DORTMUND-REAL MADRID PREVIEW..........UPHILL TASK FOR LAST SEASON'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE RUNNERS-UP

                                             


It's all looking doom and gloom for a once entertaining Borussia Dortmund. Haven been decimated by Real Madrid six days ago, it is time to set the record straight and at least play for pride at the Signa Iduna tonight. It is a seemingly lost cause for Die Borussen but impossible is nothing.

Jurgen Klopp nad his boys warmed up for this special occasion with a sweet, come from behind victory over Wolfsburg in the Buli on Saturday. Marco Reus scored the winner to make it four goals in his last two League games but it is in the Champions League they need him more. After getting bashed by Los Merengues last week Wednesday, Dortmund cannot afford another mauling. Klopp has been rather unfortunate with injuries this term and is likely to call upon the bulk of the same team that faced the Spanish giants at the Bernabeu, except that Lewandowski is back from suspension and will remember how his four goals set his team on a glory hunting mission in the same competition last season. The Pole is Bayern bound but he will want to leave his mark on what is almost certainly his last Champions League game for the yellow and black.

Real Madrid posted a brilliant result on Saturday at San Sebastian when they put champions league chasing Real Sociedad to the sword. The UCL European Cup record winners thrived where Barcelona and many others have failed and the result was a 4-0 win. Gareth Bale starred in that match and despite fears of a layoff, he is fit to face the same Dortmund side he opened the scoring against last week.  Cristiano Ronaldo limped out of training 15 minutes into the game and it has been proclaimed that he is a major doubt for today's affair. That means a chance to break the record he shares with Messi might have to wait until the semi-finals if Real see it through.

It is difficult to see how Dortmund will score four without Real getting at least a goal. Lewandowski's four goals condemned los Blancos to a painful defeat last season. Only a performance much better than that can give Dortmund a chance but they lack the personnel to handle this kind of situation.

PROBABLE LINEUPS-

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Weidenfeller, Piszczek, Hummels, Papastathopoulos, Dumm, Grosskreutz, Jojic, Sahin, Reus, Mkhitaryan, LEWANDOWSKI

REAL MADRID

Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao, Alonso, Modric, Di Maria, Bale, Benzema, CR7

Die Schwarzgelben cannot call upon the services of Sven Bender, IIkay Gundogan and Marcel Schmelzer because they are all injured. To make matters worse, Captain and midfield destroyer, Sebastian Kehl is banned for tonight's game. That leaves gaping holes in midfield which will be filled by January acquisition, Milos Jojic who is inexperienced and may be overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The attacking midfielder has to be helped by Sahin, Grosskreutz and Henrikh. PEA17 will be replaced by Lewandowski after the Gabonese couldn't covert at least one of the many chances that came his way. The returning Pole knows where the net is and Real Madrid are aware that he does. Rolls Reus has to turn up tonight, If he does, then Dortmund fans can dream. Henrikh Mkhitaryan has cooled down a bit. The Armenian attacking midfielder started his career at the club ecellently well but seems to have faded in the last two months. However, class is permanent.

LA DECIMA chasing Los meregues know that there is no margin for error from here on. Any slip up and they can bid farewell to their dream of claiming a 10th European cup for yet another campaign. It has been a long wait (twelve years) for Madridistas. Don Carlo admitted that the Champions League was the priority this term. The main objective. Anything else is a bonus, although a treble would be welcomed. CR7 limped out of training yesterday but should shrug off whatever impedes him. Karim Benzema hasn't been among the goals lately. The Frenchman has done quite well this season and is part of the deadliest trio in WORLD FOOTBALL tagged the 'BBC'.

Anything other than Real Madrid going through will be most bewildering.


Ohireime P Eboreime
@ohiskaka1990

CHELSEA-PSG PREVIEW.......THE BLUES SET FOR THE MOST IMPORTANT MATCH OF THE SEASON

Chelsea were astonishingly humbled quite easily by Les Parisien at the Parc des Princes six days ago. Now the blues face an almost impossible quest to overturn a 2 goal deficit. Not that it has never been achieved before but this is somewhat different.

