UEFA Champions League: Half of the Quarterfinalists Set

For those of you who are unaware, the UEFA Champions League games consist of two legs. Each club gets two host a game. The team with the most goals combined from the two games advance. The scores I will list will be the aggregate scores (the total from both games).

Benfica 4 Zenit St Petersburg 3

Zenit got to host the first leg in brutal Russian conditions. They won that game 3-2. Therefore, everyone expected Benfica to come out and attack from the get go. That is exactly what they did. Zenit did a good job of resisting, but in stoppage time of the first half, Alex Witsel took a shot that was saved by Zenit goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev. But Malafeev gave up a rebound to Witsel who nicely passed it to Maxi Pereira for the easy goal. That put the aggregate at 3-3, but the first tiebreaker is away goals, so Benefica had the edge. Zenit knew they needed to score a goal in the second half to advance. Zenit really posed little threat though, as they only got two shots on goal. In stoppage time, Nelson Miguel Castro Oliveira sealed the victory for Benfica with a goal. The Portuguese side is through to the quarterfinals.

AC Milan 4 Arsenal 3

In the first leg, AC Milan dominated Arsenal in every aspect of the game, winning the game 4-0. Everyone expected Arsenal to respond, but no one knew how. No one had ever comeback from such a large deficit in the history of the competition. But for the first two-thirds of the second leg, it certainly looked like Arsenal could be the first. Laurent Koscielny started the scoring in the 7th minute and Tomas Rosicky added another in the 26th. In the 43 minute, Robin Van Persie buried a penalty kick to trim the Milan aggregate lead to one. The Gunners came out strong in the second half as well, but couldn't find the goal they needed. Then, it seemed as if Milan flipped a switch and turned on the defensive prowess. They managed to hold on until the final whistle. Despite a disappointing second leg, the Italian side will be in the quarterfinals.

Apoel Nicosia 1 Lyon 1 (Apoel advances 4-3 in penalty kicks)

No one expected Apoel to make it this far, so they figured they didn't have anything to lose. They had already advanced the farthest any Cypriot side had ever advanced. So a 1-0 deficit coming into the second leg seemed manageable. They quickly dismissed that margin when they scored just nine minutes in. Constantinos Charalambides sent a low cross in that found the foot of his teammate Gustavo Manduca for the equalizer. Manduca foolishly took off his shirt in celebration, which earned him the customary yellow card. A decision that almost proved costly later in the match. Both sides had their fair share of opportunities, but neither was able to score the rest of regulation, meaning this game was headed to extra time. In the extra time, Lyon kept the home crowd plenty nervous with an array of chances that went begging. Manduca made things even hairier for Apoel when he picked up his second yellow card, leaving the home side with only ten players on the pitch. However, Lyon was unable to take advantage, which meant the game was headed to penalty kicks. With the penalties level at 3-3, one player stepped up and made the difference, Apoel goalkeeper Dionissis Chiotis. Chiotis saved both of Lyon's last two shots by Alexandre Lacazette and Michel Batos to secure the victory for Apoel. The Cypriot side's historic run isn't over yet, as they are on to the quarterfinals.

Barcelona 10 Bayer Leverkusen 2

Barcelona left Germany up 3-1 following the first leg. All the home fans at Camp Nou felt confident of their side advancing, but I don't think any of them could have expected what took place. Lionel Messi and the home side put up video game numbers in what quickly turned into a humiliating affair. In a stretch of 59 minutes, Barca poured in seven goals, including five from Messi, a Champions League record. Bayer Leverkusen and goalkeeper Bernd Leno had no answer. Obviously, the Spanish conquistadors are into the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 - First Group, First Leg - Recaps and Reactions

The group stage of the UEFA Champions League concluded in early December. If you don't remember what happened, you can read about it here: http://fireawayblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/uefa-champions-league-group-action.html. We had to endure a long two month hiatus for the Round of 16 to begin. Well yesterday and today, the first eight teams squared off in their first leg of the round. I will provide a recap and reaction to the action.

Barcelona 3 Bayer Leverkusen 1

Playing as the hosts, a injury-decimated Bayer Leverkusen team decided to play defensively-minded from the onset. It worked well until Alexis Sanchez broke through in the 41th minute with his first Champions League goal. Bayer Leverkusen came out of the intermission determined to put the ball in the net. They found the equalizer in the 52nd minute, off the foot of Michal Kadlec. However, Sanchez had an immediate answer for Barcelona when he netted his second goal of the game just three minutes later. Bayer Leverkusen tried to find another equalizer late, but ended up conceiding a decisive goal to Lionel Messi in the 88th minute. The late goal swings all momentum in Barcelona's favor. Barca travels home for the second leg with a comfortable advantage. They seem to be a lock to advance.

Lyon 1 Apoel Nicosia 0

Apoel Nicosia came out in the defensive-focused mindset that made them the first Cypriot side ever to advance this far in the Champions League. The strategy seemed to work perfectly for the visitors, until they got unlucky when Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette scored on a deflected shot in the 58th minute. Despite taking 18 shots in the match, that was the only Lyon shot to go in. It proved to be the difference as Apoel Nicosia didn't even have a shot attempt until the 88th minute. By that point, it was too late. This means that Apoel Nicosia is going to have to find the net at least once in the second leg at home in order to have a chance of advancing further in the tournament.

Zenit St Petersburg 3 Benfica 2

The match started slowly as conditions for this match were freezing in Russia. The visitors struck first when Zenit goalkeeper Yuri Zhevnov made a crucial mistake. Benfica defender Maxi Pereira simply had to tap the ball into the net for the game's first goal. However, the mental error seemed to spark the hosts. They almost scored a minute later and found the equalizer just seven minutes later, when Tomas Hubocan sent a cross in that Roman Shirokov was able to put in on a one-time volley. Opportunities came and went, but the score remained tied at one until the 71st minute. Zenit put together some nice passing that ended in subsitute Sergei Semak's nice backheel goal. Benefica put their foot on the accelerator, and in the 87th minute, earned another baffling blunder by Zhevnov, which led to another easy goal for Zenit, scored by Oscar Cardozo. However, Zenit had the final dose of late magic when the ball came loose in the box. Shirokov came up with it and buried it for the decisive goal. The second leg seems bound to be an exciting one. If Zenit is to advance, they will need a much better performance from Zhevnov to say the least.

AC Milan 4 Arsenal 0

This matchup was supposed to be one of the best of the Round of 16. It featured Arsenal, a traditional Premier League power, against AC Milan, the current Serie A leader. Milan had not won any of their previous seven matches against English clubs, but that never seemed to be a concern for the hosts in the first leg. They struck first just 15 minutes in when Kevin-Prince Boateng scored. Brasilian forward Robinho found the net twice in a eleven minute frame to give Milan complete control of the match. Arsenal never seemed to get into a rhythm. Zlatan Ibrahimovic sealed off an impressive win by AC Milan with a penalty kick goal in the 79th minute. There appears to be no way back from this defeat for Arsenal. It seems certain that AC Milan will advance to the quarterfinals.

UEFA Champions League Group Action Reaction - 12/7/11

And then there were 16. Following today's results, the group stage of the UEFA Champions League has ended. The top two teams from each group advance. Let's take a look at some of the action and see who is advancing.

Manchester City 2 Bayern Munich 0 (Group A)

Manchester City has been leading the Premier League standings all year, but has struggled in the Champions League. They knew they would need some help to advance. Bayern Munich had already locked their place as the group winner prior to the game. Manchester City came out strong and netted two goals in a win over an under-strength Bayern Munich team. But it was too little, too late for Manchester City as Napoli beat last place Villarreal, who finished with zero points. Manchester City will have to wait for another chance to prove themselves, as they will be relegated to the second-tier Europa League.

Advancing from Group A: Bayern Munich and Napoli

CSKA Moscow 2 Internazionale 1 (Group B)

Group B may have had the most exciting finish of any group. Internazionale had already booked their spot in the Final 16 as the group winner, but the other three teams all had a shot at advancing. CSKA Moscow traveled to Italy to take on Internazionale, while Trabzonspor traveled to France to play Lille. In the latter game, second place Trabzonspor decided to stick to a defensively minded game hoping for some help from Internazionale in the other game. Trabzonspor goalkeeper Tolga Zengin held up his end of the bargain helping his team secure the 0-0 draw. This meant that CSKA Moscow needed a win to advance. Both teams had their share of opportunities, but halftime saw the teams scoreless. CSKA Moscow didn't waste much time in the second half before striking first blood though. Vagner Love made a nice cross from the right side that found the foot of Seydou Doumbia, who buried it in the bottom corner. Internazionale had the immediate answer though when Esteban Cambiasso scored the equalizer less than a minute later. Both teams had great opportunities, but this one seemed destined to be a draw. But then, CSKA Moscow drew a corner with three minutes to go. Substitute Aleksandrs Cauna took the corner. His ball in found the head of Vasili Berezutski who put it just past goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi's outstretched hand for the winner.

