Argentine centre-back Martin Demichelis is fit again allowing Holger Badstuber to revert to left-back.

Inter Milan captain Javier Zanetti is set to move up from defence to replace suspended midfielder Thiago Motta, with Cristian Chivu playing at left-back.

Centre-back Lucio has recovered from a calf injury and should anchor the defence with Walter Samuel.

Inter are set to use the same four-man attack deployed against Barcelona.

Inter manager Jose Mourinho has been testing a 4-2-3-1 formation that includes Goran Pandev, Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o positioned behind and around centre forward Diego Milito.

All four forwards were also utilised in the two wins over Chelsea in the first knockout round and the 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the opening leg of the semi-finals.

Meanwhile for Zanetti the game marks his 700th appearance in all competitions for Inter while Eto’o is attempting to become only the second player in the history of the competition to score in three different European Cup finals.

Eto’o found the net in Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United last season and the Catalan side’s 2-1 win against Arsenal in 2006.

The 29-year-old would join Real Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano as the only players to achieve the feat.

“Those two finals were against English teams,” said the Cameroon star.

“This will be a new kind of experience – me at a different club, coming up against a great Bayern team. Let’s wait and see.”

Despite the absence of Ribery, widely regarded as one of the finest players in the world, captain Mark van Bommel believes that another one of their star players – Arjen Robben – can take centre stage.

Robben has scored crucial goals against Fiorentina and Manchester United in previous rounds and Van Bommel knows how important the Dutch winger is to Bayern.

“I’m glad he’s playing for us, I don’t know why Real didn’t want him, he’s very important for us, he scores very important goals and he also plays very well,” said Van Bommel.

“The team knows how to play for him and he knows how to play for us. We compliment each other very well, everyone knows what to do in his position and Arjen is working very well. I love having him here.”

News update is copied from the BBC website @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/8697017.stm

Guys, am a big neutral in this one and so may the best team win.

They are such an attacking side that scoring goals should really not have been a problem at all, but that is exactly the problem they had over 2 legs in that tie.

Lionel Messi, well he seemed to have been effectively muscled out. As a Nigerian, i feel really relieved. Reason is that we all know that Mr. Messi can be marked out of a game, and made more or less a spectator on the field.

For Inter, i think they played brilliantly over both legs and fully deserve their place in the final.  For Mourinho, People are now talking about him as the best coach in the game. That is a topic for another day, but if you ask me, the answer is a blunt NO.If you make such a conclusion, how about good old Sir Alex Ferguson who has won everything in the game and still has hunger for the game. Like i said, that is a story for another day.

In the final, Inter will play Bayern Munich who put Lyon to the sword in front of their own fans in Lyon. You couldn’t ask for a more convincing progression into any final than that. So who will win, Bayern or Inter? watch out for an indepth preview before the big match date.

Fulham, ever heard of such a name in Europe before? I bet you haven’t, but now wake up and take notice because Fulham football club from England have come to the party in a big way.

I can’t even remember how they got into the Europa league, but however they got there, they have shown the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United that you can still get into the continent and play good football without a big budget.

I don’t know how much they stand to gain should they win or even finish runners up. Whatever they get, they are sure to make a big profit when the books are balanced.

I can’t remember the number of more illustrous sides they have beaten enroute the final. The match against Hamburg was really tight, and to come from behind and beat a team like that just shows you the character the Cottagers have.

Well, spare a thought for Liverpool, they did well to pick themselves up after Champions League elimination to get to the semi-final only to lose on the away goals rule to Athletico Madrid. At the start of the premier league season in England, everyone including me believed that the Reds will finally click to take their first premier league crown. That wasn’t to be. They have certainly not been helped by injuries to key players of whom Fernando Torres has been the most missed for them.

For Athletico Madrid, they have had some sort of a miracle themselves. They were so out of sorts and got beaten by almost all in La Liga. Most people had thought they would even be relegated, but they turned things around and changed their story to a sweet song. Want to know the title of their song, “On the verge of Europa League glory”. Don’t say i told you though.

On the whole, this season’s cups have really been the most exciting for me. I don’t what you think, but what else would you ask for. We watched Inter and Barcelona tango four times with Inter coming coming out superior, we saw Manchester United knocked out, and we saw Fulham in what i believe is their first foray into Europe beat big teams on their way to the Europa league final. It’s really been exciting stuff all the way, and i hope that we see this next season.

Talking about that, i got prediction totally wrong as Inter Milan ran out 3-1 winners over Barcelona at the San Siro. I did not watch the match because of some really important commitment, but the after match report i have read suggest some questionable officiating by the match referee. That is totally normal in our beautiful game.

