UEFA Champions League Match Day 5

[Kaan]

November 20

Group E

Chelsea: 7
Shakhtar Donetsk: 7
Juventus: 6
FC Nordsjaelland: 1

FC Nordsjaelland vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Juventus vs Chelsea

Group F

Valencia: 9
Bayern Munich: 9
BATE Borisov: 6
Lille: 0

BATE Borisov vs Lille
Valencia vs Bayern Munich

Group G

Barcelona: 9
Celtic: 7
Benfica: 4
Spartak Moscow: 3

Spartak Moscow vs Barcelona
Benfica vs Celtic

Group H

Manchester U: 12
Galatasaray: 4
CFR Cluj: 4
Braga: 3

CFR Cluj vs Braga
Galatasaray vs Manchester U

November 21

Group A

FC Porto: 10
Paris S.G: 9
Dynamo Kyiv: 4
Dinamo Zagreb: 0

Dynamo Kyiv vs Paris S.G
FC Porto vs Dinamo Zagreb

Group B

Schalke: 8
Arsenal: 7
Olympiakos Piraeus: 6
Montpellier: 1

Arsenal vs Montpellier
Schalke vs Olympiakos Piraeus

Group C

Malaga: 10
AC Milan: 5
Anderlecht: 4
Zenit St. Petersburg: 3

Zenit St. Petersburg vs Malaga
Anderlecht vs AC Milan

Group D

Borussia Dortmund: 8
Real Madrid: 7
Ajax Amsterdam: 4
Manchester C: 2

Ajax Amsterdam vs Borussia Dortmund
Manchester C vs Real Madrid

TV Schedules

SBS

Juventus vs Chelsea
Schalke vs Olympiakos Piraeus

ESPN

Spartak Moscow vs Barcelona
Galatasaray vs Manchester U
Zenit St. Petersburg vs Malaga
Arsenal vs Montpellier

ESPN2

Juventus vs Chelsea
Manchester C vs Real Madrid

 

[moomba]

Nothing really riding on this for us except a bit of pride. Still looking forward to it.

 

[white stain 3]

Would love to see Juve knock off Chelsea

 

[Rustin Cohle]

Shakhtar is on top of Group E.

 

[kaiserchief13]

How is Valencia Bayern not being shown at all????

 

[mcuzzy]

messi is really gunning for the goals in a year record, only 7 more until he equals it i think

 

[white stain 3]

Keep it going Juve!!!

 

[kaiserchief13]

Come on Shaktar! Need the win and Juventus to hold on then both teams can play for a draw in the final game to eliminate Chelsea.

 

[glenferry23]

juve get their 2nd

 

[moomba]

As it stands I don't think Chelsea can qualify unless Juventus lose and Chelsea win in the next round.

 

[Frankster177]

Come on Juve, get more goals.
would be nice if shakhtar got beaten too (unlikely)

 

[white stain 3]

A draw between Shaktar and Juve should be enough for them 2 to get through, unless Shellsea thrash that other team by 5 or 6 goals.

 

[moomba]

A draw between Shaktar and Juve should be enough for them 2 to get through, unless Shellsea thrash that other team by 5 or 6 goals.

It goes on head to head before gd.

If they finish level on points Chelsea can't finish ahead of Shaktar or Juve.

So Shaktar is already through, Juve needs a point to guarantee it.

 

[kaiserchief13]

Looks like Chelseas luck has run out 6 months too late!

 

[Kaan]

Gala and Cluj both on 7 points now but we have the better H2H.

We're pretty much in to the next round as it's unlikely that Cluj will get anything from Old Trafford, but in case they do manage something we should beat or draw with Braga away who don't even have Europa to play for.

 

[Flameboy]

We didn't deserve anything out of that match because we were poor (second half particular), but damn, the first two goals which invariably broke us were so lucky. A couple of deflections ...can go anywhere, both nestle away in the back of the net.

