The draw for the Champions League Round of 16 matchups was held in Nyon, Switzerland on Monday, setting up a string of fun matchups that will be held in late February and early March.

Choosing winners for most of these matchups is a tough proposition, but let’s try to do so! And let us know if you agree with our predictions!

Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Manchester City

Manchester City has been one of the unluckiest teams in the Champions League in recent memory. Despite being the team of the decade of the 2010s in the Premier League, they still haven’t managed to take home the big prize. Unfortunately for them, we think that a brilliantly inventive Borussia Monchengladbach squad will surprise and eliminate City in this year’s round of 16.

Lazio vs. Bayern Munich

The 2020 Champions League winners face a tough test in Lazio and striker Ciro Immobile in the first knockout round of the competition. Nevertheless, we still think that Bayern continues to be the favorite to win the competition once again, and they should advance without much problem.

Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea

One of the most fascinating Round of 16 matchups pits La Liga favorites Atletico Madrid against Chelsea, a team that has begun to click under Frank Lampard. Atletico looks like a reenergized animal with Joao Felix starring this season, and we believe he’ll be the piece that pushes the Colchoneros past a Chelsea team that will put up a fight.

RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool

Another intriguing matchup in this round features RB Leipzig and Liverpool, a clash of the 2019 CL winners against one of Europe’s upstart teams. Jurgen Klopp’s side hasn’t had the best start to the 2020-21 season thanks in large part to a number of injury problems. Provided they’re relatively healthy, Liverpool should win this one.

Porto vs. Juventus

The biggest mismatch in the Round of 16 might be this matchup between a Porto team that advanced to the knockout round in clumsy fashion, and a Juventus squad which might have the most talented roster on the planet. Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juventus side should advance pretty easily here.

FC Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain

FC Barcelona faces off against ex-Cule Neymar and his PSG squad at the worst possible time with the club in a sporting and financial crisis. Nothing is going right for Barca under Ronald Koeman, and PSG is simply too deadly to not take advantage of their opportunity to take down a giant, especially now that we know that the Brazilian star should be available for the tie.

Sevilla vs. Borussia Dortmund

Reigning Europa League winners Sevilla impressed in the group stage of the competition, but their foes in the Round of 16 are nothing to sneeze at despite a bad run of recent matches. While Borussia Dortmund has the more talented squad, Julen Lopetegui is one of the best coaches in the world and we expect Sevilla to advance here due to their tactical edge.

Atalanta vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid snuck into the final 16 of the competition after spending most of the knockout round in the bottom two of their group stage. They actually ended up winning their group and will face off against Atalanta, whose high-flying offensive style should present a challenge to Los Blancos. Nonetheless, we expect Real Madrid to get the job done.

The post Picking the Winners of the Champions League Round of 16 Matchups appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The 2021 Champions League draw for the Round of 16 took place on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland, and produced a set of matchups that will provide plenty of intrigue when the competition picks back up in March.

The matchups for the upcoming games are as follows:

• Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Manchester City
• Lazio vs. Bayern Munich
• Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea
• RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool
• Porto vs. Juventus
• Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain
• Sevilla vs. Borussia Dortmund
• Atalanta vs. Real Madrid

All eight matchups will take place over two ties, with the second-place group stage teams (listed first) hosting the first match, and the first-place teams (listed second) hosting the second and decisive match.

There is plenty of intrigue to be found in the matchups which have been drawn, including a blockbuster matchup pitting FC Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain.

Other fascinating matchups include upstarts RB Leipzig vs. the 2019 champions of Liverpool, Atletico Madrid taking on Chelsea, and last year’s Cinderella in Atalanta facing the best team in the competition’s history, Real Madrid.

The first legs of the matchups are set to be held in mid to late February, while the second legs will be held in early to mid March.

The world’s best competition looks to be set to provide fans with a buffet of matchups that should be fascinating once again.

The post Champions League Draw Features Barcelona Vs. PSG, RB Leipzig Vs. Liverpool appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite going into the final match of the group stage with their hopes for the knockout round still undecided, Real Madrid won a crucial 2-0 game against Borussia Monchengladbach to move to first place and advance to the next stage.

It was a complicated group stage for Los Blancos, who lost twice to Shakhtar Donetsk and had drawn their previous matchup against their German foes despite having beaten Inter Milan twice.

