UEFA Champions League Fan Group's Blog

CFR Cluj-Napoca 0 - 0 Chelsea

GoldenThread — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 04:08:36 GMT

FROM ESPNsoccernet : 1 October 2008

Drogba Reinjures Knee In CL Match AT CFR Cluj-Napoca

Chelsea escaped a distinctly uncomfortable night in Transylvania with a goaless draw - but harbouring fresh concerns over the fitness of Didier Drogba.

GettyImages Jose Bosingwa is tackled by CFR Cluj's Uruguayan Alvaro Pereira

The Ivory Coast striker was carried off on a stretcher with an apparent knee injury early in the second half.

Despite Frank Lampard's best efforts, Chelsea could not break down the resilient CFR Cluj rearguard - and the battling Romanian double winners were good value for their draw.

Cluj are enjoying a dream debut season in the Champions League, having opened their campaign with a 2-1 win over Roma a fortnight ago, and they now sit level with Chelsea on top of Group A.

The stands shook as the Transylvanian locals greeted the teams by stamping their feet and unfurling a giant image of striker Juan Culio, who scored both goals in Rome, dressed as Dracula and tying a Cluj scarf around Big Ben.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech was called into action in the opening minute to beat Cluj midfielder Sebastian Dubarbier to a dangerous through ball.

Salomon Kalou scuffed Chelsea's first shot on goal, but it came from a promising build-up as Lampard linked neatly with Drogba on the edge of the Cluj box.

John Terry and Mikel John Obi made a hash of clearing a long punt forward but were let off the hook when Yssof Kone tried to lob Cech from 30 yards and floated his effort harmlessly over the bar.

It was a sign of things to come in the first half as Mikel struggled to dominate a limited Cluj central midfield, and Chelsea carelessly conceded possession.

When Florent Malouda did just that, Cluj raced forward - and Chelsea appeared vulnerable only for Culio to pick out Dubarbier in an off-side position.

Lampard was trying to conjure something up for Chelsea. Jose Bosingwa was a regular target down the right flank, but Cluj covered him well.

The Romanians then stepped up the intensity, forcing Chelsea on to the back foot as Alvaro Pereira repeatedly surged forward from left-back.

Periera slipped a pass to Kone, who lofted his cross over Terry's head and towards Eugen Trica. The midfielder attempted a spectacular volley but managed little more than an air shot.

Pereira then launched another incisive Cluj attack, halted only by Bosingwa's vital last-ditch tackle on the Uruguayan inside the Chelsea box.

Pereira charged forward again to meet Trica's lay-off, but his low drive flashed across Cech's goal and just wide.

Nicolas Anelka was sent on in place of Kalou at half-time as Chelsea switched to two up front and immediately looked more dangerous.

Bosingwa almost picked out Drogba, and Anelka then clipped a short ball towards Lampard at the near post - which the England midfielder could not quite squeeze home.

But Chelsea's change in formation did not last long. Drogba threw himself at a wicked low cross from Malouda but appeared to damage his knee in the challenge with Andre Souza and was carried off just before the hour.

Franco di Santo was sent on in place of Malouda with 20 minutes remaining and almost headed Chelsea ahead with his first touch of the ball after stealing in unnoticed at the near post. Lampard headed the ball through for Anelka, who had just strayed offside but was then booked for high feet on the Cluj goalkeeper Eduard Stancioiu.

Cluj grew in confidence in the closing stages - and when Alex missed a long clearance, once again Chelsea were thankful Cech was alert to race off his line and beat Kone to the ball.

Trica cleverly worked himself some room on the edge of the Chelsea area and ignored Culio unmarked to the left and attempted to curl an effort into the top corner - which flew inches wide. After Juliano Belletti flashed a shot wide, Pereira launched another run from deep, linked with Kone and forced Cech to tip his shot around the post

Uefa Champions League update (group revival)

jeevs BS — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:58:05 GMT

As many of you know, the Uefa Champions League has started up once again and it is time this group active again. Behind J. Hova, Goldenthread, Bigalke, and myself, this group will be revived. We've missed about a month of action, so I will bring everyone up to date.

The 1st Qualifying Round:

How did Swedish Champions IFK Goteborg fare?

