City And Liverpool Close On Chelsea

A short mid-week programme gave half of the league's teams the chance to catch up on games in hand which had been called off due the FA Cup round earlier in the month.

Arsenal looked to close up on the top three as they hosted Swansea who were looking to pull away from the bottom three and the visitors looked like they were on to upset the odds as Bony put them 1-0 up after 11 minutes and held on well until the 73rd minute when disaster struck as Podolski levelled with Giroud putting Arsenal within a minute.

Swansea thought their chances of moving away from the bottom three were over as time ticked into the final minute but got lucky when a deflection went in off Flamini to hand them a point and potential end Arsenal's slim title hopes.

Man City strengthened their title hopes with a 3-0 win in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford giving United manager another unwanted record in his reign as the most defeats in season in their Premier League history. City's start could not have been more perfect as Dzeko tapped in after only 43 seconds with United's hopes all but over just before the hour when Dzeko struck his second and just to add to the woe, Toure completed the win in the final minute.

Everton edged towards the top four with a 3-0 win away to Newcastle with a stunning run by Barkley seeing him finish with style past Krul in the 22nd minute with Lukaku doubling the lead in the 52nd minute with the win completed with three minutes to go by an Osman strike.

A strange night at Upton Park as West Ham won 2-1 only to be jeered at by their own fans who seemed to think 2-1 wasn't good enough this may have been due to the fact they had an extra man for 67 minutes after Hull 'keeper McGregor was dismissed with Noble converting the penalty.

Jelavic equalised three minutes into the second half for the visitors but six minutes later his effort was cancelled out by a spectacular own goal by Chester that saw him divert the ball past his own 'keeper despite being under no pressure and ind doing so gifting the hosts a win that propels them up to 11th.

Liverpool moved up to second with a 2-1 win at home to Sunderland with Gerrard putting the hosts in front six minutes before half-time with a superb free-kick and the lead was doubled only three minutes into the second half when Sturridge swept a stunning chance that curled into the top corner.

Ki pulled one back for Sunderland at the back post after being in space and set up what would be a nervy final 15 minutes for Liverpool but they held on and kept their title hopes alive with only a point now between them and Chelsea.

Goals Galore For Top Two

This weekend will be remembered as a big one in 2014 with six sides scoring three or more and a bizarre London derby at the Bridge.

Saturday lunchtime saw Chelsea host Arsenal with the Gunners looking to avoid what has become a tradition away to their title rivals being humiliated, but the trend continued as Chelsea strolled to a 6-0 win.

Eto'o put them 1-0 up inside five minutes with Schurrle making it two just minutes later but what happened next became the talking point of the weekend as Oxlade-Chamberlain hand-balled in the area and strangely Andre Marriner sent off Gibbs instead before later apologising.

Hazard converted from the spot and Oscar made it 4-0 at the halfway point with the Brazilian adding his second just after the hour and January signing Salah completing the rout in the 71st minute.

Liverpool travelled to Cardiff looking to keep up with Chelsea and came out on top after a stunning nine-goal thriller with Mutch putting the hosts in front after only nine minutes. Suarez levelled for Liverpool but Campbell restored the lead for the Cardiff who were looking to move out of the bottom three but Liverpool levelled again through Skrtel to send the sides in at 2-2 at the break.

Liverpool then took control with two goals just before the hour with Skrtel and Suarez both claiming their second goals and the game looked over when Sturridge made it 3-5 with fifteen minutes to go but Mutch made it a trio of braces as he got his second in the 88th minute with Suarez ending hopes of a comeback by completing his hatrick in the final minute.

Everton kept up their hopes of a European place with a 3-2 win at home to Swansea with a Baines penalty setting them off, Bony levelled in the 33rd minute to send them in level at halftime.

Everton regained the lead with two goals in five minutes just before the hour through Lukaku and Barkley and though Williams struck late on for the Swans it was not enough as the Toffees held on to close up on fifth place Tottenham.

The curse of the former player came back to West Brom as they fell to a 2-0 defeat away to Hull who took the lead through Rosenior in the 31st minute with former Baggies hero Long adding a vital second seven minutes later which was enough to move them clear of the drop zone.

Fulham's woes continued as they were demolished 5-0 away to Man City who were only 1-0 up at halftime after a 26th minute penalty from Toure but when Amorebieta was dismissed in the 53rd minute, the game changed with Toure converting his second penalty before completing his hat-trick five minutes after the hour mark.

