Champions League

[lampard]

Hi,



chelsea will be the champions



they are firing throughout this season

[ycr007]

Methinks Pavel Nedved has retired and he has won the Europen Footballer

of the year also if my memory serves me right.

And Lampard....Ringsa Bell....is it Frank Lampard.....Oh yes...



Frank Lampard, Club: Chelsea. Shirt Number: 8. Position: Midfielder.

Date of Birth: June 21, 1978. Birthplace: Romford. Height: 6' 0".

[Jaszalcatraz]

I guess iits time I did my second match Review



Chelsea vs Barcelona



Compiling...coming soon

[akhilis2cool]

I voted for barcelona (dont ask me why) and as of now they r leading the tables

[Jaszalcatraz]

Chelsea vs Barcelona



Chelsea Starting 11

Petr Cech, Glen Johnson, Gallas, Terry, Ferreira, Makelele, Lampard, Duff, Tiago, Robben, Gudjohnsen

Subs: Drogba, Joe Cole, Mateja Kezman



Barcelona Starting 11

Victor Arribas, Belletti, Puyol, Gio, Oleguer, Alvarez, Xavi, Deco, Eto'o, Ronaldinho, Giuly

Subs: Henrik Larrson (if he's fit), Sylvinho, Iniesta or Damia



Chelsea 41 goals scored, 8 conceded (so far in Premier League)

Barcelona 35 goals scored, 11 conceded (so far in Primera Liga)



Chelsea played 21 won 16 drew 4 lost 1

Barcelona played 17 won 13 drew 3 lost 1

in their respective leagues



Another one that is too close to call.



Key players

Chelsea: John Terry being really contributing to the team with goals when they really need them (super captain). Lampard has shaken out of the slump and seems to have slipped into a nice rythm alongside Damien Duff and Tiago. Robben and Gudjohnsen have surprised everyone with their extremely capable strike-force. Another key man is GK Petr Cech....nothings getting past him this season. 8 goals in 21 match is awesome.



Barcelona: Henrik Larrson's injury at the Nou Camp against, my team, Real Madrid really hurt the midfield. But Real Madridian Santiago Solari betrayed us (:() and has joined Barcelona. Solari will probably help FIFA Player of Year Ronaldinho and Xavi play some great flambouyant football in midfield while Eto'o and Deco continue their spree. Puyol's been doing well too.



The real battle wont be on the field but on the bench between the two hottest coaches at the moment Jose Morinho from Chelsea and Frank Rejkaard of Barcelona.



Rightfully one of these two teams should be Champions of Europe, but I guess this makes chances for my team better.

[Sharjeel]

Barcelona may prove to be a bit too hot to handle for Chelsea.



Ronaldinho will love to return against the england players Terry, Lampard and the others. Maybe he will repeat the dose of the WC .

[Habitual Perfectionist]

Barca's the team I voted for.

[Jaszalcatraz]

The Champions League continues today



Here's the preview from goal.com

Across Europe the camera crews are getting ready, the pundits are out in force, and the rustle of money, lots of money, is in the air. The Champions League is back after its winter hibernation – and some of the most glamorous and evocative names in European football are going head to head over the next two nights to determine which half of the 16 survivors will be culled and which half will progress to the last eight.
The answers will be known in a fortnight’s time, after the second-legs, for from now on the Champions League is no longer a league but a straightforward, sudden-death knock-out competition, as it was originally conceived when launched as the European Champion Clubs’ Cup in the Autumn of 1955.

Real Madrid won the first tournament, and the next four, beating Reims (twice), Fiorentina, AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt in those first five finals that cemented both their reputation as a great club side and the popularity of the European Cup as a football event.

Real were successfully challenged, and the likes of Benfica, Milan, Internazionale, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Juventus, Manchester United and Porto have all subsequently lifted the giant trophy on more than one occasion.

Of the last 16 in this season’s campaign, ten are previous winners: Real (9 wins), Milan (6), Bayern and Liverpool (4 each), Inter, Juventus, Manchester United and Porto (two each), Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven (one apiece). Of the six who have never won this most prestigious European club trophy, four (Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen and Chelsea) have won other European competitions; only the two French representatives (Monaco and Lyon) are yet to lift silverware at international club level – though Monaco reached last season’s Champions League final.

A field of such pedigree almost guarantees some titanic clashes, and the draw for this second round did not disappoint. The stand-out ties are Real Madrid versus Juventus (which pits the peerless Zinedine Zidane against his former club), Barcelona against Chelsea (with both clubs well out in front of their respective domestic leagues, and Jose Mourinho relishing a return Catalonia to take on his former employers) and Manchester United at home to Milan (remarkably, a first meeting of these two giants in this competition, and one that should offer a fascinating contrast of styles).

