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Chelsea and Madrid poised to join lucky Barca and slick Bayern in semis
In Spain, the referee’s performance robbed the headlines. Lionel Messi scored a brace from the spot and Andres Iniesta added a third to kill off Milan’s hopes. Barcelona dominated the contest from start to finish as the Italians defended nervously.
They got trapped in the box after only 11 minutes of play. Messi was apparently too energetic for Luca Antonini to control. The referee did not hesitate and pointed right to the spot and La Pulga made no mistake sending Barcelona in front. The Rossoneri went level inside the 32nd minute of the match through Nocerino.
Bayern and Real enter second-legs with semi-final tickets in their hands
In this section of the draw, Real Madrid is set to meet the winner of the tie between Bayern and Marseille. Real was held for 75 minutes in the first leg. They had numerous chances while their opponents could hardly get a hold of the ball. They eventually made the breakthrough through Karim Benzema and added two further goals to win the away leg 0-3 and hence the tie.Apoel showed virtually no signs of being able to score in their own backyard. A trip to the Bernabeu is a dream which is about to be realized for the Apoel players and staff. However, they will be hoping not to be embarrassed by a Real Madrid side which leads their league ahead of Barcelona and has the best defence in the Champions League.
Champions League: Late shows see Real Madrid and Chelsea beat APOEL and Benfica
There was no upset on Tuesday night. In Cyprus, APOEL suffered a cruel defeat. It all looked difficult for the hosts right from the start. Statistics spoke for themselves. Negative-minded APOEL completed only 94 passes within the first 60 minutes of the match while Los Blancos had 416 to their credit.
Finally, the Spanish giants turned their mesmerizing possessive and passing game into goals. Kaka and Karim Benzema were the star men.
The Brazilian midfielder fed Frenchman Benzema with a sublime cross. The striker didn’t miss his header as Real Madrid broke the deadlock with 16 minutes left on the clock.
APOEL vs Real Madrid: Flurry of goals led by Ronaldo or upset for Los Blancos?
APOEL are the surprise package of the competition. Their victory over French giants Olympique Lyon in the Last 16 was stunning and historic. Their reward for achieving that is a date with pre-tournament favourites Real Madrid. How strong is APOEL Nicosia’s tonic?Jose Mourinho’s Blancos have only just found back their momentum. Their two consecutive 1-1 draws in La Liga came as an embarrassment as their 10-point lead at the top of the table got cut to 6 points. However, last weekend’s 5-1 demolition of Real Sociedad proves that Real Madrid still have the fire required to finish the season on a high.
APOEL-Real Madrid tie will be decided at the Santiago Bernabeu – Mourinho
The Champions League winning coach was speaking to the press for the first time since Real Madrid’s controversial 1-1 draw against Villarreal which resulted in the club boycotting the media before the league game against Real Sociedad. Jose Mourinho reportedly stated:“We are favourites; we cannot deny it. APOEL and Madrid cannot be compared, but I respect them very much. We have studied their evolution and know it will be a tough game.
“Of course, we will try to win, but my feelings are that it will be a tough game and that everything will be decided at the Bernabeu.”
2011/12 Champions League: Milan-Barca & Benfica-Chelsea highlight Last 8 draw
Real Madrid will tackle APOEL Nicosia. This is perhaps a kind draw for Los Blancos who are unbeatable on home soil. However, the two-legged tie might not be a one-sided affair knowing that APOEL are powerful underdogs. If they’ve reached the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League, it is because they got the best out of big oppositions such as FC Porto and Olympique Lyonnais.
In another mouth-watering quarter-final clash, Benfica and Chelsea will sort things out. The Blues made a terrific comeback in the Last 16. Against all the odds, they overcame their 3-1 deficit over Napoli to survive in the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League.
2012-The Year of the Underdog in the Champions League?
Five of the eight participants in the quarter-finals are names found almost every year: AC Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona and last but not the least FC Bayern Munich. The other three contestants are less familiar ones and in the case of one, almost unfamiliar: Benfica, Marseille and Cypriots Apoel. Large wins were recorded in this season’s competition: underdogs Basel and Bayer Leverkusen were swept aside by Bayern and Barcelona respectively in the second legs. Basel, however, almost caused a shock too. They won the first leg against Bayern, 1-0 in Switzerland, a score-line which many experts and coaches would say is perfect at home.