The Special One himself was all laughs after the final whistle had sounded, not for beating Barcelona, but for the fact that Barcelona staff, players and fans were complaining of bad officiating. You would remember that Mourinho and Chelsea had the same grumblings last season when they knocked out at the semi-final stage by Barcelona after a fiercely contested match in which a couple of penalty appeals were turned down by the center referee. A case of being paid back in one’s own coins you would say.

As for the match, well i think Inter have really done well for themselves. But don’t also forget that Barca can play really well at the Nou Camp. Inter may have won yesterday, but Barca can still turn things around. They even scored an away goal remember.

Now to the second semi-final between Bayern Munich and Lyon. Bayern, conquerors of Manchester United in the last round, are in the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since they were crowned champions in 2001.

They are targeting a treble and warmed up for the semi-final in style with a 7-0 win against Hannover that leaves them two points clear of Schalke in the Bundesliga.

Lyon are also very strong too, they have been knocking at the Champions League door for some time now. I think they have focused a little more on the UCL this season, and that is why they are currently 3rd in Ligue 1, 9 points behind leaders Marseille.

Lyon like to delay things and don’t often play along. Bayern will probably have 60-65% of possession, but they have to make sure they don’t get surprised at the back.

On the whole, i think this match will be a lot more exciting than the match we witnessed yesterday. Las time i made a prediction, i got my hands burned badly. My prediction for this one is 2-0 to Bayern.
This will not be a star match, but very worth watching.

Guys, this is the Champions League and we are at the semi-final stage. Today’s match between Inter Milan and Barcelona for me takes on more significance than just a mere football match.
From the players perspective, we have Lionel Messi who is at the best form is his life. And then we have Samuel Eto’o who was literally chased out of Camp Nou by Josep Guardiola.
One would say that he has been vindicated by his decision to send Eto’o away, Barca is doing very well and Messi, the Merciless one himself is at his destructive best to opponents. He single handedly destroyed Arsenal and secured Barcelona’s spot in the semi-final of the UCL.

You also have Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose skills are un-contested. Though he has not really been like the Ibra we all knew at Inter Milan, he still is a sleek and dangerous opponent any-day any-time. He will be going back the San Siro for the second time this season. The first one had little impact, infact Barcelona as a team had very little impact in that first match. Messi was not also in this sort of form he is right now, well, let’s just wait and see till after the match today.

Ok, so that’s Messi and co. How about the other guy Eto’o. He has not really been the goal poacher extra-ordianrae we know him to be. This season, he has been scoring goals, for even for his own very illoustrous standard, he is a far cry from the usually explosive Samuel Eto’o.

Players play on the field, but how about the coaches who plot all the moves, and make the game plan. We all know Jose Mourinho to be a loud mouth, a coach who knows his onions, who has won the league with Porto, Chelsea and now Inter Milan. We also know that if not for the last minute intervention of Barca legend, Johan Cruyff, the special one would have been the man at the helm in Barcelona, not Guardiola. He regular stakes the claim as the best football coach in the world. Personally, i don’t think he is the best coach in the world, right now, it’s hard to tell who the best is. Let him go on and win the Champions League with 2 to 3 different clubs, and take a team to the world cup, and we can then say that really is the best coach in the business. I think his time will come.

This may his first managerial role of any significance, but Josep Guardiola has already won an unprecendented 6 trophies in one season. Surely one could say he is the best coach in the world. The guy is only 39 yeras old, but he is also a Barca legend.Guardiola was a hero among Barcelona fans even before his stunning debut season as boss, courtesy of his time as a player there. Four of those were as captain, and during a stay of more than a decade the defensive midfielder helped the Catalan side to six league titles, six other domestic trophies, a European Cup Winners Cup, two Super Cups and the club’s first Champions League title.

That Guardiola won every trophy on offer to Barcelona in his debut season is one thing. That he did so with the team playing a sensational style of football that has proved the envy of world football is the true mark of a Barcelona hero.

So there you have it. The match is not for the faint hearted, expect a lot of fireworks, especially with the merciless one in such a form.
In the La Liga, Barcelona have scored about 80 goals and conceded just 19 as against Inter Milan’s 65 scored and 30 conceded. If goals are your pointers, then expect something really special.

Don’t miss this for anything in the world, replay is fake, only live will do.

They still play their attractive passing football, but have scored more goals that have won them more matches. For that strength of character that they have exhibited this season, i would love to see them win something. But i am afraid this is almost impossible now.

In the premier league that Chelsea and Manchester United are displacing each other at the top of the table, Arsenal will find it hard to remain consistent with about 5 matches to go.

