UEFA Champions League :: Clubwise list of winners

Real Madrid     9 Times   (1956 - 1960,1966,1998,2000,2002)

A.C Milan    7 Times  ( 1963,1969,1989,1990,1994,2003,2007)

Liverpool    5 Times  ( 1977,1978,1981,1984,2005 )

Ajax Amstardam    4 Times  ( 1971 - 1973, 1995)

Bayern Munich    4 Times  (1974- 1976, 2001)

Manchester United    3 Times  ( 1968, 1999, 2008)

F.C Barcelona    2 Times  ( 1992,2006 )

SL Benfica    2 Times  ( 1961, 1962)

Intern Milan    2 Times  ( 1964, 1965 )

Juventus    2 Times  ( 1985 , 1996 )

Nottingham Forest    2 Times  ( 1979, 1980 )

F.C Porto    2 Times  ( 1987,2004)

Aston Villa    1 Time  ( 1982)

Borussia Dortmund    1 Time  ( 1997)

Celtic    1 Time  ( 1967)

Red Star Belgrade    1 Time  ( 1991)

Feyenoord    1 Time  ( 1970)

Hamburger SV    1 Time  ( 1983)

Olympique Marseille    1 Time  ( 1993)

PSV Eindhoven    1 Time  ( 1988)

Steaua Bucuresti    1 Time  ( 1986)

UEFA Champions League :: Country wise List of Winners

11 Times: England ,Spain ,Italy

6 Times: Netherlands,(West) Germany

4 Times:Portugal

1 Time :France,Romania,Scotland,Yugoslavia

UEFA Champions League : TOP Scores of 2008 - 2009

7 Goals :: Steven Gerrard :: Liverpool

7 Goals ::Miroslav Klose :: Bayern

6 Goals ::Lionel Messi :: Barcelona

6 Goals ::Lisandro :: F.C Porto

5 Goals ::Alessandro Del Piero :: Juventus

5 Goals ::Karim Benzema :: Lyon

4 Goals ::Jadson :: Shakhtar

4 Goals ::Alberto Gilardino :: Fiorentina


Article : Positive impact of AFC Champions League ..Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran


FINAL : Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

27th May : Manchester United   Vs   Barcelona

SEMI FINAL


1. 29th April : Manchester United   1 - 0   Arsenal
MANU: O'Seha 17'

5th May : Arsenal   1 - 3   Manchester United
MANU: --

2. 28th April : Barcelona   0 - 0   Chelsea

2. 6th May : Chelsea   1 - 1   Barcelona

FINAL : Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.

27 May 2009 :: Winners of semi-final 2   VS   Winners of semi-final 1



QR.FINAL


7th April ( 1st Leg ) : Villarreal   1 - 1   Arsenal
VIL :(Da Silva 10') :: ARS :(Adabayor 66')

15th April ( 2nd Leg ) : 1. Arsenal   VS   Villareal

7th April ( 1st Leg ) : Man Utd.   2 - 2   Porto
MAN :(Rooney 16',Tevez 84') :: POR :(Rodriguez 4',Gongalez 89')

15th April ( 2nd Leg ) : 2. F.C Porto   VS   Manchester United

8th April ( 1st Leg ) : 3. Liverpool   1 - 3   Chelsea
LIV: (F.Torres 6' ) ::: CHL:(Ivanovic 39',62', Drogba 67')

14th April ( 2nd Leg ) : 3. Chelsea   4 - 4   Liverpool
CHL:Drogba 51',Alex 57',Lampard 76',89'
LIV:Aurelieo 19', Alonso(p- 28'),Lucas 81',Kuyt 83'

8th April (1st Leg ) : 4. F.C Barcelona   4 - 0   Bayern Munich
FCB: (Messi 9’, Etoo 12’, Messi 38’, Henry 43’)

14th April ( 2nd Leg ) : 4. Bayern Munich   1 - 1   F.C Barcelona
BRN:Ribery 47' ::: BER: Keita 73'

THE LAST 16 TEAMS PERFORMANCES AND RESULTS

Aggr. FC Porto 2 - 2 (Away Goal) Atletico Madrid - Qr Finalist - FC Porto

11 March (2nd Leg) :: FC Porto 0 - 0 Atletico Madrid
24 February (1st Leg) Atletico Madrid 2 - 2 FC Porto
(ATM):Maxi 4', Diego Forlan 45' :: (FCP):Lopez 22',72'

(ATM) :Maxi Rodriguez 3', D.Forlan 45' :: (FCP) : Lisandro 22', 72'

Aggr. Barcelona 6 - 3 Olympique Lyon - Qr Finalist - Barcelona

11 March (2nd Leg) :: Barcelona 5 - 2 Olympique Lyon
(FCB):Henry 25,27 , Messi 40',Eto'o 43',Keita 95' ::( LYO) : Makoun 44',Juninho 48'
24 February (1st Leg) :: Olympique Lyon 1 - 1 Barcelona
(OL):Juninho 7' :: (FCB):T.Henry 67'

Aggr. Liverpool 5 - 0 Real Madrid - Qr Finalist - Liverpool

10 March (2nd Leg) :: Liverpool 4 - 0 Real Madrid
(LIV): Torres 16', Gerrard 28'-P, 47', Dossena 88'
25 February (1st Leg) :: Real Madrid 0 - 1 Liverpool
LIV:Beneyoun 82

Aggr. AS Roma P 1 - 1 P Arsenal - Qr Finalist - AS Roma

11 March (2nd Leg) :: AS Roma 1 - 0 Arsenal
24 February(1st Leg) :: Arsenal 1 - 0 AS Roma
(ARS):Van Parsie - P 37'

Aggr. Manchester United 2 - 0 Inter Milan - Qr Finalist - Manchester United

11 March (2nd Leg) :: Manchester United 2 - 0 Inter Milan
(MU) :Vidic 4', Ronaldo 49'
24 February (1st Leg) :: Inter Milan 0 - 0 Manchester United

Aggr. Chelsea 3 - 2 Juventus - Qr Finalist - Chelsea

25 February (1st Leg) :: Chelsea 1 - 0 Juventus
CHL:Drogba 12')
10 March (2ndt Leg) :: Juventus 2 - 2 Chelsea
(CHL):Essien 16',Drogba 85' ::: ( JUV): Laquinta 19', Del piero 74' - P

Aggr. Villarreal 3 - 2 Panathinaikos Athens - Qr Finalist - Villareal

25 February (1stLeg) :: Villarreal 1 - 1 Panathinaikos Athens
(VLL):Rossi 62' :: (PAN)Karagonous 59'
10 March (2nd Leg) :: Panathinaikos Athens 1 - 2 Villarreal
(PAN): Mantzios 55' :: (VIL) : Ariel 49', Lorente 90'

Aggr. Sporting CP Lisbon 1 - 12 Bayern Munchen - Qr Finalist

25 February (1stLeg) :: Sporting CP Lisbon 0 - 5 Bayern Munchen
(BM):Ribery 42',63',Klose 57',Toni 84',91
10 March (2nd Leg) :: Bayern Munchen 7 - 1 Sporting CP Lisbon
(BM):Podloski 7', 34', Schwiensteiger 43',polga 39'(og),Bommel 74', Klose - 82'-P, Muller 90' :: (SC ) : Mountinho 42'


2nd Leg - Chelsea Vs Barcelona - WAR OF THE WORLDS. ...


06.05.2009 :: SAURAV SUREKA :In what is arguably the most anticipated match of the year, the Spanish league leaders from Catalonia make a trip to the English capital with nothing but goals on their mind. However they know that they would have their task cut out against a side which earned the distinction of being the only team this season to escape unscathed at Camp Nou. As always the off field accusations have once again overshadowed the on field drama in this battle of the two most different footballing clubs on the planet. The relationship between the two teams can be best described as an enmity and not a rivalry. Anyone who had doubts in their minds that this year’s matchup between these two teams would be a little more friendly and respectful due to Mourinho’s absence and the relatively calmer Hiddink’s presence must have been shell shocked by now. No sooner did the 1st leg end than the Barca players came all out to tell the media as to how Chelsea are anti-footballing team. While the purists sympathized with the Catalans, there were others who marveled at Hiddink’s tactical ability and Chelsea’s resilience. Now as the eyes of the whole world move towards Stamford Bridge, the Blues know that they cannot afford to sit back like they did in the 1st leg in front of their own fans. Barca on the other hand would be looking to justify their tags as favorites and nothing less than a hammering would satisfy the needs of their fans.

Guus Hiddink goes into the game with a selection headaches roaming around his head, albeit of a good kind. Ashley Cole is back from suspension and is expected to mark Leo Messi, taking over from Jose Bosingwa who in turn is expected to fight for his place against the Serbian Branislav Ivanovic for the right back slot. However Portuguese duo Ricardo Carvalho and Deco are expected to miss the game due to injuries along with winged wonder Joe Cole who is a long term casualty. Hiddink would also be happy with the fact that all of his players escaped unharmed from the weekend derby with Fulham. In what has become a cliché in the Blue part of London, Didier Drogba will once again be expected to be their main man, as the Ivorian has proved time and again that he is arguably the world’s best big game player.

Pep Guardiola, who had gone into the 1st leg with absolutely know selection issues now has a couple of them at hand. While Mexican Rafael Marquez limped off with a season ending injury, club icon Carles Puyol earned a yellow card which effectively rules him out of this game thus handing Pep a centre back headache to deal with. An injury at the weekend to Thierry Henry has also increased the pressure on the trio of Messi, Eto’o and Iniesta to deliver as the Frenchman was gradually getting back to his best in a Barca jersey. Leo Messi, fondly known as El Mesias will start the game as the best known match winner in the world after he put in another sensational performance against arch rivals Real Madrid at the weekend.

As if a place in the Champions League Final wasn’t a big enough incentive for these two side, the fact that Manchester United are waiting at the other end would only add to the feistiness of the game. After these two were the sides whom Manchester United overcame at the end of last season to be crowned European Champions. Both sets of players would relishing a shot at winning the biggest prize of them all as well as earning revenge against the Red Devils in one go. Once again goals are expected in this game as both forward lines can cause untold destruction on any given day. This is also a game where a few cards are expected out of the referee’s pockets and it would be no surprise if any of these two sides end up handicapped at the end of the night. All in all, its not a football game that awaits the world at the world at Stamford Bridge, it’s a WAR. . .

Chelsea (probable, 4-3-3) : Peter Cech, Boswinga, John Terry, Alex, A. Cole, Frank Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda.
Barcelona (probable, 4-3-3) : Valdes; Alves, Marquez, Pique, Abidal, Xavi, Toure, Iniesta; Messi, Eto'o, Henry.
Referee: T Henning (Norway).