Inter Baku (Azerbaijan) vs Rabotnicki Kometal (Macedonia)- Inter advance on away goals, 1-1 aggregate

Tampere United (Finalnd) vs Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro)- Tampere advance 3-2 on aggregate

BATE Borisov (Belarus) vs Valur Reykjavik (Iceland)- BATE advance 3-0 on aggregate

Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus) vs Pyunik Yerevan (Armenia)- Anorthosis advance 3-0 on aggregate

F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg) vs Domzale (Slovenia)- Domzale advance 3-0 on aggregate

Llanelli (Wales) vs FK Ventspils (Latvia)- Ventspils advance 4-1 on aggregate

Valletta (Malta) vs Artmedia Petrzalka (Slovakia)- Artmedia advance 3-0 on aggregate

Dinamo Tirana (Albania) vs Modrica (Bosnia and Herzegovina)- Modirca advance 4-1 on aggregate

Santa Coloma (Andorra) vs FBK Kaunas (Lithuania)- Kaunas advance 7-2 on aggregate

Murata (San Marino) vs IFK Goteborg (Sweden)- Goteborg advance 9-0 on aggregate

Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) vs NSI Runavik (Faroe Islands)- Tbilisi advance 3-1 on aggregate

Aktobe Lento (Kazakhstan) vs Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)- Sheriff advance 4-1 on aggregate

Drogheda United (Ireland) vs FC Levadia Tallinn (Estonia)- Drogheda advance 3-1 on aggregate

Linfield (Northern Ireland) vs Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)- Zagreb advance 3-1 on aggregate

The 2nd qualifying round:

A shocker for Rangers?

Inter Baku (Azerbaijan) vs Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)- Partizan advance 3-1 on aggregate

Drogheda United (Ireland) vs Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)- Kyiv advance 4-3 on aggregate

SK Brann (Norway) vs FK Ventspils (Latvia)- Brann advance on away goals, 2-2 on aggregate

Tampere United (Finland) vs Artmedia Petrzalka (Slovakia)- Artmedia advance 7-3 on aggregate

Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova) vs Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)- Prague advance 3-0 on aggregate

Aalborg BK (Denmark) vs Modrica (Bosnia and Herzegovina)- Aalborg advance 7-1 on aggregate

Beitar Jerusalem (Israel) vs Wilsa Krakow (Poland)- Krakow advance 6-2 on aggregate

Fenerbahce (Turkey) vs MTK Hungaria (Hungary)- Fenerbahce advance 7-0 on aggregate

IFK Goteborg (Sweden) vs FC Basel (Switzerland)- Basel advance 5-3 on aggregate

RSC Anderlecht (Belgium) vs BATE Borisov (Belarus)- BATE advance 4-3 on aggregate

Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus) vs Rapid Vienna (Austria)- Anorthosis advance 4-3 on aggregate

Panathinaikos (Greece) vs Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia)- Panathinaikos advance 3-0 on aggregate

Domzale (Slovenia) vs Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)- Zagreb advance 6-2 on aggregate

Rangers (Scotland) vs FBK Kaunas (Lithuania)- Kaunas advance 2-1 on aggregate

The 3rd qualifying round (1st legs complete):

The giants turn it on!

Fiorentina (Italy) vs Slavia Prague (Czech Republic)-Fiorentina lead 2-0

Spartak Moscow (Russia) vs Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)- Kyiv lead 4-1

Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) vs BATE Borisov (Belarus)- BATE lead 1-0

Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) vs Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)- Shakhtar lead 2-0

Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus) vs Olympiakos (Greece)- Anorthosis lead 3-0

Aalborg BK (Denmark) vs FBK Kaunas (Lithuania)- Aalborg lead 2-0

Galatasaray (Turkey) vs Steaua Bucuresti (Romania)- Tied 2-2

Sparta Prague (Czech Republic) vs Panathinaikos (Greece)- Panathinaikos leads 2-1

SK Brann (Norway) vs Marseille (France)- Marseille lead 1-0

Schalke 04 (Germany) vs Atletico Madrid (Spain)- Schalke lead 1-0

Twente Enschede (Holland) vs Arsenal (England)- Arsenal lead 2-0

Juventus (Italy) vs Artmedia Petrzalka (Slovakia)- Juventus lead 4-0

Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) vs Fenerbahce (Turkey)- Tied 2-2

Standard Liege (Belgium) vs Liverpool (England)- Tied 0-0

Vitoria Guimaraes (Portugal) vs FC Basel (Switzerland)- Tied 0-0

FC Barcelona (Spain) vs Wilsa Krakow (Poland)- Barca lead 4-0

Who will take it home?

From Russia With Love

Stauff Nation — Sun, 11 May 2008 04:39:56 GMT

Though I've never been particularly... envious... of the Russians, I had to make an exception for this.

This is probably the first time I've ever been completely and utterly absorbed in the Champions League action, and I yearned to get a piece of it firsthand.

However, with some experts expecting the pricetag on the trip to Moscow adding up to $3,000 and change (and that's with the flight departing from England), seeing the Champions League final with my own two eyes seemed more of a daydream than a possibility.

With that in mind, I had to put silly ambitions behind me and get down to business. Since I'm currently a lowly high school sophomore with no job and no future plans or obligations, my business is bringing insight and speculation on the Champions League Final from my brain, over the interweb and onto your computer screen. Let's do this.

It's a real shame my Russian hat, or Ushanka (which to me looks like an 80's hairstyle), and copy of "The Hunt for Red October" will have to go to waste.

