Razeen Gutta
I-AC Milan, i-Atletico Madrid, i-Barcelona kanye ne-Borussia Dortmund, asebedlale imidlalo yamanqamu ye-UEFA Champions League engaphezu kwengama-20, phakathi kwabo kukhona abasengcupheni yokungafinyeleli esigabeni semidlalo ekhipha amaqembu ahluliwe ngalinye kuze kuphele umqhudelwano kule sizini.
Ngemuva komzuliswano wokugcina wemidlalo yamaqoqo yaphakathi nesonto ebhekene namaqembu angama-36 emqhudelwaneni, kuzokhethwa amaqembu okugcina ayi-16 futhi afakwe ohlwini lokuhlungela imizuliswano yemidlalo ekhipha amaqembu ahluliwe ngalinye kuze kuphele umqhudelwano.
Omakadebebona base-Spain i-Barcelona ibhekene nomsebenzi onzima kakhulu ngaphambi kwesonto elikhulu. Njengoba behlulekile ukuthola indawo yesibili ku-Group C, abawine izikhathi ezinhlanu kufanele babhekane nomholi weqembu le-Bayern Munich emdlalweni onzima wasekuhambeni ngoLwesithathu emdlalweni ozoba uwafa wafa.
Iqembu le-La Liga njengamanje lihlezi namaphuzu amabili ngaphambi kwe-Benfica esendaweni yesithathu. Ukuwina e-Allianz Arena kuzobafaka kula maqembu ayi-16, yize bephume isibili kuma-group.
Umqeqeshi omusha ongumakadebona we-Barca uXavi uzokwazi ukuthi uma iqembu lakhe lihlulwa i-Munich bese i-Benfica ihlula i-Dynamo Kiev esendaweni yesine, ngeke bangene emzuliswaneni olandelayo.
Iqembu eliqhudelana ngendlela engavamile lisenkingeni. Ekuqaleni kwesizini, abaningi bebezobikezela ukuthi u-Group B uzongena. I-Liverpool igcine inegunya eligcwele kusukela ekuqaleni ngokuwina kahlanu ezinsukwini ezinhlanu zokuqala zemidlalo.
Lokhu kushiya i-AC Milan, i-Atletico Madrid ne-Porto bonke bengaqinisekile ngokungena emdlalweni wokugcina. I-Porto esendaweni yesibili, kufanele benze ngcono imiphumela ye-Milan uma sebebhekene ne-Liverpool. I-Madrid njengamanje ihlezi phansi etafuleni, kodwa ukunqoba kuzobasiza inqobo nje uma i-Liverpool ingahlulwa i-Milan.
Iqembu lase-Italy lizodlula uma lihlula i-Liverpool e-San Siro kanti omunye umdlalo kumele uphele zibambene.
Iqembu lase-Germany i-Borussia Dortmund lisemjahweni othokozisayo wesicoco ku-Bundesliga. Nokho bahlulekile ukunqoba isicoco se-Champions League.
Ngokungafani namaligi amaningi asezingeni eliphezulu uma kuqhathaniswa nomehluko wamagoli e-Europe, ukubhekana ngeziqu zamehlo yikhona okufunekayo ngemuva kwamaphuzu. Lokhu kusho ukuthi ngenxa yokwehlulwa ku-Sporting CP osukwini lokugcina, i-Dortmund izoqeda umdlalo endaweni yesithathu ibhekene nebhola le-Europa League.
Umzuliswano wokugcina wemidlalo ye-Champions League uzoba ngoLwesibili nangoLwesithathu ebusuku.
Umthombo wesithombe: @TheWashingtonPost