Zinedine Zidane’s squad came through at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium on a chilly Wednesday night in Madrid when it counted the most, however, relying on two Karim Benzema goals to claim their spot in the knockout stage.

Benzema’s first goal happened thanks to a picture-perfect cross from Lucas Vazquez in the 9th minute of the game, which he calmly headed past Yann Sommer.

Madrid’s lead was doubled just over 20 minutes later after Benzema scored a very similar goal, following a Rodrygo Goes cross kick.

This was all Real Madrid needed to win and advance to the knockout stage as they have done every single time they have participated in the Champions League.

Real Madrid, the group winner, will await until Monday’s draw to find out their knockout stage opponent. Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach, who qualified as the group’s second place finisher, will hope to avoid any of the biggest teams in their draw.

The post Real Madrid Beats Monchengladbach 2-0, Advances to UCL Knockout Round appeared first on SportzBonanza.

FC Barcelona continued its winning ways in the group stage of the 2020-21 Champions League on Tuesday night, dispatching Dynamo Kiev on the road by a 0-4 final.

The Blaugrana rebounded from a weekend defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid to continue their perfect run in the group stage.

It was a nervy first half for Barça, as they failed to break through Dynamo Kiev’s defense and they went into the half with a 0-0 draw.

However, star summer-signing Sergino Dest made history by scoring his first goal for FC Barcelona in the 52nd minute, a score that opened up the floodgates.

The American full-back’s goal was followed by two scores by Martin Braithwaite and a stoppage-time goal by Antoine Griezmann which led to a four-goal, comfortable victory.

Interestingly, the match also saw Konrad De La Fuente debut for Bracelona, meaning that two Americans were on the pitch at the same time in a Champions League match for the first time since 2004.

The Miami-born De La Fuente entered in the 83rd minute for Trincao and made his FC Barcelona debut at the ripe age of 19.

Barcelona has already qualified for the knockout round of the Champions League and will now turn its attention to getting on track in La Liga with a home match versus Osasuna on Sunday.

The post Dest Scores First Barça Goal in 0-4 Win Over Dynamo Kiev appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Real Madrid, who needed a big victory in a crucial group stage Champions League clash on Tuesday in order to stay in the hunt for knockout stage qualification, came back to beat Inter Milan dramatically and do just that.

Los Blancos, which had lost their UCL opener at home to Shakhtar Donetsk and then drawn at Borussia Monchengladbach, faced arguably their toughest opponent in Group B and stepped up their game.

Real Madrid got off to a hot start after Karim Benzema scored a breakaway goal in the 25th minute of the match to give his team a 1-0 lead. Just eight minutes later, Sergio Ramos headed in a corner kick to double his team’s lead and put Real Madrid fans at ease.

However, just a minute and a half later, Lautaro Martinez beat Thibault Courtois with a close-range strike to halve Real Madrid’s lead. Things started to look even worse for Los Blancos after Ivan Perisic scored after the half in the 68th minute.

Things weren’t over for Real Madrid, however, who scored again after a beautiful connection between Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes resulted in the game-winning score.

This victory propels Real Madrid to 4 points and a tie with Shakhtar Donetsk in second place in the group. Inter is now bottom with only 2 points.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan will face off again, this time at the San Siro, on November 25th in yet another crucial matchup that Inter Milan must win to keep its knockout round hopes alive.

The post Real Madrid Comes Back to Beat Inter Milan 3-2 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a shock group-stage opener loss to Shakhtar Donetsk at home last week, Real Madrid looked to get back on the right track and move towards a knockout round qualification in a trip to Germany on Tuesday night.

However, despite being the presumptive favorites, Zinedine Zidane’s side left BORUSSIA-PARK with only a point after another disappointing performance.

Real Madrid visited Borussia Monchengladbach in a game that they wanted three points from to make up for their upset loss last week. However, instead of getting off to a good start, Los Blancos went down 2-0 early after Gladbach came out firing.

Marcus Thram scored a pair of goals, one in the 33rd minute and one in the 58th minute after halftime, to put Real Madrid in a hole that signaled big trouble for their Champions League hopes.

Somehow, however, Real Madrid stormed back to tie the match after a Karim Benzema strike in the 87th minute and then a Casemiro rocket as the final minutes of stoppage time expired.

