Arsene Wenger had promised a magnificent performance from his side ahead of the second leg Champions League semifinal tie at home against Manchester United. Instead the Gunners received a master class in counter-attacking football from the Red Devils, especially Cristiano Ronaldo.
Video highlights will follow.
Of the three goals United scored tonight, my favorite is the third where Park and Rooney combined brilliantly to set up Ronaldo to complete a move that he had started with a deft back heel. It reminded me of a very similar goal that Rooney and Ronaldo scored a couple of seasons ago against Bolton. It remains one of the best goals of the end-to-end quick counter-attack variety that I’ve seen.
The quality of this video is poor. I couldn’t find a better one.
El clásico, the Real Madrid – Barcelona derby turned out to be a total humiliation for Real Madrid today, as the hosts were blanked out 6 – 2 by a rampaging Barcelona side that moved ever closer to regaining the Primera Liga. To be honest, I think I’ve used the word rampaging incorrectly, because it didn’t seem like the Blaugranas needed to produce an inspired performance to beat Real, who were poor through and through. So while one must not deny Barca the plaudits, one should also not hold back criticism of a spineless Real side, whose obvious shortcomings were exposed by their Catalan rivals, just as Liverpool had a few weeks ago. Real Madrid conceded six goals, their worst defensive performance at home in the history of the derby, but they could well have conceded 16 – yes, they were that bad.
The result puts Barcelona seven points ahead of Real. With just four games left in the Liga, Barca have well and truly wrapped up the league. Given the substantial goal advantage they possess (+72 for Barca against +38 for Real), a win and two draws will guarantee glory for Guardiola’s men. And so they will turn their attention to Wednesday night’s Champions League semifinal second leg at Stamford Bridge.
While I like Barcelona better than Chelsea (who I don’t like), I would consider the home side favorites to progress. Chelsea, having worked their socks off to bring home a creditable 0-0 draw away at the Nou Camp, will offer more of the same but will be a bit more adventurous and try to exploit Barcelona’s defensive fragility – an aspect of their game that Guardiola must work on. Barcelona are without their overrated first choice central defensive pairing (Puyol and Marquez), and Drogba might relish taking on young Pique.
I thought Chelsea would rest many of their big names and field a less potent line-up today. But I was surprised by Hiddink’s decision to play Chelsea’s first team against Fulham. Barca could not have afforded the same luxury as defeat would have meant that Real would be breathing down their necks.
Talking of resting players, Arsenal sent out a virtual B-team against Pompey, and still ran out 3-1 winners. To be fair, United rested Cristiano Ronaldo, Edwin van der Sar and their entire starting midfield from midweek, but that is about as much tinkering that Sir Alex Ferguson could afford.
I predict that the 2009 Champions League final would be a repeat of 2008′s, with Chelsea challenging United in Rome for the crown. Chelsea to win at home against Barcelona, and United to pick up an away win at the Emirates.
Last week, I had ended a post looking forward to the Champions League draws by predicting that United could draw Roma again in the quarterfinals of the Champions League this year. And that this would settle all doubts about whether the draws are doctored. Surely now, this confirms everything.
The pick of the draw though is the Arsenal-Liverpool tie. That should be enthralling! The Gunners, who have done so well this season in the Premier League with their young squad, knocked holders AC Milan out of the competition in the previous round. Liverpool’s all-but-dead season relies on winning the Champions League. I am torn between picking which of these would come good – Benitez’s tactical nous, or Wenger’s philosophy of flowing football. The return leg is at Anfield; so if I had to pick a winner, I would say Liverpool. (Come to think of it, had the Milanese teams knocked out their English opponents, this tie would have been the Milan derby.)
Chelsea, I had written, might get an easy tie. Fenerbahce, good luck to them, is as easy as it gets. So there is the mouthwatering prospect of an all-English semifinal tie. It could be a Liverpool-Chelsea semifinal, which is now almost a routine annual affair. Or a London derby involving the Gunners.
Barcelona have drawn Schalke, and should be pleased. If the ties turn out as I think, we could have a situation similar to last year, with Barcelona replacing Milan in the semis. I’m already looking forward to the Barca-United clash!
For the second successive year, English teams are meeting with increased success in the UEFA Champions League. United, Arsenal and Chelsea are through already to the quarterfinals, and Liverpool look set to join them in a week’s time.
While English football, in general, is moving from one crisis to another (the national side’s poor form, a growing dearth of quality footballing talent, foreign ownership of clubs, an increasing percentage of foreign players), English clubs, and the Big Four in particular, seem to be doing rather well. The past three Champions League finals have featured an English club – Liverpool in 2005 and 2007, and Arsenal in 2006. Except for 2006, every Champions League quarterfinal fixture list has featured at least two English clubs; three clubs reached the semifinals last year.
Assuming Liverpool go through, the other clubs in the running are Barcelona, Schalke, Fenerbahce and Roma, who knocked out a Real Madrid team that I had expected would go farther. With due respect to all the clubs mentioned above, I think only Barcelona are in the same league as the Big Four. So if none of the English clubs were drawn against each other, we can expect a second season in which three English clubs make it to the last four.
Having seen how the ties have come out in the past, I have my own doubts if they are not doctored. Chelsea faced Barcelona in three successive seasons, and Liverpool in the semis twice in three years. My guess is Arsenal would draw Barca, as the Gunners have some grudge left over since the two met in the final two years ago. And United would draw Liverpool, so the Battle of the Reds would spill over to Europe. That gives Chelsea a relatively easy tie, and would also ensure that at least two English teams make it to the semis.
Of course, anything can happen. A dream tie would be to pit Manchester United against Barcelona. Or Liverpool against Barcelona, another grudge tie from the past. Or Roma against Man U once more in the quarters, that would prove beyond all doubt that the draw is definitely doctored.
Recent Comments