A Storm is Brewing : Barcelona VS Chelsea

27.04.2009 :: Saurav Sureka :In one of the most anticipated matchups of the year, Chelsea and Barcelona renew their rivalry yet again, this time in the semi-final stage of club football’s greatest competition. This matchup pits two of the hottest and most different football teams on the planet at this moment. Over the years, not only has this rivalry proved to be epic in terms of the football played, but also in terms of war of the words. Barca are considered the favorites for this years competition with Chelsea being considered the favourites to upset them. However in footballing terms, these two teams could’nt be any more different.

Barcelona possess enough skill, speed and dexterity to make them the most entertaining side in the world. Their forward line has this rare ability of scoring goals at will. Chelsea on the other hand seems to be custom made to break down this Barcelona team. This Chelsea side possesses strength, endurance and aerial ability i.e. they have all the qualities that this Barca side don’t. This matchup can also be termed as the battle between England’s best defence and Spain’s best attack.

Barcelona go into this game knowing that this is probably their first real test in this year’s competition having brushed aside Lyon and Bayern Munich with ease in earlier rounds. Pep Guardiola, knowing that his forward line is probably the best in the world would want his men to guard against complacency and overconfidence especially against a Chelsea side which has looked hungrier than ever. With a nearly full strength squad at his disposal, Guardiola would be looking for a comprehensive victory at Camp Nou. With 8 goals in the tournament already, Lionel Messi will be arguably the Barca’s most key man, also given the fact that Chelsea would also be missing a proper left back. However the only drawback for this great side would be the fact that they will have to keep one eye on next weekend El Clasico tie against arch rivals Real Madrid.

Chelsea go into this game knowing that their league ambitions are all but over, and that the Champions League along with the FA Cup remain their best bet for a trophy this season. This rejuvenated Chelsea side goes into this game as the underdogs, a tag that has done wonders for them in the preceding couple of ties. However Hiddink will not have a full strength side at his disposal unlike Guardiola. Portuguese internationals Ricardo Carvalho, Deco and Ricardo Quaresma will be unavailable for the game with the former being injured and the two other two ex-Barca players being denied an opportunity to return the Nou Camp with Deco being injured and Quaresma being cup-tied. However, Hiddink’s biggest concern would be the absence of left back Ashley Cole due to suspension. Chelsea’s main man will be the Ivorian Didier Drogba who has amazingly scored in five consecutive Champions League games and had also single handedly bullied the Juve and Liverpool defences.

Chelsea and Barca have squared off against each other 8 times in the past 10 years with victories being 3 a piece to each team. Another eye catching feature of Chelsea-Barca games have been the amount of goals scored with 29 goals being scored in 8 games. Chelsea and Barcelona will also be remembered for being involved in the most controversial and unforgettable two legs in 2004-2005 when the then Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho sparked off a monstrous controversy. The bad blood from that time exists till date and one can surely expect some feisty, no holds barred, all out action on the football pitch. All in all, these two teams share a rivalry that even words fall short of describing.


Head-to-head record:

PlayBarcelona win Chelsea Win Draw Barcelona Goals Chelsea Goals
11 5 times 4 times 2 times 22 Goals 16 Goals

DETAILS OF CLASH BETWEEN TWO GIANTS

27.04.1966   : Fairs Cup ( SF)   : Chelsea   2 - 0   Barcelona

11.05.1966   :Fairs Cup ( SF)   : Barcelona   2 - 0   Chelsea

25.05.1966   :Fairs Cup ( SF)   : Barcelona   5 - 0   Chelsea

05.04.2000   :Champions League ( QF)   : Chelsea   3 - 0   Barcelona

18.04.2000   :Champions League ( QF)   : Barcelona  5 - 1   Chelsea

23.02.2005   :Champions League ( PRE QF)   : Barcelona  2 - 1   Chelsea

08.03.2005   :Champions League ( PRE QF)   :Chelsea  4 - 2   Barcelona

22.02.2006   :Champions League ( PRE QF)   : Chelsea  1 - 2   Barcelona

07.03.2006   :Champions League ( PRE QF)   : Barcelona  1 - 1   Chelsea

18.10.2006   :Champions League ( Gr. League)   : Chelsea  1 - 0   Barcelona

31.10.2006   :Champions League ( Gr. League)   : Barcelona   2 - 2   Chelsea



Most appearances

Barcelona : Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Victor Valdes, Xavi ( All 9 Times)

Chelsea : Nicolas Anelka, Petr Cech ( All 10 Times)

Leading scorers

Barcelona : Lionel Messi 8, Thierry Henry 5 , Samuel Eto'o 3, Bojan 3

Chelsea : Didier Drogba 5, Frank Lampard 3

Probable Chelsea Team : Cech,Ivanovic, Alex, Terry , Bosingwa, Essien, Ballack, Kalou, Lampard, Malouda Drogba

Probable Barcelona Team : Victor Valdes ,Dani Alves, Puyol , Pique, Abidal, Xavi, Keita, Iniesta, Messi, Eto’o, Henry

RETURN OF THE REDS. . .

13.04.2009 : SAURAV SUREKA : Chelsea will welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge with one foot surely in the semis thanks to their stunning display at Anfield. It was a rare European night when Chelsea arguably provided the shock of the round when they outplayed, outsmarted and outclassed the Reds on their own turf. The Serbian Ivanovic grabbed the limelight by heading his way into the hearts of all Chelsea fans with two unstoppable headers past the hapless Reina. Benitez's men in all probability would have wanted the earth to open up and swallow them in when the man for big games, Didier Drogba killed off the game and also probably the tie itself with Chelsea's 3rd. Benitez surely realized that he may have plotted the downfall of great men like Capello,Mourinho, Ancelloti, Rijkaard, Mancini, Wenger at Anfield in previous years, but in Hiddink he finally met his match, someone gave him a taste of old school reminding the world that when he won the European Cup, Rafa was just a beginner. Whatever Rafa did, Hiddink did better. However as both the teams head into the second leg of this matchup, it will be Liverpool who will be doing all the chasing knowing they have to score atleast 3 goals against the Premiership’s best defence, while Chelsea do everything to guard against complacency.

Chelsea head into the game full of optimism knowing that the place in the semis is barely 90 minutes away. After a breathtaking display at Anfield, the Chelsea players will be looking to repeat their heroics at the Bridge where they haven’t lost a European game in over 3 years. Hiddink certainly knows that the tie is theirs to lose. Chelsea will once again look towards their big names to put them through to their 4th semis in 6 years. However in the only downside from the previous leg, charismatic skipper John Terry will miss this game through suspension, courtesy of a yellow card from the game at Anfield. Jose Bosingwa and Joe Cole will be out injured while Ricardo Quaresma will be cup tied. However the Blues will be boosted by the return of another top player in Ricardo Carvalho, who managed the full 90 minutes in their victory at the weekend. The key men for Hiddink will be Michael Essien, who marked dangerman Steven Gerrard out of the first leg and Didier Drogba, the Ivorian who has built up a reputation of coming good on European nights.

Liverpool head into this game on the backfoot knowing that they will have to go on the offensive from the word go. However they are known as the “Comeback Kings“ and Benitez will make sure that his team does everything to justify this tag. Liverpool and miracles often go together in the same sentence as the players will try to evoke memories of Istanbul 2005 when they managed 3 goals in 6 minutes against Milan. Benitez also shrugged any claims of the Champions League not being a priority by resting skipper Steven Gerrard at the weekend, just to get him fit for this game. Liverpool will nearly have a full strength squad at their disposal with Argentine skipper Javier Mascherano returning from a suspension in place of the rather wasteful Lucas, who came under heavy criticism for his performance in the first leg. Benitez’s key men will arguably be Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres. Mascherano work would be to make sure that Liverpool’s midfield do not succumb to the power of the Chelsea midfield, while Torres will be counted upon for doing what he does best – score goals.

The game is expected to be open considering last week’s humdinger. Liverpool will do everything in their power to take full advantage of John Terry’s absence while Chelsea will be expected to just kill the tie off. All in all, the game will be decisive, not only for the Champions League, but also for the Premier League. However, one thing is for certain-this tie is still far for over…

Probable Team:
Chelsea : 1-Petr Cech; 2-Branislav Ivanovic, 33-Alex, 6-Ricardo Carvalho, 3-Ashley Cole, 13-Michael Ballack, 5-Michael Essien, 8-Frank Lampard, 21-Salomon Kalou, 11-Didier Drogba, 15-Florent Malouda.

Liverpool: 25-Pepe Reina; 17-Alvaro Arbeloa,37-Martin Skrtel,23-Jamie Carragher,12-Fabio Aurelio,14-Xabi Alonso, 20-Javier Mascherano,18-Dirk Kuyt,8-Steven Gerrard, 11-Albert Riera; 9-Fernando Torres.

Some Past Head to Head Between two Teams


Champions League QF   ::   2009-04-08   ::   Liverpool - Chelsea   ::  1-3

Premier League   ::   2009-02-01   ::  Liverpool - Chelsea   ::   2-0

Premier League   ::   2008-10-26   ::  Chelsea - Liverpool   ::   0-1

Champions League SF   ::   2008-04-30   ::  Chelsea - Liverpool   ::   3-2

Champions League SF   ::  2008-04-22   ::  Liverpool - Chelsea   ::  1-1

Premier League   ::   2008-02-10   ::   Chelsea - Liverpool   ::  0-0

Premier League   ::   2007-08-19   ::   Liverpool - Chelsea   ::   1-1

Champions League SF   ::  2007-05-01   ::   Liverpool - Chelsea   ::  1-0

Champions League SF   ::   2007-04-25   ::  Chelsea - Liverpool  ::  1-0

Premier League   ::   2007-01-20   ::  Liverpool- Chelsea   ::  2-0

Premier League   ::   2006-09-17   ::  Chelsea - Liverpool   ::   1-0

Premier League   ::   2006-02-05   ::  Chelsea - Liverpool   ::   2-0

Champions League Gr.  ::  2005-12-06   ::   Chelsea - Liverpool   ::  0-0

Premier League   ::  2005-10-02   ::  Liverpool - Chelsea   ::   1-4

Champions League Gr.   ::  2005-09-28   ::  Liverpool- Chelsea  ::  0-0

Premier League   ::   2005-01-01   ::  Liverpool- Chelsea   ::   0-1

Premier League   ::  2004-10-03   ::  Chelsea - Liverpool   ::  1-0

Premier League   ::  2004-01-07   ::  Chelsea - Liverpool   ::  0-1

Premier League   ::   2003-08-17   ::  Liverpool- Chelsea   ::  1-2

Premier League   ::  2003-05-11   ::  Chelsea- Liverpool   ::  2-1

Premier League   ::  2002-10-06   ::  Liverpool- Chelsea   ::  1-0

Premier League   ::  2002-03-26   ::  Liverpool- Chelsea   ::  1-0

Premier League   ::  2001-12-16   ::  Chelsea- Liverpool   ::  4-0

Home team : Chelsea : Five last matches :

8/4   ::  Liverpool (A)   ::   3 - 1

10/3   ::  Juventus (A)   ::   2 - 2

25/2   ::  Juventus (H)   ::   1 - 0

9/12   ::  CFR Cluj (H)   ::   2 - 1

26/11  ::  Bordeaux (A)   ::   1 - 1

Current streaks : Undefeated : 5 matches

Away team :Liverpool :: Five last matches:

8/4   ::   Chelsea (H)  ::   1 - 3

10/3   ::   Real Madrid (H)  ::   4 - 0

25/2   ::   Real Madrid (A)  ::   1 - 0

9/12   ::   PSV Eindhoven (A)  ::   3 - 1

26/11  ::   Marseille (H)  ::   1 - 0

BAYERN LOOK TO DEFEND PRIDE AT HOME.



