Messi Master Class sees Barca meet Inter in the semi's

Leo Messi scored 3 goals in 21 minutes in the first half to end Arsenal's Champion's League dream this year. To be honest, Barca were poor in the first half and Arsenal rightly took the lead in the 18th minute. Barca seemed uninterested and lazy at first but Messi saved them. To be fair, Arsenal were unlucky on Messi's first two goals as the ball didn't bounce their way but the class with which Messi finished was second to none. The first bounced around the top of the box, landed on his left foot and then was rocketed into the back of the net. The second came a few minutes later as Messi played Abidal in on the left who then crossed, poorly, into the box. The ball was deflected then nudged back by Pedro to Messi who took one touch around a defender then finished cooly with his right. Arsenal continued to press and, though having less possession they looked the more controlled side. However, Vermaelen went for a header he shouldn't have as there was no cover behind him. The ball fell to Keita who headed Messi into space. Messi then performed his best finish as he cheekily chipped Almunia for his third and for a 3-1 Barcelona lead. The second half showed a more controlled Barca as they held the lead and kept Arsenal from having any real threat on goal. Then with 2 minutes left Xavi played Messi through again, and then he beat 2 defenders before having his first shot saved right back to him and then put it between Almunia's legs for his fourth. I would have preferred to see him play Keita through on this play but it is the strikers perogative to go to goal as he did. Barcelona will face Inter in the next round as Jose Mourinho's men won 1-0 in Moscow through a Wesley Sneijder goal (I believe Real Madrid are wishing they had not sold him).

Previewing the Second Leg of the Quarters

This week gives us the return legs of the quarter finals of this years Champion's League. We will see who the top 4 teams in Europe are this year and who will meet in the semi's.

Inter Milan @ CSKA Moscow... Inter held serve at home with a 1-0 winner through Diego Milito's second half goal. A 1-0 lead means this tie is very much in doubt, but it should be noted that Italian sides are famous for winning 1-0 at home and holding on to a nil-nil draw on the road to advance. These teams usually "park the bus" and have 10 men behind the ball at all times, but I do not see Inter or Jose Mourinho taking this tactic. I expect to see Inter play just like they did on the road against Chelsea and push forward in attack and defend strongly when needed. CSKA will be able to play at home in the second leg and many European teams have trouble traveling to Russia in the Champion's League. CSKA also didn't "park the bus" at the San Siro and looked dangerous at times in the attack. They had a few chances and could have scored that important away goal but just didn't manage it. With Necid, Honda, Krasic, and Mamaev in attack, this team can score goals. They also move the ball very well and pass and keep the ball well in very tight quarters. Their one touch passing can open up quick spacing for them and give them opportunities to score. In the end I see this game ending 1-1 with CSKA opening the scoring, Inter leveling early in the second half and then fighting furiously at the end to get the other goals necessary to move on but only getting 1.

Arsenal @ Barcelona... Barca saw a late come back from Arsenal mean they only got a draw at the Emirates stadium in London. The big news in this return leg are the players who will miss out. Barcelona saw Pique and Puyol, their two first choice center backs, get suspended for this game which means Gabi Milito will pair along side either Rafa Marquez, most likely, or Dmytro Chigrynskiy. Eric Abidal is back healthy and may play but Andres Iniesta is still out thru injury and goal scorer, Zlatan Ibrahmiavic, will also miss out with a calf problem. Arsenal will be without captain Cesc Fabregas through suspension and injury while Gallas, Arshavin, and Song will all miss thru injury. Arsenal, who were already having problems in defense against Barca, will be without 2 center backs and will most likely have to start Sol Campbell who isn't preferred because of his age and speed. In the game, Arsenal must score at the Camp Nou and they must win. A draw of 3-3 or more will send Arsenal through as well. A 1-0 victory is what Arsenal will be playing for but that means they must keep Barca from scoring which does not seem likely. I expect Arsenal to look for a goal on the counter attack in the first half and if they don't get then they will start to push forward later. In the end I see Barca taking this game and this tie. and 2-1 victory or more seems likely as Barca looked great at the weekend while playing a lot of younger non-starters and Arsenal need a late goal to win over a 10 man side.

Bayern Munich @ Manchester United.. The big news in this game is that Wayne Rooney may not make a surprise return to the lineup, though I don't see that happening. With Wayne Rooney out, Man U lost at the weekend to Chelsea and may have lost the Premier league title as well. Man U lost 2-1 at Bayern which means they must score at least once and with Rooney out this could be difficult. Berbatov just hasn't seemed like scoring in any game I have seen but hopefully for Man U he can. Bayern will get Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinstiger back for the game which will make them even more potent in attack. I honestly think that Bayern will be able to get a 1-1 draw at Man U and move on to the semi's. The only real reason for this is because of Rooney being out and I see Man U having a hard time scoring.

