Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg Preview

The attention being given to Liverpool v. Chelsea tomorrow has left some believing this is the final as a couple of other teams that are set to face each other on Wednesday seem all but forgotten. Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho have stolen the spotlight with their recent interviews. Rafa referring to the Anfield fans as the true "Special Ones" and Jose saying a bit tongue in cheek that the crowd should applaud him on Tuesday night for the respect he has shown Liverpool. No off the pitch happenings can hide the fact that Stamford Bridge is reeling right now. The weekend draw against Bolton saw them fall 5 points behind Manchester United. Plus, the injury list now includes Michael Ballack, Richardo Carvalho and Andriy Shevchenko.

Ballack has not exceeded expectations since arriving from Germany and Sheva's absence won't cause much of a stir. However, Carvalho is one of the most underrated defenders in all of Europe. This puts a dent in Jose's plans as Michael Essien may not be able to push forward in as great an attacking role as he would like. Essien could be the best right back in England when asked to play that role, but Chelsea need him dangerous in an offensive mode for 90 minutes tomorrow. This puts more pressure on Joe Cole and Didier Drogba to jump on any opportunity that comes their way. Arjen Robben will be back, but we shall see in how effective of a role.

Liverpool gifted 3 points to Portsmouth over the weekend by putting out a very weak side. Gerrard, Carragher and Crouch were given the day off. Steven Finnan returns to the lineup and that could be the difference maker. With Finnan playing look for Liverpool to be much more dangerous in the attack - and considering they have to score I think Peter Crouch will get the start along with Dirk Kuyt as that has been 'Pool's most potent combo this season.

I feel that there is just a cloud hanging over Chelsea right now as they have to feel their EPL crown has been ripped away from them. If this match were at Stamford Bridge I think it would be Chelsea's for the taking. Instead, I think Chelsea are for the taking.

Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea -- Liverpool advance on aggregate 2-1

So, there is this other match being played at the San Siro on Wednesday. Bottom line here: Manchester United are quite the team right now. Down 2-0 on the road Saturday they rolled Everton to the tune of 4-2 and all but claimed the English crown. They pulled off a remarkable 3-2 win against AC Milan in the home leg of this tie and despite going in to a sold out San Siro, this is United's season. Milan will not go silently. In fact, I look for them to take an early lead. But once United starts hitting on all cylinders they are just epic.

With one trophy within a fingernails grasp, I think Sir Alex will have this team well prepared to take a step towards a European title. Milan's biggest problem is that Ronaldo is cup tied and that puts too much of a burden on Kaka. Gilardino is non-existent this season and I don't know if Inzaghi will be given the opportunity to step up and provide the offense.

This will be a tight match the entire time. The atmosphere is going to be amazing. I just have a feeling right now that United are about to do something great.

Manchester United 2-1 AC Milan -- Manchester United advance on aggregat 5-3

Weekend News & Notes

Vein of Form would like to congratulate PSV Eindhoven for winning the Dutch Eredivisie today. PSV finished level on points with Ajax - 75 - but were crowned champs because of being one better on goal difference than Ajax. Coming in to the final match day AZ Alkmaar were on top and only need to be Excelsior to win the league. However, in one of the more remarkable choke jobs in recent memory, AZ lost for the first time since 1985 to Excelsior. Just as crucial, they lost out on automatic entry into the Champions League and are now going to have to win in the playoffs to earn the 2nd Dutch entry.

In Spain the top four clubs all won. Barcelona stayed top of the table with a less than impressive victory over bottom feeder Levante. Sevilla stayed within a point of Barca by dominating Espanyol 3-1. The VoF crew watched that match and came away convinced Sevilla are regaining their early form, but worry that several bad results could cost them the title. Real Madrid thumped Athletic Bilbao 4-1. RVN had two goals and David Beckham had a brilliant free kick assist on the Sergio Ramos headed goal. Valencia managed to not be totally counted out of the hunt by winning 2-0 against Recreativo Huelva. Next weekend though, Real Madrid v. Sevilla should be the match any respectable football fan watches.