13.04.2009 : Rahul Sengupta :Fresh from their 4-0 drubbing at NouCamp at the hands of Barcelona, Bayern Munich’ German Coach made it clear that all that Bayern Munich has to left to play for is pride. Bayern Munich had pulled of a stunning 4-0 win against Frankfurt this weekend to silence the critics.

Barcelona on the other hand are confident of making it to the next stage of the competition and the refuse to believe that they will have a 4-0 advantage when they face resurgent Bayern at their den named Allianz Arena. For this very reason Barca coach had rested Etoo and Xavi from their Spanish league tie this weekend.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola will however have to watch the match from the stands today after UEFA rejected his clain to call off his suspension after he was found misbehaving with English referee Howard Webb over a Penalty decision.

Barcelona however will be missing defender Marquez who had picked up a yellow card in the previous leg of the encounter. Meanwhile Bayern back four have a tough job at their hands after their inexperience at top level football was heavly exposed by the likes of Messi and Samuel etoo.


Probable Team
Bayern Munich: 22-Hans Joerg Butt; 23-Massimo Oddo, 6-Martin Demichelis, 3-Lucio, 21-Philipp Lahm; 8-Hamit Altintop,31-Bastian Schweinsteiger, 17-Mark van Bommel, 15-Ze Roberto, 7-Franck Ribery; 9-Luca Toni.

Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 20-Daniel Alves, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 16-Silvinho; 6-Xavi, 24-Yaya Toure,8-Andres Iniesta; 10-Lionel Messi, 9-Samuel Eto'o, 14-Thierry Henry.


Home team : Bayern Munich :: Five last matches :

8/4   ::   Barcelona (A)   ::   0 - 4

10/3   ::   Sporting (H)   ::   7 - 1

25/2   ::   Sporting (A)   ::   5 - 0

10/12   ::   Lyon (A)   ::   3 - 2

25/11   ::   Steaua (H)   ::   3 - 0

Away team : Barcelona :: Five last matches:

8/4   ::   Bayern Munchen (H)   ::   4 - 0

11/3   ::   Lyon (H)   ::   5 - 2

24/2   ::   Lyon (A)   ::   1 - 1

9/12   ::   Shakhtar (H)   ::   2 - 3

26/11  ::   Sporting (A)   ::   5 - 2



Current streaks : Undefeated: 3 matches

Wins : 2 matches

Previous matches :

Champions League QF   ::   2009-04-08   ::  Barcelona - Bayern München   ::  4-0


BAYERN AND BARCA READY TO LOCK HORNS.

7.04.2009 : Rahul Sengupta :: 8th April 2009 Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona shall witness the clash of two former champions of the UEFA Champions League. With both the teams coached by two famous footballers of the past the event is now becoming more interesting.

Barcelona being the home side will be looking to utilize the advantage and thus coach Pep Guardiola has instructed his boys to attack from the very first minute. Barcelona though has the record of conceding the maximum number of goals in the tournament so far as compared to the other teams in the quarterfinals of the tournament. Barcelona will be missing their center back Gabriel Millito. Pep Guardiola will be infact feel boosted by the fact that Alexander Hleb and Yaya Toure have fully recovered from their injuries thus making themselves available for the team selection on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich on the other hand has its own problems. Fresh from the 5-1 shocking defeat in the hand of Bundesliga club Wolsburg, Coach Jurgen Klisman will be missing his key striker Miroslav Klose and Brazilian Defender Lucio. Jurgen Klisman also told the mediamen that he still remembers his playing career and disclosed that it is very difficult to play in the Nou Camp at such an important stage of the tournament. Bayern Munich team will be boosted by the presence of Hamit Altintop and Van Buyten.

With both the teams keeping up to the momentum of thematch we expect a very close encounter with Bayern Munich being favorites for putting your bet on.



THE CURSE OF THE DRAW :Liverpool vs Chelsea

7.04.2009 : Saurav Sureka :: It is said that lightning never strikes twice. However in the case of this matchup, not only has it struck twice, but an unbelievable 5 times. Defying all odds Liverpool and Chelsea were once again drawn together in the Champions League for the 5th year running. This matchup not only pits two English powerhouses, but it also pits two of the most consistent teams in the competition in recent years, together again. In one corner we have Liverpool, who in the past 4 years have shaped as a semifinalist, finalist and winner. In the other corner we have Chelsea, the perennial Champions League underachievers who in the last 5 years have racked up 3 semifinals and a final, with a trophy eluding them last season thanks to a missed penalty. Its seems now that both teams are destined to slog it out forever in the most elite club football competition.

Liverpool undoubtedly start this match as hot favourites thanks to the Champions League being their manager, Rafael Benitez's forte. The key men for him will undoubtedly be Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard along with the KOP who have made Anfield the most intimidating stadium in recent memory. Another encouraging fact for the Kop would be that Liverpool have turned it on this season in the big games having done the double over Chelsea and Man. United and handing Real Madrid the walloping of their lives.

Chelsea rarely start their games as underdogs but in this case they do. Having experienced something of a renaissance under Dutchman Guus Hiddink, Chelsea have still somewhat failed to win their matches convincingly having barely scraped through against Juventus in the previous round. However the wounds of Liverpool being the 1st to do the double over them in 4 years earlier in the season might not have healed as of yet. The Blues go into the game knowing the League is something of a lost cause for them and realizing the Champions League is the only trophy missing from their cabinet. Guus' main men will unarguably be Didier Drogba and Michael Essien, both of them having being reborn under the Dutchman.

As ever the game is expected to be really tight with a closely contested midfield battle in the centre of the park. Barring last year's 2nd leg, the preceding 9 games have yielded a meagre 5 goals. Liverpool will start as strong favourites having the whole of Anfield behind their back. And Chelsea will know that if they are to emerge victorious over the 2 legs, they will have to get something from Anfield, whether it be a victory, an away goal or even a clean sheet. However going by previous years , the deciding factor will probably be luck. Whether it be Luis Garcia's ghost goal in 04-05, the lottery of the shootout in 06-07 or Riise's own goal last year, it has always been luck that h as proved to be the decisive factor in the meeting between these two English giants in a battle for supremacy.


Injured and suspended players :: Liverpool - Hyypia, Mascherano
Injured and suspended players :: Chelsea - Joe Cole

Probable line-ups of Two Teams

Liverpool - Reina - Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio - Alonso, Lucas - Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera - Torres

Chelsea - Cech - A. Cole, Terry, Alex, Bosingwa - Mikel - Essien, Lampard, Ballack - Drogba, Anelka

Preview :Man U - F.C Porto and Arsenal - Villarreal

06.04.2009 : Abhishek Bhattacharyya: UEFA Champions League strikes back this week with Quarter final clashes.Wednesday’s action will pitt Villarreal against Arsenal and Man Utd against FC Porto.

Villarreal ousted the Greek heavyweights Panathinaikos to reach the last eight.The first leg ended at 1-1 but Manuel Pellegrini’s Yellow Submarine did their job in the second phase courtesy Ariel Ibagaza and Llorente’powerful strike.Their counterparts Arsenal dashed Roma’s hopes of playing the finale in their own den as the English team won via penalties 7-6.

Villarreal will be playing the first leg in Estadio El Madrigal and Arsenal needs to play a cautious game in order to survive in this elite competition.Arsene Wenger’s side didn’t had the best of the season.Arsenal will be without striker Robin van Persie with a groin injury.Van Persie missed Saturday's 2-0 home win over Manchester City and was ruled out of the game by manager Arsene Wenger, the club's website reported on Monday.

Eduardo Da Silva is also out of the squad due to his groin strain,yet the Gunners will be a strong force upfront with the likes of the Adebayor,midfielder Andrei Arshavin,Cesc Fabregas and not to forget Theo Walcott.In the back the quick legs of Gael Clichy and his over-lapping runs will cause a lot of problems for the Yellow Submarines.

Samir Nasri will play a pivotal role in the midfield and lastly William Gallas and Kolo Toure have to play the role of shock absorbers as Villareal’s Turkish tornado Nihat poses a big threat to Arsenal’s defence.Guiseppe Rossi will be looking forward to give the home fans some magical finishes.Marcos Senna and Joan Capdevilla must provide their magic so that the home team can have an upperhand in the first-leg but the Spanish club will be missing the services of Santi Cazorla.

Probable Line up of Two Teams :
Villarreal : 13-Diego Lopez; 18-Angel Lopez, 4-Diego Godin, 2-Gonzalo Rodriguez, 5-Joan Capdevila; 10-Cani, 19-Marcos Senna, 6-Sebastian Eguren, 7-Robert Pires; 15-Nihat Kahveci, 22-Giuseppe Rossi

Arsenal : 1-Manuel Almunia; 3-Bacary Sagna, 5-Kolo Toure, 10-William Gallas, 22-Gael Clichy; 27-Emmanuel Eboue, 17-Alex Song, 15-Denilson, 4-Cesc Fabregas , 14-Theo Walcott, 25-Emmanuel Adebayor.

Wednesday’s second match will see Holders Manchester United taking on former Champions Porto.Porto advanced into the last 8 courtesy a better goal difference than their opponents Atletico Madrid.But the last 8 draw seems to be pretty tough for them as Manchester United is the hot favourite and only few will bet against Alex’s Babes.

