Left field

Barcelona and Real’s poetry lacked motion

By Phil O’Connor

On two nights when every football cliché went out the window, one remained true – in the end the only statistic that matters is the scoreline.

On Tuesday It didn’t matter that Barcelona owned the ball, or that they completed hundreds of passes over the two legs. When Chelsea got hold of it, they used it effectively – if we are to look at one stat other than the score, Chelsea’s four shots on goal and three goals in the tie tell their own story.

If defending champions Barcelona were undone by remarkably poor finishing in the first leg, the second was marred by a failure to penetrate the box.

Many on my Twitter feed compared it to an Olympic handball game, where the ball is passed around an arc in front of goal as an opening is sought for a shot.

Barca’s lack of cutting edge was primarily the result of their static attack; despite regularly having every player in Chelsea’s half, they offered few alternatives when the likes of Lionel Messi and Xavi were in possession – no runs were made, no-one showed for their normally devastating one-twos.

Playing three at the back also meant Pep Guardiola had no fullbacks to overlap.

Real Madrid v Bayern Munich – Champions League semi-final live blog

So Chelsea pulled off an amazing coup to dethrone Barcelona and reach the final. Real Madrid meet Bayern Munich on Wednesday for the right to meet Jose Mourinho’s former club on May 19.

Click on the link below and join all the fun. Leave as many comments as you like without registering

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Real_v_Bayern_-_Champions_League_semi-final

There may not be a Superclasico in Munich after all

A mouth-watering clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona in this season’s Champions League final in Munich appeared to be on the cards when the two Spanish giants were kept apart in the draw, but the prospect of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi watching the showpiece on television instead of taking centre stage on May 19 now looks just as likely.

While Barcelona missed a hatful of chances in their 1-0 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in a pulsating first leg of their semi, Real were maybe fortunate to escape with only a 2-1 defeat at Bayern after they were undone by a stoppage-time winner from Mario Gomez.

Second-best for long spells with Ronaldo also subdued for much of the game, Real were lucky to be on level terms before Gomez struck to give Bayern a slender lead ahead of the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.

One could argue the away goal still puts Real in the driving seat to reach the final, but the nine-time winners of Europe’s elite club competition face a stern test of their credentials against a fit, cultured and determined Bayern outfit who showed the ability to match them in every department.

Although Barcelona seemingly have more to do than Real after failing to score against Chelsea, the holders should in fact have a slightly easier task than their traditional rivals, whom they entertain in an eagerly awaited Spanish league clasico on Saturday.

The woodwork, a string of superb saves by Petr Cech and some poor finishing by Barcelona, along with the outstanding job  John Terry and Gary Cahill did to keep Messi at bay, secured a memorable night for Chelsea fans which they will cherish at least until the return leg.

It is hard to imagine that Chelsea could escape with another cagey and defensive performance as the length and width of the Nou Camp will give Barcelona’s quick and crafty outfit that much more room to operate and find gaps where last-gasp tackles denied them at Stamford Bridge.

APOEL Nicosia and Jovanovic could prompt further Cinderella stories

The Champions League is heading for another spectacular climax after the quarter-final clashes produced expected winners in holders Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, who must be relishing the prospect of taking centre stage in the final in their own stadium on May 19.

But rather than the usual suspects who predictably reach the latter stages of the money-spinning competition every season, it was the highly unheralded outfit of APOEL Nicosia that lit up the scene this time.

The Cypriots defied the odds to reach even the group stage of the competition and then stunned one rival after another, punching way above their weight until they finally succumbed to Real 8-2 on aggregate.

They bowed out with their heads high and their Serbian coach Ivan Jovanovic, who had emerged from complete obscurity very much like the Champions League surprise package personified by his team, was graceful after the incredible ride ended.

“We re very proud to have bid the Champions League farewell in a stadium like the Santiago Bernabeu and against a team like Real Madrid,” the 49-year old said after APOEL’s 5-2 defeat in the second leg where two goals in such a famous arena were also remarkable.

The soft-spoken Jovanovic became the first Serbian manager to reach the competition’s last eight, having never coached in his home country.

He played for unfancied Serbian side Rad Belgrade in the 1980s and drew hardly any attention at home even after he won his first Cypriot league title with APOEL in 2004.

Would Mourinho face a predicament at Chelsea?

If the coaching merry-go-round puts Jose Mourinho back in the Chelsea hotseat after the 49-year old Portuguese left Stamford Bridge in 2007, it will be a testament to the old saying that nothing is impossible in football.

There seemed to be no way back for the self-acclaimed “Special One” after his acrimonious split with Chelsea’s Russian owner Roman Abramovich, but their contrasting fortunes since have seemingly opened the door to what would be a spectacular return to English football for Mourinho.

However, if the speculation linking him with a comeback turns out to be true, it might end up an ill-judged failure.

Having won two successive league titles, the Italian Cup and the Champions League with Inter Milan, Mourinho is now in a commanding position to win the Spanish league title with Real Madrid and possibly break Barcelona’s stranglehold on Europe’s premier club competition too.

Chelsea, meanwhile, managed a solitary Premier League title under Italian Carlo Ancelotti in 2010 after coming agonisingly close to capturing the 2008 Champions League with Mourinho’s immediate replacement Avram Grant in charge.

Should Mourinho return to West London amid the fanfare he so thrives in, nothing less than emulating the accomplishments of his first spell in charge, when he won two league titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup, will do for either success-hungry Chelsea fans or Abramovich.

