Bordeaux 2-1 Olympiacos
UEFA Champions League
17 March 2010

Bordeaux took an early lead and held on for a 3-1 win on aggregate. The win puts them in the quartefinals and the second French side after Lyon beat Real Madrid last week.

The early goal for Bordeaux came in the 5th minute as Yoann Gourcuff. Olympiacos would level the match in the 65th minute as Konstantinos Mitroglou scored but thats as close as it would get. Marouane Chamakh put Bordeaux back in the lead and up 3-1 on aggregate with an 88th minute goal.

There was two red cards in the second half as Alou Diarra of Bordeaux received in the 68th minute and Matt Derbyshire of Olympiacos was sent off in the 60th minute.

Bordeaux will learn their quarterfinals opponent when the draw is released on Friday.

Bordeaux 2-1 Olympiacos Video Highlights

Barcelona 4-0 Stuttgart
UEFA Champions League
17 March 2010

Barcelona got an early goal from Lionel Messi and never looked back as they cruised to a 4-0 win on Wednesday.

Messi scored in the 13th minute followed by a Pedro goal in the 22nd minute to make it 2-0 by halftime. Messi scored again in the 60th minute and Bojan Krkic scored the final goal in the 89th minute.

The win was not very close as Barcelona showed their dominance and should remain the favorites to lift the trophy in May. Messi’s performance shows that he is definitely in the running for another Player Of The Year Award.

Barcelona 4-0 Stuttgart Video Highlights

This week so far has been brimming with football news. In Milan, Rossoneri midfielder David Beckham tore his Achilles tendon and has been ruled out of the World Cup. Phil Brown has been put on gardening leave by Hull City, effectively ending his spell in charge at the KC.

And Steven Gerrard can elbow or swear at whoever he pleases without consequence. What a delightful chap.

On this week’s show we’re joined by Arsenal supporter and journalist Laura Oliver, and the Gunners are high on the agenda once again after their dismantling of Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League last week. Despite some untidy results against their close rivals and two domestic cup exits, Arsenal still have more to play for than most. They’re in with a fantastic chance of winning the Premier League thanks to their proximity to the top and a run-in which pits them against lesser opposition which they’ve been beating with ease for most of this season.

In Europe, they’ll most likely be found wanting for experience and it’s unlikely they’ll make it to the final in Madrid. Even more worrying, they might even come up against Manchester United. Alex Ferguson’s side were just as dominant in the last round, putting four unanswered goals past a limp and aging AC Milan side. While Milan are creeping up on Inter in Serie A, the difference in quality at Old Trafford spoke volumes.

As part of our section on the Champions League, we asked Real Madrid Talk’s Adam Bader to join us on the line to talk about Real’s exit from the Champions League at the hands of Lyon and the future of under-fire coach Manuel Pellegrini. And just as a treat to you, dear listener, the four of us make the most appalling predictions for this week’s Champions League games. With two played last night, our picks are currently 100% wrong. Go us!

As well as discussing Beckham’s injury and asking how much of a loss he will be for Fabio Capello and England, we focus on domestic matters. Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all picked up three points at the weekend, keeping the title race tight and, for once, actually quite exciting. Lower down, Manchester City and Aston Villa dropped points while Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur won, and Burnley are beginning to look doomed. Portsmouth’s nine-point penalty will soon be ratified, condemning them to relegation, after HMRC withdrew its High Court appeal against the club’s voluntary administration.

We talk about Brown’s sacking by Hull and the club’s reported approach to Pompey boss Avram Grant, which seems to have come to nought as Iain Dowie is expected to be introduced as the new Tigers manager at 11am. But was this the right time to sack Brown and do we have any sympathy? The responses to those questions may surprise long-time listeners.

Spanning domestic and European affairs, of course, is the impressive goal-scoring form of Nicklas Bendtner, and with an Arsenal supporter in the studio the week after his hat-trick in the Champions League, it seems a good time to ask whether he’ll become a top striker or is just scoring tap-ins. Having embarked upon a confident wager with Gary Andrews that the Dane would score against Porto, I’ve found myself fighting Bendtner’s corner in recent weeks. With Laura on my side, Gary is in the minority this week. Or is he?

