Alonso Deal not too Xabi?

Whenever a player expresses his desire to leave a club, it is always a bit of a desperate situation; the player wants out, and there is not much the club can do. So when Xabi Alonso expressed his desire to leave Anfield, it was Liverpool’s job to get as much money as possible for the Spanish schemer.

It would be harsh to blame Alonso for wanting to move to Real Madrid, to don the famous white shirt of his boyhood club, especially since the wheels of the Perez revolution have started to move. With Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema and Albiol all signing on the dotted line already, it’s fair to say something special is going on at the Bernabeu.

If Alonso is also getting a little more coin at Real, then so be it; that’s just a nice little extra. With rumours circulating last week that Benitez had offered Alonso a new contract, the money soon goes out of the window. Liverpool could’ve matched Madrid’s offer. What they couldn’t offer him, however, was the opportunity to play for his boyhood club and in front of 90,000 fans every other week.

Taking all of this into account, £34 million is a rather generous amount. Real Madrid could have played the waiting game with Liverpool, knowing that their target wanted out, with the Anfield side being forced to lower their asking price.

While £34 million can go a long way in football, it is hard to see how Liverpool can instantly replace Alonso. It could just be an impossible task. Everything that was good about Liverpool last year was about Alonso. He formed a dominant holding midfield partnership with Javier Mascherano, which allowed the players in front to play their own game.

The stark contrast in the last two summers, with regards to Alonso, simply proves his importance and value. Last year, Benitez went behind the 27-year-old’s back, in an attempt to offload him and make way for Gareth Barry. This year, Benitez was desperate to hold on to Alonso, even going so far as offering him a new contract, if some sources are to be believed. It could be argued that the writing was on the wall after the Barry saga, last year, however.

With Liverpool so hot-on-the-heels of United at the end of last season, the one thing Benitez did not want was the loss of his key players. With United losing Tevez and Ronaldo, continuity is gold-dust to a Liverpool side with the Premier League title in it’s sights. So to lose a seemingly irreplaceable player, just before the start of the new campaign, is a massive blow.

The man reportedly charged with replacing Alonso is the currently side-lined Alberto Aquilani, who completed his £20 million transfer to Anfield this week. The Italian is out for two months, and even when he is fit again, he is going to take time to adjust to the English game; a game which is faster and more physical than the stagnant Serie A.
By the time Aquilani has adjusted to the English game, Manchester United may have won the title again.

The only other feasible option available to the Spaniard is to split up his front two, who were so influential last year, and put Gerrard where Alonso was. This will no doubt take some steel out of the front of the Liverpool team, but Gerrard is a proven player in the holding role.

As Ancelotti is an unknown entity at this point, it is fair to say the Champions next May, may be determined by who deals with change and transition better, as the Old Trafford outfit are also going to have to adjust since losing two of their main frontmen. With Vidic and Van Der Sar injured for the start of the season, Benitez will recognise the importance of a good start, and so filling the boots of Alonso has to be done, and quickly.

Rue-naldo: Will Cristiano regret heading for Madrid?

Will he? Won’t he? Will he? Won’t he? It is the transfer rumour that just refuses to go away. Ronaldo says he is happy at Manchester United and yet, in the very same interview, will express his desire to play in Spain one day. Sir Alex Ferguson has locked horns with Florentino Pérez in the past over his manner in the transfer market, and now, finally, the constant paper talk and speculation could be coming to a close.

Manchester United have accepted a world record £80 million bid for their dynamic Portuguese winger after, according to the club, Ronaldo expressed his desire to move to the Bernabéu. Now that the dotting of the i’s and crossing of the t’s seems purely academic, one begins to wonder just what this mammoth transfer means for both clubs.

This is not the first time that Sir Alex Ferguson has sold his star asset, and not the first time it has been to Madrid either; both David Beckham and Ruud Van Nistelrooy left Old Trafford for Spain in the past, and both, evoked a mixed reaction in the fans. However, on both occasions, Ferguson was proved right in doing what he did.

It was Ronaldo who he bought, for £12.24 million, as a replacement for Beckham, and although he did not instantly replace the Englishman, he fast become the biggest talent in the world. Wayne Rooney was the man initially charged with the responsibility of replacing Van Nistelrooy, but it was Louis Saha who would take up the mantle just after Ruud left, netting fifteen goals before Christmas. Between him, Larsson, Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov, the goals that Ruud used to provide with regularity have been replaced.

However, this time, something just seems different. Neither Beckham nor Van Nistelrooy were World Player of the Year, with the best football of their career ahead of them, when they left Old Trafford. One must wonder who Ferguson can bring in to replace Ronaldo, because whoever he does decide on, surely will not have an instant effect. It will take time; and time does not exist in football. Success has to be instant.

Ferguson’s aim next year, undoubtedly, will be to win the Premier League title for the fourth consecutive time and to knock Liverpool off the top spot. Despite winning it last year, though, many Manchester United fans believed that they had not been particularly impressive, and their hammering in the Champions League final was something that was to be expected. This is true to an extent.

The season previous, United had torn the league up, beating pretty much every team at will. Their football was dazzling, their passing was spell-binding, and the Holy Trinity- of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney- was reaching new heights with every game. Then, in the pre-season, something just seemed to go wrong; maybe it was the signing of Dimitar Berbatov, who has definitely upset a few people since moving to Manchester, or maybe it was the constant, intensive speculation surrounding Ronaldo’s future that upset the spirit in the camp. Take nothing away from United last year, they still won three honours, but surely Benitez will reflect on what could have been, had their early season form been better.

The truth is, that Liverpool lost the title just after Christmas, with too many disappointing draws at home, and once the fans expressed their anger at Benitez’s negative approach, they were the most in-form team in the country, if not the world. They followed a 5-0 aggregate win against Real with a 1-4 drubbing of United in their own back yard, and then smashed media darlings Aston Villa 5-0 at Anfield. Had they played like that all season, they could have won the title; and Ferguson certainly knows he had a lucky escape.

It means that Liverpool’s staff and fans alike must be licking their lips at the prospect of United losing Ronaldo. Ferguson will know that they are going to have to replace him, and fast. Benzema, Ribery and Valencia are some of the names being touted with a move to Old Trafford, and whilst one must not make the assumption that United will have all of the £80 million to spend on players, they will have something of a warchest.

One United fan, in particular, said he was ‘disappointed’ in Ronaldo, because he felt the World Player of the Year was ‘taking a step down’. Is this the case? Real Madrid is arguably the most glamorous club in World Football, and was voted officially, by FIFA, as the Greatest Club of the 20th Century.

They may not have had the best of seasons last year, what with not winning anything and being dominated in La Liga by Barcelona, but far too often, football fans and pundits alike, are too short-sighted. They only analyse the previous year, as opposed to the previous century. Look back over one hundred years, and Madrid is a more glamorous club than United.

Of course, the argument of the strength of the English game in relation to European leagues will be brought up countless times, but one must remember that Ronaldo is a ‘peninsular boy’ i.e. he was born on the Iberian Peninsula. Many will tell you that there are three massive clubs on the Peninsula- Barcelona, Real Madrid and Porto. They are the teams to support.

Also, the argument of coin will be brought up. Did Ronaldo go for the money? Considering United’s undoubted wealth, surely they could match any contract offer that Real could. United and Madrid have constantly been battling with each other for the title of ‘Richest Club’ for the past five to ten years, with both being global franchises. Couple this with the big money signing of Ricardo Kaka earlier in the week, and surely United would have the resources to match Real’s offer.

Last year, Manchester United had won the Champions League and their own domestic league, making them the best team in Europe. Ronaldo had reached the summit, then, and there is no denying things have gone slightly stale at Old Trafford since last year. The dazzling football has been
few and far between, and the passion has just not been the same. Cristiano had reached the peak in Moscow a year prior, so it was going to be downhill from there. Who knows? Had United beaten Barca in Rome, he may have stayed, because the noises he was making before the final suggested he was not going to Spain.

Now that Real Madrid have captured Kaka, and are on the brink of getting Ronaldo, one cannot help but feel a revolution at the Bernabéu. Finally, the club is going after big-name world stars again, in an attempt to re-create the Galacticos era. It seems Perez has realised that he cannot buy average players, and if he wants a successful club, he is going to have to spend big, that is just the way football is.

With David Villa also being strongly linked with a move to the Bernabeu, Barcelona must now be looking over their shoulder over what looks to be a potent attacking unit. It does depend heavily on how these players gel and work as a team, but maybe Ronaldo saw the capture of Kaka and the speculation regarding Villa, and saw the opportunity to be a part of something special; the rebirth of a club that has been comatose since the last Galacticos era.

Football fans should also be happy with the transfer. It means that the Spanish league will grow stronger, and the Champions League will be more competitive. English clubs have enjoyed a lot of success in Europe recently, but Real Madrid, with their two world record transfers, could have something to say for that.

Enigmatic England Erratic in Victory

England proved too strong for little Andorra tonight, but their victory was far from impressive. Defensively they went untroubled and created many opportunities, but their quality in front of goal was worrying. That being said, there is no denying Fabio Capello has improved the spirit and attitude of the England camp, following the largely relaxed atmosphere of the two previous regimes. Their emphatic win against Andorra made it seven wins out of seven for Capello's professional England, who are the biggest enigma in World Football.

