Champions League! (part two)

 Arsenal    0-0   AC Milan

There was a lot of anticipation leading up to this match and despite the score it really did not disappoint. Both sides had great opportunities to get on the board and although it pains me to say it, Arsenal should have won this game. They held FIFA World Player of the Year Kaka at bay throughout the match. The Gunners on the other hand got some really good chances Emmanuel Adebayor, Emmanuel Eboue and Nicklas Bendtner all had great shots on goal. Adebayor should have stolen the show in stoppage time, but he hit the bar with his header. If Arsenal plays this well in Milan they should knock the Italian side out a lot earlier than expected. My opinion: AC Milan will win the replay and take the tie.

 Celtic  2 – 3  Barcelona

WOW! I don’t know of anyone who predicted this score. Even Celtic supporters were hoping to keep this a low scoring affair. Why wouldn’t they? Celtic are a free flowing club who can move the ball well, but could they score on the Catalan side? Celtic played well enough to win this except for the fact that Barcelona had a healthy Lionel Messi. Messi had a double in Glasgow and Thierry Henry buried a gift from Gary Caldwell that gave the visitors a valuable three away goals. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink opened the scoring for the Hoops after an opening thrust by Barcelona and Barry Robson made his debut memorable with the goal that gave his club their second lead of the game. Barcelona will win the return match at the Nou Camp, but the Scots can hold their heads up as the won’t go down without a fight.

                 

 Fenerbahce  3-2  FC Sevilla

Another fantastic tie today. I was shocked that Fenerbahce was not only able to hang in with Sevilla they showed me that they can be a serious competitor for the big cup. Both sides kept the match interesting throughout as goals were spread evenly and made this the tie of the week. The home side was strong all over the pitch and had Edu Dracena not put the ball in his own net they would have had quite a big victory against the Spanish club. Fenerbahce will go to Sevilla and finish this tie off. I don’t want to face these guys next round.

            

 Lyon   1-1   Man Utd

Two things: First, I told you that Carlos Tevez was a great signing for Manchester United. How many times this season has he scored late to get points from nothing? Second, why didn’t they sign Karim Benzema? Benzema is an amazing striker and he will only get better. His goal in the 54th minute showed great skill as he split Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic  then placed the shot in the corner. United had the lion’s share of chances of shots and possession, they just couldn’t score. Things looked bleak as the clock neared 90 minutes. Tevez was in the right place at the right time when Nani’s deflected shot came to him and he buried it for the crucial draw. The Red Devils will win at Old Trafford in a fortnight, and they need to close the deal on that Benzema kid (he’s pretty good).

          

          

Champions League! (part one)

 Schalke 04   1 - 0  FC Porto

Kevin Kuranyi fired home an early goal and put the hosts up in their first trip to this stage ever. Porto were under the gun for awhile and while they had stretches when they turned the tide, they just couldn’t find the net. Shalke have to strategize well for the trip to Portugal in a fortnight. If they sit back and defend their aggregate lead they will open themselves up for Porto attackers Ricardo Quaresma and Lucho Gonzalez to make them pay. The German side tired at the end of the match and if Porto can run them earlier in the match they just may be able to turn this around.

 Roma   2 - 1   Real Madrid

If you look at the stats for this one the score line must be wrong. In fact when Raul netted early at the Stadio Olimpico it looked like it would be a long night for the hosts. Real made things rough on Roma as time and again they threatened the Italian side’s goal. A Ruud Van Nistelrooy death-stroke was disallowed for a clear offsides. David Pizarro gave the Roma fans hope when he knotted the score in the 24th minute and Alessandro Mancini finished off the Spanish champions and gave his side a slender lead for the return leg in the 58th. Roma gave up a critical away goal to Real Madrid and that could be bad unless they can return the favour in Madrid.

 Olympiacos   0 - 0   Chelsea

The Blues went to Athens and got what they needed. They didn’t lose. They had their opportunities to salt this tie away, coming close on a few occasions, but the couldn’t solve the Olympiacos defense. The Greek side rarely threatened Petr Cech’s goal and if they don’t step up the attack this tie will be over. I don’t see them holding off the Blues forever. But, if they force a shootout you might as well flip a coin.

