Champs League: Wednesday Match Analysis & Picks
By Larry O'Connor
Last-minute drama filled Tuesday’s Champions League action. What’s in store for the second day of the first leg of the quarterfinals?
Arsenal (+220) vs. FC Barcelona (+130)
Take your pick of subplots: The rematch of the 2006 final won by Barca, Thierry Henry's return to London to play his old club or Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas taking on the team that nurtured him as a youth player.
But this quarterfinal encounter boils down to the game's most lethal scorer, Lionel Messi (34 goals in all competitions), being pitted against a wounded Arsenal side whose domestic inconsistency was compounded by this weekend's 1-1 away draw to Birmingham.
Added to the Gunner glum was captain Fabregas' uncertainty due to a knee knock sustained in the Birmingham match, which saw the Blues grab an injury-time equalizer. The Spaniard finished the match, but missed Tuesday's training session and was expected to be a match-time decision.
If Fabregas is unavailable, French midfielder Samir Nasri (three goals in four CL matches) and Danish cohort Nicklas Bendtner (four goals in three CL matches) are more than capable to open Arsenal's account.
Arsenal's Dutch forward Robin Van Persie is still recovering from an ankle injury while Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta is out due to a hamstring injury.
Central defenders Sol Campbell and Thomas Vermaelen, who missed Saturday's Premier League match due to suspension, have their sights on Messi, who came off the bench to replace the injured Iniesta in the 49th minute of the Catalan giants' 1-0 away win over Mallorca in LaLiga action Saturday.
Even if successful in shutting down Messi, there's still the not-so-small matter of containing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Bojan and Henry who are all qualified candidates to snag the crucial away goal.
Prediction: Arsenal 1, Barcelona 1 (draw paying +225)
Inter Milan (-240) vs. CSKA Moscow (+900)
Though rattled by Saturday's 2-1 away loss to Roma, Inter Milan's immaculate home form ensures a confident side against the Russian overachievers. The Italian champs are undefeated in both Serie A (12-4-0) and Champions League (2-2-0) play at the San Siro home this season, which includes a victory as the away team against fellow tenants A.C. Milan.
Meanwhile CSKA Moscow are emboldened by an away form that has seen the club secure wins against Besiktas and Sevilla and a draw with Manchester United en route to its first-ever Champions League quarterfinal appearance. The team also has an away win, a 2-1 result against Anzhi Makhachkala March 26, in this season's fledgling Russian Premier campaign.
CSKA's midfielder Milos Krasic, who is reportedly a summer transfer target of Inter, will be looking to link up with Czech striker Tomas Necid, who scored in the team's victory over Anzhi. Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda -- who also netted a goal against Anzhi -- provides another scoring option.
The CSKA back line will struggle to bottle up Inter's dynamic duo of Alberto Diego Milito (23 goals in all competitions) and Samuel Eto's (12 goals). Yugoslavia midfielder Dejan Stankovic, who's scored two goals in eight Champions League matches, is another threat.
Inter will be without Brazilian defender Ferreira Lucio due to suspension for receiving his second yellow card of the tournament in the 1-0 away victory over Chelsea March 16.
With a daunting return trip to Moscow, Inter will be compelled to score early and often.
Prediction: Inter 2, CSKA Moscow 0