The big one that is the Champions League is proving even harder. If they are to make anything of a somewhat better season, they have to beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou tonight, no mean feat.

In the first leg in London Arsenal were outplayed for an hour by a much better team, at least technically in terms of passing, possession and chances to score, so much that their 39-year-old former French international Emmanuel Petit said. “I’ve never seen them outplayed like that before.

The second leg could be a more even affair with Barcelona missing key defenders. Barca are without captain Carles Puyol, who is suspended after conceding the penalty from which Fabregas equalised last week.

It is a big blow for Barca, who are also without Puyol’s regular central defensive partner Gerard Pique. He is also banned after picking up a second booking at the Emirates. Puyol and Piquet missing the game is good for Arsenal. “Pep Guardiola has had less than a week to put a new centre-back pairing together and that could be the biggest chance for Arsenal. Rafael Marquez and Gabriel Milito will probably play in central defence, and that could allow Arsenal to do something because those two don’t play together often. “Those positions are very important for Barca. It’s the spine. They may not have the automatism.”

That is for Barca, what about Arsenal, they will be without their captain Cesc Fabregas, who would have been suspended for Tuesday’s game even before picking up a season-ending injury in the first leg. In all,i think it will a good contest, but i stillthink Barcelona have enough in reserve to win the tie. Let’s enjoy the footall.

Tuesday 30 March:
Lyon v Bordeaux
Bayern Munich v Manchester United

Wednesday 31 March:
Arsenal v Barcelona
Inter Milan v CSKA Moscow

2nd leg:

Tuesday 6 April:
Barcelona v Arsenal
CSKA Moscow v Inter Milan

Wednesday 7 April:
Bordeaux v Lyon
Manchester United v Bayern Munich

SEMI-FINAL DRAW:

1st leg:

Tuesday 20 April: Inter Milan/CSKA Moscow v Arsenal/Barcelona

Wednesday 21 April: Bayern Munich/Manchester United v Lyon/Bordeaux

2nd leg:

Tuesday 27 April: Lyon/Bordeaux v Bayern Munich/Manchester United
Wednesday 28 April: Arsenal/Barcelona v Inter Milan/CSKA Moscow

Guys, i was expecting a lot of fun, and this is it. This is as fearsome as it could possibly get.

Sweet and bitter memories are evoked here. Can Bayern Munich, who Manchester United beat in the 1999 final take their pound of flesh, and will Arsenal exact their revenge from Barcelona who beat the Gunners in the 2006 final.

The match between Arsenal and holders Barcelona stand out for many reasons. Arsenal have over the years boasted that they play the most attractive football in Europe, but we all know that it is Barcelona that really play the best foot ball. Same style of play, but contrasting fortunes.

We can’t wait!!!

Don’t get me wrong, Chelsea play fine attractive football these days, but they still do not have the European winning mentality that clubs like Manchester United, Liverpool, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona and others have that constantly give them the edge in the Champions League. You don’t play the UCL like you are playing the likes of Wigan, Portsmouth and other lesser likes in the English Premier League.

I always feel pity for Chelsea and its teeming fans, particularly in my country Nigeria. Premiership clubs are loved here, and followed in the millions. When Samuel Eto’o scored in the 79th minute, i knew it was curtains for the Blues in this season’s UCL. And how about Drogba’s red card in the 86th minute. Once again he disgraces himself.

For Eto’o, he has proved that he is still the best footballer in Africa, regardless of the sham that is the African footballer of the year award that was given to Drogba. We all know that last season, Samuel Eto’o did exceptionally well with Barcelona, winning every trophy in world football, and also qualifying the Cameroun  national team to the world cup in South Africa.

For last season, Drogba did not merit the award more than Eto’o, and it has shown today. Justice has been served.

Chelsea is one club side that has joined the league of  real ball players. They are now so far from the dull long balls type  of football they were used to not so long ago. But is it everyday you have to play so well to win a match? I don’t think so.    The most important thing for me at times is having a clinical finisher. Chelsea are very fortunate, they have Didier Drogba.

If you watched the Blues play Athletico Madrid on Tuesday, you will agree that they are very fortunate.

Coming back from the 3 match ban imposed by UEFA for his outburst in last season’s semi-final match against Barcelona, he scored their 2 goals as the drew 2-2 in Madrid. In a match that also saw 2 goals from Sergio Aguerro, Chelsea did enough to get themselves into the next round of the CPL

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti had rested regular first-team players Nicolas Anelka and Deco as well as Michael Ballack with a game against Manchester United coming upon Sunday.

But he was forced to bring the trio on as he tried to get his team back into the game.