Their late goal-scoring flurry, however, was only enough to secure them one point and leave them in last place in their group.

Zidane’s side will look to win three huge points as they host Inter next week, while Borussia Dortmund will try to keep pace at the top of the group as they travel to Shakhtar Donetsk.

The post Real Madrid Continues to Struggle in 2-2 Draw at Gladbach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Real Madrid opened its 2020-21 Champions League campaign on Wednesday night against Shakhtar Donetsk at home. Despite being heavily favored to win this match, things didn’t quite go as planned for the all-time leaders in UCL triumphs.

Los Blancos went behind 0-3 in the first half against a Shakhtar Donetsk side that was missing a number of first-team players due to positive COVID-19 tests and was unable to complete a comeback in the second half.

The Ukrainians went ahead 0-1 in the 29th minute after a Tete goal, and a Raphael Varane mistake in front of Thibault Courtois’s net led to Shakhtar’s lead being doubled just four minutes later.

A counter-attack by the visitors led to a Solomon goal just before the half, and Real Madrid found itself in big trouble down 0-3 heading into the half.

Real Madrid appeared to have hope early in the second half after Luka Modric scored a long-range wonder goal to cut their deficit to 1-3. Just five minutes later and just after entering as a substitute, Vinicius Jr’s strike cut Shakhtar’s lead to 2-3.

However, despite trying and trying until the final whistle, Real Madrid was unable to score a goal to tie up the match, and they ended as 2-3 losers.

Los Blancos will attempt to get back on track in the Champions League next week against Borussia Monchengladbach, while Shakhtar Donetsk will look to grab a second consecutive upset against Inter Milan.

The post Real Madrid Suffers Shocks UCL Upset vs. Shakhtar Donetsk appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Tuesday night brought the first day full of Champions League group stage matches in the new season, matching up some of Europe’s top teams in a preview of what is sure to be an intense battle to qualify for the competition’s elimination rounds.

One of the night’s most anticipated matchups, a visit by reigning Europa League champions Sevilla to Stamford Bridge, ended in a hard-fought 0-0 draw.

In Sevilla’s first Champions League match in two seasons, they stood their ground against Frank Lampard’s side. They won the possession battle 56% to 44% but were ultimately unable to convert their time with the ball into many chances against Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea also just couldn’t generate many occasions against a stout Sevilla defense. Their best stretch came just after the beginning of the first half when a Kurt Zouma header tested Sevilla keeper Yassine Bono, with shots from Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell following shortly thereafter.

At the end of 90 minutes plus extra time, neither team was able to grab a goal and they both walked away with one point from the match between the two Group E favorites.

Chelsea’s next UCL test will come on October 28th at Krasnodar, while Sevilla will host Rennes.

The post Chelsea, Sevilla Play to 0-0 Deadlock in UCL Opener appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Bayern Munich completed its historic Champions League run on Sunday night at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, beating Paris Saint-Germain by a 1-0 final score to claim its sixth UCL trophy.

In a matchup that seemed to promise plenty of goals and wide-out, attacking soccer, it ended up being a nervy, low-scoring affair that ended with the Bundesliga champions celebrating in ecstasy after 90 minutes of flat-out battle.

The first half saw both teams trade attacks, with PSG arguably having the best chances to score after Kylian Mbappe and Neymar both missed opportunities to put their team up during the first 45 minutes. Bayern Munich keeper Manuel Neuer was too tough to beat, which kept his team in the game.

In the second half, it took only a quarter of an hour for Bayern Munich to break the deadlock after a Joshua Kimmich cross found winger and former PSG player Kingsley Coman at the back post, who headed the ball past Keylor Navas.

Despite going all-out for a goal in the final half-hour of play, PSG’s star-studded attack simply couldn’t break down Bayern Munich’s defense and Neuer.

After 5 minutes of extra time, the final whistle blew, and Bayern Munich raised its sixth Champions League trophy. It was a monumental achievement, as they became the first-ever team to go undefeated in the competition.

Paris Saint-Germain was left to rue its missed opportunity to raise their first European trophy, but will surely compete for more in the years to come.

The post Bayern Munich Outlasts PSG 1-0 to Win 2020 Champions League Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After nearly a year of competition, the 2020 Champions League Final’s participants have finally risen their way to the cream of the crop. This year, two of the top European sides in Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich will do battle on Sunday night in Lisbon to determine the top team in Europe this season.

