Football

RIP Morosini no words...

Football! Bloody hell etc.

Bayern 2-1 Real Madrid: Not the end of the world for Jose I suppose, but Bayern were certainly good value for that win. Does Mario Gomez have a unique talent for reading the game or do his supporting cast (with Robben, Ribery and co at their disposal) simply create more chances than most?

Arsenal 1-2 Wigan: Tremendous showing by Wigan, pity for all 200 of their fans that Martinez's eventual departure will most likely be followed by the return of Steve 'Stevie' Bruce. Van Persie let me down majorly in Fantasy this week - in fact, the less said about my entire team, the better. From now on, when my instincts say 'go on, swap Aguero and Seb Larsson for Rooney and James McClean' I'll be doing the exact opposite.

Chelsea 5-1 Tottenham: Shock horror, 'Arry's legendary man-management skills aren't quite what they're cracked up to be. He should probably take the England job now, while the FA still want him. Chelsea's much-improved form since John Terry Roberto Di Matteo took the reigns confirms one of the footballing world's worst kept secrets - the senior 'pros' were simply against AVB from day one.

Sunderland 0-0 Wolves: Sorry, no recollection of that one.

Chelsea/Barca tonight, Clasico Saturday. Hopefully, unlike previous encounters, neither game resembles an ill-disciplined kickabout in't park.

TONIGHT!

Does Mario Gomez have a unique talent for reading the game or do his supporting cast (with Robben, Ribery and co at their disposal) simply create more chances than most?

Absolutely, positively the latter.

Chelsea was VERY lucky tonight...we will get them next week

Not having that away goal will make it super difficult. That and Madrid conserved their energy prior to the Classico

It's crunch time this week!

Madrid: Bayern (A), Classico (A), Bayern (H)

Barca: Chelsea (A), Classico (H), Chelsea (H)

Chelsea: Barca (H), Arsenal (A), Barca (A)

Bayern:

Drogba's antics were something approaching nauseating but, gotta hand it to them, Chelsea played pretty goshdarned (excuse my language) well last night. In the second leg, on a considerably more expansive pitch, it could be a long night for them.

Drogba probably mistaken the pitch for the pool last night

Bayern will win the Champions League. It just makes too much sense.

RIP Morosini

I read a lot about Chelsea were lucky but I think some credit is due to Cahill and Terry too.

Friends, it is a beautiful day (albeit one slightly tainted by other events, see paragraph 2). To overcome a difficult start to the season in such comprehensive fashion is unbelievable; the grit of these players has been just phenomenal. Klopp is king and then some, the team he has assembled, the belief he gives everyone, its been ridiculous. Every player has worked so hard. The Champions League exit was embarrassing but it pales into significance on a day like today. Back to back champions, its an achievement that can never be overstated. Look where we've been and look where we're going, its a dream. Hummels for President! Kagawa for Emperor! Perisic for Mayor!

Meanwhile, here on Earth, Villa are just the worst. Just terrible. Its so bad. Its been so bad for ages now. I've had nothing to say about it because words are futile when you're as incapable as we are. It saddens me. Maybe we'll beat Bolton on Tuesday and stay up. Maybe we won't. Who the hell knows. What a life.

Can't our season just be over already? Though it's reasonably heartening to still see us grinding out points despite entirely lacking in cutting edge up front, the squad's numerous limitations have once again become all too apparent in recent weeks, and it's clear now that the magnificent form following O'Neill's appointment was down to the players simply running on adrenaline. Let's carry on scrapping for those last few available points, finish in the top half (fingers crossed), hang on to Stephane 'Lionel Sessi' Sessegnon (fingers, toes and eyes crossed) and regroup in the summer. As for yesterday's game, well, there was an air of inevitability about it ending scoreless. After several weeks of indifferent form and bore-draws, I'm getting used to it - but sorry Fred for dragging Villa down with us to our now-customary position of last place on Match of the Day's running order.

Villa will be alright though, I'm fairly certain of that. The fact that McLeish is still in a job is to say the least, puzzling, but I still see Bolton and Blackburn as strong favourites to join Wolves in the Championship next year.

On footballing merits, as things stand, I could hardly complain if we did go down. We're the type of team that if I didn't support them, I would resent their existence. What's been particularly worrying is that everyone around us has shown a level of desire, an attempt at a cutting edge and a willingness to try and WIN each game, be it at the Emirates or anywhere else, whereas we set out to draw home games 0-0 or gleefully roll over for the "elite clubs" (McLeish's words, not mine). Whatever happens tonight, its been a truly shameful season. Don't get me wrong, I hope to goodness we win, but the fact that we have a relegation crunch game against Bolton (who's reserve team beat our supposed best XI 0-2 in the League Cup earlier this season) is just pitiful.

Yep.

I can't believe the amount of people praising Chelsea's brilliant defensive tactics. If just one of the four times Barça hit the woodwork (Alexis and Pedro at Stamford Bridge, 2x Messi last night) had been a goal, they would have gone out. How is that brilliant? They knew their opponents would hit the woodwork? <_<

Coming from 2-0 down to claim a 2-2 draw with ten men at the Nou Camp probably deserves a bit of credit, though.

Despite Terry's undoubted gift for finding new and original ways to stab his teammates in the back, Chelsea were a lot more comfortable than I would have expected, particularly in the latter stages of the game when a sustained Barca onslaught looked to be on the cards.

Also, way to rain on Ivanovic's parade Geoff Shreeves!

If someone were to tell me that: Chelsea would come back from down 2, and draw at Camp Nou against Barcelona, playing a man down, and Barça getting a PK during the process, I'd be like: OK buddy, maybe enough with fiction movies. Now I now why it's called the beautiful game.

I understand where you're coming from SS, as Barca was clearly the better side. I gotta give Chelsea credit though. There is a reason why the games are played. With 10 players you shouldn't have expected equal possession/scoring opportunities. At the end Chelsea scored 3 times (twice at Camp Nou). That's usually enough at such a high level. Barcelona have no one to blame, but themselves. At the absence of Pique, and especially Abidal, it was obvious that Alves, and Puyol aren't high class defenders, and Valdes is mediocre at best. If your opponents come seriously only a handful of times, and scores at such a high rate, maybe it's time to point the finger at yourselves.

A Chelsea/Bayern final, who'd have thunk it (apart from Fred)? Hopefully, the contributions of Neuer and Schweinsteiger last night will put paid to the popular misconception that penalties are a lottery. Between them, they absolutely owned that shoot-out.

As deserving finalists as Bayern unquestionably are, Real threw it away big time through a combination of physical fatigue, tactical naivety and ultimately, mental disintegration. That could well be a watershed game for Toni Kroos, not a player I've often associated with the 'big occasion', I thought he was rather marvellous. As far as the suspensions go they're about even (numerically and in terms of importance). So, a final with two very flawed teams but lots of mercurial type players on display...could be very interesting.