And just to top it all off, there’s a concerning amount of talk about cake. As promised in the show, Theo Walcott’s effort is pictured above.

The show is now available on iTunes and the CSRN media player, or you can listen below.

Please leave your comments below, follow us on Twitter, be our fan on Facebook and send your questions and comments to twofootedtackle[at]googlemail[dot]com – we also want audio contributions to the show, so feel free to get in touch about that.

Have a great week.

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Jose Mourinho and Inter Milan did a job on Chelsea last night. Not only did they display the kind of defensive obduracy that was the quintessence of Mourinho’s tenure at the Bridge, but they carried a far more incisive attacking threat, particularly when play was syphoned through the impressive Wesley Sneijder.

Tactically, Mourinho was perfect. In the interviews leading up to the match he claimed he watched the tape of the first leg seven times. Well it won’t have taken him that long to realise that the way to stop a team when they play with a diamond midfield, is to prevent their fullbacks from bombing forward. It is not without a sense of irony that the formation he used to eject his former club from this year’s competition, was the formation he used so unwaveringly in his best years at Chelsea.

Samuel Eto’o and Goran Pandev are not quite the wingers Arjen Robben and Damien Duff were, but their presence out wide was enough to cast doubt into the minds of the Chelsea fullbacks. Florent Malouda is capable of breaking out wide and feeding Drogba, yet the same cannot be said of Michael Ballack on the other side, and Anelka shifting out wide right is a waste; he was proven to be ineffectual there during Phil Scolari’s time at the club. In any case, Malouda and Chelsea’s attacking players were marshalled expertly by Lucio and Walter Samuel, two rugged, blood and thunder defenders typical of those favoured by Mourinho.

Wesley Sneijder’s ability to retain possession and pass the ball at unusual angles in between the center-backs and the fullbacks is a potent weapon, and in sharp contrast with the attributes of the Chelsea midfield. It’s nigh on amazing to think that no English club save Aston Villa declared an interest in him in the summer. Imagine if Liverpool had signed him. Mourinho, again, hinted after the match he may be coaching an English team in the near future, perhaps Liverpool, and I would not be suprised to see him take Wesley Sneijder with him. The ball Sneijder arced for Etoo – the scourge of English teams in the Champions League – was nothing short of sublime.

Psychologically, Mourinho, as is his custom, got his approach spot on. There is much debate as to just how tangible his influence is when the match starts and the talking stops, but you cannot separate his personality from his record. The recurring theme of all his teams is the siege mentality he fosters by way of his media performances. A common enemy unites, and the adage is employed spectacularly by the Portuguese, as it has been by Alex Ferguson in the past. Furthermore, by pointing out he had not lost a game in all his time at Chelsea he arrogated their home ground, and resurrected the soul of his influence at the club.

For Chelsea, this is likely the last time this particular group of players will contest the Champions League together, it would be predictable and foolish to criticize the team, rather than the performance, too harshly – especially when they were once again denied several clear-cut penalties by an unsympathetic referee – but there are, nevertheless, issues with the long term viability of the present squad.

This Chelsea side was built upon defensive obduracy and midfield power. Many of their players, such as Ballack, Lampard, Mikel, and even the injured Essien to some extent, are midfield dynamo’s who rely on their workrate and power.

The problem is, they are all too similar to be playing that sort of football in a side together. Their midfield should be comprised of Lampard, one holding player (Mikel, or Essien when fit) and two genuine wingers.

Scintillating sides are built around attacking wing play, pace, and passing. Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona are built around technical players who can turn quickly and move quicker to receive the ball and shift it out wide; thereby stretching the play.

Ferguson had a point when he accused Chelsea of being old last year. It’s not that the players are too old to make a challenge of it, but moreover, they are too old to enact a philosophical and technical change to the way that they play their football. For Abramovich to get the attacking team and the Champions League trophy he craves, it is imperative that he rebuild his Chelsea side with pace, youth and width. Whether Ancelotti is capable of that kind of change will be interesting to see.

