Champions League draw

[The Coon Dog]

The Champions League draw takes place tonight in Monaco.

There are 32 teams who will be split into 8 groups of 4 teams.

Prior to the draw the remaining 32 teams were seeded. The top 8 seeds form pot 1, seeds 9-16 form pot 2, seeds 17-24 form pot 3 & seeds 25-32 form pot 4.

Each of the 8 groups will have one team from each pot.

The four pots are as follows:

Pot one
Manchester Utd
Chelsea
Liverpool
Barcelona
Arsenal
Lyon
Inter Milan
Real Madrid

Pot two
Bayern Munich
PSV Eindhoven
Villarreal
AS Roma
FC Porto
Werder Bremen
Sporting Lisbon
Juventus

Pot three
Marseille
Zenit St Petersburg
Steaua Bucharest
Panathinaikos
Bordeaux
Celtic
Basel
Fenerbahce

Pot four
Shakhtar Donetsk
Fiorentina
Atletico Madrid
Dynamo Kiev
CFR Cluj
Aalborg
Anorthosis Famagusta
Bate Borisov

[Mantis]

Arsenal & Liverpool have to play qualifier's to make the main draw yet are seeded in the top group. Doesn't seem right.

[The Coon Dog]

Arsenal & Liverpool have to play qualifier's to make the main draw yet are seeded in the top group. Doesn't seem right.

The seedings are based on performance in Europe over recent seasons. Both sides have regularly performed very well in Europe. I know what you mean tho.

Incidently, who do you follow Mantis?

[Mantis]

Incidently, who do you follow Mantis?

No-one really, but I do watch a fair bit off it and normally just pick a side to follow in any given game.

Used to follow Leeds United before they turned into a basket case.

[The Pie Man]

No-one really, but I do watch a fair bit off it and normally just pick a side to follow in any given game.

Used to follow Leeds United before they turned into a basket case.

I'd watch Leeds in the early naughties and hope Viduka/Kewell would score more than they win. Knew they hadn't connected.

[The Coon Dog]

Group A
Chelsea
Roma
Bordeaux
CFR Cluj

Group B
Inter Milan
Werder Bremen
Panathinaikos
Anorthosis Famagusta

Group C
Barcelona
Sporting Lisbon
Basel
Shakhtar Donetsk

Group D
Liverpool
PSV Eindhoven
Marseille
Atletico Madrid

Group E
Manchester United
Villarreal
Celtic
Aalborg

Group F
Lyon
Bayern Munich
Steaua Bucharest
Fiorentina

Group G
Arsenal
FC Porto
Fenerbahce
Dynamo Kiev

Group H
Real Madrid
Juventus
Zenit St Petersburg
Bate Borisov

[Chops]

Group F
Lyon
Bayern Munich
Steaua Bucharest
Fiorentina

Luca Toni will get a nice reception in Florence

[The Coon Dog]

Luca Toni will get a nice reception in Florence

So will Fernando Torres when he returns to Atletico.




Group D
Liverpool
PSV Eindhoven
Marseille
Atletico Madrid

[Mantis]

And the group of death is......

[Chops]

There all tough. The Liverpool group is especially if they play like they have been.

[remster]

Group D looks a tough one probably the toughest group

[remster]

Liverpool v Athletico will be a cracker

[remster]

Interesting to see no AC Milan, what happened with them?

[The Coon Dog]

Interesting to see no AC Milan, what happened with them?

Finished 5th in Serie A last season, so missed out.

[Rocket Science]

Yeah, real tragedy...Love to hate AC with almost as much venom as I do Richmond...or maybe Collingwood is a more apt comparison.

Compelling draw on paper, all groups bar perhaps 'B' could roll any number of ways.

[Rocket Science]

UEFA Champions League
Day 1: Results

GROUP A
Chelsea 4 (Lampard 13', Cole 30', Malouda 81', Anelka 90') - FC Girondins de Bordeaux 0
Roma 1 (Panucci 17') - CFR Cluj 2 (Culio 27', 49')

Group B
Panathinaikos 0 - Inter Milan 2 (Mancini 27', Adriano 85')
Werder Bremen 0 - Anorthosis Famagusta 0

Group C
Barcelona 3 (Marquez 21', Eto'o 58' pen, Xavi 88') - Sporting Lisbon 1 (Tonel 71')
Basel 1 (Abraham 90') - Shakhtar Donetsk 2 (Fernandinho 25', Jadson 45')

Group D
Marseille 1 (Cana 23') - Liverpool 2 (Gerrard 26', 32' pen)
PSV Eindhoven 0 - Atletico de Madrid 3 (Aguero 8', 36', Maniche 54')

-----------------------------------------------

Biggest stunner is easily Roma dropping one to Romanian minnows Cluj at the Stadio Olimpico no less...Other results largely as expected, though Werder Bremen wouldn't be ecstatic with a nil all draw at home versus Cypriot upstarts Anorthosis.

Tomorrow's tilts:

Group E:
Manchester United vs Villareal
Celtic vs Aalborg BK

Group F:
Steaua Bucharest vs Bayern Munich
Lyon vs Fiorentina

Group G:
Porto vs Fenerbahce
Dynamo Kiev vs Arsenal

Group H:
Juventus vs Zenit St. Petersburg
Real Madris vs Bate Borisov

Lyon versus Fiorentina clash looks a cracker...

[The Coon Dog]

As a Liverpool fan I'm very happy, particularly picking up 3 points away from home.

[Rocket Science]

Group E:
Manchester United 0 - Villarreal 0
Celtic 0 - Aalborg 0

Group F:
Steaua Bucharest 0 - Bayern Munich 1 (Van Buyten 15')
Lyon 2 (Piquionne 74', Benzema 86') - Fiorentina 2 (Gilardino 11', 42')

Group G:
Porto 3 (Lopez 11', Gonzalez 13', Lino 92') - Fenerbahce 1 (Guiza 29')
Dynamo Kiev 1 (Bangoura 63' pen) - Arsenal 1 (Gallas 88')

Group H:
Juventus 1 (Del Piero 76') - Zenit St. Petersburg 0
Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 11', Van Nistelrooy 57') - BATE Borisov 0

[Mantis]

As a Liverpool fan I'm very happy, particularly picking up 3 points away from home.

Little Stevie Gerrard scored a cracker didn't he.

