reddevil04
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"A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one."
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Post by reddevil04 on Apr 18, 2006 8:29:08 GMT 7
AC Milan v Barcelona AC Milan's preparations for Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first-leg tie with Barcelona have been hit by the news that Filippo Inzaghi is out. The striker misses out with a virus, though captain Paolo Maldini and Cafu are fit again after injury.
Barcelona must do without striker Henrik Larsson, who has a thigh injury.
The Swede was set to deputise for Leo Messi, who is out with a thigh injury, while Deco is suspended, but Ronaldinho, Motta and Santi are fit.
And Barca boss Frank Rijkaard believes the semi final could prove a seminal moment in the club's recent history.
"This game is our big opportunity to consolidate ourselves as one of the top clubs," he said.
"We're a young team that still has a lot of hunger for victories, but it's time to show it at the top level.
"Milan is a team with a lot of experience, a great system of play and a very strong defence. It will be very interesting to see how we react against an opponent of this nature."
The tie pairs two of Europe's most prolific sides together, with Milan having scored 75 goals in 34 matches in Serie A, while Barcelona has 73 in 33 La Liga games.
And AC Milan chairman Adriano Galliani has dismissed claims that his side's push for the Serie A title will distract them from the match.
Milan host Barcelona just days after moving to within five points of Juventus in Italy's premier league.
But Galliani said: "We have only the Champions League in mind and we are focusing exclusively on Barcelona."
Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi added: "I think it will be fun. Not just for Milan fans, but for all the fans in Europe and the world that will follow this game."
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reddevil04
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"A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one."
Posts: 2,223
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Post by reddevil04 on Apr 18, 2006 8:34:06 GMT 7
Arsenal v Villarreal Villarreal's first-choice centre backs Gonzalo Rodriguez and Juan Manuel Pena are out of Wednesday's Champions League clash against Arsenal. The Spanish side will also be without goalkeeper Sebastian Viera, who serves a one-match ban. He will be replaced by Mariano Barbosa.
Latest Team News
Arsene Wenger is urging his team to enjoy their crucial Champions League tie against Villarreal.
With just a few hours to go until the first leg of their semi-final on Wednesday, he insisted no-one will be taking the Spanish side lightly.
"We want to just enjoy it, be up for it and love it because we have waited for so long to be there," the coach said.
The game also marks Arsenal's last European match at home before their move to Ashburton Grove.
Meanwhile, Wenger has also picked out the playmaker Riquelme as the key man for the opposition.
"Riquelme is a kind of quarterback to call on when it is needed," added Wenger, whose side now having kept a record eight straight clean sheets in Europe.
"Diego Forlan is the runner and they have Juan Pablo Sorin too.
"It means they are a team that has technical tricks, tactical knowledge, yet can slow the game down and wait for a weak moment."
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stone cold
Full Member
Bottomline is cos Stone Cold says so
Posts: 1,853
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Post by stone cold on Apr 18, 2006 9:13:21 GMT 7
my prediction,,BARCA 2 beat KING HENRY, in d Final
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Post by lawrencellh on Apr 18, 2006 9:36:06 GMT 7
my prediction,,BARCA 2 beat KING HENRY, in d Final i oso support barca...
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reddevil04
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"A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one."
Posts: 2,223
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Post by reddevil04 on Apr 18, 2006 10:32:07 GMT 7
Wouldn't mind if Arsenal win this. At least an English team get to hold the Champions League Cup. The last was Liverpool.
Who ever wins it I can live with but not Chelsea.
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laurence
Full Member
Brand New Season!!
Posts: 943
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Post by laurence on Apr 18, 2006 10:37:33 GMT 7
Wouldn't mind if Arsenal win this. At least an English team get to hold the Champions League Cup. The last was Liverpool.
Who ever wins it I can live with but not Chelsea. Ya man...totally support RD's statement!!......whatever it is...jes not Jose!!
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reddevil04
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"A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one."
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Post by reddevil04 on Apr 19, 2006 7:16:57 GMT 7
AC Milan 0 Barcelona 1Ludovic Giuly's fine second-half strike gave Barcelona a crucial advantage after the first leg of their Champions League semi-final with AC Milan. Giuly raced on to a perfect Ronaldinho pass and fired past Dida to earn the visitors a win their display deserved.
They could have scored more, with Giuly forcing Dida to save and Ronaldinho hitting the inside of a post too.
Milan's best chances fell to Alberto Gilardino, but he hit an upright with one and and poked another effort wide.
Having started brightly Milan ended the contest in forlorn fashion, and will perhaps even be pleased the margin of defeat was not greater.