Fernandinho struck a stunning effort with six minutes to go and Demichelis shrugged off his bad reputation to convert a fifth with two minutes to go to cap off a terrible trip for the league's bottom side.

Norwich improved their hopes of survival with a 2-0 win at home to fellow strugglers Sunderland with goals from Snodgrass and Tettey in the 20th and 32nd minutes enough for the win with Sunderland's day getting worse in the final minute when Alonso was sent off. 

Newcastle left it late to secure a win at home to Crystal Palace with Cisse scoring the vital goal in the final minutes for a 1-0 win while in the evening kick-off, Man United kept up hopes of a top five finish with a 2-0 win away to West Ham with Rooney starting them off with a superb lob over Adrian from the halfway line akin to the famous Beckham strike from 1996 in the eighth minute before adding a second in the 33rd minute that proved enough to keep the Hammers close to the bottom three.

Super Sunday featured to remarkable comebacks beginning with the lunchtime kick-off between Tottenham and Southampton, the visitors raced into a 2-0 lead with strikes from Rodriguez and Lallana in the 19th and 28th minutes but Eriksen pulled one back three minutes later before levelling just seconds into the second half.

The win was secured in the final minute when Sigurdsson made it 3-2 and means his side still have hopes of a Champions League place while Stoke came from 1-0 down to win 4-1 away to Aston Villa displacing their hosts in doing so.

Benteke put Villa ahead in the fifth minute but that was the last joy the home fans had as Stoke scored twice in four minutes to swing the momentum with Odemwingie levelling in the 22nd minute and former Villan Crouch giving his side the lead in the 26th minute. N'Zonzi made it three just before the break and the win was completed when Cameron struck in the final minute

Iberians March On As Spurs Bow Out

Second leg time in the Europa League Last 16 and with only one English representative left in Tottenham who needed to overturn a 3-1 first leg defeat to Benfica.

Despite drawing 2-2 in Portugal, Spurs bowed out after losing 5-3 on aggregate and their task became harder as Garay put the hosts in front in the 34th minute but a stunning two-minute brace from Chadli gave them hope at 4-3 on aggregate but Benfica levelled on the night and secured their place in the next round as Lima converted a last minute penalty.

AZ Alkmaar advanced after a 0-0 draw away to Anzhi with the job done in the first leg after a 1-0 win which was enough to put them into the last eight alongside Basel who got through after winning 2-1 away to Salzburg but had a bad start with Suchy sent off after only nine minutes and fell 1-0 behind as Soriano put the hosts in front. A quick double before the hour mark from Streller and Sauro put the visitors in control and they held on for the win while the hosts had Carvalho sent off with four minutes to go.

Porto secured a last eight place but made it hard as after leading 1-0 on aggregate, they were pegged back by Napoli who led via Pandev in the 21st minute. Two goals in seven minutes from Ghilas and Quaresma put them 2-1 up on the night and 3-1 overall but Napoli made sure it was a tight finish when Zapata scored in the 90th minute.

Juventus won the all-Italian tie against Fiorentina with a 1-0 win in Florence to go through with a 2-1 victory on aggregate and the vital goal came from Pirlo in the 71st minute just two minutes after the hosts had gone down to ten men with Rodriguez dismissed.

Valencia but Ludogorets fine run in the competition to an end with a 1-0 win on the night to see them through with a 4-0 aggregate victory with Garcia's 59th minute strike securing a double win for the Spainards.

Despite losing 2-1 on the night away to Plzen, Lyon advanced after a 5-3 aggregate win but at halfway on the night they looked to be cruising through as Gomis gave them a 1-0 lead and a 5-1 lead on aggregate but a two minute double on the hour from Kolar and Tecl gave Plzen hopes of closing the gap but had to do with a win on the night as the visitors marched on.

The all-Spanish tie went all the way as Betis who led 2-0 after the first leg surrendered the lead in a 2-0 defeat at home to Sevilla who led through Reyes after 20 minutes and completed the win in the 75ht minute thrugh Bacca. This led to extra time and then penalties with the visitors winning 4-3 to advance.

Today saw the draw for the last eight and shows the strength of the competition as all eight sides have experience to call on from the Champions League with the stand out tie being Lyon and Juventus.

AZ Alkmaar v Benfica
Lyon v Juventus
Basel v Valencia
Porto v Sevilla

 

Top Teams Sail Through

The second legs of the Champions League last 16 saw few surprises but for the English there were as only two sides went through out of four.

The first of the two was Chelsea who secured a last eight place with a 2-0 win over Galatasaray with Eto'o putting them 1-0 up after only four minute with Cahill sealing the win just before halftime to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory.

