Showing posts with label UEFA Champions League 2014-2015. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Alvaro Morata cancels out Cristiano Ronaldo penalty to haunt former club and send Serie A giants into Champions League final against Barcelona

Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring with a penalty in the 23rd minute after James Rodriguez was fouled

Former Monaco midfielder Rodriguez booked for diving after going to ground easily inside Juventus' box

Former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata equalised for Juventus 12 minutes into the second period

Gareth Bale missed three chances to win the game for Real Madrid after Morata's equaliser at the Bernabeu

Juventus will face Barcelona in the Champions League final in Berlin on June 6

Local boy makes good. Not that they will be celebrating it in Madrid. Alvaro Morata didn’t celebrate his moment of glory, either. Maybe he wants to come back here and live one day.

Morata was the one they let go. The kid from the youth team who couldn’t quite cut it among the ranks of the beautiful people. He got as far as last year’s Champions League final, playing 10 minutes as a substitute for Karim Benzema, but no further. Real Madrid sold him to Juventus in the summer — and he returned to scold them in the most hurtful way possible. He knocked them out of the Champions League. At their place; 33 minutes short of the final.

There will be no el clasico in Berlin. Barcelona await but Juventus were worthy winners over two legs. They got a vital victory at home, and a vital goal away. Real Madrid are left ruing mistakes — some on the night, such as the chances missed by Gareth Bale, others in the planning department, such as not addressing the decline of goalkeeper Iker Casillas sooner. He had two chances to stop the equalising goal and failed both times.

The first mistake was punching out a high ball when he could, perhaps, have gathered. From there it was recycled, pumped in and headed across goal by Paul Pogba, putting in a heroic shift, half-fit and tiring, on his return from injury. He rose above Sergio Ramos, and the loose ball fell to Morata.

Scorer of Juve’s first in the home leg, here was an even bigger opportunity for retribution — and it is fair to say he rose to the occasion. Chesting the ball down, he struck his shot into the turf, skidding up and over Casillas, who got something on it but not enough. There was power in the shot but it was straight at him really.

One imagines David de Gea would have fancied his chances; Hugo Lloris, too. Morata did the respectful non-celebration — although how about respecting the folks who have travelled from Turin — and his team-mates clung to their draw.

What should have been a historic occasion for Madrid ended in crushing disappointment. Champions of Europe last season, they are still living off that success. Their only triumphs this season have been spin-offs from the last — the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup. That doesn’t keep managers in employment around these parts.

Before the game, the fans unfurled a reminder of a glorious past: a giant banner depicting the hero of those early European Cup triumphs, Alfredo di Stefano. Maybe one day they will do the same for Cristiano Ronaldo. It was Di Stefano’s record he equalled, with his 307th goal for the club, scored from the penalty spot to give Madrid a first-half lead.

James Rodriguez’s fall looked soft — and his case wasn’t helped by the fact he was booked for diving soon after — but there was a definite foul by Giorgio Chiellini and referee Jonas Eriksson was right to point to the spot. Ronaldo stepped up, took his usual sideways step and found the back of the net. He now has 10 goals in Champions League semi-finals, twice as many as the next highest scorer. Records like that are the reason they love him here.

Yet if that confidence was the best of Ronaldo, the final whistle brought the worst. He flounced from the field, leaving behind 10 desolate team-mates, as if he somehow felt the hurt of defeat more keenly. It was nonsense, of course. Ronaldo (below) pretty much disappeared in the final 30 minutes of the game when the best of Madrid’s chances fell to Bale. Sadly, they may have succeeded only in adding to his woes.

Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett cannot argue that the rest of the team did not pass to his man in the second half. Time and again they picked him out in the desperate search for a winner, time and again he made them rue that choice.

In the first half he was starved of the ball, but did well with what little he did see; in the second he saw plenty, but to no effect. He missed chances — several very good ones — and ran the ball out of play to general derision. There were whistles, and some boos. It is pointless pretending that this season may not bring change.

One cannot imagine coach Carlo Ancelotti remaining, after falling short in La Liga, too, and he is Bale’s biggest champion. The player could have been the hero, but instead gave his critics further ammunition. Had one of his chances gone in, the tie would have gone to extra-time. Had two made it, he would have been the match- winner. But none? He may have to read the local newspapers through his fingers again.

Full credit to Bale for getting into scoring positions. It was more than Ronaldo did at a crucial stage in the game. Frustratingly for all those who feel he has had a raw deal this season, he could not make his presence felt.

Just five minutes after Juventus’s equaliser, he met a Marcelo cross at the near post with a volley which flew wide. Next was a header from a lovely cross by Ronaldo, who took a team-mate’s error well, as usual, and then another header from a corner. He tried a shot from range after that but it truly wasn’t his night. At least two of those should have found the target and by the time he overran a ball cutting into the penalty area, the jeers had begun. He won’t get another chance to win the crowd over before next season and that is one long, hot summer.

Sometimes, looking at what Bale brings to Real Madrid’s attack, it is hard to understand why his team-mates do not use him more. He would certainly be less anxious if he was involved regularly. In the first half only Casillas had fewer touches for Madrid — yet Bale’s brief involvements were invariably positive.

A ferocious tackle in the right-back position, a cracking diagonal pass from deep to set up a chance for Ronaldo, a fierce shot from 30 yards that forced an excellent save from Gianluigi Buffon. It made one wonder what he could achieve if he had more touches than Sergio Ramos at centre half.

Bale got Madrid’s ball rolling after just 37 seconds with a header from a Marcelo cross and the first half was dominated by Madrid attacks, even after Ronaldo’s penalty had given them an aggregate lead on away goals. Karim Benzema had several chances, so too Ronaldo, and Isco struck a lovely chip that travelled just wide.

Yet the sight of Juventus out early in the second half, waiting in formation for Madrid to emerge, spoke of a team that was ready for business. Certainly, coach Massimiliano Allegri is too smart to attempt to play Barcelona at their own game on June 6.

It should be an intriguing encounter for Luis Suarez, too, up against two figures from his notorious past, Patrice Evra and Chiellini. He’s a changed man these days, of course — but considering the shortcomings of Italian club football of late, Juventus are much changed, too.

Thomas Muller hits second-leg winner but Neymar's magic double leaves Pep Guardiola's Bavarians too much to do

Thomas Muller collected the ball just outside the area, sized up the angle and curled a quite beautiful shot into the bottom corner. The Allianz Arena roared its approval. And then they remembered: just another three needed. In 15 minutes. Oh dear.

This was an excellent game if you forgot about the scoreline. The real scoreline that is. Not the one on the night. Bayern Munich went ahead, Barcelona rallied and took the lead, Munich equalised, Munich won. End to end stuff.

In reality, nothing happened. Munich started the game needing three goals to take it to extra time, and ended the game needing three to progress. The closest they got was an eight minute spell in the first half when two goals were needed to force the additional 30 minutes. For 15 minutes of the match they were four short, for 30 minutes they trailed by five. It was one of those illusory matches, like the one that Roman Abramovich fell in love with, between Real Madrid and Manchester United in 2003. That was exhibition stuff, too. End to end, because United were never really close on aggregate.

Equally, Munich’s fans left this game happy. They salvaged some pride, put up a good show – but, in truth, didn’t lay a glove on Barcelona. The early goal only made the Catalans angry. They wrapped the tie up 23 minutes later and, from there, it was academic.

By the time Muller hit his winner the odd fan was already on the way home. It gets busy on the A9 near the stadium and everyone knew where this was heading anyway. Bayern Munich put back in their box at the semi-final stage, once again. This wasn’t as chastening as last year’s Spanish lesson from Real Madrid but only because there was less on it to begin with. Madrid came here shielding a single goal lead, Barcelona had the tie as good as won. ‘One city, one dream,’ read the large display around the ground, but within 30 minutes what had unfolded was a waking nightmare.

The widespread wisdom was that Munich needed an early goal but with hindsight nothing could have been further from the truth. One just after half-time, and it would have been interesting to see how Barcelona would have seen out the last 40 minutes – particularly with Luis Suarez off with a hamstring injury. Yet scoring after seven minutes meant the teams had all the time in the world to trade blows. By scoring early, Munich merely annoyed a superior team.

The problem is, Barcelona are simply better at the football Munich wish to play. A spoiling team might get a lucky break from a set-piece – their one vulnerability – but take them on at football and it only plays to their strengths. So Munich rather sweetly blundered in after seven minutes from a Xabi Alonso corner and paid the price. Medhi Benatia rose unmarked and was allowed a free header which Marc-Andre ter Stegen could not keep out. The Allianz Arena went bananas.

Here it was unfolding before their eyes – the greatest comeback in Champions League history. That dream didn’t last long.

Eight minutes, give or take the odd second. It was a beautiful riposte. Lionel Messi slid a lovely pass into the path of Suarez who burst through a leaden back line and drew Manuel Neuer before squaring the ball for Neymar to tap into an empty net. It would have looked good in meme form on the computer screen. In the flesh it was quite marvellous. There were Munich chances after that, quite a few of them, but in the 30th minute Barcelona settled it.

It was a goal that owed something to Wimbledon, and more to the Royal Ballet. Ter Stegen struck a big kick from his hands for Suarez to chase, which he did with considerably more vim than those around him. Veering wide to the right, he delayed his cross until Neymar had got the space he needed in the middle, and then picked him out, perfectly. Neymar chested the ball down and also waited for the right moment before finishing smartly past Neuer. With Messi he now forms the most prolific Champions League scoring partnership since Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for Manchester United in 2001-02.

Could it have been different? Well, yes, had Munich taken every chance presented them. Ter Stegen was excellent in keeping them at bay in the first half: a Muller header after 19 minutes, a Robert Lewandowski shot after 27. Muller should have done much better in the 29th minute, Lewandowski after 40, both chances set up by Thiago Alcantara.

In the second half, Lewandowski made amends, of sorts, with arguably the goal of the night. Receiving the ball to feet, he got the jump on Javier Mascherano, switched it from his left to his right and curled it sweetly into the corner of the net.

On many other European occasions in Bavaria, it would have been a goal that told of future glory. Here it was a footnote, a trifle, an irrelevance. Wasted, in many ways. To their credit, Munich kept probing but it was more through memory than belief.

The best thing about having the finest technical footballers in the world is that it allows a team to do outrageous things. Like the moment midway through the first half when Barcelona had a free-kick 40 yards from Munich’s goal and, instead of sending everyone up and putting it in the mixer, Messi side-footed a short pass to Suarez who had four opponents around him. Stuff like this happens all the time. Players take the initiative, demand the ball no matter the circumstances. Wonderful angles result, players get sucked into a Barcelona black hole, moved out of position so deftly it is as if they are on strings pulled from above.

Pep Guardiola alternated between three and four at the back as he had at the Nou Camp but neither made much difference. Perhaps he should try another number. Eight, or ten. It is pointless trying to play Barcelona as equals and maybe that was Guardiola’s vanity peeking through. He couldn’t bear to try to throw a blanket over his old team, so he went toe to toe.

Even chasing five at one stage, the home fans still sang, waved their flags and bounced on demand, but it had rather a hollow ring. Barcelona sliced through them with surgical precision when it mattered, incisive, insightful, working furiously when the occasion demanded. In the last 12 minutes of the first leg and for a quarter of an hour of the first half here they simply swept Munich from the board.

It was more than enough, no matter the noise and fury of the locals. If the Spanish strike holds, this could be Barcelona’s last game for 25 days. It’s fair to say they’ll be missed.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Bayern Munich 6-1 Porto (agg 7-4): Robert Lewandowski scores two in six-goal rout as Pep Guardiola's side overturn first leg deficit

The next time Pep Guardiola feels the need to justify his continued presence in Bavaria – and that time will come – he has some useful numbers to roll out. As of Tuesday night, the most pertinent one available to him is 115.

That is the number of goals Guardiola's Bayern team have scored so far this season, a number plenty enough to take them in to the last four of the Champions League, the final of the German Cup and to the cusp of successive Bundesliga titles.

It's a funny game, football isn't it? People can grow restless, unhappy even, pretty quickly. As Guardiola himself said on the eve of this undressing of porous Porto, people are only happy here if Bayern win the treble.

Well, despite the horrors of the 3-1 first leg defeat in Portugal last week, that remains very much on and the statistics show that Guardiola and his players have indulged in a fair amount of self-expression along the way.

Guardiola won't remember all the season's goals. He won't remember all of the seven Bayern scored against Roma and against Shakhtar, the eight they plundered at home to Hamburg or the six they put past SC Paderborn.

The Spaniard will remember the half dozen his team scored here on Tuesday night, though.

He will remember them - especially the five that came in a brutal, spellbinding opening half - because they will be set against the background of last week's defeat and the disgruntlement that followed. Questions were asked about his own future, Bayern's club doctor walked out, slamming the door behind him.

By half-time, though, those matters seemed rather distant already and that is what brilliant football does. It makes people forget the small details. That, in a way, is the whole point of sport.

Certain Bayern's rather entitled supporters will have seen little better than this over the years. Not just because of the quality of the football but because of the context and because of the sheer hunger and monotonous forward drive of this team.

'I knew my players could do this,' said Guardiola afterwards.

'But this was not perfect. We can still improve.'

Having started so badly in the first leg last week – Bayern were two down early– they needed to reverse things quickly. After 23 minutes they were two goals up and, from that point on, the contest was no longer valid.

Lewandowski had already struck the post when Bayern took the lead, left-back Juan Bernat crossing to the near post for Thiago Alcantara to thump in a header.

The goal served to break the tension a little and as Porto failed to settle, Bayern began a hypnotic and relentless journey through the gears.

A shot from Thomas Muller was saved by Fabiano soon after but that proved a rare moment of competence for the Porto goalkeeper. He had a poor night and was beaten for the second time midway through the half when Jerome Boateng glanced a header in by the post after a corner.

At this point, Bayern were already mathematically through. Porto needed to score to maintain an interest but they were too skittish, too panicked and too intent in arguing with referee Martin Atkinson to ever get a foothold in a game that quickly galloped away from them.

