Nemanja Vidic says he was protecting Carlos Tevez in the incident which saw Didier Drogba sent off.

More: continued here

So what happened on Wednesday night in Moscow?  Yes, the Champions League Final, the biggest game in club football worldwide.  Short of the European Championship Final (coming up on 29 June) and the World Cup Final, it doesn't really get any bigger.

What happened Thursday morning when I fired up the old laptop to write about said Champions League Final?  Yep, "unable to access"!  More gremlins!  The servers were down.  Great timing!

It would appear that most of my problems over the last couple of months have been down to my hosting servers, so measures are now underway to transfer which will hopefully solve all the problems and mean I can actually get back to updating the site when I want to.  Wow, that will be different!

So, poor old Chelsea and congratulations to Man Utd.  Funny old game, isn't it?  I read yesterday, that some Utd players said they were lucky to win, and I for one can't argue with them, they were.  But to win trophies like the European Cup, you need some luck along the way, I don't care what team you are.  Poor old Chelsea though, they don't seem to get a lot of it, do they.  At least not this season.  Beaten in the League Cup Final by Spurs, beaten on the last day of the season to the Championship then they dominate the game overall (especially after the break), hit the woodwork twice, their captain slips taking a penalty and even Ronaldo misses one but BAM! "season's over folks and oh, by the way, you get zip, nothing, nada for all your efforts.  Thanks for turning up though!"

Whoops!  Looks like Terry has been watching reruns of Beckham's penalty against Turkey where Goldens Balls did exactly the same.

I wonder if Jose had a smile on his face or not?  Just a thought!  One thing is for sure, Avram Grant didn't.  I know he's not the most talkative of guys but he found it hard to speak after the game, he looked like he was in so much shock.  Click the link to take a look at what Avram Grant had to say after the game.

It was certainly a dramatic night.  Not quite on the same level as Istanbul 3 years ago, not sure anything will ever match that, but compared to some of the Finals we've had to endure in the past (remember Red Star Belgrade v Marseilles? What a load of ****!) this one will definitely go down as a classic.

To quickly, in a nutshell, here's what happened on the night. 

Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front after 26 minutes but Frank Lampard equalised before the interval.

Lampard and Didier Drogba both hit the woodwork before the the Ivory Coast striker saw red in extra time for slapping Nemanja Vidic over a bit of a hand bags at 10 paces incident.

Ronaldo missed his penalty, but John Terry slips and hits the post with the penalty kick that would have won it for Chelsea and then just to wrap it all up Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka.   Game over!

It will be interesting to see how Chelsea pick themselves up after this for next season.  But however they do it, I for one don't think it will be with the same team that played in Moscow.  For me Drogba has to go, he's such a moaner, he'll do great in Italy and I reckon Lampard will follow him there.  With everything that has happened in his live over the last month or so, I just feel he'l want a complete break, something new.  It's time to move on.

The Soccer Blogger

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The draw for the last 16 of this season’s Champions League was drawn last Friday and pulled up from very interesting clashes. Arsenal have been drawn against holders AC Milan, whilst last year’s runners up and 5 times champions Liverpool must play Serie A leaders Internazionale.

Celtic face a tern test after being paired with favourites Barcelona. Manchester United will tackle French champions Lyon, who denied Rangers a spot in the knockout stage but for the crossbar. However, Chelsea appear to have the kindest draw of the British sides after being pitted against Greek outfit Olympiakos.

Elsewhere, Real Madrid take on Roma, Sevilla meet Fenerbahce, and Schalke play Porto.

Ties to be played on 19th/20th February and 4th/5th March. However Liverpool’s away game at the San Siro has been put back a week, to 11th March, due Arsenal playing AC Milan the day before.

Champions League second round draw in full:

Celtic v Barcelona

Lyon v Manchester United

Schalke v Porto

Liverpool v Internazionale

Roma v Real Madrid

Arsenal v Milan

Olympiakos v Chelsea

Fenerbahce v Sevilla

It’s going to be a long wait!

The Soccer Blogger

Manchester United and Arsenal took centre stage on Wednesday evening and they both booked their places in the knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League.

Manchester United cruised to a 4-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev at Old Trafford to extend their 100 per cent record and qualify with two games to spare.

Celebrations at Old Trafford Against Dynamo Kiev

United’s first goal will probably not be one that will be rehearsed too often on the training ground. Michael Carrick headed Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick goalwards, only to see it strike the back of Carlos Tevez’s head, with Gerard Pique quickest to react and he headed home. Well, I’d like to see them try and rehearse it.

However where the first was a little slapstick, the second was classic United. Tevez driving at the retreating Kiev defence before playing a one-two with Rooney and drilling a shot beyond the goalkeeper. It was Rooney who made it 3-0 after the break, by volleying home from close range after a superb cross by Nani. The Utd scoring was completed in the closing stages with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring his seventh in as many Champions League games.

