MANCHESTER United FC reached the UEFA Champions League final for the first time since winning the competition nine years ago, as Paul Scholes spectacular early strike proved enough to pulsating board a semi-final against FC Barcelona.
Quite rightly, he was one of the survivors of this team 1998/99 in the starting lineup, Scholes - who missed the 2-1 final victory against FC Bayern Munich through suspension, and was guaranteed its place in this jewel of the season by Sir Alex Ferguson at United condition he - who scored the only goal of equality. The midfielder collected a pass from Gianluca Zambrotta lose and violently unleashed a swerving long-range shot in the upper corner.
Barcelona pressed for a return but struggling to create chances against a well-referenced United defence, discipline and commitment to ensure the first English final in European club champions Cup history, against Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC Moscow on May 21.
Manchester United ended up 1-0 at the break after a compelling first half which saw Barcelona start the strongest before a superb strike from Paul Scholes put the Red Devils blue in the face.
This was the signal for United to enjoy a period of domination but Barca fought to wrest control in midfield with an inventive and technically capable of football in which Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Deco all questions to move before the United States. Yet it is not enough.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has again gauge his team when both Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic was ruled out Rooney with a hip injury and Vidic after the injury he suffered on his face against Chelsea on Saturday. Ferguson has responded by making six changes to his side, top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo back in the starting line-at the same time that Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes and Park Ji-Sung.
For Barcelona, ex-Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been named among the substitutes by manager Frank Rijkaard.
Teams:
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Hargreaves, Ferdinand, Brown, Evra, Park, Scholes, Carrick, Nani, Ronaldo, Tevez.
Subs: Kuszczak, Anderson, Giggs, O'Shea, Fletcher, Silvestre, Welbeck
Barcelona: Valdes, Zambrotta, Puyol, Milito, Abidal, Toure Yaya, Messi, Xavi, Deco, Iniesta, Eto'o.
Subs: Pinto, Gudjohnsen, Henry, Edmilson, Sylvinho, Thuram, Bojan
Referee: Herbert Fandel (Germany)
photo: gettyimage
MU reached the UEFA Champions League final
De Rossi Apologized
Roma icon and captain Daniele De Rossi apologized to the fans and his teammates penalty miss against Manchester United. AS Roma midfielder has admitted his first-half penalty miss was the key moment in the Italian club to the UEFA Champions League 1-0 in the quarter-finals at the defeat of Manchester United FC.
However, with the score at 0-0, De Rossi has had the opportunity to put forward its side of the penalty spot, even though Amantino Mancini has dropped alarmingly with ease to win the spot-kick following Wes Brown's well - timed ball-winning challenge. But De Rossi, who had scored the Giallorossi, the winner of the same spot on the penalty CFC Genoa last weekend, sent the ball high over the crossbar.
"It was not a penalty to make it 2-0 at the last minute, but I think the game would have changed if I had scored," said the Italian international. "I am very disappointed and I think it hurts twice as much because I am from Rome, and a supporter of Roma. We arrived in Manchester confident and ready to fight. The first goal was there, eleven metres from me, but we all know what happened. It would have been a different game if we had taken the lead in the first half.
"I wanted to take the trouble as I did on Sunday against Genoa," said De Rossi, who scored one of the spot-kicks Italy in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. "It was a very busy time and I was probably too much time to think before taking it. Sanctions I referenced in important games like finals of the World Cup in my career, but tonight; I have been less fortunate. I am deeply sorry. that I hoped it would not come to me, especially tonight in a match like this. "
Although Roma finally succumbed to a 70th minute Carlos Tévez head - which specifies a third defeat at Old Trafford in the last 12 months - De Rossi remained optimistic about their outlook for the remainder of the campaign. Roma sit four points behind Serie A leaders FC Internationale Milan with six rounds remaining and are also through to the last four of the Italian Cup. De Rossi said: "Now we will try to win the Scudetto. I think tonight, we confirmed that we are a great team and we want to win trophies this season." (*)
source: scorequ
photo: Getty Images
Tevez Header Conquest Roma
Manchester United FC can start to prepare for a fascinating-looking UEFA Champions League semi-final meeting with FC Barcelona after Carlos Tévez the second half header completed the conquest of AS Roma. Manchester United duly claimed their Champions League semi-final instead of three English teams in the last four of this year's competition again.
Carlos Tevez broke Roma on the strength of 70 minutes, helped by the excellent Owen Hargreaves in a game which sank and mitigated but rarely looked like getting away from the Champions League, which has set a new record of 11 consecutive wins at home.
