Nigeria Content Online

So
for another season, Chelsea have been found wanting and this time by
rivals, Manchester United. The Red Devils won the second leg of the
UEFA Champions League quarterfinal 2-1, to go through to the
semi-finals on a 3-1 aggregate. Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea will hope
for better next season but Alex Ferguson and his team continue their
march for the treble ala 1999.

The first half had
started in much the same way that last week’s match started – frenetic
with Chelsea pressing for the goal that would tie the match. Ramires
had the first glimpse of goal but his surging run in the seventh minute
ended with him catching Edwin Van der Sar on the elbow but the 40 year
old got back on his feet instantly.

Fernando Torres,
who had not scored a goal in over 700 minutes of football, tried his
luck from 10 yards but his header was over the bar. In the 13th minute,
Torres and Nicolas Anelka combined to create a shooting opportunity for
the Frenchman, but he screwed his effort wide. That was closely
followed by a clear chance on goal for Frank Lampard but his shot was
too tame. The chance was created by Florent Malouda’s run from midfield.

After that initial
hustle, United settled down and started to keep the ball better.
Chicarito had a goal disallowed because of a marginal offside call in
the 27th minute.

United finally got
the first goal in the 43rd minute off another good play from Ryan
Giggs. After an exchange of passes with O’Shea which completely
out-foxed Anelka in the left back position, he laid the ball on a plate
for Chicarito to score. United went into the break with their tails up.

The second half saw
the introduction of Didier Drogba for the fumbling Torres and the
Ivorian made an immediate impact on the game. The aggressive Ivorian
drew Chelsea level on 76 minutes when after beating the offside trap,
slammed the ball past the hapless van der Sar in United goal.

Chelsea’s
celebration was cut short a minute later by Park who restored United’s
one-goal advantage. The remaining moments of the game was given to
sparring and it was United going through 3-1 on aggregate where they
face winners of the Inter versus Schalke encounter taking place tonight.

Barca through

In Donetsk, Lionel
Messi’s 43rd minute strike proved enough to see Barcelona through. The
Spaniards went into the game with a 5-1 advantage and will likely face
La Liga foes, Real Madrid who play Tottenham tonight in London having
whipped the English club 4-0 in Madrid last week.