The third goal arrived soon after – Lewandowski finishing first time after Philipp Lahm had set him up beautifully – and it was at this point a massacre seemed in the offing.

A drive from Muller from distance then struck defender Casemiro and span through Fabiano's flapping legs in the 36th minute and, after a rare Porto attack culminated in a dive by, and a booking for, Jackson Martinez, Lewandowski struck again, teasing two defenders before arrowing a perfect shot in to the corner with his right foot. Half-time found the Portuguese on their knees and they crawled to the dressing room. Beyond that, Bayern lost some momentum and Porto even scored a goal, Martinez heading in.

Barça waltz into semifinals

http://www.marca.com/en/2015/04/21/en/football/barcelona/1429649028.html

Barcelona waltzed into the Champions League semifinals with a 2-0 victory in their quarterfinal second leg over Paris Saint-Germainon Tuesday nightat the Camp Nou.

Neymar scored a first half brace to send the hosts on their way to a 5-1 victory on aggregate, thus sending the four-time European champions back to the Champions League semifinals after last year's absence.

Manager Luis Enrique took no risks with his starting XI by fielding his strongest possible squad with the usual trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar up top. In midfield it was Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic, while in the back goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen return to the fold and was shielded by Dani Alves, Gerard Piqué, Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba.

Any thoughts of a good start for the French champions were put to bed very early when Barcelona burst out to a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute. It was all down to some genius playmaking from Iniesta, who started form his own half and knifed through nearly the entire PSG team before dishing to Neymar, who had an easy sweep into net to open the scoring.

Ten minutes later Barcelona had two very good looks at goal when Alves' long-range effort forced a deflection from PSG goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu which gave Neymar a follow-up header, but the Brazilian was unable to convert. But in the 34th minute Neymar would launch a header goalward that was not going to be missed, as he was amazingly left unmarked between David Luiz and Gregory van der Wiel and easily nodded a header past Sirigu off an Alves cross to put Barcelona up 2-0 in the match and 5-1 on aggregate.

With the tie all but decided by halftime, the second half was simply a victory procession for the Catalonians, who were content to keep their defensive shape while playing their possession-based football.

Outside a Marco Verratti shot in the 59th minute that skipped wide and a 73rd minute shot from Zlatan Ibrahimovic that forced Ter Stegen to go low to save, the German stopper enjoyed a trouble-free evening.

Messi nearly put the icing on the cake with a shot in the final seconds, but his left-footed effort sailed just wide to complete the contest.

Barcelona will now return to La Liga action on Saturday as they face city rivals Espanyol.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

FC Barcelona v Manchester City: Cruising into quarter-finals

MICHAEL TOLL

03/18/2015 23:07

Catalans get lone first-half goal from Ivan Rakitic, reach Champions League last eight

Ter Stegen stops Agüero’s second-half penalty kick to preserve win

FC Barcelona rode a solitary score from the foot of midfielder Ivan Rakitic to top Manchester City 1–0 on a crisp evening at Camp Nou, capping a 3–1 aggregate result and putting the Catalans through to the quarter-finals of theUEFA Champions League. Barça goalkeeper Marc-André Ter Stegen made a diving stop on a late Kun Agüeropenalty kick to preserve the victory.

Barça’s next opponent will be determined in the quarter-final draw, set for Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Messi in top form

Leo Messi, despite being kept off the score sheet, was at or near his best. The Argentinian put on a true show of his technical prowess, wowing the crowd by dribbling around, and through, defenders all night long, while coming very close to scoring on several occasions. His front-line cohorts, Neymar and Luis Suárez, also enjoyed multiple opportunities, but Citizen goalkeeper Joe Hart was spectacular between the posts and single-handedly kept the game from turning into a rout.

Unlikely scorer

Despite Barça's attacking firepower, it was Rakitic who broke the ice at the half-hour mark. Jordi Alba started the play by carrying the ball from deep in Barça territory out to midfield, where he found Messi lurking near the sideline.

The Argentinian crossed into City territory and glided towards the penalty area before lofting a long cross to Rakitic on the far side. Rakitic corralled the ball with his chest and effortlessly lifted it over a charging Hart and into the net.

Manchester City played at the limit of aggressivity throughout the encounter, drawing four first-half yellow cards and frequently tackling from behind while attempting to keep Barça from controlling the flow of the game.

Late chances

After the break, City began to settle in and were more at ease moving into Barça’s end. Knowing they had to score, the visitors became more vulnerable to counterattacks, which Barça’s forwards exploited without mercy. One of those instances came on 65 minutes when Neymar and Messi had a two-on-one that ended with Hart thwarting Messi at point-blank range.