England's threat was evident within the opening minutes, and they could have been three up after five minutes. First, Gerrard made a trademark surging run past Rooney and Crouch, only to be foiled by an excellent last-ditch tackle. Less than a minute later, Rooney turned terrifically on the edge of the box and attempted to chip the Andorran goalkeeper off his line, but he was equal to the challenge. Next, it was Theo Walcott's turn to test Andorra's last line of defence, but he too came out second best, seeing his volley flicked away from close range. The ball treacled across the box and while it looked like Rooney was set to score, he managed to hit the crossbar, and not the net, with his instinctive header.

Soon, however, England would have their goal. Johnson had space and time to pick out his man in the middle; and pick him out he did, whipping his cross towards Rooney at the back post, who could not miss from six yards out. With just four minutes on the clock, this looked like it was going to be a one-way exhibition.

Things started to calm down after Rooney's goal. Peter Crouch had a free header in the tenth minute off a Beckham free kick, but could not find the target despite his lanky frame. Less than a minute after that, Gerrard tried his luck from range, but Andorra's best player was determined to spoil the England party, tipping the effort around the post for a corner.

England started to waste possession slightly, seeming a little too eager to further Andorra's woes. With twenty-five minutes on the clock, Rooney received the ball eight yards out, turned well, but skewed wide when it seemed easier to score.

Just as England were starting to go off the boil, they scored again. Johnson fed Walcott through down the right hand side, and he picked Lampard out in the middle. The Chelsea man took his shot first time, powering the ball low and hard into the net.

Robert Green had to open his eyes on a few minutes later, when Sergio Moreno thought he could test him from all of forty yards. His shot was high, wide and handsome, and was one of the extremely rare occasions Andorra had possession in the England half.

Five minutes before the interval, Rooney again proved himself a thorn in Andorra's side, ghosting through the opposition defence to beautifully divert Johnson's cross into the net. 3-0 England, and this could be a cricket score.

Ashley Young came on for Rooney, who was searching for a hat-trick, and could have grabbed a goal just after the break. Speeding into the box in typical fashion, Young opened his body up but lashed his shot wildly into the stands. Despite the friendly-feel to the game, England fans must be concerned with the lack of a clinical instinct in the team, as many chances seem to be squandered in every match they play.

This was evident moments later. Johnson, who was having a fantastic game, slipped Defoe in behind the Andorran defence, yet the Spurs striker fired across goal from a tight angle. A simple cut-back would have put Crouch in a position to score, yet it was another chance that came and went for England.

Young and Cole started to click impressively on the left wing, and it was a combination of the two that presented Defoe with a header on the fifty-fifth minute, but he could only glance it wide of the target. Had England been more clinical in front of goal, it could have been six at this point. Just moments later, Young again caused Andorra problems on their right, dinking the ball dangerously into the box. Crouch nearly made contact just yards in front of goal, but it eluded him as Andorra's goalkeeper came to claim, but spilled it to his defender's feet. Young has a knack of creating a nervousness in opposition defences.

Shortly after the hour mark, Frank Lampard shot from range, and the movement of the ball meant the Andorran shot-stopper could only parry the ball away; straight to Walcott. With the goal gaping, Walcott fired low and hard but his effort was denied.

Young, who was seeing an awful lot of the ball in the second half, raced down the wing and skipped past the left back, leaving him a free run at goal. Reaching the by-line, the Villa man slid the ball across the box, but the sea of bodies bundled the ball away from danger, somehow. As previously stated, he has the ability to create nervous moments for the opposition.

Beckham's short corner caught Andorra out with under twenty minutes to go. Johnson picked the ball up on the corner of the box, and picked out Jermaine Defoe in the middle, who rose to head home from eight yards and make it four. Less than three minutes later, Defoe had put his name on the score sheet again, and Beckham was involved again. His free kick was parried out to Defoe, who could not miss from close range.

On the eightieth minute, Crouch put Defoe in for his hat-trick, but as the moment of truth came, he miscued completely. Again, however, the Andorran 'keeper spilled and Crouch was lying in wait to make it six. The floodgates truly had opened now as the Wembley crowd finally found it's voice.

In typical Capello style, the match petered out as England made ball retention a priority in the last ten minutes. The result is not one that has massive implications on the International scene, but it does prove that Capello is the man for the job, and allows all England fans a stress-free summer. With that being said, there is still need for a clinical striker judging on tonight's performance, but Defoe and Rooney cannot have done themselves any harm.

Man of the Match: Johnson (9)

Involved in many of England's highlights as he provided a constant threat from the right side and linked up well with Walcott.

Farcelona: Messi United fail to retain European Crown as Ronaldo shows his Petulance

Barcelona showed their class in Rome tonight, as did Lionel Messi, whilst a sloppy and wasteful United were summed up by the petulance and inconsistency of their star man, Ronaldo. The Catalonians ran out deserved winners, outclassing United in all departments to ensure the Champions League trophy takes it’s place back at the Camp Nou.

Surprisingly, it was United who started on the front foot, whereas Barcelona could not seem to keep the ball; a criticism you would never lay at the feet of the La Liga Champions. They seemed to be weathering an early United storm, as the Mancunians, and Ronaldo in particular, craved an early goal.

The World Player of the Year wasted no time in testing Valdes out in the Barca goal, with his ferocious free kick in the second minute, which moved mysteriously through the air, dipping and diving towards goal. Valdes just about got something on the ball, yet the rebound was nearly put in by Ji Sung Park, who was waiting to pounce. He would have his piece of history had it not been for some valiant defending from the ex-United man, Pique.

Five minutes later, Ronaldo saw his place in the headlines again, when he felt the urge to let fly from all of thirty yards, or as he calls it, Porto range. Unlike his sublime effort in Porto, however, the ball glided past Valdes, and the post. He was epitomising the spirit of United, who like him, seemed to be on a mission.

The man from Portugal had many fooled a few moments later, when he attempted a left-foot volley from the corner of the box. The effort bounced past a helpless Valdes but also whistled narrowly wide of the post. His frustration, displayed on the television replay, summed it up, and these feelings would worsen within a few seconds.

It was the first time Iniesta was able to get on the ball, and the first time United looked vulnerable; he cruised into second gear and out of Carrick and Anderson’s sight, before sliding Eto’o in on the left hand side. Suddenly, Vidic was left one-on-one against Eto’o and was turned far too easily to allow the Cameroonian an effort at goal. His instinctive toe-poke was too quick for Van Der Sar to react in time, treacling into the net after the Dutchman had got a hand to it.

For all of United’s endeavour in the first ten minutes, and for all of the importance Sir Alex Ferguson must have put on the early goal, it was the Catalonians who had the lead. For the rest of the half, Iniesta, Messi and Xavi were allowed too much time and space on the ball, and it was comfortable. United, on the other hand, went to pieces after going a goal behind, and rarely have they been so wasteful in possession. Ferdinand and Vidic were harassed and hence they had no solid base upon which to build; long ball galore.

Ronaldo tried to summon his team’s response soon after conceding, bursting through the Barcelona defence only to be brought down cynically by Pique on the edge of the box. A booking was all it was worth, according to the referee, on the reasoning Yaya Toure would have been able to challenge Ronaldo i.e. Pique was not the last man. Giggs took the resulting free kick, which did not trouble Valdes, gliding a good yard over the bar.

Messi started to respond in his personal battle with Ronaldo, but in a different manner. Ronaldo’s strive for glory was peppered with individual endeavour but bordered on greed at times, whereas Messi just played his football and strutted his stuff, for his team. His twenty-five yard attempt, which flew past the crossbar, was the first we saw of the little Argentinean, but certainly not the last.

Xavi tried his luck with a free kick in the 27th minute, from the corner of the Barcelona penalty area, but Van Der Sar had it covered as it went high and wide of the target. United just could not keep the ball, were getting frustrated and giving cheap fouls away, as Barcelona’s midfield dominated Carrick and the relatively inexperienced Anderson. It was because of this Sir Alex Ferguson decided to change it, bringing Tevez on for Anderson, putting Park back into midfield and shifting Giggs into the middle for more experience.

Giggs ageing legs did little to affect the second half, and it was Barcelona who could have grabbed the next goal after the interval. Just before the fifty-minute mark, O’Shea was caught in possession high up the field, and Xavi duly exposed the resulting gaps, sliding Henry in on the wing. He ran at the Mancunian defence, striking fear into Vidic and Ferdinand from his beloved left flank. He wriggled his way into a one-on-one with Van Der Sar, but the latter won the war, making himself big to foil the Frenchman.

A minute later, Sylvinho’s vicious cross from the same flank seeked Eto’o in the middle, but he could not make contact with the goal gaping. United were rocking. A few seconds later, Barcelona were in controlled possession when Xavi played a through ball in Messi’s direction. Running onto it, through on goal, the maestro fell to the floor appealing for a penalty, a la Gerrard and Gattuso in Istanbul. The referee did not deem the challenge a foul, leaving Messi and Eto’o livid in protest.

Xavi’s free kick deceived Van Der Sar in the United goal, but smashed off the post, as the Spaniard looked to put the game beyond doubt. In a frantic opening ten minutes of the second half, Barcelona could have sealed the match as Manchester United were rocked to their innermost core. Despite the half-time change, Tevez failed to find his way into the match as Xavi and co. did not allow United much ball-time.