The British Invasion

I'm about as familiar with the English culture as I am with Soviet Russian culture, which is to say I know nothing about either. However, if they're like me, even if they're not Chelsea or Manchester United fans, they must be very prideful and excited that their country has produced the two best teams in Europe to face off to crown the king of soccer (which basically means the best two teams in the world), just like I am when two American teams face of to crown the king of football/baseball/basketball every single year.

Seriously, though, the fact that two teams from the same country are meeting in the Champions League Final is an immense accomplishment that has only been seen twice before this in 2000 when Real Madrid beat Valencia and 2003 when AC Milan beat Juventus.

Though many predicted Man U would reach Moscow, it comes as a surprise to many that Chelsea made it so far. With the exit of respected manager Jose Mourinho in September, many of Chelsea's Starting XI became unhappy. most notably Didier Drogba, and wanted a move. These problems in the early months of the season provided for much skepticism from the media and fans about how well Chelsea could play with the divided locker room.

Chelsea has obviously silenced the doubters, though, as they gained on Manchester United in the last few weeks of the Premier League season and now lay level with the Red Devils on points and facing off with their English rivals in the Champions League Final. It indeed took a lot of determination and effort from the Blues to get this far, overcoming a momentous obstacle in Liverpool in the semifinal and battling well against Olympiacos and Fenerbahce as well.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have easily silenced all their foes throughout the tournament without showing any signs of slowing down. But being the favorites to win both the Champions League and the Premier league comes with extreme pressure. Can Sir Alex and company handle it?

Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United look to silence the remaining doubters by finishing a historic season with both the EPL and Champions Leauge trophies.

CL Semifinals Reaction

Stauff Nation — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:45:33 GMT

The First Leg Matchups of the Champions League have proved exciting and very close, and thruthfully, in effect they have gotten us nowhere. Both semifinals are level (Barca - Man U 0-0 and Liverpool - Chelsea 1-1) with the only club having an aggregate advantage being Chelsea, who scored an away goal in their meeting with Liverpool at Anfield. Let's review...

Manchester United 0 - 0 Barcelona

Christiano Ronaldo reacts after narrowly missing putting the Red Devils ahead in the 3rd minute.

The atmosphere was fantastic at Camp Nou, with one of the biggest stadiums in Europe being filled to its capacity, 98,000, to witness one of the most exciting meetings in European soccer this year. The game started off fantasticly, when Christiano Ronaldo immediately got a chance to put Man U ahead with a penalty kick in the 3rd minute, but his shot went wide, something rarely seen from CR7. With the scores still level Thierry Henry and Bojan came on late to look for a last-gasp goal. Henry came close with a surprising shot from just outside the box, but Edwin Van der Saar grabbed it and the game finished level at 0-0.

Liverpool 1 - 1 Chelsea

Both sides fought desperately in the last 10 minutes for a goal, and it finally arrived in the 94th minute when John Arne Riise headed in an own goal, which put Chelsea on level terms.

The details of this game do not match the outcome, which is horrible news for Liverpool fans and irrelevant news to Chelsea fans. Throughout the match Chelsea looked to be content with holding the ball and doing nothing with it, while Liverpool pushed forward heavily and came close to scoring on several occasions.

Chelsea played ugly football for the first 70 minutes or so, and the only reason they stayed a goal down was Petr Cech's amazing leadership and authority between the pipes. Cech made several key saves and stops from Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso that kept Chelsea one down for most of the match.

It looked as though Liverpool were heading to the second leg at Stamford Bridge with a 1-0 aggregate and a pretty big advantage, which is what I expected, until the 94th minute, when Liverpool defender John Arne Riise headed the ball into his own goal, changing the meeting into a whole different ball game. 1-1 draw.

Three Surprises

1. No goals in Camp Nou?

What happened? CR7 looked to be getting things off with a bang in the 3rd minute, but his penalty goes wide. No problem someone will break through in 20 minutes. It wasn't meant to be, however, and Manchester United and Barcelona finished with a 0-0 draw at Camp Nou. It turns out as quite a surprise because both sides have some of the most dangerous attacks in Europe, if not the world, with world class players like Christiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi, Wayne Rooney, Samuel Eto'o, Carlos Tevez and Thierry Henry on the pitch, it's always surprising when nobody scores.

It was a combination of great defense, bad mistakes and luck that the scoreline finished the way it did. The defense was strong and unevasive on both sides of the ball, with plenty of fouls and two yellow cards being handed out during the game.

The 98,000 in attendance didn't get their money's worth in goals, but they did see one exciting contest.

2. Chelsea has the advantage, amazingly.

My jaw dropped when Riise knocked the ball into the back of his own neck. I had to doubletake to make sure I didn't imagine it, actually. We couldn't even pay someone to write a more shocking outcome.