Man United overturned a 2-0 aggregate deficit to win 3-2 after a 3-0 win at home to Olympiakos with a Van Persie hat-trick with the Dutchman opening his account with a 25th minute penalty before going on to level the tie on halftime before completing the turnaround in the 51st minute.

Arsenal knew it would take a lot for them to advance after a 2-0 home loss to Bayern Munich in the first leg and the task got harder as Bayern went in front through Schweinsteiger in the 54th minute but the lead lasted only three minutes as Podolski levelled but the two goal deficit from the first game proved too much for the Gunners to overcome as they lost 3-1 on aggregate.

Man City had a similar problem as they were 2-0 down to Barcelona on aggregate but like Arsenal, their task got harder when Messi put the Catalans 1-0 up in the 67th minute and City's European hopes looked to be over when Zabaleta was dismissed in the 78th minute. However, Kompany levelled on the night with an 89th minute strike but Alves struck instantly to secure the win for Barcelona and 4-1 aggregate victory.

Away from the English sides, PSG strolled through to the last eight after winning 2-1 on the night with Leverkusen and even went behind as Sam scored after six minutes but a leveller from Marquinhos seven minutes later and a Lavezzi second in the 53rd minute put them clear while Leverkusen's slim chance evaporated when Can was dismissed in the 68th minute and PSG held firm and secured a 6-1 aggregate victory.

Atletico Madrid stunned AC Milan in a 4-1 with with Costa and Kaka exchanging goals with Turan putting the hosts 2-1 up on the night and 3-1 overall but the tie was killed off when Garcia put Atletico clear ans Costa finished the job in the 85th minute for a 5-1 aggregate victory.

Dortmund came close to blowing their first leg lead when Hulk put Zenit 1-0 up on the night and closed the tie to 4-3, Kehl reinstated the two goal lead overall when he struck in the 38th minute but Zenit closed up again when Rondon gave them a 2-1 lead on the night and put the tie at 5-4 but the hosts held on and despite losing on the night they secured their place in the last eight.

The best has been left for last as Real Madrid completely demolished Schalke overall including a 3-1 win on the night when a double from Ronaldo sandwiched a leveller from Hoogland before Morata  completed the win and a staggering 9-2 aggregate victory.

So 2/4 for the English sides but both will face tough draws with a strong set of teams left in the competition.

Liverpool Capitalise on Chelsea Loss

A full programme for this weekend certainly made up for the two week break for some of the top sides as we saw some real surprises at the top and bottom.

Saturday's early kick-off saw Man City reduce Chelsea's lead at the top with a 2-0 win away to Hull despite going down to ten men after only ten minutes as Komapny was sent off as Silva put them in front four minutes later. City held the the small lead until the final minute when Dzeko completed the win with a clever strike.

Everton left it late to secure a 2-1 win at home to Cardiff to keep up their hopes of European qualification but they led just before the hour as Deulofeu put them in front. The lead lasted only eight minutes as Cala levelled for Cardiff with a header from a corner but it was the hosts that took the points as Coleman's flick in the final minute looped over Marshall and gave his side all three points while Cardiff remain close to the bottom.

Fulham gave their chances of survival a big boost as they claimed a 1-0 win at home to Newcastle who were managerless as Alan Pardew began his seven match suspension but the winning goal came for the Cottagers in the 68th minute and thought they still remain bottom they are within five points of safety.

Southampton and Norwich shared six goals on the South Coast with the hosts leading inside six minutes through Schneiderlin and they held the 1-0 lead until the 57th minute when Lambert made it two just seconds after coming on as a substitute and it was soon three as Rodriguez struck in the 72nd minute.

However, Norwich fought back and scored twice in as many minutes through Elmander and Snodgrass to ensure a tight finish but their hopes of a point were dashed as Gallagher secured a 4-2 win in the final minute.

Sunderland and Crystal Palace both missed the chance to move away from the bottom as they drew 0-0 while West Brom moved away from the bottom three with a 2-1 win away to Swansea despite going behind in the second minute to a solo goal from Lamah but Sessegnon levelled in the 52nd minute and the comeback was complete five minutes from the end when Mulumbu secured the win.

Stoke came from behind to secure a 3-1 at home to West Ham who led after five minutes through a Carroll opener but Odemwingie levelled just after the half-hour and Arnautovic put the Potters in front in the 69th minute. Any hopes of a point for the Hammers were dashed with 11 minutes to go as Odemwingie struck his second to put his side into the top half.

