Tuesday was a day of shock results and upsets few could have seen coming.
Such as? Well, having Chelsea and Inter give up a combined six goals was shocking. Roma mustering a brilliant performance after a terrible start to the season was a bit shocking. Anorthosis Famagusta netting three to tie Inter was shocking (though not as shocking as the Inter blunders that led to all three goals). Barcelona being held by FC Basel at the Camp Nou was certainly a shocker.
Here is a recap of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League action:
CFR Cluj-Napoca 1, Bordeaux 2
Looks like the clock has struck 12 for this Cinderella story. Meanwhile Laurent Blanc’s boys look poised to make a run at the round of 16.
Roma 3, Chelsea 1
Where has this been all year for the Romans? More importantly for Chelsea, is the Blues defense really this vulnerable? Lastly, the second yellow to Deco for time-wasting was a terrible call.
Anorthosis Famagusta 3, Inter Milan 3
The Italian champions gift-wrapped all three goals for the Cypriots, which must have Jose Mourinho pulling out his hair (oh wait, he already shaved it off). On the bright side, the shock draw gives I’m on Setanta Sports some new material.
Werder Bremen 0, Panathanaikos 3
The Greeks won this game handily and deservedly, exposing the underachieving Germans badly. I can’t think of a more talented team more guilty of underachieving than Bremen. Oh wait, almost forgot about Arsenal. The goal by Giorgias Karagounis is a must-see.
Barcelona 1, FC Basel 1
Can’t be too surprised about the Spaniards failing to get up for this one when qualifying was practically in the bag. Losing Iniesta to a knee injury put a somber tone on this one.
Sporting Lisbon 1, Shakhtar Donetsk 0
The Portuguese squad qualifies for the knockout stages surpisingly early, and I’m still stunned to learn that this is the first time in the club’s history that Sporting has reached the round of 16.
Liverpool 1, Atletico Madrid 1
Another tightly contested match between these sides. Thoroughly disappointing finish, with Steven Gerrard doing a little acting on the "foul" that led to the equalizing penalty. Atletico has endured a brutal stretch of games, but certainly look like a force to be reckoned with both in Spain and Champions League play.
Marseille 3, PSV Eindhoven 0
Those underachieving French finally open things up and show off the attacking prowess we know they are capable of. Does this mean they will stop dropping points in Ligue 1? As for PSV, the Dutch squad just doesn’t look ready for prime-time this year.
What did you think of Tuesday’s results? Stunned by Chelsea’s poor display? Is this the start of the Roma revival?
Share your thoughts below.