Both parties will also expect him to finally deliver the “Holy Grail” that is the elusive Champions League trophy.

The cat flashes his claws

Karim Benzema has shrugged off the disparaging label of being Real Madrid’s pussycat and turned himself into a fearsome feline under Jose Mourinho.

In the space of a year, the 24-year-old has gone from expensive bench warmer to first-choice leader of the line at the world’s richest club by revenue, and won over a skeptical coach.

Benzema was a match-winning substitute in Tuesday’s King’s Cup first leg win at home to Malaga, when a weakened side skulked in at halftime trailing 2-0.

The French international helped galvanise his team after the break, tormenting the visitors’ defence with his pace and link-up play and bursting through the middle to grab the comeback winner late on.

It was Mourinho who burdened Benzema with the ‘cat’ label in December 2010.

Gonzalo Higuain, Mourinho’s preferred number nine at the time, had just been ruled out with a long-term back injury and the coach was pressuring the club to bring in another striker in the January transfer window.

Benzema, a 35 million-Euro signing from Olympique Lyon in 2009, was struggling to adapt and after scoring eight goals in his first season had only managed six in 21 games when Higuain was sidelined.

And Porto will play…..Europa League draw provides some stardust

There was the usual hushed silence and then sudden intake of breath heard in Nyon on Friday, though not for the Champions League Round of 16 draw but the first two ties of the Europa League Round of 32.

Holders Porto will play mega-rich Manchester City, they were the first two names out of the little plastic balls when UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino was finally able to open the second after Davor Suker had tried and failed, and Ajax Amsterdam will take on Manchester United.

So what about the Champions League draw? Well, here it is in full:

Olympique Lyon v APOEL Nicosia

Napoli v Chelsea

AC Milan v Arsenal

Basel v Bayern Munich

from Mark Meadows:

Real’s psychological barrier key to Barca’s 3-1 win

By Drazen Jorgic

Annoyingly for Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, the supposed plot line of  El Clasico on Saturday did not follow the script. The much-anticipated power shift from Catalunya to Madrid did not take place and his team are back to the drawing board as far as playing against Barcelona is concerned.

Mourinho blamed bad luck for the loss, as you would expect, but a lot of the press have zoomed in on Real's psychological barrier when it comes to facing Barca.

These things are always difficult to quantify but the awe-inspiring Real team that crushed everyone so far in 2011 simply crumbled when Barcelona reversed a one goal-deficit and went 2-1 up.

Even Mourinho conceded the third Barca goal was a 'psychological blow', though I would argue it was the second goal that mentally defeated them.

Perhaps the players -- a bit like many of the Madrid fans -- had that feeling of 'here we go again'. The doubts crept in, slowly but surely, and Barca took what is now their customary control of latter parts of El Clasico clashes.

Real Madrid began to play like a team that was facing an opponent who had whipped them in six of the previous seven encounters under their current coach, including a 5-0 drubbing.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Real fans still in love with controversial Mourinho

Jose Mourinho was given a rapturous reception by the Real Madrid faithful when his side entertained Galatasaray in a friendly on Wednesday.

It was a show of unity likely to leave club president Florentino Perez in no doubt that whatever reservations he might have over his stubbornly controversial coach the majority of Madrid supporters love him.

Mourinho may have shocked even the most loyal of Madrid fans when he calmly jabbed a finger in the eye of Barca assistant coach Tito Vilanova during the mass confrontation between the sides at the end of last week’s Spanish Super Cup match.

Bizarrely, Mourinho denied any knowledge of the incident and the war of words was taken up by the local media along the battle lines already drawn up from last season’s increasingly acrimonious run of ‘clasicos’.

One of the many banners on display in the Bernabeu on Wednesday was one reading: “Mou, your finger shows us the way.”

Some commentators have been saying that it is time Florentino Perez reigned in his coach to prevent him damaging the club’s reputation but the silence from the club president has been deafening.

A story started circulating on Tuesday the Portuguese was thinking of quitting.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Soccer Break Thursday – Champions League recap

Where to start after four brilliant Champions League quarter-finals, even if the intrigue for next week's second legs has all but gone from three of the ties with Barcelona leading Shakhtar Donetsk 5-1, Real Madrid 4-0 up against Tottenham Hotspur and Schalke 04 in total charge against holders Inter Milan after the 5-2 triumph at the San Siro.

However, the appetite has most certainly been whet for the very probable 'Clasico' semi-final between Real and Barcelona, a meeting of the world's two best players Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. April 26 or 27 and May 3 or 4. Do not miss these dates. Not that Spain's two leading clubs are thinking that far ahead.

There is of course more top European action on Thursday in the Europa League, which has a distinctly Portuguese feel this year. Not that Spain's Villarreal agree mind you.

In 2003, who can forget the young Jose Mourinho leading Porto to UEFA Cup glory and the way he would rise to the top of the managerial tree in years to come. This time round there could be a similar story. Porto's current coach is Andre Villas-Boas, who used to work under his compatriot. Could he be the new Mourinho? Watch this space...

Attention now turns back to domestic leagues so read our Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 previews to bring you up to speed with what lies in store in the coming days.

A club usually associated with the English title race is Liverpool, who despite their mediocre season continue to hit the headlines. Plus basketball star LeBron James has invested in the Anfield club.

Here's more on Wayne Rooney, the goalscorer in Manchester United's Champions League 1-0 win over Chelsea in London on Wednesday, after it was announced he will miss the FA Cup semi-final against city rivals...Manchester City.