Stoke's stay in 10th was short lived as they were replaced by Aston Villa who stunned league leaders Chelsea in a bad tempered evening kick-off. Chelsea went down to ten in the 67th minute when Willian received his second booking and though it took time, Villa used the extra man advantage to exploit the Chelsea midfield as Delph backheeled superbly past Cech for a surprise lead. Chelsea's night got worse as Ramires was sent off in the final minute as they failed to increase their lead at the top.

After Chelsea's loss, Super Sunday meant that both Arsenal and Liverpool could reduce the gap to the top and the early kick-off saw Liverpool travel to Man United for whom defeat would surely end any top four hopes they had while going a long way to feeding Liverpool's title hopes. It was a tale of three penalties as Liverpool completed a league double over the champions with Gerrard scoring twice from the spot in the 34th and 46th minutes after a Rafael handball and Jones felling Allen respectively.

Gerrard missed the chance for a hat-trick from the spot after Vidic fouled Sturridge and in doing so was dismissed, his fourth sending off against Liverpool in what may be his last game against them but it was soon to be 3-0 as Suarez slotted past De Gea to complete a superb win that puts his side second and only four points off the top with a game in hand.

The late game saw Arsenal win the North London derby against rivals Tottenham with a Rosicky goal in the second minute being enough to secure a 1-0 win that puts them third while also looking like ending Tottenham's top four hopes.

 

Lyon Cruise While Spurs Stutter

The Europa League Last 16 began this week and with the exit of Swansea in the last round, Tottenham were the sole English representative while there was an all Spanish meeting and an all Italian tie.

Az gave them continued their good run of form with a 1-0 win at home to Russian side Anzhi with the first leg settled by a penalty from Johansson in the 29th minute to give the Eredivisie side a slim advantage for the trip to Russia. Salzburg missed the chance to claim an away goal to take back to Austria as they drew 0-0 at Swiss side Basel who will travel for the return leg knowing a single goal will force Salzburg to score two to advance. 

Porto gave themselves a good chance of advancing with a 1-0 win at home to Italian side Napoli who will be ruing a missed opportunity to claim an away goal but were defeated by a strike in the 57th minute by Martinez.

Juventus faced Fiorentina in an all Serie A tie and got off to the perfect start as Vidal gave them the lead after only three minutes but the vistors levelled with 11 minutes to go through Gomez to give themselves the advantage of an away goal despite the sides drawing 1-1.

Valencia cruised to a 3-0 win away to surprise package Ludogorets who have knocked both PSV and Lazio out in the previous rounds but will have a mountain to climb in the second leg after the Catalan side took an early lead through former Liverpool defender Barragan in the fifth minute but had Keita sent off in the 24th minute. The lack of an 11th man didn't phase them as they went two up in the 33rd minute through Cartabia and it was three just before the hour when former Premier League favourite Senderos gave them a third away goal and all but sealed a place in the last eight.

Lyon gave themselves a brilliant chance of reaching the last eight with a 4-1 win at home to Plzen but it was the visitors who led as Horava put them in front in the 2nd minute but Fofana levelled in the 12th minute and they sides remained levelled at the break, Lyon went in front in the 53rd minute through Lacazette and the lead was 3-1 just after the hour when Mvuemba scored for the hosts with a fourth going in nine minutes later as Fofana claimed his second to give them big advantage going into the second leg.

In the all La Liga tie, Betis secured a 2-0 win against Sevilla to give them two away goals for the return leg with Baptistao gave them the lead after 15 minutes and the lead was doubled in the 77th minute through Lopez to give them a good advantage for the trip to Seville.

Tottenham will have a mountain to climb when they travel to Portugal for the return leg against Benfica after they lost 3-1 at home and went behind in the 29th minute to a Rodrigo goal and went 2-0 down in the 58th minute when Luisao struck but they pulled one back six minutes later when Eriksen scored for the hosts but Benfica had the last say as Luisao claimed his brace in the 83rd minute to give the vistors three away goals and mean Spurs will have to score three times to advance.

Chelsea Go Clear

Due to the FA Cup having five top flight teams in the final eight, the league programme was limited to five games all on Saturday with four sticking to the traditional 3pm kick-off time.

Man United took advantage of Everton not playing to move above them with a 3-0 win away to West Brom with Jones putting them 1-0 up in the 34th minute, Rooney made it two in the 65th minute with Welbeck completing the win eight minutes from the end.

Southampton bounced back from the 3-0 loss to Liverpool with a 1-0 win away to Crystal Palace with Rodriguez showing why he was called up for England in midweek with the winning goal after 37 minutes to widen the gap to 10th place West Ham.

Cardiff moved closer to safety while worsening Fulham's hopes in a 3-1 home win that saw Caulker put them in front in the 45th minute but Fulham levelled just before the hour when Holtby made it 1-1. Caulker struck again to regain the lead for the hosts and Fulham added to their own downfall as four minutes later, Riether hit into his own net to leave Fulham needing a massive comeback but to their sorrow it didn't come and they sit four points from safety.

Both Norwich and Stoke knew a win would put them closer to the top half but neither was able to get it as they drew 1-1. Johnson put the hosts in front with a strike in the 56th minute but a bizarre five minutes for Walters changed the plans for both teams, he levelled the score with a penalty in the 73rd minute but was dismissed in the 78th minute and ending any hopes of a win, Luckily for him, Norwich failed to capitalise on having an extra man and had to settle for a point.

The late kick off saw a London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham and with the rest of the top four not playing, Chelsea could go clear at the top while Spurs could close up on fourth place Man City but it was the hosts that took the spoils. Eto'o opened the scoring in the 56th minute and a memorable celebration saw him reach for his back, poking fun at the age jibe he got from Mourinho during the week.

The lead was soon doubled when Eto'o went down in the area and Kaboul was dismissed with Hazard converting the resulting spot kick. Tottenham did well to keep it to only two but when Ba came off the bench, it got worse as he scored twice in as many minutes to add to Spurs' failures against the top four sides with goals in the 88th and 89th minutes to complete a 4-0 win.

Holders Wigan Stun Man City

The FA Cup reached the last eight this week with a repeat of the 2013 final with Manchester City hoping to avenge last years final defeat with Sheffield United looking to be the first League One semi finalist sine the famous Wycombe side of 2001.

Saturday saw Arsenal face Everton with the vistors looking for a return to Wembley after their defeat to fierce rivals Liverpool two years ago but like their neighbours they exited the competition at the Emirates as Arsenal secured a 4-1 win. Ozil put the Gunners in front after only seven minutes but Lukaku levelled for the visitors in the 32nd minute, Arsenal regained the lead after they were awarded a penalty and Arteta converted against his former club in the 68th minute.

Everton pushed to level for a second time but were dealt two late blows as substitute Giroud struck in the 83rd and 85th minutes to end the visitors hopes and send his side through to the last four where they will meet the current holders, Wigan.

Sunday afternoon ended as Wigan defied the odds and kept up their hoes of retaining the trophy with a stunning 2-1 win against Man City, even more defying was that it was at the Etihad where City have been dominant all season.

Wigan took the lead after 27 minutes when Gomez converted a penalty past Pantilimon and led 1-0 at the meaning they were only 45 minutes away from a fourth trip to Wembley in the space of 12 months.
Their hopes rose further only two minutes into the second half when Perch put them 2-0 up and City needed a miracle to keep up their Quadruple hopes.

Nasri pulled it back to 2-1 in the 68th minute but Wigan held on for a famous victory and will be very confident of reaching a second successive final despite the obstacle being Arsenal.

Earlier in the day, Sheffield United extended their amazing run in the competition by claiming another scalp as they beat Championship side Charlton in a 2-0 victory. The hosts struck twice in as many minutes to become the first third tier side to reach the last four since Wycombe in 2001 who were defeated by eventual winners Liverpool. Flynn put them 1-0 up in the 65th minute and Brayford added a second in the 67th to create history not seen by Blades fans since their top flight days and their reward is a tie against Hull.


Sunderland's hopes of a second Wembley visit this season were dashed as they lost 3-0 away to Hull who reach the last four for the first time since 1930. The sides were level until the 68th minute thanks to Ustari saving a Hull penalty but Sunderland's failure to capitalise on that saw them go behind as Davies opened the scoring. Meyler made it two four minute later and celebrated in style with headbutt to the corner flag harking back to last weeks scuffle with Alan Pardew but Hull's Wembley visit was confirmed when Fryatt made it 3-0 with thirteen minutes to go and the draw against Sheffield United with give them confidence to reach the final.

Two strange thought come from this weekend, firstly that all four ties saw a 68th minute goal which is very strange but also the fact that Wigan and Hull were drawn away form each other means that they could repeat the final of last year's Rugby League Challenge Cup which  Wigan won 16-0 against Hull FC. 

Chelsea And Liverpool Win As Arsenal Stutter

As Manchester CIty and Sunderland faced off in the League Cup final, eight games took place in the League this weekend in what was the first week of a topsy-turvy fixture schedule.

