Barcelona

Goals from star forwards Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi gave the Catalans a deserved victory and denied United from becoming the first team to retain the title since the European Cup became the Champions League in 1993.

It gave the Spaniards a unique treble having already won their domestic league and cup and meant they repeated a feat United achieved in 1999, which Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson had then claimed would never be matched.

It crowned a marvellous debut season for his Barcelona counterpart Pep Guardiola, who at 38 becomes the youngest coach to take European club football’s greatest prize.

For Thierry Henry it ended years of frustration especially when his then team Arsenal lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final.

“Finally I have won it! I have been waiting for so long for this moment,” said the France great, whose daughter celebrated her birthday as well on Wednesday.

“The last five minutes were the longest of my life. Even if we were 2-0 up we were playing the best team in the world (referring to the world club championship title United won earlier this year).”

Barca overcame early jitters to dominate large parts of the game as the English club never managed to get their usual high tempo game into gear.

In a clash billed as the match of the century pitting the best two teams in the world – with each one boasting one of the best two players in the world – only one played to their full potential.

And Ferguson may be questioning his team selection having left both Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez on the United bench as Ryan Giggs played off lone striker Cristiano Ronaldo with Wayne Rooney and Park Ji-Sung confined to disciplined roles on the flanks.

Both sides may a nervy start with Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes and United’s Park – the first ever Asian player to play in a Champions League final – playing passes straight into touch.

But United settled quickest and Ronaldo had a purple patch in which he terrorised the Spaniards for ten minutes.

He hit a 25-yard free-kick that Valdes couldn’t hold and former United defender Gerard Pique had to dive in to deflect Park’s follow-up away for a corner.

Ronaldo then lashed a fierce long range drive wide and later, after controlling the ball on his chest, he hit a left-foot volley that sailed agonisingly inches past the post.

The reigning champions were enjoying all the ball and chances but out of the blue Barca took the lead.

Andres Iniesta played in Eto’o who beat Nemanja Vidic inside the box and although Michael Carrick slid in to try to block his shot, he succeeded only in helping it past Edwin van der Sar.

That goal settled Barca into their usual stride and they started to weave the pretty patterns that have been mesmerising opponents all season, carrying them to the remarkable feat of scoring more than 150 goals.

As the half wore on United gradually lost their shape and rhythm with Sir Alex Ferguson responding late on by pushing Rooney up alongside Ronaldo and Giggs out to the left.

Ronaldo at times looked like he wanted to take on Barca on his own and on 20 minutes he tried a shot for the second time when a pass out wide looked the better option.

Xavi then tried his luck from a free-kick which, like Giggs’s earlier, was too high but by now Barca had wrested control of the game and were keeping the ball with alarming ease.

Ferguson wasted no time in switching tactics, bringing on Tevez for Anderson at the break and reverting to a more regular 4-4-2, the Argentine playing alongside Ronaldo and Giggs dropping back into a deeper role.

But Barca were first to strike on the counter as Henry cut in from the flank and left Ferdinand on the seat of his pants before shooting weakly at Van der Sar on 48 minutes.

The Spaniards were totally in the ascendancy and Xavi fired a free-kick off the post on 53 minutes with van der Sar beaten as Barca threatened to run riot.

The reigning champions steadied the ship and Ferguson signalled his intent when he threw Berbatov on for Park with a quarter of the match remaining.

But just as the tide seemed to be turning, Barca extended their lead from the most unlikely source as Xavi picked out Messi at the back post on the edge of the six yard box, the Argentine wizard’s looping header arcing into the top corner on 70 minutes.

Push as United might in the final minutes, though, they lacked their usual sparkle and Valdes’s goal was rarely threatened.

Teams

Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 5-Carles Puyol, 24-Yaya Toure, 3-Gerard Pique, 16-Silvinho; 28-Sergio Busquets, 6-Xavi, 8-Andres Iniesta (27-Pedro 90+3); 10-Lional Messi, 9-Samuel Eto’o, 14-Thierry Henry (15-Seydou Keita 72)

Manchester United: 1-Edwin van der Sar; 22-John O’Shea, 5-Rio Ferdinand, 15-Nemanja Vidic, 3-Patrice Evra; 13-Park Ji-sung (9-Dimitar Berbatov 66), 16-Michael Carrick, 8-Anderson (32-Carlos Tevez 46), 11-Ryan Giggs (18-Paul Scholes 75); 7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 10-Wayne Rooney.