[The Coon Dog]

Little Stevie Gerrard scored a cracker didn't he.
A cracker!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZbpdiZiIjw

[Mantis]

Matchday Two Results:

Group E
Aalborg (Den) 0
Manchester United (Eng) 3 (Rooney 22, Berbatov 55, 79)

Villarreal (Spa) 1 (Senna 67)
Celtic (Sco) 0

Group F
Fiorentina (Ita) 0
Steaua Bucharest (Rom) 0

Bayern Munich (Ger) 1 (Ze Roberto 52)
Lyon (Fra) 1 (Demichelis 25og)

Group G
Arsenal (Eng) 4 (Van Persie 31, 48, Adebayor 40, 71pen)
Porto (Por) 0

Fenerbahce (Tur) 0
Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) 0

Group H
Bate Borisov (Blr) 2 (Kryvets 17, Stasevich 23)
Juventus (Ita) 2 (Iaquinta (29, 45+3)

Zenit St Petersburg (Rus) 1 (Danny 25)
Real Madrid (Spa) 2 (Hubocan 4og, van Nistelrooy 31)

[The Coon Dog]

Matchday Two Results

GROUP A
Bordeaux (Fra) 1 (Gourcuff 18)
Roma (Ita) 3 (Vucinic 64,Julio Baptista 71 , 83)

CFR Cluj (Rom) 0
Chelsea (Eng) 0


GROUP B
Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyp) 3 (Sarriegi og 11, Dobrasinovic 16, Mulla Mohammed 78)
Panathinaikos (Gre) 1 (Salpigidis pen 28)

Inter Milan (Ita)1 (Maicon 14)
Werder Bremen (Ger)1 (Pizarro 63)


GROUP C
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukr) 1 (Ilsinho 45)
Barcelona (Spa) 2 (Messi 87, 90)

Sporting Lisbon (Por) 2 (Romagnoli 55, Derlei 86)
Basle (Swi) 0


GROUP D
Atletico Madrid (Spa) 2 (Aguero 4, Raul Garcia 22)
Marseille (Fra) 0 (Niang 16)

Liverpool (Eng) 3 (Kuyt 5, Keane 34, Gerrard 76)
PSV (Hol) 1 (Koevermans 78)

[The Coon Dog]

Champions League Tables


UEFA Champions League : Group A Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Chelsea 2 1 1 0 4 0 4 4
2 CFR Cluj-Napoca 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4
3 Roma 2 1 0 1 4 3 1 3
4 Bordeaux 2 0 0 2 1 7 -6 0

UEFA Champions League : Group B Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Anorthosis Famagusta 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4
2 Inter Milan 2 1 1 0 3 1 2 4
3 Werder Bremen 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
4 Panathinaikos 2 0 0 2 1 5 -4 0

UEFA Champions League : Group C Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Barcelona 2 2 0 0 5 2 3 6
2 Shakhtar Donetsk 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 3
3 Sporting Lisbon 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 3
4 Basle 2 0 0 2 1 4 -3 0

UEFA Champions League : Group D Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Atletico Madrid 2 2 0 0 5 1 4 6
2 Liverpool 2 2 0 0 5 2 3 6
3 Marseille 2 0 0 2 2 4 -2 0
4 PSV Eindhoven 2 0 0 2 1 6 -5 0

UEFA Champions League : Group E Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Man Utd 2 1 1 0 3 0 3 4
2 Villarreal 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 4
3 Celtic 2 0 1 1 0 1 -1 1
4 AaB Aalborg 2 0 1 1 0 3 -3 1

UEFA Champions League : Group F Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Bayern Munich 2 1 1 0 2 1 1 4
2 Fiorentina 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 2
3 Lyon 2 0 2 0 3 3 0 2
4 Steaua Bucharest 2 0 1 1 0 1 -1 1

UEFA Champions League : Group G Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Arsenal 2 1 1 0 5 1 4 4
2 FC Porto 2 1 0 1 3 5 -2 3
3 Dynamo Kiev 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 2
4 Fenerbahce 2 0 1 1 1 3 -2 1

UEFA Champions League : Group H Table

P W D L F A GD PTS
1 Real Madrid 2 2 0 0 4 1 3 6
2 Juventus 2 1 1 0 3 2 1 4
3 BATE Borisov 2 0 1 1 2 4 -2 1
4 Zenit St Petersburg 2 0 0 2 1 3 -2 0

Teams level on points are separated by:

1) The results of games between the teams in the tie (if tied, by goal difference and then by away goals counting double).

2) Goal difference in all group games.

3) Highest number of goals scored in all games.

4) Highest Uefa ranking over the previous five seasons.

[westdog54]

Little Stevie Gerrard scored a cracker didn't he.

And another.

Kinda gets repetitive after a while doesn't it.:)

[The Coon Dog]

And another.

Kinda gets repetitive after a while doesn't it.:)

Never! ;)

* Steven Gerrard

to the tune of ‘Que Sera, Sera’:

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard,
He’ll pass the ball 40 yards,
He’s big and he’s ****in’ hard,
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard.

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard,
He’ll pass the ball 40 yards,
He’s better than Fat Lampard,
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard.



Doesn't score too many tap ins.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/202830/new_steven_gerrard_top_10/

[Mantis]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6piq8AwImU

Bullet!!

[westdog54]

Never! ;)

* Steven Gerrard

to the tune of ‘Que Sera, Sera’:

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard,
He’ll pass the ball 40 yards,
He’s big and he’s ****in’ hard,
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard.

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard,
He’ll pass the ball 40 yards,
He’s better than Fat Lampard,
Steve Gerrard, Gerrard.



Doesn't score too many tap ins.

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/202830/new_steven_gerrard_top_10/

Only 4 words are necessary after watching that video.

My Goodness Gracious me.

Not one of those keepers stood an earthly chance of making a save.

Freak and a half. If I'm starting a club from scratch and I have my pick of any player in the world he's my skipper.

[namdarb]

What a freak. That was some of the best ball striking I have seen!

[Mantis]

Match Day 3 Results

Group E

Villarreal (ESP) 6 (Rossi 28, Capdevila 33, Llorente 67, 70, 84, Pires 79) Aalborg (DEN) 3 (Saganowski 19, Enevoldsen 36, Johansson 77)

Manchester United (ENG) 3 (Berbatov 30, 51, Rooney 76) Celtic (SCO) 0

Group F

Bayern Munich (GER) 3 (Klose 4, Schweinsteiger 25, Ze Roberto 90) Fiorentina (ITA) 0

Steaua Bucharest (ROM) 3 (Arthuro 8, Golan 11, Petre 45) Lyon (FRA) 5 (Keita 23, Benzema 33, 71, Fred 69, 90+2)

Group G

Fenerbahce (TUR) 2 (Silvestre 19-og, Guiza 78) Arsenal (ENG) 5 (Adebayor 10, Walcott 11, Diaby 22, Song 49, Ramsey 90+4)

FC Porto (POR) 0 Dynamo Kiev (UKR) 1 (Aliyev 27)

Group H

Juventus (ITA) 2 (Del Piero 5, Amauri 49) Real Madrid (ESP) 1 (van Nistelrooy 66)

Zenit St Petersburg (RUS) 1 (Tekke 80) BATE Borisov (BLR) 1 (Nekhaychik 52)

-----------------

Some high scoring games there. Do they still show the highlights on SBS? Might be worth watching.

[Chops]

My side Fiorentina aren't up to it. Need champions league experience.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I've never seen so many goals.


Villarreal 6
Aalborg 3

Were they playing tennis?

5-3, 5-2.
Have they stopped using goalkeepers?

