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"EuroFootball.com" portal presents the thoughts of "Sport1" TV football commentator Aurimas Budraitis on two Champions League matches tonight on the Old Continent - in Spain, "Barcelona" will face "Sevilla," while in England, "Man Utd" and "Tottenham" will test their strength.
"Barcelona" - "Sevilla" TV: Saturday / Sport1 / 23:00
According to Budraitis, the peak of this "Barcelona" team is already in the past - he believes it will be difficult for the Catalans not only to win the match against "Sevilla," but also to defend the positions they have held in recent years.
"This is not the same 'Barcelona' that we saw in the previous season. They are vulnerable," the football commentator said. - Take, for example, the match against 'Valencia.' The Catalans played well in the second half, but until halftime, they had no advantage. If 'Barca' plays at home and practically has no control over the ball, especially in the first half, it is very uncharacteristic for this team. So I believe that 'Sevilla' can take the points. A 3-0 victory for the hosts would surprise me much more than a 1-1 result."
Does this mean an intriguing battle for the top spot awaits? Budraitis insists that Spain will have a new champion.
"I think there will not be a fierce battle for the first place. Maybe Barcelona fans won't like it, but I believe 'Real' will win the title this season with a lead of no less than 5-6 points. Of course, anything can happen, but as of today, 'Real' is stronger - the difference is visible," he said.
"Man Utd" - "Tottenham": TV: Saturday / Viasat Sport Baltic / 19:25
According to Budraitis, in this match, one should expect a victory for the hosts.
"I think the time is approaching when 'Man Utd' will learn to play without Wayne Rooney. When he couldn't play last season, it seemed like the end of the world, and playing seemed impossible. Now we see that there are other players," Budraitis said.
And he continued: "Precisely because they were taught to play without Rooney, we saw a few matches where 'Man Utd' wasted their advantage and played to a draw. Even when Wayne was on the field, internal discord affected the game. Let's remember the match against 'West Bromwich,' when 'Man Utd' let go of a two-goal lead and played 2-2. If the mood had been normal, a team of that level wouldn't have dropped points."
Concluding, the football commentator affirmed: "There might be one accident, two accidents, but there won't be constant ones. I predict a 2-0 victory because 'Man Utd' is simply a stronger team."
London's 'Tottenham' is nurturing ambitious plans this season and aims to compete for top positions in the league table. But according to Budraitis, they still need to grow to reach the level of 'Man Utd.'
"I haven't seen many 'Tottenham' matches this season, but, if we look at the example of other teams, those high-flying teams usually struggle in the next season because the number of tough matches increases," noted the football commentator. - I mean the Champions League. You can start the season well, when everyone is full of energy, but later, as players start to drop out, it becomes very difficult. They are a good team, but they are weaker than 'Man Utd'," he said.
