Skip to content

Board index » Football Forums » UEFA Football Forum
Change font size   Print view
FAQ Search

Man United 2 Chelsea 1

UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup.
Post a reply



Senior Member
Posts: 72
Joined: Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:03 am
Has thanked: 2 times
Have thanks: 5 times
Reputation point: 3
Newbie

View adrian's Profile
Unread postPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:08 am
The Little Pea, Javier Hernandez, continues to sprout at an astonishing rate.

Ryan Giggs is laughing in the face of his pension book and United can swear by Wayne Rooney once again.

This may not be the greatest side ever to be seen at Old Trafford but they are as confident as any of their predecessors and will firmly believe they can land the Treble.

Giggs has seen it all and done it all but the 37-year-old is as enthusiastic as when he burst on the scene at the age of 17.

He was the creator of all three goals in this Champions League quarter-final tie, laying on Rooney's strike at Stamford Bridge and the two here last night for Hernandez and Ji-Sung Park.

Hernandez, 22, is the find of the season and has emerged as one of United's key men.

At £7million, the Little Pea did not even cost big potatoes - unlike Chelsea's £50m misfit Fernando Torres, who was embarrassingly subbed at half-time.

It was the Mexican's 18th goal of his debut campaign which set United on the road to victory in the 43rd minute. Chelsea midfielder Ramires was sent off for two bookable offences with 20 minutes left but sub Didier Drogba equalised on 77 minutes to give Chelsea hope.

Only for United to snuff that out within 21 seconds after play had re-started when the ever- reliable Park netted from 12 yards.

Chelsea's season is done. All that remains is to get a top-four spot so they can have another go at trying to win the trophy which has once more eluded them.

Expect more forensic examination of the tormented Torres along the way. He has now gone 692 minutes without a goal since joining the Blues from Liverpool.

Andy Carroll's double against Manchester City the previous night would suggest it has all worked out rather well at Anfield. As for Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, can he really survive?

He says his job is not under threat but Blues owner Roman Abramovich, watching from the directors' box, is obsessed by Europe's biggest club prize and will not take this elimination well.

Few would have chosen Torres in the starting line-up but Ancelotti had clearly decided to appease Abramovich by selecting the Spanish striker.

Drogba had good reason to feel aggrieved about that. This game was made for him and his second-half performance showed why he should have got the nod to start.

For all that, Chelsea began the stronger as Torres glanced a header wide and laid a ball back for Nicolas Anelka, who smacked an effort past the post.

But that was it for Torres - we never saw him again. Remember the days when he used to run rings round Nemanja Vidic?

The worry for United was that Rio Ferdinand, so vital to their cause, was limping around at the back having been hurt in a scramble on the edge of the box.

And he was still struggling as Florent Malouda fed Frank Lampard in space.

The England midfielder should have scored but his side-footed shot neither had the power or accuracy to beat Edwin van der Sar.

An Anelka strike whistled over but Hernandez thought he had eased the tension when he met a cracking curling cross from Rooney to head in.

The linesman's flag curtailed celebrations - it was a marginal offside call. But United hit Chelsea with a sucker-punch two minutes before the break.

Rooney played a great pass out wide over the head of Anelka before Giggs cushioned it back to John O'Shea.

The full-back saw Giggs dart in behind the Blues rearguard and picked him out with a defence- splitting ball.

Giggs took the pass in his stride, whipped it across the six-yard box for Hernandez to finish.

It put United two up on aggregate but Chelsea's task was still the same in that they needed to score twice to go through.

Drogba had to replace Torres - which Ancelotti recognised at half time. Ramires was dismissed after two fouls on Nani to add to the Blues' woes.

But suddenly Michael Essien picked out Drogba with a raking pass and the Ivory Coast hitman rattled the ball home.

Nerves were jangling round Old Trafford - but not for long.

Giggs was again the creator, playing in Park who made no mistake and set up a likely date with German side Schalke.

It will be United's fourth Champions League semi-final in five seasons.

Next up, it is the FA Cup and a last-four tie against arch-rivals City at Wembley on Saturday.

The mood United are in, you would not want to be a City player or a fan - even with Rooney suspended.
Image
Top



Administrator
Posts: 192
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 12:09 am
Has thanked: 9 times
Have thanks: 8 times
Reputation point: 2
Newbie

View wongzyi's Profile
Unread postPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:38 am
The team is running on good form now.. now let's hope they can beat man city in the FA semi this weekend
Image
Top
Post a reply

Return to UEFA Football Forum

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests

Board index
All times are UTC

About  |  Advertise  |  Partnership  |  Terms of Service  |  Privacy Policy  |  DMCA Policy  |  Primary Injection  |  Football Directory  |  Contact Us
Copyright ©2012 SoccerFreakz. All rights reserved.