[The Coon Dog]

Matchday 3

Group A
Chelsea 1 (Terry 78)
Roma 0

Bordeaux 1 (Cadu 54 og)
CFR Cluj-Napoca 0



Group B
Inter Milan 1 (Leite 44)
Anorthosis Famagusta 0

Panathinaikos 2 (Mantzios 36,68)
Werder Bremen 2 (Mertesacker 29 Almeida 83)



Group C
Basle 0
Barcelona 5 (Messi 4 Busquets 15 Perez 22,46 Hernandez Creus 48)

Shakhtar Donetsk 0
Sporting Lisbon 1 (da Silva Muniz 76)



Group D
Atletico Madrid 1 (Simao 83)
Liverpool 1 (Keane 14)

PSV 2 (Koevermans 71,85)
Marseille 0

[westdog54]

My side Fiorentina aren't up to it. Need champions league experience.

Where were they seeded (assuming the Champions League uses seeding as the World Cup does.

[KT31]

As a Liverpool fan I'm very happy, particularly picking up 3 points away from home.

TCD not only great taste in a AFL team.

And at least with the Reds we have a chance of finals victory.

When you walk through a storm hold your head up high !

[westdog54]

TCD not only great taste in a AFL team.

And at least with the Reds we have a chance of finals victory.

As you walk through a storm hold your head up high !

Shouldn't that be when you walk through a storm?

[The Coon Dog]

Matchday 4

Group A

CFR Cluj-Napoca 1 (Dani 10 )
Bordeaux 2 (Gourcuff 6, Wendell 38)

Roma 3 (Panucci 34, Vucinic 48 ,58)
Chelsea 1 (Terry 75)


Chelsea 4 2 1 1 6 3 7
Roma 4 2 0 2 7 5 6
Bordeaux 4 2 0 2 4 8 6
CFR Cluj 4 1 1 2 3 4 4


Group B

Anorthosis Famagusta 3 (Bardon 31, Panagi 45, Frousos 50)
Inter Milan 3 (Balotelli 14, Materazzi 45, Cruz 81)

Werder Bremen 0
Panathinaikos 3 (Mantzios 58, Karagounis 70, Tziolis 83)

Inter Milan 4 2 2 0 7 4 8
Anorthosis Famagusta 4 1 2 1 6 5 5
Panathinaikos 4 1 1 2 6 7 4
Werder Bremen 4 0 3 1 3 6 3


Group C

Barcelona 1 (Messi 62)
Basle 1 (Derdiyok 83)

Sporting Lisbon 1 (Derlei 73)
Shakhtar Donetsk 0

Barcelona 4 3 1 0 11 3 10
Sporting Lisbon 4 3 0 1 5 3 9
Shakhtar Donetsk 4 1 0 3 3 5 3
Basle 4 0 1 3 2 10 1


Group D

Liverpool 1 (Gerrard 90, Pen)
Atletico Madrid 1 (Maxi 37)

Marseille 3 (Kone 30, Niang 63, 71)
PSV 0


Atletico Madrid 4 2 2 0 7 3 8
Liverpool 4 2 2 0 7 4 8
Marseille 4 1 0 3 5 6 3
PSV Eindhoven 4 1 0 3 3 9 3

Group E

AaB 2 (Curth 54, Due 81)
Villarreal 2 (Rossi 41, Franco 75)

Celtic 1 (McDonald 13)
Man Utd 1 (Giggs 84)

Manchester United 4 2 2 0 7 1 8
Villarreal 4 2 2 0 9 5 8
Celtic 4 0 2 2 1 5 2
Aalborg 4 0 2 2 5 11 2


Group F

Fiorentina 1 (Mutu 10)
Bayern Munich 1 (Borowski 78)

Lyon 2 (Juninho 44, Reveillere 89)
Steaua Bucuresti 0

Lyon 4 2 2 0 10 6 8
Bayern Munich 4 2 2 0 6 2 8
Fiorentina 4 0 3 1 3 6 3
Steaua Bucharest 4 0 1 3 3 8 1


Group G

Arsenal 0
Fenerbahce 0

Dynamo Kiev 1 (Milevskiy 21)
FC Porto 2 (Rolando 69, Gonzalez 90)

Arsenal 4 2 2 0 10 3 8
Porto 4 2 0 2 5 7 6
Dynamo Kiev 4 1 2 1 3 3 5
Fenerbahce 4 0 2 2 3 8 2


Group H

BATE 0
Zenit St Petersburg 2 (Pogrebniak 34, Danny 90)

Real Madrid 0
Juventus 2 (Del Piero 17,67)

Juventus 4 3 1 0 7 3 10
Real Madrid 4 2 0 2 5 5 6
Zenit St Petersburg 4 1 1 2 4 4 4
BATE 4 0 2 2 3 7 2

[MrMahatma]

Managed to get to Arsenal vs Fenerbache on Wednesday night. 0-0. Unlucky. Great stadium though.

Off to Stamford Bridge on 9 December for Chelsea v CFR (Romania) also. Looking forward to that.

[The Coon Dog]

Rather than go through all the results, here are the standings:

Group A
1 Roma 12
2 Chelsea 11
3 Bordeaux 7
4 CFR 1907 Cluj-Napoca 4

Group B
1 Panathinaikos 10
2 Inter Milan 8
3 Werder Bremen 7
4 Anorthosis Famagusta 6

Group C
1 Barcelona 13
2 Sporting 12
3 Shakhtar Donetsk 9
4 Basle 1

Group D
1 Liverpool 14
2 Atletico Madrid 12
3 Marseille 4
4 PSV 3

Group E
1 Man Utd 10
2 Villarreal 9
3 AaB 6
4 Celtic 5

Group F
1 Bayern Munich 14
2 Lyon 11
3 Fiorentina 6
4 Steaua Bucuresti 1

Group G
1 FC Porto 12
2 Arsenal 11
3 Dynamo Kiev 8
4 Fenerbahce 2

Group H
1 Juventus 12
2 Real Madrid 12
3 Zenit St Petersburg 5
4 BATE Borisov 3


The top 2 in each group progress to the knock out stages, 3rd goes into the UEFA Cup & last is outski.

The 8 teams finishing first are in one pot & the 8 runners up are in another pot. The top team plays the second leg at home. Teams can't be drawn to play another team from the same country or their group. For example, Liverpool cannot play Chelsea or Arsenal as they come from England or Athletico Madrid who were in their grou. It means Liverpool must play one of Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Villareal, Lyon or Real Madrid.

[The Coon Dog]

The draw for the knock out stages have just been completed. The ties are over 2 legs with the group winners playing the return legs at home.


Ties to be played 25/25 February & 10/11 March.

Last 16 draw:

Chelsea v Juventus

Villarreal v Panathinaikos

Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich

Atlético Madrid v FC Porto

Lyon v Barcelona

Real Madrid v Liverpool

Arsenal v Roma

Inter Milan v Manchester United


A few mouth watering ties Chelsea v Juventus, Inter Milan v Manchester United & Real Madrid v Liverpool being the pick of them.

[The Underdog]

The draw for the knock out stages have just been completed. The ties are over 2 legs with the group winners playing the return legs at home.


Ties to be played 25/25 February & 10/11 March.

