The first two spots in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals will be earned today in a pair of hotly-contested second legs.
Arsenal is at home against FC Porto (2:45pm, FSE/FSN) needing to overturn a 2-1 loss in Portugal in the first leg, while Bayern Munich takes on Fiorentina in Italy (2:45pm, FSC) after having won the first leg, 2-1, in Munich.
If you will be watching today's matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
Thanks Ives – Figured as much, and it will be interesting to see which league survives in a continued financial downward spiral. Watch a Serie A match and a stadium half-full (been there) watching boring football, and then watch a Bundesliga match between two mid-table teams–full house. The US could stand to learn from the DFB on how to run a football club and reap the financial rewards and share those rewards with the community at large.
Fair enough, but it’s not like they’re dominating. They weren’t even in first place until recently. I’ll concede, however, that van Gaal has them playing more consistently than Klinsmann could manage (but I also wonder how much of that had to do with management undermining him).
Arsenal might not pay exorbitant transfer fees but they are among the world leaders in revenue and payroll. That, among many other things, makes them a big money club.
He’s no Bob Bradley that’s for sure
robben and ribery are incredible players that keep them alive but no schwinstiger next round and two less than dominate performances vs. florentina… i would rather play them than the other 7 teams likely to got thru!
Wow. Bayern Munich never said die. props to the Bavarian Giants…..wouldn’t wanna play them any time soon….
Maybe. My logic was to take a once great (best of europe great) club with great fans at home and abroad and try to bring it back to a super club status. Do what Chelsea has done and what Man City is trying to do but Man City does have he history of Celtic or Rangers.
Also, the club would need to be cash poor or at least not able to compete with the likes of Bayern, Real Madrid, Man U, Chelsea, etc.. Teams like Rangers and Celtic head my list but also maybe Ajax, Leeds, and Nottingham Forrest are in that mix.
Finally the goal is to win it all and try to break even.
How about a little “equal opportunity” reporting.
Robben’s dream goal sends Bayern through. Ja!
Ives – Why is it that every time I open Fox Soccer or ESPN Soccernet, an English or Spanish or Italian club is headlining on CL or league play, and each time Bayern wins, they get the 2nd or 3rd stream down-never front page.
That Robben goal was a thing of absolute beauty!
(SBI-The German league just doesn’t have the same following that EPL, La Liga or Serie A have. The league plays some great soccer, but just doesn’t have the appeal outside of its own country like Europe’s other top leagues have.)
No matter how wisely Wenger spends (which is a matter of debate), Arsenal is a big money club. Them’s the facts.
I wouldn’t call Arsenal a big money club. If they have any money, it’s because Arsene knows how to save money and buy cheap. They don’t have the money like Bayern, Chelsea, Man U, Madrid. They buy young guys who can play, that’s that.
so wait, are you saying that juergen klinnsman might not be the greatest coach in the history of the game? noooo wayyyyy.
That goal was world class. Beating three defenders off the dribble starting from the right sideline. Brilliant skill!
isnt that experiment called 2009 Barcelona?
Big money clubs win the day. Snooze.
Hmm…I am no fan of Bayern, but van Gaal has that team in first place in the Bundesliga and in the quarter-final of CL, all within the context of a lengthy unbeaten streak…Bayern was highly inconsistent under Klinsmann, but not under van Gaal.
Cheers,
Wolf
Dutch save the huns from Munich.
The boy can ball can’t he? The whole team came out to play, even without Cesc. That game just made my day.
Fiorentina is schizophrenic–capable of beating anybody one minute, capable of losing to a USL side the next. Right now, it looks like they’re going out, but just a little while ago they had this game in the bag. Bayern, on the other hand, is about the same as they were last year–how’d letting Klinsi work out for them?
As for Arsenal… man, if their starting lineup could stay healthy and play together every single week, it would be SO awesome to watch. When Arshavin, Bendtner, and co. are firing on all cylinders, they’re simply dominant, no matter who they’re playing.
Mo and DMB on the field for Rangers. Rangers leading 2 – 0.
Question – If you had the cash to burn (Abramovich style) would you buy Rangers or Celtic and stack them with players to try and win 4druple? Would the cash generated worldwide from the Rangers/Celtic following eventaully make you break even?
Arsenal’s 3rd goal came on a magnificent run from Nasri, through defenders, deflection to himself, dropped the jock of a centerback, then a rifle shot low-stick side from a near-impossible angle.
Thing of beauty, that was.
Someone might want to call Porto and inform them that the game is today and that it would be best if they showed up.
WOW Bayern vs. Fiorentina is a barnburner. 4-4 on aggregate right now. Bayern up on away goals! Darn!
Arsenal 4-0 with goals in the 63′ and 66′. Aggregate is now 5-2.
Dam n, if you’re not watching Bayern-Fiorentina, you’re missing a hell of a match. Hell. Of. A. Match.
Well, more like hell of a second half. Four goals in the last 10 minutes.
Fiorentina goes up 2-0 on a beauty of a buildup.
Bayern comes back to make it 2-1 on a great pass from Ribery and a great strike from Van Bommel.
Fiorentina then scores on another Jovetic goal.
Seconds later, Bayern comes back on a GOLAZO, a left-footed, 30+ yard strike from Robben on a solo run.
Bayern lead by away goals. WOW, what a second half.
I feel for Fiorentina, if this stands, they are eliminated. Too bad, really.
What a barrage of goals!
Bayern down 2-0!
any rangers streams?
Arsenal looked off-side on the second goal, both Arshavin and Bendtner on successive passes.
great dribbling by arshavin on that 2nd goal. falcao looks really dangerous, 2nd half should be great too.
Bayern down to Fiorentina 1-0! Is it wrong that I want Bayern to lose every time they play? The Landon thing last year really soured me on them! His play in the EPL makes the stint with Bayern look more like Klinsi and LD got a raw deal last year.
Arsenal up 2-0 with 5 min till half
a_t_h_d_e dot n_e_t
according to foxsoccer.com, arsenal up 1-0
Feed???