Advancing from Group B: Internazionale and CSKA Moscow

FC Basel 2 Manchester United 1 (Group C)

Manchester United was not supposed to be in this position, but all they needed was a draw against FC Basel. United remained confident heading to Switzerland for the match. The hosts put United in their place early on when Marco Streller put Basel up in the 9th minute. Manchester United didn't lack quality opportunities, but try as they might, they couldn't find the net. In the 84th minute, Basel finally gained some breathing room when Alexander Frei doubled their lead. Phil Jones cut the lead in half in the 89th minute, but Basel kept United from finding the equalizer. When the final whistle blew, the inconceivable happened as FC Basel got their greatest victory in club history. Manchester United's defensive lapses ultimately cost them the humiliation no one saw coming, regulation to the Europa League.

Advancing from Group C: Benfica and FC Basel

Lyon 7 Dinamo Zagreb 1 (Group D)

Lyon knew they would have to pour it on big time against last place Dinamo Zagreb in order to have a chance to advance. All second place Ajax Amsterdam had to do is get a draw against first place Real Madrid or just not surrender their huge goal differential lead. Real Madrid was up 2-0 at halftime. Lyon's hopes though seemed slim at halftime when they trailed lowly Dinamo Zagreb 1-0 at halftime. However, Lyon came out and went on a rampage scoring seven goals in the first thirty minutes of the second half. Bafetimbi Gomis netted four of those goals. This gave Lyon a shocking one goal lead in the tie-breaking goal differential. Ajax Amsterdam tried to find the net to stay alive, but Real Madrid forward Jose Maria Callejon put the final nail in the coffin. Lyon completed an incredible nine-goal swing to advance to the last 16.

Advancing from Group D: Real Madrid and Lyon

Chelsea 3 Valencia 0 (Group E)

Unlike fellow Premier foes Manchester City and Manchester United, Chelsea stepped up when it mattered the most. Chelsea needed a win over Valencia to advance. The Blues wasted little time as Didier Drogba started the scoring in the 3rd minute. Ramires doubled the lead in the 22nd minute. In the 76th minute, Drogba scored his second of the match for good measure. With Bayer Leverkusen's 1-1 draw against last place Racing Genk, Chelsea not only advanced, but managed to win the group.

Advancing from Group E: Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen

Marseille 3 Borussia Dortmund 2 (Group F)

Group F provided another thriller. Group winner Arsenal had already advanced, but the second place was up for grabs. Olympiakos showed they wanted the spot in a convincing 3-1 victory over Arsenal. The win looked like it would be enough as last place Borussia Dortmund had the lead 2-1 late over second place Marseille. However, in the 85th minute, Marseille midfielder Andre Ayew found the net for the equalizer. Two minutes later, Mathieu Valbuena put Marseille through to the last 16 for sure with the winning goal.

Advancing from Group F: Arsenal and Marseille

FC Porto 0 Zenit St Petersburg 0 (Group G)

With surprising Apoel Nicosia already having their ticket booked to advance, this game would decide who would advance with them. FC Porto needed a win to advance. Zenit St Petersburg made the long trip from Russia to Portugal knowing all they needed was a draw. As a result, they decided to stick to a defensively-minded strategy. FC Porto responded by pounding Zenit's goal with a barrage of shots. They had 24 total, including 8 on goal, but Zenit goalkeeper Viacheslav Malafeev stopped every one, becoming the hero of the 0-0 draw. Just like Apoel Nicosia, Zenit St Petersburg advanced to the last 16 for the first time ever.

Advancing from Group G: Apoel Nicosia and Zenit St Petersburg

Nothing of importance happened in the final two games of Group H. Barcelona had already locked up their position as group winner, and AC Milan was already secured as the runner up.

Advancing from Group H: Barcelona and AC Milan

Now, we have to wait until February 14, 2012 for the Round of 16 to begin. Keep an eye on these teams as they return to league play.

Managers' reactions to FC's Basel's "David over Goliath" Victory: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/matches/round=2000263/match=2007661/postmatch/quotes/index.html

UEFA Champions League Group Action Reaction - 11/23/11

Following today's matches, all teams in the UEFA Champions League have played five of their six matches in group play. Here is some of the notable scores from the past few days:

Napoli 2 Manchester City 1 (Group A)

You might remember I blogged about Manchester City's early success three weeks ago (http://fireawayblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-good-is-manchester-city.html). I mentioned for them to be considered among the cream of the crop in Europe they would have to succeed in the UEFA Champions League. Well, they struggled once again. Manchester City controlled the majority of possession (70%), but struggled to put the ball in the net. They had 17 shots, including 8 shots on goal, and 5 corners. However, they only scored once. On the other hand, Napoli forward Edinson Cavani didn't seem to have the same problem. The Uruguayan striker scored twice. Bayern Munich has already clinched its spot in the Final 16 as the group's winner. Following this result, Napoli currently sits in 2nd with 8 points, while Manchester City is third with 7. This means that for Man City to advance they have to beat Bayern Munich in their final game. They also would need winless Villarreal to win or tie against Napoli.

