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David Beckham and his wife Victoria left Finland today on a private jet to London, two days after the former England captain had surgery for a torn achilles' tendon.
The operation on his left foot has been judged a success, although the injury will keep him sidelined for about six months, meaning he will miss the World Cup in South Africa.
The couple made no comments as they left, and it wasn't immediately clear where they were heading. "I did say that perhaps it would not be wise to fly straight off to Los Angeles ... that he should stop somewhere first," said Sakari Orava, the orthopedic surgeon who performed the operation.
He added: "He has to take it easy for about a month – that's how long it will be in a cast – and then week-by-week he can move the foot and use it more."
Beckham tore his left achilles' tendon when playing for Milan on Sunday and underwent surgery in Turku, Finland, on Monday, before being joined by his wife a day later.
Orava said they ordered pizzas and watched football on a large-screen TV on Tuesday evening but that he left the couple just as the Champions League match between Chelsea and Internazionale started.
"They looked happy," he said.
Orava, who has operated on several international sports stars, including runners Frank Fredericks, Merlene Ottey and Haile Gebreselassie, noted that Beckham was an exemplary patient.
"He was a very easy and good patient. Even the nurses said they wished that all their patients were like him," Orava said. "He was very satisfied and didn't complain about anything and thanked everyone."
Milan said Beckham would begin rehabilitation right away: "The plan includes a complete recovery in six months, at the end of which he can play again," they stated.
The player thanked the club for the support he has received: "I want to thank from my heart all the Rossoneri, the club, the doctors, my team-mates and the fans," he said on Milan's official website www.acmilan.com. "I have appreciated so much all the messages I have received after the injury, they are of great help and support. I truly thank you, the members of Milan for what they have done for me. I have read the many messages from the fans, I thank them one by one."
A furious Roman Abramovich has turned on his Chelsea players, asking them if they are at the club only to pocket his money.
The billionaire, who sat stony-faced during the Champions League loss to Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan on Tuesday, challenged the players during a two-hour meeting yesterday.
He asked them: ‘Are you good players or are you well-paid players?’
The comprehensive defeat by Inter has also left manager Carlo Ancelotti fighting for his future. He has been made aware that he must deliver the Barclays Premier League title to be certain of avoiding the sack.
Abramovich is already understood to be considering the possibility of looking for his seventh manager since taking over in 2003 if the Italian fails to respond to a huge setback by not landing a third English championship.
Ancelotti admitted on Tuesday night that losing to his most prominent predecessor had put him in a precarious position. ‘I’ve worked for a long time in this environment and I know exactly what the expectations are,’ he said.
‘It’s normal that a manager is going to come under pressure if he loses a few matches.’
Abramovich turned to Ancelotti because he had won the Champions League twice as AC Milan manager. He did not expect the Italian to fail to get beyond the last 16.
The Russian owner fears his side could be declining in much the same manner as AC Milan and accepts that further investment is needed.
Fernando Torres will be a target if Liverpool miss the Champions League places, while there is also continued interest in players such as Franck Ribery, David Villa and Marek Hamsik.
Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder could also soon be on Chelsea’s wish-list, given how impressive the Dutchman was on Tuesday night.
Despite a late scare by Olympiakos, Bordeaux survived much adversity as goals from Yoann Gourcuff and Marouane Chamakh propelled the French side past Olympiakos 2-1 at the Stade Chaban-Delmas.
Olympiakos did make the evening interesting as Kostas Mitroglou bagged the only goal for the visitors, but ultimately the effort was not enough to see the Greek Champions through to the next round.
Already in the driver’s seat after the first leg, Bordeaux immediately tightened their grip on the tie as Gourcuff gave the hosts a perfect start. A seemingly harmless set-piece turned lethal as Gourcuff smashed his shot into the top corner of the Olympiakos goal.
With history already against them coming into the second leg, Olympiakos’ task turned even more complicated. Bozidar Bandovic’s side was now forced to push forward immediately, but a stubborn Bordeaux defence continued to stymie the Piraeus giants.
Jaouad Zairi appeared to be Olympiakos’ best threat going forward as the Moroccan’s trickery looked like the only tonic capable of solving the home side’s defence. However, even when Zairi zoomed his way through the maze of Bordeaux defenders a lack of Olympiakos bodies inside the box eluded the visitors of a decent scoring opportunity.
Meanwhile, Bordeaux were knowledgeable of Olympiakos’ will too push forward as the French side looked content to repel the Greek side and catch them on the counter-attack.
It was Marouane Chamakh who looked to catch Olympiakos off-guard as the Moroccan striker freed himself to collect a pass from Gourcuff, but the final effort was light-work for Nikopolidis.
Still the French side approached the match with a will of their own, and nearly found the back of the net for a second time when Benoit Tremoulinas provided Gourcuff with a delightful ball inside the box. The latter looked nimble as he eluded a confused Avraam Papadopoulos before firing a hard-effort into the chest of an on-guard Nikopolidis.
Hoping to help their ‘keeper out, Olympiakos pushed forward on a rare break into the Bordeaux end. Raul Bravo provided a pin-point cross inside the box, but the Spaniard’s work was put to waste as Zairi hit his aerial effort wide of the goal.
It was Bordeaux who came closest to the match’s second goal as a set-piece once again posed problems for the Greek side. Catching Nikopolidis off his line again, Gourcuff was just inches away from securing a brace as his long-distance effort smashed off the frame of the goal.
Counting their blessings, Olympiakos made time for one last effort before the break and the visitors likely thought they had levelled the score on the night. Matt Derbyshire ricocheted Lomana Lua Lua’s cross off the crossbar and into the back of the net, but the goal was ultimately ruled offside.
The goal would have been the perfect send-off for Olympiakos before half-time as the task only looked uphill for the visiting side.
With a mountain to climb, Olympiakos’ approach to the match looked optimistic at the start of the second frame as Enzo Maresca’s early effort was at the best speculative.
Bordeaux, meanwhile, looked to replicate their first half effort with an early attempt. Again Gourcuff was the mastermind behind the Bordeaux attack as he found Chamakh at the edge of the box. Opting to lay-off a pass for Jaroslav Plasil, the Czech midfielder lashed a grounded strike just wide of Nikopolidis’ net.
A lack of initiative going forward limited Olympiakos’ chances of an equaliser on the night, and the Greek side’s problems were only compounded with the dismissal of Derbyshire. The Englishman was shown a red card for his tackle on Plasil, leaving his side to battle with just ten men. Immediately, the Olympiakos line-up was altered with Kostas Mitroglou introduced as Olympiakos’ only forward.
On the pitch for just a few minutes, Mitroglou made an immediate impact as he revived Olympiakos’ hopes of progression with a sweet volley past Cedric Carrasso. Staying clear of his markers, Mitroglou found just enough space to make his first touch a useful one for the Greek side.
