Champions League - The Knock-out Stage!
We've been waiting months, slogging through the tedious group stage in order to get to this moment - the knockout stage. Here's where the best teams in Europe kick off against each other with a place in the quarter-finals on the line and no way to hide behind the wallets of their patrons.Arsenal vs. Roma
Athletico vs. Porto
Inter vs. ManYoo
Lyon vs. Barca
I'll be in and out throughout the afternoon but I hope to catch some of the action and some of your company.
posted by The Blue Devil @ 10:00 AM
81 Comments:
I'll be following Inter vs. United.
The teams:
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Berbatov, Ronaldo. Subs: Foster, Rooney, Nani, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Gibson, Tevez. Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)
Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Rivas, Chivu, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Stankovic, Ibrahimovic, Adriano. Subs: Toldo, Cordoba, Maxwell, Figo, Cruz, Burdisso, Balotelli.
Excellent - the first link on JustinTV is working and I'm up and running.
Ronaldo with an early free kick opportunity.
Ronaldo hits the target with a bobbly effort but the keeper was behind it all the way.
O'Shea is a lucky boy. He plays an errant ball straight to Adriano, who makes nothing of it.
Oooh, Giggsy swings a corner over and Ronaldo meets it head-on. The keeper somehow scrambles it away.
The Portugeezer looks up for it tonight. He knows he's in the shop window.
Ronaldo with another long range effort and it's a whisker away. The Inter boys have got to start shutting him down. Jose is having an aneurysm on the bench. You'd have thought that the Inter midfield and defense had never heard of the kid - he's only the bloody World Player of the Year!
A quick check on the other scores ten minutes in.
Maxi Rodriguez has scored for Athletico against Porto.
And Juninho has popped a goal in for Lyon at home to Barca. That result would be a turn up!
Zanetti bursts forward and feeds Stankovic who wastes the chance. A sign of danger for United though.
Zanetti sticks out a foot and Carrick falls over it. Bit of a dive and Zanetti is pissed. Ronaldo can have another pop here.
No, it's Giggs this time, left footed into the wall.
Still 0-0 at the Emirates between Arsenal and Porto.
It's a busy, busy night all round. No goals yet in Division 1, which suits me. Leeds are not playing, so we can only lose ground.
I've lost the signal for a moment.
Right - I'm back in action, albeit on Adthe and it's the ESPN2 coverage rather than ITV out of the UK.
Giggs was off to the races there but Julio Cesar saves well with his legs. United may rue missing some of these chances.
Adriano looks as if he's been on the Lindsay Lohan diet recently. He's remarkably slim now.
Ronaldo with his fourth free kick opportunity of the night.
Oooh, Julio Cesar was scrambling to his left and I think that came off the base of the post.
Another free header for Ronaldo! Just wide....wow!
Porto have equalized through Claudio Lopez.
Great scores so far in Division 1.
Colchester are ahead against Stockport and Cheltenham, who we did over at the weeekend, have bounced back to lead Millwall.
Half an hour gone and still no score at the Emirates.
I'm back on the ITV link through Justin. Much better.
Ten minutes left of the half. United will be unhappy to go in 0-0 at this rate given the number of chances they've had. And Jose will be heaving a sigh of relief.
Robin van Persie has scored for Arsenal from the penalty spot!
1-0!
Maicon is called for a foul and the Inter bench basically clears out!
After a huge scrum, the referee has booked Toldo, who's the goalkeeping coach. He had to be restrained by Luis Figo!
Hey, I am here. My department meeting got cancelled!
I have United on the TV and the Arse on the atdhe link which is ITV
Almost half time
It's all happening now. Muntari has gone down after some kind of incident off the ball. Oh, there it is. John O'Shea caught him with his follow-up through from a clearance. No biggie.
Hey, Dave! This one is coming to a bit of a chippy conclusion at the end of the first half. United have had the better of it with Ronaldo hitting the post twice and having two free headers saved. Giggs also had one saved at point blank range.
The crowd is baying for blood now!
Cambiasso sticks a free kick into the area but it's cleared out well.
And that's the half time whistle. United have dominated as no other club would probably have the bottle to do. But it's still 0-0 despite their efforts.
I just read the BBC and they say it has been ALL United
I'm going to go set up my classroom for my 4:30 class so that I can just swan in at the last moment.
Back in a tick.
Inter have started well.
Adriano should have scored
They had a penalty shout.
Play like the first half UNITED
I AM HERE
Sorry, mate. The bloody PC isn't working in the classroom, so I'm going to have to sort that out. PCs - I hate them!
The Arse should have scored again.
Bendtner should have scored
Roma were on top for a little bit but now it is ALL Arsenal. They are having chance after chance
I'm back! (for a few minutes.)
United almost in
We need a goal.
PLEASE DON'T LOSE ONE NIL
Eboue has a one on one and misses!!!
Free kick chance for Inter
Row Z please
Zlatan hasn't had a sniff in this match, but it only takes half a second for him to kill you.
Free kick with Maicon over it.
Wide and useless.
Well done
Fairly rubbish free kick. I think he was caught between having a pop and crossing it and in the end it's neither.
0-0 would do you okay but you'd love an away goal, eh?
TH-14 has equalized for Barca against Lyon. That should do them nicely.
Millwall have taken the lead but I can't be that upset with the results tonight. Scunthorpe and Stockport both losing. We're still in 7th even though we haven't played tonight.
This Ref has been pretty good.
I didn't know any league games were going on
There are two cup game still scoreless
I don't like nil nillers
We need the away goal absolutely
Arsenal still lead 1-0 with about fifteen minutes left.
Swansea have taken the lead at Fulham
United heading for Wales?
Actually Jason Scotland has just fired Swansea into the lead at Craven Cottage. Could we see another Welsh side in the FA Cup Final again this season?
I would have liked Barca to lose.
bugger
Giggs should have done better there
The Swans will not make the Final!!
Claudio Lopez has equalized once again for Porto against Athletico. 2-2 there.
Julio Cruz coming on for Muntari. And Pie-boy is taking the bench as well.
Coventry have taken the lead against Rovers
Berba hits the side netting!
Will either Roon or Tevez get a chance tonight?
United just can't find the final ball
Bristol Rovers now 0-2 up against Oldham. Lovely jubbly!
You guys have moved up a place and haven't stepped on the field.
I think this shows you how inferior Serie A is to the Premiership at this point. Inter are absolutely running away with the Scudetto but they don't look capable of beating United at home and should probably have lost this one by one or two goals.
Peterboro take the lead
I know! How did that happen!?
Peterboro won't be caught now. They're definitely in the playoffs. I'm concentrating on Oldham, Millwall, Scunthorpe and Stockport now.
Struth, that was close!!
hand ball by Evra and then almost in.
Then again from corner
Come on United!
VDS earned his corn there. Earlier the color guy said that he should have had to pay for a ticket since he was a mere spectator!
Rooney on for Park
Not sure about that move
I hope United don't get caught
Roooooooon!
Score with you first touch please Wazzer
You'd have to say that after this set of matches, Arsenal, Porto, Barca and you lot are in the driver's seat for the second leg.
I'm off for my class, mate. Best of luck with the last ten minutes or so.
About five to go
Slatan hits a shot and it is deflected but United get the call
Take care
Roon in the book
I don't think he did much
I was scared the ref was going to his RED
Rooney almost in.
Keeper stops him outside the box
Good save with his leg!!
Into added time with both English teams
Free kick chance for Ronny!
COME ON!!!!!
The kick won't be taken until after +3 minutes
COME ON...ooh off the keeper's chest!!!
The ref blows right after
Nil Nil okay but not brilliant
Alan Green says two or three goals wouldn't have flattered them!
I hope United don't do the same as Monaco and Real
We drew nil nil in France and then drew 1-1
Drew nil nil in Spain and lost 2-3
COME ON UNITED.
BEAT THE SPECIAL ONE!!
The Arse win 1-0. Should have done better
Take care
I am off to my class
Should have done much better. I saw Bendtner's sitter miss, and read that he was pretty shattered by it and should have been subbed off earlier so that Vela could have more time to work something in. Nasri too was guilty of either striking the ball to tamely or straight at their keeper.
1-0 isn't a bad result when you consider that we'll likely have Eduardo back in two weeks, possibly Cesc, and probably Walcott. More creative firepower. I'd like to see Wenger work Nasri inside and let Arshavin and Vela have the wings until Cesc's return.
I hope you stuff Inter at OT, Davey.
Very little to like about those Milanese.
Post a Comment
<< Home