As time was running out for City, their persistence seemed to pay off in the 77th when Barça defender Gerard Piqué was whistled for taking down Agüero in the penalty area. With a chance to tie the game from the spot, Agüero had his shot blocked by Ter Stegen, who pounced to his right and batted the ball away to safeguard Barça's lead and essentially seal their berth in the quarter-finals.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Monaco reaches CL quarters despite 2-0 loss to Arsenal

MONACO (AP) — Monaco withstood Arsenal's onslaught to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League despite a 2-0 home defeat on Tuesday, advancing on the away goals rule after drawing 3-3 on aggregate.

Following a 3-1 humiliating defeat at the Emirates three weeks ago in the first leg of the last 16, Arsenal needed to score at least three times to become the first team in the history of the Champions League to progress after losing at home by a two-goal margin.

Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal some hope when he broke the deadlock in the 36th minute. Substitute Aaron Ramsey then ensured a nervy finish with a clinical finish into the bottom corner from Layvin Kurzawa's poor clearance in the 79th.

Despite those efforts, Arsenal still bowed out of the round of 16 for the fifth season in a row.

"We've always gone out to Bayern Munich and Barcelona at this stage but, no disrespect to Monaco, we thought we'd have a good opportunity to qualify. But we gave ourselves a tough test from the first leg," Ramsey said. "It's nearly again, but it's not enough."

Arsenal dominated all aspects of the game at the Stade Louis II to overrun the best defensive team in Europe with a dazzling attacking display. It was a complete contrast to the Londoners' lackluster performance in the first leg that sealed their fate.

Although Monaco managed only one shot during the first half, the 2004 runners-up made it to the quarterfinals for the third time. There will be two French clubs in the last eight for the first time in five years after Paris Saint-Germain ousted Chelsea from the competition last week.

"It's always difficult to turn a three-goal deficit around," said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who coached Monaco for seven years. "Tonight we did not seize all our chances, and we were made to pay for our first-leg inadequacies."

In the night's other match, Atletico Madrid beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 on penalties after the teams drew 1-1 on aggregate. Atletico won 1-0 on the night.

Despite their need for goals, the Gunners made a cautious start and let the hosts take control.

Monaco created the first chance after Anthony Martial got past a defender on the left side of the box to serve up a fine cross to Dimitar Berbatov, with the Bulgarian forward glancing the ball on for Joao Moutinho, who curled his shot wide.

Monaco's bright opening spell did not last long, though, and Leonardo Jardim's players struggled until the final whistle.

"At 2-0 down, it was really hot. I was constantly looking at the clock on the giant screen but the minutes passed very slowly," Monaco midfielder Nabil Dirar said. "We tried in vain to catch them on the break. Our football might not be enjoyable to watch, but we are a real team, we are united."

Arsenal's first chance came in the 15th minute with a dangerous move that ended with a header from Giroud that brushed past the post.

A good block from Kurzawa then denied Santi Cazorla's acrobatic volley after Giroud turned in a cross from the left, and Laurent Koscielny struck the bar from a free kick flicked into his path, although the referee had flagged him offside.

Arsenal's efforts were finally rewarded when Danny Welbeck played a ball for Giroud behind the Monaco defense. The France striker was initally denied by 'keeper Danijel Subasic but was lucky to see the rebound fall for his right foot, and he made no mistake with a rising shot into the roof of the net.

Monaco's defense began to cave in, letting an unmarked Welbeck fire from the edge of the box two minutes later — only for the former Manchester United player's attempt to be blocked by Aymen Abdennour as he lay on the pitch.

The second half started at the same high tempo, with Monaco players struggling to cope with the pace and movement of Arsenal. Jardim added some fresh blood by bringing on Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco, who had scored Monaco's decisive third goal in the first leg.

The decision paid off as the Belgian winger burst across the pitch in search of an opening and dribbled past two Arsenal players, only to fluff his shot from the edge of the box.

Ramsey made it 2-0 with 11 minutes left after substitute Theo Walcott's side-footed his shot against the post and Kurzawa sent the ball back to the Welshman, who arrowed his shot into the corner.

Subasic made another decisive save when he denied Alexis Sanchez's header and Monaco players parked the bus during the five minutes of stoppage time to end manager Arsene Wenger's perfect record against French clubs in two-legged ties.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Manchester City punch a ticket to knockout stages, beats Roma 2-0

Champions League: Manchester City conquer Roma to make last 16

Manchester City progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League after beating Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night.

Second-half goals from Samir Nasri and Pablo Zabaleta secured a win which, coupled with Bayern Munich’s 3-0 home victory against CSKA Moscow, means that Manuel Pellegrini’s side qualified as runners-up behind the Bavarians in Group E

The visitors made the breakthrough thanks to Nasri’s long-range strike on the hour mark, before a late goal by right-back Zabaleta confirmed the result.

However, the Premier League champions still needed captain Joe Hart to produce a number of word-class saves before their victory was sealed.

