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Champions League 09/10
Topic Started: Jul 23 2009, 05:46 AM (4,887 Views)
Don Balon
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Because of the flight restrictions Barcelona are traveling to Milan for Tuesday's match versus Inter via coach. They are spending tonight in Cannes and will finish the rest of the trip tomorrow morning. They expect to be able to fly home after Tuesday's match.
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Nkono
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Don Balon,Apr 18 2010
01:28 PM
Because of the flight restrictions Barcelona are traveling to Milan for Tuesday's match versus Inter via coach. They are spending tonight in Cannes and will finish the rest of the trip tomorrow morning. They expect to be able to fly home after Tuesday's match.

Lyon are leaving tonight via bus to Munich for Wednesday's game.

Here is the disciplinary situation for the semifinals first leg, The only players suspended are Bayern's van Bommel and Badstuber but a group of players from all four clubs could face a ban for the 2nd leg if they pick up a yellow this week:

Playing on Tuesday

Inter Milan v Barcelona

Misses next match if booked: Walter Samuel, Maicon, Dejan Stankovic, Javier Zanetti (all Inter Milan), Carles Puyol (Barcelona)

Playing on Wednesday

Bayern Munich v Olympique Lyon

Suspended: Holger Badstuber, Mark van Bommel (both Bayern Munich)

Misses next match if booked: Danijel Pranjic (Bayern Munich), Aly Cissokho, Cesar Delgado, Maxime Gonalons, Kim Kallstrom, Cris, Miralem Pjanic, Jeremy Toulalan (all Olympique Lyon)
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rosarino
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Ibrahimovic should be ready to play vs Inter so he and Eto'o will get the chance to show up their former clubs. Remember Inter and Barcelona met in the group stage with them drawing 0-0 in a snooze fest at San Siro while Barcelona beat nter 2-0 at the Nou Camp in a game where neither Lionel Messi nor Wesley Sneijder played. I get the feeling nter would be satisifed with another 0-0 on Tuesday night.
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Martin
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I too can see Inter being satisfied with a 0-0 at San Siro and then look for a 1-1 or 2-2 tie in Barcelona. So Thiago Motta to sit in front of Xavi and try and cut off his forward passing lanes? Zanetti or Chivu on the left to look after Messi? Should be an intriguing tactical battle and with Messi, Xavi, Sneijder and Lucio there will be 4 of the most in form players in the world on the field.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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Sporting
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Can I just say in passing that Marca's headline today, "Madrid pendiente de Mou" (Madrid depending on Mourinho [to prevent Barça from reaching the final]) is one of the most repulsive things I've read in a Spanish sports newspaper. The fact that El Mundo Deportivo or Sport (Catalan papers) may have done the same is irrelevant; two wrongs don't make a right. After (a few days ago) praising Florentino Pérez for saying he would welcome Barcelona to the Bernabéu with open arms if they reach the final (and really, what else could the Madrid president do? Spit on Laporta? Throw a pig's head at him? :D I'm sorry but education and protocol goes with the job; it's not something you should be praised for...) Marca have fallen once again into the old anti-Catalan game: if it happened the other way they would be beside themselves with rage.
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Winslow
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Tuesday's first leg...
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Inter Milan 3, Barcelona 1.

So who'll stop Barcelona now? An inspired Inter performance did, with some help from a 500+K bus ride. Barca seemed to be on the back foot from the start, but opened the scoring in the 19th minute when Maxwell, after a curiously unimpeded run to the end line, pulled a pass back for an unmarked Pedro to bang into an open net. But Inter kept pushing and tied it at the half-hour, as Diego Milito collected a weak cross from Eto'o, drew two defenders, then pushed a short ball for Sneijder to one-time through Valdes.

The Nerazzuri came out smoking after halftime and quickly took the lead on a breakout (from a likely foul on Messi that wasn't called) that eventually found Maicon in the box; he rode a tackle by Keita and toe-poked the loose ball into the net. Then around the hour mark, Barca gave up the ball in its own half and a quick ball over the top found Sneijder; his header was weak, but a possibly offside Milito got to the loose ball first to make it 3-1. Barcelona controlled the last 20 minutes but failed to score, though it should feel aggrieved that a late tumble in the box by Dani Alves was deemed a dive and not a penalty.