Lyon @ Bordeaux... This was the second most exciting game last week and saw Lyon take a 3-1 advantage at home. Bordeaux could easily have scored more but didn't manage to and now need a minimum of 2-0 victory to move on. Give the poor play in defense for both sides this outcome could easily happen but I see more goals than this. A possible 4-2 game is likely which would see Lyon move on but I personally see it ending 3-2 and Lyon moving on. No major players will be missing out in this game and it should be fun to watch again.

If these results do happen then we would see a Lyon-Bayern Munich and an Inter-Barcelona semi finals.

Arsenal Grab 2 Late Goals to Square the Tie

Barcelona and Arsenal played to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the Champion's League Quarterfinal. Barcelona came out from the start pressing hard and nearly scoring within the first minute. Almunia had four great reaction saves to keep Barcelona out. Barcelona had 70% of the possession in the first half and should have been 3 up at half. However, the half ended nil-nil. William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin were both forced out in the second half thru injury and Gallas definitely looks like he had the more serious one and wont be playing in the second leg. The other big story was Cesc picking up a yellow for a silly challenge though it was a harsh yellow which will see him miss the next leg.

The second half start brilliantly for Barcelona with Xavi finding Zlatan Ibrahimavic in acres of space and Ibra cooly floating the ball over Almunia into the net. Almunia can definitely be blamed for this one as he started to come out then decided to stay in and was caught in between but it was a brilliant finish from the Swede. Barcelona continued to control and Xavi found Ibra in space again in a nearly identical play with Ibra finishing in the top netting for his double and a Barcelona 2-0 lead. The game and entire tie seemed over as Barcelona had the 2 away goals. However, Theo Walcott was introduced and had an immediate impact causing problems down the right and finally finishing to get Arsenal back in the game. Arsenal started to gain confidence and took control and leveled the game at two after Cesc was brought down in the box by Puyol. The cross came in from Walcott and was deflected to Bedtner who headed to Cesc who was then impeded by Puyol. Puyol received a straight red for this and will miss the return leg as well. Pique will also miss the next leg due to his yellow which also looked harsh. Cesc finished the penalty and looked to hurt his knee. He hobbled on the rest of the way but will be out for a while it looks like.

Personally I would have to say Barca deserved better but in the end didn't finish well enough to get the win. This tie could have been over 20 minutes into the game if not for Almunia. Arsenal took their chances well and finished them.

The return leg will be on Tuesday at the Camp Nou. I fully expect Barcelona to move on since Arsenal have to win or score at least 2 in the Nou Camp which is difficult to do. However, both Pique and Puyol will miss out and Iniesta looks to miss the next match as well. Cesc and Gallas will both be missing for Arsenal and Arshavin may miss as well. Seeing how much Barcelona dominated the game and controlled the game I expect more of the same.

I do want to say that I am disappointed in Messi. He looked uninterested most of the game and only had 2 good chances both in the first 20 minutes. After that he had touches but nothing that looked dangerous. I expect better from him in the second leg. I also have to say that Barcelona would have much preferred this game to end 2-0 for more reasons than advancing but also because they play Real Madrid on the 11th. Winning 2-0 at the Emirates would have allowed Barcelona to possibly rest some players before that clash.

In other news, Wayne Rooney has a sprained ankle and will with next weeks game against Bayern Munich

Champion's League Draw

Well the draw happened on friday and a soccer fan's dream has come true with Barcelona and Arsenal getting drawn together. This is the best and most interesting match up of the bunch with out a doubt. But first I'm gonna talk about the others.

Man U v. Bayern Munich... Interesting match up here. Obviously a rematch of the '99 Champion's League final which Man U won with 2 stoppage time goals from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Man U will definitely be the favored side in this tie but Bayern could cause a scare for the Red Devils. Man U will have the advantage of the second leg being at home but if they are not careful Bayern can score at home and put this matchup in doubt. With Robben and Ribery causing problems down the flanks, Bayern have a definite attacking scare. I still think Man U will win this tie (and eventually make it to the final) but I think Bayern win's at home but Man U gets the away goal and then finishes it off at home.

Lyon v. Bordeaux... The all French match up. These two teams obviously know each other very well being from the same league. In fact, they will play 3 games in quick succession as they play in the league right after the second leg of this tie. Bordeaux have the second leg at home and are currently in better form than Lyon, sitting atop the Ligue 1 table with Lyon in 5th (but only 5 points back). Lyon have the experience on their side as they have made the knock out stage in the past 6 years. I like Lyon in this matchup because of the experience and having defeated Real Madrid in the previous tie. Though this one is almost 50-50. The winner of this tie gets Man U in the next leg and will have the second leg at home. Man U will be favored against either of these teams and I think Bayern would be too. I see Man U moving on to the final.

Inter Milan v. CSKA Moscow... Inter had a great showing against Chelsea and get the "benefit" of the draw against the least well known side. However, playing against Eastern European teams and having to travel there is always difficult (just ask Barca: Rubin Kazan, Dynamo Kiev, and Shaktar Donetsk). Mourinho will have his team ready to go and will have the advantage of the second leg at home. I think the game in Moscow will be tight and tough but the game at the San Siro will be defining and send Inter through.