Boosted by the goal, Olympiakos were given further motivation with the dismissal of Alou Diarra after the Frenchman was shown his second yellow on the night.
But still there was work to do for Olympiakos, as another goal was required for the guests to move on. With the tie’s intensity renewed, Bordeaux were put under the microscope with Olympiakos pushing forward.
The Greek side had a handful of opportunities to grab the crucial goal but efforts from Mitroglou and Torosidis were nothing but wasteful.
Instead it was Chamakh who proved the hero as Bordeaux qualified for the quarter-finals with a late goal eliminating Olympiacos. The Moroccan made up for all his misses on the night as he rose above Raul Bravo to head a pass from Tremoulinas into the Olympiakos net.
Having survived a late scare Bordeaux are set for Friday’s draw, while Olympiakos are left to concentrate on domestic football for the remainder of this season.
Champions Barcelona cruised into Friday's quarter-final draw with a comprehensive demolition of Stuttgart at Camp Nou.
A brace from the brilliant Lionel Messi, a magnificent team goal crafted by the Argentinian and finished by Pedro and a late strike by Bojan Krkic put Stuttgart to the sword in stunning style and truthfully it could have been much worse for the visitors as a rampant Catalan outfit served up a footballing treat.
Any signs of nerves or fear of an upset were never evident as Thierry Henry and Messi fired early strikes across the bow of Jens Lehmann and any doubts of the outcome of the tie were quickly eroded after just 13 minutes by a sublime solo strike of a standard few other than the mesmeric Messi could conjure up.
Racing at the heart of the German defence, he skipped and jinked his way into a shooting position before smashing the ball into the top left hand corner from about 20 yards as no less than four white shirts converged.
Despite the absence of midfield lynchpin Xavi, the hosts enforced their rhythmic one-touch passing style with fluid ease and although the visitors were organised and resolute at the back, the sheer quality of the Barca movement was inevitably going to carve its way through to Lehmann's goal again.
The second goal, which came nine minutes after the opener, was a magical team effort that saw the Blaugrana string together a flurry of inch perfect passes inside the Stuttgart half. A neat interchange involving Messi, Andres Iniesta and Pedro drew the attentions of the German rearguard sufficiently to allow Messi to lift a superb ball into the box for the run of Yaya Toure who pulled a low ball across the box from the left giving Pedro a simple tap-in.
Messi almost stole in again nipping the ball off Aliaksandr Hleb 20 yards out but inexplicably the referee blew for a foul against the Argentinian much to the relief of Die Roten.
When not in possession Barca, particularly through Iniesta and Pedro, displayed the kind of intensity and energy that made them champions last year, forcing the visitors into errors and regaining control of the ball.
Stuttgart had to throw caution to the wind after the break, committing men forward in search of a goal that would throw the contest wide open once again. That predictably left more space for the Blaugrana to expose and although the final ball was lacking in the initial stages it seemed inevitable that Lehmann would find himself with plenty to do.
Toure shaved the post from the edge of the box with a low drive after a brilliant cut back from Lionel Messi and if that was a warning, it wasn't heeded and the punishment was duly dished out on the hour mark, effectively putting the tie beyond all doubt.
Pedro blazed a trail down the right and cut the ball back to Dani Alves on the edge of the box who laid it to the feet of Messi with a crafty back heel and the Argentine swivelled on the D to shake off the presence of Timo Gebhart before firing home low to Lehmann's left to net goal number 29 of the season. A younger Lehmann may have stopped it but the ageing shot stopper wasn't up to the task on this occasion.
Lehmann and Georg Niedermeier managed successive attempts to deny the hat-trick, the 40-year-old with a fine one-handed save from a Messi header before the centre half did enough to intervene, blocking what would have been a awesome finish as Messi attempted an audacious chest and volley from Alves' deep cross.
What followed was typical of Barca's pomp as Messi drove the resulting corner 40 yards back across the park to Iniesta who floated in a heat-seeking cross for Alves but his header back across goal was a fraction beyond the waiting Henry as the creme de la creme of training ground moves went unrewarded.
Stuttgart weren't short on effort and Valdes had work to do late on but wasn't really stretched as his defence thwarted a valiant but ultimately fruitless late burst from the Bundesliga side.
Messi had one more shot at completing back to back hat-tricks but after forcing his way into a one-on-one with Lehmann, dinking over the goalkeeper only to see his effort trail wide of the mark.
Bojan came off the bench for a late cameo, replacing Iniesta, and with his only touch of the game side-footed past the advancing Lehmann from 25 yards into an open net after latching onto Zlatan Ibrahimovic's through ball.
Barca are undoubtedly rediscovering their finest form and on this showing it is difficult to see how any team left in the competition could stop the champions claiming a second successive European crown.
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Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by a magnificent Inter performance, capped off by an superb display by Wesley Sneijder and a 78th minute winner from Samuel Eto'o.
Les Girondins will have to shrug off their indifferent domestic form if they are to negotiate their way past their guests, who will have to overcome their demons playing away from home in Europe if they are to advance
Europe-wide recognition has come the way of Girondins de Bordeaux for their success in the Champions League to date, though Laurent Blanc’s troops can only really start to consider themselves amongst the continent’s elite if they can dismiss the challenge of Olympiacos to reach the quarter-finals of the illustrious competition.
With six successive wins in continental play, the form book would suggest that the Aquitaine side, who hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg thanks to a Michael Ciani header, should progress through with some degree of comfort. Les Girondins, however, have been given a wakeup call in Ligue 1, failing to win any of their last three games; a run that has thrown their title defence into question.
Over the course of the last ten days Bordeaux have been held by second placed Montpellier, defeated by in-form Auxerre and frustrated to a scoreless draw by a Monaco unit in mediocre form. The French coach would doubtless argue that those matches have largely been gearing up to Wednesday’s, which is clearly seen as the club’s greatest objective at present.
A heavy squad rotation policy was in place as les Girondins drew with Monaco on Saturday, with Yoann Gourcuff and Marouane Chamakh playing only 20 minutes at the end as the guests went for a late winner, while right-back Matthieu Chalme was not dispatched at all.
Additionally, Blanc has hinted at long-term optimism in the competition by stating that in a cup competition, there is always room for a shock or two. “The last four teams are often the same and you can name them in advance, but there could be a surprise,” he told UEFA's official website. “I'm not saying Bordeaux will provide that surprise, but it could be another club.”
Having paid the price for their Champions League exploits by losing valuable ground in Ligue 1, Bordeaux will want to ensure they get their money’s worth by moving through to the quarter-finals.
Domestic Disappointment
If Bordeaux feel that their league form is a little rough at the moment, they can take heart from the short-comings of their guests. Perennial Greek champions Olympiacos are presently enduring a season of relative hardship, as they lie a disappointing third in the Super League.