With a brilliant win in their Premiership clash against Aston Villa yesterday their confidence is soaring high and Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney will be like two demolisher in “The Theatre of Dreams” this Wednesday.The only man who can be Porto’s messiah is striker Lisandro Lopez. Federico Macheda, will keep his place in Manchester United's squad for their Champions League quarter-final against FC Porto tomorrow.The 17-year-old scored in the dying minutes against Aston Villa on his debut will get his name in the sub bench or not. Alex Ferguson does not intend to dump the Italian even though he has three senior players returning.Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Nemanja Vidic are all back from suspension, although Rio Ferdinand is unlikely to figure as he is still troubled by a groin injury.Well,only time can answer that question.

Probable Line up of Two Teams :
Manchester United : 1-Edwin van der Sar; 22-John O'Shea, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 15-Nemanja Vidic, 3-Patrice Evra; 7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 16-Michael Carrick, 18-Paul Scholes, 11-Ryan Giggs; 32-Carlos Tevez, 10-Wayne Rooney

F.C Porto : 1-Helton; 2-Bruno Alves, 14-Rolando, 21-Sapunaru, 28-Cissokho; 8-Lucho, 16-Raul Meireles, 25-Fernando; 9-Lisandro Lopez, 10-Cristian Rodriguez, 12-Hulk.

Another Exciting Season in the Champions League

Author: Adam Singleton

As the 2008-2009 Champions League Tournament begins winding its way to completion, sports fans are tuning in to watch big names battle it out for the Europeans Cup.

Thought of as the most prestigious club trophy in football, millions of viewers tune in each year to watch this exciting competition take place. With the championship final set to play out in the spring, the quarter- finals are sure to draw in big numbers.

The 2009 tournament is the 54th annual edition of the event throughout Europe. The final is set to be played in Rome in May, and will be the eighth time it is held in Italy.

The tournament itself consists of several stages which take many months for teams to rotate through. Throughout the years, the title has been won by 21 different clubs, and 12 of those have won the award more than once.

In 2008 Manchester United won the title. Historically, Real Madrid has won the competition the most, with nine championships under their belt. Prize money is even delegated to those teams that make it to the final stages, with the winners taking home a jackpot of 7 million euros, whilst the runners-up pocket 4 million euros. From there, the award money decreases depending on rank and how teams end the tournament.

Matches during the Champions League are broadcast outside of Europe, with avid fans watching from more than 70 countries around the world in more than 40 languages. Upwards of 200 million people tune in each year, and the competition is often considered to be one of the most-watched sporting events to air on television.

In 2009, exciting matches between the big teams garnered huge crowds watching the game live and at home. Liverpool FC soared to beat Real Madrid 4-0, placing them in the quarter-finals. Arsenal beat Rome to continue on to the quarterfinals after a nail-biting final, which only saw them win after a penalty shoot-out.

Barcelona beat Lyon to head to the quarter-finals, after scoring four goals during the first 45 minutes of the match. Other teams to continue out of the first knockout round include Porto, Chelsea, Villarreal and Bayern Munich.

Those in the UK can watch the matches on an unprecedented screen and in great quality when choosing HD. High definition television is changing the way we watch our favourite programmes, and sports fans especially are embracing the crisp picture and added benefits of HD.

No matter what team you're going for, if you are watching the Champions League on Sky+ HD then it's possible to receive high picture quality. Of course, you may not be capturing the action in all its live glory in the stadiums, but it's possibly the next best thing.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/soccer -articles/another-exciting-season-in-the-champions-league-845420.html

About the Author:

Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.

Bayern demolishes Sporting as the English team also ousted their counterparts

26.02.2009 :Abhishek Bhattacharyya : Wednesday night saw the other four teams locking horns against each other in UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2008-09. Bundesliga Champion Bayern Munich destroyed Sporting Lisbon's hopes of qualifying to the next phase by scoring 5 goals in Estadio Jose Alvalade.Franck Ribery & Luca Toni dominated the score sheet with 2 goals each.Miroslav Klose completed the list with a goal in 57th minute of the match.Ribery broke the deadlock for Juergen Klinsmann's side in 42nd minute and since then they completely outpaced the Portuguese club.

Santiago Bernabeu saw host Real Madrid suffering a loss to Rafa Benitez's Liverpool courtesy a late goal scored by Yossi Benayoun in the 82nd minute of the game.Steven Gerrard's absence in the Liverpool starting line-up did helped Real to start-off well.Casillas had a torrid time saving from Fernando Torres & Co. Arjen Robben did had few chances of scoring but failed to convert those chances. In the end Liverpool had the last laugh as Benayoun guided them home with a win.

In the other match between Villareal and Panathinaikos ended in 1-1 draw.Henk Ten Cate's side scored in the 59th minute of the match with Karagounis finding the net for the Greek Side.But Villareal srikes with the classy Guisppe Rossi within 3 minutes.

The final match of the night encountered the mighty Chelsea now guided by Guus Hiddink.They defeated Claudio Ranieri's Juventus courtesy a solitary goal scored by Didier Drogba in the 12th minute.

VAN PERSIE STRIKES AS ARSENAL WIN AT HOME

25.02.2009 : ARUNAVA BAG :On 24th February the Round of 16 league tie in the UEFA Champions League took place between Arsenal and Roma FC

. The Gunners who were playing at home will be holding an advantage of one nil lead till the second leg of the round of 16. The only goal was scored by Van Persie.

The Arsenal forward scored the in the 37th minute from a spot kick. The Dutch man went to the ground after the challenge from Roma defender Philippe Mexes. Van Persie placed the ball at the left hand corner of the goal.

The Italian club paid prices of missing of the golden opportunities to score goals and have wait for the second leg in their home ground.

Arsenal FC :1 Manuel Almunia, 2 Abou Diaby (Alexander Song), 3 Bacary Sagna, 5 Kolo Touré, 8 Samir Nasri, 10 William Gallas, 11 Robin van Persie, 15 Denilson, 22 Gael Clichy, 26 Nicklas Bendtner (Carlos Vela), 27 Emmanuel Eboué(Aaron Ramsey),

AS Roma 1 Doni 5 Philippe Mexès, 10 Francesco Totti, 11 Rodrigo Taddei, 13 Marco Motta, 15 Simone Loria, 16 Daniele De Rossi, 17 John Arne Riise, 19 Júlio Baptista, 20 Simone Perrotta, 33 Matteo Brighi,

UEFA Champions League 2008-09 :: REUNION OF OLD FOES!

24.02.2009 : ARUNAVA BAG: The old rivalry has again begun. Yes, the last 16 league tie between Manchester United and Inter Milan. The rivalry on field is common and pretty old between United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Inter’s manger Jose Mourinho. Sir Alex and Mourinho know each other pretty well since Mourinho was the manager of Chelsea FC. Tonight the rivalry is again going to take place in Italy at the San Siro Stadium.

The records of both the managers have been wonderful through out this season. Inter Milan is at the top of the league table of Serie A, whereas Manchester United, the defending champions of both the UEFA Champions League and BPL had rusty start but managed to regain there position at the top of the table.

KEY PLAYERS :: Manchester United (England)

Cristiano Ronaldo - The Portuguese winger can be pretty dangerous for the Italian Club, Inter Milan. His dashy speed, skill proved to be dangerous for other clubs till now in the UEFA Champions League. He is also capable of utilizing dead ball situation like he did in his last Premier League match against Blackburn Rovers where he scored a wonderful goal from a free kick. Having scored already 12 goals in the premier league the FIFA World Player of the Year will be trying to score as many goals as possible in the UEFA Champions League.

Dimitar Berbatov - The Bulgarian forward is amongst the top scorers in the Champions League. He has already scored 4 goals in 8 matches his confidence is pretty high. His goals are just by wonderful touches and accuracy. The United forward will be looking for gaining the first position of top scorers in the Champions League.

Rio Ferdinand - Rio Ferdinand is one of the best defenders in the world. He is playing in the club for quiet long years. His experience will be a factor for Manchester for winning the matches. He comes forward during corners and also sometimes scores goals.

Edwin Van der Sar – The goalkeeper of Netherlands is also a key player for Manchester United. He had three consecutive clean sheets in the last three Champions League matches and has conceded only 3 goals.

KEY PLAYERS :: Inter Milan (Italy)

Zlatan Ibrahimovic – The super Swede has already scored 12 goals in Serie A and 1 goal in Champions League he will certainly looking to increase the number of goals he scored in the Champions League. Mourinho has already declared that he is the best player in the world and should have beaten Cristiano Ronaldo and should have received FIFA player of the year award.

Javier Zanneti – The Inter captain when asked that whether he was scared or not said that there’s nothing to be scared about. The Argentine is confident this time.

Christian Chivu: The central defender has been a vetran of winning crucial matches while donning the AS Roma jersey. His performance will be crucial enough to see whether he excels enough to withstand the constant attacks of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov.

NOTE: The match will be kicked off at 12:30 am (IST) Wednesday at the stadium of San Siro.

UEFA Champions League - 2008 -2009 : Last 16 TEAMS

20.2.2009 :Abhishek Bhattacharyya ::The last 16 of UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2008-09 was decided last week with top 16 European clubs pitted against each other for the ultimate prize in European football. The group league encounters saw some classic matches between teams like Chelsea and Roma in Group-A where the English team won their home match courtesy a solitary goal by Captain fantastic John Terry. Their counterparts did the same thing by thrashing them 3 - 1 in Stadio Olimpico with the help of Mirko Vucinic’s brace.In the same group Romanian Club CFR Cluj stunned the Italians by beating them 2-1in their own den and justifying Michel Platini’s decision of backing Champion Clubs from minor European Leagues to participate more and more in this elite club competition of Europe.Roma were more organized than Chelsea whose preparation were marred by injuries of their fringe players and that’s why Scolari’s men had to be happy with second spot and “I Giallorossi” as the group winners.

Chelsea will be facing Group-H winners Juventus in their last 16 encounter.The “Bianconeri” are currently lying 2nd in Seria 'A' and are having a good season under former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri.Juventus defeated Spanish giant Real Madrid in both of their Group encounters with Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri firing their team into the last 16 as group winners ahead of Real Madrid.

So when Juventus meet Chelsea on 25th February,2009 for their 1st leg showdown in Stamford Bridge, Juventus manager Claudio Ranieri would be trying to seek revenge from Blues owner Roman Abramovich as the latter showed him the boot even after taking Chelsea in the semis of this prestigious competition back in 2005.