Riise came on early after Fabio Aurelio came off with what is believed to be a hamstring injury, and for the main bulk of the game he played well. However, the own goal arrived in the 94th minute when Riise dove towards a low cross from Salomon Kalou that bounced once quickly right before him and amazingly headed the ball past Pepe Reina, producing a shocking change of events that silenced the cheery Anfield crowd and sent the good sized Chelsea crowd into a frenzy. Why Riise dove when he could have easily just booted it out of the danger area is beyond me, but the major surprise is that Chelsea are now heading to the second leg with a bigger advantage.

For what I saw, Chelsea looked weak in attack and gaping in defense, while in contrast Liverpool looked more energized and determined to come away with a win. Didier Drogba, a lumping piece of horse-dung, did absolutely nothing and squandered many chances that Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack gave him throughout the match. As I said earlier, he reminded me of a student waiting desperatly for summer vacation to arrive, sitting around with his head in the clouds, doodling on a notebook, or in Drogba's case, the pitch, and failing to do anything productive whatsoever.

In fact, Ballack and Cech were the only men in blue who actually impressed me.

Though the details of the game prove that the Reds are the more capable team, the outcome is what matters, and now the Blues enter the second leg with a big advantage. Eventually, though, Liverpool's time will come, and they will be pressing for goals from the starting wistle. I still expect Liverpool to win.

Didier Drogba is a bum

3. Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi all have yet to make a mark.

I had wrongly assumed that at least one of the preceding world-class stars would have been on the scoresheet after the first leg, and it's a surprise that none of them are yet. Ronaldo leads the pack with 7 goals in the Champions League this year, quickly followed by Gerrard and Messi with 6 and Torres with 5.

Another top scorer, which comes as a surprise to me, is Dirk Kuyt with 5 goals. Kuyt has had a spectacular performance as of late and has really been on mark for Liverpool lately, scoring for the Reds in their game against Chelsea on Tuesday.

These four are some of the major reasons why their teams are still in the tournament, and should all make a difference in the second legs coming next week. You could say all four put out good performences, with Gerrard and Torres coming close for Liverpool on several occasions, but none have been able to "put the ball in the back of the ol' onion bag" as Tommy Smyth would say.

Three Expectations

1. Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard, Christiano Ronaldo and/or Lionel Messi will make their mark.

See Surprise #3 as to why I expect them to score.

When you're a top player, at a top club, in the top competition in the world, you need to not only play well but you need to score. People will expect it of you and rely on you to carry your team and produce. As of yet, none of them have yet in the semifinals.

2. Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford will be the most electric places in soccer next week.

No one has a definite advantage in the semifinals yet, though if Liverpool fail to score next Wednesday Chelsea would advance to the final, so all four squads will bring out full lineups and be looking for oppritunities for a full 90 minutes. With some of the best players on the pitch and some of the best fans in the world, complete with the eyes of Europe and the rest of the world upon them, Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, the destinations of the return legs next Tuesday and Wednesday, will be amazing. Fans will come out in full force and the Final of the Champions League will be decided. So much at sake and so much on the line, these matches will prove to be amazing.

Old Trafford, Manchester United's 76,000 seat home stadium, will be an amazing sight to see on Tuesday

3. Look for some players who have been lacking lately to step up their game.

In a manager's perspective, your star player needs to bring his "A" game on the biggest stage in Europe. Players who have been lacking lately like Didier Drogba, Peter Crouch (arguably) and Thierry Henry (who has spent some time recently on the bench) or want to fight for a spot in the starting XI like Bojan, John Obi Mikel, Anderson and Gio dos Santos will be playing their hearts out for a shot to win the favor of their coach, or in Crouch's and Drogba's case, increase their Transfer Potential.

Overall, though, these first legs were pretty amazing and set up for two fantastic return legs. Undoubtedly I will be faking sick on Tuesday and Wednesday next week when the two face off again and the two clubs in the final will be decided. The race for Europe's Elite Trophy is now in full swing.

The UEFA Champions League Trophy is one of the most coveted trophies in all of Europe.

Chelsea v Liverpool Preview

Stauff Nation — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:58:51 GMT

UEFA Champions League Semi-final: Chelsea v Liverpool

When: Tuesday, April 22nd at 2:30 ET and Wednesday, April 30th at 2:30 ET on ESPN 2

Pride and Glory is on the line for two English rivals as they fight for a spot in the Final of the most prestigious tournament in Europe.

The following is from bbc.co.uk

Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has been passed fit after sitting out Saturday's 2-0 Premier League win over Fulham with a neck injury.

The Reds skipper trained on Monday and is set to start in the Anfield clash.

Frank Lampard will be available to play for Chelsea after missing the past two games on compassionate leave because his mother is ill with pneumonia.

Goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini (hamstring) is out, while striker Didier Drogba remains doubtful with a knee complaint.