Yet it began as a classic cat-and-mouse game of intense, high-pressure European football.
After the initial probing, Milan twice exposed alarming frailities in the visitors defence and twice should have gone ahead.
First Gilardino controlled a long throw into the box and shot against the post from four yards, before an Andriy Shevchenko header forced a low save from Victor Valdes after a fine Clarence Seedorf cross.
Samuel Eto'o was being starved of possession at the top of Barcelona's attacking triangle, though the Cameroonian did fire at Dida from 20 yards having brilliantly created himself some space.
As the game developed, Barca improved. Giuly was teed up by some combined Ronaldinho and Eto'o trickery, but shot low into Dida's arms.
Eto'o's movement was causing a problem, but twice he showed a bizarre lack of composure to blaze woefully off target when team-mates were well-placed in the box.
Milan nearly made him pay too, when Shevchenko clipped in Kaka and the Brazilian centred for Gilardino, who could only prod inches wide of Valdes' right-hand post.
Just before the hour mark, Ronaldinho finally stamped his class all over the contest.
He picked the ball up 40 yards out, skipped past Jaap Stam and whipped an inch-perfect ball in to Giuly, who did not need to break his stride before lashing left-footed past a stranded Dida.
Milan upped the tempo, but they only became more susceptible to a lightening break from their younger, less leg-weary opponents.
Ronaldinho supported Giuly on one attack and when he was fed in, the Fifa World Player of the Year saw his shot cannon back off the post and roll agonisingly across the goalline.
Milan did create one more chance to level, Kaka playing in Massimo Ambrosini, but the substitute lost his composure and dragged dreadfully wide.
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AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti: "It was a very balanced match. Milan played well and produced some good scoring chances that unfortunately we did not turn into goals. "The result still let's us hope to reverse the situation in the second leg. They won at San Siro, we can win at Barcelona."
Barcelona goalscorer Ludovic Giuly: "Ronaldinho passed me the perfect ball. I attempted a shot from the left and the ball went in. "Now we've got one foot in the final, but we have to remain cool and work hard to try and go all the way."
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AC Milan: Dida, Stam (Cafu 77), Kaladze, Nesta, Serginho, Gattuso (Ambrosini 73), Pirlo (Maldini 67), Seedorf, Kaka, Shevchenko, Gilardino. Subs Not Used: Kalac, Rui Costa, Vogel, Amoroso.
Booked: Nesta.
Barcelona: Valdes, Oleguer (Motta 75), Puyol, Marquez, Van Bronckhorst, Edmilson, Van Bommel, Iniesta, Giuly (Belletti 70), Ronaldinho, Eto'o (Maxi Lopez 89). Subs Not Used: Jorquera, Ezquerro, Sylvinho, Gabri.
Booked: Puyol, Valdes.
Goals: Giuly 57.
Att: 85,000.
Ref: Alain Sars (France).
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HOH!
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Senior
Posts: 1,233
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Post by HOH! on Apr 19, 2006 8:16:30 GMT 7
hahahaha... i won a chicken chop!!! ;D
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reddevil04
Full Member
"A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one."
Posts: 2,223
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Post by reddevil04 on Apr 20, 2006 6:55:40 GMT 7
Arsenal 1 Villarreal 0 Kolo Toure's first-half goal edged Arsenal towards the Champions League final with a narrow victory against Villarreal at Highbury. Toure turned home Aleksander Hleb's pass after 41 minutes to give Arsene Wenger's side a slender advantage.
Cesar Arzo headed Thierry Henry's shot off the line after the break as Arsenal struggled to break down Villarreal.
The Spanish side rarely threatened, although Juan Roman Riquelme and Marcos Senna forced saves from Jens Lehmann.
Arsenal were denied a crucial early breakthrough after 11 minutes when Henry slotted home Robert Pires' pass, but he was adjudged marginally offside.
Villarreal were well-organised, with the orchestrator Riquelme a constant threat.
He tested Lehmann from long range, then almost created an opening for Diego Forlan as the Spanish side grew in confidence.
But it was Arsenal who broke the deadlock four minutes before the interval, when Henry played in Hleb, whose cross was slotted in by Toure.
Villarreal responded instantly, with Lehmann forced to punch away Riquelme's free-kick.
Arsenal were then fortunate not to concede a penalty when Jose Mari was hauled down by Gilberto Silva, but Villarreal's appeals were waved away.
The Gunners almost doubled their advantage after 55 minutes when Emmanuel Eboue's cross was met by Henry, but Arzo recovered to clear off the line.
Lehmann had been relatively untroubled, but he was forced to scramble to make a low save from Senna's 20-yard drive.