Big players come to the fore at big times, and Ronaldo was certainly prevalent, but for the wrong reasons. His moaning, elbows, greed and general attitude failed to impress, whereas the man in the other strip, with whom he was supposed to be battling, was earning some merited credibility. Messi’s general composure and attitude was brilliant to watch.

It was Ronaldo, however, who would be involved in the next opportunity. Rooney’s whipped cross cut out Ronaldo and Pique at the near post, but bounced towards Park, unmarked at the back post. The Korean could have used a step ladder at the time, as the ball frustratingly bounced beyond him.

Twenty minutes from the end, Xavi got on the ball and was given all the space of the ancient city to find his pass. Seeing Messi peeling away at the back post, Xavi played an inch-perfect cross to his team-mate, and the brilliance of the assist was only matched by Messi’s agility and leap to head the ball beyond Van Der Sar. The European Cup was going back to the Camp Nou; signed, sealed, delivered.

The rest was academic. Berbatov, a substitute for Ji Sung Park, crossed the ball dangerously across the United area. Giggs met the ball but his effort was blocked, and the ball fell to Ronaldo at the back post. Valdes rushed out to hurry him, and Ronaldo could not find the net. It just was not his night.
Messi won a free kick with fifteen minutes left on the clock, and Xavi took it. Carles Puyol rose unmarked, criminally, from eight yards out and powered his header into the ground. Either side of Van Der Sar, and he was in trouble. As it was, the ball fell straight into the arms of the grateful goalkeeper.

The whole affair seemed to change with Eto’o’s clinical early goal; Barcelona were comfortable for all of eighty minutes and United fans will struggle to recall such a poor showing from their team. On tonight’s evidence, Barca are the deserved Champions of Europe, whereas Ronaldo does not deserve the gong he has received, for his attitude alone.

Essien-tial Goal Cancelled Out by Iniesta, the Heart-Breaker

Iniesta, a man who has come on in leaps and bounds this season, completely stunned Stamford Bridge tonight by grabbing a last-gasp goal just as the 40,000-strong Chelsea faithgul were dusting off their passports and setting towards Rome. Essien's beautiful early goal was almost matched by Iniesta's late strike, but the important thing in semi-finals, as everyone knows, is the result.

It was the classic encounter of artistry versus graft, good versus evil, free-flow versus organisation, if you will. The match started in predictable fashion, with Barcelona enjoying all of the possession and Chelsea remaining strong and organisation, but this only set up the clichéd goal, against the run of play.

After a rare venture forward for the home side, the ball dropped to Michael Essien and the rest was simply magic. On his weaker foot, with a man in his face and with the ball at a difficult height, the Ghanaian left the floor and displayed exquisite technique to power a volley towards the Barcelona goal. It dipped, it moved and found the corner, leaving Valdes completely stranded and helpless, and leaving Essien with a goal to celebrate.

Much like Manchester United in last year's semi-final, the English outfit had got their home goal early in the second leg, after a deadlock in the Camp Nou. This must have started to feel like deja vu for the leaders of La Liga.

Barcelona, in a similar way to Arsenal, only know one way to play, and so it was constant pass-and-move but Chelsea, in a dissimilar fashion to the Gunners in last night's tie, remained organised and dogged at the back. For all of the possession Barcelona enjoyed in the first half, they failed to cut Chelsea open, and for Chelsea, it was the inverse. They used what possession they were allowed to it's full potential, with Drogba, Anelka and Malouda causing the make-shift Barcelona defence problems every time they marauded forward.

Just after the fifteen-minute mark, Lampard played in Malouda behind Dani Alves. Alves is no slouch, but Malouda was simply too quick, reaching the box first and sliding the ball back to Lampard. He, however, could not do what Essien had done minutes earlier, as he slashed high and wide with his weaker foot.

Next, it was Drogba's turn, when he was played in beautifully by Lampard seven minutes later. The Ivorian was constantly nestling himself in between the recently-formed partnership of Pique and Touré. Valdes was quick off his line to meet Drogba at the edge of the box and won the battle, just as it looked like the Chelsea frontman would nick it away just as he did in the FA Cup Semi Final.

Florent Malouda was causing Alves, the best full back in the world, all kinds of trouble. He could have had a penalty a few minutes later. The Frenchman reached the line before deceiving Alves with his Cruyff turn. Alves, knowing he was beaten, pulled Malouda to the floor but the referee deemed it a free kick, not a penalty. Drogba took the reulting set piece, firing wickedly across goal, but Valdes was up to the challenge and punched the ball away for a corner.

John Terry rose to meet the corner that was subsequently taken, but his header narrowly evaded the on-rushing Alex, and the far post. For all of Barcelona's lightning-quick passing and movement, it was Chelsea who was creating all of the chances. It was proving that football can be played as beautifully as God intended, but effective, drilled teams will usually triumph. Something that Arsene Wenger seems incapable of grasping.

Just two minutes after Terry's header, the other fan-favourite, Frank Lampard, played Drogba in dangerously in again. He had found the gap between Pique and Toure once again and he looked set to score. Shrugging off Abidal and closing in on Valdes, the Ivorian was trying to muster a shot, but fell to the floor under what can only be described as a clumsy attempt to win the ball by the Frenchman. The referee, inexplicably, waved the claims away.

Such was the nature of Chelsea's defending, and Barcelona's unwillingness to change their style of play, that was the last incident of note before the interval. The eleven in blue were drilled to the inch, and were allowing Barcelona the ball in certain areas, but not allowing them into the box. Barcelona's boots were built to pass, and so they seemed incapable of playing long balls and at least testing Chelsea in different ways.

Eight minutes after the restart, Drogba could have put the match beyond the Catalonians. Nicolas Anelka's brilliant play sucked in the Chelsea defence and slipped in his Ivorian team-mate to the right. Drogba took his first touch and deceived Pique, who made a last ditch attempt at blocking Drogba's effort. All Drogba had to do was beat Valdes with his effort, but the Spaniard proved he was equal to the task, saving with his feet and keeping Barcelona in the tie.

Fatigue started to affect the veteran-filled Chelsea team, who were starting to concede some space to the away side; a dangerous thing to do when playing the most potently creative team in world football. On the hour mark, Keita controlled the ball on the penalty spot but sent the ball high, wide and handsome with his turn-and-volley.

Five minutes later, Messi shrugged off the chasing Chelsea pack and attempted to beat Cech from range. However, rather typical of his night, the Argentinian skewed his shot high and wide of the target.

Then, the game changed. A long ball from Cech was again too much for Barca's centrebacks to deal with, and left Abidal alone to defend against Anelka. With little or no contact, Anelka fell to the floor and the referee sent Abidal for an early bath, after asking his assistant, “Is he off?”

Much like Fletcher's dismissal last night, it was an extremely harsh decision and one that the referee got totally wrong. By the letter of the law, with the last man rule, the referee was right to send Abidal off the field, if he so deemed it a foul. However, it was a very harsh decision to send him off, considering there was little contact. Lampard scuffed the resulting free kick wide of the target.

Two minuteslater, Lampard could have wrote his name on the scoresheet but not for Valdes. His shot took a wicked deflection off a Barcelona defender, but Valdes changed his feeting quickly to pounce on the ball.

With the game on a knife-edge, against a team that could score at any moment, Chelsea wanted to put the game beyond reach, and Anelka wanted two penalties. Firstly, he felt he was brought to the floor illegally by Yaya Toure, but the referee, for not the first time in the night, waved away the appeals. It seemed to be the correct decision; the next, however, was incorrect.

Anelka had put himself in between the Barcelona defenders, much like Drogba had done before being substituted, and he flicked the ball beyond Pique to set up his opportunity. It seemed, however, to almost everyone inside the Bridge, that Pique had illegally stopped the ball with his hand. Their eyes were not deceiving them, as the replays showed.

Barcelona, who had not tested Petr Cech once all game, scored in the dying embers. This game throws up headlines all the time, and Iniesta's perfectly-placed shot in the 92nd minute left Cech no chance and left Guardiola dancing down the touchline. After surviving a red card, multiple penalty appeals and close scares, the footballing Gods triumphed over the footballing anti-Christs to set up a dream final between the Catalonians and the current holders. There is not much more to say.

Barcelona Masterclass Embarrasses Real at the Bernabeu

Barcelona is a city known for artistic architecture, inspired by Gaudi, Picasso and Dali. Madrid is a city renowned for it's financial and commercial strength. And never have the two principal football teams of the cities been more accurately represented than in the present day. Barcelona set the benchmark globally, for the beautifully artistic football they produce, whereas Real Madrid have recently adopted a hard-line business approach to their football, with more graft than craft.

The game, nicknamed El Clásico, can be likened to no other, with it's historical, cultural and social heritage. Not even the Glaswegian derby can rival a match involving a team from Spain's capital, voted the best team of last century, and a team hailing from the alternative city. The passion of the encounter had even rubbed off on Arjen Robben, as the Dutchman was seen cheerleading the Madrid faithful within the first two minutes, upon winning a corner for the home side.

The amount of stars on show is simply frightening, but a rather encouraging fact for the purist is that five of the Barcelona starting eleven were from Catalonia. Real Madrid, on the other hand, consist of a lot more foreigners, but it was the Spanish-born Ramos who would play a part in the opening goal. He received the ball of Diarra, skipped past Eric Abidal and fired a terrific cross into the Barcelona penalty area. Higuain had evaded the defence, to accurately header beyond Valdes in the visitors' goal.