In England, the big news was Bolton manager Sam Allardyce resigning. Big Sam has done quite the job by raising Bolton to a level of respectability in the EPL. The club looks set to once again qualify for the UEFA cup. I can't help but wonder if his resignation had something to do with the funny little tie he wore during the Chelsea match.

Finally, the Rome derby today was a snooze fest. Roma had some good chances. Lazio had some good chances. Yawns all around.

Everton: You Are Crap

We are not even going to hide our disappointment that Manchester United have moved 5 points clear at the top of the table with just three matches to play. In fact, thinking of the grin Sir Alex Ferguson has on his face right now makes my skin crawl. One of the Vein of Form writers commented Sir Alex is probably giggling right now. I had to fight the urge to vomit. Down 2-0 to Everton at Goodison Park I thought this is the day that United are caught by Chelsea. The Blues at the time were up 2-1 on a severely depleted Bolton.

However, Everton managed to concede 4 second half goals while Bolton were able to level on a Kevin Davies header off a well taken free kick. The header, well taken, the defending was shocking and it left Chelsea searching to no avail for a goal the rest of the match. Bolton needed the point as badly as Chelsea needed the 3 since a draw put them in 5th spot ahead of Everton. Thus, they played with 11 men in their own half and were content to let Chelsea fire balls into the area and watch Drogba perform the random dive in hopes of duping the ref.

I was not convinced at 2-0 Everton were going to hold off United. In fact, I fully expected it to finish 2-2 and was hoping Chelsea would pull off the victory. A side that concedes 4 second half goals and is in a UEFA Cup qualifying spot is a joke. Everton were a fluke when they finished top 4 a couple seasons ago and I promise you they will bomb out of Europe again next term.

The next couple of days a lot of "Heart of a Champion" pieces will be written regarding United. None of that drivel will be found within this esteemed publication. One of my colleagues just commented "at least they won't win by goal difference now". This same colleague is wearing a Liverpool shirt and his side paraded out a C squad that is trailing 2-0 at Portsmouth right now. So, now you understand where that is coming from - I love a guy that always looks for the positive in a bad spot.

Bottom line: Chelsea had an opportunity last weekend at Newcastle and failed to act. And again this weekend, they couldn't keep pace when the situation demanded it. Now stop reading and go get ready for tomorrow's frantic finish in Holland.

1st Leg Semi Final Wrap Up Extravaganza

The home sides got the job done this week in the 1st leg of the semi-finals. Chelsea and Manchester United will be taking a one goal lead when they travel next week, but only a fool would discount AC Milan and Liverpool at this point. The reason being that a single goal is not insurmountable in the Champions League - especially when the trailing sides will have their crowds behind them for 90 minutes or more.

Another reason is that Chelsea and Manchester United are in a must win situation for the rest of the EPL season. Neither side can afford to slip up on Saturday and neither side can let the sharpness they exhibited in mid-week go dull. Plus, they have just a few days rest before traveling to hostile grounds with a chance to go to Athens and compete in the final. The managers, their squads and their fans will be short of sleep for the next week.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and AC Milan can rest players on the weekend as they have nothing to play for in the league. Both are playing out the string and the focus should be to stay fit and begin thinking about what they have to get right in the home leg. Considering how tight the matches were, I would offer that they don't have much more that needs to be corrected, instead they need to up the intensity and do everything in their power to not get hit in the counter attack and concede.

United could do nothing to slow Kaka. Both the Brazilian's goals were wonderful and while the Milan defense was, as expected, less than perfect were it not for one of the most atrocious performances by a goalkeeper at this stage of the Champions League one could surmise Milan would be carrying a two goal lead to the San Siro. Quite frankly, Dida was a disaster. It wasn't so much he scored an own goal, his positioning on that set piece and all others was woeful. Then, to get beat near post in added time is just unacceptable. Dida let his teammates down after they fought tooth and nail for a 2-2 scoreline. True, it could be said the entire squad fell asleep at the end but I think it comes down to the 'keeper.

Chelsea meanwhile managed a single goal against Liverpool. Considering they did this without Michael Essien, me thinks the 'Pool could be in serious trouble heading back to Anfield. The defending on Drogba was miserable when he broke down the wing and delivered a perfect pass to Joe Cole. And the marking on Cole as he drove into the box to score was even worse. Pepe Reina had as great of a match in a losing effort as Dida's was pathetic. He carried Liverpool and were it not for him Chelsea would be 3 goals to the good and thinking of hoisting another trophy.

It should be noted that Petr Cech was equally brilliant. He didn't face as great of an attack, but when called upon he more than came up big. I don't know that Gerrard's shot was destined for goal at the end, but Cech's diving effort made sure it was not going to level the score. Shevchenko went missing once again, but Joe Cole and Didier Drogba dug deep in their reserves to cause all kinds of chaos.

I think Rafa Benitez is a good enough manager to take this next week and compile a game plan that can see Liverpool win 2-0 at Anfield. Much like they did during the domestic fixture. I also think Jose Mourinho can inspire his team to either score an away goal or keep the match scoreless.

The weekend's league matches could go a long way towards revealing what to expect in the 2nd legs next week.

Champions League Semi-Final 1st Leg Preview

Manchester United v. AC Milan, 1st Leg Semi-Final @ Old Trafford
At this point in the season your most recent result dictates what kind of form you are in. Judging by United's wobble at Old Trafford, drawing 1-1 with Middlesbrough, and the fact that Rio Ferdinand and Nemja Vidic are injured this could be a rough patch for the Red Devils. Plenty of people will remind the naysayers of the 7-1 beating Roma incurred at Old Trafford, but that was ancient history in football terms. The pressure of competing in 3 competitions is starting to wear on the faces of the United players. Don't let Ronaldo's smiling face fool you as he picked up a couple awards the other night. This is an exhausted side and one that will be in danger of getting sucked into the Italian style of play tomorow if Milan feels bogging them down is the only way to get a result.

AC Milan are coasting. The Serie A has been decided and to be honest, that was never Milan's focus. They've been fighting to get in a position to qualify for next season's Champions League. With just a handful of matches left, Milan looks set to qualify and are totally focused on winning this year's competition just in case. While they've had to fight hard to climb out of the bottom of the league after a points deduction, there hasn't been the pressure on them all season long that typically comes with being at the top of the table.

Milan looked fresh over the weekend and they looked fantastic against Bayern Munich in the previous round. Old Trafford is going to be a test unlike anything they've faced thus far. But with United battling on multiple fronts I think Milan will be looking to get an away goal to take back to Italy. This means United could be forced into an attacking situation and the match has the potential to be wide open.

Vein of Form predicts 1-1

Chelsea v. Liverpool, 1st Leg Semi-Final @ Stamford Bridge
This is the match up Chelsea were dreading. There is so much history between these two sides since Jose and Rafa took over (just 3 years, but still!) that Chelsea did not want to have the added attention that will come with an all-English semi-final against what is arguably the best rivalry in England right now. Liverpool are playing out the string in the domestic competition and look set to finish 3rd. Chelsea are scrapping for a 3-peat and are in the FA Cup Final. Liverpool will be content with a scoreless draw on Wednesday, and have proven they have the squad to get those kind of results in Europe. Chelsea made that mistake in '05 and went to Anfield having to score. It could be deadly again to come away from The Bridge without a goal to their credit.

Revenge will be what drives Chelsea because their lackluster performance against Newcastle on Sunday suggests they are running a bit flat. Rafa will plan on clogging up the midfield and neutralizing the likes of Joe Cole and Didier Drogba. A task that will not feel quite as daunting with a suspended Michael Essien on the bench. Essien probably scares Liverpool more than any other player in the Chelsea squad and they will be relieved not to have to deal with him just yet.

Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch are in fine form. Javier Mascherano looks to be a steal and Steven Gerrard always delivers on big European nights. Really, this one could go either way. I don't even want to put myself in the position of making a pick. But I will because I'm a journalist and that is what respected journalist do!

