Hiddink can help Chelsea conquer, says Lampard

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Chelsea midfielder Frank LampardChelsea midfielder Frank Lampard (©Getty Images)

Frank Lampard says Guus Hiddink has brought a winning mentality to Chelsea FC which he believes will be vital in restoring the club's fortunes and propelling them towards the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League.

European glory
The Russia coach has assumed the reins at Stamford Bridge on a temporary basis until the end of the season following the departure of Luiz Felipe Scolari and has already experienced the thrill of lifting Europe's most prestigious trophy, which could make all the difference according to the England midfielder. "Every coach has slightly different ideas but the main idea is that we want to win and that's what he has brought with him," said Lampard of the Dutchman who won the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1988 with PSV Eindhoven. "It's what the players want as well. We have not performed as well as we should have done in the last two or three months considering the quality in the squad, but we still have a chance in all the competitions we are in and that makes the Juventus game a massive one."

Ranieri return
The first knockout round tie brings the Chelsea players up against former manager Claudio Ranieri and Lampard is looking forward to renewing acquaintances with the Italian. "Without Claudio I probably wouldn't be at Chelsea," he added. "He signed me at a time when £11m was seen as a lot of money and I have the utmost respect for him. He's a great man as well as a great manager and he helped me develop after leaving West Ham [United FC]. I had not seen the real world in football terms and he opened my eyes to a lot of things. He deserves credit for the success this club has had since he left because he signed a lot of good players and elevated John Terry to captain. He's now grown into one of the best captains in the world."

'Great determination'
Chelsea have reached the semi-finals of this competition in four of the last five years and Lampard stressed again the hunger that drives the London team on in this competition – the desire to make amends for last term's disappointment when they lost in a penalty shoot-out to Manchester United FC in the Moscow final. "You can't help but have that in the back of your mind – the manner in which we came so close gives us great determination to go back and win it one day."

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Porto pair not quite enough for Lisandro

Wednesday 25 February 2009


Lisandro felt he might have had more to celebrate than his two goalsLisandro felt he might have had more to celebrate than his two goals (©Getty Images)

FC Porto forward Lisandro scored twice as his team earned a 2-2 draw away to Club Atlético de Madrid, but the Argentinian later acknowledged his side should have had more.

Missed chances
The Portuguese champions came from behind on two occasions in their first knockout round opener at the Vicente Calderón Stadium and had Lisandro to thank for responding to first-half strikes from Maxi Rodríguez and Diego Forlán. However, with the visiting team spurning five further presentable chances during an entertaining game, the night lost some of its lustre for the 25-year-old striker. "I'm happy, really happy but maybe we could have scored another goal," said Lisandro, who was voted Man of the Match by uefa.com users. "We needed to be more intelligent and convert the chances we created. Had we been a little calmer we could have managed another without a doubt. If that had been the case the result would have been very different."

Decent outcome
Following his double strike, the Argentinian international – in his fourth season at Porto – moved to the top of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League scoring charts. Having previously registered three goals in total against Fenerbahçe SK home and away and another in the 2-0 win over Arsenal FC at the Estádio do Dragão, Lisandro now has six goals from seven appearances in this year's tournament. After his heroics in the Spanish capital, the former Racing Club player preferred to heap the praise on to his team-mates. "We have a strong team with good players and a good squad and we came here looking to win but the outcome tonight wasn't a bad one for us," he said.

Not over yet
There was little doubt that the 2-2 draw left the visiting set of supporters in celebratory mood prior to their trip back to Portugal but they were advised to remain cautious ahead of the second leg on 11 March. "Let's not get carried away, this tie is still very much open," Lisandro warned. "They are a very good team and you can bet that they'll be coming to Porto to win because they have to. We'll be doing everything we can in order to progress but we know that there are 90 very difficult minutes ahead."

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García keeps faith in Atlético

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Raúl García wins a header in the first leg against PortoRaúl García wins a header in the first leg against Porto (©Getty Images)

Midfielder Raúl García remained defiant that Club Atlético de Madrid could still advance after a 2-2 draw with FC Porto left Jesualdo Ferreira's team as slight favourites to reach the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Second chance
Atlético twice led the first knockout round first-leg encounter thanks to an early strike from Maxi Rodríguez and a fortunate goal from Diego Forlán before the break. On two occasions, however, Lisandro responded for the visitors who had Atlético on the back foot for large parts of the game. The quality of the opposition came as little surprise to Raúl García, who said: "Everyone knew Porto were a good team and they showed that tonight. We know we have another game ahead of us and another 90 minutes to put things right."