Hazard spurned a gilt edged chance inside the first 10 minutes after a brilliant run by Oscar. He scores that, and the deflections don't happen ...would be a different story. Ah well. Now we're relying on Shakhtar to defeat Juve - possible. But I don't have a good feeling, never do when our own destiny's out of our hands.

 

[Dumpstar]

Oliver Kay ‏@OliverKayTimes
It's now been an hour since final whistle in Turin. Di Matteo still hasn't arrived for post-match press conf. That's not normal.

 

[supernova_]

Oliver Kay ‏@OliverKayTimes
It's now been an hour since final whistle in Turin. Di Matteo still hasn't arrived for post-match press conf. That's not normal.

WOW. Anywhere we can wait live for that on the interwebz? Wouldn't mind checking this out.

 

[manureid]

Oliver Kay ‏@OliverKayTimes
It's now been an hour since final whistle in Turin. Di Matteo still hasn't arrived for post-match press conf. That's not normal.

Russian mafia taking out the trash??

 

[JimmySwan]

Plastic chav mugs.

 

[Super Hans]

Juve just keep getting the job done. Amazing how defensively effective three defenders can be. Vidal is growing into some player.

 

[Dumpstar]

Beaten Chelsea talk to Rafael Benítez
Rory Smith Turin
Published 17 minutes ago

Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, has been in direct contact with Rafael Benítez to assess the Spaniard’s interest in becoming the club’s manager until the end of the season should Roberto Di Matteo be dispensed with in the coming days.

Di Matteo finds his position under the most intense scrutiny this morning after seeing his side — initially shorn of Fernando Torres, who was dropped in favour of playing Eden Hazard in an unfamiliar attacking role — torn apart by Juventus in Turin last night.

Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat, thanks to goals from Fabio Quagliarella, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco, and Shakhtar Donetsk’s victory over Nordsjaelland in the other group E game, leaves the club in danger of suffering the ignominy of becoming the first cup-holders to be eliminated at the group stage.

To have any chance of avoiding that fate, Chelsea must beat the Danish champions at Stamford Bridge in two weeks’ time and hope that Shakhtar overcome Juventus in Ukraine. Should results not go in their favour, Chelsea will find themselves in the Europa League come spring.

If that becomes the case, it is almost unthinkable that Di Matteo will remain in place. The Italian, of course, retained the post that he initially inherited on a temporary basis from André Villas-Boas in March only because Pep Guardiola turned the job down in the summer.

Abramovich is minded to make one more attempt to coax the former Barcelona coach to Chelsea midseason; if that fails, and Chelsea are eliminated, he will turn to Benítez, the former Liverpool manager, at least until the end of the campaign. At that point, he would return, once again, to Guardiola. The Spaniard was sounded out by Chelsea nine months ago, as Abramovich prepared to sack Villas-Boas, but could not agree terms with the club.

Chelsea were prepared to offer only a four-month, temporary deal, but Benítez was determined to hold out for an 18-month contract. Then, though, discussions went through Marina Granovskaia, Abramovich’s trusted personal assistant. This time, the contact has been between the two men direct. Although his Liverpool connections do not make him a natural choice in the eyes of many fans, Benítez is seen by Chelsea’s hierarchy as the one manager capable of eliciting the best from Fernando Torres. So poor has the Spaniard’s form been — he has scored only once in eight games — that Di Matteo, despite an injury to Daniel Sturridge, elected to start with Hazard at the tip of a revamped formation.

Di Matteo took full responsibility for the defeat last night, maintaining that he should bear the blame rather than his players, but insisted that he felt he was not only correct to drop the Spaniard, but that he is confident he will not imminently become the seventh managerial casualty of Abramovich’s reign.

“We are all in it together,” the Italian said. “I am responsible for the results. I’m responsible for the performance. It’s a negative evening for us. If anyone has to take the blame, it’s me. I selected a team I was convinced was the right team to win against Juventus, or get at least a draw, so the blame belongs to me.