Vein of Form predicts Chelsea 1 - Liverpool 0

Serie Blah

This weekend the Serie A was decided. Inter Milan won the scudetto, and to be honest, this was predicted before the first whistle was ever blown. And that isn't just because matches tend to be decided in advance in Italy. Inter were without question going in the strongest side in the league and barring a miraculous effort from Roma there was never going to be a title race. In a league where corruption and violence are king, Vein of Form could care less who finishes top of the table.

Juventus have been on a tour of Serie B for the entire season and received warm welcomes in all the stadia they have visited. However, with the potential of an additional corruption scandal being brought to light, The Old Lady could be relegated to Serie C next season. But as well all know, any footballing crime in Italy can be appealed with a slap on the wrist being the final penalty.

AC Milan - another perpetrator of the match fixing scandal - are not only knocking on the door of an appearance in the Champions League final but are well situated to qualify for next year's competition. Fiorentina have also shrugged off the penalty are will be poised to play in Europe as well. And I would be positively stunned if Roma get any form of punishment from the violence that went down in their home tie against Manchester United. Essentially, there is no rule of law in Italian football right now. The nation that is the reigning World Champion is also the reigning embarrassment of club football.

In other news, Manchester United dropped points at home to Middlesbrough, and Chelsea failed to gain ground by dropping points at Newcastle. St. James Park has been the bogey ground for Jose Mourinho since taking over and that held true this weekend. United were staring down the prospect of a Stamford Bridge showdown with all to play for, but now that goal difference looks like it will be the deciding factor in the EPL.

Angel in the Outfield

After the LA Galaxy made David Beckham an offer he couldn't refuse there were rumors swirling in America that MLS was going to be signing several "global name" players. At one point Alexi Lalas actually had me believing that the entire Barcelona squad was thinking of relocating just for the opportunity to compete against one of the greatest 3 clubs on the planet: LA Galaxy.

Indeed, around the time Becks pulls on the Galaxy's newly rebranded shirt, Club America legend Cuahtemoc Blanco will be joining Chicago Fire which could be the start of a decent rivalry. Albeit a short lived one given the age of the players. But it needs to be noted that Colombus Crew signed Boca Juniors' Barros Scheletto - a player I admittedly know little about other than he was supposedly great in the Argentine league. Also, New York Red Bull pulled Juan Pablo Angel away from Aston Villa to join their squad this summer. Seems Mr. Angel finally wanted to be able to say he played for a big club during his career. In all fairness, Angel has run hot and cold during his time at Villa. But for me, when he's been hot, he's a fantastic player. Serious, Vein of Form predicts double digit goals from him.

Oh, and if you're keeping score at home Angel is the second player NYRB signed that falls under the "Designated Player" category. Apparently ex-USA National Team captain Claudio Reyna took that other spot. Considering Reyna couldn't get a look in at Manchester City - a side mired in the relegation battle most of the season - I can't understand how he should be designated anything beyond washed up.

Finally, the aforementioned Alexi Lalas has extended an offer to Zidane. Now this is a deal VoF can support. Zidane would be an instant cult hero if he came to America. I know people that can't stand soccer but LOVE this guy for headbutting an opponent to defend the honor of either his sister, mother, ethnicity or all of the above. Not only that but I think he could play until he's 40 in MLS and still be the best player on the pitch. The curious will come see Beckham play and maybe come again. The true soccer fan in America, those knowledgable and passionate will come out in droves to see Zidane. Without question he is the best player I've watched during my life. MLS isn't heading the way of the NASL by signing these aging players. Nope. They've been far too cautious to allow that to happen. The league is several years away - and from the looks of the stadium attendance, several thousand fans - from being a lure for top global talent in its prime.

Either way, I'll take a Zidane at any age, on any day and gladly pay to see him play. HAHA!