Barcelona are known and revered world-wide for their craft and artistic approach to football, but they showed they are not short of fighting spirit. Thierry Henry, who had been playing cat-and-mouse with the Madrid backline for the opening twenty minutes, started to roll back the years to his Arsenal days. First, he left Ramos for dead on the wing, cruising past him with ease, before reaching the Madrid box and flicking towards Eto'o at the back post. He could not apply the finishing touch to Henry's effort, to provide the perfect response to Higuain's opener.

However, Henry evaded the offside trap on the 18th minute, getting on the end of Messi's beautifully-weighted chip and sliding past Iker Casillas comfortably. His calm jog towards the Barcelona bench betrayed the energy he was exerting in the first half.

El Clásico is one of the rare fixtures that never disappoints, and it was another sumptuous football feast, played more in the spirit of a basketball match. The end-to-end nature of the game brought another two goals before the half-time interval, and both went the way of the visitors. It was the Frenchman, Henry, who would one again prove the bane of Madrid, when he glided past Cannavaro before he was cynically brought to the ground just outside the box. The Barca set piece routine, orchestrated by Xavi, was finished off by the skipper, Carles Puyol, who was criminally left with a free header nine yards from goal. As could be expected, he did not miss.

Real could have found their response just a few minutes later, when Higuain's quick feet evaded the on-rushing Barca defenders, and the ball bobbled through kindly to Robben. He, however, could not match the composure shown by Henry moments earlier and instead, he fired straight at the feet of Valdes.

Some clever play between the dutchman and Lassana Diarra was finished with a through ball to Higuain just seconds later. He powered onto the pass, and steamed past the leggy Abidal, before firing the ball clean across the goal. Even though the ball evaded Raul in the six yard box, Alves met it with his foot just a yard from goal, but it cannoned into the unaware Casillas, who gratefully snatched the ball up at the second attempt.

Dani Alves was the centre of attention just two minutes later, as he left the Madrid midfield for dead, leaving a three-against-three situation. Ignoring Eto'o to his right, he flicked the ball to Messi on the other side, who was left to pit his wits against Casillas. However, ignoring Eto'o on the far side of the box, he fired straight at the Spanish number one, who punched the ball away.

The Argentinian maestro could have scored just before the half hour mark, also, when a passing masterclass between him and Xavi was overplay of the highest order. Messi eventually decided to shoot from the penalty spot, after Xavi's assist had left Casillas stranded, but it would be the Spaniard who foiled Barcelona again, diving back across goal and pouncing on the ball.

But the Argentinian eventually got his goal, when Xavi caught Lassana Diarra in possession in his own half. The ball bobbled through to Messi, and Cannavaro tried to get back whilst covering the on-rushing Xavi, but it proved to much for the former World Player of the Year, and Messi simply tapped the ball past the best goalkeeper in the world and into the Madrid net. The tug of war with the La Liga title was strongly pulled towards Catalonia with the goal, and the 80,000-plus crowd packed into the Bernabeu knew it.

The Madrileños were given a kiss of life by Sergio Ramos on the 56th minute. The Spaniard was left unmarked by shambolic defending and met Robben's astounding delivery to leave Casillas no chance. Ramos, never short of flamboyance and passion, celebrated with passion and complete virulence, as he had brought the momentum back in Madrid's favour, or so he thought.

Despite not being able to provide the perfect response in the first half, Henry put 4-2 ahead just two minutes after Ramos' header. Xavi's beautiful through ball tempted Casillas out of the Madrid goal, but the Frenchman won the race, reaching the ball first to tap into the net from all of thirty yards. From this point forward, it was not a contest.

Real, like they did against Liverpool, lacked conviction and passion in the biggest match of their season, as too many players went missing and the best team of the 20th century looked completely toothless. For Barcelona, it was the complete opposite; all of their big players came to the fore on the big stage as the Catalonians looked paralysingly potent in attack. The opposition was not provided by some rookies; this was a Madrid side littered with stars and littered with money.

However, such was Guardiola's comfort and confidence, he brought off the man of the match on the hour mark. Just before Henry left the field, Messi would have a chance to get his second of the match. Alves and Eto'o combined beautifully on the edge of the box and it was the Spaniard who had a free run at goal. He picked out the unstoppable Messi on the penalty spot, who took his eyes of the ball, as he sliced it wide of the target.

And it was Lionel Messi who would provide the main threat for Madrid again, with his inch-perfect through ball to Iniesta. He could have given Barcelona a three goal lead, but forever the flag-carriers of overplay, it was never that simple. Instead, he decided to take a few more touches, but was clumsily bundled over by Lassana Diarra in the box. The Barca players appealed, but it was in vain, as the referee, maybe scared of embarrassing Madrid in their own stadium, waved away the claims.

Messi was proving just what a player he was, and was single-handedly destructing the Spanish champions in the second half. He finally got his second of the match when he combined with Xavi on the edge of the box. Xavi, showing typical Catalonian artistry, slid Messi through on goal. This time, their was no mercy, and no mistake from the Argentine, who sent Casillas the wrong way. 5-2 down at home to your biggest rivals, could things get any worse? Yes, they can.

Gerard Pique, once of Manchester United, capped off a terrific individual performance as he marauded into the Madrid box. He was first to react when the ball went loose, spinning on the ball and firing past Cannavaro and Casillas, who had both left the goal-line in anticipation of a cut-back.

The most frightening thing about Barcelona was that they took their foot off the pedal when they went 4-2 up. Players were rested for the Champions League tie with Chelsea, and the passing was slowed down to walking pace. The game was played at Barcelona's pace throughout and the general feeling was they could have stepped up the pace at any time. They did step up the pace after going 1-0 down, and scored two goals in four minutes. Who knows how many they could have got had they went all out for ninety minutes?

There would be one more chance for the visitors before the referee blew the final whistle. The substitute, Bojan, skipped past Heinze on the line and found his fellow countryman in the box. Messi had drifted infront of Diarra, but again did not make a sufficient contact with the ball. It is no exaggeration to suggest that Messi could have, and maybe should have, had five or six goals on the night.

Many are labelling this team as the best Barcelona team ever, trumping that of Maradona's and Cruyff's, and whilst that may be true, no-one can deny how good, and how traditional, Barcelona are. The five starting Catalonians has already been mentioned, but couple that with the fact that Barca do not throw massive amounts of money around, and it is easy to see why they are such a proud team. The last two Champions League competitions have shown that Barcelona are the only team in Europe that can rival the English monopoly, and they rival it without betraying their well-revered traditions. The artistic beauty seen in their passing and craft is only matched by that of the city itself, and that is how football should be. They are one of the few teams that maintain pride and identity in the modern game, and it is for these reasons that they deserve to be La Liga Champions.

Berbatov and City went hand-in-hand

It's 8 o'clock in the evening on August 31st 2008, and two of the three longest-running transfer saga of the summer still have not been resolved. Firstly, Robinho is definitely on his way out of the greatest team of the 20th century, but instead of going to Chelsea, he is now heading towards Eastlands to put his signature on a lucrative contract. And Dimitar Berbatov's future still remains in the balance, as it is unclear which team in Manchester will sign him. City, flexing their muscles at this point, have had a bid accepted by Tottenham, but his heart seems to be set on a move to Old Trafford. Eventually, through some clever wheeling-and-dealing by Sir Alex Ferguson, Berbatov would sign for Manchester United, but in hindsight, maybe City would have been a more appropriate choice.

The Bulgarian has split opinion in Manchester; some hail him as being the heir to Eric Cantona's throne as a true United genius, whereas others see him as a lazy, arrogant waste of money. One of the few times he has left all United fans in awe came against West Ham at Old Trafford. Berbatov chased a hapless ball down the line from Ryan Giggs, before stopping it, twisting his body and flicking it beyond the on-rushing Collins. The turn was fantastic, leaving him through on goal, but he opted to play Ronaldo in who could not miss, two yards from goal.

And that is pretty much all United fans have seen for the 30.75 million pounds that was spent on him. He may have scored 13 goals in this campaign, but none have really needed the ability of a 30 million pound marksman to score. Most have been simple tap-ins and rebounds, and in reality, anyone who plays 36 games as a striker, in a team as creative as Manchester United, has the opportunity to score 13 goals.

To compare the Bulgarian to other strikers in the world, is to see that he simply is not good enough for a team as ambitious as Manchester United. Fernando Torres, for example, cost Liverpool 27 million pounds, and is a much more complete centre-forward than Berbatov, and he, unlike the Bulgarian, has consistently shown the ability to create his own goals. Blackburn a few weeks ago, for example. Drogba has been reborn under Guus Hiddink and single-handedly knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League recently, and cost much less than Berbatov. And Emmanuel Adebayor has become a key player for Arsenal in recent years, and his goal against Villareal in the Champions League recently showed that he too possesses the ability to create his own goals.

One gets the impression United bought Berbatov for buying's sake. After a quite incredible season last year, Manchester United had once again reached the mountain peak by winning the Premier League and the Champions League, and it was hard to see just how they could improve their team. It was more a question of further strengthening an already formidable squad. But ponder this; where would United now be had they signed Franck Ribery or David Villa? Villa, in particular, would seem to fit in perfectly at Old Trafford; something which just does not apply to the lackadaisical Berbatov.

