UEFA Champs League Final: Juara milik Barca

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Stylish Barcelona take United's crown

Wednesday 27 May 2009

Match report by Andrew Haslam from Stadio Olimpico

FC Barcelona were crowned European champions for a third time – and the second in four seasons – as a vibrant display of pass and move, capped by goals in either half from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi, defeated Manchester United FC in Rome.

Holders toppled

United, bidding to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy in the UEFA Champions League era, began an open contest at breakneck speed as Cristiano Ronaldo threatened three times.

After ten minutes, however, Eto'o put the Spanish champions ahead and they never looked back. Xavi Hernández struck a post early in the second period and, though the clinching second goal did not arrive until the 70th minute – via, unusually, the head of Messi – Josep Guardiola's side were worthy winners.

The 38-year-old becomes the sixth man to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup as player and coach; United are the sixth club to lose the final as holders.

Relentless Ronaldo

Fourteen of the players who started the game had featured in a UEFA Champions League final before, yet initially it seemed United's experience would prove more telling.

Ronaldo made his presence felt by unleashing a dipping free-kick that Víctor Valdés could only parry; former United defender Gerard Piqué's last-ditch tackle prevented Ji-Sung Park from converting the rebound.

Ronaldo then had Valdés scrambling across goal twice in as many minutes with shots from distance. If an early breakthrough looked imminent, disastrously for United it arrived when Barcelona struck with their first real attack.

Eto'o brilliance

Fit-again Andrés Iniesta was the orchestrator, finding Eto'o inside the area, but there was still plenty for the striker to do with Nemanja Vidić in close attendance.

One swift turn inside the centre-back later, Eto'o was free to prod a shot inside Edwin van der Sar's near post. United's vocal supporters were stunned into silence and their team mirrored that reaction, with Barcelona enjoying the better of the half thereafter.

Perhaps not surprisingly against the competition's best defence, however, clear chances were at a premium. Long-range efforts from Messi and Xavi, and a low Messi cross fumbled by Van der Sar, were the best Barça could muster.

United reprieves

Sir Alex Ferguson had said beforehand that his best team-talks "usually come to me about three in the morning" and the Scot sorely needed inspiration in his half-time instructions, opting to introduce Carlos Tévez for Anderson. This did little to stem the tide.

Thierry Henry tricked his way past Rio Ferdinand only to shoot weakly against Van der Sar before Xavi curled a free-kick beyond the keeper, the post coming to United's rescue.

Then Wayne Rooney's right-wing centre bounced over Park's lunge as the holders began to edge their way back into proceedings, disrupting Barcelona's rhythm though creating little of their own.

Messi decisive

Twenty minutes from time, that hard work was undone. Xavi was allowed to advance down the right; with time and space, the midfielder measured a pinpoint cross for Messi, enjoying similar freedom, and the UEFA Champions League's top scorer produced a fabulous header for his ninth goal of this campaign.

Valdés promptly denied Ronaldo to preserve the two-goal cushion, yet the better openings continued to come at the other end – Van der Sar frustrating Carles Puyol twice and Iniesta.

Sir Alex therefore missed out on joining Bob Paisley as the only manager to lift three European Cups. Instead, Guardiola's superbly inventive Barça became the first Spanish side to win league, cup and UEFA Champions League in the same season.

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UEFA Champs League: Roma Finale 2009

Lewat pagi nanti bakal menyajikan salah satu pertembungan yang terhebat dalam sejarah kejohanan ini di mana kedua-dua pasukan ini amat terkenal dengan barisan pemain yang hebat di samping corak permainan yang amat menarik.

Dengan inspirasi bintang utama pasukan masing-masing (Cristiano Ronaldo v. Lionel Messi), sudah pasti mencetuskan gerakan serta mempengaruhi perjalanan perlawanan yang amat ditunggu-tunggu oleh peminat bolasepak di seluruh dunia.

Secara peribadi, saya tidak pasti pasukan mana yang bakal merangkul kejuaraan ini namun pastinya ia bakal dimiliki oleh barisan pemain yang berjaya membolosi gawang lawan terlebih dahulu.

Jangan terkejut dengan andaian bahawa dengan kelebihan gol awal, maka strategi seterusnya adalah bertahan sambil menunggu peluang untuk melakukan serangan balas (counter-attack) ketika pihak lawan sudah mula mengabaikan pertahanannya.

