Champions League draw

If Liberofootball.com was an employee of BSkyB or ITV, it would be looking for every single angle to sensationalise yesterdays Champions League draw for the round of 16.

The Anglo-Italian ties have made the headlines as Claudio ‘Tinker-man’ Ranieri returns to Stamford Bridge to face his former side Chelsea with Juventus. The 54 year old Italian tactician has been heavily criticised for his moment of madness against Monaco in 2004: Hasselbaink on the right wing? Clearly the tabloids haven’t gotten over the fact that managers make mistakes.

Elsewhere, Mourinho will return against former rival Sir Alex Ferguson - a truly one-sided rivalry, as Ferguson has only beaten Mourinho once in 12 attempts. Man United will be the favourites here as Italian sides have yet to find a way of dealing with the new-found technique that accompanies the traditional intensity of the English game. Finally, Arsenal face Roma in the most low-key of the three ties, as two sides that are ultimately ineffective but always aesthetically pleasing are drawn together in what should be an excellent spectacle.

Elsewhere, new Real Madrid boss Juande Ramos will return to England to show that if he had players with some sense of loyalty to their manager, his results would have been far more successful. Benitez will return to the Bernabeu where he once worked at as a coach. In another attacking-minded game, Barcelona will face Lyon. With the games starting in the last week of February, if Pep Guardiola’s side maintain their current form, Claude Puel’s Lyon will have a seemingly impossible task ahead of them.

Bayern Munich, having adapted to the methods of Jurgen Klinsmann after a relatively poor start to the season should make light work of Sporting Lisbon. Villarreal’s Robert Pires and Panathinaikos’ Gilberto Silva meet in the Champions League to contest a place in the quarter finals in a competition neither won during their time at Arsenal. Finally, Javier Aguirre’s Atletico Madrid will meet Porto in an Iberian match-up.

Form can change drastically in football, and clubs will have a better idea of their opponents after the January transfer window. A betting man would place money on the four English teams to progress, though in the hope that the competition isn’t monopolized by one country, one hopes this isn’t the case.

The legs are to be played on 24/25 February and 10/11 March. In the UEFA Cup, Italian giants AC Milan will face Werder Bremen, while Zenit St. Petersburg will face Stuttgart. Hosts of this season’s final Galatasaray will face Bordeaux.

La Liga Review

Arjen Robben was as scintillating as he was frustrating in Real Madrid’s 1-0 success against Valencia at the Bernabeu. The Dutchman assisted Gonzalo Higuain’s 11^th goal of the season, with a mesmeric dribble, to allow the Argentine striker to side foot home from 16 yards with only 3 minutes gone. Yet after embarrassing Del Horno repeatedly, Robben seemed to give with the idea of football being a team game. There were a number of occasions with Van Der Vaart, Guti and Higuain all open for the cut back, but the selfish Dutch winger elected to shoot. Though granted, when he did cut back to his fellow midfielders, they missed simple opportunities.

The game was by no means a one-sided affair, as Valencia created a number of chances. David Villa skied what can only described as a tap-in, while Casillas was at her imperious best, making an absolutely outstanding point blank save from a header. Yet while Madrid were making some excellent last ditch clearances, they allowed the opposition far too many chances, and if Manuel Fernandes had any sort of composure in front of goal, the Bernabeu would be sure to bring out the white handkerchiefs in disapproval.

It was a deserved victory soured by some poor challenges by Albiol and Marchena. The former made a number of cynical challenges before being sent off for a block on Robben, not helped by the theatrical reaction of the winger. Albiol on the other hand should have walked after an elbow on Miguel Palanca, had the Castilla youngster cut open and bleeding profusely. He had to be stapled with stitches before he could continue in an impressive cameo. Raul was dropped to the bench to make way for Robben, and his introduction at half-time for the ineffective Drenthe was unspectacular but effective in holding the ball up.  Real Madrid 1-0 Valencia FT

In the other big game on Saturday night, Atletico travelled to Barcelona to face lowly Espanyol. With Javier Aguirre’s side enjoying an excellent run of form, both in the league and Europe, they were expected to win here. The Madrid side enjoyed an excellent start as Maxi Rodriguez smashed the ball into the net from an Aguero cut-back, after the young striker had embarrassed his maker down the left flank. Then there were a host of chances for both sides, but it was Espanyol who made the next breakthrough.

Nicolas Pareja’s lofted ball found right-back Sergio Sanchez, who ran from deep, to collect the ball and rifle it into the net to level the score at 1-1. Then, nine minutes from full time, Espanyol gifted Sergio Aguero three opportunities to give Atletico the lead. He managed it at the third and final attempt. Then Nene’s audacious chip was rightly ruled out for offside as the Periquitos were frustrated even more. Maxi Rodriguez killed the game off, with a fine solo effort. Espanyol rallied but it was a little too late, with Valdo bagging the consolation. The result pushed Real Madrid out of the Champions league spots and down to 5^th. Espanyol 2-3 Atletico Madrid FT

On Sunday, Barcelona travelled to face Villarreal at El Madrigal. The Catalan side came back from a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1. Cani had given Villarreal an early lead, with a clever finish over Valdes, but a Keita header and a volleyed finish from Henry from Xavi’s dribble and cross gave Barcelona the lead. Gerard Pique was sent off but despite a late rally, Villarreal could not find the equaliser. The result means Barcelona go into the winter break with a 10 point lead.

Their 41 point total is their best start to a season, beating the 39 points amassed by Frank Rijkaard’s side in 2005/06. The success means Barcelona have won against all five of their rivals, scoring 17 goals and conceding only two. The task for Villarreal, Real Madrid, Valencia, Atletico and Sevilla, who drew 1-1 with Mallorca, is seemingly impossible. Villarreal 1-2 Barcelona FT

World Club Championship

The official title of the ‘best club in the world’ was surely the only reason Manchester United took this intercontinental tournament seriously. It would mean no-one could contest their ranking in world football for this past year (though Barcelona do look in imperious form recently). The Ecuadorian side LDU Quito were shorn of powerful right winger Joffre Guerron, now busy getting sent off and picking fights with team-mates at Getafe, and central player Enrique Vera.

This meant Manchester United were facing a side that was a shadow of the one that won the 2008 Copa Libertadores. A clever Rooney finish won the match, even after the English side had Vidic sent off. Quito, like Sao Paulo and Internacional before them, realised that defending deep, and hoping for one decisive counter-attack would be the best way to defeat a team that was superior to them in every department. It was telling that United were still dominant, even with 10 men. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side returns to face Stoke in the league on Boxing Day.