Even if United never had the money to buy Villa, which is doubtful, they could have waited a year, and saved the 30.75 million, to get their man. Instead, they opted to buy a man whose first campaign for the Red Devils was summed up on Sunday at Wembley, when his abysmal penalty allowed Everton to storm back and deny them their quintuple dream.

The most disappointing thing about Berbatov, however, is his age. In a deal similar to Chelsea's purchase of Andrei Shevchenko, United paid 30 million for a player who is not exactly a hot prospect. It is the upsetting state of a game, driven by the high demands of success, that teams now opt to pay such money for players who will never be able to repay the transfer fee. Had Berbatov been 21 years old, there would not be a problem, as the inconsistency seen in Berbatov is common to all young players. As they develop, they usually become more consistent.

It is for such reasons that Berbatov would have perfectly fitted in at the City of Manchester Stadium. The new-age City, backed by Arab oil tycoons, have used their new-found financing to buy over-rated, temperamental players, and Berbatov is no exception. If you have world class ability but do not show it on a regular basis, you are not a world class player, but rather an entertainer, a showman if you will.

Chelsea Defiance trumps Liverpool belief at the Bridge

In a rollercoaster of a second leg, Chelsea invited Liverpool back into the tie before a spirited fightback guaranteed a meeting with Barcelona in the semi-final. Rafael Benitez took his team to Stamford Bridge on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline, but the belief he has in his team was reflected on the pitch, as Liverpool never thought they were out of the game.

Chelsea were extremely complacent in the first half, and allowed Liverpool a passage back into the match on the 19th minute when Fabio Aurelio's well-executed free kick caught Cech completely off guard. It was to be one of them nights for the Czech, who was left completely wrong-footed by the set-piece and had to watch the ball treacle into the net. It was inch-perfect from Aurelio, six inches either side and it would not have been a goal.

And eight minutes later, Liverpool were within one goal of the semi-final after Xabi Alonso was fouled in the box, leaving the referee no choice but to award a penalty. Up stepped the felled Alonso, who duly sent Cech the wrong way, instilling belief into a focused Liverpool, and disbelief into a flattened Chelsea. Cue panic.

The Londoners failed to retain possession for meaningful periods in the first half, as they looked as dodgy as the ITV commentary at the back, and equally as toothless going forward. Half time could not have come at a more opportune for Guus Hiddink and his team, who looked completely rattled as they walked off to a chorus of boos from the home crowd.

However, it was not half time that changed the game, but rather a gift from Spanish shot-stopper Jose Reina. Nicolas Anelka done well to a get a delivery in from the right hand side, but the ball seemed to be rolling harmlessly towards Reina. Drogba used his strength to get the slightest of touches onto the ball, which caught Reina completely off-guard as he could only palm the ball into his own goal. It will be recorded down in the history books as a Reina own goal, and the Spaniard showed his disbelief and frustration whilst Drogba was busy showing his elation.

The goal, however, did not significantly change the situation, Liverpool still needed a third goal, yet it was Chelsea who found themselves with a new-found momentum. Drogba's free kick three minutes later deceived most of Stamford Bridge into thinking Chelsea had equalised, but the ball had pummeled into the side-netting instead. It was a fortunate let-off for Liverpool.

They were not to be so fortunate a few minutes later, when Alex powered the ball past Reina from all of thirty yards from another free kick. Chelsea had shown the commitment and spirit that they had lost since the departure of Jose Mourinho to claw their way back to a level scoreline, and this was summed up by Drogba's cheerleading to the crowd after his first goal. It was such an important act, from such a temperamental player, who finally seems to be settled again under Hiddink.

Soon after the hour, Florent Malouda put the Ivorian in again, and he outmuscled Carragher before finding Ballack unmarked in the box. Ballack should have put Chelsea ahead, but fired straight at Reina instead, it was a let-off for a Liverpool side who were living dangerously, as they knew it was the only way to play now.

Fernando Torres showed one piece of magic, as he evaded the Chelsea defence before firing from 30 yards. His shot left Cech stranded as it was curling, dipping and swerving, but not soon enough, as it narrowly missed the target. It was to be an extremely frustrating night for the Spaniard, who was starved of any genuine service, barring that of Benayoun early in the first half.

Chelsea were ahead with just under fifteen minutes to go, as Michael Ballack's pass found Didier Drogba, who had beautifully evaded the Liverpool defence. The combination and timing of such a pass and run was world class, and it left Drogba pitting his wits against Martin Skrtel. Drogba dummied and shimmied and left Skrtel on the floor before playing the ball across the box to Frank Lampard, who bundled the ball past Reina.

The match seemed all but over, and the Torres substitution on the 79th minute showed a rare sign of defeat from the usually defiant Benitez. It was a controlled decision from Benitez, who acknowledged swallowing his pride and taking off the record signing in such an important game would only enhance their chances in the league. It was a decision, which will be criticised and analysed by many, and one that Benitez was left to regret five minutes later, as Liverpool amazingly found themselves 4-3 ahead.

First, Lukas tried his luck from long-range and his effort took a massive deflection off Michael Essien to leave Petr Cech no chance in the Chelsea goal. Then, three minutes later, Albert Riera made himself half a yard on the edge of the Chelsea area against Ivanovic, before firing his cross across goal dangerously. Dirk Kuyt powered in past Carvalho to pummel his header past a helpless Cech. The best script-writers in Hollywood could not write such a story.

In the 89th minute, Chelsea scored yet again, to level the match. Didier Drogba showed his power as he shrugged off the Liverpool challenges to put Anelka in on the side of the penalty area. The Frenchman calmly picked out Lampard on the edge of the box, whose first-time shot flew past Reina and hit two posts before nestling into the net. After the scenes that had unfolded during the 90 minutes, the Chelsea fans could be forgiven for still biting their fingernails, despite Liverpool needing two goals in three minutes.

In an incredible rollercoaster ride of a match, Liverpool nearly landed another blow. Petr Cech steamed off his line but did not come close to collecting the ball as it fell to the substitute Ngog. He showed no mercy for the Czech as he fired ruthlessly at the goal, but Essien was there to header off the line.

Rather fittingly, it was Petr Cech who would have the last touch of the ball before the referee brought an end to proceedings. Liverpool showed tremendous spirit to fight back into the tie; in all honesty, spirit which needed to be shown to the Liverpool faithful after they feebly handed the impetus to Chelsea in the first leg. The Liverpool fans will be proud of what their team mustered up in a fascinating encounter, but will rue the poor perfomance in the first leg. And such is the nature of European competitions, that one cannot afford one bad performance if they harbour serious ambitions.

Credit must be lauded upon Chelsea again, as they showed that same spirit and fight that saw them through at Anfield last week. After going two goals behind within the first half an hour, the players could be forgiven for remembering what Liverpool had done to Milan in Istanbul. Yet they stuck at their task and eventually got their rewards. Drogba was anonymous in the first half but absolutely unplayable in the second, having a part to play in three of Chelsea's four goals. Never has a game encapsulated the nature of Drogba so well, as he failed to hold the ball up and bring people into play in the first half, but completely terrorised Carragher and Skrtel in the second. It will be he who grabs all the headlines.

Man of the Match: Didier Drogba (8)

No-one was particularly outstanding tonight, as both teams shipped four goals and seven different players wrote their names on the scoresheet. Drogba's second half performance was world class and he was a man on a mission, single-handedly winning the tie for Chelsea. Such a performance would usually earn a ten, but he was anonymous in the first half.

Different Manager, Different Story

It was not so long ago that Luis Felipe Scolari's men walked away from Anfield after offering very little threat to Liverpool, and conceding two late Fernando Torres strikes. Tonight, Guus Hiddink took his Chelsea side to Anfield with much more ambition and came away with a 1-3 victory, thanks to a brace from Ivanovic and a Didier Drogba goal. Liverpool's goal was provided by the man who sunk Chelsea earlier in the season at Anfield, Fernando Torres.

The Anfield side started in an attacking mood, as they did against Real Madrid, and could have been a goal up within three minutes, after a Dirk Kuyt volley flashed narrowly past the post upon taking a deflection. It signified the importance of an early goal for Liverpool, who tried to avoid a frustrating deadlock in a match that has seldom produced goals.

And just like they did against Madrid, Liverpool got their goal through Fernando Torres after six minutes. Florent Malouda was caught ball-watching, allowing Kuyt to beautifully find Arbeloa in space with a back heel. Arbeloa picked out Torres in the middle, who placed his shot into the bottom corner beyond Cech with precision. So often Liverpool have enjoyed early leads in Europe, which have led to victories; Daniel Agger and Luis Garcia against Chelsea at Anfield, to name a few.

However, Chelsea are a different kettle of fish now, far from the team that meekly admitted defeat earlier in the season to Liverpool and they could have found themselves level within one minute of the restart. Kalou caught Aurelio on the ball, and found Drogba unmarked in the heart of the Liverpool defence. He shuffled the ball into a shooting opportunity with his first touch, but Reina came out on top in the one-on-one.

Chelsea had the sharp edge that they have so often lacked this season, and they cut the Liverpool defence open once again just after the 15 minute mark. Michael Ballack's volley was scuffed upwards and the ball was on track to find Frank Lampard six yards out. However, Didier Drogba once again let Liverpool off the hook by intercepting the pass, as he was offside and a free kick was awarded.