Elsewhere, resurgent Bayern Munich host Arsenal, who are unbeaten in this year’s CL campaign without ever looking comfortable during it. Another Anglo-German tie sees Bayer Leverkusen travel to unpredictable Liverpool, weakened by suspension, injury and ineligibility. And Germany’s other representatives, Werder Bremen, host French champions Lyon. PSV Eindhoven entertain last year’s finalists Monaco, whose victors last May, FC Porto, are at home to Inter Milan.

Mouth-watering ties all; and while the first legs alone will not decide anything, they will establish advantages – both actual and psychological – that will prove influential in the final reckoning of this second round. They should also provide some gripping entertainment….

[Jaszalcatraz]

If you wanna see individual match previews......click on this link

http://www.goal.com/index.aspx?idsez=126

[ycr007]

What Matches are on today???



I got No ESS due to some Glitch

[Jaszalcatraz]

I aint getting it either......they say its gonna come back around 6, but have a little back-up plan so not sweating that much.



Matches on tonight are Liverpool - Bayer Leverkusen

Arsenal - Bayern Munich

PSV - AS Monaco



And the grand daddy of em all

Real Madrid vs Juventus

[Sharjeel]

Me is looking forward to the matches. Hope tht i get to see them...

[Jaszalcatraz]

Real Madrid vs Juventus :

1-0

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal :

3-1

Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen :

3-1

PSV Eindhoeven vs Monaco :

1-0



All the winners were the home teams. That makes the away leg so much more interesting.



About the Madrid-Juve match, it was a good game of football despite what the scor-line suggests, both teams did exactly what they're famous for, attack and defend respectively.

Juve's flaw was that they didnt attack as many times as we expect the Seria A league leaders to, but they are famous for winnings most of their games with a 1-0 scoreline.

Madrid's flaw was that though individual players showed flashes of brilliance, no one took hold of the ball and went all the way. They'd often pass the ball right in the end-zone as if suggesting that they dont trust themselves to finish the work.

Gravesen was the key in the game, he played brilliantly and really chocked up Juve's attack. Also he was into heated arguments with other players and even a physical response to Olivera's shove got them both yellow cards. Juve might use this and wind him up in the away game.

The lone goal came from a David Beckham free kick that found the hole in the set-pieces and allowed Helguera to rocket in and help the ball with his shoulder.



As for the other games, Arsenal and Leverkusen found an important away goal in the dying minutes of the game (88 and 90+2 respectively). This will surely be helpful in their home legs.

[ycr007]

Bayern Munich vs Arsenal :
3-1
Liverpool vs Bayer Leverkusen :
3-1

I liked that Score Line......As u said...they have the advantage of atleast

an away goal while Juve has a realistic chance of making it even if they score

once at Madrid.



I have not got anything against Real but i feel they shud have scored

more that that solitaryt goal.Juve is a tough nut to crack at home...probably

more than Madrid were at home.So the return leg's gonna be a helluva match.



I sincerely hope that ESS returns atleast by that time

[Jaszlacatraz]

Watched the game at my friends house.......my cable guy says that ESS will be back today **praying**



As for the second goal, I wished it was there too, but the second half which had about 8 yellow cards, was too much of a battle for possession for anyone to approach the goal.

The near misses were - 2 by Raul, 2 by Ronaldo, 1 from Samuel and 1 from Figo.

Raul Bravo came on for Salgado and played a fabulous game.

Del Piero looked very off-color, Ibrahimovich played well with Cameronesi and Emerson. Nedved crashed heads with Bravo and left early.

[Sharjeel]

Could not effin watch any effin game .

[ycr007]

Wednesday, 23rd February
UEFA Champions League

Barcelona 2 - 1 Chelsea

Porto 1 - 1 Inter

Man Utd 0 - 1 Milan

W Bremen 0 - 3 Lyon



Now Ain't it a Shocker or what???? The Favoured teams Chelsea & Manutd

Both losing their matches.The controversial sending off of Chelsea striker

Didier Drogba saw Barcelona come back from 1-0 down to beat the

English Premiership leaders 2-1 in their Champions League first knockout

round first leg clash on Wednesday. Chelsea's defeat was somewhat

softened by the fact they have an away goal whereas Manchester United

lost 1-0 to AC Milan at Old Trafford - Hernan Crespo on loan from Chelsea

- scoring the goal after a dreadful error by United 'keeper Roy Carroll.



Mourinho's former team, and reigning champions FC Porto, were held 1-1 at home by Milan's city rivals Inter while French champions Lyon were the night's most impressive victors with a 3-0 win at German champions Werder Bremen.



Chelsea took the lead against the run of play when Frank Lampard's long

ball found Damien Duff and the pass across goal from the Irish winger -

who was only passed fit on Wednesday after originally being left out of the

team by Mourinho - was turned into his own net by Juliano Belletti.