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

Sir Alex Ferguson‘s side arrived at the Emirates Stadium holding only a slender 1-0 lead from last week’s first leg, but United scored twice in the first 11 minutes to set up a 4-1 aggregate triumph that booked their place in the final against Chelsea or Barcelona, who meet in their decider on Wednesday.

United, who beat Chelsea in last year’s final, were given a helping hand from Arsenal as South Korea winger Park Ji-Sung punished an embarrassing slip from Kieran Gibbs to open the scoring.

Cristiano Ronaldo then deceived Manuel Almunia with a long-range free-kick, and the Portuguese striker put the result beyond doubt when he added his second goal after half time.

Arsenal barely tested United keeper Edwin van der Sar until Robin van Persie converted a late penalty after Darren Fletcher was sent off, ruling him out of the final, for a foul on Cesc Fabregas.

Even that couldn’t detract from a fantastic display from United, who are the first defending champions to reach the final since Juventus in 1997.

They were simply outstanding and exposed the flaws in Arsene Wenger’s inexperienced, injury-hit team with ruthless efficiency.

No team has retained the trophy in the Champions League era, but United are hitting new heights and, with the Club World Cup and League Cup already won and the Premier League within touching distance, Ferguson and company are close to a memorable quadruple.

Arsenal were fortunate to be trailing by just one goal after a timid display at Old Trafford and the onus was on Wenger’s side to make a fast start.

For once the normally subdued Emirates crowd were at fever pitch, but Ferguson had talked up United’s intention to press for a crucial away goal and they were true to his word.

In the eighth minute, Anderson slipped a pass to Ronaldo down the left and the Portugal winger proved he had adapted to his new role as a lone foward by finding space in the penalty area to whip in a low cross.

Even then Arsenal should have cleared the danger but Gibbs, a teenage midfielder pressed into service at left-back in the absence of Gael Clichy, slipped over and could only watch from a prone position as Park took a touch before guiding his shot past Almunia.

As Ferguson and his staff danced a jubilant jig you could feel the momentum draining from Arsenal. There was worse to come three minutes later.

When Van Persie fouled Ronaldo way out on the right flank, there appeared little danger.

But Almunia had reckoned without Ronaldo’s flair for the unexpected. Ronaldo had scored from 40 yards to beat Porto in the last round and, from a similar distance, he took aim and launched a thunderous strike towards Almunia, who appeared to lose sight of the ball as it flashed past him at the near post.

Wenger sat ashen-faced on the bench as Arsenal’s proud record of 27 home European matches without defeat fell apart, and the match had barely begun.

United were rampant and it took a superb finger-tip save from Almunia to stop Wayne Rooney curling in a third goal.

The visitors continued to counter-attack imperiously after half time and in the 61st minute Ronaldo capped a sublime break in clinical style.

He started the move with a backheel to Park, who cleverly spread play wide to Rooney on the left. Rooney’s cross was perfectly weighted for Ronaldo to drive past Almunia.

Game over, and Ferguson could even afford the luxury of substituting Rooney and Patrice Evra to ensure the duo didn’t earn a booking which would have ruled them out of the final.

But Fletcher will miss the final after the Scotland midfielder was sent off in the 76th minute for bringing down Fabregas in the penalty area.

Italian referee Roberto Rosetti ruled the Scotland midfielder had made contact with Fabregas before the ball, although replays suggested otherwise.

Van Persie stepped up to smash home the penalty but it was way too little, too late for Arsenal.

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za

Goals from Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba ensured Chelsea also kept the heat on second-placed Liverpool in the Premier League.

Guus Hiddink‘s side dented Fulham’s own hopes of European football next season as West Ham and Manchester City both moved above the Cottagers in the race for seventh place.

The contest began in dramatic fashion with three goals inside the first 10 minutes.

The Blues opened the scoring inside 50 seconds.

Malouda and Anelka combined down the left before Malouda’s cross was stabbed into the path of Anelka by Drogba.

The France international finished from the edge of the six-yard box.

But Fulham hit back immediately and were level in the fifth minute.

Norwegian striker Erik Nevland scored his second goal in as many games when he ran to a great pass by Danny Murphy to beat Petr Cech with a fierce angled drive.

