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CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: WEEK 1 AS IT HAPPENED

• CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: WEEK 1 AS IT HAPPENED

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 17th September

  RussyRover > 17/09/2013, 23:19

  Wasn't expecting a high scoring game for Plzen / City, so that was a surprise and also with Real Sociedad, I was giving them a '0' handicap so a bit of a shock there, otherwise business as normal...

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 17th September

  imrani > 18/09/2013, 06:41

  I tink they were both reat reslts for city and utd last night. Both teams haven't had thebest start in the league so ths wil do wonders for their confidence.

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 17th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 13:35

  (18/09/2013, 06:41)imrani Wrote: I tink they were both reat reslts for city and utd last night. Both teams haven't had thebest start in the league so ths wil do wonders for their confidence.

  
  Will have settled a few nerves after City's European nightmares over the last few seasons and everyone getting twitchy with David Moyes too.

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wednesday 18th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 18:07

  Full marks for the Manchesters last night. Three more British sides get their campaigns underway this evening, can Chelsea, Arsenal and Celtic keep the wins coming?
  
  Chelsea v FC Basel
  Chelsea will know all about their Swiss opponents after beating them in the Europa League semi-final less than 6 months ago. They'll be confident of repeating that result this evening, despite Jose Mourinho's "the eggs are ready to go to the top level" mental episode yesterday. Here's hoping he's alright, his squad certainly are, it's a clean bill of health for the home side. Frank Lampard and Oscar will start, along with 4 players under the age of 22 apparently. Which ones? We'll have to wait and see.
  
  Basel though, will have to make do without Serey Die and Mohamed Elneny. Me neither.
  
  Marseille v Arsenal
  Olivier Giroud's available for this one, which is handy, seeing as he's Arsenal's only fit striker. Mesut Ozil isn't ill anymore and Per Mertesacker's lurking too. No (deep breath) Lukas Podolski, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Abou Diaby, Santi Cazorla or Mikel Arteta though. With Napoli and Dortmund to come, it's not getting any easier for the Gunners, so a result here is crucial.
  
  For Marseille, Souleymane Diawara could feature but Florian Thauvin, a target for Arsenal this summer, is lacking match fitness and will probably start on the bench.
  
  Milan v Celtic
  Kaka, Riccardo Montolivo, Stephan El-Shaarawy, Ignazio Abate and Mattia De Sciglio are all unavailable for Milan. Despite that, Neil Lennon still looks worried. He'll be without Joe Ledley, James Forrest and Steven Mouyokolo though, and would probably bite your hand off if you offered him a point now. Still, nice trip and all that...
  
  5 other games tonight:
  Atl Madrid v Zenit St P'sbg
  Aust Vienna v Porto
  Barcelona v Ajax
  Napoli v Bor Dortmund
  Schalke 04 v Steaua Buch't
  
  The matches in Barcelona and Naples are looking particularly tasty...
  
  Predictions?
  
  CHECK OUT OUR GROUP-BY-GROUP CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREVIEW HERE

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wednesday 18th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 19:53

  And we're underway! Here are the line-ups for the games involving British sides...
  
  Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole, Oscar, van Ginkel , Lampard, Willian, Eto'o, Hazard. Subs: Schwarzer, Mata, Mikel, De Bruyne, Ba, Terry, Azpilicueta.
  Basel: Sommer, Voser, Schar, Ivanov, Safari, Salah, Diaz, Frei, Stocker, Sio, Streller. Subs: Vailati, Philipp Degen, Ajeti, David Degen, Delgado, Sauro, Xhaka.
  
  Marseille: Mandanda, Fanni, N'Koulou, Lucas Mendes, Morel, Romao, Imbula, Payet, Valbuena, Andre Ayew, Gignac. Subs: Samba, Mendy, Cheyrou, Jordan Ayew, Lemina, Thauvin, Khelifa.
  Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Flamini, Ramsey, Walcott, Wilshere, Ozil, Giroud. Subs: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Monreal, Jenkinson, Miyaichi, Akpom, Hayden.
  
  AC Milan: Abbiati, Zaccardo, Zapata, Mexes, Constant, Muntari, De Jong, Nocerino, Matri, Birsa, Balotelli. Subs: Amelia, Robinho, Poli, Cristante, Emanuelson, Benedicic, Iotti.
  Celtic: Forster, van Dijk, Lustig, Ambrose, Izaguirre, Brown, Matthews, Mulgrew, Commons, Samaras, Stokes. Subs: Zaluska, Biton, Boerrigter, Balde, Rogic, Pukki, McGeouch.

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wednesday 18th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 20:20

  Hehe, Rod Fanni.

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wednesday 18th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 20:38

  Slow half...
  
  Messi's put Barca ahead against Ajax from a free-kick while Gonzalo Higuain has given Napoli the lead against last season's finalists Dortmund.
  
  And on the stroke of half time, Oscar puts Chelsea in front against Basel at Stamford Bridge.
  
  Goalless in the other games involving British sides. Celtic will certainly take that, not so sure about Arsenal.
  
  In full:
  
  AC Milan 0-0 Celtic
  Chelsea 1-0 FC Basel
  Marseille 0-0 Arsenal
  Atl Madrid 1-0 Zenit St P'sbg
  Aust Vienna 0-0 Porto
  Barcelona 1-0 Ajax
  Napoli 1-0 Bor Dortmund
  Schalke 0-0 Steaua Buch't

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wednesday 18th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 20:56

  Close from Fanni there, but he hits the post and it remains goalless at the Velodrome.
  
  Back underway...
  
  No more goals as yet.

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wednesday 18th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 21:09

  Messi has doubled Barcelona's lead over Ajax, it's his second as well, 2-0 to them now at the Nou Camp.
  
  And Zenit have equalised at the Calderon, 1-1 between them and Atletico.

• RE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Wednesday 18th September

  StrumSolo > 18/09/2013, 21:21

  Good news for Arsenal as Theo Walcott puts them ahead at the Velodrome.
  
  Chelsea aren't having such a good time of it though, Mohamed Salah has just pulled Basel level.
  
  Still goalless at the San Siro.
  
  Around 20 minutes left.
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