Arsenal boss Wenger made a double change with 10 minutes to go, sending on Dennis Bergkamp and Robin Van Persie for Hleb and Freddie Ljungberg.
And Bergkamp almost snatched the crucial second in injury-time, but he was just beaten to the ball by Javi Venta as he looked to slide in Henry's cross.
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Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Flamini, Hleb (Bergkamp 80), Ljungberg (Van Persie 80), Silva, Fabregas, Pires, Henry. Subs Not Used: Almunia, Diaby, Song Billong, Walcott, Djourou.
Goals: Toure 41.
Villarreal: Barbosa, Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez, Arzo, Arruabarrena, Senna, Tacchinardi, Sorin (Josico 72), Riquelme, Jose Mari (Franco 55), Forlan (Calleja 90). Subs Not Used: Lopez Vallejo, Guayre, Hector Font, Edu Caballer.
Booked: Arzo, Riquelme, Tacchinardi, Franco, Quique Alvarez.
Att: 35,438
Ref: Konrad Plautz (Austria).
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JediKnight
Full Member
Senior
Just found out the world is ROUND! What a SURPRISE!
Posts: 2,221
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Post by JediKnight on Apr 20, 2006 8:03:18 GMT 7
YEAAAAA......... Arsenal WON!
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Post by lawrencellh on Apr 20, 2006 15:49:47 GMT 7
but i think the champion will goes to [glow=red,2,300]BARCA[/glow].
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nizam
Junior Member
Posts: 242
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Post by nizam on Apr 20, 2006 21:32:39 GMT 7
but i think the champion will goes to [glow=red,2,300] BARCA[/glow]. agree with u
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HOH!
Full Member
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Posts: 1,233
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Post by HOH! on Apr 20, 2006 21:49:56 GMT 7
wait... still got 2 more games to go before being champion..de ball is round... anything can happen..
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JediKnight
Full Member
Senior
Just found out the world is ROUND! What a SURPRISE!
Posts: 2,221
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Post by JediKnight on Apr 20, 2006 21:59:42 GMT 7
e ball is round.... hahaha... this is a good one!
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reddevil04
Full Member
"A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one."
Posts: 2,223
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Post by reddevil04 on Apr 26, 2006 7:10:47 GMT 7
Villarreal 0 Arsenal 0 (agg 0-1) Jens Lehmann saved Juan Roman Riquelme's last-minute penalty to send Arsenal into the Champions League final at Villarreal's expense. Villarreal looked set to send the game into extra-time when Gael Clichy fouled Jose Mari, but Lehmann dived to his left to save Riquelme's spot-kick.
Arsenal survived a siege, with Lehmann saving well from Guillermo Franco.
Diego Forlan also missed a glorious chance as Arsenal sealed a final clash with AC Milan or Barcelona in Paris.
Arsenal had to ride their luck and mount a rearguard action to reach the final on 17 May as the gifted Spanish outfit dominated throughout.
Sol Campbell, as expected, was recalled in place of the injured Philippe Senderos, for his first Champions League appearance since November.
Arsenal suffered an early blow when Mathieu Flamini limped off with a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Clichy, playing his first competitive game since November.
And he was on the defensive, along with his Arsenal colleagues, as Villarreal exerted total supremacy in the first 45 minutes.
Riquelme and Marcos Senna combined to set up Juan Pablo Sorin in the 17th minute, but he shot straight at Lehmann.
And five minutes before the interval, Lehmann came to Arsenal's rescue with a fine save from Franco's diving header as he closed on Javi Venta's fiercely-driven cross.
Villarreal ended the half in the ascendancy, with Lehmann clutching Riquelme's free-kick.
The second half started in bizarre fashion, when a fan raced on to the pitch and attempted to drape a Barcelona shirt over Thierry Henry before he was bundled away.
Franco almost broke the deadlock two minutes after the interval, with his powerful header flashing only inches wide with Lehmann well beaten.
The striker was dominating in the air, and once again he was only narrowly off target when he beat Campbell to Senna's cross.
Arsenal were living on their nerves, and they had another narrow escape after 64 minutes when Forlan shot wide of a gaping goal after a slick link-up with Franco.
Franco then had the ball in the net three minutes later, but his powerful strike was ruled out for offside.
Arsenal desperately needed to gain some momentum, and Wenger made a change after 68 minutes, sending on Robert Pires for Jose Antonio Reyes.
Just as time appeared to be running out, Villarreal were handed a lifeline as Clichy was harshly judged to have fouled Jose Mari in the area - but Lehmann won his battle with Riquelme to send Arsenal to Paris.
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