As all but one away side takes the early advantage in the UEFA Champions League (UCL ) Quarter Finals, we have our usual rundown of the first-leg action for our budding crop of European Fantasy managers…
Chelsea Take First Blood
In the pre-match press conference prior to this first leg tie, Frank Lampard talked about how Chelsea could be better. Interim manager Roberto Di Matteo clearly agreed with the England midfielder and left him on the bench with old stalwart Didier Drogba as, among others, Fernando Torres and Salomon Kalou were given the chance to improve matters.
Ninety minutes later, Di Matteo was beaming from ear to ear as Chelsea managed to come away from the Estadio da Luz as 1-0 victors and with a firm grip on this Champions League tie at the half-way stage.
It ended up being the two most decisive selection choices, Fernando Torres and Salomon Kalou, who earned Chelsea victory; the former, breaking in space behind the Benfica defence, chipped a cross for his Ivorian team-mate to slide home. A fourth assist of the campaign also pushes the Spaniard up to third in Champions League provider’s chart this year.
A clean sheet for the visitors will also have done the world of good for Chelsea ahead of the second leg back at Stamford Bridge. Our man David Luiz notched those extra four points (and another for 6 recovered balls) to keep on track with Sergio Ramos as the joint highest scoring defender to date.
Bayern Set Sights On The Semis
As we mentioned in our Preview of the Quarter Finals, Marseille came into their home tie with Bayern Munich on the back of some torrid form. A 0-2 defeat at the hands of the German outfit is perhaps not too surprising, then.
The hosts’ performance was not particularly befitting of the shambolic form in the preceding months; indeed, Marseille have every reason to be more than aggrieved at the situation leading up to Bayern’s first goal last night.
While stand-in, and third choice, goalkeeper Elinton Andrade afforded Mario Gomez an easy chance to top up his already healthy season’s total in the Champions League (11 and counting) it was a handball down at the other end of the park just before Bayern broke away, missed by the referee, which had the French side up in arms.
Loic Remy threatened on occasion, while Nicolas N’Koulou and Stephane Mbia picked up a couple of points for recovered balls, but Wednesday night was all about Arjen Robben. The Dutchman had a hand in both his side’s goals, providing an assist for Gomez, before concocting a sweet one-two with Thomas Mueller to score the second goal. Franck Ribery, back at his old club, was the only of Munich’s attacking quadrant not to get in on the action last night.
Real Madrid Upset The APOEL Cart
It’s fair to say Madrid were dominant in Tuesday night’s showdown in Cyprus. The stats speak for themselves; FC APOEL could only manage 30% possession, completing just 46% (147) of the passes they attempted – compared to Real’s 81% (660) – and failed to muster a single shot all game.
The home side have exceeded all expectations to get this far but appear to have finally reached their apex, as they more than met their match with Jose Mourinho’s Spanish band of buccaneers.
After over 70 minutes of solid and staunch defending, the gates finally crumbled and FC APOEL conceded the first of three Real Madrid goals and began their long gracious farewell to this tournament of champions.
Karim Benzema fluffed a golden chance earlier in the game but the French striker more than atoned, notching a double for the La Liga leaders. Benzema’s second was his 25th career Champions League goal and set a new record for the quickest number of games (41) to reach that total, eclipsing the previous record held by Lionel Messi.
Kaka, meanwhile, proved to an instrumental substitution, as he not only scored the other Madrid goal, but set up the Frenchman for the first with a pitch perfect cross.
Technically, of course, the tie is only half-way done but the eulogy on APOEL’s campaign is already being written. With a pressing La Liga tie against Valencia to follow the second leg for Madrid, however, rotation may yet be at the forefront of Mourinho’s mind next week.
Milan Hold Barcelona To A Standstill
AC Milan produced a steely performance at the back to keep Barcelona at bay at the San Siro. The visitors could or should have been awarded a penalty, but it’s nothing to take away from the performance of the Milanese back four.
As the stats show -this is the first time in the Guardiola era that Barca haven’t scored an away goal in a UCL knockout tie- it is no mean feat keeping Lionel Messi and company at bay.
As far as our European Fantasy managers are concerned, however, it was actually the Barcelona defence that managed to pick up the greater amount of points. Dani Alves gained 2 extra “recovered ball” points, while his team-mate Gerard Pique soaked up the recoveries, sixteen in total, to pocket three extra points- the equivalent of an assist.
Many folks who passed their Fantasy captaincy from Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi this week will undoubtedly be disappointed that the world’s number one and two both failed to produce the points. There is some solace to be had that most managers will be sharing in this unfortunate situation in Matchday Nine, in what was a rare off-day for both players.
The game hangs finely in the balance heading back to Camp Nou. It was a score draw for Milan in the group stages; if they can replicate that, then the Semi-Finals beckon.
