UEFA Champions League 2010/11

[Groove Armada]

Champions League preview: Schalke v Inter Milan
12 April 2011

Reigning European champions Inter Milan face an uphill battle to progress to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals at Schalke on Wednesday.

The Italian giants gave up two leads in their home tie at the San Siro before eventually succumbing to a 5-2 defeat.

Schalke exposed numerous holes in the Inter defence and three second-half goals have put them on track to go through to their first semi-final.

The Bundesliga outfit is unbeatable in European competition at Gelsenkirchen, winning all four games at home.

Italian sides have a winless record at the venue with Schalke winning three and drawing two of the five games.

Beginning with their 3-1 defeat of Valencia in the last phase, Schalke have won five of their last six outings in all competitions.

The loss to Schalke capped off a poor period of four days for Inter, who first lost to AC Milan to drop further behind in the Serie A title race.

But at 2-0 win at Chievo on the weekend kept their slim hopes of winning the title alive.

Leonardo's men did come from behind to beat Bayern Munich in the previous phase, but it was a one-goal deficit rather than the three they face this time around.

It would be a historic result if Inter were to advance, with only one other team ever achieving the feat in UEFA competition - Dinamo Bucharest overcoming a 3-0 forfeit first-leg defeat against Czech side Slovan Liberec.

Leonardo reportedly offered his resignation to Inter president Massimo Moratti after the first-leg defeat and the pressure is firmly upon him at the highly successful club.

With goals needed, strike duo Samuel Eto'o and Diego Milito will need to be on form in Germany.

Milito was on the scoresheet in the first-leg, but he missed a glorious chance to put Inter up for a third time early in the second half.

The Germans are a pressing and attacking side and with attackers like Raul Gonzalez, Edu and Jefferson Farfan, it is hard to see them playing otherwise.

Another early goal could help Inter set the trend, but they will need to keep a clean sheet in order to make up for their first-leg drubbing.

 

[Groove Armada]

Champions League preview: Tottenham v Real Madrid
12 April 2011

Real Madrid are expected to rest several stars for their Champions League second leg clash against Tottenham on Wednesday.

The nine-time European champions handed their opponents a 4-0 belting in the quarter-final first leg with an Emmanuel Adebayor brace and goals from Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo completing the rout.

Jose Mourinho is expected to give much-needed playing time to some of his lesser-known squad members against Spurs.

Kaka has endured an injury-plagued time in Madrid since his expensive transfer from AC Milan.

But he scored twice, both from the penalty spot, in La Liga action on Saturday against Athletic Bilbao, and is expected to start at White Hart Lane.

Mourinho also has five players on yellow cards.

Ricardo Carvalho, Sergio Ramos, Raul Albiol, Ronaldo and Di Maria are all one card away from missing the expected semi-final clash with fierce rivals Barcelona.

But they will be careful not to throw away the tie and their place in the semi-finals of one of two competitions they have a realistic chance of winning, given their slim hopes of clinching the La Liga title from Barcelona who lead by eight points.

Tottenham have improved markedly since Harry Redknapp's arrival from Portsmouth two seasons ago but will need a miracle if they are to overturn the massive deficit from the first leg while also avoiding the conceding of an away goal.

Spurs, despite claiming the scalps of Italian giants Inter and AC Milan, were powerless to stop the Real Madrid juggernaut last week.

The Londoners, who recorded a tough 3-2 league victory over Stoke City on Saturday, have scored only three goals in their past five matches - in contrast to their opponents, who have netted 12.

Striker Peter Crouch was sent off in the first leg after receiving two cautions so will miss the White Hart Lane clash.

Redknapp admitted the likelihood of scoring five goals past goalkeeper Iker Casillas was faint, but refused to accept defeat.

"It has been a great experience so far and I am sure it will be a huge occasion on Wednesday, we will give it our best shot and see what happens," he said.

"I am not resigned to defeat yet I am realistic. It couldn't be more difficult than trying to score five goals against Real Madrid."

 

[Gallego99]

C'mon United!!!!!!! Good chance of making it to the final and quite possibly win it too. C'mon ya devils!!!!

 

[Mesut Özil]

C'mon United!!!!!!! Good chance of making it to the final and quite possibly win it too. C'mon ya devils!!!!

Nay. The final will be an El Clasico.

 

[Gallego99]

Nay. The final will be an El Clasico.

Semi final according to JW5. It will be a classic.

 

[jw5]

Nay. The final will be an El Clasico.

If Real get through as expected, SF will be Real vs Barca.
The other SF will be Man Utd vs probably Schalke.
It has already been drawn this way.

 

[Mesut Özil]

If Real get through as expected, SF will be Real vs Barca.
The other SF will be Man Utd vs probably Schalke.
It has already been drawn this way.

Damn i am confident Schalke will knock Inter Milan out of the CL. With my pal Neuer, Germany's No.1 goalkeeper, they can beat Man Utd but i don't want that to happen because Neuer is on SAF's shopping list. Hands off my buddy Alex!!!

 

[jw5]

Damn i am confident Schalke will knock Inter Milan out of the CL. With my pal Neuer, Germany's No.1 goalkeeper, they can beat Man Utd but i don't want that to happen because Neuer is on SAF's shopping list. Hands off my buddy Alex!!!

It appears that Neuer may be going to Bayern Munich, they badly need a top keeper. Neuer himself has said he wants to win the Bundesliga.
SAF will probably turn his attentions to David De Gea of Athletico Madrid.

 

[ballsathome]

It appears that Neuer may be going to Bayern Munich, they badly need a top keeper. Neuer himself has said he wants to win the Bundesliga.
SAF will probably turn his attentions to David De Gea of Athletico Madrid.

Not too long ago i saw the news that a Man Utd agent stationed in Germany approached the german club. Somehow i did not post it in the Bundesliga thread.

 

[Mesut Özil]

It appears that Neuer may be going to Bayern Munich, they badly need a top keeper. Neuer himself has said he wants to win the Bundesliga.
SAF will probably turn his attentions to David De Gea of Athletico Madrid.

The irony is that the coaches of Schalke and Bayern Munich has been sacked and replaced.

 

[Mesut Özil]

If Real get through as expected, SF will be Real vs Barca.
The other SF will be Man Utd vs probably Schalke.
It has already been drawn this way.

In the past i did not think highly of Schalke but they have proven to do well in big games outside their poor domestic league form.

DFB Pokal (equivalent to FA Cup)

 

[Groove Armada]

 

[Mesut Özil]

Go Edu go Raul go Schalke go!!!

Not even a goal from Spurs. What a shame.

 

[ballsathome]

Champions League: Tottenham 0 Real Madrid 1

14 April 2011

Heurelho Gomes' howler allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to score and help Real Madrid beat Tottenham 1-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Spurs were always facing an impossible task after losing 4-0 in the first leg at the Bernabeu but they were hoping to go out on a high in front of their own supporters.

But Gomes made a crucial blunder early in the second half when he failed to hold onto a swerving shot from Ronaldo, and it was another easy night for Jose Mourinho's side.

Tottenham may have gone out of the competition but it has been an amazing journey for the north London club in their first season in the Champions League and they worked miracles of their own to reach the last-eight following victories over both AC and Inter Milan.

Redknapp said his team needed a miracle to claw their way back into the tie but they started brightly and had strong claims for a penalty turned down after just three minutes.

Gareth Bale broke into the box and was adjudged to have been brought down by Xabi Alonso, but Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli ignored the strong pleas from the home fans.

Bale was involved in the heart of the action once again on six minutes when he raced past Sergio Ramos into the area and saw his cross parried away by Iker Casillas. Luka Modric went down inside the area, but the referee waved away the penalty claim.

Tottenham had another strong call for a penalty turned down on 27 minutes when Roman Pavlyuchenko went down inside the box following a challenge with Raul Albiol. Replays showed there was a case for the home side, but Rizzoli waved for play to continue.

Despite holding a strong advantage from the first leg, Real Madrid were determined to maintain their unbeaten run and almost took the lead on 37 minutes when Sergio Ramos saw his looping header produce a fine one-handed save from Gomes.

Tottenham finally had the ball in the back of the Real Madrid net on 38 minutes as Bale's shot beat Casillas but Modric, involved in the lead-up play, was standing in an offside position.

Despite all the dominance from the home side in the first half, it was Real Madrid who opened the scoring on 50 minutes and it was a moment for Gomes to forget.

The Tottenham keeper produced a major blunder when he allowed a 25-yard shot from Ronaldo to slip through his hands and the ball deflected over the line, despite his desperate attempt to scoop out the bouncing, goal-bound ball.

The goal sealed Real's passage through to the semi-final stage of the competition and it was harsh luck on Tottenham who deserved to be in front.

Another great chance fell for Tottenham to level things up on the night on 58 minutes when Pavlyuchenko was completely free inside the box but he flashed a close-range header over the bar.

Real Madrid went searching for more goals and substitute Kaka almost scored with his first touch on 66 minutes when his shot was palmed away by Gomes.

 

[Mesut Özil]

Champions League: Schalke 2 Inter Milan 1

14 April 2011

Schalke reached their first ever UEFA Champions League semi-final after a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in the second-leg of their quarter-final.

Raul's 71st Champions League goal on the stroke of half-time ended any hope the reigning European champions had of winning the tie after last week's 5-2 drubbing at home, before he turned provider for defender Benedikt Howedes' 81st minute winner.

Italian midfielder Thiago Motta pulled a goal back in between for the Serie A side, but they lost the tie 7-3 on aggregate as new Schalke boss Ralf Rangnick made it four wins from as many starts as manager.

Inter had the better of the first half in Gelsenkirchen on Wednesday, but could not make their dominance of possession count.

Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was rarely troubled and he answered the few challenges the Italians threw at him.

Wesley Sneijder hit an early sighter from range, which Neuer comfortably collected on his chest.

First-leg goal-scorer Dejan Stankovic also tested the German shot-stopper as Inter was forced to try and break the deadlock from distance, but his 30-yard strike was palmed away.

As Inter pushed for a goal before the break Schalke exposed them on the counter-attack and took an unlikely lead into half-time.

Spanish midfielder Jurado broke quickly from midfield and his well-weighted pass released Raul, who rounded Inter goal-keeper Julio Cesar and tapped into an open net.

The defending of Leonardo's men was again questionable for the goal as the returning Lucio lost track of Raul's run and left the centre of defence exposed.

But Inter showed signs of life when they pulled one back four minutes into the second half through midfielder Motta.

A corner from Sneijder was headed goal-ward by a rising Lucio, before Motta reacted quickest to poke the equaliser into the roof of the net.

The hosts thought they had regained the lead on the hour mark, but Howedes had his scrambled finish from a corner ruled out for offside.

Sneijder forced Neuer to scramble across his goal-line 15 minutes from time after striking a whipping free-kick inches wide of his right post.

But the Germans guaranteed they would win the home leg when Raul scooped a delightful pass through for Howedes to break the Inter offside trap and smash a low shot past Cesar.

Schalke will now meet Manchester United in the semi-final, with the first leg to be played on April 26 or 27.

 

[Mesut Özil]

Real-Barca rivalry ready to heat up

14 April 2011

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is not yet thinking about the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after his team beat Tottenham on Wednesday.

A second-half howler from Tottenham goal-keeper Heurelho Gomes gifted Cristiano Ronaldo the only goal of the game at White Hart Lane, Real winning 1-0 to take a 5-0 aggregate victory in the tie.

It sets up a semi-final El Clasico between Real and arch-rivals Barcelona.

But Mourinho said there were more pressing challenges for his side, who will face Pep Guardiola's team in the La Liga on Saturday and in the final of the Copa del Rey on April 20 before the Champions League first-leg a week later.

"Let's see what happens. We have ambition to beat Barcelona," Mourinho told ITV Sport.

"The semi is a semi (and) anything can happen. We have two matches against them before the semi-final and there is no time to think."

Mourinho insists his decision to play his strongest team was the right one, despite defender Ricardo Carvalho picking up a booking and consequently being suspended for the first leg of the semi-final.

"I think I was right when I decided to play with a good team because even playing with this team in a serious way Tottenham had a couple of chances," Mourinho said.

"Of course 4-0 is a very good difference but if they had scored in the first half, with this incredible crowd, and this team, it could have been difficult but when Cristiano (Ronaldo) scored it was all over."

Despite the loss, Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes his club can still be proud of a campaign that saw the club reach the quarter-finals of a competition they had never played in before.

"It was a fantastic experience for everybody and we've enjoyed every minute of the adventure," Redknapp said.

"What we have do in the next few years is make sure that Tottenham build a team that can challenge every year and get in the Champions League."

"There is no good doing it once and not doing it again. You have to keep improving."

"You need to tweak your squad to keep doing it. That's what we want, like Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United do every year. There is no reason why Tottenham can't do that."

Redknapp will now turn his attention to the Premier League, where he hopes Tottenham can finish third and gain automatic entry into next season's Champions League group stage.

"It's going to be tough," Redknapp said. "We have to try and finish above Man City and Chelsea."

"That's what we are aiming at and it won't be easy. We will give it everything we've got. We will play some great football, as we always do, and let's see where it takes us."

 

[Gallego99]

Inter should investigate and check Lucio's bank account. I dun know if this clown was on the take. Suspicion of foul play looking at the replays of the first goal.

 

[Mesut Özil]

Inter should investigate and check Lucio's bank account. I dun know if this clown was on the take. Suspicion of foul play looking at the replays of the first goal.

Yeah like they are escorting him to the net. Anyway wouldn't have mattered much if 1-1 since their deficit is 3 goals down (5-2) unless you bet the match to draw.

View here. Embedding disabled.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7bhg-2ltI8

GreekHighlander 8 hours ago 6

Real Madrid let him go,cause he couldn't fit in the "super" team they got... Liverpool bought Torres instead of Raul,cause he was "too old"... How about that??? The "old" guy has set his mind on going to the CL final... Raul still has "IT"....

ivanatm 9 hours ago 4

Raul sliding with his knees, recalling his younger years in madrid.

 

[Gallego99]

His team mates were desperately looking for goals at the opposite end. Lucio could have easily shadowed Raul and force him wide.

Too bad I din bet on the game. It is always difficult to bet on a game where one team has already established an unassailable advantage.

The second goal was a beauty.

 

[jw5]

The irony is that the coaches of Schalke and Bayern Munich has been sacked and replaced.

The bigger irony is that the current coach of Bayern Leverkusen has already been appointed as the coach of Bayern Munich for next season.
This weekend, the 2 teams meet and both are still challenging for a champions league place.