Barcelona 7-1 Bayer: 5-goal hero Messi creates new Champions League record
In 2010, Messi joined legends Puskas, Di Stefano, Van Basten and Simone Inzaghi in the list of players to net 4 goals in a single European encounter. However, no player had ever scored as many as 5 goals in a Champions League match until Lionel Messi set the record on Wednesday, March 7.La Pulga took the stage by storm in a game which Barcelona could have afforded to lose 2-0 thanks to their 3-1 first-leg advantage. The illustrious player put the Catalans 2-0 up at the break thanks to a couple of unstoppable shots. He completed his hat-trick in the 49th minute and matched his four-goal record against Arsenal with another strike in the 58th minute.
AC Milan vs Arsenal matchup highlights thrilling Champions League Last 16 draw
Bayern Munich perhaps got the easiest draw. The German giants will face Switzerland’s Basel. Bayern’s German neighbors, Leverkusen, will have a much tougher task in the form of Pep Guardiola’s invincible Barcelona. Jose Mourinho and his hungry team will need to face the cold weather of Russia. Real Madrid got paired with powerhouse CSKA Moscow.
Zenit and Benfica will vie against each other for quarter-finals tickets. It could be a close affair between the Russians and the Portuguese in this Europa League-like tie.
Champions League Last 16: Barca, Arsenal, Milan, Real Madrid light up draw
Barcelona are poised to get a comfortable draw. The Catalans overcame the challenge posed by AC Milan in Group H. After qualifying at the head of this section, Barca can expect to be paired with an unseeded team relatively inferior to them in size.APOEL are the odd contenders among the seeded teams. Arsenal did quite well and the 2011/12 UEFA Champions League season could be their time to shine. However, avoiding AC Milan is one of the Gunners’ dreams.
Interestingly, Benfica enter Friday’s UEFA Champions League Last 16 draw as seeded. This is the Eagles’ reward for dominating over favorites Manchester United in Group C.
A Look Ahead to the Champions League Draw on Friday
Italy is the nation with most sides in the round of 16. Germany, Spain, Russia, England and France each are represented by two sides in the competition. Cyprus, Switzerland and Portugal are each represented by one team. All these teams have made their passages through tough groups with perhaps the exception of Barcelona and AC Milan. These two sides were drawn with Plzen and Bate, two relative novices at this level, in the group stage.Nonetheless, Barca and Milan must be given credit for qualifying as the novices have risen this season. Whereas experienced competitors such as Manchester United, Villarreal, Porto and Valencia have gone out, the likes of Apoel Nicosia and FC Basel have progressed into the knockout stages.
APOEL Nicosia vs FC Porto Report
APOEL were good value for their victory. The forward trio of Manduca, Ailton and Trickovski caused Porto's defence problems all night with their strong running and clever interchanges.
The attitude of Porto's players cannot be faulted, but for all their efforts, the team looked clean out of ideas, and a shadow of the side that swept all before them last season.
APOEL Nicosia vs FC Porto Preview
The Cypriots have been a sensation in Group G, and lead the section at the halfway stage after starting out as rank outsiders.APOEL fully deserved the point they got in the 1-1 at the Estádio do Dragão a fortnight ago. Indeed, only a last-minute save from Porto’s Brazilian goalkeeper Helton prevented a first ever win for a Cypriot team over a Portuguese side.
In stark contrast Porto have been disappointing so far in this season’s edition of the world’s greatest club competition. Failure to win tomorrow will put qualification from the section at serious risk.
FC Porto vs APOEL Nicosia Report
Hulk put FC Porto ahead on 13 minutes with a 25-yard curling free-kick which Chiotis made a farcical attempt at keeping out. But the lead was short-lived as Ailton worked room for himself and struck a low shot into the corner of the net in the 19th minute.
The impressive Cypriots managed to keep Porto at bay with surprising ease for the rest of the 90 minutes. Only Hulk looked capable of breaching the well-organised defence of the visitors. The Brazilian striker was unlucky to see two exocet shots whistle just the wrong side of the post.
