Barstool’s Champions League Preview – The “R16 Reckoning (Part 4 of 4)” Edition
Sam’s Soccer Safe Space For Stoolies
Hi haters,
BREAKING: there is an exceedingly thin line between “total genius” and “abject failure”… and your boy Jozay just flew a little too close to the sun. Sad!
Wanna know what’s not sad? Barrrrrrthelona hosting Chelsea all knotted at 1-1.
LESSGOOOOOOOOOOO!
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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Scores from previous R16 games and schedule for today:
Those sneaky Turks decided to kickoff early in the hopes that nobody would realize they got their asses handed to them til after the deed was already done. Well played you wily bastards, well played indeed. That leaves us with….
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Barcelona [-220]
Chelsea [+550]
Draw [+350]
On paper Barcelona should win. On paper Barcelona should almost always win. That’s what happens when you got Messi and Suarez and Iniesta (maybe) and Busquets and Pique and Ter Stegen on your squad. That is one HELL of a spine (Umtiti is a little raw but pretty solid as well). But I said it before when the two teams played last month: Chelsea can play with them. Some people may argue it but for my money the Blues looked like the better team in the first leg, and definitely had more good chances. The big question coming in was whether Conte would come out with a real #10 or stick with Eden Hazard running around up top… he went with the former, and chose Olivier Giroud over Alvaro Morata. Whether it works out remains to be seen obviously, but I do like what it says about Chelsea’s ambition for the game. They need to come out and attack Barcelona. They certainly might lose if they do, but they will definitely lose if they sit back and invite pressure. Barça’s midfield, for as talented and accomplished as they are, is not a bunch of spring chickens. Hazard, Willian, Fabregas and Kante – supported by Moses and Alonso – all have the legs to tire the Catalans out, perhaps with Pedro off the bench, and that absolutely should be the game plan.
Long story short, yes, it’s a bitttttttt of a long shot against Barcelona on the road needing to score – okay a youge long shot – but those odds are miiiiiiiiighty tempting and ya boy Sammy has a lotttttttttt of shots to buy this weekend in order to forget Wisco ain’t even playing… I’m going Chelsea to win 2-1.
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Another big day tomorrow. Kidding, just Europa, though in a strange way Arsenal has become must-watch TV these days given the distinct possibility that their next game could be the game they finally implode bad enough that Arsene finally throws up his hands and says “FUCK IT, I’M OUT” – and everybody cheers. Giving up a 2-0 lead AT HOME might just be the result that could finally slay the unslayable beast. Will it happen? Tune in and find out…
Either way, I’ll be back with on Friday for a look at this weekend’s EPL and FA Cup action, which I will probably keep extra brief because you and me and everybody else is gonna be half-drunk for the next four days anyway… but no better way to start your all-day basketball bonanzas on Saturday and Sunday than with a little early morning soccer action. Get pumped fam!
Holler,
Samuel Army