Rulers of their domestic game in every season since 1998-99, barring one, the Erythrolefki are almost in uncharted territory down the league standings in third place, with a spot at Europe’s top table next season looking improbable at the present time.
Panathinaikos are almost out of sight at the summit, leading second placed PAOK by five points, with Olympiacos a further two back. With only the top two sides securing a berth in the Champions League, the final four games of the domestic season are of paramount importance to Piraeus club.
This is a simply colossal week for coach Bozidar Bandovic, who takes his side to meet Pana on Sunday, and the great derby match could be perfectly set up for Olympiacos if they can somehow turn around their 1-0 deficit against Bordeaux. A club with a miserable record away from home in Europe’s top competition, the odds look stacked against the Τhrylos, especially when their poor domestic form is considered.
FORM GUIDE
Bordeaux
DREW 0-0 (a) Monaco (Ligue 1, March 13)
LOST 2-1 (h) Auxerre (Ligue 1, March 10)
DREW 1-1 (h) Montpellier (Ligue 1, March 7)
WON 1-0 (a) Olympiacos (Champions League, February 23)
WON 4-1 (a) Lorient (Coupe de la Ligue, February 17)
Olympiacos
DREW 2-2 (h) Giannina (Super League, March 13)
LOST 1-0 (a) Iraklis (Super League, March 7)
WON 2-0 (h) Atromitos (Super League, February 27)
LOST 1-0 (h) Girondins de Bordeaux (Champions League, February 23)
DREW 1-1 (a) Ergotelis (Super League, February 20)
TEAM NEWS
Bordeaux
Marc Planus picked up an injury in the recent defeat against Auxerre that will rule him out of this fixture. The centre-back is also expected to miss the weekend’s fixture against Lille too. Abdou Traore is the only other concern in les Girondins’ ranks, though he would not feature in the first team in any case.
Probable Starting XI: Carrasso; Chalme, Ciani, Sane, Tremoulinas; Diarra, Fernando; Plasil, Gourcuff, Wendel; Chamakh
Olympiacos
There are numerous injury headaches for the Athens club to cope with ahead of the trip to France. Amongst those sidelined include Dudu (foot), Diogo (hamstring), Jesus Datolo (hamstring) and Didier Domi (foot).
Enzo Maresca should be free of injury to play, as should top scorer Kostas Mitroglou, who featured at the weekend after suffering a broken nose. Oscar Gonzalez and Michal Zewlakow overcame problems to make the bench on Saturday.
Probable Starting XI: Nikopolidis; Mellberg, Torosidis, A. Papadopoulos, Raul Bravo; Ledesma, Maresca, Zairi; LuaLua, Derbyshire, Mitroglou
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bordeaux
Cedric Carrasso hasn’t conceded a Champions League strike since Matchday 1 of the group stages, meaning he has gone more than 550 minutes without losing a goal at the very top level. Olympiacos have to score to progress, of course, and the custodian, who is aiming to be France’s third choice shot stopper in South Africa, will be confident of repelling them.
Olympiacos
The Erythrolefki have been poor goal scorers in Europe this season, managing just four strikes in their last seven encounters, and they need to find the net on Wednesday if they are to stand any chance of progression. Against the competition’s most robust rearguard to date, striker Kostas Mitroglou will have to be at his absolute best. He has 12 goals to his name this term and has built a reputation from striking late in games
Barcelona haven't looked as good or generally efficient as they were in 2008-09 but Pep Guardiola's side still remain arguably the best club team in the world. This campaign the Blaugrana have stuttered at times and have been unconvincing on some occasions but they still remain the team to beat in the Champions League
At the moment Barcelona are second in the Spanish Primera Division, having garnered 65 points from 26 matches. The Blaugrana are level on points with arch rivals Real Madrid at the top but have an inferior goal difference. On Sunday evening the defending Spanish and European champions struggled in the first half against Valencia in a crucial league fixture at Camp Nou. They recovered marvellously in the second session to win 3-0, thanks to a breathtaking Lionel Messi hat-trick, the first goal being a genuine contender for goal of the season.
However, Barcelona shouldn't get too complacent as they take on Stuttgart at home on Wednesday evening. The Blaugrana actually struggled in the first leg in Germany and were lucky to have come home with a 1-1 draw. The scoreline would have looked rather untidy for the Catalans had Stuttgart taken the chances that fell their way, especially in the first half. Last season at a similar stage Barca drew 1-1 with Lyon away and defeated them 5-2 at home in the return leg. So Pep Guardiola's side will be confident of achieving a similar result and actually that away goal does put the hosts in the driving seat for this tie.
Redeeming Themselves
Stuttgart started the 2009-10 campaign in disastrous fashion as, under the charge of Markus Babbel, die Schwaben won just twice of their opening 15 matches in the German Bundesliga. But since the appointment of Christian Gross, the German side have improved superbly and are currently ninth in the table with 35 points from 26 matches.
Moreover, Stuttgart have regained their confidence in the Champions League and in spite of only just managing qualification for the knockout stages from a rather weak group, they have started to play some good, organised football. Stuttgart held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie three weeks ago, but they should know that had they taken the plethora of chances that fell their way, they could have actually won the game.
However, Stuttgart will be confident of creating a shock at Camp Nou on Wednesday evening. Most people are writing them off as Barcelona do have a formidable home record, but die Roten have not lost on their travels in Europe this campaign. Also, as they demonstrated in the first leg, they do have a good organised attack line that can destabilise a rather nervy Barcelona defensive unit.
FORM GUIDE
Barcelona
March 14 v Valencia (H) - WON 3-0 (La Liga)
March 6 v Almeria (A) - DREW 2-2 (La Liga)
February 27 v Malaga (H) - WON 2-1 (La Liga)
February 23 v Stuttgart (A) - DREW 1-1 (Champions League)
February 20 v Racing Santander (H) - WON 4-0 (La Liga)
Stuttgart
March 12 v Schalke (A) - LOST 2-1 (Bundesliga)
March 6 v Werder Bremen (A) - DREW 2-2 (Bundesliga)
February 27 v Eintracht Frankfurt (H) - WON 2-1 (Bundesliga)
February 23 v Barcelona (H) - DREW 1-1 (Champions League)
February 20 v FC Cologne (A) - WON 5-1 (Bundesliga)
TEAM NEWS
Barcelona
Thierry Henry has returned to action as he featured against Valencia at the weekend and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will also be back for Wednesday's encounter after missing out on the weekend game due to suspension. Eric Abidal is training once more but Maxwell is likely to stay on as the left-back for Barcelona.
Probable Line-up (4-3-3): Valdes, Alves, Puyol, Pique, Maxwell; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Messi, Ibrahimovic, Henry
Stuttgart
The Germans will have central defender Matthieu Delpierre back while Stefano Celozzi has returned to full training following illness.
