Champions League Final: Barcelona 2 - 0 Manchester Untied
I wasn't able to watch the Champions League final live, but I have since seen the reply twice, and it was truly a remarkable performance by Barcelona. Manchester United started well, with Cristiano Ronaldo getting a couple early shots at goal, but after the first eight minutes, it was all Barcelona. Andres Iniesta and Xavi dominated the midfield, controlling possession and playing accurate passes to their attacking teammates: Thiery Henry, Lionel Messi, and Samuel Eto'o. And their play paid off with a goal in the 10th minute. Samuel Eto'o took a pass on the right wing, cut inside, and dribbled around Nemanja Vidic before stabbing the ball past United keeper Edwin van der Sar at the near post. The goal was against the run of play at the time, but after Barcelona were up 1-0, they took control of the game completely.

Sir Alex Ferguson's tactics looked wrong as well. Rooney was playing on his own up front, with Ryan Giggs in the middle of the pitch with Ronaldo and Park in the wide positions. Rooney struggled to get a touch on the ball all game, and Giggs was largely ineffectual. After the half time break, Ferguson put Carlos Tevez into the game in place of Anderson, but it did little to help.

In fact, United's tactics may have been irrelevant as Barcelona looked far and away the better team in terms of technical ability, passing, and attacking runs. Even had Ferguson opted for two strikers from the beginning with Giggs in a more accustomed role, it likely would have made no difference.

In addition to the superb midfield play of Iniesta and Xavi, Carlos Puyol was brilliant for Barcelona at right back. He usually plays in the center of midfield, but was forced wide because of injuries to other defenders. And Puyol thrived in that role. Near the 70th minute mark, Puyol intercepted a long pass from van der Sar, and then another clearing attempt, to set up Xavi on the right. The quick counter attack caught United off guard, as Xavi played a perfect cross over Rio Ferdinand to a wide open Messi in front of goal. The cross was slightly behind him, but somehow the 5'7" Messi soared in the air, leaning back as he defied gravity, and headed the ball over van der Sar and into the net. It's not the type of goal that Messi usually scores, but it will go down as one of the most memorable goals in Champions League final history.

Up 2-0 with twenty minutes to go, Barcelona looked certain to win. And you got the sense that the United players were resigned to that fact too. Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes came on as substitutes, but they did little to improve United's chances. Berbatov headed well over the goal, and Scholes' impact was limited to a typical, clumsy tackle that earned him a yellow card.

At the end, Barcelona fully deserved the 2-0 victory, a win that gave the Catalan club a unique treble: Spanish League title, Copa del Rey, and Champions League. And all this in manager Pep Guardiola's first year in charge. It was also the first Champions League medal for Thierry Henry, Man United's nemesis for so many years at Arsenal. Also worth mentioning was the play of former United defender Gerard Pique, who was excellent at left back, blocking cross after cross from the right wing.

Congratulations to Barcelona! They completely outplayed Manchester United. In fact, Chelsea's semi-final performance, holding Barca scoreless for 180 minutes, now looks like an even more impressive feat, even if it ended in defeat.

By now, I'm sure you're well aware of what happened during the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final against Barcelona. After drawing 0-0 in the first leg at Barcelona, Chelsea led 1-0 in the second leg until Iniesta scored in stoppage time to give Barcelona a 1-1 draw, which meant Barca advanced to the final on the away goals tie breaker. For Americans and others unfamiliar with the away goals rule, it is one of those quirks of European football, designed as an apparently preferable alternative to penalty kicks as a tie breaker. I'm not sure I agree that it's a better solution, but that is the rule. If both clubs are tied on aggregate after the second leg, then the team that scored more goals in their away leg advances. Thus Barcelona's goal at Chelsea gave them a 1-0 advantage in terms of away goals. Why this is better than Chelsea's 1-0 advantage in terms of home goals I don't know.

But the away goal rule was not the center of controversy in the game at Stamford Bridge. It is totally accepted as a legitimate tie breaking rule in Europe. What caused the controversy was the fact that the referee in the match, Norwegian Tom Henning Ovrebo, failed to give Chelsea a penalty kick on four separate occasions. Any one of the penalty claims would have given Chelsea the opportunity to go up 2-0 and virtually ensure their place in the final.

So here's my verdict on the penalty claims. Two were 100% no doubt penalties.

1. Florent Malouda was hauled down inside the Barcelona penalty area. Referee Ovrebo spotted the foul, but inexplicably awarded Chelsea a free kick just outside the area rather than a penalty kick. Verdict: horrible call, definitely a penalty.

2. In the second half, Nicolas Anelka kicked the ball into the penalty area where it hit Pique's raised arm. Overbo waved play on. Verdict: Another clear penalty. It was a handball in plain view that the referee could not have missed.

There other two claims were less obvious, but nonetheless, they are given at least 50% of the time.

3. Didier Drogba went to ground after contact from Abidal. This one could go either way. There was contact, Drogba went down, so it could have been called a penalty. However, the contact was minimal and Drogba has a reputation for going down rather easily. Drogba's reputation probably caught up to him this time. Verdict: I'll give Tom Henning Ovrebo the benefit of the doubt on this one.

4. After Barcelona tied the match, Chelsea played a corner kick into the box. It was played out to Ballack, who fired a shot on goal. It hit a Samuel Eto'o near the shoulder. Ballack screamed for a penalty, chasing the referee as he waved play on. Again, this was a close call. The ball appeared to hit the shoulder or chest as much as it hit the arm. In any event, the player's arm was held against his body, not extended up like Pique's handball. Verdict: Overbo could have given a penalty as a "make-up call" for missing the other three. But it was not a 100% penalty claim, more of a 50-50.

As it turned out, Chelsea should have been awarded at least 2 penalties, but Tom Henning Ovrebo blew it big time and Chelsea miss out on the final as a result. The Chelsea players, particularly Drogba and Ballack, understandably felt robbed and voiced their anger at Ovrebo after the final whistle. Their expression of anger was well over the top and will certainly draw punishment from UEFA. But UEFA should also review the performance of Ovrebo. In addition to the two (or four) missed penalties, he also incorrectly sent off Abidal of Barcelona, proving that he was an equal opportunity blunderer.

I'm not buying the conspiracy theories that UEFA didn't want two English clubs in the final and instructed Ovrebo to make sure Barca won at all costs. I think incompetence is more likely than conspiracy. To be fair to Ovrebo, he had previously worked over 20 Champions League matches, but he did come under criticism for his handling of the Italy-Romania match at Euro 2008 for a late penalty he awarded to Romania. Ovrebo admitted the mistake after the match and was not selected for any other games at Euro '08.

One final point about the Chelsea game. Yes, the Blues were denied at least two solid penalty claims, but they also have themselves to blame for not extending their lead. Up 1-0 in the second half, Chelsea had several goal scoring chances that would have wrapped up the win, but they failed to convert. The best chance was when Didier Drogba was played into the box with one defender to beat. He pulled the ball back past the defender but fired his shot right at keeper Victor Valdes. Chelsea could have made the penalty controversy moot, but they failed to kill the game off with a second goal. As a result, Ovrebo's incorrect penalty decisions loomed large. Condolences to Chelsea, but a word of advice. Screaming at the referee after the match rarely gets you anything except maybe a fine or suspension.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal are into the Champions League Semi-Finals

Three English clubs - Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal - made it into the semi-finals of the Champions League this week. Manchester United looked vulnerable after drawing the first leg of their quarter-final tie with Porto at Old Trafford. But they squeaked by with a 1-0 win at Porto in the second leg today, thanks largely to a superb, long-range strike from Cristiano Ronaldo. Arsenal were also tied 1-1 after their first leg match with Villareal, but they cruised to a 3-0 win today in the second leg. Congratulations to the Gunners and the Red Devils.

But the match of the week, indeed the match of the year, was Tuesday's game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea were the favorites to advance, having convincingly beaten Liverpool 3-1 at Anfield in the first leg. The Blues chances looked even better when Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was ruled out due to injury. But Liverpool stormed back in the second leg, thanks in part to a jittery performance from Chelsea keeper Petr Cech. In the 19th minute, Petr Cech assumed Fabio Aurelio's free kick from distance would be a cross to the far post. Cech took a step to his right before realizing that Auerlio was shooting at the near post. It was too late, as a diving Cech could not scramble back across goal, and the ball smashed into the back of the net.

Within ten minutes, Liverpool had a penalty kick after Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea's hero from the first leg, pulled down Xabi Alonso in the box. Alonso converted the spot kick, and suddenly Liverpool were level 3-3 on aggregate. But they needed one more goal to advance as Chelsea had the away goals advantage, 3-2 at that time.

Before half time, Chelsea manager Gus Hiddink replaced Salomon Kalou with Nicolas Anelka in an effort to reverse the momentum. After a half time team talk that Hiddink described as "angry," Chelsea responded in the second half. Anelka played the ball into the box with a low cross near the touch line. It should have been easy enough for Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina to handle, but a diving Didier Drogba got a slight touch on the ball, which deflected off Reina and over the line. Five minutes later, Chelsea were given a free kick about ten yards outside the penalty area, and Alex scored with a swerving pile-driver of a kick. And just like that, the Stamford Bridge crowd seemed much more at ease.

In the 76th minute, Didier Drogba played the ball to Frank Lampard, who scored from close range, the ball deflecting off Reina and into the net. Now leading 3-2 in the second leg and 6-3 on aggregate, Chelsea were surely through to the semi-finals, weren't they? So it seemed until a deflected shot from Lucas went into the Chelsea goal in the 82nd minute, followed by a headed goal from Dirk Kuyt a minute later. Suddenly, Liverpool led 4-3 and trailed only 5-6 on aggregate. Another late goal would send the Reds through.

The Stamford Bridge crowd became nervous once again, especially after Petr Cech looked less and less confident. With Liverpool pressing forward, Chelsea were able to counter-attack, and Lampard once again proved the hero. He took a passjust inside the box and curled a shot off the left post, across the goal, and then off the right post and over the line to seal a spot in the semis. There was still time for Cech to make another error as he was caught out of goal. But Michael Essien was on the line to head away a last minute shot from David N'Gog.

Final score: 4-4 (Chelsea advanced 7-5 on aggregate). It wasn't the best played game from a technical standpoint, but defensive errors led to a dramatic game filled with goals. Much different than what we have come to expect from Chelsea and Liverpool in the Champions League. Chelsea's reward - facing Barcelona in the semi-finals. And they will be without left back Ashely Cole who picked up a yellow card against Liverpool. Who will Chelsea select to defend against Lionel Messi? In previous years, they had England's second best left back, Wayne Bridge, to fill in, but Bridge is now at Manchester City. That means that former Barcelona player Juliano Belletti will probably get the call. Ironic, as Belletti scored the goal that won the Champions League final for Barcelona against Arsenal.

Note: on a more serious note, today marks the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster that claimed the lives of 96 Liverpool fans. Our thoughts are with their families and friends today. You'll never walk alone!

The BBC has full coverage of the memorial service held today at Anfield:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/7999279.stm

Final 16 Match-ups
The three Italian clubs were all paired against English competition. Jose Mourinho will renew his rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson as Inter Milan were drawn against the reigning champions Man United. It will also be a homecoming for Claudio Ranieri. The former Chelsea manager will return to Stamford Bridge with his Juventus side. And Roma will face off against Arsenal. The other English club, Liverpool, will face Real Madrid in a homecoming of sorts for Liverpool's Spanish manager Rafa Benitez. Here is the complete draw:

CHELSEA v Juventus
Villarreal v Panathinaikos
Sporting Lisbon v Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid v Porto
Lyon v Barcelona
Real Madrid v LIVERPOOL
ARSENAL v Roma
Inter Milan v MANCHESTER UNITED

PSV Eindhoven 1 - 3 Liverpool
Liverpool had already clinched a spot in the final 16 of the Champions League, but their 3-1 win at Eindhoven. Germain ensured the Reds finished in first place in their group. After falling behind 0-1, Liverpool responded with three goals despite resting many of their top players. Ryan Babel scored just before half time, and Riera and Ngog added second half goals.

Chelsea 2 - 1 Cluj
It was a bit more difficult for Chelsea, however. The Blues needed a win at home against Romanian club Cluj to ensure they advanced. Saloman Kalou put the Blues in front late in the first half, but Cluj fought back to tie the game at 1-1 early in the second half. Striker Didier Drogba, who has missed many games to due injury and suspension, came off the bench to rescue Chelsea with the winning goal in the 71st minute. As it turned out, Chelsea would have advanced even with a draw because group leaders Roma defeated Bordeaux. Even with their win, Chelsea could not catch Roma, so they advance as the second place team in the group. That means the Blues will face a group winner in the round of 16.

The teams in Groups E, F, G, and H still have one game remaining, but the top two clubs in each of those groups have mathematically advanced. Here are 16 clubs in the knockout stage of the Champions League:

Group A: Roma, Chelsea
Group B: Panathinaikos, Inter Milan
Group C: Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon
Group D: Liverpool, Atletico Madrid
Group E: Man United, Villarreal
Group F: Lyon, Bayern Munich
Group G: Arsenal, FC Porto
Group H: Juventus, Real Madrid

All four of the English and Spanish clubs have advanced. Here is a country by country breakdown of the final 16:

England: 4 clubs
Spain: 4
Italy: 3
Portugal: 2
Germany: 1
France: 1
Greece: 1

The 2008-09 season is fast approaching. In fact, some teams have already played their first qualifying matches in the UEFA Cup. Today, the 3rd round qualifying matches for the Champions League were announced. Here is the complete draw:

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Third qualifying round draw:

Anorthosis/Rapid Vienna v Olympiakos
Vitoria Guimaraes v IFK Gothenburg/Basel
Shakhtar Donetsk v Domzale/Dinamo Zagreb
Schalke 04 v Atletico Madrid
Aalborg/Modrica v RANGERS/Kaunas
Barcelona v Beitar Jerusalem/Wisla Krakow
Levski Sofia v Anderlecht/BATE
Standard Liege v LIVERPOOL
Inter Baku/Partizan v Fenerbahce/MTK Budapest
FC Twente v ARSENAL
Spartak Moscow v Drogheda/Dinamo Kiev
Juventus v Tampere/Artmedia
SK Brann/Ventspils v Marseille
Fiorentina v Slavia Prague
Galatasaray v Steaua Bucharest
Panathinaikos/Dinamo Tbilisi v Sheriff Tiraspol/Sparta Prague

The winners of these cup ties will enter the group stage of the Champions League.

Man United 1 - 1 (6-5 pen) Chelsea
Manchester United claimed the league and Champions League double after winning a dramatic content on penalty kicks. Ronaldo headed United into the lead in the first half, but a late first half goal from Frank Lampard made it 1-1 at half time. Petr Cech made crucial saves against Carrick and Tevez to keep Chelsea in the game.

