Champions League preview

It's time to get serious folks, as Europe's most prestigious football competition will resume play tomorrow. Let's take a look at the four Champions League fixtures on tap this week.

Tuesday

Bayer Leverkusen v. Barcelona
On paper the defending champions look invincible in this tie, with Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes saying that this is "a classic David versus Goliath game." It should be noted that Barcelona are under pressure with the league title out of grasp with a 10-point margin. The holders know this is the competition they must win.

Prediction: Leverkusen 1, Barcelona 2.

Olympique Lyonnais v. APOEL Nicosia
OL will need a good performance at home against the surprising Cypriots, who enter as group winners. Lyon were dismissed by Caen over the weekend and have a terrible defence. APOEL drew all three away matches and could be poised for a good result.

Prediction: Lyon 1, APOEL 1.

Wednesday

Zenit St. Petersburg v. Benfica
Benfica make the long journey to Russia in fine form, with eight straight Superliga wins to open a five-point margin at home. Midfielder Javi Garcia is out but Nicolás Gaitán and Oscar Cardozo will be available. Zenit are unbeaten in their last 19 home matches, and have been training without a competitive match since their Matchday 6 draw with Porto. This has draw written all over it.

Prediction: Zenit 1, Benfica 1

AC Milan v. Arsenal
The marquee fixture of this week is Arsenal's trip to Italy to face Serie A table-toppers AC Milan. The Gunners have Thierry Henry in uniform one final time before he leaves the continent to waste his time playing for New York Red Bulls in obscurity. Milan usually bow out to English clubs and face a stern examination, with a mouth-watering duel between strikers Robin Van Persie and Zlatan Ibrahimovic ready to set the continent ablaze.

Prediction: AC Milan 1, Arsenal FC 1

Bundesliga Matchday 21 review

Friday night

VfL Wolfsburg v. SC Freiburg
Prediction: 3-1
Actual result: 3-2
The new-look Wolves won one of the most entertaining fixtures of the season, putting relegation well behind them.

Saturday

Werder Bremen v. 1899 Hoffenheim
Prediction: 2-0
Actual result: 1-1
Markus Babbel almost came up with all three points in his Hoffenheim debut before Arnautovic came to the rescue for the home side.

Borussia Dortmund v. Bayer Leverkusen
Prediction: 2-1
Actual result: 1-0
Dortmund continue to rack up the points - will anyone stop them?

Bayern München v. 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Prediction: 3-0
Actual result: 2-0
Bayern have a trip to Freiburg upcoming before crunch matches with Basel and Schalke.

VfB Stuttgart v. Hertha BSC
Prediction: 2-1
Actual result: 5-0
The Skibbe era has ended in Berlin - and not soon enough. Hertha look to bounce back at home next weekend - against Dortmund!

FSV Mainz 05 v. Hannover 96
Prediction: 1-1
Actual result: 1-1
Sobiech rescued a point late for the visitors ahead of their Europa League tie with Belgian side Club Brugge. The 96ers should welcome Ya Konan back from the African Nations Cup.

Mönchengladbach v. FC Schalke 04
Prediction: 1-2
Actual result: 3-0
We could not have been more wrong about this result. The margin was three goals inside of 30 minutes and 'Gladbach are truly contenders.

Sunday
FC Augsburg v. 1. FC Nürnberg
Prediction: 1-0
Actual result: 0-0
There were six bookings and no goals at the SGL Arena in an ill-tempered relegation six-pointer with these sides sharing the spoils.

1. FC Köln v. Hamburger SV
Prediction: 1-1
Actual result: 0-1
Guerrero gives Hamburg all three points and suddenly they could be European contenders.

Bundesliga Matchday 21 predictions

Friday night

VfL Wolfsburg v. SC Freiburg
Prediction: 3-1
Freiburg won the reverse fixture 3-0 but the Wolves look like one of Germany's most-improved teams.

Saturday

Werder Bremen v. 1899 Hoffenheim
Prediction: 2-0
Bremen may be sub-par but they sit fifth in the table ahead of this match-up with Markus Babbel's new club.

Borussia Dortmund v. Bayer Leverkusen
Prediction: 2-1
We'll take Dortmund to edge this match-up with Leverkusen possibly looking ahead to next week's thriller with FC Barcelona. Bayer must replace the suspended Kadlec.

Bayern München v. 1. FC Kaiserslautern
Prediction: 3-0
Nothing of note to see here.

VfB Stuttgart v. Hertha BSC
Prediction: 2-1
These sides crashed out of the German Cup but Stuttgart simply have more quality than woeful Hertha. Stuttgart will use Sakai, profiled here in the past, in place of the Suspended Molinaro.

FSV Mainz 05 v. Hannover 96
Prediction: 1-1
This shapes up as a tight affair and a draw would probably suit both sides.

Mönchengladbach v. FC Schalke 04
Prediction: 1-2
'Gladbach have seen a slight dip in form despite reaching the Cup semi-finals and Schalke will want revenge for being knocked out of that competition.

Sunday
FC Augsburg v. 1. FC Nürnberg
Prediction: 1-0
This presents FCA with an excellent opportunity to drag FCN back into the relegation mix. Expect them to take full advantage.

