Uefa cup 1st knockout round

Bounty Hunter

Wednesday, 18 February 2009
AaB v Deportivo La Coruna, 32R, L1, 20:00
Aston Villa v CSKA Moscow, 32R, L1, 19:00
Bordeaux v Galatasaray, 32R, L1, 19:45
Braga v Standard Liege, 32R, L1, 20:45
Dynamo Kiev v Valencia, 32R, L1, 17:00
NEC v Hamburg, 32R, L1, 19:45
Olympiacos v St Etienne, 32R, L1, 17:30
PSG v Wolfsburg, 32R, L1, 19:45
Sampdoria v FC Metalist Kharkiv , 32R, L1, 19:45
Werder Bremen v AC Milan, 32R, L1, 19:35
Zenit St Petersburg v VfB Stuttgart, 32R, L1, 17:15

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Thursday, 19 February 2009
FC Copenhagen v Man City, 32R, L1, 19:05
Fiorentina v Ajax, 32R, L1, 19:45
Lech Poznan v Udinese, 32R, L1, 17:00
Marseille v FC Twente, 32R, L1, 19:45
Shakhtar Donetsk v Tottenham, 32R, L1, 18:45

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Only a few days before Villa face Chelsea in the league, itl be interesting to see if its a full strenght Villa side that starts this game. I feel Spurs's game is a lot tougher than they will be given credit for esp the away first leg. A.C Milan vs Weder Bremen could be a good game too

therecklessone

Villa and Spurs games are live on Setanta Ireland. Not sure about City's game, is it on C5?

Spurs have a tough task in Ukraine, Darren Bent and Frazier Campbell are our only options up front, and Campbell has very little playing time under his belt of late.

I'm expecting a 4-5-1 with Modric in behind bent, and a midfield four of Lennon-Jenas-Palacios-Bentley.

I won't be surprised to see us lose the away leg, our best hope is that Shaktar will be lacking match fitness as it's 2 months since their last competitive game.

bigstar

city are on bbc3, dont know what to expect tbh. hopefully we can repeat the schalke performance but more than likely it will be the pompey/stoke/west brom one

everdead.ie

The spurs match is going to be tough hopefully we'll have the edge on fitness but i see a few players being rested maybe Palacios and Modric(appearantly picked up a knock in training). I see more of a lennon-huddlestone-Bostock/Palacios-bently Rednapp really doesn't rate the comp with league servival the most important campbell and bent up front

therecklessone

everdead.ie wrote: »

The spurs match is going to be tough hopefully we'll have the edge on fitness but i see a few players being rested maybe Palacios and Modric(appearantly picked up a knock in training). I see more of a lennon-huddlestone-Bostock/Palacios-bently Rednapp really doesn't rate the comp with league servival the most important campbell and bent up front

That would be Bostock who's had one 11 minute run out for the first team and isn't even a fixture in the reserves/development squad? Doubt it somehow.

everdead.ie

I know but because of ramos' lack of forsight it means we're pretty stretched but ya i supppose he'll prob be a sub with a run out in the second half

One Cold Hand

Preview to the Villa - CSKA game:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7884099.stm

Turns out Davies didn't dislocate his arm against Everton. He 'hurt' it, whatever that means, and should be okay for the game. Heskey is out, but may be okay for the Chelski game.
Sidders is suspended but Barry returns.

CSKA haven't played (compeditively) since early December. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, they'll certainly be well rested! And their manager stepped down in December also. Zico took over in January.

Xavi6

I've got my Ryanair boarding pass and my Danish Krone so I'm all set for this one.

COME ON CITEH!!!!

therecklessone

Good luck Xavi.

bigstar

yeah good luck xavi, hope its a good match and a win of course

Badabing

I reckon Spurs will go out as Shaktar are a very good team especially at home, it could easilly be 3 or 4-0 Shaktar after the first leg.

mike65

Talk of MON fielding a weakened side for tonights game.

therecklessone

mike65 wrote: »

Talk of MON fielding a weakened side for tonights game.

Talk of Harry doing the same in Ukraine: King, Woodgate, O'Hara, Palacios, Lennon and Cudicini not travelled I've heard, Modric a doubt with a knock picked up in training, Defoe out long term, Keane/Paylyuchenko/Corluka all inelligable. Allegedly, 8 of the 20 man squad are academy players, who have less than 90mins senior action between them.

Bounty Hunter

mike65 wrote: »

Talk of MON fielding a weakened side for tonights game.

Ive heard that too, talk of The Fonz and co. playing tonight before Chelsea on the weekend. Have to say id be worried if that was the case, when you look at some of their players CSKA are quality and having to travel to Moscow for the return leg wont be ideal.

Igor Akinfeev
Vágner Love
Daniel Carvalho
Yuri Zhirkov
Sergei Ignashevich

the above list of players is a reason why CSKA should be respected (not feared) and not taken lightly imo.

lee_arama

I'm sorry now that I didn't take Love to score first, but will be thankful that I have CSKA in a trixie (1 faller so far so just the double left).

That CSKA are evens and higher on Betfair, with a goal lead, is madness too, IMHO.