Dengan dibarisi oleh jentera serangan yang ampuh dan mantap, sudah pasti serangan balas ini akan lebih berkesan dalam merungkai sepenuhnya sistem pertahanan lawan.

Akhirnya, perlawanan ini akan berkesudahan dengan kemenangan besar oleh salah satu daripada finalis di Rome ini (harap-harap Barcelona la...)

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UEFA Champs League: Padan muka Chelsea!

Rugi rasanya tak sedar lewat pagi tadi nak tengok match secara live di Astro.

Walaupun tak dapat tengok tapi aku dah dapat agak corak permainan Chelsea mesti 'jijik' (a.k.a. park the bus in front of goal posts).

Tak nak main bola. Bertahan giler-giler. Buang bola. Letak separuh daripada jumlah kesebelasan utama di sekeliling Lionel Messi. Kalau boleh nak rantai jer Messi tu dengan tali ikat beruk.

Tapi, seburuk mana pun taktik yang digunapakai, jika lawan mereka tu jenis spesis yang dah biasa ngan taktik keji sebegitu, tiada masalah bagi mereka.

Kena lak dapat gol penting di minit-minit terakhir perlawanan. Mesti 'feel' giler. Corak bertahan ala liga Inggeris sebenarnya hanya sesuai sesama pasukan kelab Inggeris jer (contoh: Semifinal - Liverpool lwn Chelsea). Itu pun nyaris-nyaris nak kena 'sembelih'.

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uefa.com

Iniesta late show shatters Chelsea

Wednesday 6 May 2009

Match report by Trevor Haylett from Stamford Bridge

Celebration time for Barcelona's Andrés Iniesta after his dramatic late strike

FC Barcelona stole a remarkable UEFA Champions League semi-final win through Andrés Iniesta's goal three minutes into added time to earn a showdown with Manchester United FC in Rome on 27 May.

Drama

Chelsea FC thought they had done enough to earn a repeat of last season's final as they defended Michael Essien's breathtaking ninth-minute strike with great resilience only for Essien to then err in failing to clear his lines in the dying moments.

Lionel Messi squared to Iniesta and he cut his shot skilfully away from Petr Čech to give the 2006 champions – playing with ten men after Eric Abidal's second-half dismissal – victory on away goals and the chance to reclaim their crown, although they will have to do it without the suspended Abidal and Daniel Alves.

Template

The visitors set a template for the entire contest by dominating possession in the early stages with Xavi Hernández prompting away, yet their confidence soon took a dent as Essien conjured a goal totally befitting this illustrious company.

The move developed down Chelsea's left with Ashley Cole prominent and Frank Lampard finding a threatening position just outside the penalty area. The midfielder saw his attempted cross brush off Yaya Touré and as the ball ballooned up Essien was alive to the possibilities, taking two steps forward before unleashing a lacerating volley with his left foot that shook the underside of the bar before coming down over the line.

Living dangerously

It was a stunning blow and Chelsea looked to kill the tie off before the Spanish league leaders could recover, with Lampard shooting over and Didier Drogba just beaten to a through ball by the onrushing Víctor Valdés. When Florent Malouda was checked illegally on the edge of the Barcelona box, Drogba went for goal from the free-kick and was frustrated to see his effort fly to safety off the goalkeeper's knee.

John Terry headed just wide from the ensuing corner and two minutes later Barcelona were living dangerously again as Drogba, charging on to Lampard's lofted pass, tumbled under Abidal's challenge but referee Tom Henning Øvrebø was unmoved.

Missed opportunities

Would Chelsea come to regret those missed chances? Another followed at the start of the second half as Nicolas Anelka played in Drogba with Barça badly exposed. The Ivorian checked back inside but his attempt to find the net was foiled by the foot of Valdés and Malouda blazed the follow-up into the side-netting.

In the main it was the away team who were asking the questions now, with Iniesta becoming more of an influence down the left and Alves, his first-half yellow card having ruled him out of the final, looking to raid down the opposite flank at every opportunity.

Messi was not quite firing at his best in the face of constant attention from three or four defenders.

Red card

Drogba was always in the thick of things when Chelsea responded at the other end. He had another shout for a penalty denied and with the Camp Nou side throwing more men forward they were increasingly vulnerable to the counter – when Anelka went to the ground just outside the area it led to Abidal's red card.

The Frenchman's dismissal increased the scale of Barcelona's task but they kept pegging away, survived a number of scares at the back, and then took their late, golden chance – Iniesta's 93rd-minute strike their first shot on target of the entire match. It was a crushing blow for Chelsea who were left to reflect on a fourth semi-final defeat in six seasons.

UEFA Champs League: Perjuangan The Reds berkubur

Luluh hati menyaksikan kebangkitan yang hebat tetapi diakhiri dengan kemusnahan akibat kealpaan pertahanan serta penjaga gawang bagi skuad Liverpool.

Walaupun telah mencapai target empat gol di bumi lawan tetapi masih belum cukup kerana memberi peluang lawan bangkit.

Liverpool FC: Amaran Steven Gerard

liverpoolfc.tv

GERRARD: WE FEAR NO-ONE

James Carroll 18 March 2009

Steven Gerrard is relishing Friday's draw for the Champions League quarter-final and insists Liverpool fear none of the teams left in the tournament.

After dumping Real Madrid out of the competition, the Reds will discover their opponents for the last eight when the draw is made in Nyon and Gerrard believes Rafael Benitez's side will be confident of progressing into the semi-finals, regardless of which club they are paired with.

"We're not running scared of anyone," the Anfield skipper told LFC Magazine. "We'll take who we get and believe that we're going to go through.

"If we could hand-pick an opponent then maybe we'd want someone like Villarreal or Porto but at this stage of the competition there are no easy games. It might be a cliché, but it's true.

"Everyone who's got to this stage of the competition has done well. They'll all believe in themselves.

"But we've shown - the players, the manager and the fans - that we're a force to be reckoned with when we pull it all together.

"So we'll sit down on Friday and see who we get and take it from there."

Gerrard scored twice in last week's breathtaking 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid at Anfield and the 28-year-old is at pains to recall a better performance from the Reds since he broke into the first-team.

"I honestly can't remember us playing as well as we did in the first half of the Real Madrid game," he said. "I don't just mean in the Champions League or in Europe - I mean in any competition in all of the time I've been playing for Liverpool.

"I don't think we've controlled a game like that from the very first minute, dictated it and bossed it that way before or for so long.

"Playing like that I don't think there's a team in Europe that could have lived with us."

UEFA Champs League 08/09: Quarterfinalists

uefa.com

English teams dominate draw lineup

Thursday 12 March 2009

There will be an English flavour to the UEFA Champions League quarter-final draw in Nyon on Friday 20 March after Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC swelled the Premier League contingent to four by eliminating Italian opposition on Wednesday.

Open draw

Holders United, 2-0 winners on the night and on aggregate against FC Internazionale Milano, join Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC in the hat along with an Arsenal side who needed penalties to oust AS Roma after both legs finished 1-0 to the home team.

FC Barcelona and east-coast rivals Villarreal CF are also still involved, although fellow Spanish Liga side Club Atlético de Madrid were knocked out by FC Porto on away goals.

FC Bayern München, 12-1 aggregate victors against Sporting Clube de Portugal, complete the eight-team lineup. The draw is open and without country protection.

Stadio Olimpico final

The event at UEFA HQ begins from 12.00CET and will be conducted by UEFA General Secretary David Taylor and the ambassador for the Rome final, Bruno Conti.

The quarter-final first legs will be played on 7/8 April and the return matches the following week.

The four winning teams will know who they will meet in the semi-finals – taking place on 28/29 April and 5/6 May – as those pairings will also be decided during the draw ceremony.

The final will be played on Wednesday 27 May at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome at 20.45CET.

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UEFA Champs League 08/09: Liverpool mengamuk

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/

LIVERPOOL 4-0 REAL MADRID

Tuesday 10 March 2009 19:45 ,

Champions League Last 16 (Leg 2)

RAMPANT REDS MARCH INTO LAST EIGHT

Liverpool have booked their place in the quarter finals of the Champions League after Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard combined to see off Real Madrid 4-0 in a breathtaking team performance at Anfield.

Torres struck his first Champions League goal of the season from close range on 16 minutes before Gerrard scored from the penalty spot on 28 minutes and finished from 17 yards out just after the restart.

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Andrea Dossena rounded off the win with a well-taken finish with two minutes remaining to make sure the Reds registered an impressive 5-0 aggregate win over one of the European big boys.

Liverpool dominated from start to finish in what will surely go down as a sublime team performance to knock out one of the giants of the European game. Javier Mascherano, Ryan Babel, Xabi Alonso, Gerrard and Torres all put in storming performances.

The Reds went in to the match knowing they have gone through to the next round on each of the last 29 ties where they won the away leg first, and they had even more reason to be confident when it was revealed that Fernando Torres and Alvaro Arbeloa were returning to the starting line-up.

Both players picked up minor injuries in the 1-0 Bernabeu victory two weeks ago and were major doubts for this second leg clash. Rafa Benitez reshuffled his pack from last week's 2-0 win over Sunderland to accommodate both players and make up for the suspended Albert Riera and injured Yossi Benayoun.

Javier Mascherano returned to the centre of the park to partner Xabi Alonso, Dirk Kuyt went back to his usual right wing berth and Steven Gerrard took up a position just behind El Nino in attack. Ryan Babel also came into the side on the left side midfield.

Where Liverpool started the game as slight favourites after Benayoun's now-famous first-leg winner in Spain, they more than justified their upper hand with a fantastic first-half display that left los Blancos well and truly on the ropes.

Fernando Torres stormed through the Real defence with 30 seconds gone, but his final touch just got away from him for a Real defender to clear for a corner. Then Babel had a potshot from just outside the area to set up another corner kick.

Although his touch let him down in the previous chance, Torres then produced a sublime turn from a Steven Gerrard pass to put himself clean through on goal two minutes later.

Madrid defender Pepe was left for dead and Torres fired into the narrow angle, only for Iker Casillas to save low to his left. That touch was truly of the highest order, Dennis Bergkamp eat your heart out.

Javier Mascherano hit the bar from the resulting corner and had another shot saved a matter of seconds later.

Then Liverpool got a free-kick in an excellent position on seven minutes. Torres played in Gerrard with his back to goal and the Reds captain was taken down 20 yards out. He shot through the Real wall from the spot kick and almost got past Casillas' blind side. But the Spanish goalkeeper got a hand to it and cleared the danger.

Los blancos looked to stamp their own identity onto the game after that with some neat passing, but the sheer pace at which Liverpool were insisting on playing this second leg match was really throwing Juande Ramos' side. Every time they tried to get into some kind of rhythm, there was a red shirt on hand to disrupt them.

Then the Reds got a well-deserved goal from the lively Torres on 16 minutes. Pepe Reina hit a long ball forward which fell fortuitously for Torres to edge past Cannavoro and to Kuyt. Then the Dutchman played the ball across the six-yard box for Torres to tap home from close range.

And with that Anfield erupted. While the Real players protested for a non-existent infringement, Gerrard, Torres and Kuyt were savouring a crucial goal to bring the aggregate scoreline up to 2-0. El Nino couldn't have picked a better moment to score his first Champions League goal of the season.

Torres came close again five minutes later with a fantastic glancing header, then Gerrard nearly doubled the lead on 23 minutes with a shot on the stretch. Liverpool's number nine turned two Real defenders near the left-hand byline and fired a cross in across the face of goal and Casillas did well to save from Gerrard's shot.

More drama followed on 28 minutes when Liverpool were awarded a penalty on after Gabriel Heinze handballed just inside the right-hand side of the area.

Gerrard made no mistake from the resulting spot kick and fired past Casillas to double Liverpool's lead.

While one should never get carried away at such an early stage, it's fair to say that Liverpool were playing some of their best football of the season in this opening 45 minutes at Anfield. Even the September win over Manchester United was not played at such a high tempo. Real could not cope with it.

The dominance continued, albeit at a slightly lower intensity. Real managed the odd foray forward but Liverpool swept up the danger on each occasion via a couple of impressive Reina saves and some confident Carragher defending.

Reina produced another fine save from a Real counter attack before the referee booked Mascherano for a reason no one in the whole ground could fathom. It didn't help that the fiery Argentine was so aggrieved about the situation that he spent the remaining minutes berating the official.

But that incident notwithstanding, this was nothing short of a 43-minute master class from Liverpool.

It might have had something to do with the raucous Anfield atmosphere, and those who are taken by such things might have put it down to the full moon, but either way Liverpool were playing like a team possessed throughout the first half. Or maybe it had nothing to do with the outside elements, the whole team deserved credit for such an all-encompassing display.

Juande Ramos attempted to stem the flow with the introduction of Marcelo in place of Arjen Robben at the start of the second half. But within 90 seconds of the restart Liverpool had scored a third through a trademark Gerrard finish and had one foot in the quarter finals.

Fabio Aurelio passed up the wing to Ryan Babel, who took one touch past Sergio Ramos in the Real defence to deliver a pinpoint cross to the incoming Gerrard. The Liverpool captain stormed into the area and met the cross with precision to fire into the roof of the net at the Kop end.

Real already had a mountain to climb before the second half kicked off, but that goal left them well and truly out for the count. No amount of sporting clichés could do justice to such this scoreline - 4-0 up on aggregate and in the hunt for more, Liverpool were well and truly dominating one of the great European giants.

Argentine midfielder Gago tried a curling shot from range on 53 minutes, but it went a yard over the bar and out for a Liverpool goal kick. That was Real's first chance of the half.

Liverpool were at it again from the restart and Babel, who was playing with a new-found spring in his step, skipped past Sergio Ramos to deliver another excellent cross into the danger zone. But no one was quick enough into the area and Casillas comfortable collected.

Lucas Leiva was introduced to the action on 60 minutes for Xabi Alonso, who was making his 200th European appearance, and the Brazilian midfielder made sure the Reds kept up the intensity for the remainder of the match.

Wesley Sneijder had an excellent opportunity to reduce the arrears on 68 minutes. Martin Skrtel was lucky not to get booked for a nasty foul on Rafael van der Vaart which led to a free-kick on the edge of the aread. But despite lining up to shoot a precise drive, Sneijder blasted over the bar into the Anfield Road end.

For all their toiling, Real just couldn't get through the Liverpool rearguard. Each time the Reds calmly cleared and regained their dominant edge.

Torres came close to getting another on 82 minutes when he curled a fierce shot towards the far post, then the Kop began singing a new name in the form of Jay Spearing, who had replaced Gerrard with 17 m.

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Aurelio, Carragher, Skrtel, Arbeloa, Babel, Alonso, Mascherano, Kuyt, Gerrard (c), Torres. Subs - Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Kelly, Leiva, Ngog, Spearing

Real Madrid: Casillas, Heinze, Cannavaro, , Ramos, Sneijder, Diarra, Gago, Robben, Higuain, (c). Subs - Dudek, Metzelder, Saviola, Torres, van der Vaart, ,

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere

Conditions:

Attendance: Unavailable

Liverpoolfc.tv Man-of-the-Match: Fernando Torres

UEFA Champs League 08/09: Kemenangan yang tak dijangka

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Madrid caught by Benayoun sucker punch

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Liverpool FC hold the whip hand in this tie after Yossi Benayoun secured the Premier League side a famous 1-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu, leaving Real Madrid CF with it all to do if they are to seize a UEFA Champions League quarter-final berth at Anfield on 10 March.

Tense encounter

Benayoun decided a tense first leg with a header after 82 minutes, rising unmarked to direct Fábio Aurélio's free-kick past Iker Casillas. It capped a resilient performance from Rafael Benítez's charges, who began the game a little wastefully but grew in confidence as the clock ran down.

Gerrard absence

Steven Gerrard's absence from the Liverpool starting lineup undoubtedly gave Madrid a pre-match boost. The sizzling atmosphere cannot have hurt either as the men in white made early inroads. An Arjen Robben through ball almost led to an opening goal after five minutes and, although Pepe Reina denied Raúl González, an early pattern had emerged. Madrid were dominating possession and hunting down openings, while the visitors lost the ball too easily and looked increasingly resigned to a night of defending.

Liverpool chances

When a first chance did arise for the Reds, it sprung from a lapse at the back, the Madrid defensive line failing to intercept a long clearance towards Fernando Torres, who strode forward and forced Casillas into a fine reaction save from close range. The Spain goalkeeper was called into action shortly afterwards too, as Benayoun collected another long pass down the right and tried, unsuccessfully, to beat him with a lob.

Efforts

Those counterpunches restored some balance before Madrid had the ball in the net with half an hour gone, only for Gonzalo Higuaín's header to be disallowed for offside. Marcelo and Robben then fired wide, as did Higuaín following a surging run, yet Liverpool's dogged tackling kept them competitive and Reina did the rest, showing good reflexes to deny Robben via Albert Riera's outstretched leg. Closing out the half, Xabi Alonso tested Casillas from within his own half to restate the visitors' attacking threat.