The result means City finish Group E on eight points and are in the hat for Monday's draw, where the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid could be lying in wait.

It was the home team who started the brighter of the two sides, and none more so that their pacy forward Gervinho, with the former Arsenal player causing Zabaleta all kinds of problems down the left wing.

After one neat move early on involving both Gervinho and Roma skipper Totti, the ball was fed through for Jose Holebas to have a clear sight of Hart’s goal, only for the England goalkeeper to do well to come quickly off his line and smother the Greek's close-range shot.

City were not without their own moments of promise in the opening period though, with James Milner in particular testing Roma goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis with one effort from the edge of the area.

Meanwhile, the England international was then unlucky not to put the visitors ahead six minutes before the interval, only for the Giallorossi shot stopper to keep his shot out at the near post after good approach play by the lively Jesus Navas.

However, after Milner had been denied by De Sanctis, Gervinho immediately broke broke clear of the City back line, with Hart again needing to produce a brilliant fingertip save to stop his low shot from finding the bottom corner of the net.

The second period mainly belonged to the English side with City’s nerves - already calmed by news of Bayern having taken the lead against the Russian champions at the Allianz Arena - soothed even more by Nasri’s brilliant opener.

Picking up possession of the ball some 20 yards out on the left-hand edge of Roma’s penalty area, the mercurial Frenchman decided to try his luck from distance with few other alternatives to aim for in the box.

And it proved to be the right decision, with the midfielder’s powerful drive leaving De Sanctis with no chance in the Roma goal as the ball flew into the back of the 'keeper’s net off the inside of the post for what was his first goal of the season.

City, though, still needed to rely on both Bayern holding firm in Bavaria and their own goalkeeper to seal their place in the knockout phase of Europe’s premier club competition, with the latter’s contribution absolutely vital to their victory.

The England No 1 firstly turned aside Miralem Pjanic's shot from the edge of the area, then kept out Rajda Nainggolan’s long-range piledriver after 65 minutes, before the City skipper did even better to get his fingertips on to Konstantinos Manolas’s header, with the post also helping keep the effort out.

And from the resulting corner, much-maligned centre-back Martin Demichelis was in the right place at the right time to block substitute Mattia Destro’s close-range effort on the goal line as Roma’s hopes began to fade.

In fact, the hosts' hopes were extinguished with just four minutes to go when Nasri played in the marauding Zabaleta on the right-hand channel of the area before the Argentinian kept his cool to fire City into the knockout phase.

Jamie Carragher's verdict

"It was a proper European performance that we’ve been looking for from City not just this year, but in years gone by. It doesn’t mean they played free-flowing football or they were fantastic on the eye – they weren’t.

"After the first 15 minutes they came through the scares and grew into the game. At times it wasn’t pretty to watch and it wasn’t great football. But they made it difficult for Roma and grew into the game. It comes off the back of a lot of big players missing, like Kompany and Aguero."

Barcelona stars score in a 3-1 come from behind win over Paris Saint Germain

Barcelona finish top of their Champions League group for the eighth season in a row

Neymar scored a spectacular goal as Barcelona came from behind to defeat Paris St-Germain at the Nou Camp and finish top of Group F.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave PSG the lead with a low finish from 10 yards after being teed up by Blaise Matuidi.

But Barcelona equalised through Lionel Messi, his 75th goal in the competition coming after Luis Suarez's low cross.

Neymar's sublime 25-yard finish and Suarez's close-range effort sealed PSG's fate, but they still go through.

Neymar's goal was a wonderful effort, the Brazil striker bursting away from the PSG defence before producing a dipping, swerving shot from distance that flew past Salvatore Sirigu.

Then in the second half Sirigu parried Neymar's shot and former Liverpool star Suarez pounced to score his second goal since moving to Spain. The victory means Barcelona have finished top of their Champions League group for the eighth season in a row.

However, the French side missed several good chances and their profligacy resulted in their first Ligue 1 or Champions League defeat of the season. PSG striker Edinson Cavani also had a shot cleared off the line by Barcelona defender Marc Bartra.

"We have improved as a group a lot," said Uruguay striker Suarez."We know that together we can go places, and that's what we're doing."

Barcelona finish with 15 points from six games, two more than Paris-St Germain, who will be unseeded in next Monday's last-16 draw.

PSG head coach Laurent Blanc praised Barcelona's finishing. "The best players don't need much to convert a tiny chance into a goal,'' he said. "That is what happened for Barcelona's first two goals.''

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Arsenal blasts Galatasaray 4-1, qualifies to the next round

Galatasaray 1 Arsenal 4: Aaron Ramsey and Lukas Podolski doubles ease the pressure on Arsene Wenger

By Jeremy Wilson, Turk Telekom Arena

11:22PM GMT 09 Dec 2014

After the boos, jeers and abuse in Stoke on Saturday, this match will be remembered for an authentic wonder goal from Aaron Ramsey that actually prompted gasps, cheers and applause from both sets of fans.