Inter did a very good job controlling Messi (he had two good shots, both saved) and got the majority of the calls; Barca's defense had too many soft spots. A Puyol booking will keep him out of the second leg (Inter loses second-half sub Stankovic due to his yellow card), so the Catalans will have some work to do next week at the Camp Nou.
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Sporting
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I think the coach trip affected Barça for sure: they looked far below their normal game. Guardiola was very graceful before the match, saying that many lower division Spanish clubs have to travel similar distances every two weeks, and that he'd rather be doing it this way than watching the semi finals at home on tv. Milito's goal was offside, but it was one of those offside goals which if not given would have bene a huge let-off for the defending team, given that Sneijder should have done much better in the first place.

I do have a sense though of Barça imploding...as Leeds United did in England back in 1970, as Leverkusen have done on a number of times...Messi was subdued and easlly controlled, Ibra looks as lost as ever, and the defence for the first Inter goal was completely at sea.
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Winslow
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Has the board been down? Wednesday's first leg...
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Bayern Munchen 1, Olympique Lyonnais 0.

A lot of everything in this match except goals, including a couple of red cards. Bayern dominated the first half-hour, but slowed down closer to halftime after Ribery was shown the door for a nasty over-the-ball foul that left Lisandro in a heap. The Italian ref was a few feet away and went straight for his pocket, deciding straight away that the foul was badenov (huh?) for the Fearless Leader lookalike to get the old cartalino rosso.

But Lyon's Toulalan stupidly got back-to-back gialli in the second half to even up the sides again, and finally Robben and a bit of luck finally put Bayern ahead. The Dutchman simply dribbled right to left and let go from 25 yards; the ball skimmed off a ducking teammate's head and changed direction just enough to get past Lloris. Robben nearly added another in the closing minutes but was denied on a fine save; he was then taken out, much to his annoyance (which prompted van Gaal to read him the riot act on the sideline).

Bayern missed several other good chances in this match, but did deserve the win; I only remember a few good Lyon opportunities. But this tie goes back to stade Gerland with everything up in the air.
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enganche
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I got to see both games but was unable to come online until now. I agree with the comments aout Barca looking flat and it being due to a combination of a crowded calendar and the long bus ride. Lyon did not look too lively tonight either after their own bus ride.

Give credit to Inter for an energetic display and Maicon and Zanetti in particular were really good in my opinion. I also thought Milito's goal, number 3 on the night looked offside, while Alves easily could have gotten a penalty instead of the no call. The breaks did not go Barcelona's way but with their team who would count them out down 2 goals going home with one away goal in their favor? Not I.

Bayern definitely were superior in my view to Lyon but of course were hurt by the Ribery red card. I first thought it was harsh but watching replays thought it was the right call as he went right for Lisandro's ankle and the Lyon attacker was lucky he did not suffer a serious injury. I thought Toulalan's 2nd yellow, however, was too rigorous. He won the ball and got to it before the Bayern player, in my mind that was not even a foul by him! Bayern's midfield controlled this game and Demichelis and van Buyten erased any Lyon move whch came near goal. But again this is far from a determinative lead, Lyon can make up that 1 goal deficit next week.
Prefiero morir de pie que vivir arrodillado
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Yogi
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In the Italian papers leading up to last night's game there was talk of Inter creating a "defensive cage" to control Lionel Messi, that is they would not rely on a single player to mark him but would surround him with several players to reduce his effectiveness. That is exactly what I thought happened last night. Zanetti was the player most responsible for marking him and he did a great job, the evergreen player was a professional when Messi was still probably riding a tricycle! But it was a team effort which controlled both Messi and Xavi. Without their influence, Barcelona were not the force they normally are. Meanwhile on the other end, Inter's quick counters made Barcelona's own defense look vulnerable. there may have been some iffy calls in the match but to me, and I am no fan of Inter, the nerazzurri were the better team and deserved their two goal win.

