi Makkachkala, Rubin Kazan,
Slovenia: Maribor
Spain (3): Betis, Sevilla, Valencia
Switzerland: Basel
Turkey: Trabzonspor
Ukraine (4): Chornomorets Odesa, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Dinamo Kyiv, Shakhtar Donetsk

Total number of teams in European competitions:
Champions League + Europa League = Total

England: 4 + 1 = 5 + Swansea City = 6
Spain 3 + 3 = 6
Germany: 4 + 1 = 5
Italy : 1 + 4 = 5
Ukraine: 0 + 4 = 4
Russia: 1 + 2 = 3
Czech Republic: 0 + 2 = 2
France: 1 + 1 = 2
Greece: 1 + 1 = 2
Netherlands: 0 + 2 = 2
Portugal: 0 + 2 = 2
Turkey: 1 + 1 = 2
Austria: 0 + 1 = 1
Belgium: 0 + 1 = 1
Bulgaria: 0 + 1 = 1
Denmark: 0 + 1 = 1
English League, Wales: 1 Europa
Israel: 0 + 1 = 1
Slovenia: 0 + 1 = 1
Switzerland: 0 + 1 = 1

Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru