We’re four games down and halfway through Matchday Seven of the UEFA Champions League UCL Fantasy game. Barcelona and Milan seem to have one foot already in the Quarter Finals, while Lyon and Zenit take slim, one-goal advantages into the second leg in three weeks’ time…
Pass, Pass, Pass. Pass, Pass, Goal
For almost the entirety of the first half of their 3-1 victory at the BayArena, Barcelona were weaving their merry way around their German counterparts as if orchestrated by Lady Gaga – it was all style and no substance as the visitors made little leeway with their substantial possession.
Then, as is their wont, the defending champions suddenly decided that they’d had enough of simply dictating the play and looked to the Mozart in their midst to turn the screw on their Bundesliga hosts.
Lionel Messi set up the first of two goals from Alexis Sanchez, with the Chilean scoring on either side of half time on his way to a 10 point Fantasy haul. Pep Guardiola’s side were given a fright, though, as Michel Kadlec headed home a Vedran Corluka cross prior to Sanchez’s second to give the hosts brief hope, and remind Barca that they are very much more fallible this season in comparison to the last three, nigh on perfect, campaigns.
Leverkusen upped their game in the second half but it was Messi who closed matters late in the game by starting off and finishing some beautiful passing play -including an incredibly unselfish and timely Dani Alves cross- to secure a two-goal advantage ahead of the Nou Camp return.
Fantasy managers who handed Messi the armband were left with something of a quandary, though; would they hold onto his 18 captaincy haul or chance their luck with another alternative? With three nights of action left after Barca’s game on Tuesday, the temptation to twist was obvious.
FC APOEL Park the Bus
If you look at the statistics from Lyon’s 1-0 victory over the titular Cypriot side, one begins to question whether Ivan Jovanovic’s men had switched their pre-match energy drink to a heavy dinner of turkey washed down with a rohypnol cocktail.
From an attacking perspective, Apoel offered very little on their trip to the French heartland -just a single shot fired off in over 90 minutes of action. Those in attendance would be forgiven for thinking that parking spaces were tight at the Stade Gerland, as the APOEL bus blocked the way for most of the night.
Lyon struggled to break down the visitors’ blockade and, despite 64% possession and 18 attempts, they had to rely on a deflected effort to break the deadlock. Alexandre Lacazatte -who is priced at 4.6- grabbed the goal, with his shot hitting Paulo Jorge before nestling in the opposition net just before the hour mark. Lyon defender Cris picked up the assist and, with a clean sheet and 12 recovered balls thrown in, was the game’s top Fantasy scorer, with 11 points.
Despite the one note performance from the visitors, the tie will remain very much in the balance when the return leg kicks off in three weeks’ time. Lyon will be confident, though; Apoel conceded in all three of their home games in the group stages.
The Icemen Cometh
With the game being played in temperatures as low as -10C, many had expected Benfica to struggle to adapt to the freezing conditions but it was the home side who took their time to thaw out, as Maxi Pereira prodded the visitors ahead on 20 minutes.
Going behind seemed to spark Luciano Spalletti’s side into life, though, and within seven minutes they were level. Roman Shirokov –with the first of two goals- volleyed the equaliser, after a pinpoint pass from Tomáš Hubočan found him in the penalty box.
Chances were something of a rarity in the second half. Until 19 minutes from time, that is. Zenit went ahead for the first time in the match after a brilliantly worked goal, started from a back-heel pass by Aleksandr Kerzhakov and finished by an outrageous flicked back-heel finish by Sergei Semak.
Back came the visitors, though, with Oscar Cardoza notching his fourth of the competition to level matters at 2-2, but it was the hosts who take a slim advantage to Portugal, after Shirokov squeezed home a late effort to give the home fans something to celebrate.
Shirokov’s 12 point haul was the most in the match and takes the 6.4 midfielder to 40 points so far; only Lionel Messi (7) and Mario Gomez (6) have scored more than his 5 goals.
Over and Rout
A resounding defeat at the San Siro heralded the end of Thierry Henry’s second stint at Arsenal. The Frenchman now leaves for the sunnier climes of the US as he returns to parent club New York Red Bulls, but there’s no hiding place for the rest of the Gunners side after this dismal performance.
With Per Mertesacker out with an ankle injury, Thomas Vermaelen returned to the centre of defence alongside Laurent Koscielny, as Kieran Gibbs was drafted in at left-back for the away side. Arsene Wenger’s side may have edged the possession, but they had no answer to Milan’s clinical finishing.
Kevin Prince-Boateng opened the scoring, crashing in an unstoppable effort off the underside of the bar on the quarter-hour mark. Arsenal simply looked ill-at-ease with their hosts’ attacking play. With Boateng playing in the hole behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho, Wenger’s side were pulled apart.
The Milan front pair ran amok. Ibrahimovic set up chance after chance and was rewarded with a couple of assists, while Robinho bagged a brace, with a slip from Vermaelen handing him his second on a plate. Ibrahimovic capped a virtuoso display with a late –and somewhat fortuitous penalty- to earn his Fantasy owners 13 points, ahead of Robinho’s 10.
It’s over to the Emirates in three weeks’ time, then, with a 5-0 win needed for the Gunners to bounce back from Arsene Wenger called his ”worst night” in Europe so far.