In the second half, Didier Drogba had a shot deflect off the post, and John Terry came up big to head away Ryan Gigg's shot on goal. In extra time, Frank Lampard hit the cross bar, and the game headed to penalty kicks. Didier Drogba was sent off in extra time for slapping Vidic, so he was unable to factor in the penalty kicks.

After Petr Cech saved Cristiano Ronaldo's spot kick, Chelsea had the advantage. But John Terry's penalty kick sailed wide off the post as he slipped taking the kick. If Terry had converted, Chelsea would have been Champions League champions. But United made their next two kicks, and when Edwin van der Sar saved Nicolas Anelka's kick, it was all over. Man United won the Champions League 6-5 on penalties.

PENALTY SHOOT-OUT
TEVEZ SCORES Man Utd 1-0 Chelsea
BALLACK SCORES Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea
CARRICK SCORES Man Utd 2-1 Chelsea
BELLETTI SCORES Man Utd 2-2 Chelsea
RONALDO MISSES Man Utd 2-2 Chelsea
LAMPARD SCORES Man Utd 2-3 Chelsea
HARGREAVES SCORES Man Utd 3-3 Chelsea
A COLE SCORES Man Utd 3-4 Chelsea
NANI SCORES Man Utd 4-4 Chelsea
TERRY MISSES Man Utd 4-4 Chelsea
ANDERSON SCORES Man Utd 5-4 Chelsea
KALOU SCORES Man Utd 5-5 Chelsea
GIGGS SCORES Man Utd 6-5 Chelsea
ANELKA MISSES Man Utd 6-5 Chelsea

Chelsea v Manchester United
It's an all-English final for the first time ever in the Champions League as Chelsea take on Man United in Moscow on Wednesday. And along it's not quite a home game for Chelsea, the Blues and their Russian owner Roman Abramovich will likely get a warm reception from their Russian fans.

These two clubs battled it out for the Premier League title, with Man United winning it on the last day, but Chelsea won the last meeting between the two clubs less than a month ago. Michael Ballack scored both goals, one of which was a penalty, in Chelsea's 2-1 win on April 26. Ballack was on the losing end of a Champions League final when his Bayer Leverkusen team lost to Real Madrid in 2002.

Chelsea also feature six players who have won the Champions League with other clubs: Claude Makelele, Ricardo Carvalho, Andriy Shevchenko, Paulo Ferreira, Juliano Belletti, and Nicholas Anelka. But for Chelsea to prevail, the Blues need top performances from their big three: defender John Terry, midfielder Frank Lampard, and striker Didier Drogba. Terry dislocated his left elbow in Chelsea's last league game, but the Chelsea captain plans to be in the starting eleven.

Manchester United still have a few hold overs from their 1999 Champions League triumph. Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville played in their win over Bayern Munich, but Paul Scholes was suspended, and Wes Brown was an unused substitute. But like Chelsea, Man United's chances will likely depend on players making their debut in the final, particularly Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

It will be interesting to see how Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo play in the final. On their best days, they can put in spectacular, game-changing performances. Ronaldo's pace and tricks on the ball can leave defenders sprawling on the pitch, while Drogba's power and strength in the air can dominate defenders. But on their worst days, they seem more intent on drawing free kicks and penalties after the slightest of contact. Chelsea fans will tell you that Ronaldo is the biggest diver in the Premiership since Robert Pires, bigger even. While United fans will complain about Drogba's theatrics. Let's hope they both concentrate on playing proper football on Wednesday.

If United are to win, then their goals will likely come from Ronaldo, Rooney, or Carlos Tevez. They combined for 78 goals in all competitions, while the next highest goal scorer (Luis Saha) only netted 5. Chelsea, by contrast, had much more balanced scoring. Six players scored eight or more goals, and no one scored 20 or more. Lampard led the way with 19, followed by Drogba (15), Salomon Kalou (11), and Joe Cole (10). Lampard has unfarily taken a lot of criticism for his play with England, but no one can deny the impact he has made with Chelsea, especially after his dramatic penalty kick against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final.

These two clubs are very evenly matched, and after United won the league, I think Chelsea will deservedly earn the last piece of silverware of the season. Look for Lampard and Drogba to score to give Chelsea a 2-1 win and their first ever Champions League trophy.

Chelsea 3 - 2 Liverpool (extra time)
The third time was the charm for Chelsea as the Blues finally reach the Champions League final with a thrilling extra time victory over Liverpool. Having lost at the semi-final stage 3 of the past four seasons, and twice to Liverpool, Chelsea finally made it over the penultimate hurdle to reach the final of Europe's premier club competition. But it wasn't easy.

Chelsea dominated possession in the first half, and finally took the lead in the 33rd minute. Frank Lampard played a perfect long pass into the path of Salomon Kalou on the left wing. Kalou's shot was blocked by Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina, but Didier Drogba was on hand to slam the rebound just inside the right post for the opening goal. Chelsea took a 1-0 lead into half time.

In the second half, Liverpool began to make strides against the stingy Chelsea defense. And great work from Yossi Benayoun set up the tying goal. Benayoun cut in from the right, beat two defenders as he dribbled to the edge of the box, and fed Fernando Torres in front of goal. Torres quickly turned, and fired in the tying goal for Liverpool.

