Hopefully, you haven’t been following along with our UEFA Cup predictions too closely here at WCR. While our Champions League predictions (11-3) and Copa Libertadores predictions (6-1) have been pretty good, the UEFA Cup predictions have been pretty damn poor. Following a 4-12 start to the knockout stages, we came back with our best round with a 6-2 record in the second knockout stage. In the quareterfinals, we went with Germany and France victories instead of Germany and Ukraine and finished 2-2. In the semis, since they were intra-national matchups, we went with the clubs higher in the table. Yeah, that didn’t work out so well, either, as we finished 0-2. That makes us 12-18 in UEFA Cup predictions. So why should you listen to us? You shouldn’t. That won’t stop us from going forward, though. Deal with it.
Our predictions last season were pretty similar in their futility. There are other similarities, as well. Most notably, we have a former-Soviet club against a western European club with some history of success. Last season, it was Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg defeated Rangers for the title, This was, of course, after I had predicted Zenit to lose for the fifth consecutive round.
This season, I have predicted Shakhtar Donetsk to lose four straight times leading up to the finals. Yep, I picked Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow, Marseille and Dinamo Kiev. The runners-up in Ukraine’s Vischaya League will face Werder Bremen, who has struggled all season in the Bundesliga. The second half of Werder’s season has been focused on the UEFA Cup, and quite successfully. We did manage to pick Werder Bremen over St. Etienne and Udinese, though its victories over AC Milan and Hamburg SV came as a surprise.
So what’s going to happen this time? Hell if I know. I know that when I’m on a roll, I should keep it going. Even if it’s a bad roll, you ask? Umm . . . sure, why not.
So will Werder Bremen, without Diego, and suffering a sub-par domestic season, be able to pull off a victory against another eastern European upstart that has cruised through the earlier rounds of the UEFA Cup? I’m saying yes. It’s been several months since Werder has anything else to play for and I believe that it should be focused enough to take advantage of its talent and its payroll.
Prediction: Werder Bremen 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 0.
Enjoy the match.
Our predictions last season were pretty similar in their futility. There are other similarities, as well. Most notably, we have a former-Soviet club against a western European club with some history of success. Last season, it was Russia’s Zenit St. Petersburg defeated Rangers for the title, This was, of course, after I had predicted Zenit to lose for the fifth consecutive round.
This season, I have predicted Shakhtar Donetsk to lose four straight times leading up to the finals. Yep, I picked Tottenham Hotspur, CSKA Moscow, Marseille and Dinamo Kiev. The runners-up in Ukraine’s Vischaya League will face Werder Bremen, who has struggled all season in the Bundesliga. The second half of Werder’s season has been focused on the UEFA Cup, and quite successfully. We did manage to pick Werder Bremen over St. Etienne and Udinese, though its victories over AC Milan and Hamburg SV came as a surprise.
So what’s going to happen this time? Hell if I know. I know that when I’m on a roll, I should keep it going. Even if it’s a bad roll, you ask? Umm . . . sure, why not.
So will Werder Bremen, without Diego, and suffering a sub-par domestic season, be able to pull off a victory against another eastern European upstart that has cruised through the earlier rounds of the UEFA Cup? I’m saying yes. It’s been several months since Werder has anything else to play for and I believe that it should be focused enough to take advantage of its talent and its payroll.
Prediction: Werder Bremen 2 Shakhtar Donetsk 0.
Enjoy the match.
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