Champions League

Never has anyone witnessed such drama and goals in the first leg of the Champions League. The very fact that 3 of the 4 quarter finals are done and dusted and 18 goals were scored overall tells us a lot. But at the end of all the drama, it was left for Chelsea and Manchester United to provide some drama and heartache next weekend when the second leg presumes action.

Tottenham Hotspur were dealt a cruel footbaling lesson by Real Madrid when they thrashed them 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu to all but seal their place in the semis. The Mourinho effect clearly showed as they defensively solidified up to avoid Van Der Vaart and Bale to make any noises. Emmanuel Adebayor struck home in the 5th minute. But Tottenham looked dangerous on the counter and Bale had a very good chance which Van Der Vaart duly missed. However the sending off of Peter Crouch effectively dealt a huge blow to Hary Redknapp and his side as they saw themselves lose all the good work done in the first half to surrender abjectly in front of relentless attacks by Madrid. Further goals from Angel Di Maria and Cristiano Ronaldo destroyed all hopes of a comeback and the second leg looks a mere formality.

Shaktar Donetsk fared little better in their mission to avoid an EL CLASSICO when they were routed 5-1 by the marauding Barcelona side. But Real would be very pleased to see the chinks in the armour of Barcelona as the youthful Shaktar side gave Barcelona a run for their money even though the scoreline suggests otherwise.

The most shocking result of the night came from San Siro as surprise package Schalke outclassed Inter 5-2 in a result which sent shivers down the footballing world. Inter’s defence was clearly crushed by the relentless attack from Schalke led by Raul. However with Inter securing an away win last time around at Bayern, it remains to be seen whether a comeback is possible however bleak it may seem to be.

Billed as the match of the leg, the Chelsea vs Manchester United saga was anything but that. Led by some poor finishing and some astute defending from Vidic and Ferdinand, Chelsea drew a blank which catapulted to Torres having another subdued performance. Although he had an impressive game, his run of games without goals would clearly send a worrying signal to Carlo Ancelotti. The fact that Chelsea did not get a deserving penalty of a foul of Evra on Ramires has angered the players to no extent. Rooney’s early goal was the only difference between the two sides.

Tags: Champions League, Chelsea, Football, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur