Given the recent history of Chelsea and Barca, the newspapers are hyping Barca facing Chelsea again in the Champions League. However, the two meet in round 1 which means that both can advance to the knock out stages. Barca did have Milan in their group two years back and Barca and Chelsea would rather face each other in round 1 than meeting each other early in the knock out stages like the previous couple of years.

What Barca and Chelsea will not like is the toughie group A is. You have Werer Bremen as the third team. Even if you forget how distracting it can be to face a team wearing orange and green, you cannot discount the quality side that Bremen is. You keep giving Miroslav Klose the ball and he will keep on scoring. Bremen can score a lot of goals in matches given the right setting. Add to this, you have the scenario of facing a Bulgarian club in Levski Sofia. Despite being professionals, I do not believe Barca or Chelsea would be accustomed to playing in Bulgaria.

If Chelsea slips up like they did in their recent premiership game, or Barca are not upto it’s best, or for that matter if Bremen puts on some inspired performances, there is a very real chance of an upset. Compared to the other groups, group A is far more tougher and intriguing. The Champions League always brings across new teams and players you get to know of along with the thrill the competition gives you. If we aren’t satisfied with that, we can always fall back on some juciy quotes from one Mr. Mourinho.

No ESPN in Varanasi, where I was yesterday, meant I missed the game I was waiting for from forever. I had to contend with updates on BBC and instant messages from Dhoomk2 (thank you for that). Doesn’t matter. Two late goals means Barca are the 2005-06 Champions League Champions.

It is a trophy which is well deserved. I will not add much more. What a champion team. It has been an absolute privelege to be a fan of the team and follow it in the last 2-3 years.

It is here then! The match which promises so much. The match every one - particularly the Barcelona and Arsenal fans have been waiting for.

Arsenal, in their best years in the recent past (a couple of years ago when they were winning domestic titles) were performing very miserably in Europe. It was a very good team but critics said that it could not be termed great until it won the big ones in Europe. This, the performance so far, is probably a couple of years late. It was totally unexpected that Arsenal would reach the Champions League final in the year it almost finished 5th in the English Premiership - some thing which exemplifies how it has been a crazy ride of emotions for Arsenal fans. The ride isn’t over. There is still pondering regarding Henry going to Barcelona (some thing I, as a Barcelona fan am very much over excited about). Regardless of that, the season could be perfect for Arsenal if they do manage to win the Champions League.

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Blog FC asks:

Has success in Europe become too important, coming as it seems to at the cost of league respectability?

I don’t think league respectability is lost. It is very prestigious to win the English Premiership as is most domestic league titles. However, a team can face a situation where it secures a champions league spot or nearly secures it. However, the league champions are way ahead like a Barcelona in Spain. In this scenario, a team can find itself concentrating more on Europe. Often players are rested before a big European tie as well when domestic stakes are not that high. A perfectly understandable scenario.

Some thing like Mr. Wenger did a few days ago versus the Spurs does not come under this though. For why should he have not played his best players right from the start in such a crucial tie? And then he had the teremity to say “Every thing went against us.”

The second question Blog FC asks:

And given Liverpool’s dismal defense of its European title, should winning the title be reason enough for a club to be invited back, even if it doesn’t otherwise qualify for the event?

Definitely not. The Champions League spot has to be earned. The only way to earn them should be by performing within the given norms. System should not be changed for a huge variation in performance between league and Europe. If Spurs are ahead of Arsenal in the domestic league, they have earned their spot.

This debate is likely to heat up this year too, like last year ahead of the Champions League finals. My stand is firm on the issue.

Barca overcame the Champions of England. They overcame the tough challenge of Benfica. They have now overcome the soon to be crowned Italian Champions.

The game saw a lot of chances in the first half, specially early. Eto’o got two easy chances and Shevchenko got a fairly easy chance as well. On another day, versus another opposition, Barcelona or Milan could easily have been 2-0 up going into the second half. However, this was not just another game. Even the seasoned professionals showed that after all they are pretty much human.