Probable Line-up (4-4-2): Lehmann; Celozzi, Tasci, Delpierre, Molinaro; Gebhart, Kuzmanovic, Khedira, Hleb; Cacau, Pogrebnyak
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Messi scored a sensational hat-trick against Valencia on Sunday evening and now has 22 goals and nine assists in 23 matches in the Spanish Primera Division. The 22-year-old Argentine international also has struck twice in the Champions League and he will be Stuttgart's main headache on Wednesday night. There is a sneaking suspicion that Barcelona's midfield and attacking players have not been as potent as they were last campaign, and indeed it has been reflected in some of the performances of the Blaugrana. However, when it comes to Messi, he still remains the best and most talented player in the world and his movements and genius down the right will be crucial for the hosts.
Cacau (Stuttgart)
The Brazilian was in sensational form the last time the two sides met as he scored the opener against Barcelona and had a couple of very good chances. The 28-year-old has been a revelation in the Bundesliga this campaign and has been among the goals. Barcelona's defence hasn't really been good this time around and they have been showing a few cracks at the back. The likes of Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique will have to devote some special attention to the Brazilian's movement in and around the penalty area.
Without trying to making a hyperbolic statement, Chelsea's Champions League clash with Inter on Tuesday threatens to be the Blues' biggest game of the season.
The elusive trophy, that the west London side were a John Terry slipped penalty away from in 2008, would be the final piece in a silverware jigsaw that makes up the Stamford Bridge trophy cabinet.
And fate dictates that it should be Jose Mourinho - the former king of Stamford Bridge - who should stand in Chelsea's way of another crack at Holy Grail of the Champions League.
Mourinho's Inter side carry a lead 2-1 from the first leg of this round-of-16 clash to his former stomping ground and will be keen to remind Chelsea fans he remains the 'Special One' - while at the same time trying to mastermind a first Italian capture of the trophy since 2007.
Inter have never lifted the Champions League trophy, since its re-branding in 1992, and an aggregate victory on Tuesday night would take the bullish Portuguese manager one step closer to winning the cup the Nerazzurri last claimed in 1965 when it was the European Cup.
The first leg victory for Inter exposed woeful cracks in a previously tight Chelsea defense, with John Terry looking a shadow of his former self, and since then Chelsea have stumbled domestically, losing handsomely to Manchester City before beating weak West Ham and Stoke sides less-than-convincingly.
Those results seem to have handed the initiative back to Manchester United in the Premier League, but Blues fans would walk the Premier League trophy to Old Trafford if it meant getting a hand on the European Cup.
Taking the cup back to west London would be validation for Roman Abramovich's millions poured into the club over the past few years, but losing out to their arrogant former boss will be hard to swallow.
FORM
Chelsea
Feb 20: Wolves 0-2 Chelsea (Premier League)
Feb 24: Inter 2-1 Chelsea (Champions League)
Feb 27: Chelsea 2-4 Man City (Premier League)
Mar 7: Chelsea 2-0 Stoke (Premier League)
Mar 13: Chelsea 4-1 West Ham (Premier League)
Inter
Feb 20: Inter 0-0 Sampdoria (Serie A)
Feb 24: Inter 2-1 Chelsea (Champions League)
Feb 28: Udinese 2-3 Inter (Serie A)
Mar 7: Inter 0-0 Genoa (Serie A)
Mar 12: Catania 3-1 Inter (Serie A)
TEAM NEWS
Chelsea
Third-choice goalkeeper Ross Turnbull will face the biggest test of his career when he lines up to face Inter, thanks to injuries to Petr Cech and Henrique Hilario. Turnbull was between the sticks for the 4-1 win over West Ham at the weekend and his only Champions League experience to date is a 2-2 draw with Greek minnows Apoel Nicosia.
There is better news for Blues manager Carlo Ancelotti in defense, where Ricardo Carvalho returns following a hamstring staring. Ancelotti has no fresh injury doubts elsewhere, with Michael Essien (knee), Ashley Cole (ankle), Jose Bosingwa (knee) all still sidelined for the Stamford Bridge return leg.
Last starting XI (v West Ham): Turnbull, Ferreira, Terry, Alex, Ivanovic, Malouda, Lampard, Mikel, Ballack, Drogba, Anelka.
Inter
Striker Mario Balotelli hasn't traveled with the team to London, although quite why remains a mystery to the temperamental Italian's agent. "I don't know why he has not been called up. I will find out," Mino Raiola vowed.
Meanwhile, Julio Cesar was involved in a minor car accident over the weekend but is expected to be fit to take his place in goal.
Defender Cristian Chivu is out with a fractured skull and David Santon has a knee problem, so Javier Zanetti will line up on the left side of defense.
Last starting XI (v Catania): Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Materazzi, Zanetti, Stankovic, Cambiasso, Mariga, Sneijder, Milito, Eto'o.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chelsea - John Terry
After a less-than-convincing performance in the first leg at the Guiseppe Meazza two weeks ago, Chelsea captain John Terry will be keen to prove that was just a slip-up and not a sign that the previously-indestructible center-back is human after all.
Terry allowed Diego Milito to shimmy and score in Milan, and will be determined not to let the Argentine do the same on Tuesday. Any errors from Terry will be pounced upon by Milito and Eto'o, and a goal for Inter could be curtains for Chelsea.
Inter - Samuel Eto'o
The Cameroon forward is something of a veteran of clashes with Chelsea, having faced the Blues on six occasions as a Barcelona player. He managed to notch two goals against the west London outfit, including the winner in a 2-1 first-leg knockout game in 2005.
And as much of the Chelsea team is unchanged from those he has lined up against in the past, the live wire Eto'o is the one Inter player who knows where the cracks can appear in the Blues game plan.
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The Rossoneri were humiliated by the Red Devils as the English giants taught them a footballing lesson at Old Trafford...
Manchester United made history as they eliminated AC Milan for the first time in European competition, having never beaten the Italians over two legs before. It was more than comfortable in the end, with Wayne Rooney grabbing a brace before Ji-Sung Park and Darren Fletcher put the icing on the cake.
The Rossoneri started the game without star forward Alexandre Pato and the talismanic Alessandro Nesta. Proceedings started ominously for the Rossoneri as Rooney turned on the edge of the box and flashed a shot wide in the third minute.
With Ignazio Abate and Marek Jankulovski both starting for the visitors, Sir Alex Ferguson's side knew that the Italians' flanks were vulnerable and looked to feed Nani and Antonio Valencia as often as possible.
It took eight minutes for Milan to muster a meaningful shot at goal, but it almost gave them the lead. Nani inadvertently flicked the ball on to Ronaldinho from Andrea Pirlo's free kick, but the Brazilian's header floated just wide of Edwin van der Sar's left post with the 'keeper rooted to the spot.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar then failed to control the ball in the penalty area following a superb pass by Thiago Silva, but Manchester United re-established themselves and took the lead in the 13th minute. Gary Neville was allowed to advance in the Milan half and sent in an inch-perfect cross for Rooney to outjump Daniele Bonera and head past Christian Abbiati.
The Rossoneri now needed to score three at Old Trafford and in the 20th minute Pirlo nearly caught Van der Sar out with a shot from the edge of the box, but the Dutchman smothered the effort at the second attempt. The Italians were afforded more than their fair share of the possession as the first half progressed, with the hosts content to try and hit them on the counter-attack, but there was a lack of incision in the Milanese attacks.
Frustrations were beginning to build for the Italians as Manchester United comfortably contained them in the final third. The Rossoneri's defence was less watertight as Darren Fletcher was allowed far too much time to fire a shot at goal just before the break, but his effort fizzed just wide.
Clarence Seedorf came on for Bonera at half-time, and less than a minute into the second period the attacking move backfired spectacularly. Nani played a superb pass with the outside of his foot to play Rooney in on goal, and the striker rolled the ball effortlessly past Abbiati for his 30th goal of the season.
Huntelaar could have reduced the arrears when Abate sent in a dangerous cross from the right hand side, but the ball was just too high for him and his close-range header flew over the bar. At the other end, Abate was turned inside out by Nani as he ran at him at pace, but Abbiati was able to claw the winger's cross away from under his crossbar.
The Milan goalkeeper could do nothing moments later as the Red Devils went 3-0 up. Valencia found Paul Scholes in acres of space in midfield, and the veteran midfielder dummied a shot before splitting the defence open for Ji-Sung Park to slide the ball past Abbiati into the far corner.
The Italians' lack of defensive abilities were clearly evident, and the back five were hardly aided by a lack of cover by those in front. David Beckham was thrown on for Abate just after the hour mark to a fantastic reception from the Old Trafford faithful.
Flamini tried his luck from 25 yards in the 70th minute, but Van der Sar did well to get a foot on it after it took a deflection on the way through a crowded penalty area. Five minutes later, Beckham caught a volley perfectly on the edge of the box, but it was straight at the Dutch shot-stopper and he was able to turn it over the bar.
Darron Gibson blazed a shot over the crossbar from 20 yards out as the game entered its final 10 minutes as Nani toyed with stand-in right back Flamini. The Frenchman was then booked as the Manchester United winger flew past him for a third time in as many minutes.
Milan's humiliation was complete in the 88th minute as Rafael put in a delightful cross for a completely unmarked Fletcher to head in at the far post. It was an ignominious end to an utterly forgettable night for the Italians, but it certainly marks a statement of intent from Manchester United, who move into the quarter-finals and leave the Rossoneri licking their wounds.
Arsene Wenger's side ruthlessly disposed of the Portuguese champions to progress.
Arsenal produced a dominant attacking performance this evening at the Emirates Stadium to defeat Porto 5-0 and march onto the quarter finals of the Champions League.
Two first half goals from Nicklas Bendtner set the tone for the evening, and further strikes from the influential Samir Nasri, a fourth from Emannuel Eboue, and a hat-trick goal from Bendtner left the visitors ruing a defensive display that was amateurish at best.
Arsenal set the the tone for the evening by going at the opposition from the very first whistle. Facing a 2-1 deficit from the first leg, Arsene Wenger's side craved an early goal, and they were duly rewarded in the ninth minute as Bendtner pounced.
Andrey Arshavin raced onto a Nasri through pass and as his effort rebounded from the body of shot-stopper Helton, the Danish international was on hand for a simple tap-in to give Arsenal the dream start. There was a hint of offside, but the goal stood.
From there, the match opened up; whatever Porto’s game plan may have been prior to kick off, the early goal meant that attack was their only option.
Hulk and Falcao gave the Gunners’ central defensive pairing of Sol Campbell and Thomas Vermaelen some nervy moments but perhaps should have passed to better positioned teammates instead of shooting wildly.
At the other end, Diaby drilled a volley over the crossbar, then Arshavin jinked down the left and fired a dangerous ball across goal, but there were no takers.
However, the Russian found his man on 25 minutes, and Porto only had themselves to blame for some lackadaisical defending. Fucile attempted to let the ball run out of play, but instead was forced to hit s desperately poor clearance to the feet of Arshavin, who dribbled effortlessly into the area. His angled cross landed perfectly at the feet of Bendtner, who simply couldn’t miss from three yards.
Porto pleaded for offside again, but this time the Dane was level, and the Portuguese were in utter disarray defensively, the tie dangerously close to slipping away from them altogether.
On the half hour mark, it could and perhaps should have been three. Nasri’s marauding run took him to byline, and his cutback found Arshavin with the goal at his mercy, but the former Zenit star lifted his effort over the crossbar. He took a prolonged look at the empty net, knowing that would have put Arsenal in an extremely strong position in the tie.
Arsene Wenger’s side kept the pressure on right until the break. Diaby, Bendtner, and Nasri all brought saves from Helton as Porto clung on for dear life, but the Dragoes held out and given the opportunity to regroup.
Indeed, for a spell at the beginning of the second period, Porto looked capable of making their mark on this contest. Hulk drilled a teasing cross straight across goal, before Falcao warmed the fingers of Almunia with an instinctive shot inside the area. Moments later, substitute Cristian Rodriguez leapt highest to meet a corner, but his powerful header with blocked – just – by Nasri on the line.
That was the turning point, however, for moments later the same player produced a piece of magic to extinguish the aspirations of the visitors. Nasri has only flirted with producing the kind of form that made him so coveted during his time with Marseille, but just after the hour mark he collected the ball on the touchline, bobbed and weaved past three Porto defenders before making the space to fire a sublime strike in off Helton’s far post. It was a special goal from a player who had been the outstanding individual on the pitch.
Porto may have felt hard done by, on the balance of play in the second half at least, but their woes were compounded two minutes later as Arsenal produced a breakaway goal to end the contest early.
Arshavin, another contender for man of the match on the night, timed his through pass perfectly to Emannuel Eboue as Porto were left brutally exposed, and the much-maligned midfielder showed superb composure to round Helton and slide the ball into the empty net. Arsenal’s offensive play had completely torn the now bedraggled away side asunder, and they had been left with simply no answer.
The remaining twenty-five minutes of the match were deemed irrelevant, despite Porto going through the procession of continuing to search for a route back into the match, but all in attendance knew that their heart had gone.
In the dying moments, Eboue burst into the area only to be tripped by the hapless Fucile, and Bendtner completed his first senior hat-trick with the resulting penalty kick. It merely rubber-stamped an evening that ultimately proved all too easy from the Premier League outfit.