The winners of Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga will square off in a battle that is sure to go down as one of the best CL finals in recent memory, and there is no clear favorite in most people’s eyes.

The attacking duo of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe has set Europe on fire over the past three seasons, and they will finally have the chance to bring PSG its first Champions League title.

On the other hand, Europe’s top goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski and a solid all-around cast of veterans and young talent alike will look to bring Bayern’s sixth Champions League trophy back to Bavaria, and its first since 2013.

Most sportsbooks and experts have Bayern as a slight favorite to win Sunday night’s final, but is that what we should expect?

In attack, it’s hard to give either team the edge. PSG has frustrated and blown past defenses all season with Neymar and Mbappe healthy, and it would be a mistake to not pay attention to talents like Angel di Maria and Mauro Icardi who have also been huge for the Parisians in their run to the final.

Bayern Munich, though, has Europe’s top goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski, who has found the net 15 times in 9 Champions League matches this year. A deep wealth of other scorers also stands behind him including Serge Gnabry and Philippe Coutinho.

Where things start to look a little more uneven is in the midfield. Bayern holds the edge here, as the world-class combination and depth of players like the brilliant Thiago, the speedy Alphonso Davies, and the always-reliable Leon Goretzka keeps things steady both in attack and on defense.

Defensively, it’s hard to give either team an edge. The back 4 isn’t the strong suit of neither PSG nor Bayern, as they mostly do their best to keep things solid in the back on the rare occasion that other teams slip in.

Another point in Bayern’s favor is the fact that they have arguably the best keeper on Earth in Thomas Muller, who continues to show his brilliance at the age of 34. Even though Keylor Navas should be back in the net after missing the semi-final match for PSG, Bayern has the clear edge at this position.

With all of these things being considered, Bayern Munich is the likely winner of what should be a thrilling game. As for my personal prediction, I’ll take the Germans by a 2-1 final score.

The post 2020 Champions League Final, PSG vs. Bayern Munich: Who Has the Edge? appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The draw for the Champions League Round of 16 matchups was held in Nyon, Switzerland on Monday, setting up a string of fun matchups that will be held in late February and early March.

Choosing winners for most of these matchups is a tough proposition, but let’s try to do so! And let us know if you agree with our predictions!

Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Manchester City

Manchester City has been one of the unluckiest teams in the Champions League in recent memory. Despite being the team of the decade of the 2010s in the Premier League, they still haven’t managed to take home the big prize. Unfortunately for them, we think that a brilliantly inventive Borussia Monchengladbach squad will surprise and eliminate City in this year’s round of 16.

Lazio vs. Bayern Munich

The 2020 Champions League winners face a tough test in Lazio and striker Ciro Immobile in the first knockout round of the competition. Nevertheless, we still think that Bayern continues to be the favorite to win the competition once again, and they should advance without much problem.

Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea

One of the most fascinating Round of 16 matchups pits La Liga favorites Atletico Madrid against Chelsea, a team that has begun to click under Frank Lampard. Atletico looks like a reenergized animal with Joao Felix starring this season, and we believe he’ll be the piece that pushes the Colchoneros past a Chelsea team that will put up a fight.

RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool

Another intriguing matchup in this round features RB Leipzig and Liverpool, a clash of the 2019 CL winners against one of Europe’s upstart teams. Jurgen Klopp’s side hasn’t had the best start to the 2020-21 season thanks in large part to a number of injury problems. Provided they’re relatively healthy, Liverpool should win this one.

Porto vs. Juventus

The biggest mismatch in the Round of 16 might be this matchup between a Porto team that advanced to the knockout round in clumsy fashion, and a Juventus squad which might have the most talented roster on the planet. Cristiano Ronaldo and his Juventus side should advance pretty easily here.

FC Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain

FC Barcelona faces off against ex-Cule Neymar and his PSG squad at the worst possible time with the club in a sporting and financial crisis. Nothing is going right for Barca under Ronald Koeman, and PSG is simply too deadly to not take advantage of their opportunity to take down a giant, especially now that we know that the Brazilian star should be available for the tie.

