UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals Thread
 

who do u think will advance to the finals and what are ur predictions?

Reminder: Last Year Man United kabet Barca barra :hawhaw:

Manchester are having an easy time. I mean Inter, Porto and now Arsenal ? They are good but not for the Champions league.
Chelsea faced stronger teams, Liverpool and Juventus and now Barcelona. I'm thinking the winner between Chelsea and Barcelona will win it all.

mestahwen bi Inter w Arsenal inta?

Chase for honours continues at Wembley


Manchester United FC, Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC all have their sights set firmly on European glory in Rome after midweek triumphs but journeys to Wembley come first this weekend as they aim to reach the FA Cup final.
Ronaldo strike
United, who beat FC Porto to reach the UEFA Champions League semi-finals thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning goal, face Everton FC in the last four at Wembley on Sunday, 24 hours after Arsenal and Chelsea square off in a capital derby at the same venue. "This win gives us great confidence," said Ronaldo on Wednesday. "We started the season fantastically, after which we have gone down a little bit but I'm very confident and I'm looking forward to being back to my best and my colleagues as well."
Chase for honours
With just over a month of an intriguing season remaining, all three European challengers are chasing silverware on multiple fronts. Premier League leaders United are still on course for five trophies, having already secured the FIFA Club World Cup and the League Cup, while Guus Hiddink's Chelsea, who drew 4-4 with Liverpool on Tuesday to win an epic UEFA Champions League quarter-final 7-5 on aggregate and earn a date with FC Barcelona, have not given up on the domestic crown.
Confident Adebayor
Arsenal, for all their early season problems, could end a four-year wait for a trophy with an FA Cup and Champions League double after easing past Villarreal CF 3-0 on Wednesday despite the absence of goalkeeper Manuel Almunia and defenders Gaël Clichy, William Gallas and Johan Djourou, to set up a European showdown with United. "We know how good Chelsea are but if we play our football we can beat any team in the world," said Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor.
'Winners'
After being written off, manager Arsène Wenger's assertions that his young Arsenal side would come good are proving accurate, even if the league is beyond them. "These boys are winners," he said. "The focus these players have shown since the beginning of the season has been fantastic. The hunger they have shown every single day in training and the focus they have shown is great."
'Massive chance'
While United, Arsenal and Chelsea all have their eyes on several prizes, Everton's focus is on a first FA Cup success since 1995, when they beat United 1-0, and a place in next season's inaugural UEFA Europa League. Everton midfielder Tim Cahill said: "It is all about what we do. Deep down inside, I believe we have a massive chance. We need to try and score goals and not just stop them. Goals are coming from all over and the defence is solid." David Moyes's side have lost only two of their last 21 matches – the first a defeat at Old Trafford on 31 January.

The best final would be:
Man Utd v/s Barcelona

ana ma3 l barca in that case , ana ma3 7ayala 7ada dodd chelsea :p

lol Man United defeated Chelsea aktar men ma Barca defeated Chelsea so u must be with Man united :p

barca\Chelsea SUCKED yesterday, shu hayda :S I expected a better match, they sucked badly hopefully Man United\Arsenal will be better :D

Shot at history keeps Van der Sar focused


As a man who has savoured UEFA Champions League triumphs with AFC Ajax and Manchester United FC 13 years apart, Edwin van der Sar has seen just about everything the competition has to offer. But there is something new the 38-year-old Dutchman could yet achieve – namely to become part of the first team to retain club football's most coveted prize in the modern era.
Confidence
Van der Sar went close with Ajax when Louis van Gaal's titleholders reached the 1996 final against Juventus only to lose on penalties. The final that year was in Rome and with the big goalkeeper just a step away from returning to the Eternal City for this year's showpiece, he underlined his confidence that this United side have what it takes to succeed where Ajax failed 13 seasons ago.
'Better equipped'
"I think this side is much better equipped than we were with Ajax in '96," he said on the eve of United's semi-final first leg against Arsenal FC. "We had a lot of injuries, a lot of young players who had to fill gaps that were left by older players who had injuries and suspensions. So definitely. I won't say this is a bigger chance for me but we are better equipped to regain the trophy."
Sir Alex aim
The last club to retain the prize were AC Milan, European Champion Clubs' Cup winners in 1989 and 1990. Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he only learned this fact in the direct aftermath of last season's final. "When we won it last year that point was made at the press conference afterwards that no team had ever defended the trophy. I never knew that and I said to myself, 'It would be great if we could be the first ones to do that'. We are good at winning things for the first time and maybe that is a good omen for us."
'Stakes are high'
United made history as the first English team to enter the European Cup and the first to win it – not to mention the first English treble winners under Sir Alex. To get to another final, of course, they must first get past Premier League rivals Arsenal. "It is not just a Premier League game, it is a semi-final," said Van der Sar. "There is no question about that – the stakes are high, we want to reach Rome and both teams will do everything to make sure they are going to be there."
Defensive importance
If they are to better Arsenal, Van der Sar warned United would need to be at their best defensively against opponents who beat the champions 2-1 in north London in November. United have conceded twice in three of their last four games at Old Trafford – including Saturday's 5-2 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur FC. Van der Sar said: "Of course the whole team were not happy with the way we conceded on Saturday. It is important to make sure we keep them from scoring tomorrow."