Last 16 draw:

Chelsea v Juventus

Villarreal v Panathinaikos

Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich

Atlético Madrid v FC Porto

Lyon v Barcelona

Real Madrid v Liverpool

Arsenal v Roma

Inter Milan v Manchester United


A few mouth watering ties Chelsea v Juventus, Inter Milan v Manchester United & Real Madrid v Liverpool being the pick of them.

Madrid and Liverpool, TCD, I'd put some money on it with you but I'm not that stupid. Shame Chelski didn't get Inter, that would've been fun, although Inter and Man U is pretty huge.

[The Coon Dog]

So who will be the 8 teams to progress when the first leg ties are played this week?

Tuesday, 24 February 2009

Arsenal v Roma

Atletico Madrid v FC Porto

Inter Milan v Man Utd

Lyon v Barcelona

Wednesday, 25 February 2009

Chelsea v Juventus

Real Madrid v Liverpool

Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich

Villarreal v Panathinaikos


I'm tipping:

Roma, Porto, Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea, Liverpool, Bayern Munich & Panathinaikos.

[Mantis]

Results of the o/n games:

Arsenal 1 - Roma 0
Inter 0 - Man Utd 0
Lyon 1 - Barcelona 1
Atletico Madrid 2 - FC Porto 2

[The Coon Dog]

This mornings results:

Chelsea 1 - Juventus 0
Sprting Lisbon 0 - Bayern Munich 5
Villarreal 1 - Panathanaikos 1
Real Madrid 0 - Liverpool 1

[Sockeye Salmon]

This mornings results:

Chelsea 1 - Juventus 0
Sprting Lisbon 0 - Bayern Munich 5
Villarreal 1 - Panathanaikos 1
Real Madrid 0 - Liverpool 1

That's a good result for Liverpool. Reasonable one for Bayern Munich as well, I suppose.

[The Coon Dog]

This mornings results:

Liverpool 4 - Real Madrid 0
Agg: 5-0

Juventus 2 - Chelsea 2
Agg: 2-3

Bayern Munich 7 - Sporting Lisbon 1
Agg: 12 -1

Panathinakos 1 - Villarreal 2
Agg: 2-3

So Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich & Villarreal progress to the last 8.

[The Underdog]

This mornings results:

Liverpool 4 - Real Madrid 0
Agg: 5-0

Juventus 2 - Chelsea 2
Agg: 2-3

Bayern Munich 7 - Sporting Lisbon 1
Agg: 12 -1

Panathinakos 1 - Villarreal 2
Agg: 2-3

So Liverpool, Chelsea, Bayern Munich & Villarreal progress to the last 8.

If it wasn't for their one goal I'd have assumed Sporting Lisbon missed their flight to Munich. 12-1 over 2 legs is ridiculous at this level of competition.
Also irrefutable proof that Real Madrid are a long way off being one of the best teams in Europe any more. Wonder who'll be their coach next week:rolleyes:

[craigsahibee]

The English game seems to be thriving although their national team constantly underachieve.

If Man U win tomorrow morning at home and Arsenal stay on level terms with A S Roma (or better) there will be 4 English teams left in the Final 8.

Where is the final being played? The residents might want to start planning precautionary action now.

[Chops]

The English game seems to be thriving although their national team constantly underachieve.


They have a decent manager for the first time for a while, the manager Australia should have bid for.

[Chops]

Where is the final being played? The residents might want to start planning precautionary action now.

Rome I believe

[The Coon Dog]

This mornings results:

Manchester United 2 - Inter Milan 0
Agg: 2-0

Barcelona 5 - Lyon 2
Agg: 6-3

Porto 0 - Atletico Madrid 0
Agg: 2-2
Porto win on away goals

Roma 1 - Arsenal 0 (after extra time)
Agg: 1-1
Penalty Shoot Out:
Arsenal:@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
Roma:@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @
Arsenal win 7-6 on penalties.


So Manchester United, Barcelona, Porto & Arsenal progress to the last 8.

[The Coon Dog]

So, the last 8 has all 4 English clubs along with 2 from Spain & 1 each from Germany & Portugal.

The draw for the Quarter Finals will be made on Friday 20 March & the following clubs are still alive:

Arsenal (Eng)
Barcelona (Esp)
Bayern Munich (Ger)
Chelsea (Eng)
Liverpool (Eng)
Manchester United (Eng)
Porto (Por)
Villarreal (Esp)

Gee the draw will be interesting!!

[Remi Moses]

Do English clubs avoid one another at the quarter final stage? Not a vintage effort from United but job done.hard to believe how the tide has turned with English teams dominating and not one Italian side in the quarters.

[Mantis]

Do English clubs avoid one another at the quarter final stage? Not a vintage effort from United but job done.hard to believe how the tide has turned with English teams dominating and not one Italian side in the quarters.

Nah, I'm reasonably certain it's just a free for all.

[The Coon Dog]

Do English clubs avoid one another at the quarter final stage? Not a vintage effort from United but job done.hard to believe how the tide has turned with English teams dominating and not one Italian side in the quarters.

From UEFA's website
(http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=809373.html)

There will be an English flavour to the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon on Friday 20 March after Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC swelled the Premier League contingent to four by eliminating Italian opposition on Wednesday.

Open draw
Holders United, 2-0 winners on the night and on aggregate against FC Internazionale Milano, join Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC in the hat along with an Arsenal side who needed penalties to oust AS Roma after both legs finished 1-0 to the home team. FC Barcelona and east-coast rivals Villarreal CF are also still involved, although fellow Spanish Liga side Club Atlético de Madrid were knocked out by FC Porto on away goals. FC Bayern München, 12-1 aggregate victors against Sporting Clube de Portugal, complete the eight-team lineup. The draw is open and without country protection.

Stadio Olimpico final
The event at UEFA HQ begins from 12.00CET and will be conducted by UEFA General Secretary David Taylor and the ambassador for the Rome final, Bruno Conti. The quarter-final first legs will be played on 7/8 April and the return matches the following week. The four winning teams will know who they will meet in the semi-finals – taking place on 28/29 April and 5/6 May – as those pairings will also be decided during the draw ceremony. The final will be played on Wednesday 27 May at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 20.45CET.

[The Coon Dog]

Who's your money on in the Champions League? Sportsmail's team-by-team guide to the last eight (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1161480/Whos-money-Champions-League-Sportsmails-team-team-guide-eight.html?ITO=1490)

We're down to the quarter final stage of the Champions League with four English clubs still involved. Exciting, isn't it?

It hasn't been a good week for the Italian clubs, with Roma, Juventus and Inter Milan all saying arrivederci to European competition, leaving two Spanish representatives (Barcelona and Villarreal), a Portuguese club (FC Porto) and a lone German side, Bayern Munich, to try and upset the English domination.

The Barclays Premier League sides could well be drawn against each other at the quarter-final stage, where there is no seeding or protection against drawing a club from your own domestic league.

Could there be another chapter in the Liverpool versus Chelsea saga? Or a European duel between Wenger and Ferguson? And who's going to be drawn against Barcelona, the joint favourites with Manchester United?