 Liverpool   2 - 0   Inter Milan

I’m not a Liverpool fan at all, but they pounded Inter in this match. The goals came late in the game from Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard to finish off what was a long night for the Serie A champions. The Reds had 70% of the possession and out shot Inter 25 to 4. The visitors went down a man when Marco Materazzi saw his second yellow card at the half hour mark. I would be shocked if Liverpool went to the San Siro in two weeks and got knocked out. This performance was strong throughout the line up. Where has this club been in the last couple of months? And does this mean that Barnsley is better than Inter Milan?????

                    

Champions League Draw

                             

The final sixteen teams in the Champions League now know who they will face in the New Year. Many of the matchups could easily be a Champions League Final.

Celtic vs. Barcelona

Gordon Strachan is excited about drawing Spanish giants Barcelona. But he has to realize that Celtic really doesn’t have much chance against Frank Rijkaard’s team. The Catalan team is stacked with talent and could probably field two teams with their players. That’s not to say that the Hoops don’t have talent Scott McDonald, Shunsuke Nakamura and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink have had some success in earlier rounds of the CL. They are going to need all of their firepower and more than a little luck if they want to reach the final eight.

Lyon vs. Manchester United

Seven straight French League championships. SEVEN STRAIGHT. Olympique Lyonnaise is the class of French football and they are going to be scrappy. The Red Devils have been through all of this before so they are not going to be looking any further than Lyon. Karim Benzema is a dynamic striker for the French side and if Chris and Juninho are healthy they can be quite a handfull. But, United have something that Rangers don’t, a ball controlling, potent attack. If Lyon can win at home they will more than likely advance to the final eight.

Fenerbahce vs. FC Sevilla

Sevilla have won the last two UEFA Cups so they know big game pressure. They main thing that they will have to deal with will be the Turkish crowd. Past experience says that the Fenerbahce fans are going to give the Spanish side quite the welcome. A hard hat might be of use. But Fenerbahce has some experienced players in the squad so look for them to jump Sevilla at home then stack the defence when they go to Spain. Sevilla is no slouch though and this is going to be a good matchup.

Arsenal vs. AC Milan

Arsene Wenger feels confident and he should. The Gunners have a strong team and they have played well all season. AC Milan on the other hand is 12th in Serie A this year and the San Siro has been anything but a fortress for them. I know they just won the World Club Championship, but Arsenal is stronger than Boca Juniors and the first game is at the Emirates. Kaka will have to show that he is the World Player of the Year to get anything in London. If everyone is healthy I think the Gunners will knock out Milan and advance.

Schalke 04 vs. FC Porto

Schalke played well last year and made the CL. But, their group wasn’t the toughest and Porto have won it all before. Porto should advance here unless the German side play tough, gritty football and ratchet up the defence.

Roma vs. Real Madrid

Roma will be tough to beat at home because you are always waiting for the knife to come from the stands. This team should suffer the same fate as other sides with unruly fans, they should be bounced from the tournament. Real has the firepower to blow Roma aside and for the sake of the rest of the teams I hope that they do. Ruud van Nistelrooy and Raul should give the Italian side nightmares so look for them to make the final eight.

Olympiakos vs. Chelsea

This is a tough call. On paper Chelsea look like they should win this, but no one ever won a game on paper. Olympiakos could surprise the Blues in Greece, making the second leg a bit more interesting. And I think that they just might do it. Chelsea will need everyone healthy and focused or this could be a quick exit for the Blues.

Liverpool vs. Inter Milan

This will be a real test for Liverpool. Inter has been a quality side in Serie A and the CL. While the Reds are 10 points off the pace in the Premiership. So we all know that it’s time for Rafa Benitez to give up on winning the league and concentrate on saving his good players for European matches. Inter won’t play that game though and I think that they have a deeper and more talented squad. Inter could win this one at Anfield so Liverpool had better keep that in mind. This Milan is better than the one they lost to in the last final.