FA Cup - Finalized

In the coming weeks lots of folks will be talking about the Dream Final taking place at the new Wembley on May 19. Yes, Chelsea and Manchester United will be meeting to determine the winner of the FA Cup, and possibly again the Champions League final. Oh, and they have a little domestic league match coming up at Stamford Bridge that could go a long way to deciding the EPL champion. For the neutrals, this will be without question one of the most entertaining fights to watch as the sides we root for play meaningless matches to finish out the season (Liverpool fans not included).

But one man is dreading the prospect of Chelsea v. Manchester United in the Champions League and FA Cup finals. That man is Alex Ferguson. Indeed, Sir Alex wanted to avoid Chelsea in the FA Cup final at all costs and he is certainly the biggest Liverpool fan on the planet right now. Consider this: What if Manchester United do not lose another league match for the rest of the season other than at Chelsea, and Chelsea manage to win out? They would finished level on points but win the league on goal difference. Consider this: Chelsea defeat Manchester United in the FA Cup Final and either win the Champions League final by beating AC Milan or Manchester United.

Jose Mourinho would never allow Sir Alex to claim Manchester United are the best side in England. Far from it, Mourinho would probably go so far as to claim Chelsea are the true champions of England and declare the goal difference decider to be rubbish. If you think that is crazy, read some of The Special One's recent quotes regarding the '05 semi-final against Liverpool at Anfield. He still refuses to acknowledge defeat so it is not out of the question that he would refuse to acknowledge a Manchester United title if he guides Chelsea to finish on level points.

Now I fully realize the respect Mourinho has for Sir Alex. However, with the rumours swirling that he is about to be sacked regardless of how many trophies Chelsea bags, he won't go without protest that he was at the helm of one of the most historic seasons in English football. And he won't let the prospect of the noise he creates damaging his relationship with Sir Alex deter him.

There will be plenty of scenarios and predictions thrown about in the coming weeks. But were Chelsea to manage to top Manchester United in trophy hauls this season it would be a disaster for Ferguson. To lose to Chelsea at Wembley will be devastating to United and their fans. To lose to Chelsea in a Champions League final, or not even make it to the final to face them would be doubly devastating. However, to finish on level points or 2nd place in the EPL would be the end of the road for Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

Champions League Quarter Finals Round Up

I can't say I'm surprised Liverpool pulled it off tonight - defeating PSV Eindhoven 1-0 - and advancing to the semi-finals... Okay, who am I kidding? Liverpool had a 3 goal advantage heading in to the fortress of European football and PSV's coach conceded defeat minutes after the first leg in Holland. Rafa was proclaimed a genius by this fine publication on the weekend and after giving rest to Stevie G and Jamie Carragher that proclamation has not changed at all. In fact, Vein of Form thinks he is genius-er, or more genius, or a higher level of genius for somehow finagling the draw so that the Reds get Chelsea in the next round!

Yes, an all English semi-final will be had as Chelsea went into the Mestalla and defeated Valencia with a last minute strike by Michael Essien. Thankfully, Mr. Essien will miss the first leg of the semis due to yellow card accumulation. None the less, his strike was a thing of magic and Jose Mourinho proved he is almost as good a manager as Rafa with his half time tinkering. The side had a totally different work rate in the 2nd half, and the win was well deserved. But let's be honest here, Valencia are in 4th place in La Liga right now and have been a model of inconsistancy. In hindsight, they had no business being in the quarters but they were matched up in the previous round against Inter. And we all know Italian sides have no business being in the Champions League this season - period!

Which brings us to that dreadful Roma v. Man United match. I was one of the many that thought this was going to be a 90 minute battle up and down the pitch. Considering Roma were done and dusted after 20 minutes I don't feel bad as I have the knowledge football fans the world over were just as stunned. Yes, a team that lost to Portsmouth on the weekend bulldozed Roma to the tune of 7-1. Man United looked phenomenal. No two ways about it. Roma waged an early assault and when they found no joy from long range efforts they folded. Luciano Spaletti should be looking for a job right now. And VoF thinks Totti should be as well. This was his last chance to lift a major club trophy in his career and he was absent. In all fairness though, Man United were just class all around and I do not think it is even worth discussing their semi-final opponent.