Bookmakers William Hill are offering odds of 2/1 on another all-English final come May 27 at Rome's Stadio Olimpico.

With the draw set to take place in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday March 20, Sportsmail looks at the eight clubs still involved in Europe's premier club competition.

Who's your money on? Can Manchester United become the first team to retain the Champions League? Will Liverpool win their sixth European crown?

Or can Barcelona stop the English teams going all the way?


ARSENAL

With Eduardo and Walcott returning to first team action and Emmanuel Adebayor set to recover from a hamstring problem, things look brighter for Arsene Wenger.

But Arsenal remain in fifth place in the Premier
League and have an FA Cup quarter-final to think about as well - which is more important for Arsene Wenger?

Record so far: Pld 10 W 6 D 2 L 2 F 28 A 6

Road to the quarter-finals: A 6-0 aggregate win over Steve McClaren's FC Twente in the Third Qualifying Round; second in Group G after losing 2-0 away to Porto in the last game; victory on penalties over Roma in the first knock-out round.

Potential matchwinner: Robin van Persie, although the return of Theo Walcott will help Arsenal's chances of progressing to the semi-finals.

Odds: 15/2


BARCELONA

The Nou Camp club are running away with La Liga and look a threat in Europe as well.

Considered alongside Manchester United as the favourites for the competition, the English clubs will be keen to avoid a quarter-final clash with Barcelona, who are scoring plenty of goals in the Champions League.

Record: Pld 10 W6 D2 L2 F 22 A 12

Road to the quarter-finals: 4-1 aggregate win over Wista Krakow in the Third Qualifying Round (though Barcelona lost the away leg 1-0); top of Group C, suffering just the one loss, a 3-2 home defeat to FC Shakhtar Donetsk after qualification was assured; 6-3 win over two legs against Lyon in the first knock-out round.

Potential matchwinner: Lionel Messi has six goals in seven Champions League appearances, but there's also Samuel Eto'o or Thierry Henry to think about,

Odds: 5/2 Joint favourites


BAYERN MUNICH

Jurgen Klinsmann's unbeaten side are moving quietly through the draw without many people giving them a chance, but a 12-1 aggregate victory over Sporting Lisbon - a record margin of victory in a post-group stage knockout game - is something to shout about.

The goal-scoring ability of Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose, coupled with the build up play of Franck Ribery, makes the German outfit a dangerous proposition in the quarter-finals - unestimate them at your peril.

Record: Pld 8 W 6 D 2 L0 F 24 A 5

Road to the quarter-finals: Bayern qualified for the group stages as Bundesliga champions, winning Group F without losing a game and annihilating Sporting Lisbon 12-1 in the first knock-out stage.

Potential matchwinner: Ribery has contributed the most assists of any player in the Champions League draw this season, setting up seven goals for Bayern in six appearances. He's hit the target on three occasions as well.

Odds: 10/1


CHELSEA

The Blues are looking to avenge their Champions League final penalties loss to Manchester United last year and came through a tough tie against Juventus by the skin of their teeth.

They are considered 5-1 third favourites by the bookies, but will be keen to avoid a European re-match with a Liverpool side firing on all cylinders in the Champions League.

Record: Pld 8 W 4 D 3 L 1 F 15 A 8

Road to the quarter-finals: The Blues qualified for the group stages automatically, finishing second in Group A behind a Roma side that beat 10-man Chelsea 3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico. Under new manager Guus Hiddink Chelsea ground out a 3-2 aggregate win over Juventus in the first knock-out round.

Potential matchwinner: The rejuvenated Didier Drogba, enjoying a new lease of life under a new boss.

Odds: 5-1


LIVERPOOL

A 19th domestic title may have slipped from Liverpool's grasp, but Rafa Benitez and his team showed they still know how to win in Europe with an emphatic 5-0 aggregate win over Real Madrid. European nights at Anfield always have a special edge and Benitez has a proven track record in Europe.

The Champions League is Liverpool's only realistic chance of a trophy this season and all eyes will be on making that final on May 27.

Record: Pld 10 W 7 D 3 L 0 F 17 A 5

Road to the quarter-finals: Liverpool stuttered against Standard Liege in the Third Qualifying Round but scraped through to a 1-0 aggregate win. The Reds were unbeaten in Group D, finishing top above Fernando Torres' former club, Atletico Madrid, and continued to dominate teams from the Spanish capital with a resounding 5-0 aggregate victory over Real Madrid.

Potential matchwinner: Steven Gerrard. The Champions League's joint top-scorer with seven goals, Gerrard has a knack of hitting the back of the net for Liverpool when it matters most.

Odds: 6/1


MANCHESTER UNITED

Sir Alex Ferguson's side may have drawn five of their eight Champions League games this season, but they know how to win when it matters. Manchester United haven't yet hit top gear in Europe this season, which is a worrying thought for the other seven teams left in the competition. Can Fergie emulated Cloughie by retaining Europe's premier trophy? You wouldn't bet against it.

Record: Pld 8 W 3 D 5 L 0 F 11 A 3

Road to the quarter-finals: The Premier League champions drew four of their Group E games but still finished ahead of Villarreal, Aalborg and Celtic. The knock-out clash against Mourinho's Inter Milan didn't quite produce the fireworks the build up merited, but Sir Alex Ferguson's side achieved a workmanlike 2-0 aggregate win.

Potential matchwinner: Cristiano Ronaldo has not quite achieved the heights of his domestic domination on the European stage, so is he due a dazzling display? Ryan Giggs, aged 35, can still pull the strings for United in the big games.

Odds: 5/2 Joint favourites


FC PORTO

The Portuguese league leaders are rated as one of the weaker sides left in the draw after reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since their 2003-04 victory under Jose Mourinho.

Porto's captain, Lucho, spoke of 'enjoying the moment' after a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid saw his side progress to the next round, but it would be a surprise to see them in the semi-final draw. Porto did beat Arsenal 2-0 at home in the group stages, but qualification was already assured for both sides.

Record: Pld 8 W 4 D 2 L 2 F 9 A 10

Road to the quarter-finals: Porto topped Group G but suffered two defeats, a 4-0 reverse at the Emirates and a 1-0 loss at home to Dynamo Kiev. The Portuguese side progressed to the quarter finals after a 2-2 aggregate draw with Atletico Madrid, going through on away goals.

Potential matchwinner: Six goals in eight appearances for striker Argentina striker Lisandro, whose two away goals in Madrid saw Porto through to the quarter-finals.

Odds: 33/1


VILLARREAL

Any side that holds Manchester United to 0-0 home and away cannot be dismissed, but a team 12 points behind Real Madrid in La Liga must rank as one of the also-rans in the Champions League draw despite the best efforts of manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Record: Pld 8 W 3 D 4 L 1 F 12 A 9

Road to the quarter-finals: Second in Group E behind Manchester United, despite drawing three games and losing one, Villarreal progressed to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 aggregate win over Panathinaikos.

Potential matchwinner: Spain's Joseba Llorente has scored four of Villarreal's 12 Champions League goals this season.

