UCL 2009-2010 Last 16 Days One & Two

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17 February 2010 
 
PORTO 2 (Varela 11, Falcao 51) 
ARSENAL 1 (Campbell 18) 
 
Two ridiculous goals gave Porto victory in what was overall a poor game of football. Porto winger Varela nutmegged Clichy on the left flank before turning on the afterburners, leaving the Frenchman in his dust and firing in a centre which Fabianski parried into his own net. Slow Campbell headed Arsenal level from a corner, his first goal in Europe since scoring the equaliser in the 2006 European Cup final against Barcelona, after Rosicky flicked on at the near post. The Czech midfielder's rasping drive drew a great save from Helton and the Brazilian goalkeeper was also forced to parry over from Bendtner. 
 
Diver Rosicky went down in the box looking for a penalty minutes before Porto restored their lead. Slow Campbell shepherded an overhit longball out of the Porto half back to Fabianski and MAY have got a touch. The ref blew his whistle for a backpass, took the ball off Fabianski, GAVE it to Micael and while Campbell did a Gallas impression and held his head in his hands, Micael passed to Falcao who tapped into an empty net. That Porto took the free kick quickly and scored isn't the issue for me, the fact that the ref gave the ball to Micael is. Dirty little cheat Vela tried his penalty winning trick and once again it failed. 
 
Porto created very little but hounded Arsenal and disrupted their game by snapped into tackles and showed great energy. There's every chance they can frustrate Arsenal at the Emirates in the same manner but will need to show more quality in attack, they need another goal. 
 
There were two noteworthy post match interviews. In the first Fabregas, sporting a bloody lip, claimed Arsenal were soft in the second the interviewer, Gabriel Clark, was continually trying to lead Wenger into say they were cheated, into criticising the ref but a subdued Wenger showed remarkable restraint and full credit to him. ITV are a bloody disgrace. An interviewer is supposed to ask questions not lead in a pathetic attempt to create controversy and headlines. 
 
Attendance : 45,600 
Assists : Micael, Rosicky, Micael (fk) 
 
 
BAYERN MUNICH 2 (Robben 48 Pen, Klose 89) 
FIORENTINA 1 (Kroldrup 50) 
 
Chelsea's favourite referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, and his linesman jobbed Fiorentina out of a point with another scandalous display of crooked officiating. 
 
Bayern's goal followed fantastic approach play between Gomez and Robben, the German returned the Dutchman's pass with a backheel as he span away, Robben played in Ribery who arrived late into the box, Ribery ran into Kroldrup and fell down, Frey parried the ball and Gomez tapped into the net only for Ovrebo to bizarrely whistle for a penalty which Robben despatched. 
 
Marchionni's corner was missed by all the Bayern defenders, hit Jovetic and Kroldrup fired past Butt. Diving cheat Robben fell clutching his face after Gobbi blocked his run, the ref showed the defender a straight red for an elbow. That's why Robben is so injury prone, karma punishes the bastard. Fiorentina held on, despite being outplayed, and that was even before the ref card, but Ovrebo's assistant decided to give the German's a helping hand. Robben stung Frey's palms with a vicious strike, Olic threw himself at the rebound and Klose, who was standing so far offside Ray Charles would have seen it from his grave, and had earlier missed an absolute sitter, headed past Frey. 
 
Ovrebo and his cronies should not officiate in Europe again. I cannot remember the last time I have seen a group of officials blatantly and brazenly favour one side over another, apart from the Chelsea vs Barca match and this time they did it in full view of the watching Platini. 
 
The away goal gives broken down, injury hit Fiorentina a lifeline. I would think the officials will be under so much pressure in the return they'd blow in favour of Fiorentina. Fiorentina will get chances, Gilardino has to take at least one of them. 
 
Attendance : 64,500 
Red Card : Gobbi 73 (Fiorentina) 
Assists : Ribery (won pen), Jovetic, Olic 
 
 
16 February 2010 
 
MILAN 2 (Ronaldinho 3, Seedorf 85) 
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (Scholes 36, Rooney 66, Rooney 74) 
 
Leonardo showed himself to be a slave to romance with the SCANDOLOUS decision to start Beckham ahead of Seedorf and Milan, boosted by an early goal, should have ran away with the game in the first half. 
 
Ronaldinho scored via a deflection off Evans after Evra sliced clear a poor Beckham free kick. Sky Sports sycophantic commentator tried to credit Beckham with the assist before being taking to task by Gullit. Why do I have to listen to these idiots? Thiago Silva made a ramping run into the Man United half before finding Antonini with a beautifully weighted pass but after cutting inside Ferdinand he shot wide. Ronaldinho intercepted a lazy pass from Scholes to get himself one vs one against Ferdinand who made a last ditch challenge at the end of a series of stepovers and the Brazilian went down under minimal contact on the edge of the box. Had he stayed on his feet he was in on goal. Pirlo intercepted a poor pass out of defence by Evans, Ambrosini sent Huntelaar clear of United's centrebacks but he flashed the ball wide of the right post. The turning point of the game came in the 38th minute. Park and Fletcher combined down the left, Scholes aimed a right foot volley at the cross but missed, the ball hit the shin of his standing (left) leg and trickled in off Dida's right post. Antonini was replaced two minutes later. I'm guessing he was injured before the equaliser because he was nowhere to be seen on the goal. 
 
Pato, who had a terrible game, wasted a free header in the box. VDS made good saves from Pirlo and Ronaldinho. Valencia had an immediate impact after replacing Nani. He forced Thiago Silva into a mistake, Scholes pass out wide to him, he beat Favalli with ease and hung up a cross for Rooney who got above a static Bonera to head Man United into the lead. He went close with a shot from the edge of the box before heading United into the last 16 from a Fletcher cross. Leonardo, who has a habit of making substitutions too late, sent on Seedorf for the awful Beckham and within two minutes he dragged Milan back into the match with a fantastic back heel from a Ronaldinho centre. Suddenly panic set in among the United defence. Inzaghi came on for a famished Huntelaar a minute later and blazed a Ronaldinho no look through ball. Ambrosini miscued horribly yards from goal and Nesta wasted a free header from a corner. Carrick was shown a second yellow for kicking the ball away. 
 
Even with their glaring defensive deficiencies it's hard to see United blowing this one, not having scored three away goals. Leonardo's Milan side are a bit of a soft touch. He is easily outsmarted and bullied by more experienced, crafty and hard nosed coaches. The terrible state of the Milan bench doesn't help but that's not his fault. 
 
Attendance : 80,000 
Red Card : Carrick 93 (Manchester United) 
Assists : n/a, Fletcher, Valencia, Fletcher, Ronaldinho 
 
 
LYON 1 (Makoun 47) 
REAL MADRID 0 
 
Boumsong was man of the match. He snuffed out two potential chances with a rapid tackle on Higuain then cleared a Marcelo centre aimed at Ronaldo. Delgado thundered a volley against the outside of a post from a half cleared corner. Boumsong tackled Granero on the half way line as he chested down a Xabi Alonso square pass, the ball broke to Makoun just outside the centre circle, under no pressure whatsoever he was allowed to run forward and from 25 yards let rip with a shot that took a sudden shift in trajectory and arched into the top right corner. Lisandro should have done better with a free header and also failed to punish Casillas for an awful goalkick hit straight at him. 
 
1-0 is nowhere near enough. I expect Real Madrid will go through by some crazy score like 5-3 on aggregate but if they've got any chance of winning la decima this year these nervy performances have to go. 
 
Attendance : 40,500 
Assist : Boumsong 

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