Barcelona v. Arsenal... Without a doubt the best match up of this stage. Two teams with a similar style who wont sit back and play ugly soccer (are you listening Chelsea?) Barcelona will be favored in this match up as they are arguably the best team in the world at the moment (they would be favored against everyone they play right now though it would be almost 50-50 against Man U). Henry will be facing his old club and Cesc will be doing the same, though Cesc may also be facing his new club as Barcelona want to buy him this summer. Barcelona have the second game at home. This is also a rematch of the '06 final which Barca won 2-1 coming from behind late. I think the game at Arsenal will be high scoring and very exciting (3-2, 2-1, 3-3 type game). I think Barca will, however, once again take advantage at home and win the tie. The other interesting thing about this tie is that the weekend after the second leg Barca must go to the Bernabeu while Arsenal must take on Tottenham. These two games could cause the teams to play different but I don't see too much changing. The winner of this match gets Inter or CSKA in the next round and will have the second leg at home.

I picture it being Barcelona v. Inter and Man U v. Lyon in the semi's. Again I see Man U making the final and in the rematch of the group stage I think Barcelona will once again get by Inter in a very tight match up. This would obviously lead to a rematch of last years final which Barca won. Not sure who would be favored in this game at these are the top 2 teams in the world at the moment. Rooney and Messi are on amazing form and are scoring all the time. Barca's defense is weaker but their attack and possession is much stronger. I am biased so I will say Barca repeat but remember no team has repeated since it became known as the Champion's League. Also, the game will be in Spain which may help Barca and with it being at the home of your rival it could give Barca another advantage. Also, with Mourinho facing Barca it could be very interesting as he may take over for Real next season or Barca in 2 seasons (Guardiola unsure if he wants to continue after next season).

More to come on the Barca-Aresnal match up when it gets closer

Arsenal vs. Porto

Well with Arsenal already putting a 4 spot on Porto I decided to write this before the game actually ends. Arsenal!!!!! Just brilliant. Arsenal have always been a very gifted attacking minded team (similar to Barcelona) and this game was no different. You could definitely see at times when Arsenal looked suspect at the back and they will definitely be looking for some center back help come this summer but when you attack this well who needs defense?

Arsenal play the formation that I wish the US men's national team would employ and they did it to perfection tonight. With Sagna and Clichy making overlapping runs all night and creating havoc was fun to watch. Diaby and Song played great in their defensive/holding midfield roles. And Nasri, Arshavin, and Rosisky played great in their attacking/wing roles. Nasri had a brilliant game even if he didn't score the goal of the week for Arsenal's third. Arshavin has brilliant in his touches and runs and attacks and created two of the goals and should have scored one himself. My only problem with Arshavin is his tendency to get lazy at times during the game but he more than made up for it. Bendtner scored the first two but really he did nothing more than be in the right place at the right time (which is a hard thing to do). Eboue's goal was created by Arshavin making a great run and laying it off for Eboue to make a move and then slot it home. Porto looked slow and behind the ball most of the game but did have some nice moments with Hulk and Varela working well together and making moves on their own.

Arsenal look like a dangerous team in this competition and have some amazing talent in their squad, though it is mainly in the attack. Their defense still leaves a lot to be desired but when you produce this type of performance without Cesc you can rest a little easier.

Really looking forward to tomorrow's games. Lets see if Real can reverse their tie with Lyon and how Man U does at home with the lead against AC Milan

Bayern Vs. Fiorentina

Just finished watching Fiorentina win 3-2 over Bayern in the Champions League. This win means that Bayern move on to the next round 4-4 on aggregate on the away goals rule. Fiorentina looked inspired the entire match and were pushing the game. The first half was a little sloppy and the first goal was due to poor keeping but it was a deserved goal. In the second half Bayern really pushed hard but left some space at the back (like they did all game) and Fiorentina was able to get a second. Fiorentina looked to have Bayern on the ropes but Van Bommel's brilliant strike put the game back in doubt. Also, if you want to learn how to score on a ball moving across the body, then watch Van Bommel because he strike was not some wild blast but a controlled strike, slotting the ball exactly where he wanted it. Great finish. Fiorentina managed to strike back again fairly quickly with Jovetic scoring his second by fending off the weak challenge and finishing between the keepers legs. Great goal and this would have put Fiorentina through to the quarters except for their lax defense and a brilliant strike from Robben. A left footed (obviously considering he can't use his right foot for anything) rip from outside the box into the upper corner.

Both of Bayern's goals were spectacular. Overall its hard to say which team deserved to go through more but Bayern did enough, coming from behind twice, to put themselves through. An extremely entertaining game to watch for the casual observer like myself. Can't wait for the Arsenal-Porto match which is just about to start for me!