No fear
The 22-year-old was chosen ahead of ex-Porto favourite Maniche in the centre of midfield and put in a battling performance against quality opponents. "They're a really tough team but having said that we're not afraid of anyone," added Raúl García, before turning his attention to the return in northern Portugal in two weeks' time. "We have to go there to win and we don't see that as being something which is impossible. In fact, we've got as good a chance as they do. We're still confident we can advance to the next round."

Evenly poised
Antonio López agreed that a place in the last eight was still very much within the Spanish side's grasp ahead of their trip to the Estádio do Dragão on 11 March. "We knew that before we took to the field tonight it was the first of two games against this team," said the full-back. "The guys are fine, and know that the tie is still balanced. There's no point going over there, playing well and then getting knocked out – we need to go and beat them."

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Barça glad to escape Lyon's den unscathed

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Thierry Henry jumps for joy as he celebrates his side's equaliserThierry Henry jumps for joy as he celebrates his side's equaliser (©Getty Images)

FC Barcelona midfielder Yaya Touré said he was "extremely relieved" to have avoided defeat away to an impressive Olympique Lyonnais side in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round on Tuesday.

Intense pressure
The most difficult period so far in Barça's season looked like it might get worse when Juninho Pernambucano broke the deadlock with a sublime free-kick after just seven minutes, prompting an intense spell of Lyon pressure. Yet the visitors, who had been beaten by city rivals RCD Espanyol three days earlier, fought back and secured a 1-1 draw through Thierry Henry's 67th-minute header, leaving them in a strong position ahead of the second leg.

'Excellent team'
Although the scoreline extended the Spanish club's winless run to three matches, Touré was pleased. "This is a very good result for us because we know how hard it is to play away to Lyon," the Ivory Coast international told uefa.com. "Real Madrid have had two bad defeats here in recent years and Lyon showed again that they're an excellent side by posing us a lot of problems for 70 minutes. We're extremely relieved because the Espanyol game took a lot out of us and we're struggling a bit physically at the moment. Tonight we were up against another team that really unsettled us but we produced the necessary performance."

Eto'o concern
Only disappointing finishing from the hosts kept Josep Guardiola's charges within touching distance at half-time, yet the Liga leaders slowly improved and looked the better side in the second period. Striker Samuel Eto'o blamed the poor opening on a lack of aggression, saying: "We allowed Lyon to play in the first half. As soon as we lost possession they were very quick to counterattack and created several dangerous openings. We tightened up in the second half, kept the ball better and managed to put Lyon under pressure."

Touré warning
The result means the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League winners will be favourites to progress to the quarter-finals at Camp Nou on 11 March, although Touré is bracing himself for another severe test. "The tie is still very open," the former AS Monaco FC player said. "I'm sure the second leg is also going to be very difficult. People will be saying we're favourites but we need to be wary of Lyon. We saw tonight how dangerous Juninho and the rest of the Lyon team can be."

Free-kick threat
Henry echoed Touré's thoughts, singling out Lyon's set-piece wizard as the principal threat to Barcelona's chances. "I know this Lyon team well and I knew we needed to avoid conceding free-kicks around the box," the France striker told uefa.com. "We conceded one a long way from the penalty area and Juninho still found a way of scoring. Only he knows how he does it. When you have a player like Juninho who can make a breakthrough at any moment you can always win a game. We will have to be very careful."

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Ibrahimović fired up for a free-flowing finale

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Zlatan Ibrahimović is expecting a full-blooded encounter at Old TraffordZlatan Ibrahimović is expecting a full-blooded encounter at Old Trafford (©Getty Images)

Zlatan Ibrahimović is looking forward to "an open game" at Old Trafford in a fortnight's time, as FC Internazionale Milano attempt to overcome Manchester United FC following a 0-0 home draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League first knockout round tie.

'Open game'
Inter were outplayed for large periods of the match at San Siro, only really flickering to life at the start and end of the second half, but the Nerazzurri managed to avoid conceding the away goal that would have tipped the balance in favour of the Premier League club and the Swedish international was positive about his side's prospects in the return leg. "We are very confident," he said. "We want to win every game and we are going to Manchester to try to win. United are a good team so it will be very difficult because we know that they want to win too. I think it'll be an open game over there like it was tonight."

