UEFA Champions League - Quarter Finals Results from 8/9 April 2008
Barcelona 1 FC Shalke 0
Barcelona win 2-0 on aggregate.
Barcelona booked their place in the Champions League Semi Finals with a goal from Toure Yaya on 43 minutes. Schalke played very well and were unfortunate not to get more from the match. This is not the Barcelona of old, despite reaching the Semi finals this was far from a convincing victory, they had looked disjointed throughout the two legs amongst rumours there is trouble in the camp.
Puyol was booked after 64 minutes and will miss the semi final due to suspension.
Manchester United await them in the Semi – Finals, and although Barcelona have not yet conceded at the Nou Camp in this competition they will have a huge task ahead of them to keep that record intact.
Manchester United 1 Roma 0
Manchester United win 3-0 on aggregate.
Alex Ferguson made several changes for the home leg, resting many important players for the Premier League run – in, confident that the 2-0 lead from the first leg would be enough to see them through.
That gamble turned out to be correct, when a diving header from Carlos Tevez, on 70 minutes, after Hargreaves had worked industrially down the right, crossing from the byline for Tevez to settle the matter.
De Rossi had missed a penalty kick for the Italian side after 29 minutes, and with that miss any hope of getting back into the match. The result was rarely in doubt, as United dominated for the most part. Roma Head Coach Luciano Spalletti will regret not taking the game to a weakened United side.
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 2
Liverpool win 5-3 on aggregate.
Manager Rafa Benetez started off with a 4-4-2 formation. Liverpool looked very shaky at first as Arsenal went forward and dominated the first 15 minutes. Arsenal scored first on 13 minutes with a goal by Diaby and questions were raised about Rafa Benitez tactics.
It seemed that the Arsenal side were overrunning the midfield with ease. Liverpool didn't create any chances at all until Sami Hyypia's header went in for the equaliser on 30 minutes.
All of a sudden they started to believe they could win and Liverpool began to press Arsenal, who's confidence seemed to drain away as the home crowd got behind the reds. All thoughts of the boardroom struggle at Anfield fell by the wayside and it turned out to be a convincing performance.
Liverpool scored again with a fine goal from Fernando Torres on 69 minutes.
Adebayor equalised at 2-2 on 84 minutes against the run of play.
Any hopes of a revival were immediately dashed after Ryan Babel was felled in the penalty box immediately after. Gerrard scored from the penalty. Replays later showed it was a 50/50 decision and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was not happy about it in later interviews.
Ryan Babel completed the victory after a brilliant solo run just before the final whistle. A Semi Final against Chelsea awaits.
Chelsea 2 Fenerbahce 0
Chelsea win 3-2 on aggregate.
Goals from Michael Ballack in the 4th minute and Frank Lampard 3 minutes before full time overturned a first leg advantage from Turkish side Fenerbahce to see Chelsea reach their 3rd Champions League semi final in 4 years. Fenerbahce put up a brave fight in their first Quarter Final but it was not to be. Chelsea fans were not entirely convinced but their victory ensures that there will definitely be at least one English Premier League team in the Champions League final this year.
Will that team be Liverpool or Chelsea? Will it be Manchester United, or will the return to fitness of World Player of the Year Lionel Messi ensure that Barcelona do progress to the final in Moscow?
Semi Final Draw.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
Liverpool v Chelsea
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Barcelona v Manchester Utd
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Manchester Utd v Barcelona
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Chelsea v Liverpool