Barca dominated possession in both halfs, as usual. As the clock ticked, Milan’s frustration to score at least one goal grew. Time ran out on Milan in the end. The neutrals watching may have found the second half a bit boring. Make no mistake though, that we, the Barca fans, were getting delirious with each moment. Could an Inzhaghi like heartbreak occur? Not this time.

We are into the Champions League finals!!! It looks like the best team will, indeed, win the Champions League for once, for a change as we kick some Arse! It does setup an intriguing final. Can the Barcelona attack penetrate the strong Arsenal defense? How will Barcelona restrict Henry and the chances they do give oppositions at times? For Henry is one player who would take the chances which come his way.

A lot will be at stake for Arsenal. Barcelona cannot afford to let the Champions League away this time. It would be the first step towards greatness for Barca. All of England, Spain, the multitudes of Barcelona and Arsenal fans and the rest of the world will have their eyes set in Paris in 20 days. It is going to be one hell of a party.

No team has defeated Barca at the Nou Camp in three years in European competition since Rijkaard took over. No team has come off a 1-0 trail in a Champions League semi final. From the FCB site:

Since the Champions League adopted its present format in the 1992-93 season, only one team - Ajax in 1995-96 - has managed to overturn an adverse result from the first home leg of the semi-finals.

History is in Barca’s side. Very strong stats. But stats matter little when Barcelona play a strong Milan side.

Forget the injury talk. Forget every thing else. When the match starts, it is going to be tough and competitive. Game 1 was not wasy with Milan having a lot of chances. They panicked a bit in the second half. However, they are unlikely to in the second leg today. So, it is going to be a very good battle and Barcelona will definitely have to earn the Champions League spot with a very good performance.

This is either going to be very special or a heartbreaking experience.

Sky Sport’s Phil Thompson believes that every thing suggests towards a Barcelona win. I see it similarly but cannot help but feel very itchy as the game draws closer.

You haven’t won the Champions League. Hell, I want you to fail miserably against Barcelona of course. A lot of work needs to be done still.

Today though, you can rejoice. It has been a miserable season so far and you deserve all the happiness. Jenns Lehmann - what a hero!

Update: Can Arsenal be kings of Europe? Sky asks and fans answer.

Thierry Henry’s brilliant kick meant that Arsenal drew the game versus Tottenham Hotspur. However, the concerns of the possibility of a club in trouble in the future are very real. Arsenal now has no chance of qualifying for the Champions League until either:

1. The Spurs do some thing stupid, or,
2. Arsenal win the Champions League.

Arsenal Review explained before the match why today was a must-win game. In the end Arsenal only managed to draw courtesy Henry brilliance. A lot f Arsenal would cry over Davids’ going on and would feel he should have stopped.

Soccerworld explains why this is a misled perception:

Arsenal had nothing to complain about. I don’t think Spurs were under any obligation to kick the ball out after two Gunners tripped over one another. The Tottenham players simply took advantage of a mistake by their opponents. That’s far less egregious than Henry’s quick free kick against Chelsea a season ago, so I don’t want to hear any post-match complaining from Wenger.

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Arsenal being the only English club left in the Champions League, almost every one in England is hoping for an Arsenal victory. Check out what the papers say here. One person who has more at stake than your normal fan is an anonymous Arsenal Fan. Reports The Sun:

AN ARSENAL fan splashed out £204,000 yesterday on the biggest-ever bet on the Champions League.

Immense faith in Arsenal and Thierry Henry at the face of the unpredictability of football? Speaking of Henry, he seems peeved at the numerous and repeated questions regarding his future. Henry says he needs more time. Why should tabloids question the loyalty of Henry, a passionate Arsenal player if ever there was one, if he wants to assess the situation he has on hand before making a decision?

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Ludovic Giuly, like he usually does, maximised the clean Ronaldinho pass to score and gave Barcelona the crucial 1-0 lead in the 57th minute. Reports BBC: