Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Champions League Quarter Final First leg Review Wednesday

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Barcelona 4-0 Bayern Munich


Barcelona tore Bayern Munich to shreds at the Nou Camp to all but reach the Champions League semi-finals.Leo Messi scored twice, skipping clear of a shambolic defence to stroke in Samuel Eto'o's pass after nine minutes.

The 21-year-old Argentine magician then set up Eto'o to fire home the second and had a strong penalty shout turned down before tapping in Henry's cross.Henry finished another free-flowing move before half-time and Bayern's only consolation was a goalless second half.

A 5-1 thumping at the hands of Wolfsburg at the weekend had Bayern fans fearing the worst against an in-form Barca - but they could not have imagined just how badly it would turn out.

Defensively, Jurgen Klinsmann's side were awful, as the first goal typified.

Christian Lell, standing in at left-back in place of the injured Phillip Lahm, left Messi all on his own to run onto Eto'o's pass and calmly pass the ball into the net.

Only three minutes later, Bayern were 2-0 behind when Messi turned provider for Eto'o, who just about stayed onside and finished into the far corner through keeper Hans Jorg Butt's legs.

Barca kept up the pressure, slick in possession and tenacious in their efforts to win back the ball on the rare occasions they lost it.

They could - and probably should - have had a spot-kick when Messi dinked the ball past Lell and fell under the challenge.

But English referee Howard Webb waved away the penalty claims and, to Barca's horror, showed a yellow card to the Argentine for diving.

Despite his side's comfortable lead, Pep Guardiola was incandescent - and the Barca boss was sent to the stands by Webb for his protests.

The hosts quickly got back to the job in hand.

Andres Iniesta carved open the Bayern defence with his pass but Butt anticipated Henry's run and came out to meet the former Arsenal striker, taking an accidental kick in the face in the process.

A lengthy spell of treatment for the keeper interrupted Barca's momentum, but they added a third on 38 minutes.

Henry, in a move reminiscent of his Arsenal days, produced a burst of pace on the left to leave Massimo Oddo trailing in his wake before squaring for Messi to tap in from close range.

There was still time for Henry to get on the scoresheet before the break.

Messi cut in from the right and was floored by former Barca midfielder Mark van Bommel's cynical shoulder barge.

But Webb played the advantage, Eto'o picking up the loose ball and moving it to the left for Henry to sidefoot low into the far corner.Van Bommel was fortunate to escape a yellow card - or perhaps even a red - but that was a rare bit of good news for the German giants.They did improve after the break, with substitute Andreas Ottel adding some much-needed steel in midfield.

Ze Roberto might even have scored a consolation but was denied by a fabulous block by Barca skipper Carles Puyol.However, the home side had more chances of their own on a dream night at the Nou Camp.The irrepressible Messi was denied his hat-trick by an excellent Butt save and, right at the death, saw a shot hit team-mate Seydou Keita on the line.

At the final whistle, a tearful Franck Ribery was consoled by France team-mate Henry.
Bayern face a near impossible task in the return leg on Tuesday if they are to stop Barca booking a semi-final against Chelsea or Liverpool.




Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea

Liverpool were hammered at Anfield in the Champions League as Chelsea took a huge step on the road to Rome.

Chelsea produced a performance of great quality and strength to leave Liverpool's dreams in tatters after this quarter-final first leg.

Next Tuesday's second leg at Stamford Bridge may not be a mere formality just yet, but Liverpool will need an exceptional performance to stay in the competition.

It all started so well for Liverpool when Fernando Torres scored in the sixth minute. But Chelsea gradually took over, and two headed goals from Branislav Ivanovic - both poorly-defended set-pieces - and a close-range Didier Drogba strike stunned the Reds.

Steven Gerrard appeared to be struggling for full fitness - and with their captain's powers compromised, Liverpool saw a 14-month and 32-match unbeaten home record destroyed.

The side that has of late battered Real Madrid and Manchester United into submission was nowhere to be seen as Chelsea reigned supreme.

Liverpool had Albert Riera and Fabio Aurelio back after being rested on Saturday at Fulham, while Lucas was in for the suspended Javier Mascherano.

Chelsea had Drogba back up front, and Ivanovic continued as the injured Jose Bosingwa's replacement.

For the 23rd meeting between these bitter rivals in five years - nine in the Champions League - the atmosphere was electric, the noise deafening and the stakes so high.

Liverpool could not have got off to a better start.

Dirk Kuyt had already seen a shot deflected inches wide, before he produced a clever backheel on the edge of the box to set up Alvaro Arbeloa for a laid-back cross which was clinically driven past Petr Cech by Torres from 12 yards.

Yet that just served to galvanise Chelsea into sustained possession and pressure and a performance of growing assertiveness.

The alarm bells should have been ringing within two minutes of their goal for Liverpool when Salomon Kalou pounced on an Aurelio error to send Drogba clear - only for Jose Reina to make a fine, blocking save.

Michael Ballack and Michael Essien slowly but surely took over in midfield, and Liverpool were forced back. Florent Malouda flashed one effort wide of the far post, before Drogba blasted over from close range.

Liverpool were rattled, Torres isolated and Gerrard denied time and space.

Drogba, all menace and muscle, gave Martin Skrtel a hard time - while Kalou was equally dangerous on the right against Aurelio.

Torres curled one effort wide, and Arbeloa missed with a left-footer. But they were rare breaks from Liverpool, Chelsea already moving relentlessly towards an equaliser.

It came after 38 minutes when Malouda's right-wing corner was met with a firm header by Ivanovic, having evaded three defenders in the box as he darted and twisted into space to beat Reina from six yards.Chelsea went for the throat straight after the break, and only Jamie Carragher's plunging clearance off the line from Drogba's angled effort stopped them going ahead after 51 minutes.

The game had taken a nasty turn by now.Torres took a painful crack on the ankle from Alex seconds after firing over, and Essien looked to be caught by Skrtel's shoulder in one shuddering aerial collision - before John Terry clattered into Reina in mid air and was booked.

That yellow card will put Terry out of next week's second leg, but Chelsea annoyance was soon replaced by more elation.A 62nd-minute corner from Frank Lampard was again met by Ivanovic, again unmarked, as he powered another header past Reina to put the Blues ahead.It soon got even better for Chelsea, and horribly worse for Liverpool.

Five minutes after their second, Drogba arrived in the six-yard box to finish off a low cross from Malouda on the left.Liverpool's fans fell silent, and the replacement of Riera with Yossi Benayoun before the re-start seemed of little consequence.

Liverpool sent on Ryan Babel for Lucas and Andrea Dossena for an out-of-touch Aurelio, who had just been booked. Drogba went off to a great ovation from the travelling support, allowing Nicolas Anelka into the fray.The game, though, was already well won by the Blues and up for the Reds

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