The Gunners progressed, perhaps more easily than some may have expected, and Porto were left to rue a defensive display that deserved nothing less than failure. Credit must go to the English side, however, for the slickness of their demolition job.
A Stevan Jovetic brace lifted Fiorentina to victory today, but Bayern advance on away goals thanks to classy goals from Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben.
Cesare Prandelli's Fiorentina had a familiar look about them as they took to the pitch for round two of their encounter with Bayern Munich. The Tuscan side lined up in the same 4-2-3-1 formation that featured in a now infamous 2-1 loss in Munich, with two personnel changes: Cristiano Zanetti replaced Mario Bolatti in central midfield, and Felipe started at left back in place of suspended defender Massimo Gobbi.
Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich was also quite similar to the side that played in Munich, with only one change to the previous squad. Following an injury to Martin Demichelis, left back Holger Badstuber moved into a central defensive role, and 17-year old midfielder David Alaba was chosen to start at left back.
Although the grounds crew was able to ready the pitch on an inhospitable evening, there remained a slick surface and a strong wind blowing towards the Bayern goal. Any ball played in the air was difficult to judge, which made for a nervy beginning to the game for the visitors.
The wind at his back, Juan Vargas missed an audacious free kick from 40 yards early on, and Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt was forced to drive low free kicks rather than lofting them upfield.
The opening minutes of tonight's match had a feel markedly similar to that from the previous leg, with Bayern controlling the majority of possession and Fiorentina denying their guests any space on the ball with use of close marking and good organization. What was markedly different was that in this leg, Fiorentina were not forced to repeatedly commit fouls. Bayern's control of the ball remained commanding, but magicians Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery were unable to use their jinking runs on such a slippery pitch, and caused few problems for their hosts.
For the majority of the first half, the ball remained in midfield, and there was a veritable dearth of scoring opportunities. The only way through was bound to be a defensive error, and surely enough, it was a goalkeeping howler that allowed Fiorentina to take the lead on 27 minutes. After Marco Marchionni sent a speculative shot from long distance towards the lower-right corner, Hans-Joerg Butt spilled the ball directly into the path of Vargas. The Peruvian beat Daniel van Buyten to the ball and struck in the opener with a fine finish.
The situation worsened for Bayern three minutes later, when Mario Gomez was forced to withdraw after taking a knock. Miroslav Klose replaced his German international colleague, who up to that point had been anonymous in attack.
The same fortune that favored Fiorentina in minutes prior would prove to be indiscriminate, when on 34 minutes Bayern had a bit of luck swing their way. After Bastian Schweinsteiger headed a pass towards the top of the penalty area, confusion erupted, and the ball slipped into the penalty area. Robben pounced and struck a hard volley towards Sebastian Frey, but the French goalkeeper made an excellent reflex save to tip the Dutchman's effort over the bar.
Having scored the necessary goal to progress, Fiorentina's tactics remained the same: the hosts played conservatively going forward, but played a pressing game that forced Bayern to make quick decisions coming out of their own half, and never conceded an inch of space.
After the break, Fiorentina continued to play at high intensity, and took advantage of the visitors' lethargic start to the half. After a few warning shots, a cross came in that two Bayern defenders failed to clear, and slipped to the feet of Alberto Gilardino. The Italian striker was taken by surprise, and his shot from close range was saved by Butt.
On the other hand, Thomas Mueller played a lovely 1-2 with Robben and looked like scoring, but Per Kroldrup set the young German off his stride, and Cesare Natali made a superb challenge.
Just as it looked as though Bayern might be ready to hit their stride, the hosts struck again, in a situation that can only be described as karma coming back to haunt Bayern. Following another low cross from the right side, Gilardino (who appeared to be a stride offside), played a gorgeous backheel to Stevan Jovetic, who was unmarked in the center of the box. The young Montenegrin striker made no mistake and slotted into the net.
Having fallen two goals behind but needing just one to force extra time, Bayern reacted with their best play of the game. Alaba's ball to Klose forced an excellent, goal-saving tackle, but Bayern would not be denied. On the hour mark, a triple-teamed Ribery slipped a ball towards the center. With the Fiorentina defense concentrated on the right flank, Mark van Bommel was wide open at the top of the penalty area, and blasted a low drive just inside the left post.
Fiorentina reacted with similarly crucial timing, and next scored just four minutes later. Jovetic caught the Bayern defense off guard, and took on Van Buyten in a one-on-one. Gilardino nodded on the Montenegrin's deflected ball, and Jovetic fired in from close range.
It was at that point that Robben decided to take matters into his own hands. Seconds after the restart, the Dutchman was granted space for the first time, and cut inward from the right side. With impressive power and accuracy, the former Chelsea and Real Madrid star curled his shot into the upper-left corner of the net, putting Bayern a shoe into the quarterfinals.
Once again, Fiorentina reacted well, and began their best attacking stint of the two-legged affair. Gilardino put the ball in the net on 76 minutes, but was called offside. Amid a long spell of high pressure, only last-ditch defending denied the hosts a vital goal.
As full time approached, space opened up for the likes of Robben and Ribery to use on the break, and Fiorentina were forced not to over-commit on the offensive end. With seven minutes left, Manuel Pasqual played a dangerous ball across the penalty area, but no violet shirt was available, and Schweinsteiger cleared.
Prandelli rolled the dice late as he brought on Keirrison for Vargas, but the Brazilian striker was unable to make an impact against a Bayern side that played uncharacteristically deep in the closing minutes. After three minutes of injury time, the hosts were still unable to net the goal necessary to advance, and Bayern advanced to the quarterfinals, albeit by the most narrow of margins.
In a week of hotly anticipated European clashes, los Blancos’ home encounter against les Gones stands right amongst the most mouth-watering.
On A High
Incredibly, it’s been six years since Real Madrid last savoured the atmosphere that a Champions League quarter-final can bring, and los Blancos stand on the precipice of an early exit again this term, having lost their first leg encounter against Olympique Lyonnais 1-0 in France.
History is firmly against Manuel Pellegrini’s side, who have previously tackled les Gones on five occasions but have yet to record a solitary victory. Three times from three matches at Stade Gerland they have lost, while at the Bernabeu a couple of draws is all they have been able to muster. A tied encounter would be of little use to los Blancos on Wednesday night.
Destiny, on the other hand, is surely in favour of los Merengues. With nine Champions League titles already in the vault, the illusive tenth is considered by many to be close. With this season’s final being played at the Bernabeu, president Florentino Perez has channelled much of his energy to ensuring that it is a night to remember for those camped in the white half of Madrid.
If there were any doubts over the character of Pellegrini’s charges, these were surely dispelled over the weekend, when los Merengues staged a memorable comeback from 2-0 down against Sevilla to record a 3-2 success, vaulting over Barcelona to the summit of La Primera Division in the process.