Meanwhile Arsenal, who needed only a point to go through after their 7-0 demolition of Slavia Prague last time out at Emirates Stadium, earned just that after a stalemate in the return fixture in Prague

Arsene Wenger did a “Benítez” rotating his team and sent out a much-changed side. The Gunners however failed to hit their previous heights with Slavia prague actually coming closest to breaking the deadlock when they broke clear only for Manuel Almunia to smother the chance. Sevilla are on course to join the Gunners in the last 16 of the competition after their win away to Steaua Bucharest.

However, Rangers couldn’t equal their Glasgow neighbours Celtic’s result from Tuesday evening as they were beaten in Barcelona. Lyon’s triumph over Stuttgart moves them to within a point of the Scottish giants, while in Group C Inter and Fenerbahce look set to progress.

There was a late own goal from Anderson Polga as Sporting Lisbon were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw with Roma, who remain second in Group F. Marco Cassetti gave the visitors an early lead with an unstoppable shot into the top corner after Simone Perrotta had played the ball into his path on the left of the area. But a comedy of errors in the Roma defence allowed Sporting to level as Philippe Mexes took the ball away from Doni and allowed Liedson to slot home. And Liedson then dived to head home a second in the 64th minute from Marat Izmailov’s cross from the left, only for David Pizarro’s late long-range effort to take a wicked deflection off Polga and give goalkeeper Tiago no chance.

Barcelona, who were unable le to break Rangers down for 90 minutes in the fixture at Ibrox, needed only seven minutes to make the breakthrough at the Camp Nou, although it has to be said they enjoyed a slice of good fortune. Ronaldinho clipped a free-kick to the far post where the unmarked Messi headed back across goal for Thierry Henry to force the ball over the line. However, if you watch the replay you can see Henry’s final touch was off his arm.

Messi, who actually accused Rangers of playing ‘anti-football’ in the first leg, then made it two before half-time. Messi exchanged passes with Ronaldinho. The Brazilian’s shot was saved by Allan McGregor, only for Messi to reap the benefits of the rebound.

Lyon made the perfect start against Stuttgart opening the scoring after just six minutes, the goal taking a huge deflection. They then doubled their advantage with an excellent second after good work from Sidney Govou. But Stuttgart didn’t give in and they responded immediately as Mario Gomez pounced to fire home a loose ball after another shot that was too hot to handle.

But home side restored their two-goal cushion before the interval with an audacious piece of skill creating the chance for an equally ambitious shot. Stuttgart reduced the deficit after the interval with Gomez forcing the ball home from close range from a low centre, but they then missed a glorious opportunity to level as the goalkeeper made a superb save from Hitzlsperger’s penalty. Juninho added a fourth for Lyon in the third minute of added time with the French champions moving to just one point behind Rangers.

Sevilla are on course to join Arsenal in the knockout phase after their 2-0 victory away to Steaua Bucharest. Renato opened the scoring when he forced the ball home after Robinson Zapata was unable to hold Christian Poulsen’s powerful header from Jesus Navas’ corner, with the same duo combining for a superb second after the interval.

Inter Milan survived a scare against CSKA Moscow, coming from 2-0 down to triumph 4-2 and dump the Russians out of the competition. The San Siro was silenced with the opener after 23 minutes before an astonishing spell of three goals in four minutes. First CSKA doubled their advantage only for Inter to respond and immediately get back on level terms through Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s close-range strike and Esteban Cambiasso’s cool finish from Hernan Crespo’s dummy.

Then Cambiasso made it 3-2 as he drilled home from the edge of the six-yard box after Ibrahimovic’s cute flick from a corner with the Swede then unleashing an unstoppable effort into the top corner.

Fenerbahce are poised to join them in the next phase as they defeated PSV Eindhoven with two goals in the opening half hour. Teenage defender Dirk Marcellis put through his own net after Kazim Kazim’s shot from the edge of the box, before Semih Senturk added a second after 30 minutes, finishing a crisp passing move with a neat finish.

To the click to see all Wednesday’s Champions League results

The Soccer Blogger

Last night’s Champions League results were dominated by the score at Anfield as Liverpool set a new UEFA Champions League record in hammering Besiktas 8 - 0. Elsewhere, Celtic claimed a vital win over Benfica and Chelsea drew away in Germany to Schalke.

Reigning champions AC Milan are now in a good position to qualify from Group D, as are Porto, while Rosenborg stunned Valencia and their new coach for the second time in two weeks.

Real Madrid fought out a 0-0 draw in Olympiakos, while Lazio posted a first win of the group phase by beating Werder Bremen.