However, there had never been any risk that the Roma were trounced 7-1 again, as they have been for this reason, a year ago. And the outcome of a game, if not the tie, might have been different Daniele de Rossi had not lost a first half penalty.
An entertaining, high tempo in the first half saw a changed greatly Old Trafford Manchester United started brightly and patron of the opening 25 minutes without adding to their cumulative score, with Roma in order Doni actively effective. But then Roma won a penalty out of nowhere when Mancini was judged - somewhat
controversial - have been reduced in the area of Wes Brown's address to the land. Daniele De Rossi, but he blazed over the bar passage and what would have been a goal against the run of play was averted.
Spalletti's men continued to probe, but, lacking injured Francesco Totti, struggling to fashion any clear openings, and the game was up on 70 minutes when Tévez vaulted to meet Hargreaves around the cross and post-headed the ball beyond Doni. (*)
source: scorequ
photo: Getty Images
Wenger: Penalty, it's a bad decision
Arsene Wenger was furious with referee Peter Frojdfeldt Ryan Babel after a penalty-shot won the match against Liverpool on his side.
Wenger, clearly emotional in the wake of his side the Champions League elimination, could not understand why Liverpool's Ryan Babel received a penalty.
"It's a bad decision, I think, the referee, but there was still a lack of concentration in the immediate aftermath, he went 2-2. They found in the box of Babel straight from kickoff, and that's where the concentration dropped a little.
"The punishment decisions made the difference, I do not know - I think we have to live with that, and for seven, eight weeks in football, we have to swallow sometimes, which is not swallowed, but and this is how we must live with Who at the moment.
"It is very difficult for me to understand, but we must also accept that and accept that in a game like that in which we had so much control, we were too naive, and we lacked a little maturity defensive."
But midfielder Ryan Babel saying after the game, is it a penalty.
"I think so, yes. It kept me a little and tried to take the chance of me. At the end, I did not have the opportunity to reach the ball. If they take that away from me, I think it was a penalty. "
Photo: GettyImages source: soccermanguni
Again, Chelsea Meet Liverpool
Chelsea FC secured their fourth UEFA Champions League semi-final berth in five seasons, thanks to goals from Michael Ballack and then Frank Lampard's with three minutes remaining against Fenerbahçe SK.
This is the third time in four years, Chelsea and Liverpool have achieved English for the past four of the competition, but it is increasingly belief in Stamford Bridge that could ultimately prove to be the year of Chelsea.
Chelsea's desire to eradicate their goal of a disadvantage was evident from the outset, and they had a huge lift in the fourth minute when Ballack put them at the aggregate level. A free kick from Lampard found the Fenerbahce dreaming and defense Germany captain glanced a fine header into the far corner of the net.
But in the 25th minute, Chelsea's Kazakhstan crisis plunged to new depths when Cudicini reported to the bench that he could not continue, and came on Hilario. Fenerbahce took the opportunity to try to unnerve the Portuguese four minutes later when Semih Senturk sent to 20 yards wide only to drive his right hand upright.
But Chelsea wrapped the tie-up with three minutes of normal time remaining when Michael Essien cross of the house has been transformed by Lampard from close range. However, some of the gloss was taken off their victory when Essien has shown a yellow
card - a crime that it rules out of the first leg against Liverpool in the semi-finals.
Chelsea struck the icon of the house for nearly you to death after Michael Ballack gave the Blues the lead from the outset, heading home a free kick which was flighted by Lampard himself.
The Blues have a good value for their win on two legs, but has received a lot of criticism following their loss of Turkey and their inability to produce screens quite as dominants that are expected by the fans and the media.
Lampard has brought honour to their quarterfinal opponents, but he insisted there is more to come from his side, as they now face Liverpool, surprisingly, for the third time in four years in Champions League semi-finals.
"It was difficult, credit to Fenerbahce they made it very difficult for us and has a chance," admitted Lampard.(*)
photo: GettyImages source: soccermanguni
Chelsea force to seek their fortress
The stunned looks on the faces of players Chelsea at the end of the time on Wednesday night all said, 'how the hell did we lose that one? "The Blues became the latest big name to suffer a defeat off-day at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, but in truth, this was a game that they dominated for more than an hour.