Odds: 25/1

[The Coon Dog]

If you want to see the goals & highlights of all this weeks games including the penalty shoot out:

Highlights (http://www.everyoneweb.fr/livesoccer/) then on the menu on the left click on Champions League Goals.

[The Coon Dog]

The draw for the Quarter Finals has seen Liverpool & Chelsea drawn to meet one another for the 5th consecutive season.

Quarter-finals


Villarreal v Arsenal

Manchester United v Porto

Liverpool v Chelsea

Barcelona v Bayern Munich


# First legs will be played on April 7/8.

# Second legs will be played on April 14/15.



Semi-finals

Manchester United/Porto v Villarreal/Arsenal

Barcelona/Bayern Munich v Liverpool/Chelsea


# First legs will be played on April 28/29.

# Second legs will be played on May 5/6.

[Remi Moses]

Dare I say it united have a decent draw. Although on the flip side an effort like the one last Saturday :mad::mad::mad:Fair play CD your lads were great:mad:

[Glove38]

Man U again with another good draw.

[The Coon Dog]

Results overnight in the first legs:

Manchester United 2 (Rooney 15, Tevez 85)
Porto 2 (Rodriguez 4, Gonzalez 89)

Villarreal 1 (Senna 10)
Arsenal 1 (Adebayor 66)


Manchester United will need to be at their best to progress & Arsenal will be satisfied with an away goal.

[Mantis]

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

Barcelona 4 (Messi 9' 38', Eto'o 12', Henry 43')
Bayern Munich 0

[Chops]

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


I suppose TCD is still crying to give out this result.

[Remi Moses]

United always looked vulnerable on the counter attack. Lost form at the wrong time,I think they'll still get through. Saw the second half Chelsea were very impressive throughly deserved the result. Barcelona for mine will win it.

[The Coon Dog]

Scores this morning:

Chelsea 4 (Drogba 51, Alex 57, Lampard 76, Lampard 88)
Liverpool 4 (Aurellio 19, Alonso 28 Pen, Levia 81, Kuyt 82)

Chelsea win 7-5 on aggregate.


Bayern Munich 1 (Keita 73)
Barcelona 1 (Ribery 47)

Barcelona win 5-1 on aggregate.

[Mantis]

Bayern Munich 1 (Keita 73)
Barcelona 1 (Ribery 47)

Barcelona win 5-1 on aggregate.

The goal scorers should be the other one around .ie. Ribery plays for Bayern

[The Underdog]

The goal scorers should be the other one around .ie. Ribery plays for Bayern

It might only be a matter of time before he is playing for Barca if you believe the reports.

[Remi Moses]

Great game for the neutrals the reault was settled a week ago
What a wonderful coach Guus is Chelsea looked stuffed at half time and a bit of tinkering and came out a different side.Personally think Barca are home and hosed

[The Coon Dog]

This mornings scores:

Arsenal 3 (Walcott 10, Adebayor 60, Van Persie Pen 69)
Villarreal 0

Arsenal win 4-1 on aggregate.


Porto 0
Manchester United 1 (Ronaldo 6)

Manchester United win 3-2 on aggregate.


Semi Finals are:

Manchester United v Arsenal

Barcelona v Chelsea

[Remi Moses]

Unbelievable goal from Ronaldo pretty good result. The first English side to win in Portugal:D:D

[The Coon Dog]

Unbelievable goal from Ronaldo pretty good result. The first English side to win in Portugal:D:D

AApnfk_pUaY

[The Coon Dog]

Semi Final 1st Leg

Barcelona 0
Chelsea 0

[Mantis]

Semi Final 1st Leg

Barcelona 0
Chelsea 0

Great result for Aussie Guus and his charges. Caught a bit of the game this morning and it seemed that Hiddink's defensive tactics worked liked a dream and resulted in keeping Barca scoreless for the first time at the Nou Camp all season.

[Glove38]

Interesting result there TCD.

Arsenal will be happy with the 1-0 result, they played like crap.

[Remi Moses]

Gee United might regret not scoring 3 or 4. Having said that the Arse have a very vulnerable back four that was opened up easily
I reckon the nil all draw isn't disasterous for Barca,Chelsea parked the bus depot in front of the keeper.

[The Coon Dog]

2nd leg result this morning:

Arsenal 1 (Van Persie 76 Pen)
Manchester United 3 (Park 8, Ronaldo 11, 61)

Manchester United win 4-1 on aggregate & progress to the Champions League final later this month in Rome.

[M.R.M]

Gunners absolutely smashed. They've done well to get to the semi final but the board really needs to throw money to Wenger. Kids can only get you so far and they haven't replaced the experienced player loses from the past 4 years or so. The likes of:

Henry, Pires, Seaman, Freddie, Parlour, Berkamp, Edu, Van Bronkhurst, Lauren, Campbell etc etc.

All he's done is sign young players, and while these players are stars of the future, they simply don't have the execution and experience of the players mentioned.

[Mantis]

Essien - hero to zero.

[The Coon Dog]

2nd leg result this morning:

Chelsea 1 (Essien 9)
Barcelona 1 (Iniesta 90+3)

Barcelona progress to the final on the away goals rule after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.

Sensational finish as 10 men Barca scored in the 3rd minute of injury time.

Manchester United v Barcelona in the Champions League Final later this month in Rome.

[GVGjr]

2nd leg result this morning:

Chelsea 1 (Essien 9)
Barcelona 1 (Iniesta 90+3)

Barcelona progress to the final on the away goals rule after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.

Sensational finish as 10 men Barca scored in the 3rd minute of injury time.

Manchester United v Barcelona in the Champions League Final later this month in Rome.


Whats the prediction there TCD?

[Mantis]

How was the carry on by the Chelski players to the referee at the final whistle.

If that happened in our game they would all be facing life bans.

[The Coon Dog]

Manyoo, as much as I hate to say it, just can't see them being pipped.

On the Chelsea v Barca clash, absolutely disgraceful scenes late on & after the final whistle by many of the Chelsea players.

In the last minute another Chelsea penalty appeal turned down & Ballack chases, touches & constantly berates the referee over 25 yards; how he only got a yellow card is beyond me.

Drogba also only copped a yellow card after the final whistle for all his finger pointing in the ref's face & constant berating of him. His team mates had to drag him from the field after he preferred to remain on the pitch swearing into the TV cameras.

At the final whistle the ref was swamped by a cluster of angry Chelsea players who were less than impressed over a number of penalty shouts for handball that weren't given.

I hope UEFA look at the vision (I'm sure they will) & ban Chelsea from Europe next season. They won't though, they'll just fine them a token amount which would be loose change in the console for Roman Abramavich.

[craigsahibee]

I could not believe what I was seeing after the ref turned down the appeal for handball in injury time.

Michael Ballack's reaction was nothing short of disgraceful. The Ref should have immediately stopped the game and presented him with a red card.

As for the actions of his team mates after the final whistle, I am sure the Chelsea Football Club would not be proud of what occurred.

UEFA must discipline the club through points sanctions if they qualify for next years tournament or a substantial club fine and individual players.