So Liverpool, last season’s runners-up, put themselves back in the frame to proceed from the group stages after gaining revenge for defeat in Turkey a fortnight ago by smashing Besiktas with a record breaking 8-0 at Anfield. The one question you have to ask yourself is how did Besiktas beat Liverpool in Istanbul? They were awful.

Peter Crouch, who appears to be a little out of favour this season made a rare start, and he put Liverpool ahead on 19 minutes when tucking away the rebound after his initial shot had been saved.

Crouch stands tall at Anfield

And the 2005 winners were two goals to the good on 32 minutes courtesy of Yossi Benayoun’s volley following good work down the left by Andrei Voronin.

Benayoun, the Israeli captain, then added two poacher’s goals to his collection in the opening minutes of the second half, firstly converting the rebound from John Arne Riise’s shot and then tapping in after Steven Gerrard’s free-kick had been pushed out.

Gerrard helped himself to Liverpool’s fifth goal on 69 minutes, the Reds skipper collecting a clever flick from Voronin and thumping a shot past the Besiktas keeper. He was substituted shortly afterwards. A decision you could understand, job done so no need to risk anything. The complete opposite to when Benítez substituted him half way through the second half of a tense Merseyside derby at Goodison Park!

Benayoun turned creator for the sixth goal on 79 minutes, playing in a low cross from the right, which was beautifully flicked in by Ryan Babel, although the Dutchman’s second on 81 minutes owed more to good fortune as the defenders clearance ricocheted off his back and looped over the keeper. Babel knew nothing about it, neither did the keeper who had come off his line. But Babel should have made the evening even worse for Besiktas moments later when he thumped a header square onto the the bar from six yards out.

But The Reds set a new Champions League benchmark a minute from time when Crouch, the man who started the rout, glanced a neat header home from Benayoun’s cross.

Elsewhere the 2004 winners Porto, now top Group A, after battling to a 2-1 home win over previous leaders Marseille.

A brilliant individual goal from Tarik Sektioui gave Porto a half-time lead as he sped from the halfway line, leaving visiting defenders trailing in his wake before rounding keeper Steve Mandanda and slotting into the net.

Marseille were level within two minutes of the start of the second half as Mamadou Niang showed commendable bravery at the near post to head home Laurent Bonnart’s right-wing cross.

Porto grabbed the winner on 78 minutes when Ricardo Quaresma created a yard of space on the right and his cross was headed home emphatically by Lisandro Lopez.

Chelsea are still in control of Group B after grinding out a 0-0 draw away to German side Schalke. But Avram Grant’s side rode their luck on numerous occasions, none more so than when Peter Lovenkrands struck the post for Schalke.

Rosenborg, who beat Valencia 2-0 at home a fortnight ago, repeated the trick in the Mestalla, usually a fortress for Valencia but not in this Champions League having already lost to Chelsea at home. Steffen Iversen’s first Champions League group phase goal in 11 years put Rosenborg ahead on 31 minutes as he finished off a slick break from the Norwegians. Woeful goalkeeping from Timo Hildebrand gifted Iversen his second goal of the night on 58 minutes as the German missed a corner, giving the former Spurs striker a simple header.

Gordon Strachan and Celtic’s impressive home form in Europe again came to the fore as The Buoys beat Benfica 1-0 at Parkhead in Group D. Perseverance from Celtic was rewarded in the final minute of the first half as Aiden McGeady shot from the edge of he box and his right-footed effort took a deflection which deceived Benfica keeper Quim. With five minutes to go, Benfica’s Augustin Binya was sent off for a shocking challenge on Bhoys midfielder Scott Brown.

Holders Milan got their breakthrough on 66 minutes in beating Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 as substitute Filippo Inzaghi (who scored both their goals in the Final back in May) finished clinically following a delightful through ball from Andrea Pirlo. Inzaghi also had a hand in the second goal on 72 minutes, laying the ball off to Kaka in the box and last season’s stand-out Champions League performer somehow managed to squeeze a shot inside the far post. Deep in to injury-time, veteran poacher Inzaghi scored Milan’s third goal to put the Italians on nine points in the group.

Real Madrid stay top of Group C after a 0-0 draw at Olympiakos, with Ruud van Nistelrooy hitting the crossbar.

Lazio are now off the bottom after a 2-1 home win over Werder Bremen as both teams finished with 10 men. Tommaso Rocchi bundled home the opener on 56 minutes after his penalty had been saved by Tim Wiese. There was no doubting the quality of his second on 68 minutes before Diego thumped home a spot-kick with four minutes to go.

Lazio’s Emilson Cribari received a second yellow card for conceding the penalty before Diego was dismissed in injury-time.

A full list of last night’s result can be found by clicking on this link: Champions League Results

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