Overall head-to-heads

Liverpool and Chelsea have had 150 major competitive meetings; Liverpool lead by 58 wins to 44, with 28 draws.

They have met 18 times since the start of the 2004-05 season, when Rafael Benitez took over as Liverpool manager. The Reds have won five, drawn five and lost eight.

This season, they drew 1-1 in the Premier League at Anfield; Fernando Torres gave the Merseysiders a half-time lead, but Frank Lampard equalised from the penalty spot.

Then, under Avram Grant, the Blues won the Carling Cup quarter-final 2-0 at Stamford Bridge with goals from Lampard and Andriy Shevchenko. The league fixture on 19 February in West London was a goalless draw.

European head-to-heads

This is the fourth successive season in which Liverpool and Chelsea have met in the Champions League. There have been only three goals in the six previous fixtures, with Liverpool winning 1-0 on two occasions and Chelsea by the same score once.

This is also the third Champions League semi-final between the two teams. Liverpool have progressed to the final from each of the previous two.

Liverpool have played an English club at Anfield on seven previous occasions, losing just once (to Leeds in the 1970-71 Fairs Cup semi-final); Chelsea have won two of their five European away matches against English opposition - both defeats came at Anfield. Liverpool is the only English club to have knocked Chelsea out of Europe, and they have done it twice.

Current European form

Liverpool are undefeated in seven matches in the Champions League, since a 2-1 reverse to Besiktas in Turkey on 24 October 2007. The Reds have won their last four Champions League home matches, and have not been defeated at Anfield in this competition since 3 October 2007, when Olympique Marseille won 0-1.

Chelsea's only defeat in 10 Champions League outings since their loss to Liverpool in last season's semi-finals, was 2-1 in the opening leg of the quarter-final, away to Fenerbahce on 2 April.

Player and disciplinary info

Chelsea's Michael Essien is suspended for this match; Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Fabio Aurelio will be suspended for the second leg if shown a yellow card.

Fernando Torres has scored in each of Liverpool's last seven home matches in all competitions.

Jose Reina and Carragher have started and completed all of Liverpool's CL matches this season. Gerrard and Sami Hyypia have also played in all 10 of Liverpool's CL matches this season.

Claude Makelele has reached a Champions League semi-final for the eighth time in his career. He was already in possession of the record for the competition and is the only player to reach more than six Champions League semis.

Joe Cole, Makelele and Essien have played in all 10 of Chelsea's CL matches this season.

If selected, John Obi Mikel will be playing on his 21st birthday, and Nicolas Anelka will be facing one of his former clubs.

Liverpool has defeated Chelsea in their last few meetings in the Champions League, with the latest coming in last year's semifinal, so Chelsea will be looking for revenge against the Reds. Above Liverpool striker Luis Garcia (now with Athletico Madrid) watches as his goal in the second leg of the 2005-2006 semifinal against Chelsea goes into the back of the net. The goal proved to be the desiding factor that helped Liverpool to the final, and they eventually went on to win the Champions League that year.

My Take

Chelsea will be out with a vengence, though I strongly believe that Liverpool are playing better form this season and are defidently a team with better chemistry and composure than the Stamford Bridge side, which looks to be losing a good portion of their current lineup over the summer.

Fact is that Chelsea didn't look very impressive against Fenerbahce, a club that is small in stature compared to Liverpool but still deserves a lot of credit, while Liverpool looked convincing over Arsenal.

I'm pretty confident that Liverpool will win the first leg, especially since it's played at Anfield, by a score of 2-0.

Though Liverpool will play well in the first leg, Chelsea will not go down without a fight. I think the second leg will finish in a 1-1 draw, thus moving Liverpool onto Moscow for their second Uefa Champions League Final in two years.

Chelsea will still be looking for revenge against the Reds, and as both teams are looking for improvement in the transfer period look for the rivalry to get more heated as time goes on.

Chelsea star Frank Lampard has had some bad luck against Liverpool and looks to change that this time around, in what is probably his last season with Chelsea.

CL Group Competition Update

Stauff Nation — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 03:45:02 GMT

A little while ago I started a little competition where group members filled out a bracket, so to speak, for the UEFA Champions League and Cup.

Sadly we only got 5 entrees excluding myself, which was a bit disapointing, but no big deal I guess. Here's the leaderboard for the Competition:

The Correct Order as of now is:

Man U over Roma, Chelsea over Fenerbahce, Liverpool over Arsenal, Barcelona over Schalke

Bayern Munich over Getafe, Rangers over Sporting, Fiorentina over PSV, Zenit over Leverkussen

Leaderboard

Stauff Nation 7

Jeevs BS 6

FCB82 6

"U" 5

Dubaibury Sassenach 4

Balla101 4

The point system is pretty simple. You get 1 point for each correct team in the quarterfinals, 2 points for each correct team in the semis and 3 points if you predict the winner correctly. The quarterfinals all count as one point each so as of right now the leaderboard shows how many games out of 8 you guessed correctly.

