Soccer: Miller examines Wednesday matches - 7 picks and a parlay
The debate about who is the best footballer on the planet has been raging on for over a decade. There is no question that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are 1 and 1A, in some order. Both have five Ballon d'Or awards, while Ronaldo has the edge (if it can be called that) six to five in runner-up finishes.
Tuesday, Ronaldo was busy scoring a hat-trick to lead Juventus back from the edge of oblivion in a 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid, and the world was fawning all over the player who was signed for this very purpose. Juventus has all the silverware locked up in its domestic competitions; what it does not have lately is a UEFA Champions League title, after two near misses in the last five seasons.
Wednesday, Messi gets his chance to rebut, with Barcelona in a slightly less precarious position as the one that Juventus was in Tuesday. The Blaugrana host Lyon with the tie poised at 0-0, knowing that almost anything but a victory would see the Spanish side exit the competition. This Lyon side is talented, and could cause some problems. But there is no way Barcelona can lose at home, is there?
The other Champions League match Wednesday is set up exactly the same. Liverpool heads to Munich after a 0-0 draw three weeks ago, and it will be Bayern Munich that just has to win the match to advance into Friday’s draw (https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/ 6 a.m.) Liverpool needs a score draw or a win to move through into the quarterfinals, and join three other Premier League sides (Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham.)
There have only been two other years when four teams from the same country made the quarterfinals: 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. Which league sent the four teams?
The Premier League.
Those two years also saw three Premier League sides reach the semifinals (as well as 2006-2007), and the 2008 final was the first all-English final in the history of the competition. Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties to win its third European title.
Can Liverpool continue the dominance of the Premier League in 2018-2019?
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Barcelona (-400) vs. Lyon (+1200), draw ( +550) , 4 p.m. (UniMas and Fubo.tv)
Bayern Munich (+115) vs. Liverpool (+250), draw (+250) , 4 p.m. (TNT and Fubo.tv)
ENGLAND EFL CHAMPIONSHIP
Norwich City (-188) vs. Hull City (+500), draw (+425), 3:45 p.m. (ESPN+)
HOLLAND EREDIVISIE
Ajax (-1400) vs. PEC Zwolle (+2500), draw (+1000) , 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
With Leeds United and Sheffield United both winning their matches yesterday in the EFL Championship, Norwich City fell back into second place, and is now just one point ahead of Sheffield United.
The Canaries can soar back to the top of the league with a win Wednesday over Hull City, which sits in 13th place, but just five points out of the playoff spots. Hull has not been very good on its travels, with just five wins from 18 games.
In Holland, Ajax is a heavy favorite against PEC Zwolle, for good reason. Ajax is unbeaten at home in 12 matches (two draws), and has scored 51 goals while allowing just six, for a goal differential of +45 (PLUS FORTY FIVE!!)
Ajax will want to stay within striking distance of PSV Eindhoven before the two teams play March 31, for what looks like the title decider. Expect the Amsterdam side to roll Wednesday.
The picks:
Ajax -1 first half (+110)
Ajax -2 (-170)
Barcelona first half -1 (+220)
Barcelona -1 game (-162)
Bayern Munich and Liverpool both teams to score, Yes (-143)
Norwich City ML (-188)
Norwich City -1 (+138)
Three team parlay:
Ajax first half -1 (+110), Barcelona ML (-400), and Norwich City ML (-188), pays +302.