Frisbee

lee_arama wrote: »

I'm sorry now that I didn't take Love to score first

I took him at 15/2

Kinetic^

Gabbie better get his act together. That's a header today and one at the weekend that he missed from 6 yards out and nobody near him!

MementoMori

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Gabbie better get his act together. That's a header today and one at the weekend that he missed from 6 yards out and nobody near him!

Fairly shocking effort all right.

Since the goal went in Villa have looked the better of the two teams.

Wonder if CSKA's lack of match practice will affect them towards the end of the game

Kinetic^

2nd half starting now. Let's hope Young doesn't take any more knocks.

Raskolnikov

Watching Milan-Bremen.

Inzaghi must be like 50 years old, but still doesn't understand the offside rule.

Raskolnikov

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Watching Milan-Bremen.

Inzaghi must be like 50 years old, but still doesn't understand the offside rule.

Well that certainly was offside.

1-0, Inzaghi. Milan to cruise it from here surely. Bremen are garbage.

Doodee

Get in there!

Kinetic^

Sweet, hopefully get a winner now.

Kinetic^

Holy jesus........... :eek: when the hell is Laursen back?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

everdead.ie

1-1 at villa park MON will be disapointed they couldn't finish off there opportunities.

Samurai

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Holy jesus........... :eek: when the hell is Laursen back?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

haha yeah can see chelsea knocking in four on us

mike65

Entertaining game, Villa can be quite exciting but they are a bit like a 5 year old - lots of buzzing energy, little finesse apart from Barry.

everdead.ie

mike65 wrote: »

Entertaining game, Villa can be quite exciting but they are a bit like a 5 year old - lots of buzzing energy, little finesse apart from Barry.

Give Young and agbonlahor another season and they'll have it making them much more profficient in front of goal

Mr Alan

everdead.ie wrote: »

Give Young and agbonlahor another season and they'll have it making them much more profficient in front of goal

Young-Yes
Agbonlahor-No

imo

Bounty Hunter

Well atleast we are still in the tie and didnt pick up any more injuries, pity about the away goal but our focus has to be CL qualification (CSKA already got that for next season).

people and bookies especially really underated Moscow in the build up imo

invincibleirish

Good result for the Villa given the circumstances with injuries and whatnot. Came into the game as it went on main thing is got the goal back after concedingand unlucky to hit crossbar. Sure it'll be tough in Moscow, as Chelsea will be on Saturday, but thats the way it is. We can beat Chelsea at home and we can play well away from home, i can't wait.

dreamers75

Bounty Hunter wrote: »

ENGLISH people and bookies especially really underated Moscow in the build up imo

fixed that for you, thought CSKA should have and could finished the tie tonight. Think Villa will score away tho, my pick of the 2nd legs atm anyway.

Xavi6

Disastrous start to the day as I forgot my match tickets and nearly missed my flight. the ma had to bring them out to me and there was a mad dash to the gate.

Got to Billund and picked up my hire car - a brand new Golf TDI. 3 hours and over 300kms later I made it to Copenhagen where it's fuckin bitter (minues 2 at the mo).

Headed into town to the Irish Rover bar as they were doing specials for City fans. Must've been about 200 or so of us there so the craic was great. Few pints of Carlsberg went down well.

Back in the hotel now and gonna get an early enough night. Big day tomorrow.

therecklessone

Xavi6 wrote: »

Back in the hotel now and gonna get an early enough night. Big day tomorrow.

Pfft, it's not a Euro away trip unless you get delivered back to your hotel at 5am by the local constabulary...:P

dreamers75

therecklessone wrote: »

Pfft, it's not a Euro away trip unless you get delivered back to your hotel at 5am by the local constabulary...:P

+1

Always find the night before the best part of the trip.

How ****ing odd tho, exact thing happened a mate of mine when we played Odense couple of years back. do you know him :eek:

therecklessone

dreamers75 wrote: »

+1

Always find the night before the best part of the trip.

How ****ing odd tho, exact thing happened a mate of mine when we played Odense couple of years back. do you know him :eek:

Nah, happened me and a mate in Brussels last year

Year before that we got so smashed the night before Leverkusen, I left a €200 jacket with a €300 camera in the pocket in the boozer in Cologne, jumped in a taxi back to Leverkusen and slept on the couch in my hotel's lobby...:eek:

I won't go into what we got up to in Prague last Feb...:P:P:P

dreamers75

therecklessone wrote: »

Nah, happened me and a mate in Brussels last year

Year before that we got so smashed the night before Leverkusen, I left a €200 jacket with a €300 camera in the pocket in the boozer in Cologne, jumped in a taxi back to Leverkusen and slept on the couch in my hotel's lobby...:eek:

I won't go into what we got up to in Prague last Feb...:P:P:P

And people knock the UEFA cup :mad:

Some of the greatest games and nights of my life were in that.

Champions league...pfft your having a laugh.

EDIT godbless ryaniar for getting me close to where i wanted to go everytime.

therecklessone

dreamers75 wrote: »

And people knock the UEFA cup :mad:

Some of the greatest games and nights of my life were in that.

Champions league...pfft your having a laugh.

EDIT godbless ryaniar for getting me close to where i wanted to go everytime.

Throw in a baton charge in Sevilla, being possibly the drunkest I have ever been in Braga, getting caught in a 11 mile traffic jam on the way to Eindhoven (followed by a 4 hour train journey back the bastards ), getting to Udinese via Mallorca, Barcelona and Venice, and being offered the "services" of a young lady by a Tel Aviv taxi driver, but I had to wait until she finished school...:eek::eek::eek:

Next season will be such an anti-climax if we don't win next weekend.

everdead.ie

Just watching sky sports news modric palacios lennon all being rested for tomorrow

EDIT woodgate and Cudicini too sorry didn't get them all the first time

therecklessone

Spurs squad for tomorrow:

Goalkeepers: Heurelho Gomes, Oscar Jansson

Defenders: Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter, Michael Dawson, Calum Butcher, Adam Smith, Pascal Chimbonda

Midfielders: Didier Zokora, David Bentley, Tom Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas, Gilberto, John Bostock, Dean Parrett, Ryan Mason

Forwards: Darren Bent, Giovani Dos Santos, Fraizer Campbell, Jonathan Obika

Starting XI?

Gomes
Gunter
Dawson
Chimbonda
Bale
Bentley
Zokora
Hudd
Jenas
Bent
Campbell

?

everdead.ie

therecklessone wrote: »

Spurs squad for tomorrow:

Goalkeepers: Heurelho Gomes, Oscar Jansson

Defenders: Gareth Bale, Chris Gunter, Michael Dawson, Calum Butcher, Adam Smith, Pascal Chimbonda

Midfielders: Didier Zokora, David Bentley, Tom Huddlestone, Jermaine Jenas, Gilberto, John Bostock, Dean Parrett, Ryan Mason

Forwards: Darren Bent, Giovani Dos Santos, Fraizer Campbell, Jonathan Obika

Starting XI?

Gomes
Gunter
Dawson
Chimbonda
Bale
Bentley
Zokora
Hudd
Jenas
Bent
Campbell

?

Doubt Gilberto will make the bench even Can Zokora play left mid?

therecklessone

everdead.ie wrote: »

Doubt Gilberto will make the bench even Can Zokora play left mid?

Bentley on right, Zok and Hudd in middle, Jenas on left.

Either that or he plays Chimbonda at LB, Bale on the left of midfield, Zokora fills in at CB and Jenas partners Hudd in the middle.

Subs likely:

Jansson
Smith
Gilberto
Bostock
Parrett
Gio
Obika

everdead.ie

That makes much more sense sorry ya i'd say bale will play left mid don't think Redknapp trusts him as a defender nice at crossing tho.

eagle eye

I didn't get to see the Villa game but just looking at the team it appears he gave a run to a couple of players who have are not first choice players or who have not played much lately.
Guzan, Shorey, Gardner and Carew I'm talking about.

Were there injuries or is it a case of leaving out players who might have fitness worries, and really not taking worrying that much about the Uefa Cup?

Xavi6

Just popped into an internet cafe to write up my preview for one of the City sites.

Absolutely freezing out (minus 3 at the mo) so I'm dreading what it'll be like come game time. Took a walk through town today and there's hundreds of City fans about. Feels strange being in the same place as so many.

Walked past Kasper Schmeichel but didn't bother going over. Doubt he's involved tonight anyway.

Smegball

Thinking of sticking a 5er on Marseille, Shaktar, Fiorentina and Udinese all to win, City game is too risky IMO, whats everybody else think?

everdead.ie

Harry playing for a draw 4-1-4-1 formation campbell up front chimbonda playing left back

dreamers75

spurs game is shockingly bad.

ctrl-alt-delete

Looks like it's going to finish 2-2 between City and Copenhagen,

Terrible defending by city tonight, 2 free headers for the Copenhagen goals.

Xavi6

Feels like a feckin defeat tbh. They're a pretty piss poor outfit. Aside from the two gifted goals Given had sweet FA to do all game while we played som superb football.

Stephen Ireland was easily MOM and hs goal was superb. Dunnie played well and put in some crucial tackles, while Zabs and Vinny K worked tirelessly in midfield. Bellamy was his usual annoying self, but in a good ay. Robinho was disappointing to say the least, so much so that his defensive work was better than most of what he did going forward.

Great atmosphere in the ground. We were the only two City fans in the Copenhagen section of the main stand but had no hassles at all. The home fans were superb and very welcoming. It snowed all through the game and after about 70 minutes I was absolutely frozen.

As I said, disappointing to balls it up, and our weakness defending crosses was exposed again, but the fact is we scored two away goals and should be good enough to see them off at home next week.

Never thought I'd say this but I can't wait to get back to warm Ireland!

eagle eye

I gotta say every time I see that Craig Gardner I am more impressed. That Villa team remind me of Mark Hughes' early days at Blackburn, they don't half commit to tackles, but still right in it, impressive performance from the Villa reserves.