Here’s a picture for you to look at before I proclaim something that might be considered groundbreaking. Brace yourselves.

Football/soccer, my ladyfriends, is not all David Beckham. It’s not all Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry or even Wayne Rooney. No, it’s not all hot buff men running up and down the pitch while screaming and flying the team colours. It’s about pride, triumph, loyalty, and having a family within the organization of club fans. (Go rent Hooligans for a good peek at the footie fan life.) And if you’re looking for some solid soccer betting this month, look no further than the Champions League, which is definitely what the title says: a tournament of champions.

Champions League odds say that the hottest ticket of next weekend will be the first leg of the matchup between Manchester United and Arsenal. As a good example of bitter rivalry between football clubs, both teams have their reasons for winning this one — Man U to avenge a loss to Arsenal earlier in the season, and Arsenal to keep pushing forward past matches against Liverpool and Chelsea. Both of those earlier games ought to be a concern for Arsenal, as they could end up with a tired defense facing down the reds. I’d pick Manchester United for this one, no doubt.

Now we’re on to a rematch of 2006 between Barcelona and Chelsea, and you can bet your club scarf that Chelsea won’t want to lose this one again. Unfortunately, they’ve been struggling a lot harder than Barca at the moment, managing to pull forward of Liverpool in a 7-5 aggregate win. They won’t go down without a good fight, but look for Barcelona to gain victory here.

Though sometimes, you really DO just need some Ronaldo.