Champions League, UEFA Cup Draws
Champions League
Roma v Lyon
Barcelona v Liverpool
Internazionale v Valencia
Porto v Chelsea
PSV v Arsenal
Lille v Man. United
Real Madrid v Bayern
Celtic v Milan
Dave, will need your help on the logistics here. Is the deal that each play the same team twice, once at home and once away? If so it seems the games are February 20-21 and March 6-7. But then how do they decide who advances to the next round -- what if they each win one?
Wenger on Arsenal's draw: “The draw is not kind, not unkind. PSV have experience of this level. They dominate Dutch football and every year now they are in the last 16, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final even of the Champions League against Milan. So it is a tough draw...Of course we have the experience of having been in the final last season. Also we have a little advantage with our first game being over there. It is like a game of 180 minutes where the first 90 decide the rest." (I don't understand the last part -- how do we have an advantage with the first game away?)
Mourinho, who won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, said in Rumsfeldian fashion, "Porto is a team with tradition in European football and is a team with ambition so they deserve respect from us and they will have it. Do we want to go to the quarter-final? Of course. Are we confident? 100 per cent. But I repeat, only a good Chelsea playing at a high level will do it."
On the draw with Liverpool, Barcelona's Joan Laporta said: "I am happy with the draw. Liverpool are one of the sides I fancied at this stage. They are powerful opponents who play very physical football and have players we know very well, like Luis García and Xabi Alonso. But let's not forget, we are the team to beat this season."
In any case...Barca v Liverpool, interesting. That makes me a bit nervous, although I think Messi will be back by then and Barca do know how to turn it on when they need to. Plus it seems from yesterday's game that Ronaldinho and Deco are playing the way they should. We'll see. And anyone playing Arsenal these days makes me nervous, given the uneven way they've been playing. Still, Henry will be back by then, and Rosicky and of course Gallas. I'm hoping for some Porto/Lille miracle (Lille did beat Real, after all), but not likely. And I think Lyon will pull it out as well. Am voting for Celtic over Milan, just b/c I hate Berlusconi.
UEFA Cup
Zulte Waregam v Newcastle
Braga v Parma
Lens v Panathinaikos
Leverkusen v Blackburn
H. Tel Aviv v Rangers
Livorno v Espanyol
Feyenoord v Tottenham
Fenerbahçe v AZ
Bremmen v Ajax
Spartak Moskva v Celta
AEK v PSG
Benfica v Dinamo Bucuresti
Steaua v Sevilla
Shakhtar v Nancy
Bordeaux v Osasuna
Wow, I have no idea who half these teams are -- or rather, I do, but no idea how they're playing. Still, Tottenham are playing well, so I'll go with them. Same with Sevilla, Parma (or is that Palermo I'm thinking of?). I'll root for the French teams, but not sure any of them have a prayer.
Roma v Lyon
Barcelona v Liverpool
Internazionale v Valencia
Porto v Chelsea
PSV v Arsenal
Lille v Man. United
Real Madrid v Bayern
Celtic v Milan
Dave, will need your help on the logistics here. Is the deal that each play the same team twice, once at home and once away? If so it seems the games are February 20-21 and March 6-7. But then how do they decide who advances to the next round -- what if they each win one?
Wenger on Arsenal's draw: “The draw is not kind, not unkind. PSV have experience of this level. They dominate Dutch football and every year now they are in the last 16, Quarter-Final, Semi-Final even of the Champions League against Milan. So it is a tough draw...Of course we have the experience of having been in the final last season. Also we have a little advantage with our first game being over there. It is like a game of 180 minutes where the first 90 decide the rest." (I don't understand the last part -- how do we have an advantage with the first game away?)
Mourinho, who won the Champions League with Porto in 2004, said in Rumsfeldian fashion, "Porto is a team with tradition in European football and is a team with ambition so they deserve respect from us and they will have it. Do we want to go to the quarter-final? Of course. Are we confident? 100 per cent. But I repeat, only a good Chelsea playing at a high level will do it."
On the draw with Liverpool, Barcelona's Joan Laporta said: "I am happy with the draw. Liverpool are one of the sides I fancied at this stage. They are powerful opponents who play very physical football and have players we know very well, like Luis García and Xabi Alonso. But let's not forget, we are the team to beat this season."
In any case...Barca v Liverpool, interesting. That makes me a bit nervous, although I think Messi will be back by then and Barca do know how to turn it on when they need to. Plus it seems from yesterday's game that Ronaldinho and Deco are playing the way they should. We'll see. And anyone playing Arsenal these days makes me nervous, given the uneven way they've been playing. Still, Henry will be back by then, and Rosicky and of course Gallas. I'm hoping for some Porto/Lille miracle (Lille did beat Real, after all), but not likely. And I think Lyon will pull it out as well. Am voting for Celtic over Milan, just b/c I hate Berlusconi.
UEFA Cup
Zulte Waregam v Newcastle
Braga v Parma
Lens v Panathinaikos
Leverkusen v Blackburn
H. Tel Aviv v Rangers
Livorno v Espanyol
Feyenoord v Tottenham
Fenerbahçe v AZ
Bremmen v Ajax
Spartak Moskva v Celta
AEK v PSG
Benfica v Dinamo Bucuresti
Steaua v Sevilla
Shakhtar v Nancy
Bordeaux v Osasuna
Wow, I have no idea who half these teams are -- or rather, I do, but no idea how they're playing. Still, Tottenham are playing well, so I'll go with them. Same with Sevilla, Parma (or is that Palermo I'm thinking of?). I'll root for the French teams, but not sure any of them have a prayer.
posted by FabFour at 10:47 AM
1 Comments:
There will be both a home and away match and the goal totals will settle who wins. If it's a draw, then the team with the most away goals wins. If that doesn't settle it, then they will play overtime and go to Penalty Kicks for the rest of the matches.
PSV will be a tough opponent for Arsenal, but I feel confident we can beat them. If we can draw them on the road and get at least an away goal we should be in good shape.
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