aywaaaaaaaaaaaaa what a game a7la shi ba3ed el goal kel la3ibet el Man rej3o 3al dife3 hahahahahhahahah congrats Man United :D

Arsenal FC are facing a mounting injury crisis ahead of their UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg against Manchester United FC with left-back Gaël Clichy certainly ruled out and several others doubtful for Tuesday's decider.

Late decision
Manager Arsène Wenger was hopeful Clichy might recover from his back injury in time for the match at Arsenal Stadium, but confirmed today that he would miss out and also said forward Robin van Persie was touch-and-go. "Robin van Persie is out for the weekend and we will only know very, very late if he could be available for Tuesday or not," Wenger said. "We may not know until Tuesday. Gaël Clichy is definitely out." Nineteen-year-old full-back Kieran Gibbs deputised for Clichy at Old Trafford as Arsenal lost 1-0.

Groin problems
In addition, striker Eduardo da Silva and former United defender Mikaël Silvestre have both been ruled out of the club's Premier League visit to Portsmouth FC on the weekend with groin problems and will undergo tests to determine the extent of their injuries. "We have not scanned them yet [so we don't know about Tuesday] but they both miss Saturday for sure," said Wenger.

Fàbregas urges Arsenal to come of age



Cesc Fàbregas called on his Arsenal FC team-mates to "make history" in their UEFA Champions League semi-final return against Manchester United FC.
New chapter
Arsenal trail 1-0 after last week's first leg but Fàbregas believes they can surmount that obstacle and, with it, write a new chapter in their club's storybook. Arsène Wenger said he had never heard Old Trafford as loud as it was last week and Fàbregas is hoping Arsenal will return the compliment and make their home advantage count in their biggest game yet at the Arsenal Stadium.
'Most important game'
The Spanish playmaker said: "It is 1-0, we are not talking about 4-0. In the Champions League anything can happen. We know we are very strong at home, we have our fans behind us and they will be amazing I am sure. For most of the players, it will be the most important game of their career and it is the most important match the new stadium has seen. We want to make history here.
Home advantage
"When we play at home it is completely different," he added. "At home you are playing in front of your fans, you know the stadium better, you know the pitch. As a team if we are strong and united, if we stay compact and don't let them play and put pressure on them, I'm sure we have a great chance of going through. We just have to play our game and be confident we can do it because I'm sure we can."
Togetherness
Fàbregas praised the character shown by his team-mates in recovering from an indifferent start to 2008/09 to progress in Europe and embark on a 21-match unbeaten run in the Premier League. "At the beginning of the season it was difficult, we had players we didn't expect to leave [who did] but the team kept going." It is a young Arsenal team, with the average age of the ten outfield players who started the first leg just 23.5 – a far cry from the experienced side featuring the likes of Sol Campbell, Thierry Henry and Robert Pirès in which Fàbregas made his UEFA Champions League debut in autumn 2004. "I was very lucky to start in a very senior team with a lot of big players and that helped me a lot. But even if we are younger, we have the same quality and the same togetherness."

should've been more than 1 - 0 bi sara7a :(

they are keeping some energy for tonight :D man did u see kam wa7ad reje3 3al dife3 after the goal? lool ba3ed fi el joumhour ma nezlo 3al Defense :hawhaw:

lol lool yalla nchalla tonight bi rou7o 5 - 0 w yombeset Fabregas :lawl:

well its obvious that man utd are in the final but barcelona is not yet ;) anything can happen in the barca chelsea game.

nice game 4-1 to man they deserved to win and they played very good.

nchala barcelona ywall3ouwa kamen so the final will be man utd vs barcelona :D


p.s. justing instead of opening threads to discuss the meaning of life bi 2eikher hal layl come and share with us your football visions lool

niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice game..as Fabregas said, its a young team..wlek eh rabbouwon Manchester :D lol, Roma here we come lool

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH ta3 ta3 ta3 bouv bouv dij dij dij lool lool
Roma here we come :yayi:

yo2borneh alla taba3 Ronaldo the second goal was AMAZING :D

Glory Glory Man United :yayi:

btw hay a7la gift la O'Shea li ken 3id miledo mbere7 :W

Can anyone stop the holders now?

