FC Girondins de Bordeaux (10 points) against Juventus (8 points)
Bordeaux and Juventus played to a draw last time they met. Iaquinta and Plasil each scored for their respective teams to force the draw.
Juventus failed to prevent the Plasil led offensive attack. Buffon was great for Juventus, stopping an early strike from Fernando.
Bordeaux is coming off a momentous win over FC Bayern Munchen while Juventus escaped Maccabi Haifa.
Bodeaux will cement its status a top Group A with a victory over Juventus
Group A
FC Bayern Munchen (4 points) against Maccabi Haifa FC (0 points)
Maccabi finds itself at the bottom of the group standings while Munchen is looking to fight its way to the top.
Munchen destroyed Maccabi in their first meeting. Muller had two goals and Van Buyten scored one to lead Munchen.
Maccabi played great defense in the first half until Van Buyten smashed his way past the line in the 64th minute. Maccabi completely lost focus and concentration on the defensive end late in the game.
Munchen is fresh off a loss against Bordeaux while Maccabi is still searching for its first win.
Maccabi will continue its losing streak and pick up its fifth straight loss at the hands of Munchen.
Ok, so it is back. The lure of this competition is like no other; the Champions League is what makes or breaks you as a player. Ninety minutes of opportunity, will you grasp it, or let it slip? This competition is a war, a unique collection of the best footballing talent that Europe has to offer. Let us be honest, the Champions league has never disappointed us, year in and year out it takes our breath away. The passion that is expressed in these matches, whether from player or spectator is something special, an occurrence that is a representation of what true love for this game of football is all about.
In my experience, the playing field is leveled for these games. There are so many intricate factors that become important, that, on any given day, a team from a city that cannot full a stadium can take down the largest of European powerhouses. What is the measure of your heart; how far are you willing to go to realize your dreams? Whoever finds the answers to these questions will see that they have that little extra something, that spare trick or moment of pure genius that separates the good players from the really great ones. This makes it possible for any team, from any country to write their name in the record books and be recognized as legitimate competitors. This is the beauty of the Champions League; there is none other like it. [read more]
This final promised to be an epic battle between the two most powerful teams Europe had to offer, it was anything but. Twenty-two men walked onto that beautiful pitch in Rome and only eleven could walk off holding their heads high. Beautiful football prevailed today; the silky smooth passing, controlled possession, patient build-up, the stuff only Barcelona can produce. The might of Manchester United was tried, tested and comprehensively beaten on this historical day, and they won’t soon forget the harsh lesson learnt from the hands of the genius of this Spanish outfit.
‘Favourites’ is a word that I am sure will be more carefully used in the future. Manchester United were billed as the top seed coming into this final, however, excluding the first ten minutes of Ronaldo trying to write his name in the history books, Manchester United looked a shadow of themselves. This United team imploded after they conceded the first goal to Samuel Eto’o, a trait that is not normally associated with the English giants. “The better team won tonight”, a statement that compounded the disappointment of Sir Alex as he accepted defeat on this European night, and the simplicity of those words were a perfect representation of the events that transpired.
To sum it up in one word, Barcelona was magnificent. The factor that made this night so strange was the ease, and relative comfort through which the Catalans saw off United’s feeble challenge. Some defining moments could be Puyol and Pique marshalling the back line, or Xavi and Iniesta strolling through midfield, how about the silky, yet robust Lionel Messi often taking a relatively unchallenged saunter into United’s last third, teasing their defenders before turning back and keeping the ball for another ten minutes, sad I know! Barcelona was professional in their execution, ruthless with their opportunities, and most importantly effective in their expression of beautiful football.
Who was it that said this game called football was a battlefield of fine lines and only the brave dare cross, oh right, that was me. This was proven once again. Only one team turned up to the races, only one team showed that drive and desire that is required to call yourselves the best in the world. Barcelona’s command of the game was evident from the second the first goal pierced the heart of United, confidence surged through the team, their love for the game expressed in their uncanny ability to manipulate play to their liking, while never allowing strategy or tactic to dictate the way they expressed themselves. Any football lover has to take their hat off to this Barcelona team for their unwavering commitment to attacking football, defining the very nature of why we love this game, ‘joga bonito’ - play beautiful.
Manchester United versus FC Barcelona, perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo versus Lionel Messi, who are we kidding? This will be a mind game between the experience of the Great Scot and the sheer youthful exuberance of the Spaniard, surely? Predictions, did anyone get a royal flush in their poker game today. For all us football lovers, the one thing we have learnt, cried about, laughed about is that this game called football is a battlefield of fine lines and only the brave dare cross. Let’s face it; this is the final the world wanted. Whether through an act of God, or an act of a man, or men take your pick, Chelsea fell short. Any true football lover however must admit a Barcelona win constituted a win for football. The football that they have played over the preceding nine months has been breath taking to say the least. Messi, Iniesta, Eto’o, Henry, the whole Barcelona team have displayed an electric, sometimes inhuman expression of beautiful attacking prowess and class, who can stand in the way of the mighty FC Barcelona? [read more]