Vidić praise
United could prove an even tougher side to break down on home soil as Nemanja Vidić, one of their star performers this season, will return from suspension to partner Rio Ferdinand in the centre of defence. However striker Ibrahimović, who has failed to score a post-Christmas goal in 19 European matches, was unfazed by the prospect of facing the Serbian international. "I'm looking forward to taking on Vidić," he said. "He's a great player, who has done very well so far this year but it's no problem for me to play against the best because that's part of the challenge. I'm looking forward to playing against him. Players look forward to these big occasions and you just have to enjoy them."

Cup-tie atmosphere
Ibrahimović added that the do-or-die cup-tie atmosphere in England would also be something to savour as both sides slug it out to see who goes through. "It'll be like a cup tie at Old Trafford," said the 27-year-old. "It'll be win or lose. We have to win to go through or we could even get a draw and go through but I don't think that any teams really play for a draw. We'll be going there to win and then we'll just have to see how it turns out. Beating the European champions would certainly be a confidence boost for us but it's no guarantee that we'll win the Champions League."

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Robust rearguard the key for Touré

Wednesday 25 February 2009
by Simon Hart from London
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Kolo Touré was pleased with his side's defensive displayKolo Touré was pleased with his side's defensive display (©Getty Images)Photos/WallpapersPhotos/Wallpapers »

Kolo Touré said the clean sheet that Arsenal FC gained in Tuesday night's 1-0 win over AS Roma could prove pivotal in their fight for a UEFA Champions League quarter-final place.

Defensive strength
Although the Ivorian centre-back acknowledged Arsenal created enough chances to have won by more than Robin van Persie's first-half penalty, he believes the Gunners' defensive strength – this was a fifth successive shut-out – gives them real hope of completing the job in the return leg of their last-16 tie in the Italian capital. "We could have done better and scored some more goals but the good thing is we had a clean sheet which is really important," said Touré.

Nasri encouraged
"Now we will try to go there and impose our game and play like we did tonight," he continued. "We know we defend really well as a team and we also created a lot of chances which is important." Midfielder Samir Nasri echoed Touré's words, saying: "I think this result is not too bad, even though we could have won by more. Fortunately we managed not to concede any goals. Tonight we've seen a winning Arsenal side, with a good defensive display which is very encouraging for the challenges to come. Unlike in the Premier League, tonight we had more space to move. We managed to create the gaps we needed and had a lot of movement. Now we have to try to repeat this performance."

Praise for Diaby
Twelve months ago Arsenal won at AC Milan following a goalless first-leg draw at home and, according to Touré, their confidence about a repeat performance is boosted by the likelihood of injured players being back in time for the deciding leg on 11 March. "We have some players to come back like Eduardo da Silva, which is going to help us a lot. We have a lot of injuries at the moment but the team tonight were outstanding. [Midfielder] Abou Diaby came back from two weeks out and did a really good job."

'Learned a new rule'
Touré was even able to look on the bright side of the booking he collected for taking the field without the referee's permission when he arrived late for the second half along with William Gallas who had received treatment for an injury. "I was waiting for William to come because I am always the last on to the pitch, which is a superstition of mine. We didn't lose a goal so we were happy about that. It was embarrassing but the good thing is I have learned a new rule tonight," he smiled.

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Pick of the night

24 February 2009, 23:58

From another superb Juninho Pernambucano free-kick to a memorable double from FC Porto's Lisandro, uefa.com takes its pick of the action on a record-breaking night for Javier Zanetti and Manchester United FC.

Goal: Juninho Pernambucano (Olympique Lyonnais)
Claude Puel had called on his side to focus on their own strengths rather than worry about FC Barcelona's prior to kick-off and the Brazilian playmaker did just that, curling a trademark free-kick – his 43rd such goal for the club – up and over Víctor Valdés from near the left flank to spark a spirited performance.

Save: Júlio César (FC Internazionale Milano)
It took Manchester United just five minutes to find their range at San Siro but César was equal to the task, tipping Cristiano Ronaldo's point-blank header away on his line. It was the first in a series of stunning saves from the Brazilian goalkeeper, whose duel with the Portuguese was the highlight of the evening and kept Inter on level terms.