With the wind in their sails, los Blancos will feel confident ahead of Wednesday’s encounter.
Resolute
While Real Madrid were mounting a thrilling comeback against fellow Champions League hopefuls Sevilla, Lyon were finding life somewhat more uncomfortable in the north of France, where they were held to a disappointing scoreless draw against relegation threatened Boulogne-Sur-Mer.
Worryingly for OL, they did not even look the better side against a unit who sit second from bottom of Le Championnat, and who have not record a league victory of any sort since 2009. Prior to the game, left-back Aly Cissokho told the press that it would be natural for les Gones to be distracted by their upcoming trip to Spain, and it certainly seemed that they were.
Lyon didn’t lose though, and they’ve been immensely difficult to break down since the turn of the year, defeated only twice in 13 fixtures. Indeed, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has kept six consecutive clean sheets, totalling an impressive 620 minutes without leaking a goal.
Claude Puel’s side have reason for optimism as they have not lost by more than one goal since a humiliating reverse away to Nice back in October, and it would take a defeat of such magnitude to eliminate them on Wednesday.
However, they went to Barcelona last season with a 1-1 draw in their back pockets from the first leg only to be hammered 5-2 in the return, so there will be no counting of chickens.
FORM GUIDE
Real Madrid
WON 3-2 (h) Sevilla (Liga, March 6)
WON 5-1 (a) Tenerife (Liga, February 27)
WON 6-2 (h) Villarreal (Liga, February 21)
LOST 1-0 (a) Olympique Lyonnais (Champions League, February 16)
WON 3-0 (a) Xerez (Liga, February 13)
Lyon
DREW 0-0 (a) Boulogne-Sur-Mer (Ligue 1, March 6)
WON 2-0 (h) Nice (Ligue 1, February 27)
WON 4-0 (a) Sochaux (Ligue 1, February 21)
WON 1-0 (h) Real Madrid (Champions League, February 16)
WON 1-0 (h) Racing Club de Lens (Ligue 1, February 13)
TEAM NEWS
Real Madrid
Karim Benzema has failed to overcome a hernia problem and will miss the midweek encounter, as well as Real’s weekend fixture against Valladolid. Royston Drenthe is fighting a muscle tear, while Pepe is a long-term absentee. In addition to these issues, Xabi Alonso and Marcelo are suspended.
Probable Starting XI: Casillas; Ramos, Albiol, Garay, Arbeloa; Lass, Guti, Granero; Kaka; Ronaldo, Higuain
Lyon
Claude Puel doesn’t have any massive selection issues, though there has been a little concern voiced over the fitness of Aly Cissokho. The left-back picked up a slight problem against Boulogne at the weekend but should be fit to play from the outset.
Francois Clerc and Cleber Anderson are still injured, and Dejan Lovren is ineligible. Brazil international Michel Bastos pulled out of this tie on Monday night.
Puel will reinstate Lisandro Lopez, Cesar Delgado and Jeremy Toulalan to the side after all three were allowed a breather on the bench at the weekend.
Probable Starting XI: Lloris; Reveillere, Cris, Boumsong, Cissokho; Toulalan, Makoun; Govou, Pjanic, Delgado; Lisandro
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Madrid
There are countless big game players at the Bernabeu, but Lassana Diarra will have a vital role to play. One of Gonzalo Higuain, Kaka or Cristiano Ronaldo is almost sure to fire, which means that the only worry will be shutting OL out. Diarra’s dogged presence in the heart of the midfield was missed in the first game, and his ball-winning abilities on Wednesday should aid his side massively.
Lyon
Visiting goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been favourably compared in style to opposing number Iker Casillas and will need to be in the same ballpark as the great Spaniard if OL are to progress. An onslaught is expected for los Blancos, and it is the former Nice shot stopper who is sure to feel the brunt of it. In big matches against Liverpool and the Republic of Ireland, for club and country respectively, he has shone, but this is arguably the biggest night of his career to date.
It is Italy against Germany in Florence and it promises to be a very closely fought encounter.
Setting The Wrong Right
Fiorentina were certainly not happy with Tom Henning Ovrebo's decision in the first leg of the Round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich a fortnight ago as Miroslav Klose's offside goal in the 89th minute was allowed to stand. It robbed la Viola of a vital 1-1 away draw that would have put them in the driving seat for this leg.
However, a 2-1 away defeat isn't too bad either, especially as Cesare Prandelli's side have the advantage of an away goal. As such, a 1-0 victory at home will be enough for Fiorentina to reach the quarter-finals.
Fiorentina have an impeccable home record in the Champions League this campaign as they have won all their games at the Artemio Franchi, those against Liverpool, Debrecen and Lyon. Moreover, they have a great defensive unit which kept the world class Bayern attackers at bay at the Allianz Arena.
Yet things have not been going well for Fiorentina in the league as they sit 10th in Serie A, 11 points off a Champions League spot. Since their defeat to Bayern in Munich, la Viola have won only one of the four matches they have played. This means that they would have to very careful for Tuesday's game and will have to make sure that they do not concede any goals.
Basking In Hype And Expectation
Bayern Munich had a terrible start to the season but they have now picked up momentum both in the domestic and the European arena. At the moment Die Roten are two points clear at the top of the table in the German Bundesliga.
Bayern were arguably the second best side in their game against Fiorentina in the first leg of the round of 16 tie a fortnight ago but still won 2-1 in the end, all be it by a dubious late offside goal. Their performance wasn't very encouraging, as Fiorentina exhibited an exemplar of how to play away form home in Europe and coach Louis van Gaal will be aware of that.
Moreover, Bayern have had defensive problems since that win and will be without two of their main defenders. The Bavarians were held to a 1-1 draw in Cologne on Saturday and although this shouldn't have much bearing on Tuesday night's game, Bayern should be aware of the threat posed by Fiorentina in Florence.