Sevilla vs. Borussia Dortmund

Reigning Europa League winners Sevilla impressed in the group stage of the competition, but their foes in the Round of 16 are nothing to sneeze at despite a bad run of recent matches. While Borussia Dortmund has the more talented squad, Julen Lopetegui is one of the best coaches in the world and we expect Sevilla to advance here due to their tactical edge.

Atalanta vs. Real Madrid

Real Madrid snuck into the final 16 of the competition after spending most of the knockout round in the bottom two of their group stage. They actually ended up winning their group and will face off against Atalanta, whose high-flying offensive style should present a challenge to Los Blancos. Nonetheless, we expect Real Madrid to get the job done.

The post Picking the Winners of the Champions League Round of 16 Matchups appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The 2021 Champions League draw for the Round of 16 took place on Monday in Nyon, Switzerland, and produced a set of matchups that will provide plenty of intrigue when the competition picks back up in March.

The matchups for the upcoming games are as follows:

• Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Manchester City
• Lazio vs. Bayern Munich
• Atletico Madrid vs. Chelsea
• RB Leipzig vs. Liverpool
• Porto vs. Juventus
• Barcelona vs. Paris Saint-Germain
• Sevilla vs. Borussia Dortmund
• Atalanta vs. Real Madrid

All eight matchups will take place over two ties, with the second-place group stage teams (listed first) hosting the first match, and the first-place teams (listed second) hosting the second and decisive match.

There is plenty of intrigue to be found in the matchups which have been drawn, including a blockbuster matchup pitting FC Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain.

Other fascinating matchups include upstarts RB Leipzig vs. the 2019 champions of Liverpool, Atletico Madrid taking on Chelsea, and last year’s Cinderella in Atalanta facing the best team in the competition’s history, Real Madrid.

The first legs of the matchups are set to be held in mid to late February, while the second legs will be held in early to mid March.

The world’s best competition looks to be set to provide fans with a buffet of matchups that should be fascinating once again.

The post Champions League Draw Features Barcelona Vs. PSG, RB Leipzig Vs. Liverpool appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite going into the final match of the group stage with their hopes for the knockout round still undecided, Real Madrid won a crucial 2-0 game against Borussia Monchengladbach to move to first place and advance to the next stage.

It was a complicated group stage for Los Blancos, who lost twice to Shakhtar Donetsk and had drawn their previous matchup against their German foes despite having beaten Inter Milan twice.

Zinedine Zidane’s squad came through at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium on a chilly Wednesday night in Madrid when it counted the most, however, relying on two Karim Benzema goals to claim their spot in the knockout stage.

Benzema’s first goal happened thanks to a picture-perfect cross from Lucas Vazquez in the 9th minute of the game, which he calmly headed past Yann Sommer.

Madrid’s lead was doubled just over 20 minutes later after Benzema scored a very similar goal, following a Rodrygo Goes cross kick.

This was all Real Madrid needed to win and advance to the knockout stage as they have done every single time they have participated in the Champions League.

Real Madrid, the group winner, will await until Monday’s draw to find out their knockout stage opponent. Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach, who qualified as the group’s second place finisher, will hope to avoid any of the biggest teams in their draw.

The post Real Madrid Beats Monchengladbach 2-0, Advances to UCL Knockout Round appeared first on SportzBonanza.

FC Barcelona continued its winning ways in the group stage of the 2020-21 Champions League on Tuesday night, dispatching Dynamo Kiev on the road by a 0-4 final.

The Blaugrana rebounded from a weekend defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid to continue their perfect run in the group stage.

It was a nervy first half for Barça, as they failed to break through Dynamo Kiev’s defense and they went into the half with a 0-0 draw.

However, star summer-signing Sergino Dest made history by scoring his first goal for FC Barcelona in the 52nd minute, a score that opened up the floodgates.

The American full-back’s goal was followed by two scores by Martin Braithwaite and a stoppage-time goal by Antoine Griezmann which led to a four-goal, comfortable victory.

Interestingly, the match also saw Konrad De La Fuente debut for Bracelona, meaning that two Americans were on the pitch at the same time in a Champions League match for the first time since 2004.

The Miami-born De La Fuente entered in the 83rd minute for Trincao and made his FC Barcelona debut at the ripe age of 19.

Barcelona has already qualified for the knockout round of the Champions League and will now turn its attention to getting on track in La Liga with a home match versus Osasuna on Sunday.

