If one can sum up the expectations of Lisbon: how disappointing. The Lisbonians would have loved to support Chelsea FC (Mourinho) against Real Madrid (Cristiano Ronaldo) but it is not to be. Madrid is coming to Lisbon on May 24. Real thrashed Bayern in Germany, Atlético thrashed Chelsea in London. La Liga rules.
Chelsea 1 Atlético Madrid 3
Torres 36 Adrián López 44
Diego Costa 60 (pen)
Arda Turan 72
José Mourinho must be asking what he has to do to win the Champions League with Chelsea FC. Tonight's match was a nightmare, losing 1-3 at home to Atlético Madrid, firing 10 shots at goal on target (the same as Atlético), the fruit of a ball possession of 52% (against 48%) and 17 shots against 14. Chelsea had 5 shots blocked, against 3 but one against the woodwork, against 2 and 4 corners against 9.
At the end of the day, the Spanish La Liga has produced the best football this season, the Premiership second best, and so, two Spanish teams are in the final of the Champions League in Lisbon on May 24.
|
Mourinho has once again proven his worth, reaching yet another semi-final, his eighth. |
Photo: Diego Simeone, Atlético coach
First leg:
Atlético Madrid 0 Chelsea FC 0
A professional game of football took place at Vicente Calderón, in which the home side, Atlético Madrid, was held to a goalless draw by Chelsea, obeying Mourinho's orders and playing an intelligent and containing game of football. The bad news is Chelsea lost Cech and Terry through injury.
Petr Cech will be out of action until the end of the season due to a shoulder injury he sustained this evening in Madrid after 17 minutes. John Terry will also be out, because of a foot injury which saw him limp off the field tonight after 73' but he might be back to captain Chelsea in a Champions League final, Mourinho's third with three teams after FC Porto and Inter Milan. It is also Mourinho's eighth Champions League semi-final.
For the first time in eleven games, Atlético did not hit the net, the fruit of Chelsea's containment game, coming to Madrid determined to get a point. And they got it. Atlético had 69% of ball possession, against Chelsea's 31%, had 25 shots (4 on) against 5 (2) and 6 corners to 4.
Champions League: Real books place in Lisbon
Real Madrid will play against rivals Atlético Madrid or Chelsea FC in Lisbon in the Champions League final on May 24, after thrashing Bayern Munich in Germany 4-0, making it a total of 5ive goals without reply over two legs. What has Guardiola done to his team which has gone way off the boil since winning the Bundesliga?
Bayern Munich 0 Real Madrid 4
Ramos 16, 20
Ronaldo 34, 89
It took a quarter of an hour before Real was two gals up on aggregate and from then on it got worse for an unrecognizable Bayern, which has gone right off the boil since sewing up the German championship. Sergio Ramos' two goals came from set pieces (two headers) and before the break Real was 4-0 up over the two legs, Ronaldo making it five from another set piece just before time. Pep Guardiola has a lot of explaining to do.
Despite having 69 per cent of ball possession, against Real Madrid's 31%, Bayern did nothing with 19 shots (4 on target) and 9 corners. Real scored 4 goals with 13 shots (5 on) and three corners.
First leg:
Real Madrid 1 Bayern Munich 0
Benzema 19
Previous round
Bayern Munich 3 Manchester United 1
Mandzukic 59 Evra 57
T. Müller 68
Robben 76
Evra put United ahead, and the game then swung in Moyes' favour at 2-1, after the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. However, Guardiola made some changes and that was the turning point. Mario Mandzukic, Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben put three in the net and Bayern Munich goes through on aggregate 4-2.
Bayern had 63% possession against 37%, 25 shors against 6 (14 on target against 4) and 11 corners against 2.
First leg:
Manchester United 1 Bayern Munich 1
Vidic, 58 Schweinsteiger, 67
Old Trafford was ablaze when Captain Nemanja Vidic put the home side ahead with a headed goal on 58 minutes but within nine minutes Bastian Schweinsteiger had equalized, before he was sent off for a second yellow, in a tackle on Rooney. Despite playing away from home, Bayern had 70 per cent of ball possession, against United's 30% and had 15 shots (9 on target) against United's 6 (5 on). In corners, Bayern also had the advantage (6 against 3).
Aggregate: Bayern Munich 4-2
Atlético Madrid 1 Barcelona 0
Koke 5
Koke's goal took the Rojiblancos through to their first Champions League semi-final, the first in this type of competition for 40 years, while Barça was denied the sixth successive appearance in the semis. Atlético hit the woodwork thrice in the first half but played an intelligent game, giving Barça possession (64% against 36%), while Atlético had 14 shots against 11 (9 on versus 5).
First leg:
Barcelona 1 Atlético Madrid 1
Neymar, 71 Diego, 56
An amazing long-range rocket from Diego (replacement for the injured Diego Costa) put the visitors ahead befor Neymar equalized the game, managing to beat the amazing goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
The game was controlled by Barcelona (66% against 34%) and the home team had 17 shots (11 on) against Atlético's 6 (3 on). Barça had 8 corners to the visitors' one.
