CHELSEA-PSG...2ND LEG PREVIEW...MOU V BLANC should serve us a classic

                                                 


Jose Mourinho is a happy man. One goal achieved, league leaders and now time to finish off PSG and wrap up Chelsea's position in the quarter-final draw on the 20th of March. These are wonderful times at a club that just turned 110 years and won the league cup last weekend. They have been here before. In fact the task was more daunting than the one currently staring them in the face. A 3-1 loss at the PdP was quickly turned into a 2-0 success in West London. Nevertheless, things have changed for the Paris-based club.

Laurent Blanc has reshaped and revitalised Les Parisien since he arrived and it is no surprise that they are doing very well in all competitions this term. Hubert Fournier's Lyonais ain't ready to lose grip of the leadership in Ligue 1 but time will tell. Attention switched swiftly to Europe after PSG blitzed Lens on Saturday to sir briefly at the top of Le Championnat until Lyon with Fekir and Alex Lacazette in rampaging form climbed back to the summit with a come from behind 5-1 annihilation of Montpellier. Blanc can call upon Thiago Motta who is expected to partner Blaise Matuidi and Marco 'pocket rocket' Verratti in midfield. The Brazilian didn't feature in the 1st leg but his experience is needed tonight.

The blues have firepower in abundance. With JT and Diego Costa scoring the goals that sealed the League Cup deal, the likes of Hazard and Fabregas whose assists flurry has cooled for some time now are ready to be the main men. Diego Costa's goal last weekend was the first he has scored outside the League since he arrived from Atletico Madrid. Still awaits his first UCL goal as a pensioner. Nemanja Matic can breathe a sigh of relief as a domestic ban has limited his playing time. He is most definitely back for tonight. One of the best acquisitions of recent memory.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's record v Mourinho is played 7, scored 0. The Swede who is 16 goals away fro breaking the all time PSG scoring record held by Portugal and PSG legend, Pauleta, has to improve on the aforementioned statistic. He's the talisman for the visiting club and must live up to his world class tag. Marco Verratti shone like a million stars at the PdP and was graceful all through the game. Another display similar to the last one will be a bonus for his club.

PSG will be very much aware that Mourinho and Chelsea are a very different proposition at home. The 2012 European champions are almost impregnable at Stamford Bridge and if form is anything to go by, Chelsea should see this through, no matter how tough it seems/plays out. Mourinho has his eyes lit and firmly set on winning the Champions League with Chelsea. That is the only remaining trophy absent from his West London collectibles. His second coming has that quest written all over it.


OHIREIME PRINCETON EBOREIME
@lordbaruda1987

REAL MADRID's form a worrisome sight. Time for Ancelotti to man up and turn it around

Not so long ago, los merengues went on a 22 match win streak which culminated in them lifting the club world cup trophy. Since the turn of the year, they have lost to Atletico, Valencia, Bilbao and lately Schalke which has led to lots of questions being asked. The biggest question right now is the form of Gareth Bale? The Welshman has been very poor since the UCL defending champions resumed hostilities for the new year and it is time to own up. Ancelotti has stuck to his guns that some players are untouchables in his team and that has angered a lot of madridistas.

Carlo Ancelotti is undoubtedly one of the best coaches we have been fortunate to have in our sport but his decision making or lack of it has been evident over the years. He may have won 3 European Cups but his record in domestic competitions leaves much to be desired. 3 league titles in 17 years is wretched and with Barcelona now calling the shots in Spain, if he doesn't win La Liga this term and fails on the European front (defend the UCL crown), his position will become untenable. Real and Florentino Perez have a history of sacking managers. Even the best are not safe.  Something has to give.

The Italian tactician is a very lucky man though. With Luka Modric back, the burden bore by Toni Kroos is now lighter as he has been a shadow of his dominant self for a few weeks now. Even without Itturraspe, Bilbao did well to stiffen the threat posed by the fantastic German maestro. With the Barcelona game only 11 days away, changes have to made in order to salvage a season which promised so much but is tending to end with the team going empty handed if you take away the super cup and the CWC from the equation. The Copa Del Rey was surrendered without a fight and the 4-0 demolition at the Vicente Calkderon left much to be desired. The BBC was so efficient in the early part of the season but 'BALE' has become lightweight and it has greatly affected the potency of the fearsome trio. Cristiano Ronaldo continues to prove the doubters wrong but he will be aware that Leo Messi has risen to the challenge. 18 goals for the Argentine already and we are only in March. The Portuguese class act rose highest twice to become the highest goal scorer in European (UEFA) club competitions on Tuesday night but his brace (record equaling 20 of such w/Messi in the UCL) wasn't enough to prevent Schalke and Leroy Sane from inflicting a first home defeat since September 2014. It was also only the second time that the whites had conceded 4 goals at home in the Champions League (the first being v Bayern in 2000). Something that hadn't taken place in 15 years. No one predicted such an outcome but in football, impossible is nothing and it showed yet again to the astonishment of the majority at the Bernabeu.

Crisis talks may be too extreme but if the ship is to be steadied, drastic decisions must be taken and keeping Bale on the bench is one of them but then again, the man can just turn up on Sunday and bang a hat-trick v Levante. Then, all will be forgiven and perhaps, forgotten. Iker Casillas has done so well to win back the critics and doubters from the last two seasons or thereabout until Schalke exposed his weaknesses again and tongues started wagging. The longtime Spanish No 1 responded like all greats do to prevent the likes of Sane and Howedes from scoring goals that would have certainly eliminated Real. What is glaring is that the capital club needs a new and better shot stopper. I am one of San Iker's biggest fans but the truth has to be told without fear, sentiments or favour.

Ancelotti has faced some harsh criticisms over the last couple of weeks. The Schalke game must never happen again from now till the end of the season or else, a new sheriff will be introduced at the Bernabeu in no distant time. It is now or never Don Carlo. Set the ball rolling from Sunday. An immediate response is required and very vital.


OHIREIME P EBOREIME
@lordbaruda1987