And that isn't because it is another Italian side! Christ, I cannot believe VoF will be supporting Man U in the semis as they face AC Milan. Milan put away Bayern Munich 2-0 and made it look easy in the process. Munich were dreadful. Milan looked sharp. I still believe Italy has no business having teams in this competition given the scandals and violence that plague that league. Kaka is world class make no mistake. But this is an aging side that does not impress me at all. They will be lucky to not suffer the same end as Roma.

So, Vein of Form is predicting an all English final and are glad for it. The EPL is not just the most exciting football to watch, it is the best league on the planet. The final in Athens should be a great showcase for that fact, and I for one cannot wait for the semi-finals to begin.

Liverpool v. Reading Post-Match

Sorry for the delay in getting these post-match thoughts up. I was busy willing Portsmouth to victory over Manchester United. Title chase is officially on thanks to Rio Ferdinand's own goal. Bad time for Rio and Edwin Van der Sar to have a miscommunication. I can't say I feel the least bit bad though!

I thought the Liverpool match today highlighted what a genius Rafa Benitez is. He put out a weaker side but certainly one that looked capable of beating Reading. One thing Reading has shown the league this season though is that they don't ever quit and are one of the fittest teams in England. Crouch's beautiful touch to the latest Spanish import, Alvaro Arbeloa, resulted in Arbeloa's first EPL goal. Who is Alvaro Arbeloa you ask? He came to Liverpool from Deportivo La Coruna of the Spanish League. Like I said, Rafa is a genius.

Reading battled back and equalized and it was well deserved as for most of the match they were the more industrious of the two sides as Liverpool looked content to defend and hit them on the counter attack. Taking off an ineffective Craig Bellamy at the half, Rafa brought on Dirk Kuyt. He probably would have preferred to leave Kuyt on the bench to conserve his energy for the return leg against PSV. But I have to believe someone whispered in his ear that Arsenal were trailing West Ham, and Rafa knew establishing the Reds in third place was possible if he went for the win.

Rafa also brought on Jermaine Pennant in the 2nd half. In the 86th minute Pennant played a cross in to the box which Kuyt headed in for the goal and a 2-1 victory. Like I said twice already, Rafa is a genius. The match overall was not fantastic to watch. Reading are always an exciting team, but Liverpool never matched their intensity. That being said, Liverpool had just enough class on the day to overcome a flat effort and take the 3 points away.

Certainly, a different starting lineup will be on display next week against PSV, and the energy will be there as the Reds can march into the Champions League semi-finals.

Otherwise, all I can say right now is Pompey! Pompey! Pompey!

Vein of Form Supports MLS

MLS left quite the sour taste in my mouth last year. I made a serious effort to support the hometown club, Chicago Fire, by attending a few matches. I tried to create some excitement for the people at the matches and watching on TV by singing the Fire songs, yelling at the players and getting properly wasted. Three things happened to me at Toyota Park that resulted in my utterance of "I'm done with MLS."

1. After the Fire scored a goal I took my shirt off. A security guard told me to put my shirt back on or I'd be escorted out.

2. I repeatedly yelled "Landon Donovan you're shit!" against the Galaxy. A security guard told me to knock it off or I'd be escorted out.

3. After the Chelsea v. MLS All Star match a dude wearing an AC Milan jersey shot a bottle rocket at me.

Those 3 instances had me swearing off MLS for the rest of my life. But then this whole Beckham craze swept of this great nation, this great soccer nation. God bless the USA! And my interest came back. I didn't even let the fact that the league is essentially partaking in a form of extortion by forcing its fans to purchase a 5-game package in order to get a ticket to the LA Galaxy match featuring David Beckham. Nope. I ordered 4 packages at $100 a piece - who says blogging doesn't pay? Huh, who?

And the MLS season kicks off, haha, this Saturday at Toyota Park as my beloved Fire take on New England Revolution. The Revolution are coached by former Liverpool player Stevie Nicol and also have a decent player in Taylor Twellman as their striker.

