Champions League Bracketology

The draw is over. The teams have been set. There is no looking back now.

With the conclusion of today’s Champions League draw, the path to the Moscow final has begun to take shape.

The yellow brick road looks something like this.

Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Roma vs. Manchester United

Schalke 04 vs. Barcelona

Fenerbahce vs. Chelsea

Now comes the slightly more complex part.

The winner of Arsenal vs. Liverpool will play the winner of Fenerbahce vs. Chelsea, and the winner of Schalke 04 vs. Barcelona will play the winner of Roma vs. Manchester United.

With this simple draw (and by simple I do mean simple, they basically just reach into a bowl of little plastic balls that look like the Champions League ball and open similarly to an Easter egg) the probable final begins to take shape, and I couldn’t help but do a bit of speculating.

Arsenal vs. Liverpool
This will undoubtedly be a great match, but it is at this point that the youth of Arsenal will cease to be a positive, and the prowess and experience of Liverpool will shine through as I believe that they will go through with a 4-2 aggregate win.

Roma vs. Manchester United
This is difficult to predict.  Especially as I try and keep my biases to a minimum.  It would be easy to say United will win, but lets not forget that they have to travel to Rome and endure some very hostile fans.   Also, you can be sure that Roma will be out for revenge after that 7-1 shellacking at the hands of United.  However, in the end United have far too much class and will find themselves through 3-1 on aggregate.

Schalke 04 vs. Barcelona
I am having trouble seeing any way that Schalke 04 will beat Barcelona.  Even with Messi sidelined with a hamstring injury you still have Ronaldinho, Eto’o, and Henry lurking up top while Puyol maintains order from the back.  No question, Barcelona through 5-1 on aggregate.

Fenerbahce vs. Chelsea
Another no-brainer as Chelsea will breeze past Fenerbahce without even bothering to say hello.  Chelsea is through 6-0 on aggregate.

I shudder to think of what sort of footballing wars will take place during the semi-finals, but let’s save that for later.

Cheers!