Both clubs searched for the winning goal, but at the 90 minute mark it was still tied, so extra time was required. And in extra time, Chelsea came out swining. Michael Essien looked to have put Chelsea in front again, but his blast from outside the box was ruled offside as two Chelsea players were standing in an offside position, even though it looked like they were not interfering with play.

Moments later, however, Chelsea were awarded a penalty when Sami Hyypia tooke down Michael Ballack just inside the box. Frank Lampard, who had missed Chelsea's last match due to the death of his mother, cooly stepped up to take the penalty, and his spot kick was perfect, just inside the right post as the Liverpool keeper dived the wrong way. Lampard grabbed the black arm band the team wore as a tribute to his mother as he celebrated with his teammates in an emotional moment. Lampard gestured to his father in the stands before the restart, and regardless of which team your support, you had to feel for Lampard.

And when Chelsea scored later in the first 15 minutes of extra time, you got the sense that it was destiny for Chelsea to finally make it past the semi-finals. Nicolas Anelka dribbled into the box and played a nice pass back to Drogba, who slammed home his second goal of the match to give Chelsea a 3-1 lead.

In the second 15 minutes of extra time, Liverpool scored a consolation goal when Chelsea keeper Petr Cech misplayed Ryan Babel's long range shot. Cech got a piece of the ball, but not enough to steer it wide of the goal. After a nervous final three minutes of the match, the Stamford Bridge crowd celebrated Chelsea's first ever appearance in the Champions League Final. They will face Manchester United in the first ever all England final.

Manchester United 1 - 0 Barcelona
In the other semi-final, Manchester United advanced 1-0 on aggregate thanks to a brilliant long range striker from Paul Scholes. In a largely uneventful match, Scholes's goal was the difference after a 0-0 first leg in Barcelona.

Barcelona 0 - 0 Manchester United
United were given an early chance to take control of the match and the cup tie, but Cristiano Ronaldo failed to hit the target from the penalty spot, shooting wide of the goal. As he watched his shot heading off target, Ronaldo pretended to trip over the penalty spot in a bizarre attempt to draw another penalty (just kidding). As a result, United return to Old Trafford for the second leg without an away goal and needing a win to advance to the Champions League final.

Liverpool 1 - 1 Chelsea
I suppose Chelsea were due a little bit of luck at Anfield. Twice in the last three seasons, the Blues' Champions League campaigns were ended in heartbreaking fashion in Liverpool. In the first contest, Luis Garcia's disputed goal - that may not have crossed the line - was the difference. And a year later, Chelsea went out on penalties playing the second leg at Anfield.

This time around, the third semi-final against Liverpool in four seasons, looked like it would be another 1-0 win for Liverpool. Late in the first half, Frank Lampard lost possession to Dirk Kuyt near the Chelsea box. And after a flick and a lobbed pass in front of goal, Kuyt beat Claude Makelele to the ball and stabbed the ball past Petr Cech to give the Reds the lead.

Liverpool really should have extended their lead in the second half, but Petr Cech came up huge in goal. Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres each were denied by brilliant saves as Chelsea somehow prevented further damage.

The referee allowed four minutes of injury time, and with only seconds left, Salomon Kalou received a throw-in near the corner kick spot, beat two defenders and crossed the ball into the box. Nicolas Anelka was waiting in the box, but Jon Arne Riise was in front of him ready to clear the ball. But rather than hoofing the ball to safety out of bounds, he decided to stoop low and attempt to head it over the end line. Instead, his low header found the top corner of the Liverpool net past a helpless Pepe Reina.

Unbelievably, Chelsea snatched a late draw, and more importantly, take a crucial away goal into the second leg at Stamford Bridge. With seconds to go, it looked like Chelsea would need to win their home leg by two goals to advance to the final. Now, a 0-0 draw or a one-goal victory in leg two will see Chelsea through to their first ever Champions League final, a feat Jose Mourinho was not able to achieve. Mourinho was the Special One, perhaps Avram Grant will be remembered as the Lucky One.

For the third time in the last four seasons, Chelsea will play Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Chelsea 2 - 0 (3-2 aggregate) Fenerbahce
Chelsea came back from a 1-2 first leg deficit to defeat Turkish club Fenerbahce 2-0 in the second leg and advance 3-2 on aggregate. Michael Ballack put the Blues into the lead early on, heading in a cross from Joe Cole. Without injured starting keeper Petr Cech, Chelsea started the match with Carlo Cudicini in goal, but he had to leave with a hamstring injury. Third choice keeper Hilario finished the game, and made crucial saves to preserve Chelsea's lead. Frank Lampard's late goal, assisted by Michael Essien, sealed the win and a place in the semis.