Robben danger

The Liverpool midfielder was less accurate from significantly closer when he tried his luck again after the restart, with Madrid's own No14, the fit-again Guti, now on in place of Marcelo. Robben shifted to the left to accommodate the newcomer, but the winger continued to enjoy a free role and shot wide from the right. Both coaches had predicted a tight affair and they were being proved right, with neither team able to establish genuine supremacy as time ticked down. In terms of individuals, Robben remained the danger man for the hosts and Benayoun made some good runs for Liverpool, with Torres subdued after receiving a knock and eventually replaced by Ryan Babel.

Benayoun goal

The greater urgency unsurprisingly belonged to Madrid, eager to build a first-leg lead, but after yet another Robben effort – the Dutchman unleashing a powerful strike that Reina tipped over – Benayoun had the final, and potentially decisive, word. The entrance of Gerrard at the end merely capped a memorable night for the noisy travelling supporters, although Riera will be suspended for the second leg.

The Reds v Galacticos: A day before the lagendary battle

uefa.com

First knockout round - 25 February 2009 20:45 (CET)

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium - Madrid - Spain

Two of European football's most illustrious names will come together for only the second time when Real Madrid CF and Liverpool FC get their first knockout round contest under way at the Santiago Bernabéu.

• Twenty-eight years after Liverpool claimed the European Champion Clubs' Cup at Madrid's expense with a 1-0 final win in Paris, these two clubs with 14 continental crowns between them will meet again in a duel containing multiple subplots.

• The presence of Rafael Benítez in the opposition dugout adds arguably the thickest splash of intrigue given his close association with the Spanish champions, with whom he spent a decade and a half of his sporting life.

• Born in Madrid, Benítez joined the Santiago Bernabéu side as a young hopeful in 1973/74 and spent seven years in the youth and reserve ranks. After injury had ended his playing days, he returned to the club in 1986 to embark on a coaching career in their youth system. He rose the ladder to become coach of Castilla, Madrid's B team, and, in 1993/94, had an eleven-game spell assisting then caretaker boss Vicente Del Bosque with the first team.

• Benítez is not the only man at Anfield with a Madrid connection for defender Álvaro Arbeloa made two Liga appearances for Los Merengues in the 2004/05 campaign, the high point of a three-season spell with the club. A regular for the B team, he moved on to RC Deportivo La Coruña in 2005 in search of first-team football.

• Liverpool's squad features five Spanish players in Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa, Pepe Reina, Albert Riera and Fernando Torres, the erstwhile icon of Madrid's city rivals Club Atlético de Madrid.

• In the white corner, meanwhile, is Juande Ramos, the Madrid coach who took the helm at the Bernabéu in December, six weeks after his 12-month stay in the Premier League had ended with his dismissal by Tottenham Hotspur FC.
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• Madrid's bench will also likely feature Jerzy Dudek, now back-up goalkeeper at the Bernabéu but, in 2005, the hero of Liverpool's penalty shoot-out triumph against AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul. Dudek's miraculous extra-time double save from Andriy Shevchenko and decisive penalty stop from the same player earned him a place in Anfield folklore.

• Champions for the fifth time in 2005, Liverpool's recent record in the competition – they are targeting a fourth quarter-final in five years – means they will start as slight favourites against a Madrid side who have not advanced beyond the last 16 since 2004.

• The Merseyside club progressed from the first stage as Group D winners ahead of Atlético having recorded four victories and two draws in their six games. Hosts Madrid finished runners-up in Group H behind Juventus, with four wins and two defeats to their name.

• Madrid's home record against English opposition reads P9 W4 D4 L1. Their only defeat to date came in their most recent UEFA Champions League tie against a Premier League team, when Arsenal FC won 1-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu in the 2005/06 first knockout round.

• Madrid's defeat by Arsenal left them with a record of five wins and three losses in two-legged ties with English sides.

• Madrid have lost three UEFA finals against opposition from England, notably the European Cup final against Liverpool in Paris on 27 May 1981. Alan Kennedy's solitary 81st-minute strike that evening earned Liverpool manager Bob Paisley the honour of becoming the first and so far only man to have led a team to three European Cups.