                                                 


EL POCHO Lavezzi knows how it feels to be taken apart by Chelsea. The PSG forward was part of the Napoli side that were at the wrong end of a brave comeback by the pensioners after going down 3-1 in Naples. Now, he is more than determined to make amends and tomorrow is the best chance he might ever have. A repeat of the fantastic display he put in last week and the French Champions-elect are in the semis. Not even the absence of ZLATAN will deter the much improved and very ambitious french outfit as they aim to go further in the competition. With the Swede, they glided past a helpless Reims side at the weekend courtesy of goals from Edinson Cavani and two own goals from Reims defender, Aissa Mandi

Jose Mourinho has affirmed that it is 'nearly impossible' to qualify after Javier Pastore's  injury time goal put a dagger through the hearts of the Chelsea faithful. But the message to his troops will be very clear. Score two goals and concede none, we are through. But it is going to be very difficult if not herculean to prevent PSG from scoring at least a goal.

PROBABLE LINEUPS-

CHELSEA:

Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Lampard, Oscar, Hazard, Wllian, Eto'o

PSG:

Sirigu, VDW, Silva, Alex, Maxwell, Motta-Verratti-Matuidi, Moura, Lavezzi, Cavani

Jose Mourinho has a clear plan on how he wants to see off the French League leaders on Tuesday night. The Portuguese manager almost clawed back a 4-1 deficit v Dortmund last season , so he is no stranger to these kind of situations. However, the 'striker-less' West London club may have to risk Samuel Eto'o for the game. The Cameroonian marksman has enough in his tank to shoot down PSG but he is now a shadow of his former self. Fernando Torres has lost it totally. No one can place a finger on what really happened to the once prolific attacker. The Spaniard is done. The blues will miss the services of Ramires, Matic and Salah. The former suspended and the other two cup-tied.  In their absences, Mikel and Lampard have to do the job in the middle and David Luiz may also be required to come in and help out. Mourinho will rue the absence of Matic especially because it is in midfield that the french team possess their biggest weapons.

Paris St Germain can look back on their performances so far with pride and gusto and approach this game with all the confidence in the World. They have every reason to go to the Bridge on Tuesday and seek a result that will take them to the last four of the Champions League. Laurent Blanc can secure his place in the annals of the French club's not so rich history if he qualifies them eventually. The club cannot call on the goals, assists and all round display of LE IBRA but the likes of Lucas Moura, Javier Pastore and Jeremy Menez can provide the spark. They are not quite as efficient as Ibra but they are just as effective. Brazilian wonderkid, Lucas Moura has pace to burn. His skills set cannot be treated with kid gloves. His introduction last time unsettled the Chelsea defence and it ilikely that he will be thrown into the fray from the start. Ivanovic and Azpi have to be helped by Hazard and Willian/Oscar or all hopes will be thrown into the trash can. Edinson Cavani has to shoulder the responsibility of scoring the goals needed to send Chelsea packing, He was also part of the Napoli side who thought they had qualified until their bubble was burst and their hopes dashed by Didier Drogba and company. He has an axe to grind with Chelsea. Greg Van der Wiel is back to occupy the right back slot at the expense of Christophe Jallet who admittedly, did little wrong at the PdP. The All Brazilian central defensive partnership will be joined by another Brazilian at left back. Surely a complete team. Matuidi-Motta and Verratti are keeping the likes of Rabiot and Cabaye on the bench. This is not what the latter signed for when he was leaving England but he must have been aware of how arduous it is to break through the MAT-MARCO-MOTTA wall. They are currently among the very best midfield trio in all of football.

Laurent Blanc and Jose Mourinho go head to head again in a battle of tactical supremacy. Fair to say that the Frenchman won the battle last week. Mourinho hates being at the losers' corner. The 'ONLY ONE' will be pleased to take out PSG in a very special night at Stamford Bridge. In the light of recent developments, the blue face an uphill battle to retrieve the deficit. Even Eden Hazard could collapse under this sort of pressure. Chelsea need more than all the talents of WILZARCAR  to triumph on Tuesday night. Stamford Bridge must be rocking.

Ohireime P Eboreime
@ohiskaka1990