Roma on the other hand will be taking on a slightly out of form Arsenal who ended up as Group-G runners-up behind FC Porto.The Gunners face an uphill task of overcoming the Italian monster and Arsene Wenger would be expecting players like Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Adebayor,Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott to fire with all their tanks upfront and William Gallas must do the needful as their guardian angel.Lot will also depend on players like Toure,Clichy,Sagna and new sensation Denilson.They will be missing the likes of Cesc Fabregas after the latter sustained an injury in the first half against Livepool last week which ended up in 1-1 draw.Scan on his injured right knee revealed a partial ligament rupture which means that he will be out of action for 3-4 months.Even Roma’s Francesco Totti is doubtful for the Arsenal tie,a scan revealed a strain in his right thigh after the SeriaA game against Calcio Catania which they lost 3-2 last week.But still Roma is in a better position but Arsenal must look forward to obtain three points on 24th Feb as they will be playing in their own den-“The Emirates Stadium”.

On the other hand all is not well in Santiago Bernabeu as the Galacticos are lying 5th in La Liga.The board has sacked Bernd Schuster and has appointed Juande Ramos as their new manager.They lost their first round of the Clasico with the Catalan Giants firing with the likes of Messi and Eto and all in all they don’t look to be in proper shape.They ended up second in the group behind Juventus and was also not challenged by teams like UEFA Cup winner Zenit St.Petersburg and BATE.But now they will be facing the Merseyside battalion of Rafa Benitez in the first knock-out zone who have a brilliant record in this competition in recent past. They are the Group-D winners and are very much in form.Players like Robbie Keane,Martin Skertel,Sami Hyppia and Co. poses a big threat to Real.Juande Ramos must look forward to stop their menacing attack of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. Super-sub Ryan Babbel can also make a difference at any point of the match.The first leg will be played in Santiago Bernabeu and its high time that players like Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder,Raul,Metzelder,Pepe,Sergio Ramos and most importantly Saint Casillas should turn the table in their favour.

Group-G winners FC Porto will be facing Atletico Madrid of Spain ,runners -up from Group-D.Jesualdo Ferreira’s Portuguese side who were thrashed by Arsenal 4-0 in London came back hard at their opponents to beat them in their home clash 2-0 in their group league action.Lisandro Lopez is their man with the midas touch and lot will depend on him when they play against the spanish side who currently lying 3rd in La Liga.They have got a perfect team this season with the likes of French Goalkeeper Gregory Coupet,Dutch defender John Heitenga, Argentine Maxi Rodriguez & Sergio Aguero,Luis Garcia,Simao,Maniche, Diego Forlan and last but not the least Czech Captain Tomas Ujfalusi.Atletico manager Javier Aguirre is surely anticipating the first leg face-off with FC Porto who won this competition in 2005 under Jose Mourinho.

Former Champions Barcelona have a heavy chance of winning the title again as the La Liga leaders have perfectly re-organized their side after Frank Rijkard’s departure from Camp Nou under their new manager Josep Guardiola.They ended their group league campaign above Sporting Lisbon with a lead of a solitary point just like most of the group winners.

They have some utility players like Yaya Toure,Gerard Pique,Bojan Kricic and among the heavyweights there is Caveman Carles Puyol,Samuel Eto,Messi,Xavi and Thierry Henry.The Catalan giants Barcelona will be locking horns against the French Ligue 1 champion Lyon ,the runners -up from Group-F.Lyon will have an home advantage in their first leg face-off but Catalans are a big threat wherever they play.Lyon manager Claude Puel must look to capitalize through Karim Benzema. Quality players like Sidney Govou,Fabio Grosso,Juninho and Fred who will be plying his trade in forward zone can provide a French resistance to the Camp Nou outfit.

Group-C runners-up Sporting Lisbon will be facing Bundesliga Champion FC Bayern Munich who topped their group.FC Bayern has a heavy demolition force consisting of players like Luca Toni ,Franck Ribery,Miroslav Klose,Lukas Podolski and Co. Sporting manager Paulo Bento must get his tactics right in their home match and the Postigas and the Moutinhos must deliver against Juergan Klinsman’s ruthless German attack if they want to advance into the next round.

Group-B winners Panathinaikos of Greece will be taking on Villareal of Spain for their last 16 match.The greek giants topped their group over Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan.Group-B was a very closely contested Group. All the four teams were evenly matched and it came down to the last match of the group league fixture to decide the fate of this group.UCL debutant Anorthosis Famagusta did more to justify Michel Platini’s plan compared to CFR Cluj as they won a tough match against Panathinaikos and drawed out three games.

On the other side Werder Bremen of Germany kept on piling up pressure on Inter and Panathinaikos and it came down to the last day of group league matches when Inter defeated Bremen by 2-0 and Panathinaikos defeated the Cypriot Club Anorthosis Famagusta FC 1-0 to seal the last two final places for them in the last 16.Panathinaikos fans must give credit to former Ajax manager Henk Ten Cate who also had a short stint with Chelsea before joining the Greek Club.His plans have worked out in a brilliant manner and with play-makers Gilberto Silva and goal scorers like Josu Sarriegi, Evangelos Mantzios and Captain Giorgos Karagounis they can give the Spanish team a hard run for their money. But Villareal is not far away from them.They finished second in Group-E behind holders Manchester United and with quality players like Captain Marcos Senna, Santi Carzola,Joan Capdevilla and Turkish forward Nihat and Italian Guiseppe Rossi they can easily crush the Greeks.

Holders Manchester United is high on adrenaline after winning the Fifa Club World Cup and will be facing Inter Milan of Italy .It will be like old friends in business again.It will be Sir. Alex Ferguson vs Jose”the special one”Mourinho. Both of them have got ample amount of respect for each other.It is needless to say what the Red devils can do.We all know what the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov,Owen Hargreaves,Michael Carrick,Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra can do .Even new Brazilian sensations like Fabio and Rafael can be a lethal weapon for the Scotsman.

But Mourinho’s Inter is the main talking point for the all of us.The Seria "A" Champions that consists of players like Marco Materazzi,Chivu,Mancini, Cambiasso, Muntari, Dacourt,play-maker Patrick Viera and striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich can break the backbone of the Red devils formation if they take an upperhand in the first leg in San Siro.Now only time will only decide the fate of the champions. The only thing the Top 16 European teams doesn’t want is injuries to their main players as it will hamper their tactics and which will provide a hinderence in the path of their attempt to win the most coveted trophy in European club football.


Highway to Rome : Barcelona will face Manchester .



07.05.2009 :: RANA BOSE :Chelsea’s hopes of back-to-back appearance in the UEFA Champions League Final came a cropper with an injury time strike by Barcelona’s Andres Inesta. Barcelona FC thus prevented it from being an all Premier League Final in Rome.

The match started off with Barcelona having more of the possession but Chelsea having the ball at places where it mattered. Chelsea took the lead at the 9th minute when Michael Essien’s pile driver from top-of-the-box hit the bottom of the crossbar and crashed into the net. It started off with Frank Lampard's pass being half-cleared and even though there seemed little danger, Essien met the loose ball with a thunderous left-foot volley that left goalkeeper Valdes stranded as it ripped high past him and into the net off the bar.

Chelsea were distinctly unlucky as the Norwegian referee Tom Ovrebo messed up with his decision making and deprived Chelsea of penalties in two separate incidents. First, Alves hauled down Malouda well inside the box but the referee chose to award a free kick from just outside. Drogba was the next to be at the receiving end of a bad decision when he was tugged back by Abidal again inside the box, but Ovrebo chose to ignore.

Barcelona's response was predictably measured as they refused to stray from their trademark passing approach but it failed to reap any rewards as Chelsea keeper Cech remained well protected by his defenders. Indeed, it was Chelsea who had the better chances despite having less of the possession, with Valdes just beating Drogba to Lampard's long ball before diverting away the striker's angled free-kick with his knees.

Chelsea made the first of a series of penalty appeals when Malouda appeared to be hauled down by Alves inside the box, only for the referee to signal a free-kick just outside the area. Drogba was the next to appeal when he astugged back by Abidal but Ovrebo ignored his claims - much to the obvious disgust of Chelsea's high-maintenance striker.

The home side, predictably, came under pressure in the opening exchanges after the break but they broke away to great effect, only to see Drogba waste a perfect chance to double their lead. Anelka set him up 12 yards out but after cutting inside Pique, Drogba shot against the legs of Valdes, with Malouda striking the rebound into the ide-netting. Drogba was again left appealing in vain for a penalty after colliding with Yaya Toure but Barcelona's giant midfield man looked to have just got a touch on the ball.

Referee Ovrebo was on the receiving end of Barcelona's anger after 65 minutes when he sent off defender Abidal for what only appeared to be an unwitting tangle of legs with Anelka. And Ovrebo was in action again 10 minutes from time when Pique handled under pressure from Anelka but once again the referee was in no mood to point to the spot. As the game entered the final minutes of stoppage time, the one moment of magic Chelsea feared from this gifted Barcelona side arrived to steal their dreams of a second successive final away from them at the last gasp. Essien sliced his clearance and the ball came to Iniesta, who sent a rising 20-yard drive past Cech into the top corner to spark chaotic scenes on the touchline.

More drama was to follow when Chelsea's players appealed one last time for a penalty when Michael Ballack's volley appeared to strike Samuel Eto'o's arm - and the German midfielder chased the referee back up the pitch to express his fury when the spot-kick never came.

And when the final whistle blew, Drogba marched on to direct his tirade at referee Ovrebo - it was an act that only increased the sense of anger and injustice on the air on a night of bitter disappointment for Chelsea.

FINAL : ROME-Italy : 27th May : Manchester United (ENG) Vs Barcelona(ESP)

Chelsea : Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Ashley Cole, Lampard, Essien, Ballack, Anelka, Drogba (Belletti 72), Malouda.
Booked : Essien, Alex, Ballack.

Barcelona : Valdes, Dani Alves, Toure Yaya, Pique, Abidal, Busquets (Bojan 85), Xavi, Keita, Messi, Eto'o (Sylvinho 90), Iniesta (Gudjohnsen 90).
Red Card :: Abidal (66).

Booked : Dani Alves, Eto'o.

Ref: Tom Ovrebo (Norway)

Manchester reach in the Final of Champions League ...


06.05.2009 :: RANA BOSE : Arsenal’s dream of winning the UEFA Champions League 2009 ended as they were humiliated at home by Manchester United. A dream that Arsène Wenger and his boys and countless supporters had been nurturing and nourishing for the past nine months disappeared within the first 11 minutes of Tuesday’s Semi-Final second leg at Emirates Stadium.

Already trailing 1-0 from the Old Trafford game, Arsène Wenger’s side needed almost a perfect performance to see off the holders and Premier League champions. However, a disasterous Kieran Gibbs’ slip allowed Ji-Sung Park to fire home a crucial first goal after just eight minutes from start. Shortly afterwards, Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-range free-kick beat Manuel Almunia at the near post.