[Mantis]

UEFA must discipline the club through points sanctions if they qualify for next years tournament or a substantial club fine and individual players.

Like Roman or the players will care about fines with the amount of coin they make.

As TCD stated kick them out of the Champions League next season.

[Remi Moses]

Pleased where going to get a decent final. Chelsea paid the price for that bus parking effort at the Nou Camp,personally thought Barca were lucky to get through. That petulence from Drogba and Ballack should be met with harsh penalties,no doubt Chelsea had a good shout for a pen but that was totally unacceptable. tremendous performance from United Ronaldo really starting to hit his straps. must have been a great performance as Wenger didn't moan about the ref or his players getting constantly fouled. :p:p

[Glove38]

Gunners absolutely smashed. They've done well to get to the semi final but the board really needs to throw money to Wenger. Kids can only get you so far and they haven't replaced the experienced player loses from the past 4 years or so. The likes of:

Henry, Pires, Seaman, Freddie, Parlour, Berkamp, Edu, Van Bronkhurst, Lauren, Campbell etc etc.

All he's done is sign young players, and while these players are stars of the future, they simply don't have the execution and experience of the players mentioned.

Kroenke has just increased his stake in the club, i expect him to put money into the squad next transfer period.

[westdog54]

Like Roman or the players will care about fines with the amount of coin they make.

As TCD stated kick them out of the Champions League next season.

Agree 150%. Absolutely disgraceful effort by the Chelsea players. The've brought their club, the English FA and UEFA into disrepute and should be right-royally smacked by all 3. As for John Terry's effort in the press conference. He's the captain of his club and above that rubbish. Pitiful really.

[Chops]

There is no doubt the players behaved poorly but the official should never be allowed to referee a match of such importance again.
I have no problem his rejected penalties claims with contact fouls in the area, they were a bit soft but the 2 hand balls were are clear as you can get. Barcelona's can also claim being hard done by in the sending off as it was very soft as well.
I can see why the referee didn't want to give Chelsea penalties after the theatrics by Drojba when supposely fouled in the area. The refs failure to take control of the game was he biggest issue, players should not be allowed to get away with the animated protests. It set the tone for what happened at the end.

[The Coon Dog]

Uefa charges Drogba and Bosingwa (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8043277.stm)

Uefa has charged Chelsea players Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa for insulting the referee after their Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona.

Disciplinary proceedings have also been initiated against Chelsea for the improper conduct of their players and the throwing of missiles by their fans.

Uefa has asked for a response by 29 May and will deal with the case on 17 June.

The Blues lost their semi-final after a series of controversial refereeing decisions by Tom Henning Ovrebo.

The Norwegian turned down a host of strong penalty appeals from Chelsea during their 1-1, second leg game at Stamford Bridge on 6 May that saw Barca go through on away goals.

Drogba and several team-mates surrounded Ovrebo after the final whistle to remonstrate with the Norwegian official over several of his decisions.

Drogba continued his verbal attack even after being cautioned, and had to be restrained as Ovrebo went down the tunnel.

Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink had said he hoped Uefa "might perfectly understand that the big apology of his was OK."

But a Uefa statement said: "The club are charged with the improper conduct of their players and the throwing of missiles by their supporters.

"Drogba and Bosingwa are accused of being in breach of the principles of sportsmanship by insulting the referee by making offensive comments."

Bosingwa is in trouble for comments he made to Portuguese television station RTP after the game.

"I don't know if he's a referee or a thief," said Bosingwa at the time. "I don't have any words to describe that man that was on the pitch."

He later also issued an apology, saying: "We were all very disappointed and frustrated after the game, but I regret describing the referee as a thief. Having had some time to reflect I would like to withdraw those comments."

[The Coon Dog]

http://www.goodlogo.com/images/logos/fc_barcelona_logo_3002.gif 2 (Eto'o 10, Messi 70)

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_l-eZXmQP6hs/SSzPWZI_anI/AAAAAAAAARw/eVmLMmcCEGY/s320/632px-Manchester_United_Football_Clubin_logo.svg.png 0

[Chops]

Now at the last European I was bagged here for saying C Ronaldo was not the world's best player. Once again he has failed to prove himself at world level (be it a club game). Compare Messi with Ronaldo and who is better?

[Mantis]

Now at the last European I was bagged here for saying C Ronaldo was not the world's best player. Once again he has failed to prove himself at world level (be it a club game). Compare Messi with Ronaldo and who is better?

Ronaldo was not helped by the insipid performance of his team-mates. One would think that the simple task of knocking the ball around wouldn't be too difficult, but even that task was too hard for quite a few of the Man U players.

Both are brilliant players and deciding who is the better player comes down to personal opinion.

[Chops]

Ronaldo was not helped by the insipid performance of his team-mates. One would think that the simple task of knocking the ball around wouldn't be too difficult, but even that task was too hard for quite a few of the Man U players.

Both are brilliant players and deciding who is the better player comes down to personal opinion.
I only saw the last 20 minutes in which Ronaldo was unsighted.
My point prior was you can't be the best player in the world if you have done bugger all at international level. Neither have really proved themselves at international level but the Champions League Final is the next best thing.
Personally I would rather have Messi than the whinging pretty boy.

[Mantis]

I only saw the last 20 minutes in which Ronaldo was unsighted.
My point prior was you can't be the best player in the world if you have done bugger all at international level. Neither have really proved themselves at international level but the Champions League Final is the next best thing.
Personally I would rather have Messi than the whinging pretty boy.

I watched the entire match and bar the first 10 minutes Ronaldo had a quiet game. As I previously posted he wasn't helped by his team-mates up the field who were also well below their best.

As far as who you would want in your team it comes down to personal preference, you hate Ronald so you want Messi, others may see it differently. Either way they are both exceptional players who will be major players at next years WC.

[Lantern]

I only saw the last 20 minutes in which Ronaldo was unsighted.
My point prior was you can't be the best player in the world if you have done bugger all at international level. Neither have really proved themselves at international level but the Champions League Final is the next best thing.
Personally I would rather have Messi than the whinging pretty boy.

That's a strange line of logic Ern.

Man U won the Champions League final last year and Ronaldo was the best player in that match (as well as in the semis when they beat Messi's Barcelona and the quarters before that). He had also scored in every Champions League stage up to the final this year (scoring the winner against Porto in the quarters and twice against Arsenal in the semis).

Actually, until today, MESSI was the one who had done bugger all at international level, and was non-existent in the lucky semi-final win over Chelsea.

I personally don't LOVE either player -- I would take Iniesta and Xavi over either of them as their cultured passing is more to my taste, and they're certainly proven at international level (Spain having been the dominant international team over the last three years) -- but to say that Messi is somehow more credentialed than Ronaldo on the strength of one game (and it wasn't as if Messi dominated this match) is a weird argument.

---

ps. Certainly agree about the 'whinging pretty boy' part though, and by the same token, can't stand Puyol, whinging ugly old man.

[Remi Moses]

Whinging pretty boy is quite a handy type,but had apoor match this morning. United were dreadful but that was master class from Messi and Barcelona. Completely outplayed by a wonderful football side.

