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Champions League Roundup: Chelsea Struggle as Real Madrid Look Set To Progress

By on April 4, 2014

After the first legs of this year’s quarter-final stage in the Champions League, two teams have taken huge strides forward towards the semis while four remain deadlocked ahead of next week’s deciders. Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain will go into their second legs with healthy advantages over Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea respectively. Manchester United surprised many in holding Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich to a one-all draw at Old Trafford and it was the same scoreline at the Camp Nou as dark horses Atletico Madrid got themselves well and truly into their all-Spanish tie with Barcelona.

The action got underway on Tuesday night as David Moyes’ beleaguered Manchester United played hosts to the tectonic footballing machine that is Bayern Munich. Both sides had won their league fixtures the previous weekend but were having starkly contrasting seasons, with Bayern already having wrapped up the league title and United fighting for European qualification of any sort. However, league form was cast aside as the Red Devils put in a workmanlike performance to hold the European Champions, and could have won it had Danny Welbeck not missed the best chance of the game. Nemanja Vidic gave the hosts the lead in the 58th minute, scampering away from goal to flick in Wayne Rooney’s corner with a deft header. Bayern had around three quarters of the possession but didn’t create too many clear cut chances; however, they were level within ten minutes of the restart as Mario Mandzukic’s perfect header down found Bastian Schweinsteiger open in the United penalty area. Schweinsteiger lifted the ball into the top corner with consummate ease, but his night ended prematurely with a second yellow card in the last minute of normal play for a foul on Rooney. Bayern fans may have a case for a Rooney dive as his fall was clearly exaggerated, but there was some contact from the German midfielder. The result gives Bayern a slender advantage through their away goal, but the absence of Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez and Thiago for the return fixture will hit them hard. Though many have ruled them out, Manchester United still have a chance.

In Tuesday’s other match, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid drew for the fourth time in a row this season, with Neymar’s finish rescuing the hosts after Diego’s sublime long-distance effort. The two are locked in a three-way battle for the Spanish title but that wasn’t on the minds of many as Europe’s dark horses, Atletico, showed what they are capable of. Table-toppers Atleti started the brighter and created several half-chances, but their flow was disrupted by a worrying hamstring injury to influential goalscorer Diego Costa. Former Barca hero David Villa was proving a source of danger but it was Diego Simeone’s January acquisition from Wolfsburg, Diego, who gave the away side a merited lead. There seemed to be little danger with the diminutive playmaker stuck on the outside of the box at an angle to the goal, but he arrowed a powerful effort just inside reserve ‘keeper Pinto’s near post. Barca struck back in style, with the otherwise unbeatable Thibaut Courtois unable to stop a close-range effort from Neymar after Andres Iniesta’s slide-rule though ball. The favourite of many neutrals, Atletico will be looking to replicate Borussia Dortmund’s progress to the final last year by knocking out one of Spain’s traditional ‘big two’.

Things were a little less even across Spain on Wednesday night, as Real Madrid all but sealed their progress with a reasonably comfortable 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund, who knocked them out in last year’s semi-final. Robert Lewandowski scored four in the first leg of the same fixture last season but he was unable to start and it was a distinctly under-strength Dortmund side which showed up to the Bernabeu. Gareth Bale poked the ball under Roman Wiedenfeller after just three minutes to set the Madrid juggernaut on its way, and the lead was doubled 25 minutes later with an exquisitely placed finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box by Isco. Dortmund didn’t offer a noticeable threat going forwards and it was only a matter of time before Cristiano Ronaldo bagged his 14th goal of what is looking to be a record-breaking Champions League season by knocking the ball past an outstretched Wiendenfeller and calmly tapping the ball into the open net. Bale and Ronaldo have looked a formidable pairing in European competition this season with 19 goals between them in this competition alone – perhaps this can be the duo to finally end Los Merengues’ obsessive pursuit of La Decima, their long-awaited 10th European title.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho’s aspirations of returning to Chelsea with a trophy in his first year took a hit as they fell to a 3-1 defeat against a fairly average PSG. The hosts’ midfield was often overpowered and they only managed three shots on target, but Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore made the Blues pay the price for a lack of concentration at the back. David Luiz also scored an own goal. The game’s standout player Lavezzi’s early opener was arguably the pick of the bunch as he controlled a weak defensive header with one touch and side-footed the ball in off the top of the post with his next with only three minutes on the clock. Chelsea hit back, though, with Thiago Silva upending his compatriot Oscar inside the box and allowing the electric Eden Hazard to roll the ball calmly into the bottom left corner with Salvatore Sirigu diving the other way. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani were also peripheral figures on a night of attrition, with the former going off injured with a thigh problem which will keep him out of the second leg at Stamford Bridge. David Luiz inadvertently turned a dangerous free kick into his own net before Pastore rubbed salt into the wounds in stoppage time, jinking past defenders prior to driving in a low shot past Petr Cech, who will have been disappointed to be beaten at his near post. Mourinho labelled the goal as a “joke”, but Chelsea will need to pose more of a threat up front if they are to progress to the next round – a 2-0 win would suffice for them.

About Sam France

17-year-old aspiring sports journalist and Middlesbrough fan. Check out my personal football blog at sjfootball97.blogspot.com! *warning* Some posts may include mild sarcasm.