FC Porto vs APOEL Nicosia Preview
Almost exactly two years to the day the two sides faced off in Porto at precisely the same stage of the competition. On that occasion two goals from Hulk gave the Portuguese side victory, and the burly Brazilian will once again be one of the main threats of the Dragons. However, the Cypriot team have enjoyed an excellent start to their Group G campaign, beating Zenit St. Petersburg and drawing away and Shakhtar Donetsk – two results that unexpectedly put APOEL on top of a section where they were expected to be the whipping boys.
APOEL have three Portuguese players in their line-up, and experienced midfielder Helio Pinto is confident they can pull off another surprise result. “FC Porto are as strong as they were two years ago, but we are now a better team,” he told the Portuguese press ahead of the game.
FC Porto vs APOEL Nicosia Preview
However, the Cypriot team have enjoyed an excellent start to their Group G campaign, beating Zenit St. Petersburg and drawing away and Shakhtar Donetsk – two results that unexpectedly put APOEL on top of a section where they were expected to be the whipping boys.
APOEL have three Portuguese players in their line-up, and experienced midfielder Helio Pinto is confident they can pull off another surprise result. “FC Porto are as strong as they were two years ago, but we are now a better team,” he told the Portuguese press ahead of the game.
Hapoel Tel Aviv’s Guttman Thinks It Will Be Hard To Beat Olympique Lyon
Hapoel lost 2-0 away to Benfica two weeks ago as they failed to accomplish the first step of their European mission. Now, they face the task of bouncing back with a tough match against Olympique Lyon after surprisingly losing to Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona in the domestic league last Saturday.
Things aren’t going smoothly for Hapoel Tel Aviv, but Coach Eli Guttman wants the situation to change on Wednesday night. During a press conference ahead of the match, the manager stated:
“We are coming into the match against Lyon at a time where our level of play isn’t as good as it once was. But, I prefer to look at the glass half full.
“A packed house at Bloomfield will offer us some energy which we haven’t had recently. In order to get a good result against Lyon, we will need to be at our best – both in terms of individual ability and in terms of play.”
UEFA Champions League Match-day One Review – From Group A to Group D
Group A: FC Twente 2-2 Inter Milan; Werder Bremen 2-2 Tottenham HotspurIt finished as it started. All four teams are leveled with a point each, having all played out a 2-2 draw in their respective fixture on Tuesday night. FC Twente and Werder Bremen would be the happiest, though.
In the Netherlands, Dutch international Wesley Sneijder opened the score sheet for the visitors inside the 13th minute of the game before Theo Janssen cancelled out the Nerazzurri’s lead seven minutes later. Diego Milito unluckily damaged Inter Milan’s chances to win the match as he scored an own goal on the half hour mark.
Ambitious Hapoel Tel-Aviv To Take Advantage Of Weakened Benfica In Champions League
Hapoel Tel-Aviv play Benfica away from home with the desire of getting a positive result which would help the team achieve its ambitions in Europe. Coach Eli Guttman sees a lot of weakness within the section’s teams. Olympique Lyonnais, Schalke, and Benfica indeed all have their problems when it comes to domestic football this season… just like Hapoel Tel-Aviv actually. Based on this issue, the manager has found confidence and hope to compete successfully in Group B and eventually reach the Round of 16. A bright start in Portugal would offer Hapoel Tel-Aviv more audacity to keep dreaming. Coach Eli Guttman thinks that Benfica’s worries could set a good platform for his side. In his analysis of the Portuguese side ahead of the match, the boss explained:
The UEFA Champions League: From Group A To Group H – Quick Analysis
Group A: Inter Milan, Werder Bremen, Tottenham Hotspur, FC Twente
These four teams compose an interesting section. Let’s see what Tottenham Hotspur will make of their first season in the UEFA Champions League. In the meantime, Rafael Benitez will try to help Inter Milan defend their title so starting well in the group stages will surely be imperative. Don’t write off FC Twente’s chances just yet, by the way, and don’t forget about Werder Bremen’s power either.
Group B: Olympique Lyonnais, Benfica, Schalke 04, Hapoel Tel-Aviv
A fairly balanced group. Top seeds Lyon will have to watch out for an upset, though. Benfica won’t seat back for yet another season. Likewise, Schalke 04 would love to prove what German football is all about. They might also benefit a lot from Raul’s remarkable knowledge in the UEFA Champions League. Hapoel Tel-Aviv? Well, they will need to work out wonders because they look more likely to occupy the bottom of Group B after match-day 6.