Trabzonspor 1 Internazionale 1 (Group B)

Inter Milan got the tie they needed in this match, which combined with Lille's 2-0 victory over CSKA Moscow, sends them into the Final 16 as the guaranteed group winner. Trabzonspor outshot Inter 22-9, but Brasilian keeper Julio Cesar reminded viewers why he is one of the best in the world. Trabzonspor is in 2nd with 6 points, while Lille and CSKA Moscow now are tied with 5. This means that it will come down to the final group games, as any of these three can advance. Trabzonspor plays Lille and advances automatically with a win. CSKA Moscow plays Inter.

Manchester United 2 Benfica 2 (Group C)

Manchester United stumbled in this one at Old Trafford. United overcame an early own goal with 2 goals of their own. In the 59th minute, Darren Fletcher put them in the lead 2-1. However, one minute later Pablo Aimar scored the equalizer. Both these teams remain tied for the lead in the group with 9 points, but FC Basel is right there with 8. Benfica has to like their odds in their final match against Otelul Galati, who has lost all five of their games. This means that the key final matchup will be the big one between Manchester United and FC Basel. It would be shocker if United failed to advance.

Lyon 0 Ajax Amsterdam 0 (Group D)

With Real Madrid (5-0-0) advancing after dominating the group, Lyon and Ajax knew they were battling to be the second team to advance from the group. Both teams had some great opportunities, but the game ended in a scoreless draw. Thanks in large part to two stellar saves by Kenneth Vermeer late, Ajax maintained their 3 point edge over Lyon in the group standings. Ajax will advance with at least a tie against Real Madrid. Lyon will need to score a lot of goals in a win over last place Dinamo Zagreb and an Ajax loss to have a shot at advancing.

Bayer Leverkusen 2 Chelsea 1 (Group E)

Chelsea knew what they needed to do in this game. They needed to take care of business like they should and pick up a win. They were on their way to this when Didier Drogba put them up 1-0. It seemed bad enough when they let Eren Derdiyok score the equalizer in the 73rd minute. Then, in stoppage time, Manuel Friedrich scored the shocking winning goal. Bayer Leverkusen is now in first place in the group and will advance with a mere draw against winless Racing Genk, who lost 7-0 to Valencia. Valencia now holds the goal differential edge over Chelsea. This means that Chelsea would need either a win or a scoreless draw against Valencia in their final match to advance.

Olympiakos 1 Marseille 0 (Group F)

While most of the talk is about Arsenal advancing as the group winners, this result had the most affect on the rest of the group. Olympiakos now has a shot of advancing thanks to a goal in the 82nd minute by substitute Ioannis Fetfatzidis. The sub scored just seven minutes after coming on the pitch. Marseille remains in second with 7 points. Picking up their second win, Olympiakos is now third with 6 points. Borussia Dortmund have 4 points and still has a slim chance of advancing. They would need a victory over Marseille to have a chance. Olympiakos needs at least a tie against Arsenal. Any of these three teams are capable of advancing.

Zenit St Petersburg 0 Apoel Nicosia 0 (Group G)

Apoel Nicosia knew they would advance with a draw, so they decided to play defensively from the onset. That is the way it remained the whole game as they only had 2 shots the whole game. Zenit St Petersburg did all they could to score as they fired 23 shots, had 8 of those on goal, and 10 corners. With the scoreless draw, Apoel Nicosia became the first Cypriot team to advance. This means that the group's decisive final game between Zenit St Petersburg and FC Porto will determine which of the two will advance. Zenit holds a one point edge in the standings, which means that FC Porto will need a win to advance.

Barcelona 3 AC Milan 2 (Group H)

This was the premier match people wanted to watch. After a 2-2 draw in the last matchup back in September, what would happen in this one? Mark Van Bommel's own goal put Barcelona up to start. In the 20th minute, Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored the equalizer against his old side. Lionel Messi put Barca back on top following a somewhat questionable penalty kick call. Kevin-Prince Boateng tied it up once again in the 54th minute. In the 63rd minute, Messi had a beautiful run to setup Xavi for the winning goal for Barca. Barcelona wins the group as both sides advance to the Final 16 in what was a well-played game by both sides.