It is supposed to be below freezing temperatures and a chance of snow. But I have front row seats and a passion for MLS soccer so nothing is going to stop me from cheering my hometown team on. I plan on doing a post-match report as well and will relay all the night's action to you, the VoF readers.

Champions League Wrap-Up Extravaganza

This is without question one of my favorite times of the football season. The domestic leagues are winding down with title, Euro qualification spots and relegation fights in full swing. The domestic cup competitions are about to find out who their finalists will be. And of course, the Champions League quarterfinals' first leg was Tuesday and wrapped up today.

Both days proved to be very interesting and set up return legs that any football fan will have to take in. Unless you have an office job that doesn't allow for TVs at your cube. But hey, that's what sick days and Personal Time Off is for.

Moving right along, Liverpool have obviously advanced to their second semi-final appearance in 3 years. Okay, not quite yet. But scoring 3 goals away at Eindhoven and just so thoroughly dominating the match there is no question the difference in class between the Reds and PSV Eindhoven. Crouch should have plastic surgery every other week because he is scoring like a man proud to stick his brand new nose in the air. John Arne Riise's goal was classic Riise. Meaning, a complete thunderbolt that left no chance for the 'keeper. PSV coach Ronald Koeman admitted today his side are done and dusted. There are a couple sides dreading a visit to Anfield with a spot in the finals on the line...

That of course being Chelsea and Valencia. They played to a 1-1 draw at The Bridge this afternoon. A result that favors Valencia as they play the next leg in Spain. Chelsea's savior, Didier Drogba, rescued them being in a whole hell of a lot more trouble then they already are. They may be two-time defending English champs, but conquering Europe will have to wait another year...We think.

Yesterday AC Milan clashed with Bayern Munich in a match we thought would be dull. We thought very wrong. A 2-2 favors the Germans as they head to Munich next week. I doubt either side is getting past the semi-finals, but the match that determines who goes could be an absolute cracker!

And finally, Paul Scholes proved he cannot compete at the top flight any longer once again today. How many times this year has he made completely reckless tackles out of either frustration or an inability to match skills with his opponent? Roma should have done better today. The Rooney goal could be a killer. They were every bit as fantastic as I believed they could be. But only sporadically. I don't think Roma will be intimidated walking on the pitch at Old Trafford. Totti is focused and believes he is destined to hoist the trophy this year. The only thing getting in his way might be Christiano Ronaldo - who is quite simply the best player on the planet.

Poor Finishing... Or Football Italiano.

Like much of our readership we took in the Roma v. AC Milan match yesterday. It was quite interesting to witness the ebb and flow of the whole spectacle. At certain points both clubs were clearly going for full points while at other moments they were content to sit back and let the clock run - mindful of massive midweek Champions League encounters.

Which raises the question, are either going to have the quality to see passage to the semi-finals? Roma looked at time during the match unstoppable. They were so relentless during portions of the game it seemed inconceivable that Manchester United will have faced such a solid and complicated side this season. Being nearly 20 points off Inter's pace is a moot point. Roma have given up on the league and are just consolidating their position for qualification next year and focusing on stopping the English giants dead in their tracks. Roma were unlucky several times in front of the net and should have had 2 goals. I for one, cannot wait for the Wednesday.

But speaking of unlucky, wait, unlucky isn't the word I'm looking for. More like pathetic. Alberto Gilardino's miss in front of the open net was terrible. Gilardino's constant bitching to the refs is tiresome. So tiresome, I cannot bring myself to watch AC Milan matches unless it is against one of the bigger Italian clubs. Don't talk to be me about the goal he scored off the Pirlo free kick. First, it came off a dive from Ronaldo and second a supposedly world class striker should be burying those chances. Gilardino should stop his crying and focus more on finishing opportunities. I've seen multiple chances go wasted from the striker this season. He's overrated. And no, that isn't a bitter American who wanted to puke watching the Italian National Team in Germany at the World Cup flop around every match.

AC Milan shouldn't even be in the Champions League. They should be toiling in Serie B with Juve right now. Bayern Munich's win over Schalke should - we hope - propel them to crush Milan in the quarters.