• Liverpool's team included their current assistant manager Sammy Lee and the full lineups were:

Liverpool: Ray Clemence, Phil Neal, Alan Hansen, Phil Thompson, Alan Kennedy, Sammy Lee, Terry McDermott, Graeme Souness, Ray Kennedy, Kenny Dalglish (Jimmy Case), David Johnson.

Real Madrid: Agustín Rodríguez, Rafael García Cortés (Francisco Pineda), Andrés Sabido, Antonio García Navajas, José Antonio Camacho, Ángel De Los Santos, Vicente Del Bosque, Uli Stielike, Juanito, Carlos Santillana, Lawrie Cunningham.

• Madrid also lost both the 1971 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup final and the 1998 UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea FC.

• Liverpool, by contrast, also triumphed against Spain's Deportivo Alavés in the 2001 UEFA Cup final, winning a remarkable match 5-4 after extra time.

• Liverpool's record in Spain reads P12 W6 D4 L2. Their last victory was a 2-1 success at FC Barcelona on 21 February 2007 and their most recent loss came five games ago, 2-0 at Valencia CF in the 2002/03 first group stage.

• Liverpool also have an excellent record in two-legged ties against Spanish opponents, having won six of their seven previous contests. Their most recent success came in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round in 2006/07, an away goals triumph against Barcelona following a 2-2 aggregate draw.

• Madrid veteran Míchel Salgado featured in the RC Celta de Vigo side that became the first, and so far only, Spanish team to have bettered Liverpool over two legs with a 4-1 aggregate win in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup third round.

• Despite their pedigree against Spanish sides and wealth of European experience, Liverpool had never played a competitive fixture in Madrid prior to their 1-1 draw with Atlético in the group stage in October.

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• Madrid manager Ramos faced Liverpool twice last season during his time in charge of Tottenham. His Spurs side earned a 2-2 draw at Anfield on 7 October 2007, Torres denying him victory with a 90th-minute equaliser. Torres also struck Liverpool's second when Tottenham went down 2-0 in the return fixture in north London on 11 May last year.

• As coach of Sevilla FC, Ramos's record against English clubs in the UEFA competitions was P5 W2 D2 L1. His Sevilla side beat Middlesbrough FC 4-0 in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup final and overcame Tottenham over two legs in the 2006/07 quarter-finals.

• During his time at Valencia between 2001 and 2004, Benítez took his side to the Bernabéu four times. They suffered Liga defeats there in 2001/02 and 2002/03 – losing 1-0 and 4-1 respectively – and went down 3-0 in the Copa del Rey quarter-finals in his final season, although they did also earn a 1-1 league draw there in 2003/04.

• Madrid winger Arjen Robben spent three seasons in the Premier League with Chelsea and finished on the losing side in a trio of semi-finals against Liverpool in that time – the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League, the 2005/06 FA Cup, and the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League, having a penalty saved by Reina in the shoot-out that decided the last of those ties.

• Liverpool striker Torres did not win a single game against Madrid in nine attempts with their city rivals Atlético. His only strike in the fixture came in a 1-1 home draw on 24 February 2007, his final derby for Atlético.

• When Madrid and Liverpool met at the Bernabéu during a four-team friendly tournament on 2 August 2002, the home side won 2-0 through goals from Luís Figo and Javier Portillo. Guti and Salgado featured for Madrid that day and Dudek and Jamie Carragher for Liverpool.

• The second leg will be played at Anfield on 10 March.

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UEFA Champs League 08/09: Matchday 3 (21st October 2008)

uefa.com

GROUP E
Villarreal CF emerged bruised but triumphant from a wonderful UEFA Champions League match against Aalborg BK, winning 6-3 but only after a test of fire from the Danish champions.


Dimitar Berbatov struck twice as Manchester United FC moved a step closer to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League with a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Celtic FC.

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GROUP F
Luca Toni came back to haunt ACF Fiorentina as he helped orchestrate an impressive 3-0 UEFA Champions League victory for FC Bayern München against his former employers.


Olympique Lyonnais kick-started their UEFA Champions League campaign after two goals apiece from Karim Benzema and substitute Fred helped them to a pulsating away victory against an FC Steaua Bucureşti side who had twice held the lead.


GROUP G
FC Dynamo Kyiv continued their vast improvement in the UEFA Champions League as a fabulous first-half strike from Olexandr Aliyev condemned FC Porto to only their second home defeat in 22 matches in the competition.

Arsenal FC ended Fenerbahçe SK's 15-match unbeaten home European run in stunning style after early strikes by Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott gave them an advantage they never relinquished.