The post Dest Scores First Barça Goal in 0-4 Win Over Dynamo Kiev appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Real Madrid, who needed a big victory in a crucial group stage Champions League clash on Tuesday in order to stay in the hunt for knockout stage qualification, came back to beat Inter Milan dramatically and do just that.

Los Blancos, which had lost their UCL opener at home to Shakhtar Donetsk and then drawn at Borussia Monchengladbach, faced arguably their toughest opponent in Group B and stepped up their game.

Real Madrid got off to a hot start after Karim Benzema scored a breakaway goal in the 25th minute of the match to give his team a 1-0 lead. Just eight minutes later, Sergio Ramos headed in a corner kick to double his team’s lead and put Real Madrid fans at ease.

However, just a minute and a half later, Lautaro Martinez beat Thibault Courtois with a close-range strike to halve Real Madrid’s lead. Things started to look even worse for Los Blancos after Ivan Perisic scored after the half in the 68th minute.

Things weren’t over for Real Madrid, however, who scored again after a beautiful connection between Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo Goes resulted in the game-winning score.

This victory propels Real Madrid to 4 points and a tie with Shakhtar Donetsk in second place in the group. Inter is now bottom with only 2 points.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan will face off again, this time at the San Siro, on November 25th in yet another crucial matchup that Inter Milan must win to keep its knockout round hopes alive.

The post Real Madrid Comes Back to Beat Inter Milan 3-2 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a shock group-stage opener loss to Shakhtar Donetsk at home last week, Real Madrid looked to get back on the right track and move towards a knockout round qualification in a trip to Germany on Tuesday night.

However, despite being the presumptive favorites, Zinedine Zidane’s side left BORUSSIA-PARK with only a point after another disappointing performance.

Real Madrid visited Borussia Monchengladbach in a game that they wanted three points from to make up for their upset loss last week. However, instead of getting off to a good start, Los Blancos went down 2-0 early after Gladbach came out firing.

Marcus Thram scored a pair of goals, one in the 33rd minute and one in the 58th minute after halftime, to put Real Madrid in a hole that signaled big trouble for their Champions League hopes.

Somehow, however, Real Madrid stormed back to tie the match after a Karim Benzema strike in the 87th minute and then a Casemiro rocket as the final minutes of stoppage time expired.

Their late goal-scoring flurry, however, was only enough to secure them one point and leave them in last place in their group.

Zidane’s side will look to win three huge points as they host Inter next week, while Borussia Dortmund will try to keep pace at the top of the group as they travel to Shakhtar Donetsk.

The post Real Madrid Continues to Struggle in 2-2 Draw at Gladbach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Real Madrid opened its 2020-21 Champions League campaign on Wednesday night against Shakhtar Donetsk at home. Despite being heavily favored to win this match, things didn’t quite go as planned for the all-time leaders in UCL triumphs.

Los Blancos went behind 0-3 in the first half against a Shakhtar Donetsk side that was missing a number of first-team players due to positive COVID-19 tests and was unable to complete a comeback in the second half.

The Ukrainians went ahead 0-1 in the 29th minute after a Tete goal, and a Raphael Varane mistake in front of Thibault Courtois’s net led to Shakhtar’s lead being doubled just four minutes later.

A counter-attack by the visitors led to a Solomon goal just before the half, and Real Madrid found itself in big trouble down 0-3 heading into the half.

Real Madrid appeared to have hope early in the second half after Luka Modric scored a long-range wonder goal to cut their deficit to 1-3. Just five minutes later and just after entering as a substitute, Vinicius Jr’s strike cut Shakhtar’s lead to 2-3.

However, despite trying and trying until the final whistle, Real Madrid was unable to score a goal to tie up the match, and they ended as 2-3 losers.

Los Blancos will attempt to get back on track in the Champions League next week against Borussia Monchengladbach, while Shakhtar Donetsk will look to grab a second consecutive upset against Inter Milan.

The post Real Madrid Suffers Shocks UCL Upset vs. Shakhtar Donetsk appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Tuesday night brought the first day full of Champions League group stage matches in the new season, matching up some of Europe’s top teams in a preview of what is sure to be an intense battle to qualify for the competition’s elimination rounds.

One of the night’s most anticipated matchups, a visit by reigning Europa League champions Sevilla to Stamford Bridge, ended in a hard-fought 0-0 draw.