FORM GUIDE
Fiorentina
March 6 v Juventus (H) - LOST 2-1 (Serie A)
February 27 v Lazio (A) - DREW 1-1 (Serie A)
February 24 v Milan (H) - LOST 2-1 (Serie A)
February 21 v Livorno (H) - WON 2-1 (Serie A)
February 17 v Bayern Munich (A) - LOST 2-1 (Champions League)
Bayern Munich
March 6 v Koeln (A) - DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)
February 28 v Hamburg (H) - WON 1-0 (Bundesliga)
February 20 v Nuernberg (A) - DREW 1-1 (Bundesliga)
February 17 v Fiorentina (H) - WON 2-1 (Champions League)
February 13 v Borussia Dortmund (H) - WON 3-1 (Bundesliga)
TEAM NEWS
Fiorentina
Massimo Gobbi was sent off in the first leg and is therefore suspended for this game. Juan Manuel Vargas was doubtful for the weekend match against Juventus but recovered to start the match and he will again be deployed on the left flank against Bayern on Tuesday night. Alberto Gilardino will be the lone striker up front, but Stevan Jovetic, who has looked good on occasions of late, will play behind him as the creative midfielder-in-chief.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Frey, Comotto, Kroldrup, Felipe, Pasqual; Zanetti, Montolivo; Marchionni, Jovetic, Vargas; Gilardino
Bayern Munich
The German giants have a whole host of injury concerns ahead of their trip to Florence. Martin Demichelis has already been sidelined for weeks after suffering three facial fractures whilst on international duty for Argentina last week and young left back Diego Contento suffered a deep gash to the right knee in Saturday's game against Koeln and has been left behind in Munich. 17-year-old David Alaba will be his replacement in the squad against Fiorentina, although it is expected that Danijel Pranjic will start at left back. However, coach Louis van Gaal has some good news as winger Arjen Robben, who missed the trip to Cologne with a cold, is back training and will start at the Artemio Franchi.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Butt, Lahm, Van Buyten, Badstuber, Pranjic; Robben, Van Bommel, Schweinsteiger, Ribery; Gomez, Mueller
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Alberto Gilardino (Fiorentina)
The Italian international striker has been among the goals this season and has netted 11 times in Serie A and thrice in the Champions League with three assists. Deployed as a lone striker, the former Milan hitman is lethal when given even a small amount space and time on the ball. Gilardino is not necessarily quick or technically a genius but his positional sense, striker's instinct and clinical ability augmented by his shooting prowess make him a very dangerous player indeed. Bayern's defence has been severely stretched and they will have to be doubly careful to see that they do not allow Gila to get a free run on their goal.
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Arjen Robben was the star of the Bayern side that narrowly defeated Fiorentina at the Allianz Arena in the first leg a fortnight ago. He chipped a brilliant pass to Mueller and was the chief architect of Bayern's moves in Munich. The former Real Madrid winger has had his injury problems this term but the 26-year-old is world class when fit. He missed Bayern's weekend trip to Cologne because of a cold but resumed training on Sunday, which means that Bayern coach Louis van Gaal will be relieved given that the Bavarians will potentially have a better attack line with Robben on one flank and Franck Ribery on the other.
After a controversial first leg in which the Dragoes grabbed a 2-1 advantage, the Gunners will try to turn the tables on the Portuguese back in London.
Arsenal host Porto on Tuesday night facing a deficit against the Dragoes that came about in a much-discussed manner. Not only did goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski have an evening to forget at the Estadio do Dragao, so too did referee Martin Hansson, whose handling of the Sol Campbell backpass incident that led to the second goal was the subject of intense scrutiny in the English press.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger certainly wasn’t pleased about the manner in which his side’s defeat came about and has work to do to rectify the situation in the English capital this week.
The temperament of the Emirates club has been examined closely in the past, but this term Arsenal have largely managed to bounce back from significant set-backs. Despite losing to Chelsea and Manchester United twice apiece in the league, they’ve shown fine consistency against the weaker Premier League teams to stay firmly in the title race.
Such a mentality is needed come Tuesday if they are to move through to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite competition. Boasting a perfect record on home soil in the Champions League this season, and having won each of those encounters by at least two goals, the English side remain favourites to progress, despite their handicap.
Travelling Into Charted Territory
Goals from Silvestre Varela, who had a little help from Fabianski, and the predatory Radamel Falcao have Porto in an advantageous position as they make their way to London, though Sol Campbell’s headed away goal does pose problems for Jesualdo Ferreira’s side, who will either have to score or keep a clean sheet to move through to the last eight.
Los Dragoes are by no means wandering into entirely uncharted territory. Over the course of the last decade, Porto have established themselves as one of the forerunners in the Champions League, winning the competition in 2004 under Jose Mourinho and frequently flirting with the quarter and semi-finals.
It took a scorching goal from Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo to eliminate the Azuis e Brancos’ dogged challenge from last season’s competition, and that was after picking up a hugely impressive 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. Ferreira won’t want to see his team stutter again, though they have already lost in London this season, succumbing 1-0 to Chelsea.
Domestically, Porto lie eight points shy of second placed Braga, whom they defeated 5-1 immediately after their previous encounter with Arsenal, but nine points better off than fourth placed Sporting, who defeated them 3-0 on February 28. Third placed in the Liga is effectively locked in, allowing the Portuguese to fully focus on the task at hand in London.
FORM GUIDE
Arsenal
WON 3-1 (h) Burnley (Premier League, March 6)
WON 3-1 (a) Stoke (Premier League, February 27)
WON 2-0 (h) Sunderland (Premier League, February 20)
LOST 2-1 (a) Porto (Champions League, February 17)
WON 1-0 (h) Liverpool (Premier League, February 10)
Porto
DREW 2-2 (h) Olhanense (Liga, March 6)
LOST 3-0 (a) Sporting CP (Liga, February 28)
WON 5-1 (h) Braga (Liga, February 21)
WON 2-0 (h) Arsenal (Champions League, February 17)
DREW 0-0 (a) Leixoes (Liga, February 13)
TEAM NEWS
Arsenal
Cesc Fabregas remains a significant worry for Arsene Wenger, though the Frenchman has indicated his willingness to take a risk on the Spaniard, who is both the club’s leading scorer and leading assist maker this season.
Sol Campbell will be available for the Gunners, but William Gallas faces another evening of frustration as he is consigned to the sidelines once more. Kieran Gibbs, Johan Djourou and Robin van Persie all remain long-term worries, as too does the unfortunate Aaron Ramsey.
Probable Starting XI: Almunia; Sagna, Vermaelen, Campbell, Clichy; Diaby, Song, Fabregas; Nasri, Eduardo, Arshavin
Porto
Several players were rested at the weekend in preparation for this encounter, including midfielder Raul Meireles and centre-back Rolando.
Holding midfielder Fernando is out with an injury, while the travellers will also be shorn of Ernesto Farias and Orlando Sa. Diego Valeri is ineligible.
Probable Starting XI: Helton; Fucile, Bruno Alves, Rolando, Pereira; Belluschi, Costa, Meireles; Hulk, Falcao, Mariano
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal
Whoever starts at the spearhead of Arsenal’s attack, whether he be Eduardo or Nicklas Bendtner, has a great job to perform. The Gunners remain somewhat erratic in front of goal, as they showed against Burnley at the weekend, when they missed a host of chances before burying the game late. Porto won’t be quite so forgiving, so a higher percentage of opportunities must be taken.
Porto
Courted by Real Madrid according to reports, now is the time for Rolando to show his big game credentials. The 24-year-old centre-back will doubtless come in for a stern examination on Tuesday evening and must be rock solid if the Portuguese outfit are to progress. Still maturing, this will be one of the Cape Verde-born player’s biggest games to date.
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