GROUP H
Goals early in either half from Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri sent Juventus to the top of UEFA Champions League Group H as they rolled back the years with an impressive win against Real Madrid CF.

Fatih Tekke's goal ten minutes from time denied FC BATE Borisov a maiden victory in the UEFA Champions League group stage and earned FC Zenit St. Petersburg their first point in Group H.

UEFA Champs League 2008/09: Analisis Perlawanan Pembukaan

Matchday 1 - 16 & 17hb September 2008

AS Roma..1 CFR 1907 Cluj..2

Kejutan terbesar pada hari pertama sudah pasti terarah kepada keupayaan kelab dari Romania, CFR 1907 Cluj yang pertama kali layak ke kejohanan ini, membenam pasukan gergasi Itali iaitu AS Roma di Rome.

Werder Bremen..0 Anorthosis..0

Celtic FC..0 Aalborg..0

Selain CFR, kelab-kelab bukan pilihan seperti Anorthosis dan Aalborg turut mendapat keputusan yang agak baik setelah berjaya mengikat lawan masing-masing.

Juan Culio menghasilkan dua gol buat CFR

FC Steaua Bucuresti..0 Bayern Munich..1

Juventus..1 Zenit St Petersbourgh..0

PSV Eindhoven..0 Athletico Madrid..3

Beberapa pasukan gergasi seperti Bayern Munich, Juventus serta Athletico Madrid yang lama menghilang, telah kembali ke pentas ini dengan permulaan yang baik.

Aguero meraikan gol bersama Luis Garcia

Chelsea..4 Bordeaux..0

Marseille..1 Liverpool..2

Manchester United..0 Vilareal..0

Dynamo Kiev..1 Arsenal..1

Namun begitu, kelab-kelab utama dari Liga Perdana Inggeris masih lagi menjadi pilihan untuk memenangi kejuaraan bagi musim ini. Keputusan yang diperolehi oleh Chelsea dan Liverpool cukup meyakinkan sebaliknya Manchester United dan Arsenal telah diikat oleh lawan masing-masing.

Steven Gerrard meraikan gol kedua

UEFA Champs League 2008/09: Pengundian peringkat kumpulan

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Setelah tamat kesemua perlawanan kelayakan ke kejohanan ini, maka malam tadi berakhirnya debaran penantian mengenai keduduka pasuka di dalam setiap kumpulan bagi Pusingan Pertama kejohanan ini.
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Proses pengundian tersebut dijalankan di Grimaldi Forum, Monaco dan diketuai oleh David Taylor selaku Setiausaha Agung UEFA.

Antara yang menarik perhatian mengenai keputusan pengundian semalam adalah seperti berikut;

Kumpulan A: Chelsea dan Roma dilihat tiada masalah untuk layak ke pusingan kalah mati apabila diundi bersama Girondins de Bordeaux dari Perancis dan CFR 1907 Cluj dari Romania.

Kumpulan B: Inter Milan dan Werder Bremen bakal layak sambil dicabar oleh Panathinaikos dan kelab dari Cyprus, Anarthosis Famagusta.

Kumpulan C: Barcelona dan Sporting Lisbon dijangka berpeluang ke peringkat seterusnya walaupun dicabar FC Basel dan Shakhtar Donetsk.

Kumpulan D: Kumpulan ini dianggap 'sengit' apabila Liverpool bakal ditentang oleh PSV Eindhoven, Olympique Marseille serta pasukan yang sukar dijangka, Athetico Madrid.

Kumpulan E: Juara bertahan, Manchester United, dilihat tidak mempunyai masalah dalam kumpulan ini yang turut dianggotai Celtic dan Villareal serta kelab dari Denmark, Aalborg BK.

Kumpulan F: Olympique Lyonnais dan Bayern Munich dijangka layak serta bakal dicabar Steaua Bucurest dan Fiorentina.

Kumpulan G: Arsenal dijangka mudah melepasi kumpulan ini yang turut dianggotai FC Porto, Fenerbahce dan FC Dynamo Kiev.

Kumpulan H: Real Madrid bakal menerima tentangan Juventus di samping penyertaan pertama buat Zenith St. Petersbourgh serta Bate Borisov dari Belarus.

Secara keseluruhannya, setiap kumpulan dalam kejohanan musim ini dilihat seimbang.