Two minutes later Frank Lampard was narrowly wide with a clever chip shot as Chelsea looked to restore their advantage.

But the home side were back in front in the 10th minute when Anelka fed Drogba inside the penalty area and his low cross was lashed into the net by Florent Malouda.

But Fulham were still dangerous on the counter and Nevland smashed an 18-yard volley just over the bar in the 14th minute.

Moments later a cross from Paul Konchesky found the head of Bobby Zamora but the Fulham striker’s effort was just wide of Cech’s right-hand upright.

Chelsea’s Drogba then had a goal ruled out for offside but TV replays clearly showed that the Ivorian was onside and the goal should have counted.

Drogba felt he should have earned a penalty in the 29th minute when he went down in the area under a challenge from Konchesky. But referee Alan Wiley rejected Chelsea’s appeals.

But moments later Drogba was fouled by John Pantsil only for Lampard to send the free-kick into the second tier of the Shed end.

Fulham were dealt another blow to their attack in the 35th minute when goalscorer Nevland succumbed to a knock on his knee and was replaced by Diomansy Kamara.

But Kamara proved to be full of running and won the ball off John Terry before supplying Zoltan Gera via Pantsil.

Gera’s ferocious effort was deflected for a corner by Terry, who threw his body into the path of the ball at the last minute.

Aaron Hughes saved Fulham from falling further behind seconds later when he half-blocked a shot from Lampard which then grazed the outside of the post.

Chelsea made two changes at half-time with Michael Ballack replacing Michael Essien in midfield and Branislav Ivanovic coming on for Alex in the centre of defence.

Chelsea made it 3-1 in the 53rd minute with a superb counter-attack that was finished by Drogba.

Anelka broke clear on the right flank and slipped a perfect ball into the path of the Ivorian who took one touch before slotting the ball beyond the advancing Mark Schwarzer.

Chelsea were given an injury scare in the 55th minute when Drogba collided awkwardly with Pantsil on the edge of the Fulham penalty area.

Drogba was eventually declared fit enough to carry on and play had ended when Malouda was fouled on the edge of the penalty box.

Lampard’s free-kick was tipped over the crossbar by Schwarzer and Drogba was given a rousing reception as he returned to the fray.

Fulham had now lost their shape completely and Chelsea were able to break out at will.

Drogba almost made it four in the 68th minute but he could only turn Anelka’s right-wing cross wide of the near post.

Chelsea continued to dominate and Ballack went close with a close-range header that finished on top of the net.

n the 88th minute Mikel was just wide with a 25-yard rising drive but Chelsea had done enough to run out comfortable winners.

Source: teamtalk.com

“Pipo” Inzaghi sent AC Milan through to the next round of the champion’s league after beating Celtic on Wednesday night. Celtic rode their luck to qualify in second spot thanks to an unfancied away win for Benfica at Shakhtar Donetsk.

In a match that might not be remembered for its display of breath taking football, Fillipo Inzaghi struck from a close range effort after some magical interplay between Brazilians Kaka and Cafu . The Italian etched his name into the record book with that goal taking his personal European tally to 63, Making Inzaghi the all time leading goal scorer in all European competitions.

The Home win was a big positive for European giants Milan who have failed to record a league win in the San Siro. It was not plain sailing for the Italians however as Celtic put up a Fight typical of the Scottish champions reputation. In a surprise move Celtic coach Gordon Strachan relegated powerful Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink to the bench. With Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti Replacing his controversial keeper Dida with Zeljko Kalac.

Celtic Looked jittery in the opening stages of the match and made unforced errors which Milan failed to capitalize on the first being an early free kick which Clarence Seedorf could only slam into the wall on 15 minutes. Kaka served notice as to why he is Front runner for the world player of the year award when he narrowly missed the outside of the post on 25 minutes.

In a quiet match where scoring opportunities were a rarity It took Milan 70 minutes to score the decisive Goal and the Italian spoke of his joy at beating the record previously held by Gerd Mueller saying “It was a strange feeling, like inner peace,”

Milan could well have doubled their lead but for Celtic Keeper Artur Boruc making excellent saves to deny Christian Brocchi and Inzaghi. Kaka also threatened to add to his remarkable European tally but was denied thanks to a goal line clearance in optional time.

Both sets of fans greeted the final whistle with cheers, knowing the next round of Europe’s top competition beckons