On the 24th minute, Florent Malouda was played in by Drogba but fired his shot across the goal. Chelsea were displaying the threat that they lacked at Anfield under Luis Felipe Scolari, and at Stamford Bridge after going a goal behind.

Two minutes later, Torres caught Lampard in possession and ran straight at the Chelsea defence, who backed off. The Spaniard shadowed himself with Alex, and tried to curl his effort into the far corner in Bergkamp-like fashion, but the ball did not drop in time. It was gripping end-to-end football, similar to the Manchester United-Porto tie last night.

Just another two minutes after that, Drogba powered past Carragher on the penalty spot controlling the ball on his chest, but blazed his volley into the Kop. It was another great chance for the re-focused Drogba, who was displaying the hunger that he lacked under Scolari and Grant. The last time such fire was in the belly of the Ivorian was under Jose Mourinho.

Ten minutes before the break, the adventurous Arbeloa terrorised Ashley Cole, before curling a similar effort to Torres' but the ball went a yard beyond the far post. Petr Cech, who was solid all game, did not seem worried by the effort.

And three minutes later, Chelsea had the equaliser that they thoroughly deserved. Ivanovic exploited the Achilles heel of the Liverpool side, zonal marking, as he rose in the box in between four Liverpool players, and powered his header beyond Pepe Reina. It was a terrific run by Ivanovic and the celebration that followed displayed the new-found unity of Chelsea under Guus Hiddink.

Similar to the Torres goal, Liverpool could have found their response very soon after. Kuyt stole the ball off Ashley Cole which left him to pit his witts against Petr Cech, but he, like Drogba, came out second. Cech made himself big and deflected the shot behind the goal.

The second half started with Liverpool keeping possession, but it was Chelsea that once again showed their fangs. Dazzling play in front of the Liverpool defence allowed Drogba to run at Carragher. He coasted beyond the defender and slid the ball under Reina, but Carragher got back and rescued Liverpool with a goal-line clearance.

Soon after, Lampard was played in beautifully by the man-mountain Essien, who was outstanding throughout, and shot a low-cross into the heart of the Liverpool box. Kalou was close to making contact, but Liverpool managed to bundle the ball away. It was nerve-racking times for the Liverpool faithful, as Chelsea showed collective and individual endeavour that in truth, was a joy to watch.

However, just a minute later, 'Gernando' combined well on the edge of the Chelsea box to allow Torres a glimpse at goal. Alex moved quick to cover the danger, and Torres could only blaze over into the Kop, much like Drogba in the first half.

John Terry stupidly wrote his name in the referee's notebook just after the hour, after colliding with goalkeeper Reina. He had a slim chance of reaching the ball before the on-rushing Reina, and to pick up a booking, which will keep him out of the second leg, is something he must surely regret.

It was just a minute later when Ivanovic once again exploited Liverpool's marking system to give the London side the advantage. Rising off a Chelsea corner, high above Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard, he beautifully placed his header into the Anfield Road net. Pepe Reina showed his frustration at Liverpool's ineptitude to defend set pieces, but it was also a fantastic leap and finish from the Russian, who claimed his second goal for his employers.

Five minutes later, Chelsea carved the Liverpool backline open once again as Ballack beautifully put Malouda through. Malouda's excellent run was matched by an equally skillful cross into Drogba, who evaded Carragher and Skrtel before pounding the ball into the net. It was a superb goal from Drogba, who deserved the goal for the desire and determination he displayed throughout the night. His change in attitude may be the consequence of great player management from Hiddink, and he was a nuisance all night for Liverpool. Credit for such a beautifully-worked goal must also be given to Malouda, who has not enjoyed the best of times at Stamford Bridge so far, but displayed the terrific wingplay the Londoners have been lacking since shipping Robben off to Madrid.

Drogba was replaced by ex-Liverpool striker Nicholas Anelka, but not before causing more trouble in the Liverpool defence. Lampard sprung a quick counter-attack and played Drogba in on the corner of the box, who then flicked the ball to the back post for a team-mate, but Skrtel intercepted. However, the header, aimed at Reina, could so easily have found the back of the net, but instead hit Reina and bounced out of danger.

Liverpool found it extremely difficult to create any sort of chance, and the reason was down to the drive and athleticism of Michael Essien, who completely nullified Gerrard for the 80 minutes he had to. The Ghanaian displayed extreme drive in the 89th minute, when he blocked Ryan Babel off, and drove his Chelsea team forward; it is such drive that his team has lacked in his absence. He then played it to Malouda on the wing before carrying on his run. Malouda played Essien back in, who subsequently measured his pass to Lampard to perfection. Lampard tried to knock the ball past the on-rushing Reina, but could only hit the chest of the Liverpool goalkeeper. It was another let-off from Chelsea, who could have had five or six.

In stoppage time, Liverpool finally managed their first shot on target when Torres stretched for the ball and directed a rather tame effort straight at Petr Cech. Seconds from the end, Xabi Alonso could only find the Russian with a long-range effort, as Cech comfortably tipped the ball over the bar. And such was Liverpool's desperation, Reina, who had kept Liverpool in the match at some periods, dragged himself forward for the resulting corner. The resolute Chelsea defence remained strong yet again, and the whistle was blown to a chorus of cheers from the fans in blue.

The game revolved around Liverpool's ineptitude to defend set-pieces, and the return of the dynamic Michael Essien. Essien nullified the talismanic Gerrard, and Lampard harassed Alonso. One could talk about Liverpool's inadequacies, but tonight was all about the resurrection of Chelsea as a force once again in English football. For a team that has lacked so much for the season, they played with heart and direction, more importantly, throughout the match. Drogba was dynamite, Essien was electric and Ivanovic was incredible; three performances that give Chelsea a major advantage in the tie.

Man of the Match: Michael Essien (10)

Had Lionel Messi not single-handedly destroyed Bayern Munich on the same night, the Ghanaian would be a personal choice for the best player in the world. More consistent than Ronaldo, two good feet, pace, strength, drive, defensively solid and offensively threatening. He nullified Steven Gerrard when he had to, and remained extremely disciplined throughout. Great performance, great player.

English Football Premiership- The Run In (Blarg)

What a strange season we've had so far in the English Premiership football. At the start of the season, teams were taking points off each other and there was no team laying claim to establishing themselves at the top and it was becoming almost impossible to predict how the season would pan out.

Even at the top of the table, we had the likes of Hull (in their first ever season in the premiership) in fourth place and the best team in the world, Man Utd in the bottom half. It was truly bizarre.

It wasn't really until December that things began settling down and we started to get an idea of how the top section of the table would pan out. Aston Villa were doing brilliantly, even having a great slice of luck. Liverpool were challenging for the title along with Chelsea and Manchester Utd finally had a great run of form and joined them. Everton began a great run that saw them rocket up the table to sixth, but the rest of the league continued taking points off each other, meaning relegation was a threat up to seventh place! Unheard of.

So, over the Christmas period and into the New Year, the top six of Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Villa and Everton began moving away from the rest. The bottom three continually changed, until West Brom decided they would like to stay at the bottom. Villa looked strong in fourth as Arsenal had a major injury crisis. Everton had their own injury crisis, playing several games without a recognised striker. It didn't hamper them as they remained unbeaten in 18 games, losing once only to a penalty to new world club champions, Man Utd.

In that period, it looked like Liverpool had lost their chance to take hold of the division as too many draws were costing them. Utd looked supreme, being several points ahead with games in hand over their nearest rivals.

However, all that was to change as a humiliating 4-1 defeat to second placed Liverpool at Old Trafford was followed by a 2-0 loss against Fulham. Liverpool then snuck a win in the last minute against Fulham themselves and they were two points clear at the top, although Utd had two games in hand. But it still looked like Liverpool would hold onto top place as the next day in Utd's game against Villa, they were losing 2-1 at home with just eleven minutes left. But Utd's class managed to overhaul that and win 3-2 thanks to a last minute goal by a seventeen year old Italian, to return to the top. Exciting stuff.

As the season approaches its climax, we are finally getting an idea of where many teams will finish. The current top four of Utd, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal will likely remain that way. Neither Villa (5th) nor Everton (6th) have the resources to mount a serious challenge to break that elite group, although both will of course try. The battle for fifth will go to the wire, and I think Villa might just sneak it. The game at Villa Park in mid April maybe the decider for that.

Relegation wise, West Brom looked doomed. The other two clubs currently in the bottom three, Newcastle and Middlesboro, look like they have the strength to stay up, but of course there are still many over clubs that could yet get sucked in. Even though Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has taken the reigns at St James' Park as manager, I don't think this latest Messiah has what it takes to rescue this poor Newcastle team.

Mid table will be dominated by underachievers such as Spurs and Man City. Both have spent heavily, but neither have a strong team spirit. You only have to look at the likes of Jo to realise this. Bought by Man City for a cool £19 million last summer, he has struggled and so went out on loan to Everton for the remainder of the season. He now wants to stay at Everton rather than return to the cold team spirit of Man City. Whether Everton will be able to afford him is another matter. But it just goes to show, money cannot buy everything.

Of course, over achievers with the likes of Wigan and West Ham look set to finish strongly, but even they have to be careful to be pulled back into the relegation battle. A couple of losses there could see them in dangerous territory.