The objective (Deivid turning point in his own net) was fortunate, but Chelsea should have converted most of their opportunities before the end of the capitulation. Yet all is not lost. Conviction seems to remain in the camp at Stamford Bridge and the Blues showed no ill effects of their European setback on Saturday night, thoroughly outplaying Manchester City to win 2-0 in the east.
Thanks to the United dropped points, the gap nationally is now only three points: Chelsea are convinced they still have two trophies to play for this season. In Europe lost 2-1 away from home may not be ideal, but it is far from being a disaster. A simple 1-0 victory will suffice and the Blues are more likely to chew victories like that.
Fenerbahçe will attack in search of a goal away, but in spite of setbacks last week the Blues have one of the toughest defenses around. Stamford Bridge is a veritable fortress and Chelsea found the net in 12 of their last 13 home games. Doing everything again with a clean sheet and they will reach their fourth Champions League semi-final in five years.(*)
Can Fenerbahçe keep the dream alive?
After a spectacular first leg in Istanbul and a lot of talk of the playground, there will be a few tens of resolve on Tuesday as Fenerbahçe travel to London to face Chelsea.
As is usually the case when clubs from three leagues face on one side besides, it tends to be a lot of understatement, certainly in the media.
But just as they shot Inter, CSKA Moscow, PSV Eindhoven and Seville at home this season in Champions League, in order to Zico Fenerbahçe been right Avram Grant's Chelsea last Wednesday evening. In the midst of one of the greatest atmospheres you will find anywhere in the European football, yellow Canaries overcome the failure of a first own goal to win the game thanks to strikes by Colin Kazim-Richards and Deivid .
Having been outplayed for much of the encounter, it was a tremendous result for the Turkish side, who once again proved their tenacity and ability to find the net through all kinds of channels. With a 2-1 advantage in this second category, the link is now Fenerbahçe's to lose.
A victory or draw will see them through to the semi-finals in style, while even a high score single goal defeat would ensure the victory through the rule of the gap goals. Anyway, Fenerbahçe know that their chances of progression increase significantly if they can find the bottom of the net - there is little chance to play for a 0-0 draw.
Away form in Europe has not been fantastic, but a large domestic form means confidence remains high. Yellow Canary fans certainly take a repeat of the 3-2 defeat in Seville far in the previous cycle - it is not necessary at this time penalty dramas. (*)
Fenerbahce upsets Chelsea
Deivid de Souza scored a late goal Wednesday to give Fenerbahce a 2-1 upset over Chelsea, and Liverpool got a crucial away goal in its 1-1 draw at Arsenal in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.
Deivid gave Chelsea the lead with an own-goal in the 13th minute, but he then scored with a dramatic shot from distance in the 81st to give the Turkish team a win in its first appearance in the quarterfinals of Europe's top club competition.
Chelsea took the lead at Sukru Saracoglu stadium when Deivid deflected a cross from Florent Malouda into his own net. But Kazim Kazim equalized in the 65th by beating the offside trap and beating Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.(*)
source: iht
Wenger frustrated by ruffled Arsenal
Arsenal FC manager Arsène Wenger said his side did not get the result their performance merited and lamented the "lost composure" among his players following Liverpool FC's equaliser. The 1-1 draw in London has, according to Wenger's opposite number Rafael Benítez, left this UEFA Champions League quarter-final wide open – with the Merseysiders in a particularly "good situation" going into the second leg.
Wenger says, "I feel we were not well rewarded for what we produced tonight. To finish a game like that at 1-1 is very disappointing, but we delivered the performance we wanted and overall we had chances to win. Liverpool created very little and the whole second half was played in their half. I cannot fault the players and we were unlucky in a few circumstances – I don't know how the ball didn't go in when it hit Nicklas Bendtner. It's difficult because Liverpool defended very deep so it was hard to find space. In a game like that you do not make 20 chances, you create four or five and we were punished on the one they had. " (*)
source: uefa.com
O'Shea applause
slot in because of the experience and the confidence they have."
counterattack is frightening and that has made the difference. We can feel unfortunate not to have scored a few more goals especially towards the end of the game when they were pushing on to get something back. We can feel very proud of ourselves for our performance because Roma are a good team."
MU Clean Sheets
continue," Rooney said.
The United forward has now struck six goals in seven games against Italian opposition since April last year but he refused to get too carried away. "It was a good professional job to come here and
play well, and it gives us a good platform for next week," he added. "With the Champions League you never know so we'll have to go out focused and with a good attitude and then hopefully we'll see the second leg through."