Player: Lisandro (FC Porto)
Lisandro struck twice and had one disallowed as Porto took control at the Vicente Calderón. They were the 25-year-old Argentinian international's fifth and sixth goals of the competition, moving him above Lionel Messi, Steven Gerrard, Miroslav Klose and Karim Benzema to the top of the scoring chart.

Debut: Davide Santon (FC Internazionale Milano)
Making your UEFA Champions League debut is daunting at the best of times, but to do so against the holders in the knockout rounds and being asked to mark Ronaldo is something else again. Step forward 18-year-old Santon who emerged with credit and praise from both managers ringing in his ears. "Santon is not a promising player, he is already a great player," José Mouninho, never one for understatement, said. "He proved it by playing a great match against Ronaldo. He was absolutely fantastic."

Team: Olympique Lyonnais
Lyon were written off by many before the first whistle had blown against Barcelona but the French champions rose to the occasion brilliantly and, despite riding their luck at times, deserved more than the 1-1 draw they ultimately settled for.

Travel sickness: AS Roma
Roma will be hoping to avoid Premier League opposition in the future after once again losing on their travels to an English club. Their 1-0 defeat by Arsenal FC was their sixth in succession in the country. It was also the only loss suffered by an away side on Tuesday.

Record breaker: Javier Zanetti (FC Internazionale Milano)
The 35-year-old set a club record with his 118th European appearance for Inter in their goalless draw against the holders. Zanetti marked the occasion in his own inimitable style with a great early tackle on Ronaldo as he passed Giuseppe Bergomi's previous high.

Quote: Helton (FC Porto)
"It is at moments like this that you see just how strong and united this team is. My team-mates told me I had helped them several times in the past and that this time it was their turn to help me."
The Porto goalkeeper thanks his colleagues for their support after gifting Forlán a goal moments before half-time.

Number: 20
United established a UEFA Champions League record with their 20th successive unbeaten game in the competition following the goalless draw with Inter. Their last defeat came in the semi-finals on their last visit to San Siro in April 2007, a 3-0 loss to AC Milan.

And finally ...
Then there were nine. You may have heard of managers losing the dressing room but players losing the pitch? Arsenal were forced to begin the second half with nine men after Kolo Touré and William Gallas failed to reappear for the restart against Roma. Arsène Wenger may be a master tactician but this must have left even his own players scratching their heads.

Relieved Mexès insists '1-0 away is nothing'

AS Roma defender Philippe Mexès admitted the Italian side were relieved to have escaped with just a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal FC on Tuesday, but warned the Gunners to expect a different test altogether in Italy in a fortnight's time.

Positive thinking
Luciano Spalletti's visitors lost the first leg of this UEFA Champions League first knockout round contest to a Robin van Persie penalty – awarded for a Mexès foul on the Dutchman – but it could have been worse for Roma, who saw Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboué miss clear opportunities to inflict greater damage. Mèxes said: "Obviously we are very disappointed with this defeat, but at the same time we are very positive we can turn it around because 1-0 away is nothing."

'No fear'
The French international, who had "no complaints" about the penalty award, added: "Arsenal play good football but they are not unbeatable. In Rome it will be a completely different match in which we will have to push forward and play without fear, which we did not do in the first part of the match tonight. In the end a penalty decided the outcome but the score is still positive considering all the other chances they had to add to their lead. The first leg is over now and we have to start in a different way in two weeks' time, playing at home with our fans behind us. At our ground we will give everything to reach the next round."

Riise relief
The feeling in the Roma camp afterwards was that their performance improved as the game went on. "We showed at the end of the second half that we could have got more out of the game," said Mexès. Yet while John Arne Riise drew a save out of Manuel Almunia in the closing stages, it was no more than Marco Motta had done in the first period. Riise himself acknowledged the Serie A outfit were lucky to have survived several scares in their own penalty box, notably when an unmarked Bendtner failed to profit from scoring chances in each half. "We didn't play at all well tonight and I can't believe Bendtner missed those goals because normally he'd have scored," said Riise.