Deco sent a volley narrowly wide before the substitutions worked as Drogba nodded in from six yards.

The Ivory Coast international striker then left two defenders in his wake to break clean through on goal and, despite his first shot being saved, he made no mistake from the follow-up to take his tally to 12 goals for the season.

On a rainy night across Europe, English heavyweights Manchester United and Chelsea maintained their perfect records in the group phase of the UEFA Champions League to move closer to the last 16. Elsewhere, AC Milan staged a thrilling comeback to inflict a first defeat of the season on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, the venue for this season’s final.

The results

Group A
Bordeaux 2-1 Bayern Munich
Juventus 1-0 Maccabi Haifa

Group B
CSKA Moscow 0-1 Manchester United
Wolfsburg 0-0 Besiktas

Group C
Zurich 0-1 Marseille
Real Madrid 2-3 AC Milan

Group D
Chelsea 4-0 Atletico Madrid
Porto 2-1 APOEL Nicosia

The big game
Real Madrid 2-3 AC Milan
Goals: Raul 19, Royston Drenthe 76 (Real Madrid); Andrea Pirlo 63, Alexandre Pato 66 and 88 (Milan)

This classic match-up did not disappoint. On an evening when Real’s star signing Kaka was reunited with his former team-mates, the Spaniards struck first, Raul seizing on an error by Milan keeper Dida to roll the ball into an empty net. With an hour on the clock and the hosts seemingly in control, the match took an unexpected turn. Trying his luck from fully 35 metres out, Andrea Pirlo saw his dipping shot surprise Iker Casillas at the near post to pull the Italians level.

And when Casillas misjudged Massimo Ambrosini’s superb flighted ball over the top of the Merengue defence, livewire Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato was on hand to slide the ball into the unguarded net and give Leonardo’s men the lead. Their pride stung, Real surged forward in search of an equaliser, which duly came when Rosyton Drenthe thumped a low drive past Dida from Raul’s precise corner-kick.

Chances came at both ends as the pace continued to quicken, and after the two sides each had goals disallowed, that man Pato popped up with a late winner, side-footing Clarence Seedorf’s delicious chipped pass into the roof of the net.

The other games
Bordeaux took a two-point lead at the top of Group A by edging an injury-ravaged Bayern Munich side 2-1. After inadvertently putting the Germans ahead with a misplaced header, Girondins defender Mickael Ciani promptly redemeed himself by levelling the score with a nonchalant back-heeled flick from a corner. Ciani’s central-defensive partner Marc Planus then stole in ahead of the Bayern defence at a set-piece to stab the French champions in front. And had Hans-Jorg Butt not saved two second-half penalties, the final scoreline could have been even worse for the visitors, who had two men sent off.

Juventus moved into second place after earning a narrow 1-0 win over a bold Maccabi Haifa side. Giorgio Chiellini scored the only goal of the game with far-post header, though I Bianconeri needed a typically classy save from Gianluigi Buffon late on to cling on to the points.

Shorn of the services of several first-teamers, Manchester United drew on their vast European experience to chisel out their third straight win in Group B. Their victims on this occasion were CSKA Moscow, the only goal of the evening coming when Ecuador international Antonio Valencia fired home Dimitar Berbatov’s fine flicked header four minutes from time. In the other game in the section, Wolfsburg and Besiktas cancelled each other out in a goalless draw.

While Real Madrid were tripping up at home, Marseille were doing their Group C chances a power of good by earning a valuable 1-0 win away to Zurich. Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze’s superb volley proved the difference between the sides. Despite the defeat, the fourth-placed Swiss are still in contention in a surprisingly open section.

Meanwhile, Chelsea would seem to have Group D all wrapped up after extending their 100 per cent record with a typically ruthless 4-0 win at home to struggling Atletico Madrid. Salomon Kalou set the Blues on their way with his first European double, before Frank Lampard and a Luis Perea own goal underlined their superiority on the night.

Porto weathered torrential rain and a battling performance by APOEL Nicosia to tighten their grip on second place. After falling behind early on the Portuguese hit back to secure a 2-1 victory, both goals coming from Brazilian striker Hulk, the first of them the result of a fine team move.

The stat
66 - Legendary Real Madrid forward Raul won his duel with fellow veteran gunslinger Filippo Inzaghi by scoring his 66th goal in Europe’s premier club tournament. The scorer of 226 goals in La Liga, 44 for Spain and 27 in other official competitions, the No7 now has 363 career strikes to his name.

