The Champions League is open for Bayern

Tuesday night – and the majority of Wednesday – saw football fans across Europe split down the middle in the discussion of Nani’s dismissal at Old Trafford in the Champions League.

While the impact of Cuneyt Cakir’s decision on Manchester United was obvious as Madrid took little time to seal their berth into the Champions League quarterfinal, the Turkish referees action has had a major impact on the tournament itself, putting Bayern Munich firmly on top of the remaining pile as the favorites for European glory.

Had Real Madrid dominated United on Tuesday many of us would have been hailing the return of Mourinho, the rise of Real and the brilliance of Los Blancos.  Instead it took an alarming refereeing decision and the masterful Modric to pull the reigning La Liga champions out of the hole they dug themselves into in Manchester. They were hardly convincing until United went a man behind and much like the majority of their La Liga campaign, Madrid just about managed to get the job done.

United are now out while Tuesday's other big winner, Borussia Dortmund, have caused the big red machine that is Bayern very few problems when the two have squared off in Germany this season, although Klopp's side were impressive against Shakhtar and have been throughout their European campaign.

So who else is left?

AC Milan are in the driving seat against Barcelona after their first leg victory in Milan, and even if Tito Villanova’s side are able to turn around the deficit, their current form – that includes three losses and two draws in their last six encounters – wont have sides quaking in their boots as they were a year ago.

Malaga and Porto have impressed this season but neither would be considered to be on the same platform as Munich, while Schalke and Galatasaray could be considered the two weakest sides left in the tournament with Celtic falling under the weight of Juventus.

It is maybe the Old Lady of Italian football who could be considered the most likely to rival the German giant, as Antonio Conte’s squad possess the solidarity in defence, that is almost born into the blood of the Italian game, to ride the waves of the Munich attack while still being able to pack a very organised and intricate punch going forward.

And then there’s PSG, a side that can’t wrap up a league in which it is head and shoulders above any opposition on paper and who rely on one key man to bring them quality and good fortune on the pitch. PSG have the potential to cause an upset but the reality is that you just can’t trust them to get the job done.

Bayern’s time to end their 12 year drought and pick up a fifth European Cup is this season and few, now, would bet against it.

CONCACAF Champions League success big for MLS

This week the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals get underway with three of the eight teams left in the tournament heralding from Major League Soccer.

While MLS had three representatives in this stage of the competition last season – with Toronto and Los Angeles facing off against one another – the 2012-13 CONCACAF campaign has shown this season’s sides to be far stronger in North America’s continental club cup then in years gone by.  This was epitomized by the Houston Dynamo’s late win on Tuesday night against the heavily favored Santos Laguna. 

Laguna, who were the runners up in last years final to Monterrey, were expected by many to grab a vital away win against the Dynamo and hand them their first loss in 32 games on home soil. That proved not to be the case as the two sides exchanged blows in the Texas night before Brad Davis tucked away his 89^th minute effort to give the Dynamo and delightful win. 

Major League Soccer, despite the complaints of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, has grown and improved and now is set to loosen Mexico’s grip on the CONCACAF crown, one it has held onto for the last seven years. The possibility of having three MLS sides in the semifinals is one US soccer fans will relish, and, although there’s a long way to go before we get there, you can forgive fans for believing that this year might just be their year.  Lets just hope it rubs off on the national team in the Hexagonal round of World Cup qualification.

Brand Beckham lands in China

If anyone missed the news last week that David Beckham had become the new ambassador of football in China then you at least know it now because that’s exactly what happened. Beckham, a man who’s never played in the Chinese league, has no hope of representing their national team, and who rarely has ever been seen – to the best of our knowledge – in the country is now a ambassador for the game in the country.

China, of course, is trying to repair the damage done to the sport's reputation in the country after match fixing scandals, of Italian proportions, have rocked fans faith in the game, while the Chinese national side have plummeted down the FIFA world rankings.

Step forward Beckham, donning a super man cape, as the Chinese Football Federation look to use the instant charm and charisma of the Englishman to try and win the hearts and minds of the local fans.  It may well work, but it may also be a poor decision on the part of Becks.  The Daily Telegraph’s Henry Winter warned Beckham of the possibility of being sucked into the promotion of the Qatari World Cup in 2022 by PSG’s Arab owners.  Similar problems could come Becks' way if he’s seen gallivanting around promoting the beautiful game in a country that has received great international criticism for it’s stance on freedom of speech and human rights. 

Just be careful Becks. Be Careful.

And Finally.

While there are a host of entertaining games in this weekend coming, few will have the impact on the league table like Lyon v Marseille on Saturday.  With PSG struggling this season – I think we mentioned that once before – both Lyon and Marseille could mount a late push to the Ligue 1 title, and both will be desperate to not drop vital points against the other. 

Lyon are a thrill to watch at the moment while Marseille are like Forrest Gump’s Momma’s chocolate box - you don’t know what you’re gonna get – and Sunday night in France will surely be a vital match in the outcome of the French league’s title.