'Lucky'
In the group stage Roma avenged a 1-0 loss to Chelsea FC in London with a 3-1 home success, and the Norway defender added: "The tie is still wide open because we're just 1-0 down and that's very different from being 2-0 down. If you look at the chances we created and the chances they created in the end we were probably lucky to have come away with just a one-goal deficit. "



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Grosso not discouraged after Lyon draw

Despite being pegged back by Thierry Henry's second-half equaliser, defender Fabio Grosso is convinced Olympique Lyonnais can progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by upsetting FC Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Tremendous goal
The French titleholders proved more than a match for their illustrious opponents in a pulsating first half at Stade de Gerland, scoring a tremendous opening goal courtesy of Juninho Pernambucano's seventh-minute free-kick and going on to create a host of further chances. They were ultimately made to pay for some wayward finishing by a determined Barça side, although Grosso was certainly not left feeling downhearted. "It was a terrific match and we played extremely well in the first half," the Italian international told uefa.com.

'Always confident'
"We could have scored a second and killed the game when we were on top but we didn't and Barcelona came back strongly and deserved to equalise," the 31-year-old added. "We knew we'd be under more pressure in the second half because we were up against probably the best team in Europe. Unfortunately we conceded from a set piece but there's still another game to play and another difficult 90 minutes ahead of us. We're always confident, though, and we're determined to do something special."

Messi tamed
If the two-time European champions were not at their sparkling best, Lyon never really allowed them the opportunity to play. Lionel Messi in particular was subdued as Grosso and Ederson worked feverishly on the left to deny the Argentinian space, as well as raiding forward whenever possible. The former FC Internazionale Milano full-back was nevertheless reluctant to take credit for Messi's quiet performance, saying: "We've said all along the only way to stop them is to play together as a team. We did that really well in the first half, and even in the second."

Keita belief
Lyon coach Claude Puel will also feel his bold team selection was vindicated after Kader Keita – preferred to the slightly more defensive Kim Källström – posed countless problems in the opening period. Like Grosso, the Ivorian took encouragement from the performance and is urging the Ligue 1 leaders to stay positive in Catalonia. "When we played our usual attacking game we created many chances," Keita told uefa.com. "We had so much space in the first half, but in the second half we were only defending. When we go to Barcelona we have to play our game. We will go there to win and if we play well I think things will go better for us."

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Everything but the goal for Carrick's United

Midfielder Michael Carrick was pleased with Manchester United FC's performance as they drew 0-0 with FC Internazionale Milano but noted that missed chances at San Siro had left the tie "hanging in the balance".

First-half dominance
Playing his 27th game in Europe's premier club competition, Carrick was particularly impressed by his side's first-half showing, during which Cristiano Ronaldo was a constant thorn in Inter's side, testing the home team's resolute goalkeeper Júlio César with a series of free-kicks and headers. "We played well tonight, particularly in the first half, and we're satisfied," said Carrick, "but we're a bit disappointed because we haven't taken all our chances.

'In control'
"We played well, took the game to them and created a lot of opportunities that on another day we would have scored but it wasn't to be and it's not a bad position to be in going into the second leg," he added. "We knew what to expect from Inter. They're a good side but we looked to play to our strengths and we cancelled them out. We were pretty much in control of the game. I felt that they had a spell just after half-time where they came back at us a little bit but apart from that we were in control."

Away goal threat
For all of United's dominance they could not convert the chances that came their way, with Ryan Giggs, on 29 minutes, also finding César too sharp for him when he bore down on goal. Thus, United must host the Italian champions knowing that an away goal could be their undoing at Old Trafford. "The next game will be tough with two good teams going at it again," Carrick conceded. "Games like this can turn quite quickly so we'll be aware of their strengths but we'll try and win. The tie is still hanging in the balance, they've got players who can change the game quite quickly, but we're good at home, we've got players that are good enough and I'm confident that we can go through."

Evans praise
Carrick was quick to pay tribute to his side's makeshift defence, which incorporated John O'Shea and Jonny Evans due to the absence of key players, but which managed to stretch the club's unbeaten run to a record 20 matches in the UEFA Champions League. "I think it shows the strength in depth in our squad that Nemanja Vidić wasn't playing tonight and Wes Brown, Gary Neville and Rafael were out injured," he said. "I don't know how you can pick a best back four anymore because whenever any players have come in they've done tremendously well. Jonny Evans had a great game tonight and he was carrying a knock. It was brilliant to keep another clean sheet – it's given us a lot of confidence."

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