Ramsey may have as many as 15 years left in front of him at this level but it is doubtful whether he will ever strike a ball more sweetly than the 35-yard first-time left-footed volley that put Arsenal 3-0 up. Typically understated, Ramsey was content to agree that it was “up there with my best” as he left Istanbul on Tuesday night.

The ball was still rising when it hit the back of Sinan Bolat’s goal and, after a brief pause to compute what had happened, the spontaneous appreciation from many of the Galatasaray supporters told its own story.

Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, later admitted that Ramsey was so far out that he had initially not even wanted him to shoot. “I felt at the time it was not the right decision, but he proved me wrong,” he said.

The wider significance was of Ramsey showing further clear signs of his best form. His goal on Saturday against Stoke had been his first in 18 games and, after both he and Lukas Podolski had earlier put Arsenal into a 2-0 lead, his spectacular second here was also sufficient to effectively seal victory in only the 29th minute.

Following recent stutters, a 4-1 win will help to ease tensions among the club’s fan base although, this being Arsenal, there was an inevitable caveat. Ramsey and Mathieu Flamini both came off at half-time with respective tightness in their hamstring and groin, with Wenger at pains to stress that his two fit remaining central midfielders should be fine for the match against Newcastle United on Saturday.

Wenger was also delighted by what he called a “strong response” to the 3-2 defeat by Stoke City on Saturday although the “Arsene, thanks for the memories but it’s time to say goodbye” banner did also make its way to Istanbul on Tuesday night.

Arsenal were guaranteed their place in the last 16 of the Champions League for a 15th successive season before Tuesday night’s match. Having finished as runners-up in Group D, they again face the prospect of meeting one of the tournament favourites when the draw is made in Nyon on Monday. Real Madrid, Porto, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Monaco and Paris St-Germain are among the potential opponents.

The usual intimidation and electric atmosphere of any match against Galatasaray in Istanbul was rather compromised on Tuesday night by the sight of a half-empty Turk Telekom Arena. Galatasaray’s poor form earlier in the competition had meant they were unable to lift themselves off the bottom of the group even in victory but, after replacing Cesar Prandelli with Hamza Hamzaoglu as interim manager, they had gone into the match on the back of consecutive wins. They had lost only four of their previous 20 home matches in Europe but the lethargy of the crowd was soon evident in the players’ performances.

Arsenal, by contrast, had begun with nine full internationals even while leaving the likes of Alexis Sánchez, Danny Welbeck, Olivier Giroud, Kieran Gibbs and Santi Cazorla back in London. In fielding a front three of Lukas Podolski, Joel Campbell and Yaya Sanogo, Wenger had also selected people with much to prove.

Podolski has been the most vocal of those Arsenal players demanding more of a first-team opportunity and, within three minutes, he had his chance. Ramsey had made a powerful run from midfield and, with Galatasaray right-back Tarik Camdal having wandered out of position, fed Podolski in space just inside the penalty area. The angle was tight but there are few footballers in the world who can generate more power than Podolski and before Bolat could even set himself, he had smashed his finish into his near-post top corner.

With nothing to play for, Galatasaray were willing to keep pushing forward in fairly kamikaze style and, while Hakan Balta missed a wonderful chance to level, they were hopelessly open to Arsenal’s attacks.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was looking far more effective playing from a central midfield position and, after Podolski made a rare tackle to win back possession, had the chance to run at the Galatasaray defence. It created further space, with Ramsey peeling off to the left and side-footing his finish beyond Bolat.

The chances kept coming. Podolski was again given time and space to unleash his thunderbolt of a left-foot shot and he rattled the crossbar after being fed by Ramsey.

The Wales midfielder then created a chance for Campbell that was deflected over and another opportunity for Podolski, who forced a fingertip save from Bolat. Campbell took the resulting corner and it appeared to have been headed to safety deep inside the Galatasaray half. Step forward Ramsey, who smashed his spectacular volley into the top corner.

Ramsey himself even looked shocked by the quality of his finish and simply began laughing rather than celebrating.

The ease with which Arsenal were creating chances prompted eyes to turn to Dortmund, where a draw would allow Wenger’s team to top Group D if they won by six goals. Wenger admitted that at half-time he felt it was still possible but the need to rest Ramsey and Flamini ensured a loss of momentum. “It was too much for us to hope we could score six but I have no regrets with the players I left at home,” Wenger said.