“I was convinced it was the right selection, which is why I decided that. My conviction was 100 per cent to go with this team. Mathematically, qualification is still possible. While there is hope, we try. At the moment, I am here, and I think I will be for the future.”

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/europe/article3606809.ece

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Gala and Cluj both on 7 points now but we have the better H2H.

We're pretty much in to the next round as it's unlikely that Cluj will get anything from Old Trafford, but in case they do manage something we should beat or draw with Braga away who don't even have Europa to play for.

We will more than likely be playing a 2nd team again so like tonight it is possible for Cluj to get something from it

 

[Stratton_Gun]

Beaten Chelsea talk to Rafael Benítez
Rory Smith Turin
Published 17 minutes ago

Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, has been in direct contact with Rafael Benítez to assess the Spaniard’s interest in becoming the club’s manager until the end of the season should Roberto Di Matteo be dispensed with in the coming days.

Di Matteo finds his position under the most intense scrutiny this morning after seeing his side — initially shorn of Fernando Torres, who was dropped in favour of playing Eden Hazard in an unfamiliar attacking role — torn apart by Juventus in Turin last night.

Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat, thanks to goals from Fabio Quagliarella, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco, and Shakhtar Donetsk’s victory over Nordsjaelland in the other group E game, leaves the club in danger of suffering the ignominy of becoming the first cup-holders to be eliminated at the group stage.

To have any chance of avoiding that fate, Chelsea must beat the Danish champions at Stamford Bridge in two weeks’ time and hope that Shakhtar overcome Juventus in Ukraine. Should results not go in their favour, Chelsea will find themselves in the Europa League come spring.

If that becomes the case, it is almost unthinkable that Di Matteo will remain in place. The Italian, of course, retained the post that he initially inherited on a temporary basis from André Villas-Boas in March only because Pep Guardiola turned the job down in the summer.

Abramovich is minded to make one more attempt to coax the former Barcelona coach to Chelsea midseason; if that fails, and Chelsea are eliminated, he will turn to Benítez, the former Liverpool manager, at least until the end of the campaign. At that point, he would return, once again, to Guardiola. The Spaniard was sounded out by Chelsea nine months ago, as Abramovich prepared to sack Villas-Boas, but could not agree terms with the club.

Chelsea were prepared to offer only a four-month, temporary deal, but Benítez was determined to hold out for an 18-month contract. Then, though, discussions went through Marina Granovskaia, Abramovich’s trusted personal assistant. This time, the contact has been between the two men direct. Although his Liverpool connections do not make him a natural choice in the eyes of many fans, Benítez is seen by Chelsea’s hierarchy as the one manager capable of eliciting the best from Fernando Torres. So poor has the Spaniard’s form been — he has scored only once in eight games — that Di Matteo, despite an injury to Daniel Sturridge, elected to start with Hazard at the tip of a revamped formation.

Di Matteo took full responsibility for the defeat last night, maintaining that he should bear the blame rather than his players, but insisted that he felt he was not only correct to drop the Spaniard, but that he is confident he will not imminently become the seventh managerial casualty of Abramovich’s reign.

“We are all in it together,” the Italian said. “I am responsible for the results. I’m responsible for the performance. It’s a negative evening for us. If anyone has to take the blame, it’s me. I selected a team I was convinced was the right team to win against Juventus, or get at least a draw, so the blame belongs to me.

“I was convinced it was the right selection, which is why I decided that. My conviction was 100 per cent to go with this team. Mathematically, qualification is still possible. While there is hope, we try. At the moment, I am here, and I think I will be for the future.”

[URL='http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/europe/article3606809.ece[/quote']http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/europe/article3606809.ece[/URL]

Chelsea really are a campaigner of a club. Di Matteo wins them the UCL against all odds and 6 months later he's gone

 

[Flameboy]

Chelsea really are a silly of a club. Di Matteo wins them the UCL against all odds and 6 months later he's gone

The same philosophy is the reason we got the UCL in the first place though ...sacking AVB after 9 months.

I don't fault it because we've been successful.