They were the mortal wounds in this particular battle. Ronaldo’s breakaway goal on the hour simply twisted the knife a little further. Arsenal saved some face with 14 minutes left when Robin van Persie crashed home a penalty after Darren Fletcher hacked down Cesc Fabregas in the danger area. Consequently, the Manchester United midfielder received a red card and misses the all important Final.

But, in reality, it was scant consolation. Wenger’s side had been well-beaten on the night and in the tie overall. The history books will record this as Arsenal’s second-best Champions League campaign but, on the whistle, it did not feel like it. In fact, this was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow.

Wenger had to make two changes from the first leg. Mikael Silvestre had not recovered from the groin injury picked up at Old Trafford so Johan Djourou slotted in alongside Kolo Toure. Further forward, Van Persie returned from his own groin problem. The Dutchman began on the left-hand side of a five-man midfield with Theo Walcott on the opposite flank and Samir Nasri, Alex Song and Fabregas sandwiched inbetween. Once again, Emmanuel Adebayor was the solitary frontman.

Rio Ferdinand’s rib problem had cleared up sufficiently for him to retain his role as centre back so Manchester United’s only change saw Park replace Carlos Tevez. On paper, it looked a defensive move by Sir Alex Ferguson but, in fact, it would work out differently. Nights like this need stout hearts, tough tenacity and superlative skills - plus a fair share of luck of course.

Arsenal nearly got theirs four minutes from start but fortune would prove to be fickle shortly afterwards. Fabregas let fly optimistically from 25 yards. The ball was going well wide of Edwin van der Sar’s right-hand post before deflecting off Nemanja Vidic and then Ferdinand saw it trickle wide his left-hand upright with the keeper totally beaten. The home side were bright, alive and inquisitive of their opposition – everything you would want in the circumstances. So Manchester United’s goal – and the manner with which it arrived – was a crushing blow. In the eighth minute Anderson sent Ronaldo through on the left of the Arsenal area. The Portuguese crossed low to the far post but straight at Gibbs. Unfortunately the full back lost his footing as he was about to collect and he was left floundering as Park fired the ball home. It was a cruel blow to Arsenal but worse was to come. Before the home side had managed to clear their heads, Manchester United got a second. Van Persie was adjudged to have fouled Ronaldo 30 yards out and the Manchester United attacker picked himself up to beat Manuel Almunia at his near post with a swerving, dipping free-kick.

A decent start had transformed itself into a nightmare. Arsenal now needed to score four times in order to go through. In fairness they tried to lift themselves but, as in the first leg, the visitors were more incisive. Rooney’s curling effort had to be tipped around the post by Almunia at full stretch. From the subsequent corner, Ronaldo headed just wide. Fabregas and Adebayor also nodded over the bar as Arsenal started to muster something going forward. But now the onus was entirely on the home side. Manchester United knew they would have to commit players forward at some stage. They seemed happy to pick Arsenal apart in the process.

Ronaldo kept the home defence busy with a couple of free-kicks and a snap-shot on the whistle but, at the break, there seemed little way back for Arsenal. Wenger made a change at the start of the second half. Gibbs came off and, as he had at Portsmouth on Saturday, Emmanuel Eboue filled in as a left back. But Emirates Stadium was muted. They needed a spark from their side – or better still a goal. In fact it was the visitors who came closest in the early stages when Ronaldo cut inside Djourou and forced Almunia into a superb low save at his near post.

Arsenal were now pushing forward and, almost inevitably, Manchester United profited. Rooney led a lightning break before feeding Ronaldo, who gleefully slid home a third. Although, Van Persie stung the hands of Van der Sar, a raft of substitutions by Ferguson suggested he felt entirely comfortable. Bendtner did rifle an effort into the sidenetting with 19 minutes left but Park responded with a low drive to the near post that Almunia had to block with urgency. With 14 minutes left, Arsenal rescued something from the game. Fletcher was adjudged to have fouled Fabregas as he went through on goal. Once referee Robert Rossetti pointed to the penalty spot a red card for the Scotsman was inevitable.

Van Persie thumped the penalty high into the net. It was the Dutchman’s last contribution to the game. He got a bash on the nose in Arsenal’s next attack and was replaced by Carlos Vela. With 10 men, Manchester United never came out of their shell. They simply tried to keep their shape. As a result Fabregas fired wide and then nearly converted Bendtner’s flick at the far post.

The referee flashed yellow cards at Nasri, Adbayor and Eboue of Arsenal and the red card at Fletcher of Man United.

Unfortunately, this was clearly not Arsenal’s day. They must now regroup and look for the next season ahead.

TEAMS:

Manchester United : Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Evra (Rafael 65’), Vidic, O’Shea, Carrick, Park, Fletcher, Anderson (Giggs 63’), Rooney (Berbetov 66’), Ronaldo

Arsenal : Almunia, Djourou, Toure’, Sagna, Gibbs (Eboue’ 45’), Fabregas, Nasri, Song, van Persie (Vela 80’), Walcott (Bendtner 63’), Adebayor

Manchester United beat Arsenal .


30.04.2009 : RANA BOSE :It was a deserved victory for the defending champions and leaves Arsenal with the task of devising a big improvement in the second leg next Tuesday when they must try to defeat United by two clear goals.

Both Man U and Arsenal are renowned for their fine attacking football but it was United who took the honours here. The defending champions sprung out of the blocks immediately at the start and inside the second minute Wayne Rooney's looping header put Manuel Almunia, the Arsenal keeper at full stretch to make the save. Semi-finals usually are a cautious affairs but United deviated from the script, their early high tempo typified by Carlos Tévez, racing around like a man with a point to prove on his first European start since December.

The hosts' urgent start earned them the reward at the 17th minute of the first half. Moments earlier Almunia had denied Tévez at close range with a superb one-handed save when the Argentinian appeared certain to convert an O'Shea's low centre. But the goalkeeper's good work went to waste from Anderson's ensuing corner. Although partially cleared, Michael Carrick drove the ball back in and it deflected off United old boy Mikaël Silvestre to O'Shea who crashed a first-time effort past Almunia. Evidence that things were not going Arsenal's way came soon after when Cesc Fàbregas sliced a shot out for a throw-in.

Arsenal got the best attempt of the half after 27 minutes when Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor combined to set up a shooting chance on the edge of the box, but Fàbregas fired straight at Edwin van der Sar. Urged on by the noisy home crowd, United could have had a second before the half-hour mark after they launched another attack down the right, Tévez outrunning Arsenal's 19-year-old left-back Kieran Gibbs before crossing to the far post where Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to direct his header past Almunia. Anderson – lively in an attacking midfield role – then slipped a ball forward for Tévez but Almunia saved bravely from his feet.

Although Adebayor flashed a volley over the crossbar, United continued to look the likelier team to score again in the second half. Rooney fed Anderson on the edge of the box but the Brazilian miscued. Ronaldo revived memories of his long-range winner at FC Porto by leaving Almunia's crossbar trembling with a piledriveer from 25 metres before Carrick sent a grounder just wide. Red shirts kept coming forward and it took a fine Silvestre header to stop Dimitar Berbatov from scoring of a Ryan Giggs's cross. Giggs, making his 800th United appearance, then rounded Almunia and had the ball in the net but was ruled offside. At the other end Arsenal's own substitute Nicklas Bendtner beat Van der Sar to a high free-kick but the ball bounced wide. Arsenal will need to do hugely better next week if they are to overcome United at home.

(ARS): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Diaby, Fabregas, Song, Walcott, Nasri and Adebayor.
(MAN): Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney


Barcelona - Chelsea Match ended goalless


29.04.2009 :: Rana Bose : Chelsea return to London, a much happier side following a goalless draw in their semi-final match against FC Barcelona at Camp Nou in the UEFA Champions league. The Catalans were the dominant team but lacked precision up front to break the deadlock in their favour.

Barcelona dominated in the first half but found it difficult getting close to Chelsea's goal. The best chance came early on when Rafael Marquez failed to convert a cross from the right wing at the far post.

The home side suffered a severe blow seven minutes after the lemon break, when Rafael Marquez the most mobile of the lot injured his knee when running with the ball. The Mexican was replaced with Carlos Puyol. Daniel Alves also appeared to have injured himself badly a few minutes later but the right-back quickly recovered and continued for the rest of the match.

Knowing that a goalless draw would not be a particularly good result for the home side, Barcelona began to apply more pressure in the closing minutes of the second half. The Spanish side had a great chance to break the deadlock on 70th minute when Samuel Eto'o had only the keeper left to beat, but Petr Cech, the Chelsea keeper remained focused and blocked the effort.

Chelsea lacked initiative as the Londoners only seemed to want to defend, waiting for the second leg to finish the job. Guus Hiddink's men rarely got close to Barcelona's goal and Victor Valdes had little to do throughout most of the match.

Bojan Krkic had a big chance to score a late winner in added time but the youngster headed over the crossbar from a Daniel Alves cross.. Lionel Messi looked very ordinary right throughout.

The referee had to flash yellow cards at two players from each side (Toure’ Yaya, Carlos Puyol from Barca and Alex and Ballack of Chelsea.

The return leg will be played in London on Wednesday, May 6th and Barca will have amountain to climb at Stamford Bridge.


TWO TEAMS:
Barcelona FC : V. Valdez, R. Marquez (Carlos Puyol 75’), E. Abidal, Dani Alves, Gerad Pique, Andre Iniesta, Xavi, Toure’ Yaya, Lionel Messi, Thiery Henri (A. Hleb 87’), S. Eto’o (Bojan 82’)

Chelsea FC : P. Chec, J. Terry, Alex, J. Bosingwa, B. Ivanovic, M. Ballack (N. Anoulka (90’), F. Lampard (J. Belleti (71’), F. Malouda, M. Essien, J. Obe Mikel, D. Drogba

YELLOW SUBMARINE GUNNED DOWN.


15.04.2009: SAURAV SUREKA :: Villareal travelled to the Emirates Stadium in London knowing they needed a goal at minimum to progress to the semi-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Arsenal. As both the teams lined up against each other, it was pretty evident that even though both teams shared the same position in their respective leagues, their form guide was radically different.

And even though Arsenal sent out a makeshift defence, the gulf in class between the teams came to the fore as Arsenal progressed with ease in the end. Villareal on the other hand suffered as many setbacks before the match as they suffered in it. They stepped on to the field knowing two of their biggest names would be missing – skipper Marcos Senna and influential winger Santi Cazorla, although in the end, it was Arsenal sizzling display which proved to be their undoing.

As the game started, the Arsenal brigade came racing out of the blocks and got their reward when they went ahead inside 10 minutes. Skipper Fabregas provided Theo Walcott with an audacious back-heel that caught Villareal full back Joan Capdevilla off guard. Walcott latched on to the ball and scored with an even more audacious lob over the hapless Villareal keeper. With that stunning lob, Theo Walcott once again reminded the world as to why he is hailed as one of the hottest young prospects with a lob that even his idol Thierry Henry would have been proud of.

It was damage control for Villareal as the Spanish side did everything they could to stop a dominant Arsenal side from running away with the tie. Near the half hour mark, Dutchman van Persie unleashed a scorcher from a dead ball situtation which was somehow stopped in its route to the goal by Diego Lopez. In the follow up, Emmanuel Adebayor headed the ball towards the open goal, only for Gonzalo Rodriguez to scramble it away with a goal line clearance. As the referee blew the half time whistle, Arsenal knew the tie was still wide open with their semi-final ambitions still hanging in the balance.

As the second half began, Villareal slowly but surely began to the get into their stride as they looked to fight their way back into the game against an Arsenal side looked increasingly hesitant. However Arsenal provided a sucker punch to the Yellow Submarine as the strike force of the Gunners teamed up for a crack at the Villareal goal. Robin van Persie set up Adebayor for a goal penetrating the Villareal defence with a killer pass.

Arsenal regained control of the match as Eboue nearly set up Walcott for another shot at goal. However before the young Englishman could do anything, he was brought down in the box by Gonzalo Rodriguez. Even though the tackle seemed harmless, it was too careless to be overlooked. The Villareal players were furious with the decision as midfielder Eguren even laid hands on the referee.

That gave the ref no other option as he booked Eguren with his second yellow card of the game followed by the impending red card. Robin van Persie stepped up for the spot kick and with one kick of the ball, ended Villareal’s Champions League hopes as he blasted the ball into the back of the net. Thereafter, it was the final whistle that bought an end to Villareal’s misery. Arsenal now march on to only their 3rd ever semi finals setting up an all English clash against the defending champions Manchester United.

Scoreline : Arsenal ( Walcott 10, Adebayor 60, Van Persie 69 pen.) 3 - 0 Villareal


Arsenal : Fabianski, Eboue, Toure, Silvestre, Gibbs, Walcott (Denilson 77), Song Billong, Fabregas, Nasri, Adebayor (Bendtner 83), Van Persie (Diaby 77).

Villarreal : Diego Lopez, Angel, Rodriguez, Godin, Capdevila, Cani (Pablo 70), Eguren, Bruno (Nihat 64), Fernandez (Ibagaza 64), Pires, Rossi.

Yellow Card:: Silvestre, Gibbs.

Red Card:: Eguren (68' Villarreal). Yello Card:: Eguren, Cani, Godin.
Agg (Arsenal 4 - 1 Villarreal)

Manchester are through to the Semifinal


15.04.2009::: Defending European champions Manchester United are through to the semi finals of this year’s Champions League by beating FC Porto 1 - 0 . A stunning goal of Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United beat Porto in the 2nd leg of this year's Qr. Final tie.In 1st leg the match ended 2 - 2.With this winning Manchester United became the first English club to win at Porto in European competition.

It was also the day of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson,who was presiding over his 150th Champions League game.

Wayne Rooney started on the right with Ryan Giggs on the left and Ronaldo supporting Berbatov up front. In the sixth-minute's spectacular opener for Manchester,it was Ronaldo's 20th goal of the season and only his 2nd in the Champions League since completing that astonishing haul of 42 in last year's final in Moscow.

Portuguese forward launched a powerful strike from more than 30 meters and Porto keeper Helton never stood a chance as the ball slammed into the upper left corner( 1 - 0).



FC Porto : Helton, Sapunaru (Costa 80), Rolando, Bruno Alves, Cissokho, Lucho Gonzalez (Mariano Gonzalez 31), Fernando, Raul Meireles, Lopez, Hulk, Rodriguez (Farias 64).

Manchester United: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Giggs, Carrick, Anderson (Scholes 78), Rooney, Berbatov (Nani 68), Ronaldo.

Yellow Card:: Vidic, Evra. (Manchester United
Ref : Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).
Agg : Man U 3 - 2 Porto
BAYERN HOLDS BARCA FOR A HUMBLE DRAW.…



14.04.2009: Rahul Sengupta ::Bayern Munich played their last match of the UEFA Champions League this season by holding probably one of the best attacking side in Europe Barcelona to 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena.

Bayern Munich Stalwart Frank Ribery put the hosts ahead by netting a brilliant through ball by Brazilian playmaker Ze Roberto. As promised by Bayern Coach Jurgen Klinsman the German side did play well as it was an antidote to a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the same team last week. Luca Toni and Frank Riberry created many chances to take Bayern to the second half but lack of support from the rest of the teammates subdued their chances. Bayern defense led by Demechelis and Philip Lahm did the best job by restricting the likes of Daniel Alves, Lionel Messi and Samuel Etoo. Addition of defenders Lucio and Philip Lahm to the Bayern Line up showed the differnce between the two encounters.

Bayern’s hope of aking it through to the econd round came crashing after Barcelona Midfilder Keita equalized for the visitors just 17 minutes before time thus making the aggregate 5-1 in the favour of the visitors. Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola had to watch his side in this dull encounter from the stands.

With this drawn result the Bayern Munich team now makes their exit from the competition with some pride restored. Meanwhile Barcelona will now gear up to face English club Chelsea in the Semi finals after they edge past Liverpool in a thrilling encounter at Stamford bridge.


Score Line:: Bayern Munich (Ribery 47') 1 - 1 Barcelona (Keita 73')

Yellow Cards : Daniel Alves, Puyol (Barcelona)

Yellow Cards : Lucio, Demechelis ( Bayern Munich)

Referee: Roberto Rossetti (Italy)

Bayern Munich :22-Hans Joerg Butt, 30-Christian Lell, 6-Martin Demichelis , 3-Lucio, 21-Philipp Lahm; 17-Mark van Bommel; 20-Jose Ernesto Sosa(Antiltop 78'), 16-Andreas Ottl, 15-Ze Roberto (Borowski 78'), 7-Franck Ribery, 9-Luca Toni.

Barcelona : 1-Victor Valdes; 20-Daniel Alves, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol, 22-Eric Abidal; 6-Xavi, 24-Yaya Toure, 15-Seydou Keita; 10-Lionel Messi, 9-Samuel Eto'o, 8-Andres Iniesta(Helb 78').


O NEAR .. ET SO FAR ..



14.04.2009: Saurav Sureka :: On a night which would have had even the calmest of fans biting their nails off, Chelsea and Liverpool played out a game of unbelievable proportions. Even the word “epic” would probably fall short of describing this. On a night when Liverpool nearly justified themselves as the Masters of the Impossible, it was Chelsea who made a statement to the rest of Europe signaling their status as the Never Say Die team.

Liverpool went to Stamford Bridge knowing they needed 3 goals, and they did more than that by pumping 4 past Petr Cech, who had the worst game of his life. However, unfortunately for Liverpool, they forgot the other part, the part where they had to stop Chelsea. The Blues returned the favor by shooting 4 past Pepe Reina on a night when the world for once forgot about the tactical geniuses on the sidelines. If the first leg was a cracker, then this leg will probably go down as a nuclear bomb. Both the teams did everything not expected of them, playing free flow attacking football and scoring for fun. All in all 8 goals were scored on a night of surprises at Stamford Bridge.

The biggest surprise of the night came early on when it was revealed that Liverpool’s midfield genius would take no part in the game. The first half started perfectly for Liverpool, as they seemed to be the only team on the pitch. Left Back Fabio Aurelio caught out Cech on the 20th min mark when he curled the ball into net from a dead ball situation leaving Cech dumbfounded. Slowly Liverpool got into their groove with Chelsea seemingly looking lost. In a moment of pure madness, Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea 1st leg hero tugged at Xabi Alonso on a set piece, leaving the referee no other option other than handing Liverpool a penalty. Alonso calmly slotted home the spot kick, thus putting Liverpool on course for one of the greatest comebacks in European history. Chelsea were unbelievably sloppy without their skipper John Terry, who was out suspended, while Liverpool looked completely at ease without their skipper. Fortunately for Chelsea, the half time whistle came just at the right time with Liverpool once again making Cech look like an amateur.

The 2nd half however was a different story altogether with Chelsea racing out of the blocks and playing as if they were doing all the chasing. Then out of nowhere Anelka slid in a cross for Drogba who barely got a nick on the ball to get in the back of the net. However, it was Pepe Reina who was at fault making a horrendous mistake, that would have even made Cech look like a pro. Chelsea pressed forward and a free kick, from which Chelsea’s Brazilian centre back Alex blasted a scorcher. Liverpool tried fighting back, but everything seemed to go Chelsea’s way. Didier Drogba once again came alive setting up stand in skipper Frank Lampard for a beautifully worked goal.

It seemed as if it would prove to be too much for Liverpool, even by their high standards to mount a comeback. However Liverpool fought back and found a goal with the help a Michael Essien deflection. Soon afterwards once again breached the Chelsea defence when Dirk Kuyt scored with sublime header to again turn the game on its head. As Liverpool pushed forward knowing another goal would send them through, it was Chelsea who once again rose from the dead with a second from midfield talisman Frank Lampard. That proved to be the final nail in the coffin as Liverpool were left with much to do with little time on their hands. Finally the referee blew his whistle to bring an end to the most pulsating game of the season.

Liverpool may have bowed out, but they bowed out in style scoring 4 at the Bridge without their skipper. Chelsea on the other hand once again sent out a message to the whole of Europe that they surely are the hungriest team in the Champions League. This victory not only sets them up for a 4th semi final in 6 year, but it also sets up the whole of Europe for a rivalry that can even surpass even a Chelsea – Liverpool rivalry, a rivalry of two of the most different teams in the world, a rivalry that can generate as much football as much as it can generate controversy, a Chelsea- Barcelona rivalry....


Scoreline : Chelsea 4 - 4 Liverpool
Chelsea :(Drogba 51', Alex 57’,Lampard 76', 89')
Liverpool :(Aurelio 19', Alonso 28’, Lucas 81', Kuyt 83')
(Chelsea 7 - 5 Liverpool) on aggregate.

TEAM

Chelsea: 1- Petr Cech,2- Branislav Ivanovic ,3-Ashley Cole,5 - Michael Essien,6- Ricardo Carvalho,8-Frank Lampard,11-Didier Drogba(Franco Di Santo), 13- Michael Ballack,15-Florent Malouda,21- Salomon Kalou (Nicolas Anelka), 33-Alex.

Liverpool :25- Pepe Reina,9- Fernando Torres(David N'Gog ),12- Fabio Aurelio,14 -Xabi Alonso ,15- Yossi Benayoun,17-Alvaro Arbeloa(Ryan Babel), 18 - Dirk Kuyt, 20- Javier Mascherano (Albert Riera),21- Lucas , 23 -Jamie Carragher, 37- Martin Skrtel

Yellow Cards :Ivanovic 28', Carvalho 58’, A.Cole 65'(Missed next match) (Chelsea)

Yellow Cards : Benayoun 41', Arbeloa 74'(Lierpool)

Match Referee : Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)


EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.........

9.04.2009 : SAURAV SUREKA :The 8th night of April 09' will surely go down in history as the night when Hiddink's Chelsea shook the whole of Europe with a stunning display which silenced Anfield. The game, supposed to be dull and tight going by previous encounters, proved to be anything but that.

In a matchup boasting of some of the world's top players going head on, it was the relatively unknown Serbian Branislav Ivanovic who turned the game on its head helping Chelsea come out on top in arguably the most entertaining game of the season. The other teams in Europe must have been biting off their fingernails while watching both teams have a go at each other in the 1st half with the sheer hunger and determination of both sides coming to the fore. However the Reds gradually disappeared into oblivion in the second half when Chelsea ke eping Hiddink's word, "took the game to them".

Star striker Fernando Torres set the tone for the game early on in the 6th minute when he blasted the ball past Cech to hand Liverpool a dream start. It looked as if it was again going to be a memorable night at Anfield with Torres slotting home Arbeloa's cross. Liverpool looked merciless as their players poured forward in numbers looking to repeat their earlier heroics against Real Madrid. However, they soon realized that Chelsea are no Madrid as the Blues came right back at them with Ivorian Didier Drogba squandering a couple of straightforward chances. It was end-to-end stuff in the first as the both sets of defenders were made to look like schoolboys by the midfields with both keepers being regularly called into action.

Torres and Kuyt gave the Chelsea defense a hard time constantly causing panic among the back four. However it seemed as if it was only matter of time before ball would be seen in the back of the net. Seven minutes before the break Chelsea earned a corner in which the Reds made sure they paid enough attention to the bigger men like Ballack, Drogba and Alex. However they unfortunately missed Ivanovic, a makeshift rightback for the evening, who headed the ball powerfully into the net. However keeping in tone with the game , barely 30 seconds after the equalizer Kuyt forced an excellent save from an one-on-one situation.

The second half however was a different story all together with the Chelsea big boys gradually getting into their stride. If Chelsea had managed to match Liverpool step for step in the 1st half, they made it quite evident that they were the hungrier team in the 2nd. On the hour mark, Chelsea skipper John Terry collided with Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina earning him a yellow card which would effectively rule him out for the second leg. However that proved to be the only blip for Chelsea as moments later, Branislav Ivanovic once again exposed Liverp ool's incompetence at set pieces as he headed in another corner past the bewildered Reina.

Barely 5 minutes later, Chelsea once again ripped apart Liverpool's defence as Ballack and Malouda teamed up to setup Drogba for Chelsea's 3rd of the night sending shockwaves not only around Anfield but the whole of Europe. Benitez tried to work his magic but his team looked pretty lacklustre even with the changes. They could not even test Cech up until the 93rd minute when Xabi Alonso was denied an opprtunity to get his name on the scoresheet. The 2nd half seemingly saw a role reversal between the teams with Liverpool looking more like Scolari's Chelsea which had visited Anfield two months ealier, seemingly out of ideas, while Chelsea looked the recent Liverpool, playing every game as if it were their last. Liverpool now have it all to do in the return leg at Stamford Bridge knowing Chelsea have come away with victory at one of the most intimidating grounds in Europe.

Scoreline : Liverpool (Torres 6') 1 - 3 Chelsea (Ivanovic 39',62', Drogba 67')

Liverpool : Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio (Dossena 75), Kuyt, Lucas (Babel 79), Alonso, Riera (Benayoun 67), Gerrard, Torres.

Chelsea : P.Cech, Ivanovic, J.Terry, Alex, A.Cole, Kalou, Ballack, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Drogba (Anelka 79).

Yellow Cards : Liverpool - Aurelio (74') :::: Chelsea - Kalou (31'), Terry(61')
Match Referee : Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark)


BARCELONA DRUBS FOUR PAST HELPLESS BAYERN



9.04.2009 : RAHUL SENGUPTA :Four first half strikes from the probably the best footballers on earth sunk Bayern Munich’s hopes of winning the UEFA Champions league. The match held at Nou Camp saw Bayern Munich embarrassed after conceding four goals and not even created a single good opportunity to score. In one work Bayern were simply “outplayed”.

The match started with Bayern Munich missing key defender Lucio and thus it took only 9 minutes for Barcelona to open the scoring through a brilliant goal by Lionel Messi. The Bayern defense was heavily inexperienced and there were many questions raised on fielding young defenders like Martin Lell and Breno against such a formidable attacking force. By the time it was 12 minutes the score line read 2-0 for Barcelona this time Samuel Etoo putting his name in the score sheet. The first half ended with the score line 4-0 goals coming in the 38th minute through Lionel Messi and in the 43rd Minute through Thierry Henry. 38 year old Bayern Goalkeeper had a terrible day in office he was totally exposed of his communication lapse with his team mates.

Helpless Bayern did fight back. The second half saw Jurgen Klinsmann’s Side re organize their defense and restricting Barcelona to add another to their misery. The eventful first half saw Barcelona being denied a penalty thus Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola was forced to watch the entire match from the stands after reacting violently against the decision. Bayern Munich did come close to scoring through Luca Toni and Frank Riberry but the Barca defense was rock solid as ever.

With this embarrassing result German coach Jurgen Klinsman has a task cut out but the question is can they do it? For the answer we have to wait till the next leg is played in Allianz Arena. As of Barcelona they can boast of having 4-0 aggregate lead.

Score: Barcelona (Messi 9’, Etoo 12’, Messi 38’, Henry 43’) 4 - 0 Bayern Munich

Barcelona : Valdes, Dani Alves, Marquez, Pique, Puyol, Xavi, Toure Yaya (Busquets 81), Iniesta, Messi, Eto'o (Bojan 89), Henry (Keita 74).

Bayern Munich : Butt, Oddo, Demichelis, Breno, Lell, Altintop (Ottl 46), Schweinsteiger, Van Bommel, Ze Roberto (Sosa 76), Ribery, Toni.

Yellow Cards: Messi, Marquez (Both Barcelona)
Yellow Cards: Lell, Demechelis (Both Bayern Munich)
Referee: Howrad Webb (England)

Gunning for the Semis...

8.04.2009 : Saurav Sureka :In a rematch of the semi-final of 2005/2006, Villarreal welcomed Arsenal to the El Madrigal with revenge on their minds. The two teams ended the night as they had started it, level pegging. However, Arsenal would the happier of the two teams as they came away with the all important away goal. The game saw two stunning strikes from either team which gave neither keeper any chance of keeping a clean sheet. It was a game of two halves as Villareal created more chances in the 1st half while Arsenal dictated the play in the 2nd.

The first half however was anything but perfect for the Gunners as the Villarreal midfielders Senna and Ibagaza looked impossible to dispossess. The Arsenal keeper , Manuel Almunia hurt his right ankle after barely 5 minutes and looked uneasy afterwards. However he was at fault for being unable to stop Marcos Senna's long range stunner. Villareal kept up the heat on substitute keeper Lukas Fabianski, constantly testing him from long range shots.Then things got worse for Arsenal as Frenchman William Gallas too picked up an injury after colliding with Giuseppe Rossi. And to add insult to injury, skipper Fabregas was booked after taking a quick free kick.

After the break, Adebayor got Arsenal off to a flying start finding space for balls from Song and Clichy. Then Walcott provided a brilliant cross for Adebayor who headed it just wide. Villareal were completely helpless against Adebayor who was single handedly turning the game around. Then on 66 minutes Fabregas beautifully lifted the ball up for Adebayor who then acrobatically scissor kicked it past the keeper. It was as if the duo had picked from where they had left off the previous weekend having teamed up for their 3rd goal in 2 games. However Villarreal too forced Toure to make to heroic clearances and tried to seize the initiative but where simply unable to get a victory against Arsenal's young brigade.

Scoreline :Villareal (Senna 10') 1-1 Arsenal (Adebayor 66')

(Yellow cards): Arsenal -

Alexandre Song (39'),Emmanuel Adebayor(45'),Cesc Fabregas (45+1'),Samir Nasri (87')

Match Referee - Tom Henning Øvrebø (NOR)

ANOTHER JOLT AT HOME FOR THE RED DEVILS!

8.04.2009 : Rahul Sengupta :: Manchester United faced FC Porto in the first leg of the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Champions league with a vision to boost their defending champions status. But Porto had some other plans. Taking an early lead FC Porto gained momentum in the match, but it was FC Porto in action again when a bizarre defensive lapse led to an equalizer from Wayne Rooney. The match ended 2-2 with lots of work to be done for Sir Alex Ferguson, as it will be an uphill task for the red devils in the next week’s encounter at Estadio Bragao.

History was against United when the match started as the experts still believed that there could be a repeat of history of the similar encounter in the year 2004 when Manchester United were humiliated at home by Jose Mourinho’s boys. The match had an absorbing start with the home side looking to consolidate on their recent home form but it took only four minutes for Porto to open the scoring with Midfielder Rodriguez who consolidated on Johny Evans’ mistake by unleashing a left footed low drive which went past skipper Van Der Sar. It was FC Porto who created more openings in the half and Wayne Rooney scored the equalizing goal in the 15th Minute thanks to another defensive blooper this by FC Porto’s experienced campaigner Bruno Alves, whose back pass was well intercepted by English hero Wayne Rooney. So the score line at the half time read 1-1.

The second half saw a much-improved Manchester United and especially after addition of Ryan Giggs in the midfield and Argentine International Carlos Tevez upfront partnering Wayne Rooney. The move by Sir Alex did make his mark when Tevez finally put the host ahead thanks to a brilliant back heel by Wayne Rooney this time Porto goalkeeper Helton could not show his magic. FC Porto’s Brazilian striker Hulk along with Sissoko kept on building pressure in the Manchester United half and ultimately their efforts were rewarded in the 89th minute when Porto midfielder Mariano headed home a deflected cross from Raul Mareiles.

This result exposes the recent poor run of form of the Red Devils and they have much work to do, as FC Porto will have an advantage of having scored as many as two away goals.

Score: Manchester United 2 (Wayne Rooney 15’, Carlos Tevez 85’) FC Porto 2 (Rodriguez 4’, Mariano 89’)

Yellow Cards: Bruno Alves and Helton (Both FC Porto)

Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)