UEFA Cup Quarterfinal Preview

Stauff Nation — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:04:01 GMT

Everyone's attention in April is usually shifted to the Champions League. And why not? This Champions League ranks among the best I've seen in some time. However, this year's quarterfinals in the Uefa Cup should be one for the history books as well. There are some fantastic matchups that will surely be full of tension and excitement. With some very underrated clubs and some great squads (with a few first place teams) this Uefa Cup is sure to be an exciting one.

FC Zenit vs Bayer Leverkusen

These two teams are considered to be relatively mediocre squads in the eyes of the majority of soccer fans, but the ones with a brain can tell you otherwise. Zenit and Leverkusen may be struggling in their respective tables right now, with Zenit in 9th place at the beginning of the Russian League season and Leverkusen in 6th in the Bundesliga, but both teams are incredibly dangerous, with numerous attacking options.

However the winner of this matchup already seems to be decided, as Zenit beat Leverkusen 4-1 in the first leg in Leverkusen. The second leg brings Zenit home, and also smothers out any hope that Leverkusen have of even coming close to Zenit. It's a sure bet Zenit move on in this one, though expect the German side to come out quick and desperate for goals for the entire 90 minutes.

But don't think Zenit have their heads in the clouds for this one. They're going to come out strong like it's a tied ballgame, according to Zenit manager Dick Advocaat, saying, "In football, nothing is guaranteed."

My Prediction: 1-1 draw. Zenit will come out calm and relaxed. They're more than happy to draw. Leverkusen, though, will enter the game in panic mode and I'm certain they'll come up with at least a tally. Not enough for the German side, however, to pass onto the semifinals.

Zenit have struggled with bigger European clubs in the past but are still a very underrated squad.

PSV vs Fiorentina

One of the most intriguing matchups of the quarterfinals, PSV and Fiorentina will duke out the second leg in Netherlands, in front of the passionate PSV crowd that last saw PSV advance in the Cup after an intense penalty shoot-out against Tottenham. PSV will have the advantage in this game, though, due to their away goal in the first leg, so a 0-0 draw would see PSV in the semifinal.

However, PSV will be missing two of their best and most influential goalscorers in midfielder Ibrahim Afellay, who was injured over the weekend, and striker Jefferson Farfan who is serving a suspension after an accumulation of yellow cards. The gaps in PSV's attack will be obvious, and PSV coach Sef Vergoosen will most likely come out with a defensive gameplan. Preventing the Italians from scoring is key for the Dutch side, so expect them to come out with a 4-5-1 lineup, with the lone striker possibly being Danny Koevermanns, a proven goalscorer for the Dutch squad.

Fiorentina consists of many young players hungry for time on the field, so expect them to come out looking for goals quickly, though their lack of experience may be a factor. All in all this matchup seems to be one of the closest out of all the quarterfinal draws.

My Prediction: PSV 2-1. PSV's home crowd may play a big factor in this game, and although they're missing two big attackers, they still come out on top. They're in better form at the moment than the Italian side are and look to be an overall better team. PSV escapes another Italian beating this time.

Heurelho Gomes, PSV's keeper, proved to be the hero that carried the Dutch club to the quarterfinals over a relentless Tottenham

Sporting vs Rangers

The first leg of this matchup resulted in a 0-0 tie, so Sporting enter the second leg with home field advantage. The matchup may look like an Old Firm derby match, with Sporting's green and white striped jerseys looking almost identical to Ranger's nemesis Glasgow Celtic's, and the competition will be just as tough as an Old Firm match.

Both sides will come out determined to continue their effort for a European trophy, but Rangers will be without defenders Charlie Adam and David Weir. These gaps in the backline may provide enough space for Yannick Djalo, Sporting's goal machine who has scored 3 goals in 4 games since his return from injury, and Sporting's other top attackers to put some distance between the two clubs. Rangers also see the return of Daniel Cousin, who will be returning from a broken jaw, who is a big addition to the Ger attack.

Rangers seem to have been on top form all season, but a 3-3 draw to Dundee United over the weekend may have drained out all the goals Rangers had in the arsenal.

My Prediction: Sporting 2-1. Should be a close contest, but Sporting will be playing at home, and with an open backline they should get on the board more easily than Rangers will. Sporting will narrowly win.

Rangers and Sporting will both come out desperate for a win, as the last time either club has won a European trophy was over 35 years ago. Rangers last won the European Cup in 1972 and Sporting in 1964.