Liverpool 4-2 (5-3 aggregate) Arsenal
Liverpool came back from a goal down early and from trailing on away goals late, to score two late goals to advance to the semi-finals for the third time in the last four seasons. Arsenal's Abou Diaby gave the Gunners into an early lead, but Sami Hyppia headed in the tying goal at the half hour mark. Fernando Torres put the Reds in front in the 69th minute, but when Emmanuel Adebayor scored with 6 minutes remaining after a superb run from Theo Walcott, it looked like Arsenal would advance on away goals with the aggregate score tied 3-3. But Liverpool dramatically and controversially scored the go ahead goal just two minutes later. The referee awarded Liverpool a penalty when Ryan Babel was brought down in the box by Kolo Toure. The challenge was reminiscent of Dirk Kuyt's challenge on Alexander Hleb in the first leg, but no penalty was given on that occasion. Steven Gerrard converted the penalty this time, and Ryan Babel added a late goal the seal the win and set up yet another semi-final against Chelsea. Predictably, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blamed the loss on the referee.

There are four English clubs in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but only one - Manchester United - won the first leg. Man United won 2-0 at Roma with the usual suspects Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney scoring the goals. Ronaldo's was a brilliant header as he soared above everyone to head the ball home. Rooney's goal was less spectacular as he bundled the ball into the goal from close range, but it was no less important. With a 2-0 advantage heading into the second leg at Old Trafford, the Red Devils are all but assured of a place in the semis.

Arsenal and Liverpool played to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners manager Arsene Wenger will tell you his side should have been given a penalty kick when Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt tugged Robin van Persie to the ground. But the Dutch referee didn't see it that way, and the game ended in a draw. Emmanual Adebayor gave Arsenal the lead in the 23rd minute but Dirk Kuyt pulled Liverpool level within three minutes. With an away goal and a 1-1 score from the first leg, Liverpool will like their chances in the second leg at Anfield.

On paper, Chelsea faced the weakest quarter-final opponent, but no one told the Fenerbahce players that they were supposed to lose. Chelsea took the lead when Fenerbahce's Deivid deflected the ball into his own net in the 13th minute. But the Turkish side came back strong in the second half, and it was a London-born Colin Kazim-Richards who scored the tying goal in the 64th minute. With the score 1-1, Deivid made up for the own goal with a stunning strike in the 81st minute, drilling the ball into the top corner of the goal from long range. Having scored an away goal, Chelsea can still advance with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge or a win by 2 goals or more, but their path is much more difficult that it appeared to be at half time.

Here are the complete 1st leg results from the quarter-final round of the Champions League:

Roma 0 - 2 Man United
Schalke 0 - 1 Barcelona
Arsenal 1 - 1 Liverpool
Fenerbahce 2 - 1 Chelsea

The quarter-final and semi-final draws for the Champions League were announced today, and we could be heading toward another Chelsea-Liverpool semi-final. But the Reds will have to get past Arsenal first as the two English clubs were drawn together. Man United will play Roma in the quarter-finals, while Chelsea will face Turkish club Fenerbahce. Here is the complete draw:

Champions League quarter-final draw:
1 Arsenal v Liverpool
2 AS Roma v Man Utd
3 Schalke 04 v FC Barcelona
4 Fenerbahce v Chelsea

Champions League semi-final draw:
1 Arsenal/Liverpool v Fenerbahce/Chelsea
2 Schalke/Barcelona v AS Roma/Man Utd

Liverpool and Arsenal, having finished second in their respective groups, were handed difficult draws for the knockout stage of the Champions League. Liverpool will face Italian champions Inter Milan, while Arsenal will play the defending Champions League winners, AC Milan. Manchester United will face a somewhat less formidable opponent, the French champions Lyon. Chelsea probably have the most favorable draw of the British clubs. The Blues will play Olympiakos. Here is the complete round of 16 draw:

Celtic v Barcelona
Lyon v Manchester United
Schalke v Porto
Liverpool v Inter Milan
Roma v Real Madrid
Arsenal v AC Milan
Olympiakos v Chelsea
Fenerbahce v Sevilla

My predictions for the final 8: Barcelona, Man United, Porto, Inter, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Sevilla.

It is odd to look at the Serie A table in Italy and see AC Milan in the middle of the pack. The last time I checked, Milan hadn't won a home game in the league. That's why I think Arsenal will knock out the defending champions. Liverpool were lucky just to qualify for the knockout stage after their poor start to their group games. But with their recent setbacks in the Premiership and the League Cup, the Reds will be gunning for the Champions League title once again. The Liverpool v Inter matchup is the best of the round of 16. Expect a close contest, but I think Inter will win by a goal on aggregate (or advance on away goals).

Lyon are a good club, but they lack the quality of previous seasons, and I expect Man United to advance. Likewise, I can't see Olympiakos sending Chelsea out of the competition. Chelsea have injury worries and several players that will play in the Africa Cup of Nations, but the Blues still have plenty of depth to handle the Greek squad.

And Celtic have absolutely no chance of beating Barcelona.