Manchester United FC are one game away from becoming the first team to retain the UEFA Champions League after Cristiano Ronaldo led a devastating display at Arsenal FC that swept Sir Alex Ferguson's side into the final in Rome.

Early advantage
Leading 1-0 after last week's first leg, early goals from Ji-Sung Park (8) and Ronaldo (11) left Arsenal reeling and all but booked United's place at the Stadio Olimpico on 27 May. The visitors' effervescence was summed up by their third goal a minute past the hour as Ronaldo, Park and Rooney were all involved in a lightning counterattack that ended with the Portuguese finding the roof of the net. United's night ended on a sour note, however, as Darren Fletcher collected a late red card for a foul on Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie converting the resulting penalty to give Arsenal the scantest of consolations. What made the difference for United over the two legs – and how keenly will Fletcher's absence be felt in the final?

Making history
AC Milan were the last side to win two successive European Champion Clubs' Cup finals, in 1989 and 1990, but no team has managed the feat since the UEFA Champions League era began in 1992. Indeed, Juventus were the last defending champions to reach the final the following year, but lost the 1997 showpiece to BV Borussia Dortmund, while Valencia CF were runners-up in 2000 and 2001. How good are this United team – and can they go on to make history? What have been the secrets of their success? And how does Sir Alex Ferguson go on producing sides that are in contention for the top prizes year after year?

'It's a dream to see what he can do'


Manchester United FC defender John O'Shea hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as the "world's best" after the Portuguese forward's two goals helped the holders sweep aside the challenge of Arsenal FC to book their place in the UEFA Champions League final.
'Just a dream'
United were 3-1 winners on the night – securing a 4-1 aggregate success – as they built on the eighth-minute lead given them by Park Ji-Sung with two spectacular efforts from Cristiano Ronaldo, the first just three minutes after Park's goal. O'Shea, scorer of the only goal of the first leg, said: "Ronaldo stepped up to the plate and showed everyone why he is the world's best player. It's just a dream to see what he can do.
'Tactics worked a treat'
"It was an amazing feeling because we played so well," the Irish international defender added. "We knew the players we have for the counterattack were going to do it for us and in the first half in particular the tactics worked a treat – it was an amazing goal from Ronaldo to really kill the game off." After Park had profited from a Kieran Gibbs slip to open the scoring, Ronaldo struck a stunning second as he beat Almunia with the speed and swerve of his incredible free-kick from 40 metres. Ronaldo defended Arsenal's goalkeeper for his failure to reach the strike, saying: "The shot was quite difficult to save because the ball moved a little bit. It was a good goal."
Superlatives
There were as many superlatives as smiles as United's players reflected on a famous victory, the first by a visiting team to Arsenal FC in the competition since Chelsea FC eliminated the Gunners in the 2003/04 quarter-finals at Highbury. And one that leaves them within touching distance of a fourth European Champion Clubs' Cup. Substitute Ryan Giggs praised the "brilliant" all-round team performance underlined by the lightning-quick counterattacking move between Ronaldo, Park and Wayne Rooney that the Portuguese concluded with United's third goal just after the hour. "The passing and the movement was brilliant all night and that third goal just topped off a great performance," said the 35-year-old, a veteran of United's first European conquest under Sir Alex Ferguson ten years ago.
'Goals change games'
Giggs added that the early goal – Park's first in the UEFA Champions League – was pivotal. "It put the pressure right back on Arsenal knowing they would have to score three goals," he said. United took full advantage of the spaces Arsenal left behind as they pushed forward and could have had more than three goals, Ronaldo and Rooney both forcing Almunia into smart saves more than once. Indeed, they ended the night with twice as many shots on target as their opponents (ten to five) from 44 per cent of the possession. Forward Rooney added: "Goals change games and I think that was the case tonight. Once we scored, Arsenal knew they needed three, and then to score again just knocked the wind out of Arsenal's sails. There was some great play and to do that against a very good Arsenal side was brilliant."
Sour note
The only sour note was the late sending-off of Darren Fletcher who will now miss the final on 30 May against FC Barcelona or Chelsea FC. Fletcher was shown the red card by referee Roberto Rosetti for bringing down Cesc Fàbregas for Arsenal's late penalty, converted by Robin van Persie, and midfielder Michael Carrick said of his colleague: "He has been unbelievable this season and to lose out like that is just so hard to take."

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