Drogba fought hard for his red card

In the short term, Chelsea will have to focus on the league and FA Cup, but alongside the tactics employed by Inter Milan last night, English teams would do well to take note of their emotional combustibility which was again in evidence; that is the third time Didier Drogba has been sent off when Chelsea have been ejected from the Champions League, and John Terry was walking a tightrope by the end too. The message is clear: this team can be ruffled. Jose Mourinho knows that, better than anyone.

Bordeaux v Olympiacos
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg
Stade Chaban-Delmas – Bordeaux, France
17 March 2010 – 19:45 GMT

Bordeaux looks to be the second French side to reach the quarterfinals as they host Olympiacos with a 1-0 lead after the first leg.

Bordeaux v Olympiacos Preview

The first leg at Greece was a 1-0 victory by Bordeaux on a 45th minute goal from Michael Ciani. Olympiacos now travels to France needing a 1-0 win to force extra time or 2-1 victory to advance on away goals.

This seems unlikely as Olympiacos didn’t score one away goal in the group stage. They advanced with a -1 goal difference and because they were able to get 1-0 wins at home. A win at Bordeaux would be unlikely if their previous matches are any indication.

Bordeaux have been a strong defensive side in the Champions League and only conceded two goals in the group stage. Their 1-0 win puts them in the driver’s seat to advance to the quarterfinals. The home team does not have any major injury concerns while Olympiacos has several players unavailable. These include Diogo, Dudu Cearense and Jesus Datolo who are all out with injuries.

Olympiacos will have to attack in the match and score against a tough Bordeaux defense. This should make for an open match that could lead to several goals. Bordeaux have the away goal and would be satisfied to play to a 0-0 draw. Olympiacos hasn’t shown the ability to score goals, especially on the road, and Wednesday will be no different. Bordeaux has not been talked about one of the favorites in the tournament but they are capable of playing with any team in the world.

Bordeaux v Olympiacos Prediction

Bordeaux will win the match 1-0 and advance 2-0 on aggregate.

Watch Bordeaux v Olympiacos Live Online

You can watch Bordeaux v Olympiacos live online as well as all other Champions League games. Read our live Champions League football page for more details.

Barcelona v Stuttgart
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg
Camp Nou – Barcelona, Spain
17 March 2010 – 19:45 GMT

FC Barcelona looks to reach the quarterfinals as they host Stuttgart with a 1-1 score after the first leg.

Barcelona v Stuttgart Preview

FC Barcelona is the last Spanish team remaining in the Champions League after Sevilla and Real Madrid both being knocked out in the past week. Barcelona were able to get an away goal in the first leg and will have the advantage of playing at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. The club will be at close to full strength as Carlos Puyol is the only player doubtful for the match.

Stuttgart will be looking to join Bayern Munich as the second Germany side in the quarterfinals and have admitted they will need the match of the season to win on Wednesday. They will be led in the attack by Cacau who scored Stuttgart’s goal in the first leg (1-1 draw). While they will be the underdogs in the match, Stuttgart have surprised many by reaching the round of 16.

Barcelona will have all the pressure on them and are expected to win the match. They will have Lionel Messi, Dani Alves, Zlatan, Ibrahimovic, and Xavi all available for Wednesday. If they play to their potential, Barcelona should win the match. This doesn’t always happen and it could easily be a very close match that ends in a scoreless draw or requires extra time.

Messi is coming off a hat trick on the weekend as Barcelona won 3-0 against Valencia. Stuttgart lost 2-1 at Schalke on Friday in their last match.

Barcelona will dominate possession as they do in just about every match so Stuttgart will have to rely on the counterattack. It’s not improbable for Stuttgart to knock off the defending champion. They will be playing against the odds and won’t have the pressure. Even with the pressure, Barcelona should advance because they are clearly the better side.

Barcelona v Stuttgart Prediction

Barcelona will win the match 2-0 (3-1 on aggregate).

Watch Barcelona v Stuttgart Live Online

You can watch Barcelona v Stuttgart live online as well as all other Champions League games. Read our live Champions League football page for more details.

Sevilla 1-2 CSKA Moscow
UEFA Champions League
16 March 2010

CSKA Moscow scored first and would get one more to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.

There were two goals in the first half as CSKA’s Tomas Necid scored in the 38th minute followed by Sevilla’s Diego Perotti in the 41st minute. The match would remain at 1-1 at halftime.