I was disappointed in Bayern-Lyon, I too thought Rosetti was a little harsh, I would say on both reds, Ribery's foul did look bad but to me he was just late going after the ball. To Bayern's credit they still did well down a man as Lyon barely threated Butt's goal all match long.
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Don Balon
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Sporting,Apr 20 2010
06:05 PM
Can I just say in passing that Marca's headline today, "Madrid pendiente de Mou" (Madrid depending on Mourinho [to prevent Barça from reaching the final]) is one of the most repulsive things I've read in a Spanish sports newspaper. The fact that El Mundo Deportivo or Sport (Catalan papers) may have done the same is irrelevant; two wrongs don't make a right. After (a few days ago) praising Florentino Pérez for saying he would welcome Barcelona to the Bernabéu with open arms if they reach the final (and really, what else could the Madrid president do? Spit on  Laporta? Throw a pig's head at him? :D I'm sorry but education and protocol goes with the job; it's not something you should be praised for...) Marca have fallen once again into the old anti-Catalan game: if it happened the other way they would be beside themselves with rage.

I am far from one to support Marca but I think in this context, the headline signifies more like, "Madrid awaiting Mourinho," that is in addition to waiting to see what he does vs Barcelona, Marca have also been publicising that he is Real Madrid's likely next coach. In this sense, pendiente means awaiting something which is not yet resolved.

Anyway enough of the Spanish-English translations, on to the games, like others here I thought Inter's defnesive work on both Xavi and Messi was excellent, Ibrahimovic was absent and the bus trip probably did take something out of Barcelona's legs as they did not appear either as fresh or as fast as normal. Dani Alves had a nightmare of a game and Inter smartly tried attacking his side quite often. Maxwell is good going forward as he showed on the goal but not as expert at defending which is why Abidal came on and Maxwell moved to midfeld. Leg 1 to Inter but Guardiola even without Puyol should have some tricks up his sleeve next week. look for Barca to play with much fresher legs.

Lyon really disappointed me, the team which looked so lively vs both Madrid and Bordeuax, looked flat too. Perhaps their own bus trip effected them as well? But also credit Bayern, I thought before his expulsion Ribery was the best player on the field. To me the red card was a call that could have gone either way, if a red or yellow was given on the play it would not have been a call out of line. Toulalan's 2nd yellow I thought was wrong, as somebody else wrote, he won the ball. Bayern were to me the better team whether even players or when down a man. Lyon will need to play much better to advance next week.
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rosarino
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enganche,Apr 21 2010
02:14 PM
I got to see both games but was unable to come online until now. I agree with the comments aout Barca looking flat and it being due to a combination of a crowded calendar and the long bus ride. Lyon did not look too lively tonight either after their own bus ride.

Give credit to Inter for an energetic display and Maicon and Zanetti in particular were really good in my opinion. I also thought Milito's goal, number 3 on the night looked offside, while Alves easily could have gotten a penalty instead of the no call. The breaks did not go Barcelona's way but with their team who would count them out down 2 goals going home with one away goal in their favor? Not I.

Bayern definitely were superior in my view to Lyon but of course were hurt by the Ribery red card. I first thought it was harsh but watching replays thought it was the right call as he went right for Lisandro's ankle and the Lyon attacker was lucky he did not suffer a serious injury. I thought Toulalan's 2nd yellow, however, was too rigorous. He won the ball and got to it before the Bayern player, in my mind that was not even a foul by him! Bayern's midfield controlled this game and Demichelis and van Buyten erased any Lyon move whch came near goal. But again this is far from a determinative lead, Lyon can make up that 1 goal deficit next week.

Maicon needed dental surgery after his collison with Messi knocked two teeth out! He's expected back for leg 2 though. What a game Maicon had, I do agree that both he and Zanetti played well, Zanetti almost exclusively stayed back and defended but Maicon was a force on both ends of the field. Inter were more effective in this match but Barcelona are going home and despite not playing that well were still hard done by the offside goal by Diego Milito and the late penalty Sneijder committed against Dani Alves which was not called. A more lively display in leg 2 and they will be back in contention for the final. Only a foolhardy person would write off Barcelona now.

I think Bayern may regret not beating Lyon by more than a goal. They controlled the game against a timid Lyon. What a season Robben is having, the guy has scored game winning goals for Bayern in every elimination round of the Champions League.
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raconteur
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That was some terrible collison involving Maicon and Messi. Looked purely accidental though but extremely painful for Maicon who had to leave a game where he was one of, if not the, best players on the field.

Mourinho had a great game plan to neutralize Barcelona but I agree with rosarino, Barcelona were hard done by a few calls late in the game. Somewhere Chelsea fans are thinking this was kismet for what happened last season in the semifinals!

I thought Ribery's red card was the correct call, he could have broken Lisandro's ankle with that play. Toulalan's double yellow I am less sure of, looked to me like he won the ball in a 50-50 challenge. If Robben is healthy I don't see Bayern losing to Lyon, he makes that much of a difference.
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Martin
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Yogi,Apr 21 2010
02:37 PM
In the Italian paper sleaidng up to last night's game there was talk of Inter creating a "defensive cage" to control Lionel Messi, that is they would not rely on a single player to mark him but would surround him with several players to reduce his efectiveness. That is exactly what I thought happened last night. Zanetti was the player most responsible for marking him and he did a great job, the evergreen player was a professional when Messi was still probably riding a tricycle! But it was a team effort which controlled both Messi and Xavi. Without their influence, Barcelona were not the force they normally are. Meanwhile on the other end, Inter's quick counters made barcelona's own defense look vulnerable. there may have been some iffy calls in the match but to me, and I am no fan of Inter, the nerazzurri were the better team and deserved their two goal win.

I was dispointed in Bayern-Lyon, I too thought Rosetti was a little harsh, I would say on both reds, Ribery's foul did look bad but to me he was just late going after the ball. To Bayern's credit they still did well down a man as Lyon barely threated Butt's goal all match long.

Zanetti really did a fantastic job against Messi. Yes, he got help from Inter's overall team defensive effort but Zanetti did take Messi out of the game, his only success was when he moved inside away from Zanetti's attention. And like those teams who have successfully defended Xavi, Inter took away his ability to hit through balls and instead forced him to pass sideways or backwards. With Ibrahimovic useless, this game wa sone where I thought Barcelona really missed Iniesta.

Barcelona's defense has been a strongpoint of their team under Guardiola but Inter really did have success breaking them down and only some poor finishing prevented them from winning by an even larger margin. it was the most vulnerable have ever seen Barceona's defense in the past few years. I never did see a good replay to determine if Milito was offside or not on his late goal and while Sneijder did appear to clip the heels of Dani Alves I think the fact he was trying to pull out of the tackle is why no penalty was called there.

Good comment about Lyon playing timidly, Bayern did control the game even when down a player and they did it without van Bommel who was suspended. Robben is becoming a big game player isn't he? Actually I thought Cissokho did a good job on him and like Messi against Zanetti, Robben's most success came when he moved away from Cissokho as he did on the goal.
Club Sportivo Desamparados
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Mr. Pither
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Sporting,Apr 20 2010
01:23 PM
I think the coach trip affected Barça for sure: they looked far below their normal game. Guardiola was very graceful before the match, saying that many lower division Spanish clubs have to travel similar distances every two weeks, and that he'd rather be doing it this way than watching the semi finals at home on tv. Milito's goal was offside, but it was one of those offside goals which if not given would have bene a huge let-off for the defending team, given that Sneijder should have done much better in the first place.

I do have a sense though of Barça imploding...as Leeds United did in England back in 1970, as Leverkusen have done on a number of times...Messi was subdued and easlly controlled, Ibra looks as lost as ever, and the defence for the first Inter goal was completely at sea.

The coach trips very well may have effected both Barcelona and Lyon as neither had the energy we have seen from them in other recent Champions League matches but both Inter and Bayern deserve praise for their own play. Others have already detailed how Inter caged in Barcelona especially Messi and Xavi. I agree with the comments about Iniesta being missed as you can control two of them but not all three in any single match. Ibrahimovic is becoming a problem I think, he just is not producing nor is he providing the defencive pressure Barcelona's forwards usually provide. I was a little surprised Bojan was not used in this match with Ibrahimovic so ineffective but Guardiola thought the defensive set up is what needed the most adjustment. It is not often you see Barcelona's defence give up that many opportunities and with Puyol missing the return Guardiola will have to make some adjustments, I would guess Abidal and Milito will come into the defence and I would think Yaya Toure would be a good addition to the midfield. But watch out for Milito and Eto'o on the counter attack next week.

Robben is in the form of his life and while Cissokho did a good job marking him, with help from others, Robben still found a way to win that match. Van Gaal seems to have settled on using Mario Gomez off the bench now while Miroslav Klose has disappeared completely. That cannot be good news for Germany only 50 days ahead of the World Cup.
P-I-T-H-E-R ...as in Brotherhood, but with PI instead of the BRO and no HOOD
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