UEFA Champions League (Official Thread)

[tmporter]

My predictions.....

Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1

Man U 1 Barca 1

Chelsea have looked much like scoring yet. They are down 1-0.

 

[jazzman]

Chelsea have looked much like scoring yet. They are down 1-0.

I hadn't checked the score.....but Liverpool's defense didn't look great against Arsenal...so I expect them to make some mistakes in the back.

I am at work...so don't know how the teams are doing!

Also, I expect Man U to dominate tomorrow but have 1-1 to show for it. Winning at the Nou Camp is always a daunting task!

 

[Mac]

Unbelievable...Liverpool dominated that game until an OG in the 94th minute...Pool 1 - Chelsea 1

 

[tmporter]

I hadn't checked the score.....but Liverpool's defense didn't look great against Arsenal...so I expect them to make some mistakes in the back.

I am at work...so don't know how the teams are doing!

Also, I expect Man U to dominate tomorrow but have 1-1 to show for it. Winning at the Nou Camp is always a daunting task!

Chelsea are going to get out of this with a 1-1 draw. They won't have scored and Liverpool scored twice. You can do the math. Like you said, Liverpools defense is due for some mistakes.

 

[jazzman]

I hadn't checked the score.....but Liverpool's defense didn't look great against Arsenal...so I expect them to make some mistakes in the back.

Wow....when I said "mistakes in the back"....I didn't expect it to be an OWN GOAL!!! Poor Riise....he's a terrific left back, but he's just given Chelsea a leg into the final.

Editing this post.......Chelsea just have the knack for playing ugly, and somehow finding a stroke of luck or a flash of brilliance to get the desired result.

 

[tmporter]

Wow....when I said "mistakes in the back"....I didn't expect it to be an OWN GOAL!!! Poor Riise....he's a terrific left back, but he's just given Chelsea a leg into the final.

Editing this post.......Chelsea just have the knack for playing ugly, and somehow finding a stroke of luck or a flash of brilliance to get the desired result.

Chelsea have had great luck, in who they draw, how they win, everything seems to go there way. Well the onus has to be on Liverpool in 6 days time to come out and dictate play again and have more to show for it. Riise may have just doomed his contract negotations at Anfield. A shame as he has been a quality member of that team for many years.

 

[Messi18Man]

Liverpool has to be heart-broken after giving up an own goal in the final seconds of the 4th minute of injury time. Its going to be very difficult for them to salvage anything at Stamford Bridge next wednesday. The match was a lot more open then i expected as there were a variety of great scoring chances by both teams which i did not expect, but Chelsea have to be ecstatic to get that crucial away goal and can applaud Peter Cech's wonderful performance in goal today.

 

[jazzman]

Riise may have just doomed his contract negotations at Anfield. A shame as he has been a quality member of that team for many years.

I just saw a replay of the "own goal"....what a shocker!!! I'm not sure what Riise was trying to do. You would think that a guy with his talent and experience would have calmly cleared the ball away off his boot instead of opting for a header.

 

[jlb1705]

I just saw a replay of the "own goal"....what a shocker!!! I'm not sure what Riise was trying to do. You would think that a guy with his talent and experience would have calmly cleared the ball away off his boot instead of opting for a header.

I don't have a rooting interest in this, and watched in absolute shock as that own goal happened. That was an epic blunder - the kind of thing you'd expect to see as part of an "agony of defeat" montage on Wide World of Sports.

You're absolutely right, he should have cleared that with his boot rather than going down that low for a header in that situation.

 

[tmporter]

I just saw a replay of the "own goal"....what a shocker!!! I'm not sure what Riise was trying to do. You would think that a guy with his talent and experience would have calmly cleared the ball away off his boot instead of opting for a header.

I don't have a rooting interest in this, and watched in absolute shock as that own goal happened. That was an epic blunder - the kind of thing you'd expect to see as part of an "agony of defeat" montage on Wide World of Sports.

You're absolutely right, he should have cleared that with his boot rather than going down that low for a header in that situation.

I was listening to some of the post game wrap up and I couldn't spell his name if I wanted to, but Janusz Michalek said that the only reason Riise was on the field was due to Fabio Aurello was injured. He wasn't calm in that situation. He made an absolute screaming mess of what should have been an offside call, i still can't find out if you can be flagged for offside on a throw-in, and a pretty run of the mill low cross.

I didn't have much of a rooting interest in this game as I am pretty confident that my team will have a better than 50% chance in winning the Champions League against either of the 2 that played today. It was just poetic that jazzman said it would end in a draw due to a Liverpool mistake at the back and that certainly qualifies as a mistake at the back. Maybe the worst I have seen in a number of years.

 

[jlb1705]

He made an absolute screaming mess of what should have been an offside call, i still can't find out if you can be flagged for offside on a throw-in, and a pretty run of the mill low cross.

You cannot be flagged offside when directly receiving a throw-in.

 

[jazzman]

Final score of the first leg of the semi-final between Barca v Man U game ended 0-0

Chritiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in the opening minutes that could have given Man U a critical away goal.

 

[tmporter]

Well Ferguson looked to be playing for a boring game there and a win at home. I never like going home without the away goal. Too many things can happen in a game. Oh well, at least we aren't trying to overturn a loss.

 

[jazzman]

Well Ferguson looked to be playing for a boring game there and a win at home. I never like going home without the away goal. Too many things can happen in a game. Oh well, at least we aren't trying to overturn a loss.

I think that there may have been two key reasons for that. The team didn't play very well as a cohesive unit against Blackburn over the weekend.....somehow salvaged a draw with a late strike (from Tevez I think!). Also Man U had prepared for this game with Vidic in the center of defense, but he went down with some "stomach ailment" before the game, and had to be replaced with Wes Brown (whose a little shaky in the center IMO).

I think Fergie did the right thing and should be pretty content with a draw the way things turned out. Man U had more possession, but I thought Barca and especially Messi looked more threatening. I was a little surprised that Messi was replaced at the 60 min mark. He was the best player on the pitch! I guess he's not fully recovered just yet.

The second round should be interesting, but Man U have left themselves a little exposed with an away goal counting for double if Barca get one.

 

[tmporter]

I think that there may have been two key reasons for that. The team didn't play very well as a cohesive unit against Blackburn over the weekend.....somehow salvaged a draw with a late strike (from Tevez I think!). Also Man U had prepared for this game with Vidic in the center of defense, but he went down with some "stomach ailment" before the game, and had to be replaced with Wes Brown (whose a little shaky in the center IMO).

I think Fergie did the right thing and should be pretty content with a draw the way things turned out. Man U had more possession, but I thought Barca and especially Messi looked more threatening. I was a little surprised that Messi was replaced at the 60 min mark. He was the best player on the pitch! I guess he's not fully recovered just yet.

The second round should be interesting, but Man U have left themselves a little exposed with an away goal counting for double if Barca get one.

i think you see 2 different United teams. Anderson in or Anderson out. When he is in the team they seem more attack minded and when he is out they seem to want to lay back. The Blackburn game was a tight affair. I watched it live and Tevez rescued the point. They didn't turn up the heat on the game until well into the 70 minute mark. the Blackburn goal was lucky. Vidic is a big loss and you could see Fregie didn't expect it. The only other defenders were O'shea and Pique. I think he is just laying low and waiting for this weekend and next week to unload everything he has for the titles. I just also think the missed pk was a turning point. If United scored that I think the game would have been much different. Barca would have chased a little more and pressed harder. They played keep away in the United half.