Many Premiership marketers claim that the Premiership is the best league in the world. Based on this season, they may be right, but in my opinion, there are only seven or eight good teams in it, the rest being a much of a muchness. The rest of the season will be interesting to watch, and finally we may see a great finish to a season.

The author, Richard Hull is the webmaster of Blargins' Injury Time, a light hearted look at all things Everton and general soccer.

Newcastle: Too Big to go Down?

The Toon Army has a massive following of 55,000 supporters, that sell out St. James’ Park every week, despite their glaring lack of trophies. With this support, they have been able to attract talent that their level of success has not merited. If one measures the size of a club on the level of support it enjoys, as opposed to it’s trophy cabinet, it is fair to say Newcastle United are not exactly a small club. So are they too big a club to be relegated? The answer, quite simply, is no.

Nottingham Forest, despite being one of only four English clubs to lift the European Cup, were relegated in the first season of Premiership football. The departure of Brian Clough, a man who had helped Nottingham Forest to win not one European Cup, but two, coincided with said relegation. A club with an extremely rich tradition was to play their football in the lower levels of English football, and it truly was a loss to the top flight.

Leeds United, most will agree, were one of the proudest clubs in British Football until their relegation in 2004. Despite divulging into the lower leagues on numerous occasions, Leeds has also won the old Division One thrice, an FA Cup, and reached the last four of Europe’s top prize on two occasions. Granted, Leeds are not exactly a Real Madrid or a Manchester United, but they have much more on their honours list than Newcastle. Leeds’ financial situation provided too many difficulties for the club to see the top flight again, and administration one threatened the Yorkshire side. Following their relegation, there was a mass exodus of talent, including players such as Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Harry Kewell. The club clearly had talented superstars, but could not evade the drop.

All that, and support has yet to be mentioned. In high pressure games from now until the end of the season, the crowd will act against Newcastle, as opposed to in favour of them. From a faithful that has always demanded so much from their team, will be bred even more pressure onto the field of play, and whether Newcastle have players with enough character so respond is another matter. Players such as Joey Barton and Alan Smith have had their problems in the past, and in reality, their team is now littered with more thugs than stars. While some of their players may have sufficient ability, such as Martins and Owen, they have players with extreme fallacies in their character, like the aforementioned Barton and Smith.

It seems the worst thing Newcastle have done in recent times was sacking Sir Bobby Robson, as they have never been able to recover from that managerial loss. One of my very first memories of the Champions League was Mathias Almeida thrashing a 25-yard volley into the roof of the net at St. James' Park for Inter Milan, but that is too distant a memory now. Managers, ranging from Glenn Roeder and Sam Allardyce have tried to bring stability back to the club, and not even the return of the 'Messiah'-like Kevin Keegan could do the job. No manager that goes to St. James' has been given the time to work with the squad to bring their own imprint onto the team, and hence they no longer have an identity. This cut-throat style of business has found Newcastle scrapping at the wrong end of the league in recent times.

And if Newcastle United are relegated, it is hard to see them coming back up. The club will lose money through television rights, and will not be able to attract the stars they once have been able to. Also, players like Duff, Martins, Owen and Gutierrez will seek new employers to create an exodus of players from Tyneside. Whether the club will be able to attract the large following they once did will also be discovered, if they do fall into the Championship.

It is easy for the fans to blame the players on the pitch, or the manager in the box-seat, but if they are relegated, the harsh truth is the fans only have themselves to blame. After David Moyes got Everton to a 7^th place finish in his first season in 2002, he finished 17^th the following season. One has to wonder whether he would have kept his job had he been employed by Newcastle, I suppose not. Despite not having a glorious past, the fans at St. James' Park seem to demand so much than what their team merits, and it is this confusion of ideals that has corrupted and alienated a club that could have been much more successful. It seems, despite Tottenham Hotspur's efforts, that Newcastle United truly are the joke of the Premier League.

Chelsea and Liverpool meet again

Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Chelsea and Liverpool have been drawn against each other for the fifth consecutive time in the Champions League, in what promises to be a fascinating encounter. Chelsea have already been beaten twice by Liverpool already this season, but are now under the reigns of one of wisest men in world football, Guus Hiddink. In the seven matches they have played since coming to the Bridge, Chelsea have avoided defeat. And who were the last team to beat them? Liverpool, of course...

This time, it will not be that simple. In the previous encounter, Chelsea went to Anfield in a typically-negative fashion, despite knowing that a win would have been the ideal result to reignite any title challenge. The shift of power came when Frank Lampard was given a dubious red card, and Liverpool won the game late on with two late Fernando Torres goals.

And it is fair to say Liverpool do have the advantage over Chelsea in Europe, knocking them out in 2005 semi-final, when they went on to win the competition, and in 2007. The two teams played out two goalless draws in the group stages of the 2006 competition, but Chelsea finally managed to beat their rivals in last year's competition. Chelsea were fantastic at the Bridge in that encounter, dispatching Liverpool 3-1 with a brace from Drogba and a Michael Ballack penalty, securing a place in the final.

However, Benitez seems to have Chelsea worked out, and although they are now under the management of Hiddink, it is difficult to see any major changes to the team's playing style. They are still an extremely negative team, geared towards grinding out results. Out of Chelsea's six victories under Hiddink, five have been by a one-goal margin. And in essence, since the sale of Arjen Robben to Real Madrid, the team have struggled from wide areas and do find it difficult to break teams down. The same criticism could be levelled at Rafael Benitez and his team, although the last two victories do show their potency in attack.

Chelsea have already showed their ineptitude to break down the Merseyside team on two occasions this season, and it is hard to see much changing in this tie. In last year's Champions League tie, it was the Michael Ballack penalty, given at 1-1, that changed the game, and Chelsea will need to rely on indiviual brilliance or fortune to win the tie. However, they have shown on countless occasions they do have both of these in abundance since the arrival of Roman Abramovich.

One aspect of this fascinating encounter that certainly does warrant a mention is the return of Ghanaian powerhouse Michael Essien. He is at the centre of everything good about Chelsea, offering as much in defence as in attack and providing the drive that Chelsea have lacked so much this season. It may be him, the best midfielder in the Premier League in my opinion, who provides the difference between winning and losing.

It will also be interesting to see if John Terry has the ability to silence Fernando Torres over the two games. Torres plays much better with Steven Gerrard in the team, of that there is no doubt, and if Michael Essien can deal with Gerrard, then it may facilitate the task for Terry. If Terry cannot keep the Spaniard quiet at Anfield, as he was not earlier in the season, Liverpool could run riot. One would feel, after watching Liverpool's last Champions League outing, that Benitez will go all-out to win the tie at Anfield.

Arsenal vs. Villareal

Arsenal and Villareal will meet in a repeat of the 2006 semi-final, when a Kolo Touré goal was enough to guarantee a Barcelona-Arsenal encounter in the final. Juan-Roman Riquelme missed a penalty in the second leg that would have seen the match go into extra-time, but things have changed this time.

Riquelme and Forlan are a thing of the past for “The Yellow Submarines”, but they know have a much leaner, younger team and are a very dangerous outfit. The small-town team now relies on ex-Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi and veteran Nihat Kahveci in attack, and Spain's promising winger Santi Cazorla. People of ignorance would argue that the loss of Forlan and Riquelme have left Villareal with no hope, given that they boast many players who may not be household names, but are very talented individuals; Gonzalo, Franco, Cani and Senna to name just a few.

Ex-gunner Robert Pires will also come up against his former side, but the battle to watch will be Marcos Senna against Cesc Fabregas in the centre berth of midfield. Whether the experience of Senna can handle the youth of Fabregas remains to be seen, but many will remember Patrick Vieira failing to outshine the Spaniard when he visited his old stomping ground.

Villareal could only manage a 2-2 draw at the weekend, as a first-half brace from Santi Cazorla was cancelled out by Real Betis in the second half. Santi Cazorla's first goal summed up what the enigmatic Villareal are about, with terrific teamwork allowing the Spanish International to finish from twelve yards. They are a potent outfit indeed.

A similarity between both Villareal and Arsenal is they sit in fourth place, and are fighting off fifth place as opposed to looking towards third. It seems that in England, the trio of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea are too strong, and in Spain, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Sevilla are too strong.

The match will rely on quick play in an around the box from both teams, with the potential for some spell-binding football and a captivating encounter. For how magical the Spanish outfit can be at times, they can also be anonymous. It may depend on what Villareal show up in the two ties. Even though Arsenal are not the team they once were, I cannot see Villareal being able to handle them, in a typically-close encounter. English dominance will once again prevail.

Manchester United vs. Porto

Mourinho's celebration is a distant memory.
The defending Champions of Europe will meet 2004 winners Porto, in an encounter that will bring back bad memories for Sir Alex Ferguson. It was Jose Mourinho's Porto that knocked United out of the 2004 competition, with a Costinha goal in the dying embers of the tie. Cue memorable celebrations of a young, and relatively-unknown Jose Mourinho running down the Old Trafford touchline in celebration. But let us not be deceived, Porto are not what they were.

The 2004 Porto team was one of those special outfits that sometimes culminate in one moment, and disband soon after. The Zenit St. Peterburg team of last year, and the South Korean national team in 2002 are other examples. It included stars who were yet to gain a reputation on the continent, such as Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Benni McCarthy and Paolo Ferreira. But the most important of all the talent at the club at the time was the man in charge, the charismatic Jose Mourinho.