After Liverpool and Chelsea booked their places in the final 16 of the Champions League yesterday, Man United and Arsenal made it four English clubs in the final 16. United were held to a 1-1 draw in Rome but still finish as group leaders. The game was marred by violence off the pitch as several Man United fans were stabbed outside the stadium. Arsenal won 2-1 to finish in second place in their group. Here are the final tables for the four groups in action today. The top two teams advance to the knockout round of 16; third place teams qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Group E Table

14 Barcelona (4 - 2- 0)
10 Lyon (3 - 1- 2)
07 Rangers (2 - 1- 3)
03 VfB Stuttgart (1 - 0- 5)

Group F Table

16 Man Utd (5 - 1- 0)
11 Roma (3 - 2- 1)
07 Sporting (2 - 1- 3)
00 Dynamo Kiev (0 - 0- 6)

Group G Table

15 Inter Milan (5 - 0- 1)
11 Fenerbahce (3 - 2- 1)
06 PSV Eindhoven (2 - 1- 3)
01 CSKA Moscow (0 - 1 - 5)

Group H Table

15 Sevilla (5 - 0- 1)
13 Arsenal (4 - 1- 1)
05 Slavia Prague (1 - 2 - 3)
01 Steaua Bucharest (0 - 1 - 5)

The final Champions League group matches were played today, and both Chelsea and Liverpool qualified for the knockout stage. Chelsea cruised to a 0-0 draw against Valencia today, hitting the woodwork three times, but the Blues had already wrapped up the top spot in their group.

Liverpool, however, needed a win at Valencia to clinch a place in the final 16, and it couldn't have been easier for the Reds. Steven Gerrard scored within five minutes, smashing in the rebound after his penalty kick had been saved. Fernando Torres added a second goal moments later to ease Liverpool's fan's nerves. After the break, Dirk Kuyt made it 3-0 before Ryan Babel added the finishing touches to a 4-0 victory.

Here are the final tables for the four Champions League groups that have completed the group matches:

Group A
11 FC Porto (3 - 2 - 1)
10 Liverpool (3 - 1 - 2)
07 Marseille (2 - 1 - 3)
06 Besiktas (2 - 0 - 4)

Group B
12 Chelsea (3 - 3 - 0)
08 Schalke 04 (2 - 2 - 2)
07 Rosenborg (2 - 1 - 3)
05 Valencia (1 - 2- 3)

Group C

11 Real Madrid (3-2-1)
11 Olympiakos (3-2-1)
06 Werder Bremen (2-0-4)
05 Lazio (1-2-3)

Group D
13 AC Milan (4-1-1)
09 Celtic (3-0-3)
07 Benfica (2-1-3)
06 Shakhtar Donetsk (2-0-4)

The other four groups play their final matches on Wednesday.

Half of the group stage matches of the Champions League have been played, and three English clubs top their groups. Arsenal and Man United have perfect records through three games, while Chelsea are also first with two wins and a draw. Liverpool, however, find themselves in unusual territory: last place in their group. The Reds lost 1-2 to Besiktas in Istanbul yesterday and now must win their three remaining matches to qualify for the knockout phase.

Here are the updated group tables:

Group A
7 - Marseille (2-1-0)
5 - FC Porto (1-2-0)
3 - Besiktas (1-0-2)
1 - Liverpool (0-1-2)

Group B
7 - Chelsea (2-1-0)
4 - Rosenborg (1-1-1)
3 - Valencia (1-0-2)
3 - Schalke (1-0-2)

Group C
7 - Real Madrid (2-1-0)
4 - Olympiakos (1-1-1)
3 - Werder Bremen (1-0-2)
2 - Lazio (0-2-1)

Group D
6 - AC Milan (2-0-1)
6 - Shakhtar Donetsk (2-0-1)
3 - Benfica (1-0-2)
3 - Celtic (1-0-2)

Group E
7 - Barcelona (2-1-0)
7 - Rangers (2-1-0)
3 - Lyon (1-0-2)
0 - Stuttgart (0-0-3)

Group F
9 - Man United (3-0-0)
6 - Roma (2-0-1)
3 - Sporting Lisbon (1-0-2)
0 - Dynamo Kiev (0-0-3)

Group G
6 - Inter Milan (2-0-1)
5 - Fenerbahce (1-2-0)
4 - PSV Eindhoven (1-1-1)
1 - CSKA Moscow (0-1-2)

Group H
9 - Arsenal (3-0-0)
6 - Sevilla (2-1-0)
3 - Slavia Prague (1-0-2)
0 - Steaua Bucuresti (0-0-3)

Who would have thought that Chelsea, struggling with injuries and the loss of manager Mourinho, would find a way to win at Valencia and end the day in first place in their Champions League group. But that's just what happened thanks to Joe Cole's goal and superb pass to set up Didier Drogba for the winner. And John Terry's toughness as he played just 3 days after breaking his cheek bone against Fulham.

Likewise, who would have thought that Liverpool would lose at home to a Marseille side that had been struggling in the French League. But that's just what happened as Mathieu Valbuena scored the lone goal at Anfield to give Marseille the win. Now, Liverpool are in last place in their group, while Chelsea are in first place. It's a funny old game, and a team's fortunes can turn 180 degrees in a single day. When asked after the match what went wrong, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said, "just about everything."

