UEFA Champions League

Watching their respective seasons unfold, it seems unlikely that either Chelsea or Manchester United will be celebrating at Wembley come 28 May 2011. It’s not to say that they’re not capable of winning the Champions League – only Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid and…ahem…Tottenham stand as genuine contenders alongside them – but all signs so far point to an almighty struggle to reach their league objectives and no luck on the European front.

Having said that, if you had to bet on the two Premier League teams most likely to win the Champions League at the start of the season, it would have been Manchester United and Chelsea, and if they can turn their average form around and their players start earning their hefty paycheques, a last-eight / last-four berth awaits at least one of these two sides.

Hey, at least they’ve got it easier than Arsenal, right?

We’ve heard it all before – Madrid will finally end Lyon’s unbeaten run against them. No, seriously, with Jose Mourinho at the helm, Madrid can really beat Lyon. Except we heard that with Barcelona, too, and no points for guessing how that went.

Madrid have new players, they have Mourinho, and they have all the expectations in the world weighing on them. It’s the kind of game Madrid need to win if they are to be taken as seriously as they tend to take themselves (actually, the game to win would be Barcelona at Camp Nou, but Madrid aren’t in a position to pick and choose).

A 1-1 draw then?