VANCOUVER, B.C. - TThe 2016 UEFA Champions League semi-final matches will kickoff this week as Real Madrid visits Manchester City and Atletico Madrid hosts Bayern Munich. The return legs will take place on Tuesday May 3, in Munich and Wednesday May 4, at Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
This years Champions League Final will take place on Saturday, May 28 at the San Siro in Milan, Italy.
Fans from all over the world will be glued to the action as all four contenders have a strong chance of advancing and winning the Champions League. While Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid are likely the favourites among most pundits that's not the case with everyone.
Vancouver Whitecaps players weighed in and made predictions as to who they think will advance to the Champions League Final in Milan and who exactly will hoist the Champions League Trophy next month.
Defender Sam Adekugbe could not be swayed with his prediction as he was raised in Manchester and is a life long Manchester City fan. Caps goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi was a ball boy at the 2001 Champions League Final in Milan, also at the San Siro when Bayern Munich defeated Valencia 5-4 on penalties.
This years bonus question posed to Whitecaps players involves the Manchester City signing current Bayern Munich Manager Pep Guardiola to a three-year contract on February 1, while current gaffer Manuel Pellegrini is still managing the team this season. Should City have done this? Is Pellegrini now a lame duck? Vancouver Whitecaps players clearly had some difficult predictions and questions to ponder.
Goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi
Real Madrid 3 vs Manchester City 2
"I think Real Madrid will go forward. They have Ronaldo that is on fire and they will take care of the game and let Ronaldo do, Ronaldo and win the game."
Atletico Madrid 2 vs Bayern Munich 1
"I would like Atletico to go to the final, because they are such a good team. Also as a soccer player, I would like to see the hard work and commitment of the good players, but maybe not the best, but still good players to have the chance of playing in the final."
FINAL
Real Madrid 2 vs Atletico Madrid 0
"Yeah they have the big guys, great game. I would like to see the white colours through the streets of Milan at the end of the game."
Bonus Question
"I think at the end of the day this news... they did good to say to everyone, because for sure it would have come out. For the future, Manchester City will probably is a good option with Guardiola. I think Pelleigrini would like to push everyone to because he knows these are the last games he has, so he will want to win for sure."
Left-Back Jordan Harvey:
Manchester City 3 vs Real Madrid 2
"I'm going to go Man City, I think defensively they have a really good block and I think they're going to break them down. Aguero is just on fire right now."
Bayern Munich 3 vs Atletico Madrid 2
"That one's a tough one because Atletico works extremely hard defensively and Bayern are just a well-oiled machine. I'm going to go with Bayern because they can do both sides of the ball better."
FINAL
Bayern Munich 2 vs Manchester City 0
"I'm going Bayern Munich, I just don't see them getting beat. I think with the teams left, they match up the best."
Bonus Question
"Who am I to say, if it's a lame duck thing. If Pep Guardiola signed it and Man City offered it, than it's legitimate to me. I'm looking forward to that matchup if they do come across one and other and I think that'll be very interesting."
Centre-Back Tim Parker
Manchester City 2 vs Real Madrid 0
"I'm going to go with the underdog and take Man City. I think a lot of people are going to ride Real Madrid, but I think that I'm going to take Man City in the long run."
Bayern Munich 2 vs Atletico Madrid 0
"I think Atletico's defense will hold up for a while, but I think Bayern in the long run with their possession will wear them down."
FINAL
Bayern Munich 2 vs Manchester City 0
"I think the style they're playing right now is just very hard to beat and just the run they go in Champions League is going to be hard to beat."
Bonus Question
"It's a little weird, but I think that's football where you kind of agree to take a job at the end of the year so I think that's kind of how it happens."
Left-Back Sam Adekugbe
Manchester City 3 vs Real Madrid 1
"I'm a Manchester City fan, if I didn't choose them I wouldn't be a Manchester City fan. I think the last four teams are all the best players in the world. Sergio Aguero's one of them, but you can say Ronaldo is too. As a Manchester City fan, I have to choose Manchester City."
Bayern Munich 3 vs Atletico Madrid 0
"Pep Guardiola's probably the best tactician in the world."
FINAL
Manchester City 1 vs Bayern Munich 1 on PENALTIES
"I'm from Manchester, I grew up on the Manchester City side of town."
Bonus Question
"It clears all the media. I mean the media kind of makes up all the things that's going on in football. I think they just wanted to get it out in the open and let them know what's going on, and what's happening before it gets made to a point where it's worse than it really is. If everything's out in the open, media can't really make stuff up and assume."
Winger Kekuta Manneh
Real Madrid 3 vs Manchester City 2
"They have Ronaldo. At this moment I think they have a better team than City does and now long ago they won the Champions League. They have the momentum going so I think they win again."
Atletico Madrid 2 vs Bayern Munich 1
"I think after they won against Barcelona they have confidence going and they're very difficult to play against and I think the strikers are in form. Torres and Griezmann are scoring goals so I think that will help."
FINAL
Real Madrid 2 vs Atletico Madrid 0
"They've been there, they've done it before. Having Ronaldo, you can never out them out. I just think they have a better team."
Bonus Question
"Yeah, I thought that was weird. Pellegrini's in a tough spot right now. He knows that he's not going to be there next year, but he still wants to win Champions League for Man City. It's a tricky one. Pep Guardiola the same thing with Bayern Munich. I think they should have waited until the end of the season and then announce it."
Winger Kianz Froese
Real Madrid 3 vs Manchester City 0
"They have Ronaldo. I like Real."
Atletico Madrid 2 vs Bayern Munich 1
"I'm going to go with Atletico. I like the way they play as a team."
FINAL
Atletico Madrid 1 vs Real Madrid 0
"They're a good team."
Bonus Question
"I think that's football. It's just part of the game."
Midfielder Nicolas Mezquida
Real Madrid 2 vs Manchester City 1
"I think it's going to be Real Madrid."
Atletico Madrid 1 vs Bayern Munich 0
"I want Atletico Madrid to be champion."
Atletico Madrid 1 vs Real Madrid 0
"I want Atletico Madrid to be champions this year, a different team."
Bonus Question
"Yeah it's going to be difficult for them (Manchester City). Imagine watching this game for Pellegrini and Guardiola. It's going to be a big game for the champion, but weird because both coaches are fighting for one team. That's football so it's going to happen."
|