While last season the NextGen tournament resembled the Champion’s League in the final stages, this year with an English team in each of the quarter-finals (each with the luxury of a home-tie), it’s turning more into the FA Cup.
Quarter-Final Draw
Chelsea 4 Juventus 1 (17.03.13 Griffin Park)
Aston Villa 1 vs Olympiacos 0 (20.03.13 Villa Park)
Tottenham Hotspur 3 vs Sporting Clube de Portugal 5 (20.03.13 Leyton Orient)
Arsenal vs PFC CSKA (25.03.13 Emirates Stadium)
Semi-Final Draw – **Update**
Aston Villa vs Sporting Clube de Portugal – March 29, ko 8pm CET in Lake Como.
With Chelsea already booking their passage through to the semis by despatching Juventus 4-1, like the FA Cup with Wembley, the Nextgen’s semi and final stages will be played at the same venue.
The stadium Como Calcio’s Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia will be hosting both Semi-Finals and the Final across the weekend of Friday 29th March and Monday 1st April. The stadium is on the banks of Lake Como in Italy, a beautiful spot in the world where George Clooney has enjoyed a home for several years now. If Clooney is in town and the young Villans make the final, who knows? There can’t be much happening on the Monday night the final is on in this quiet lake-side destination, so if Clooney does pops along, he might be converted to the Hollywood Villa fan ranks ala Tom Hanks.
Although god knows though what ‘Gorgeous George’ will think if all four English team’s players invade Como at once and turn it into Club Med!
Villa face stiff competition at Villa Park tonight against the miserly defence of Greek NextGen debutants Olympiacos; who have conceded just two goals in their six group games. Luckily though, Villa have just the tonic to deal with them, in the shape of the tournament’s top scorer Michael Drennan.
The game tonight kicks-off at 7pm and is free for season ticket holders and £3 for Adults and £1 for Under-16’s.
Good luck lads from all at MOMS. UTV
(PS – Imagine a photo-shopped picture of George Clooney wearing an Aston Villa scarf somewhere above in the post).
****************UPDATE – Congratulations to the Young Lions who booked their place in Como with a 1-0 win against Olympiacos.****************
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