Getafe vs Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich have breezed through their Uefa Cup Campaign as if it were a string of July friendlies. Munich looked like a definite bet to win the Cup for quite some time, and why not? They finished poorly last season in the Bundesliga in 4th place, but they improved immensely over the summer and now they're comfortably in first place in the Bundesliga, looking ready for another championship trophy. However, all this changed when they met a determined Getafe in the quarterfinals. Getafe, notorious giant killers in their own right, held Munich's world-class attack to a 1-1 draw in the Allianz Arena, and now with the second leg coming to Spain.

A lot of people outside of Getafe's clubhouse were stunned that Getafe managed to handle the German giants, who are considered to be a Champions League worthy team playing in the "lowly" Uefa Cup. Getafe sit in a less than decent 12th place in the Spanish La Liga, and salvaging the draw with a goal in extra time stunned Munich's fans.

However, I expect the Cinderella Story to end in the return leg. The 1-1 draw managed to wake up Bayern, who now realize they are not the invincible B.A's that everyone says they are, and they will pull out a victory. As the saying goes: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Bayern Munich will be sure to bring out every attacking option they can muster to pull out a victory over lowly Getafe. Getafe would be able to pass onto the semis with a goalless draw, but if they do muster up holding Bayern Munich to one goal in two games, I will pay everyone in the entire world $50.

My Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-0. I'm confident the first leg was a fluke and will only serve as a wake up call for the Germans, who will turn it up a notch in the second leg. No George Mason Cinderella story for Getafe this year.

Bayern have dozens of world-class goalscorers at their dosposal including Lukas Podolski (left), Frank Ribery (also pictured), Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose, and Ze Roberto.

Second Leg Preview Part II

Stauff Nation — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:25:20 GMT

Being the idiot that I am, I accidentally hit the back button on this tab, when I actually ment to press back on another page, so the whole finsihed second leg preview is gone. I apologize.

Being that I have to get to school to do nothing, I'll just give you the link's to the BBC's previews now. Once again I apologize.

Schalke vs Barcelona

Roma vs Manchester United

Thats me. The idiot...

Second Leg Preview

Stauff Nation — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:45:30 GMT

The first leg of the Champions League quaterfinals was filled with lots of excitment, surprise and tension, ensuring that the second leg will no doubt be ten times more exciting. All games turned out too be much closer than most imagined, and all eight remaining teams desire to reach the semis and will come out in full force looking for a win.

Arsenal vs Liverpool (1-1 aggregate)

The first leg at Emirites Stadium proved to be an exciting one, resulting in a 1-1 draw after goals from Dirk Kuyt of Liverpool and Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor. Liverpool now head to Anfield with an advantage over the Gunners, both because of the immense fan support that will turn out in favor of Liverpool and the away goal scored in the first leg, making it neccesary for Arsenal to score in the return leg. (In the Champions League, away goals can count as two goals to avoid going into extra time if both games result in a tie. For example, if Arsenal and Liverpool finish 0-0 tomorrow, Liverpool will advance because they scored an away goal)

Both sides will miss some important players for the draw, however. Liverpool will be without Daniel Agger, Harry Kewell and Jermaine Pennant while Arsenal will miss Tomas Rosiky. Look for both teams to come out strong and desperate for goals, both coming out heavy on the attack and producing lots of chances

My Prediction: Liverpool wins 2-1. Fernando Torres had an uneventful game in the first leg. Look for that to change.

When to Watch: The game is played live on ESPN 2 at 1:30 PM Central Time. Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth provide excellent analysis (gotta love Tommy) so be sure to catch the game. It's sure to be an exciting one.

Look for Arsenal and Liverpool to come out firing

Chelsea vs Fenerbahce (1-2 aggregate)

If you're going to watch any match this week, it's this one. Fenerbahce pulled off a stunning 2-1 upset over the Blues in the first leg in Istanbul last week, and this upcoming matchup at Stamford Bridge is sure to be a magical European Night in the making. Fenerbahce, or the Yellow Canaries as their referred to by their fans, looked to be a team possesed in the first leg, but playing at Stamford Bridge in front of 43,000 angry Englishmen and managing to beat one of the toughest European teams in the process is a whole different task they will face. Zico and his Turkish side have put up a great challenge and proven to many that they're Europe-worthy, but Chelsea will surely come out more focused and determined than they did in the first leg.

A big concern for Chelsea will be their GK situation. Petr Cech underwent surgery for a facial injury he recieved in a collision with another player at practice and is set to miss the next two weeks. Ricardo Carvalho, who missed Chelsea's match over the weekend, is set to make his return

Still doubting Chelsea? If all the above wasn't enough, take into consideration that Chelsea have won the last ten European matches played at home, while Fenerbahce have lost the last seven away matches. Chelsea still have the upper hand, and although they're a goal down, Avram Grant's men can certainly rise up and defeat Fenerbahce.

My Prediction: 2-0 Chelsea. The Blues move on... barely.