How Chelsea could have done with the striking skills of Crespo as the

Argentinian, sent on-loan by the Blues to AC Milan last summer, scored to

give the Italian giants an invaluable 1-0 victory over Manchester United.



Carroll was at fault as he dropped a softly-hit shot from Clarence Seedorf

and Crespo was on hand to knock it into the net.



United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said it wasn't just down to Carroll.

"We should have closed them down earlier in the move," said the Scot.

"We lacked composure in front of goal and snatched at our chances. We

got hemmed in round their area and couldn't get the ball into the net and

then started making mistakes by giving the ball away."



However, Ferguson said the 1999 Champions League winners could still

turn the tie around.

[Jaszalcatraz]

Back to business from tommorrow.



Chelsea needs to win at home and not concede a Barcalona away goal to qualify.



Man U needs to score away and not let AC Milan score at home (big ask)



Real Madrid need to fire one in at Juventus's home ground and thereafter not let Juve score more than 2.



Arsenal need to make sure that Munich do not score at all while they themselves get 2 in.



Liverpool needs to stay tight and contain Leverkusen while trying to score an away goal.



My forecast for the teams that'll go ahead:

Barcelona

AC Milan

Real Madrid

Bayern Munich

Liverpool

Inter

PSV

Lyon

[Jaszalcatraz]

Barcelona and Manchester United out of the Champions League.

The Chelsea-Barca match was amazing. they won 4-2

Milan scored just 1 against Man U with no attack.

In Habitual Perfectionist's words

"I guess the best match must've been lyon-bremen. lyon humped them out of the competition" They won 7-2.



Waiting for tommorows Real madrid- Juventus and Arsenal- Bayern Munich

[ycr007]

Terry's all gold for Chelsea while Crespo proves United's nemesis







A controversial header late in the second-half by Chelsea captain John

Terry gave the Premiership leaders a remarkable 4-2 win over Barcelona

and a 5-4 aggregate victory in their Champions League first knockout

round clash on Tuesday.



Elsewhere the dream of Sir Alex Ferguson to give Manchester United a

second Champions League title under his stewardship ended - perhaps for

good - as AC Milan beat them 1-0 in the San Siro to win 2-0 on aggregate,

on-loan Chelsea striker Hernan Crespo heading a great winner to add to

the one he got in the first leg.



French champions Lyon simply were irresistible at home to Werder Bremen

thrashing them 7-2, 10-2 on aggregate, with former Arsenal striker

Sylvain Wiltord grabbing a hat-trick and Ghanaian midfielder Mickael

Essien scoring two.



Chelsea put aside a few nervous opening minutes to literally stun

Barcelona with three goals in 11 minutes and seemingly turn the tie

irrevocably their way.

First Eidur Gudjohnsen slotted home for only his second goal in seven

Champions League appearances but Chelsea's 50th in the competition

after a wonderful ball by Joe Cole then Lampard pounced having missed a

sitter minutes earlier.



The Catalan side were then knocked totally off balance as Cole's ball

released Duff and he ran in to slot through Valdes' legs.

However the London side sat back and paid for it as Paolo Ferreira's hand

ball gave Barcelona a penalty which Ronaldinho converted to make Barca

the first team since League Two side _ United in January to score

at Stamford Bridge.

[ycr007]

Arsenal 1-0 (2-3) Bayern Munich

Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 (2-6) Liverpool

Juventus 2-0 (aet) (2-1) Real Madrid

Monaco 0-2 (0-3) PSV Eindhoven











Luis Garcia scored twice to inspire Liverpool into the quarter finals of the

UEFA Champions League, but Arsenal bowed out despite beating Bayern

Munich at Highbury.



Bayer never came out of the blocks with any desire and Liverpool took full

advantage to kill off the tie before the interval.Garcia connected with a

Steven Gerrard cross on 28 minutes to flick The Reds ahead and shortly

afterwards he doubled his personal tally as he showed a striker's instinct to

turn an Igor Biscan header beyond Hans-Jorg Butt.



Arsenal suffered Champions League heartbreak once again, as they exited

the tournament before the quarter finals despite beating Bayern 1-0 at

Highbury.

Thierry Henry scored a sublime second half goal to raise the temperature

in North London but it was not enough to repair the damage done in the

first leg as Bayern claimed a 3-2 aggregate win.



Real Madrid were dumped out of the competition in extra time, with

Marcelo Zalayeta netting the crucial winner for Juventus in extra time.

Real appeared to have weathered a storm, but Juve forced extra time

thanks to a late David Trezeguet goal.Ronaldo and Alessio Tacchinardi

were dismissed after a nasty spat and it was Juve who adjusted best, with

Zalayeta slamming home from the edge of the box to ensure no Spanish

sides will be represented in the quarter finals.