Ramsey and Flamini were to be replaced by two academy midfielders in Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Gedion Zelalem. The experience will benefit the 17-year-olds but Arsenal did lose their control of midfield. Only a brilliant block from Per Mertesacker denied Umut Bulut but Galatasaray got the goal that their second-half dominance had merited when Wesley Sneijder curled an 88th-minute free-kick past Wojciech Szczesny. The three-goal lead was then almost immediately restored with Podolski’s second of the night.

Liverpool exits Champions League after Basel draw 1-1

Liverpool crash out of Champions League after meek show against Basel

At least in that frenzied late assault, after Steven Gerrard had equalised and the team in red gave absolutely everything to add another occasion to their all-time list of great comebacks, we saw a few glimpses of the old Liverpool spirit. Yet the damage had already been done and for the majority of this match it had been mystifying to see them play with so little drive and momentum when anything but a win meant dropping into the clunky Thursday-night-Sunday-afternoon cycle of Europa League football.

It was a pulsating finale and Liverpool’s late attempt at escapology was certainly commendable given they had to contend with Lazar Markovic, a half-time substitute, being sent off barely a quarter of an hour after coming on. Their 10 men threatened the most improbable ending but the awkward truth is it had been another night to expose the scale of Liverpool deterioration before Gerrard’s 81st-minute free-kick arced into the top corner.

Liverpool might have nicked it in those impassioned final moments but a match is judged over 90 minutes, not 10, and at times it felt as though Brendan Rodgers’s players had temporarily forgotten what is expected of them on the big European nights, under the floodlights, in front of their own crowd. Instead, they had been politely ushering themselves to the door. Of all the disappointments, that was probably the most perplexing.

It is just a shame for Liverpool that they left it so late before finding any real belief and found it beyond them when it was even numbers.

They had set out knowing only a win would suffice and yet the sense of urgency that might have been anticipated during the opening exchanges never materialised. The crowd were strangely subdued and as Basel sized up their opponents, then elegantly took control, it was strange to be at Anfield for one of these important fixtures and find a team doing so little to turn up the volume.

Basel had a boisterous following but they also had the knowledge they had beaten English opposition, including Chelsea twice last season, on their previous four encounters. They quickly showed their tactic would not be conservatism and fully deserved the half-time lead courtesy of Fabian Frei’s firecracker of a shot after 25 minutes.

Liverpool in those moments had looked what they now are: a Europa League side. More than anything, they seemed stripped of confidence. In one revealing moment out by the touchline, Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen and Lucas Leiva all left a dropping ball to one another and the nearest opponent, Taulant Xhaka, was completely unchallenged with his header.

When Raheem Sterling had Liverpool’s first opportunity his diminished assurance was plain in the way he declined the chance and tried a pass that was never on. Liverpool were teetering, ragged, dispirited and barely recognisable from the side that had bewitched Anfield last season.

What happened in the second half was unorthodox in many ways. Markovic had replaced the peripheral Rickie Lambert during the interval and in his brief time on the pitch he did at least inject a touch more drive into Liverpool’s attack. Then, as the game ticked past the hour, he and Behrang Safari went for the same ball. Markovic was slightly ahead of his opponent and the Liverpool player did swing back his right hand. Yet it was the merest of touches, barely a flick of fingertips against Safari’s nose, and almost certainly meant as a hand-off rather than something more violent. Safari was probably the game’s outstanding performer but his reaction was exaggerated in the extreme and undoubtedly helped to convince the Dutch referee, Bjorn Kuipers, it merited a red card. Liverpool were entitled to be aggrieved and Rodgers’s anger went as far as saying it should have been Safari who was sent off.

José Enrique had also been replaced at half-time and the double substitution was a measure of how alarmed Rodgers must have been about Basel’s superiority. “We just weren’t good enough,” he said. “We weren’t anywhere near where we wanted to be, not even close.”

Yet the paradox was that Liverpool, a man down, improved considerably when everything seemed lost. Sterling, now operating in the centre-forward role, started to flicker with menace. Gerrard reminded everyone of his qualities, lifting the crowd with a thunderous challenge on the impressive Xhaka, then running clear and was denied only by a fine save from Tomas Vaclik, diving at his feet.

Gerrard’s equaliser came shortly afterwards and it was a dramatic ending as the ball ricocheted around the Basel penalty area and the crowd roared for someone to apply a decisive touch. Overall, though, Basel used the ball with greater expertise and, as Rodgers acknowledged, looked the more rounded team.

The move for Frei’s goal was a case in point, featuring a crisp exchange of passes, a clever one-two with Luca Zuffi just outside the penalty area and then a 20-yard shot, left-footed and with the minimum of back lift, to pick out the spot just inside Simon Mignolet’s left-hand post.

The Swiss league leaders had several other chances in the first half, whereas Vaclik barely had a scrap of mud on his kit during the same period. Liverpool, with five points out of six games, left it too late and will be jealous onlookers when the Champions League resumes in February.

Football Earth