In Sevilla’s first Champions League match in two seasons, they stood their ground against Frank Lampard’s side. They won the possession battle 56% to 44% but were ultimately unable to convert their time with the ball into many chances against Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.

Chelsea also just couldn’t generate many occasions against a stout Sevilla defense. Their best stretch came just after the beginning of the first half when a Kurt Zouma header tested Sevilla keeper Yassine Bono, with shots from Timo Werner and Ben Chilwell following shortly thereafter.

At the end of 90 minutes plus extra time, neither team was able to grab a goal and they both walked away with one point from the match between the two Group E favorites.

Chelsea’s next UCL test will come on October 28th at Krasnodar, while Sevilla will host Rennes.

The post Chelsea, Sevilla Play to 0-0 Deadlock in UCL Opener appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Bayern Munich completed its historic Champions League run on Sunday night at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, beating Paris Saint-Germain by a 1-0 final score to claim its sixth UCL trophy.

In a matchup that seemed to promise plenty of goals and wide-out, attacking soccer, it ended up being a nervy, low-scoring affair that ended with the Bundesliga champions celebrating in ecstasy after 90 minutes of flat-out battle.

The first half saw both teams trade attacks, with PSG arguably having the best chances to score after Kylian Mbappe and Neymar both missed opportunities to put their team up during the first 45 minutes. Bayern Munich keeper Manuel Neuer was too tough to beat, which kept his team in the game.

In the second half, it took only a quarter of an hour for Bayern Munich to break the deadlock after a Joshua Kimmich cross found winger and former PSG player Kingsley Coman at the back post, who headed the ball past Keylor Navas.

Despite going all-out for a goal in the final half-hour of play, PSG’s star-studded attack simply couldn’t break down Bayern Munich’s defense and Neuer.

After 5 minutes of extra time, the final whistle blew, and Bayern Munich raised its sixth Champions League trophy. It was a monumental achievement, as they became the first-ever team to go undefeated in the competition.

Paris Saint-Germain was left to rue its missed opportunity to raise their first European trophy, but will surely compete for more in the years to come.

The post Bayern Munich Outlasts PSG 1-0 to Win 2020 Champions League Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After nearly a year of competition, the 2020 Champions League Final’s participants have finally risen their way to the cream of the crop. This year, two of the top European sides in Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich will do battle on Sunday night in Lisbon to determine the top team in Europe this season.

The winners of Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga will square off in a battle that is sure to go down as one of the best CL finals in recent memory, and there is no clear favorite in most people’s eyes.

The attacking duo of Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe has set Europe on fire over the past three seasons, and they will finally have the chance to bring PSG its first Champions League title.

On the other hand, Europe’s top goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski and a solid all-around cast of veterans and young talent alike will look to bring Bayern’s sixth Champions League trophy back to Bavaria, and its first since 2013.

Most sportsbooks and experts have Bayern as a slight favorite to win Sunday night’s final, but is that what we should expect?

In attack, it’s hard to give either team the edge. PSG has frustrated and blown past defenses all season with Neymar and Mbappe healthy, and it would be a mistake to not pay attention to talents like Angel di Maria and Mauro Icardi who have also been huge for the Parisians in their run to the final.

Bayern Munich, though, has Europe’s top goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski, who has found the net 15 times in 9 Champions League matches this year. A deep wealth of other scorers also stands behind him including Serge Gnabry and Philippe Coutinho.

Where things start to look a little more uneven is in the midfield. Bayern holds the edge here, as the world-class combination and depth of players like the brilliant Thiago, the speedy Alphonso Davies, and the always-reliable Leon Goretzka keeps things steady both in attack and on defense.

Defensively, it’s hard to give either team an edge. The back 4 isn’t the strong suit of neither PSG nor Bayern, as they mostly do their best to keep things solid in the back on the rare occasion that other teams slip in.

Another point in Bayern’s favor is the fact that they have arguably the best keeper on Earth in Thomas Muller, who continues to show his brilliance at the age of 34. Even though Keylor Navas should be back in the net after missing the semi-final match for PSG, Bayern has the clear edge at this position.

With all of these things being considered, Bayern Munich is the likely winner of what should be a thrilling game. As for my personal prediction, I’ll take the Germans by a 2-1 final score.

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