[Twodogs]

Whinging pretty boy is quite a handy type,but had apoor match this morning. United were dreadful but that was master class from Messi and Barcelona. Completely outplayed by a wonderful football side.



I love watching a side that combines well and knocks off the team that's full of stars. It's what sports all about.


BTW for a guy on the losing side how good was Wayne Rooney? He's gone from a bloke who looked like he could only play as a striker to a hard unit all over the pitch.

[Chops]

As far as who you would want in your team it comes down to personal preference, you hate Ronald so you want Messi, others may see it differently. Either way they are both exceptional players who will be major players at next years WC.
I don't hate or love either, just don't think Ronaldo is the best player in the world.

The way its going Portugal might not even make the WC, that will just confirm my theory.

[hujsh]

The way its going Portugal might not even make the WC, that will just confirm my theory.

Wouldn't that just prove that Portugal is no good?

[Chops]

That's a strange line of logic Ern.

Man U won the Champions League final last year and Ronaldo was the best player in that match (as well as in the semis when they beat Messi's Barcelona and the quarters before that). He had also scored in every Champions League stage up to the final this year (scoring the winner against Porto in the quarters and twice against Arsenal in the semis).

Actually, until today, MESSI was the one who had done bugger all at international level, and was non-existent in the lucky semi-final win over Chelsea.

I personally don't LOVE either player -- I would take Iniesta and Xavi over either of them as their cultured passing is more to my taste, and they're certainly proven at international level (Spain having been the dominant international team over the last three years) -- but to say that Messi is somehow more credentialed than Ronaldo on the strength of one game (and it wasn't as if Messi dominated this match) is a weird argument.

---

ps. Certainly agree about the 'whinging pretty boy' part though, and by the same token, can't stand Puyol, whinging ugly old man.


Why is it strange to think if you want to prove to be the best in your sport you need to prove yourself at the highest level? International is the highest not club European Champion League.

BTW Messi is 21 while Ronaldo is 24. I'd say at the same age they were comparable.

I don't know who of Messi or Ronaldo are better, just asking the question.

[Chops]

Wouldn't that just prove that Portugal is no good?

Maradona carried some average players to WC wins and finals.
Its Portugal too, not Malta so whats around him isn't that bad.

[Lantern]

Why is it strange to think if you want to prove to be the best in your sport you need to prove yourself at the highest level? International is the highest not club European Champion League.

BTW Messi is 21 while Ronaldo is 24. I'd say at the same age they were comparable.

I don't know who of Messi or Ronaldo are better, just asking the question.

I totally agree with you there in the bolded part, but I'm just saying by that logic, Messi hadn't done anything either until this morning, despite the huge man-crush many in the football world have for him. I think he is as liable as Ronaldo to go missing in big matches (with this morning being a wonderful exception, of course).

Don't get me wrong, I think he's a wonderful player and is irresistable when at his best, and he probably IS the best player in the world, but by your line of logic, he can't be because he hasn't done anything, and Argentina haven't exactly set the world alight despite having a cracking team.

If we're going by the 'proven international' theory, then the best players in the world have to be Spanish, as they have been the best team in the world in the last few years.

If we're going by 'performance in big matches' theory, then Kaka would have to be right up there.

On last year's form though, and for being by far the best player in a team that won the Champions League and domestic league double last season, Ronaldo was a worthy winner of the last Ballon D'or, just as Messi, after doing the triple this year would be a worthy winner of the next.

I still think Iniesta, in particular, is severely underrated though. Messi would be half the player he is (and Barcelona would be half the team it is) without him pulling the strings.

---

Ps. Off topic, but Teddy Sheringham was a very good big-match player.

[Lantern]

I love watching a side that combines well and knocks off the team that's full of stars. It's what sports all about.


BTW for a guy on the losing side how good was Wayne Rooney? He's gone from a bloke who looked like he could only play as a striker to a hard unit all over the pitch.

Interested in this comment...

I am a Rooney fan, but this morning was one of the worst matches he's ever played, from what I saw. From his first touch he looked out of sorts and misplaced and mishit his first half a dozen passes, even overhitting really short range passes, which was uncharacteristic. It looked like the occassion got the better of him.

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this either, as it was a really, really abysmal performance (especially in the first half). His second half improved, but not by a whole lot.

ps. Agree though that his all-round game has really developed under Sir Alex.

[Mantis]

Interested in this comment...

I am a Rooney fan, but this morning was one of the worst matches he's ever played, from what I saw. From his first touch he looked out of sorts and misplaced and mishit his first half a dozen passes, even overhitting really short range passes, which was uncharacteristic. It looked like the occassion got the better of him.

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this either, as it was a really, really abysmal performance (especially in the first half). His second half improved, but not by a whole lot.

ps. Agree though that his all-round game has really developed under Sir Alex.

Agree with this.

I thought he was one of the players that really let Man U down.

[The Coon Dog]

Drogba given lengthy European ban
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/8043277.stm)

Didier Drogba will miss at least four European matches after being banned for his reaction to Chelsea's Champions League semi-final defeat by Barcelona.

The striker was banned for six games, with two suspended for two years.

His Blues team-mate Jose Bosingwa was banned for three European games, with a further one-match ban also suspended.

Both players were found guilty of making insulting comments to the referee by Uefa, which also handed Chelsea an £85,000 fine.

Chelsea, who have three days to appeal against the punishment, were fined for the improper conduct of their players and the throwing of missiles by their fans after the 6 May match.

A Chelsea spokesman said: "We've received the Uefa verdict and we'll now take time to assess it in full and consider our response."

The Blues went out of the tournament after a series of disputed decisions by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo.

He turned down a host of strong penalty appeals from Chelsea during the 1-1 draw in the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which saw Barca go through on away goals.

Drogba and several other players surrounded Ovrebo after the final whistle to remonstrate with the Norwegian.

The Ivorian continued his verbal attack even after being cautioned, and had to be restrained as Ovrebo went down the tunnel.

Rob Faulkner, Uefa's head of communications, told Radio 5 Live: "The actions of the players were certainly not of a sporting nature.

"Everything has been taken into account. The club will be informed officially in writing and then they have three days in which to consider whether to appeal or not."

Faulkner added it was a "fairly strict but fairly appropriate" level of punishment.

He insisted the disciplinary panel took into account the importance of the game and the fact that the match was settled in such dramatic fashion, with Andres Iniesta's injury-time goal sending Chelsea out.

But he added: "We have to set certain standards. We do have a 'Respect' campaign and the Uefa president (Michel Platini) is instrumental behind that.

"The players are key to that, in setting a good example both on and off the pitch. The club obviously has a responsibility for the way their players behave as well.

"All in all, that's the reasoning for the decision."

Drogba had stated that he would accept any punishment given to him by Uefa over his actions.

"My behaviour was not what Uefa and everyone wants to see in a football stadium," Drogba said ahead of the governing body's verdict.

"It's not easy but I think that whatever I did and the decision they take I will accept it.

"I will do my suspension and, after that, I will come back stronger."