However, after the Champions League win in 2004, much of Porto's talent decided it was the opportune moment to launch their careers. Mourinho left his position for pastures new at Chelsea, and in turn, debowelled much of the Porto squad. Carvalho, Ferreira, McCarthy and Valente soon ended up in the Premiership, and Deco found a new home at the Camp Nou.

And since then, as one can imagine, Porto have failed to make much of an impact on the continent. They once again proved their ineptitude to hold on to their key players, when Anderson left for Old Trafford, and now faces a tie against his old employers.

The key players for Porto will be target man Lisandro Lopez and Lucho Gonzalez, the latter being on the “Best 100 Players in World Football” list for the last three years. However, Sir Alex Ferguson has proven himself time after time to be a master tactician, and has the ability to nullify key players in games. If he can manage to silence the talented Gonzalez, then it is hard to see any ensuing upset.

Although anything can happen in football, United will be counting their lucky stars as they once again seem to have found the easiest team left in the draw. They should guarantee their place in the semi-final.

Barcelona vs. Bayern

Barca's stars too hot to handle?
The last semi-final is one that does not boast an English team, but is a mouth-watering tie all the same. Bayern Munich destroyed Sporting Lisbon 14-1 in the last round to claim a new record, and Barcelona have a notorious reputation for attacking football. Therefore, this tie promises goals. But as we know from experience, promises are not always kept, and hype is not always fulfilled.

Barcelona are once again finding their mark in front of goal, after a shaky spell, and proof of this would be Bojan's second against Almeria last week. The attacking move displayed some sublime passing, and something that Munich are going to have to be very wary of. Barcelona's quick, accurate passing may prove too much for what is a typically-stagnant backline from the Germans.

However, there are always surprises in football, and this tie does have the potential of an upset, like the Arsenal-Villareal tie. Philippe Lahm, Franck Ribéry, Luca Toni and and Lukas Podolski are the ones to watch for the Germans. Ribéry and Lahm should cause the La Liga leaders trouble, and Bayern do have the potential to score against what still seems to be an unstable Barcelona backline.

But this clash will be decided by how the Germans can perfom at the other end of the pitch. Messi, Eto'o, Henry, Gudjohnsen and Iniesta are enough to make most defender's heartbeats stop, but they are not invincible. In the past, the Italian Massimo Oddo has proven himself to be a very astute defender, especially in his spell with Lazio, but whether he has the pace to match Lionel Messi is the important factor. It would not be surprising if Klinsmann decided to put Lahm at right back to contain Lionel Messi, but Pep Guardiola could so easily switch Messi to the left.

This should be a fascinating encounter, and is definitely not as cut-and-dry as the media would convey. With that being said, I can see Barcelona progressing into the final four.

And so, the way I see it, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Barcelona will all be in the next round of Europe's premier competition. Three out of these four teams reached the same stage last year, with the exception of Arsenal, who were knocked out by Liverpool. And the only reason Chelsea will not make it to the semi-final is because they too will be knocked out by Liverpool. I strongly believe that if all four English teams were to have avoided each other in the draw, they all would have reached the final four.

I wonder how long it will be before UEFA intervene to stop an English club monopoly, which has the potential to ruin Europe's most prized competition.

C. Rimmer
(20/03/09)

"Gernando" stuns Old Trafford

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard rekindled their partnership which proved too much for Real Madrid in midweek, to produce another Anglo-Hispanic masterclass at Old Trafford yesterday. With an outcome that no-one could have quite predicted, a 4-1 drubbing of Manchester United, the back pages of every newspaper across Britain were splashed with images of Torres and Gerrard today.

Despite needing a win in Manchester to keep any sort of title challenge alive, it was the Mancunian side that started on the front foot. United seeked an early goal, like they got at Anfield earlier in the season, that would give them a massive advantage, given their defensive record at Fortress Old Trafford this season. However, possessing two holding midfielders in Lucas and Mascherano, Liverpool were able to weather the early storm from the champions.

The deadlock was broken after 23 minutes, when Tevez poked a ball through to Park Ji Sung. The Korean was tripped by the on-rushing Pepe Reina, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. In reality, it was a dubious penalty decision, as Park had kicked the ball into an almost impossible angle, and waited for contact from the goalkeeper. Some referees would give it, others would not. It was world player of the year, Cristiano Ronaldo, who placed the ball down, before placing a fierce strike into the corner of the goal, giving Reina no chance.

The response from Liverpool after that was faultless, as they showed champion-like spirit to fight their way back into the match. Given that Van Der Sar had not been beaten at Old Trafford in over four months, it was hard to see Liverpool getting back into the match, but that was exactly what they done.

On the 28th minute, after a hopeful long ball up to Torres, the highly consistent Nemanja Vidic let the ball bounce, which was a clinical mistake. The pace of Torres exploited Vidic, who lost out in a challenge with Torres, allowing one of the best strikers in world football a free run at the United goal. Torres seemed quite nervous in his approach, taking various touches, but the finish was far from nervous. The Spaniard waited for the large frame of Van Der Sar to leave his goal-line, before steering a beautiful finish into the bottom corner of the goal.

A draw still favoured United, and so the game was beautifully poised. Torres and Gerrard combined with a beautiful give-and-go, which let Gerrard expose Patrice Evra, who is not exactly slow. Evra, knowing if he left it any longer, Gerrard would have a free effort at goal, knew he had to make his last-ditch challenge. However, it was mistimed, and he took the man and not the ball. Penalty.

And it was Gerrard himself that took the penalty. Van Der Sar, similar to Reina, guessed the right way, but could not move quick enough. And so, Liverpool went in at half-time with a 2-1 lead, a scoreline by which they had won the previous encounter between the two teams.

Liverpool are one of the best teams in the world at defending a lead, and Manchester United may be the best team in the world at exposing teams. The game was finely poised. The Champions came out in the second half knowing a draw would be enough to secure the title, and it was a backs-to-the-wall, all-hands-to-the-pump approach from the Merseyside team.

With that being said, United failed to create many opportunities, the two most memorable BOTH falling to Carlos Tevez. A routine chip ball over the top of the back four caught Liverpool sleeping, but Tevez snatched at his shot, sending it wide of the target. It should be noted Tevez seemed to be in an offside position, but it was not given, and hence the goal would have stood.

Ronaldo marauded down the wing and chipped a beautifully-weighted ball to Rooney at the back post, who steered his ball goalwards. Carlos Tevez fell on the goal-line and his claims for a penalty were waved away. The ball travelled past Tevez and past the far post.

And with Liverpool playing a counter-attack system, the threat of a third was ever-present. Gerrard made a typical cavalier run from midfield towards the exposed Vidic. Much like his colleague Torres in the first half, Gerrard had Vidic beaten for pace, and so the Serb cynically dragged him to the floor so as to stop a goal-scoring opportunity. He left Alan Wiley no choice but to reach into his pocket for his red card, ending a horrific day for the supposedly unbreachable Vidic.

Sir Alex Ferguson lifted his despairing head out of his hands just in time to see Fabio Aurelio place an inch-perfect free kick into the Stretford End goal, and the game was all but over. The floodgates had finally opened for Manchester United, as they leaked goals. Many of the Manchester United faithful had already left Old Trafford, and the players seemed to share a sense of defeat.

Gerrard could have made it four soon after, as a slip in the Manchester United defence allowed Ryan Babel possession on the penalty spot. Babel found Gerrard, who had been a nuisance all day with his late runs from midfield, and despite having all the space and time known to man, Gerrard wildly lashed at his shot and sent it high into the seating area.

Mancunian humiliation was consolidated when Reina's goal kick left the United backline completely flat-footed just inside stoppage time. The defence, for the fourth time in the game, had been exploited for pace, and Andrea Dossena found himself in a one-on-one goalscoring opportunity. The Italian lobbed the ball over a stranded Van Der Sar for his second goal in as many games.

The game has sent shockwaves throughout the footballing world, and in principal, proves two things conclusively. It proves Liverpool certainly do have the credentials to challenge for the league title, but do not have the consistency of Manchester United. The last two games have proved just how fruitful Liverpool's attacks can be, and although this season is not over just yet, it seems some of the Liverpudlian fanbase are already preparing themselves for next season.

It also proves that Manchester United are not invincible. After the match, Assistant Manager Mike Phelan said that Liverpool caught them on “a bad day at the office”, but I feel this rather belies the facts. Whilst it is true that man-mountain Vidic and the usually assuring Rio Ferdinand were not comfortable by any stretch of the imagination, this has to be attributed to Torres and Gerrard's partnership. Neither Anderson nor Carrick were able to suppress Gerrard, who was making typically-late runs from midfield at completely exposing the Manchester United centre backs. The reason for Manchester United's toothless attack could be attributed to the Lucas-Mascherano stronghold in the centre-midfield berth.

So maybe it was another tactical masterstroke from Rafael Benitez, or maybe it was the Liverpool players applying themselves more in an archetypal big game. One thing is certain, it has to be back to the drawing board for Sir Alex Ferguson; manager of the side who have found themselves a goal up twice against their opponents from down the M62, and have twice been defeated.

And so, we finish with a quiz question. Who was the only team to do the double over United in the last campaign?