Goal of the night
Chelsea 1-0 Atletico Madrid (Salomon Kalou 40)

Chelsea’s passing game finally clicked five minutes from half-time when Ashley Cole scampered in behind the Atletico defence and latched on to a blind pass by Frank Lampard. The England left-back surged towards the by-line before cutting the ball into the path of the unmarked Salomon Kalou, who side-footed home to complete a textbook move.

Key Matchday 4 encounters
Group A: Bayern Munich have no option but to go for the win when they entertain Bordeaux in a fortnight’s time. The French side, on the other hand, will be happy with a draw.

Group C: The return match between continental heavyweights AC Milan and Real Madrid should prove one of the highlights of the season so far.

I bet a lot, and i make a lot of money in it, but i don’t like cup games for the obvious reasons. Pitting big teams against so-called-minows, whose only time for fame and fortune is when they play the big boys.

Before this season’s CPL, did  you know a certain Kazan, Rubin Kazan actually. I bet you did not.I certainly never heard of them until they made it to the league stage of Europe’s elite cup affair.

Well, whether you heard of them or not, they have come to the party in style. And the big boys better sit up because they will bite you in the ass. And that is exactly what they did to Barcelona yesterday at none other place than the Camp Nou. Not an easy task you would say, but they did it.

That game was not the only game in match-day 3. Infact, yesterday was war. Inter could not beat Dynamo Kyiv. For a full load-down of all group games yesterday, read on.

Fiorentina moved above Liverpool and into second place in Group E following a dramatic 4-3 win against Debrecen as the Reds went down 2-1 against Lyon at Anfield.

Six of the seven goals came in the first half in Hungary.

Peter Czvitkovics gave the hosts an early lead after converting a Jozsef Varga cross, but a fine finish from former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu soon levelled the game.

Mutu then turned provider for Alberto Gilardino who calmly slotted home after 10 minutes, with Gilardino returning the favour by setting up Mutu to drill home from outside the box shortly after.

Gergely Rudolf curled into the top corner to bring Debrecen back to 3-2 but a powerful left-footed shot from Mario Santana restored the Italians’ two-goal cushion just before the break to cap an incredible first half.

Adamo Coulibaly headed home for the hosts late on to set up a grandstand finish, but Fiorentina held on for the points.

In an incredible night of action, Barcelona suffered an amazing 2-1 home defeat to Rubin Kazan, while Inter Milan were held to a surprising 2-2 draw by Dynamo Kiev.

There is now a three-way tie for top spot in the group table, with Kazan, Barcelona and Kiev all on four points. Jose Mourinho’s Inter are rock bottom with only three points from their three games.

But the result at the Nou Camp will send shockwaves around the footballing world after Kazan pulled off one of the greatest upsets in club football history.

Aleksandr Ryazantsev gave the visitors a shock lead after just two minutes, picking up the ball and letting fly from 25 yards with a stunning drive that flew into the top corner – the fastest ever Champions League goal scored by an away team at the Nou Camp.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic equalised with his first Champions League goal for his new club early in the second half after being set up by Xavi.

But Gokdeniz Karadeniz finished off a superb breakaway move following a mistake in the Barcelona midfield late on to stun the reigning European champions.

At the San Siro, Taras Mykhalyk gave Kiev the lead after five minutes before Dejan Stankovic smashed home an equaliser for Inter on the half-hour.

An own goal from Lucio restored the visitors’ lead but a Walter Samuel header secured a deserved draw for the Italian side just after the break.

Sevilla eased past Stuttgart 3-1 and qualified from the group stages in record time following Rangers’ 4-1 defeat against Unirea Urziceni .

The Spanish side only needed Rangers to draw to go through after just three games, providing they were victorious in Germany.

Sebastien Squillaci headed the visitors into the lead after a fine cross from Adriano after 23 minutes – the defender’s first Champions league goal in more than five years.

Jesus Navas made it two with a right-footed shot after 55 minutes before Squillaci (72) headed home his second to restore the cushion.

Brazilian Elson pulled one back for the hosts only a minute later but it was never going to be enough to stop a rampant Sevilla securing their passage to the next round.

Arsenal have had their lead at the top of Group H reduced to just one point after their 1-1 draw against AZ Alkmaar and Olympiakos’ late 2-1 win against Standard Liege.

The Greek side looked in trouble when Liege took something of a surprise lead in the first half – Igor de Camargo slipping the ball past home goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolis after being put through by Milan Jovanovic.

But a free-kick from Luciano Galleti was headed in by Kostantinos Mitroglou to bring the hosts back on terms and a late winner by Ieroklis Stoltidis sealed the victory, and prompted some wild celebrations from the home crowd.

The Greek side are now just one point behind the Gunners in the group table.