Who could upstage the results of Chelsea and Liverpool? How about a crazy fan at Celtic Park. Scott McDonald scored a late winner for Celtic to defeat the reigning European champions, but the talking point of the game will be the pitch invansion of a lone idiot and the subsequent dramatics of Milan keeper Dida. A fan ran across the pitch, giving Dida an ever so slight tap to the cheek. At first, Dida ran after the fanatic for 3 or 4 steps before deciding to grab his face and fall to the ground as if he had been punched in the jaw. Unbelievably, Dida was carried off on a stretcher.

The sorry incident reminded me of Rivaldo's antics when he pretended to be struch in the face by a ball that hit his knees in the 2002 World Cup. Sure, there's no excuse for a fan running onto the pitch, but Dida's reaction was one of the worst displays of diving I have ever seen. It was such a delayed reaction that it was obviously simulation. Dida must have gone to the Cristiano Ronaldo school of theater. I hope Celtic aren't hit too hard with whatever punishment UEFA hands down. As much as the fan was at fault for running onto the pitch, Dida should be equally ashamed for his performance. I mean, if you are going to pretend to be seriously injured, do it right away, not after you chase the bloke for three paces. That's just bad acting. I guess Dida needs more classes from Ronaldo do perfect his craft.

It was a mixed bag of results for English and Scottish clubs in the first group stage matches of the Champions League. Manchester United and Arsenal won their opening matches, but Liverpool and Chelsea were held to draws. Rangers recorded a come from behind win over Stuttgart, but Celtic lost away to Shahktar Donetsk in Ukraine.

Results
Arsenal 3 - 0 Sevilla
Barcelona 3 - 0 Lyon
Fenerbahce 1 - 0 Inter Milan
PSV Eindhoven 2 - 1 CSKA Moscow
Rangers 2 - 1 Stuttgart
Roma 2 - 0 Dynamo Kiev
Slavia Prague 2 - 1 Steaua Bucuresti
Sporting Lisbon 0 - 1 Man United
AC Milan 2 - 1 Benfica
Chelsea 1 - 1 Rosenborg
FC Porto 1 - 1 Liverpool
Marseille 2 - 0 Besiktas
Olympiakos 1 - 1 Lazio
Real Madrid 2 - 1 Werder Bremen
Schalke 0 - 1 Valencia
Shakhtar Donetsk 2 - 0 Celtic

Teams were drawn into groups for the European Champions League today, and this provides me with an opportunity to voice my annual opposition to the UEFA seeding criteria. There are eight groups of four teams each at this stage in the Champions League. And UEFA ranks the teams to ensure that the top 8 seeds don't meet in the group stage. In this way, each group contains a #1 seed, a #2 seed, a #3 seed, and a #4 seed. That's reasonable enough, but it's the way the top seeds are determined that needs revision.

The clubs are ranked according to their performance in the Champions League over the past 5 years. That means clubs that had European success 4 or 5 years ago but have finished 3rd or 4th in their domestic leagues the past 3 years are given a higher seeding than clubs that have won their domestic leagues the last 3 years but may have been absent from European play 4 or 5 years ago. In other words, it's hard for recently successful clubs to break into the top tier.

Take Chelsea for example. Chelsea won the English Premier League in 2004-05 and 2005-06, but following both of those championship seasons, they were only a #2 seed. Liverpool, meanwhile, got a #1 seed the year after they finished only 5th in the Premiership. Ironically, this season Chelsea finally got a #1 seed in the Champions League despite the fact that the Blues finished 2nd in the Premiership last year. Why the upgrade in seeding? Because Chelsea made it to the Champions League semi-finals in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Does that make any sense? A two-time defending champion of the Premiership is a #2 behind another club that hasn't won anything the last two years but did well in Europe 5 years ago? UEFA should update their seeding criteria to reward clubs that are playing well and winning championships NOW, not 4 or 5 years ago.

Anyway, I've been saying this for three years now to no avail, so here is the group draw for the 2007-08 Champions League (top seeds are in CAPS):

Group A
LIVERPOOL
Porto
Marseille
Besiktas

Group B
CHELSEA
Valencia
Schalke 04
Rosenborg

Group C
REAL MADRID
Werder Bremen
Lazio
Olympiakos

Group D
AC MILAN
Benfica
Celtic
Shakhtar Donetsk

Group E
BARCELONA
Lyon
Stuttgart
Rangers

Group F
MANCHESTER UNITED
Roma
Sporting Lisbon
Dynamo Kiev

Group G
INTER MILAN
PSV Eindhoven
CSKA Moscow
Fenerbahce

Group H
ARSENAL
Sevilla/AEK Athens
Steau Bucharest
Slavia Prague

Both Arsenal and Liverpool won the first leg of their third round qualifing matches. Arsenal won 2-0 at Sparta Prague, but it took a while for the Gunners to find the net. The match was still scoreless until Cesc Fabregas scored in the 72nd minute. Alexander Hleb added an injury time goal to put Arsenal in great shape heading into the second leg. Earlier this afternoon, Liverpool took a 1-0 lead over Toulouse with a goal from Andrei Voronin just before half time. After Peter Crouch headed the ball to him, Voronin spun around and fired home the winner. Both clubs should be favored to make it to the group stage.