The second half was the turning point where CSKA Moscow would get the next and final goal of the match. Keisuke Honda scored in the 55th minute to give his side a 2-1 win and a 3-2 aggregate victory.

It was a surprise result for CSKA but they will not be taken lightly by whoever they face in the next round.

Sevilla 1-2 CSKA Moscow Video Highlights

Chelsea 0-1 Inter Milan
UEFA Champions League
16 March 2010

It was a terrific defensive performance from Inter Milan that put them through into the quarterfinals.

Chelsea was unable to score throughout the match and credit should be given to the defense of Mourinho’s side. They outplayed the English side and would create several chances of their own. The match would remain scoreless deep into the second half.

A Samuel Eto’o goal in the 78th minute would give Inter Milan a 1-0 lead and be enough to advance on aggregate. The goal came as a long ball was played for Eto’o who ran onto it and got behind the defense. He then had a clinical finish to beat Turnball and gave his club a 1-0 lead. It would get worse for Chelsea as Didier Drogba was given a red card in the 86th minute.

Chelsea never seemed to find their form in the match as they couldn’t create many great scoring chances. It wasn’t a great match from the home side but a lot of that can be credited to the performance from Inter Milan. It was sweet revenge for Jose Mourinho who knocked out his former club and was probably dreaming of the opportunity the moment he left the club. The final score on aggregate was 3-1.

Chelsea 0-1 Inter Milan Video Highlights

Join celebrated football pundit, author, radio show host and DJ Andy Brassell every Monday on the Soccerlens Show.

In Episode 20, Andy discusses the Premier League as the decisive couple of weeks approach us. Chelsea and Manchester United seem to still be the favorites to win the title this year with Arsenal being ruled out. Also, the battle for fourth place is taking shape as Liverpool takes advantage as Aston Villa and Manchester City draw their matches.

Then, Andy takes the viewers over to Holland and France where the Dutch championship and the tight finish in Ligue 1 as the top six clubs are separated with just three points. The current standings are: Bordeaux (53 points), Montpellier (53), Auxerre (52), Lille (51), Lyon (51) and Marseille (50).

You can watch the show below or by following this link:

Make sure you send in your feedback and questions through tv@soccerlens.com and Andy will feature the best of them in next week’s show.

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Wigan v Aston Villa
English Premier League
DW Stadium – Wigan, England
16 March 2010 – 19:45 GMT

Aston Villa can move within three points of fourth place Tottenham as they travel to face struggling Wigan in the English Premier League.

Wigan v Aston Villa Preview

Aston Villa is in position for a spot in the Europa League but has its eyes set on a fourth place finish. Heading into the match, Villa are in 7th place and six points behind 4th place Tottenham Hotspur. Wigan are in 15th place and four points above the relegation zone.

Mario Melchiot is the only injury concern for Wigan as he is doubtful for the match. Aston Villa are without Marlon Harewood and Nigel Reo-Coker for Tuesday’s match.

Wigan have been in decent form at home this season and have a 4-5-5 record at DW Stadium. Their last home match was a solid 1-0 win against Liverpool on a goal by Hugo Rodallega. The Colombian leads the Latics with eight goals in the EPL. Wigan will be looking to bounce back after a disappointing 4-0 loss at Bolton Wanderers.

Aston Villa had a 0-0 draw on the weekend and have a 5-5-3 record away from Villa Park. Overall, Villa have a league low 21 goals conceded which is a credit to manager Martin O’Neill. Since taking over as manager of the Birmingham club, Aston Villa have been on the rise and were close to a 4th place finish last season. The club will be looking to avoid last season’s fate, when they had a 2-5-5 record in their final 12 matches.

A win for Wigan would put them seven points above the relegation zone and probably a few wins away from ensuring their safety. A loss or draw for Villa wouldn’t kill their fourth place ambitions but would definitely weaken their chances. It’s an important match for both sides and should be a very even match.

Wigan v Aston Villa Prediction

Aston Villa will wins the match 2-1.

Watch Wigan v Aston Villa Live Online

You can watch Wigan v Aston Villa live online as well as dozens of other Premier League and European football games. Read our live Premier League football page for more details.