A global journey…
It's a turn up for the books and no doubt one which will see Uefa President Platini smiling wryly; the inexperience of Arsenal and the arrogance of Manchester United saw them bow out of the Champions League to superior opposition this week.
After a hotly contested and even match in London ended 2-2, a masterclass from one Lionel Messi saw off Arsenal at the Nou Camp. Some would say you just don't score a hat trick in the Champions League, the pinnacle of club football, but do it he did, and added another to make it a 4-1 win at home.
Defeated 2-1 in Munich where they saw Wayne Rooney limp off at the 1-1 mark, Man Utd were forced to play, and lose, what could be the title decider at the weekend without their star striker. Weaknesses were demonstrated and when manager Alex Ferguson proclaimed in the papers two days before the game that the forward would definitely not be fit enough to play the outlook was bleak. It was all a ruse, however, and despite Rooney being involved in Utd's first two goals as they went 2-0 up in the first ten minutes, he faded as the risk proved to have been too much. 3-1 at half time gave Bayern Munich hope, and it was their experience and sheer grit which saw them do all they needed to get through on a riveting 3-2 scoreline.
Barcelona face Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan, and Bayern Munich face Lyon in the semi finals. For the first time in seven seasons (since an all-Italian affair saw Juventus defeat AC Milan in the 2003 final), we see the English miss out on even one semi-final spot. A Bayern Munich vs Barcelona final would be a mouth-watering prospect, and for the first time in Champions League history we may see the defending champions hold on to their trophy.
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