1. FC Köln v. Hamburger SV
Prediction: 1-1
These sides played a seven-goal thriller the last time they met. Expect a drab affair this time.

Bundesliga Matchday 20 review

Friday night

1. FC Nürnberg v. Borussia Dortmund
Prediction: 0-3
Actual result: 0-2
Credit FCN for a terrific first-half display but Dortmund are simply the class of German football right now.

Saturday

Hertha BSC v. Hannover 96
Prediction: 1-1
Actual result: 0-1
The bad times continue in Berlin, where former boss Lucien Favre will bring 'Gladbach for a DFB Cup match on Wednesday.

Bayer Leverkusen v. VfB Stuttgart
Prediction: 2-1
Actual result: 2-2
Stuttgart ended a four-game slide with a draw and every point counts for a side on the fringes of the relegation race. Both teams finished with 10 men.

FC Schalke 04 v. FSV Mainz 05
Prediction: 2-0
Actual result: 1-1
This is the slip-up that Schalke's rivals have been waiting for as the title trace continues to tighten.

VfL Wolfsburg v. Mönchengladbach
Prediction: 1-2
Actual result: 0-0
Credit the Wolves for enjoying the run of play and a well-deserved point.

1899 Hoffenheim v. FC Augsburg
Prediction: 2-0
Actual result: 2-2
Make that five draws in a row for the Hoff at the Rhein-Neckar.

Hamburger SV v. Bayern München
Prediction: 1-2
Actual result: 1-1
Both sides went out in an all-out attack for the winner after Olic scored against his former side to equalise.

Sunday
SC Freiburg v. Werder Bremen
Prediction: 1-1
Actual result: 2-2
We saw a draw coming but Freiburg were on top throughout the match and may have deserved more.

1. FC Kaiserslautern v. 1. FC Köln
Prediction: 0-0
Actual result: 0-1
Köln never seem to beat 'Lautern but Odise Roshi's maiden Bundesliga goal changed that.

German Cup quarter-final preview

While the world waits for Wednesday's slate featuring a wounded Hertha BSC Berlin hosting Borussia Mönchengladbach as well as the matchups of VfB Stuttgart-FC Bayern Munich and 1899 Hoffenheim-Greuther Fürth, the German Cup has quite a clash set for Tuesday.

It's a classic David v. Goliath showdown between Holstein Kiel and Borussia Dortmund. The underdogs from Kiel are in the fourth tier of German football but understand that they have outscored their last three Cup opponents 7-0.

Dortmund are the champions of Germany, but they will be without influential midfielder Sven Bender, and are already without über-star Mario Götze.

In addition, Dortmund usually crash out of the cup, advancing past the quarter-finals once in the last 23 campaigns.

Kiel may have an emotional edge. Kiel's Fabian Wetter told the Neue Westfaelische Zeitung: "It is not easy for other teams to play at a fourth-division team. The opponents are scared to embarrass themselves, and some also forget that we have some really good footballers within our ranks."

The temperature is expected to be in single digits Fahrenheit. The snowy conditions should help the underdogs and anything is possible when the DfB-Pokal is on the line!

Worst Bundesliga Injury of the Season

When we last were discussing the exploits of Leverkusen's Eren Derdiyok, it was about this wonder goal vs. Wolfsburg.

Well Derdiyok is in the news now for the wrong reason - the dumbest Bundesliga injury of the season. To shatter a toothbrush holder and now have to miss this matchup against a team you may have heard of is one of the dumbest things we have heard.

The only stupider one may have been this preseason injury to Kaiserslautern striker Adam Nemec, but at least he had the sense to let that happen in the pre-season!

Bundesliga Matchday 20 predictions

Friday night

1. FC Nürnberg v. Borussia Dortmund
Prediction: 0-3
There's no reason to believe that a ruthless Dortmund won't rack up the goals against a poor FCN defence.

Saturday

Hertha BSC v. Hannover 96
Prediction: 1-1
Hertha are in crisis mode but Hannover are always in poor form on the road meaning a point should suffice for both sides.

Bayer Leverkusen v. VfB Stuttgart
Prediction: 2-1
Stuttgart have lost four straight and present an ideal opponent for a Leverkusen outfit that is tired of all the distracting Ballack talk.

FC Schalke 04 v. FSV Mainz 05
Prediction: 2-0
Schalke are the title contenders no one seems to believe in, but they can match a club record Saturday with a sixth straight Bundesliga victory.

VfL Wolfsburg v. Mönchengladbach
Prediction: 1-2
There's no reason to start doubting Reus and company now.

1899 Hoffenheim v. FC Augsburg
Prediction: 2-0
Hoffenheim have drawn four straight at the Rhein-Neckar, and that streak should end in favorable fashion.

Hamburger SV v. Bayern München
Prediction: 1-2
Much has been said of Fink's Bayern connections, but the Bavarians have the better squad by a longshot.

Sunday
SC Freiburg v. Werder Bremen
Prediction: 1-1
Bremen seem to be unsettled since the re-start and Freiburg should have enough to muster a point.

1. FC Kaiserslautern v. 1. FC Köln
Prediction: 0-0
A dreadful match will see no winner and no goals.