When to Watch: Catch the game delay of this match on Tuesday at 4:00 Central Time, or if you have ESPN Desportes, you can also view it (in Spanish. Don't want to disapoint so just in case you don't know...) at 1:30 PM Central.

Stamford Bridge is one of the toughest places to play in England

Be sure to tune in and watch both of these games on Tuesday as both are sure to be excellent matches. Roma vs Manchester United and Schalke vs Barcelona's Previews (Wednesday's games) will be finished tomorrow.

Scouting Report: Fenerbahce

Stauff Nation — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 01:17:07 GMT

With the final edition of the UEFA Champions League Scouting Reports we take a look at Fenerbahçe, a Turkish club who have been on the rise recently, bringing in the majority of their club in the past season or two, and are considered to be one of the biggest underdogs remaining in the tournament.

Fenerbahçe

Strengths

Fenerbahçe have not been considered to be a top club in Europe by most outside of Turkey, but at home the fans know how truly dangerous their team is. With the arrival of Brazilian legend Zico as manager in 2006, Fenerbahçe lit a spark that has left them playing top level soccer since then. Zico brought on great South American talent to the club including Roberto Carlos, Diego Lugano, Edu Dracena, Wederson, Deivid and Chile's international captain Claudio Maldonado, all of whom play a huge role in the team's recent success.

Along with the South American additions to the team were Serbian striker Mateja Kezman and several promising Turkish youngsters coming from the youth academy including Gökhan Gönül and Ali Bilgin. These new aditions helped earn Fenerbahce the Turkish Super League title and Turkish Cup in 2007, as well as a first place spot in the Turkish league table as of today.

Despite popular belief, Fenerbahce actually have a pretty tough lineup (which they'd obviously need to progress past powerhouse Sevilla into the quarterfinals), but most people, especially from what I heard, having been giving the team enough credit. Fenerbahce's lineup is very deep and talented, and unlike many of the teams in the quarterfinals, especially the English, it is made almost entirely of Turkish players. This may not seem like much of a strength, but it does help somewhat with the club chemistry.

And although people don't like to admit it, Zico is one of the best coaches in the game. He turned a struggling Fenerbahce around when he arrived in 06, gave the lineup a makeover and gave the team the Turkish double in his first season. Also note that Fenerbahce have never progressed past the group stages of the Champions League until now, which is a major motivational tool for the players and fans.

Fenerbahce play in ??ükrü Saraco??lu Stadium, the site of the 2009 UEFA Cup Final, which holds over 50,000 people. Turkey is home to some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the entire world, and when Chelsea visit tomorrow, the fans will surely come out in full force behind their team.

Perhaps their most eye-opening strength, at least to me, was their dominance at home during the Champions League. Fenerbahce have quietly won the past 11 games played at home during the Champions League, including wins against PSV, Sevilla and Inter Milan.

Semih Senturk, Deivid and Diego Lugano celebrate a Fenerbahce goal

Weaknesses

When comparing Fenerbahce to the other remaining teams in the quarterfinals, one thing jumps out: compared to other teams, Fenerbahce do not have many superstars on their roster. A casual soccer fan may just notice Roberto Carlos and say he's an aging Brazilian defender who's nearing the end of his career. This is in fact wrong, as Roberto Carlos has been an essential element in the team's excellent back line throughout the season.

Their lineup is also insufficient to others in the fact that they do not have as much depth as other lineups, especially their quarterfinal nemesis, Chelsea. Fenerbahce have a good starting XI, but afterwards no impressive names spend time on the bench, outside of the striker position, which has four impressive attackers in Deivid, Kezman, Semih ??entürk and Colin Kazim-Richards.

Another weakness may be the fact that Fenerbahce play in the Turkish Super League, a league that is tough, but nowhere near as competitive as other European leagues such as the English Premier, La Liga, Bundesliga and Serie A, who all have teams left in the tournament. With a weaker league, they are playing with a slight disadvantage, as they aren't as accustomed to playing tougher teams like other teams in the Champions League are.

Like I said before, Fenerbahce's fans are very passionate for their team, but Turkey's fans also have a reputation as some of the most violent in the world. One of Fenerbahce's top fan groups, Kill For You (KFY), is a dangerous and blood-thirsty group of fans that spread violence in the name of Fenerbahce. If Fenerbahce's fans turn violent in the match, which they are notorious for, it may take away from the team's concentration on the game.

Fenerbahce have a very passionate fan base.

My Prediction

Fenerbahce are a very underrated squad and have done very well in the tournament so far, but they do not have the depth or talent to surpass Chelsea. They narrowly progressed after penalty kicks against Sevilla, and Sevilla is no where near as good as Chelsea, to put it plainly.

Fenerbahce may play well at home, possibly putting up a tie against the Blues, but they have little hope in their second leg matchup at Stamford Bridge. For the "Yellow Canaries", as they are affectionately called, the run ends here.