Aggregate: Atlético 2-1
Dortmund 2 Real Madrid 0
Reus 24, 37
Bale, Isco and Ronaldo, injured and not playing tonight, had done enough in the first leg to pull real through, just, because Dortmund put two away through Marco Reus in the first half, had one shot blocked and two on the woodwork. What a game! The ball possession was divided 50-50, Dortmund had slightly more shots, 12 to 10, 6 to 5 on.
First leg:
Real Madrid 3 Dortmund 0
Bale 3
Isco 27; Ronaldo 57
Isco was the man of the match, in which Real Madrid started off in the best manner with a goal from Gareth Bale after just three minutes. Isco scored the second on 27 and Real went into the bootroom 2-0 up. In the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo was on target to score the 3-0, so Dortmund need to score 4 goals without reply in Germany to pass.
Real had 58% of ball possession against the visitors' 42%, 20 shots with 16 on target, against 14 (9), while Dortmund had seven corners against Real's 6.
Aggregate: Real Madrid wins 3-2
Chelsea 2 Paris Saint-Germain 0
Schürrle, 32
Demba Ba, 87
Chelsea win the tie on away goals with the aggregate at 3-3, after André Schürrle put the first goal away after 32', and two more balls hit the posts, then Demba Ba struck three minutes from time. Chelsea goes into the semi-final.
José Mourinho's side had more possession, 54% against 46% and had 16 shots (10 on) against 13 (6 on target).
First leg:
Paris Saint-Germain 3 Chelsea 1
Lavezzi 4 Hazard 27 (pen)
David Luiz (o.g.) 61
Pastore 90+3
Had it not been for the own goal by David Luiz and the last-gasp third from Pastore, Chelsea would have come home from Paris with a technical advantage. As it is, PSG just has to manage a two-goal lead. However, with Mourinho in charge, Chelsea might just do it by throwing everything at the Parisians in London or by playing a cat-and-mouse game, giving away possession and counter-attacking.
Aggregate: 3-3 Chelsea FC wins on away goals
Teams remaining:
England: Chelsea FC
Spain (2): Atlético de Madrid, Real Madrid
Germany: Bayern Munchen
Europa League: Benfica and Sevilla ahead
Benfica beat Juventus 2-1 in Lisbon and now has to travel to Turin to defend the result and stop Juve playing at home in the Europa League final which will be against Sevilla or Valencia. The all-Spanish game ended in a 2-0 victory for Sevilla.
Benfica 2 Juventus 1
Garay 2 Tevez 73
Lima 84
Juventus showed some flashes of what Benfica might have to expect in Turin: in their ball possession of 58% against Benfica's 42%, Juve had 10 shots, 5 on target, against Benfica's 8 (2 on) and 6 corners against the home team's three. Nevertheless, the onus is on Juve to score at least one goal, otherwise, with a clean sheet, Benfica plays in the final.
Sevilla 2 Valencia 0
Mbia 33
Bacca 36
Sevilla gave possession to Valencia (41% against 59%), had 13 shots ahgainst Valencia's 12, five on target against 3, two goals. Valencia had five corners to Sevilla's 4.
Teams remaining
Spain (2): Sevilla, Valencia
Portugal: Benfica
Italy: Juventus
Europa League: Previous round
Europa League: Valencia in 5-goal thriller
Turn-around of the competition so far was the game between Valencia and Basel. The first leg ended 3-0 to the home team in Switzerland and on today's return leg, the Spanish side equalized the tie by 90 minutes, and then scored twice in extra time. The hero of the night was Alcácer Garcia with a hat-trick. Benfica, Juventus and Sevilla are through.
Juventus 2 Olympique Lyonnais 1
Pirlo 4 Briand 18
Umtiti (o.g. 68)
First leg:
Olympique Lyonnais 0 Juventus 1
Bonucci 85
Aggregate: Juventus 3-1
Valencia CF 5 FC Basel 1893 0
Alcácer Garcia,
38, 70, 113
Vargas, 42
Bernat 118
First leg:
FC Basel 1893 3 Valencia CF 0
Delgado 34, 38
Stocker 90+1
Aggregate: Valencia 5-3
Sevilla 4 FC Porto 1
Rakitic 5 (pen) Quaresma, 90
Machín Perez, 26
Bacca, 29
Gameiro, 76
First leg:
FC Porto 1 Sevilla 0
Mangala 31
Aggregate: Sevilla 4-2
Benfica 2 AZ Alkmaar 0
Rodrigo 39, 71
First leg:
AZ Alkmaar 0 Benfica 1
Salvio 48
Aggregate: Benfica 3-0
Total number of teams in European competitions:
Champions League + Europa League = Total
Spain 2 + 2 = 4
Portugal: 0 +1 = 1
England: 1+ 0 = 1
Italy: 0 + 1 = 1
Champions and Europa League draws
The matches are drawn for the last 16 clubs of the Champions League and the last 32 of the Europa League The Champions League matches will take place on February 18/19 and 25/26 and March 11/12 and 18/19. The Europa League games will be on February 20 and 27.
Europa League: Quarter-finals on April 3 and 10; Semi-finals on April 24 and May 1; Final on May 14
Champions League: Quarter-finals on April 1 and 2 and April 8 and 9; Semi-finals on April 22 and 23 and April 29 and 30; Final on May 24
Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey
Pravda.Ru