What a stunning competition the Champions League is. Every single one of the Quarter Finals were exciting and had a surprise in store for us.
Be it OL beating City with their devastating counters, Bayern battering Barca with a shocking scoreline, Leipzig reigning supreme against Atletico, or PSG staying in the run with an inspiring comeback against Atalanta, every single match was unique in its own way.
Now four teams remain, and every team has its strengths and weaknesses that we will go through today.
PSG has one of the most exciting duo of players in Neymar and Mbappe. But the game will be won and lost by how PSG defend against the free flowing football of RB Leipzig.
Leipzig play a beautiful brand of football and have some players tailor-made for this style. And they aren't bad defensively either with Upamecano being one of the most sought after talents in Europe.
After their win vs Barca, Bayern is the undisputed favorite to win the Champions League. They have quick players with a lot of pace and have Lewandowski leading the line who is the best striker in Europe at the moment.
After beating Juve and City, Lyon can not be underestimated. They have one of the best young midfield talents in Aouar, and with Depay and Dembele upfront and the resolute Gomes in goal, they will be a good match for Bayern.
So as you can see, every team has its pros and cons in the Champions League, so predicting a winner can be tough. But it has to be Bayern’s to lose after destroying Barça.
To get into the spirit of the game, you should buy all the kits of the best players in Europe. It would be the best memorabilia of this season and would also keep you connected to the beautiful game.
]]>But one element every soccer fan can enjoy is the launch of the new football kits of the top European clubs in 2020-2021. These kits build up the hype of the new season, and a few of these will become iconic in a few months after the team wearing them wins silverware. So let us look at our Top 5 2020-2021 Kits and why we like them.
A few players immortalize some kits. And Lionel Messi did that with the 2010-11 Barca Home kit. That iconic home kit inspires this year's FC Barcelona home kit with the yellow collar and the classic red and blue stripes.
Most fans did not appreciate the chequered design of 19-20, and going back to the classic stripes has been a welcome move from the fans. The blue shorts along with the hooped socks round off this tremendous look for Barca. Messi is probably going to be unstoppable in this one.
The purple pattern on the 19-20 kit was criticized by all, so Puma has gotten their act together with this creative design. The subtle white mosaic pattern adds a lot of character and finesse to the classic sky blue color of City.
The shorts will be either white or blue, depending upon the opponent, while the socks are blue. We also quite like the whitish band around the collar which is another delicate element contributing to this elegant design by Puma.
The new Juventus home kit may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but we are fans of this innovative design. While the away kit has the classic dark blue design that would be perfect on Champions League away days, we are a bit more impressed by the home kit.
The pattern is predominantly white with four brushstroke stripes at the front with all the logos in golden signifying the winning culture at the club. The shorts and socks are also white with golden logos and make for a clean look to balance the artistry on the front of the shirt.
The thing to like about this Arsenal home kit is that it reflects where they are at the moment. A modern design based on all the historical elements which the club is based on.
While we are not the biggest fans of the away kit, we quite like the pattern on the front, the white collars, and the subtle pattern on the sleeves of the Arsenal home kit.
The stripes on this year's Inter home kit are quite striking, and instead of looking out of place, they look exceptional. The zig-zag design gives the whole aesthetic a pretty unique vibe and stands out in a good way. The black shorts and blue socks complete the look.
So these were our picks for the Top 5 20/21 Kits. Did we miss any kits on this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!
]]>And so, the Champions League returns this weekend. It is, without a doubt, the biggest and most competitive club competition in the world that every big player aspires to win. But who is going to win it this year?
With the Quarter Final Draw already in place, there are a few interesting scenarios for us to consider. Let us have a look at our favorites.
Bayern have a blistering front line with perhaps the most in-form player in the world in Lewandowski and the devastatingly quick Gnabry to support him.
Young players like Kimmich, Alfonso Davies add some exuberance to their game, and Thiago, Alaba, and Muller add the necessary experience.
They played right through Chelsea in the first leg and will face Barca or Napoli in the Quarters should they get through. Bayern can definitely beat both those sides and go to the Semis. They would face either City/Juve/Madrid there and those two games could be extremely exciting.
And after being denied a possible Ballon d'Or, Lewandowski has a lot to prove, and winning the Champions League to cap off this season could be the ultimate case for him being the best Football player in 2020.
With Neymar in steaming hot form and Mbappe back in a few weeks, PSG are looking devastating upfront.
And with a UCL draw that puts them against Atlanta in the Quarters and Atleti in the Semis, there is a lot of optimism regarding their chances.
They have an experienced GK, a resilient midfield imposer in Gueye, and the mercurial So Maria in midfield to boost their line-up.
Thomas Tuchel is a decent coach and could definitely capitalize on the slightly favourable draw.
This could well be the year that PSG achieve what they promise.
After beating Madrid at the Bernabeu, City is a team that can match the big guns. And having invested Millions in the side, Pep Guardiola is due a European triumph.
After a disappointing Premier League season, De Bruyne and his teammates have a lot to play for but need to get through the immensely experienced Madrid side followed possibly by the experienced Juve team to get to the semis.
While it may not be easy, winning the Champions League has never been that. And Pep Guardiola and his team may be motivated to do it this time. Who knows?
The beauty of European Football at the highest level is that it is filled with match-winners that can win a game at any moment.
So predicting one winner in this UCL season is difficult. But if we had to pick one team to win the UCL this season, we would be inclined to pick Bayern Munich.
Besides having a strong attack, they also have a decent midfield with a nice mix of youth and experience that can help Lewandowski win the Champions League for his side.
Who do you think will win the Champions League this year? Share your comments below.
]]>Sporting events have quietly started to resume with many prominent Soccer Leagues like the Bundesliga, La Liga, and the Premier League having restarted and ended successfully. Here in the USA, the NWSL is another example.
As for the MLS, there has been a major attempt to resume normal service in US Soccer with the “MLS is Back” tournament over the last few weeks.
With the changing times, there was an innovation in the normal format of the MLS as it changed to a 24 team World Cup like tournament.
There were six groups with the top two sides going straight through and the remaining four in the Round of 16 being made up of teams that finished third with the highest number of points. The rest of the tournament goes on like your traditional World Cup knockout games.
This tournament started off on the 8th of July at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando Florida in a so-called “bubble” where all the teams could train and stay in one isolated bubble quarantined from the outside world.
Unfortunately, there were major problems with several players testing positive for COVID-19. Consequently, two of the teams ( Nashville SC and FC Dallas) had to be removed from the tournament. Besides this unfortunate event, there was no other case in the three weeks inside the bubble for the players involved.
As the “MLS is back” tournament culminates on the 11th of August, the winner will gain automatic access to the CONCACAF Champions League, and the trophy and prize money to go with it.
As this unprecedented format concludes, the MLS gets back on track on the 21st of August and continues throughout the fall with the playoffs in November and the MLS Cup in December.
The season will be preceded with a game between Nashville SC and FC Dallas between Aug 12-15, two teams who had to opt-out due to multiple cases of COVID in their rosters as they try to get back to match fitness before the start of next season.
According to the Washington Post, there is hope that there will be spectators involved, especially in areas where the impact of COVID has subsided.
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