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The four first leg matches of this season’s 2016 Champions League quarter-finals have all taken place and so on this week’s listening practice report we take a look back at what happened and a look forward to next week’s second leg games. You can listen to the report by clicking on the link above, and you can also read the transcript of the report (below). There are also explanations of key vocabulary (in bold) at the end of the post. Subscribe to our listening reports
Listening Practice: 2016 Champions League Quarter-finals
Barcelona – Atlético Madrid (2-1)
The home side had faced questions about their recent form but they bounced back in the first leg match at home against rivals Atlético. The Madrid side had gone one up in the first half when former Liverpool star Fernando Torres finished off a great move. However, Torres turned from hero to villain later in the half when he was sent off for a second yellow card. Another former Liverpool star, Luis Suarez, then scored a brace for the home side in the second half as they eventually broke down the ten men Atlético. My tip: This will be a huge game in Madrid next week, remember that the home side only need a 1-0 win to make it through and that no team has retained the Champions League/European Cup since Milan in the 1990s so I am going for Atlético to defeat the current holders to make the last four.
VfL Wolfsburg – Real Madrid (2-0)
Undoubtedly the shock of the round so far with no one tipping the German side to defeat Madrid, particularly as Los Blancos had defeated Barcelona the previous weekend. Yes, the German side may have been gifted a soft penalty but they looked more like a team than their Spanish opponents who will be without French striker Benzema for the return leg next Tuesday. Madrid have the players, home advantage and the history to overturn a two-goal deficit but Wolfsburg, with Julian Drexler pulling the strings, will be dangerous on the counter attack. My tip: Madrid to win on the night but Wolfsburg to shock everyone and progress to the semi-finals.
Paris Saint-Germain – Manchester City (2-2)
City will be thankful that they managed to get out of Paris with a draw and two away goals after being outplayed for much of the first leg. PSG missed many chances including a penalty and a clear one-on-one from Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic but City will be heartened by their battling display and the fact that both Yaya Toure and captain Vincent Kompany may return for the second leg. Paris will also be hopeful that they can replicate their recent away form in England having beaten Chelsea 2-1 a month ago. My tip: There will be lots of goals and I think City will scrape through.
Bayern Munich – Benfica (1-0)
Few gave the Portuguese side any chance of making it through to the last four before the game so when Bayern midfielder Vidal scored within the first two minutes it looked all over for Benfica. But they battled bravely, particularly their goalkeeper, and had huge slices of luck as Bayern missed a host of chances and the Portuguese could even have scored one themselves. Home advantage will be a big plus for them next week but surely now that they will have to come out and play in search of a goal will allow the Germans to catch them on the break. My tip: Bayern to win on the night and progress to the semi-final.
Vocabulary
had gone one up: They scored the first goal
hero to villain: First he did something great then something stupid
broke down: Opened up the defence, managed to get through
tipping: Predicting, choosing
Los Blancos: The nickname for Real Madrid
gifted a soft penalty: A soft penalty is one which sometimes would not have been awarded. Gifted suggests that the referee awarded the penalty as a gift or a favour.
the return leg: The second leg (game)
to overturn: To come from behind
deficit: Here how many goals that they are losing by (a two-goal deficit means they are losing by two goals e.g. 2-0 or 3-1).
pulling the strings: Organising the team
one-on-one: When a player only has the keeper to beat
be heartened: Encouraged
replicate: Copy
scrape through: Just about win through
huge slices of luck: A lot of luck
a host of: A lot of
to catch them on the break: To play counter-attacking football
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