There was no lunchtime game on Saturday which is a first for a long while meaning a return for this week of the 3pm start, Everton secured a 1-0 win with a late goal from the returning Romelu Lukaku who struck in the 81st minute to end West Ham's good run of form.

Arsenal failed to move clear of Man City and Liverpool as they suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Stoke who continued their recent success against the top teams at the Brittania thanks to a Jon Walters penalty in the 76th minute.

Chelsea went four points clear at the top after an Andre Schurrle hat-trick saw a 3-1 win away to Fulham with the German notching a 16 minute treble in the 52nd, 65th and 68th minutes but Fulham got one back in the 74th minute through January signing John Heitinga but the bragging rights went to the Blues.

The story of the day came as Hull hosted Newcastle with the visitors winning 4-1 with Sissoko and Remy putting them 2-0 up at the break. Davies replied for the hosts in the first minute of the second half but a bizarre incident took place with Newcastle firmly in control at 3-1, the ball had gone out for a throw in and Hull midfielder Meyler went to collect the ball but in doing so shoved Magpies manager Alan Pardew who's reaction stunned everyone as he looked to headbutt Meyler who had to be held back by his fellow players to prevent him from retaliating but Pardew was sent to the stands and was able to see his side hit a fourth as Anita struck in the 90th minute.

The evening kick-off saw Liverpool travel to Southampton hoping to end a poor record against the Saints and had a good start with Suarez ending a six-game scoring drought in the 16th minute and the Saints were caught out just before the hour mark when Sterling tapped home only 80 seconds after replacing Coutinho in a masterstroke from Rodgers. Gerrard secured the win with the third in the final minute from the penalty spot to send them into second behind Chelsea.

Super Sunday saw a cracking game between Aston Villa and Norwich with the hosts winning 4-1 and miraculously  all five goals came in the first half with Norwich taking the leas in the third minute through  Hoolahan but a two minute turnaround from Benteke in the 25th and 27th minutes gave Villa the lead.

Bacuna made it 3-1 in the 37th minute and an unfortunate own goal from Norwich defender Bassong put Villa in firm control and they held on for a much needed win, Tottenham closed the gap on fourth place Man City with a 1-0 win at home to Cardiff with Soldado hitting the winner in the 28th minute to end a long scoring drought in open play back to October,.

Swansea and Crystal Palace drew 1-1 with De Guzman putting the hosts 1-0 up in the 25th minute and with ten minutes to go they were on the way to a much needed win to move away from the bottom three but that ended when Chico was sent off and the resulting penalty saw Murray level the score and claim a vital point in Palace's fight against the drop.

EPL Sides Struggle

An elongated gameweek saw the return of the Champions League at the Last 16 stage but for the four English sides it may have come at the wrong time as none managed a win this week.

PSG all but sealed a place in the next round with four away goals in a 4-0 win at Leverkusen with Matuidi putting them one up after three minutes with Ibrahimovic adding a penalty in the 39th minute and a third in the 42nd minute. Leverkusen's night got worse when Spahic was dismissed on the hour mark and the rout was completed late on by Cabaye's 88th minute strike.

Man City's debut in the knockout round saw a 2-0 defeat at home to Barcelona with the sending off of Demechelis in the 53rd minute changing the game as Messi scoring the resulting penalty put the La Liga side in front and they secured a second away goal in the final minute through Alves to begin a mixed week for the English sides.

Arsenal suffered the same fate as their title rivals as they too lost 2-0 at home but it was to holders Bayern Munich who could have gone behind early on but to their joy Ozil missed from the spot, Szczesny was sent off in the 39th minute and Bayern had a the chance to go in front but Alaba missed the penalty and they went in level at the break, Kroos put Bayern ahead in the 54th minute and the extra man paid off as they added a second two minutes from the end to give the hosts a mountain to climb in the second leg.

Atletico Madrid left it late to secure a 1-0 win away to AC Milan as Costa struck in the 83rd minute to give them what could be a vital away goal as they continue their good run in the competition and then we had a gap to the second half of the gameweek where it was a similar story for the English sides as Olympiakos stunned a woeful Manchester United with Dominguez opening the scoring in the 38th minute and Campbell doubling the lead in the 54th minute. United failed to comeback and in doing so will go into the second leg knowing that they have to score two to even have a chance of going through while denying Olympiakos what could be a tie winning goal.

Chelsea went against the grain for the home sides as they scored through Torres in the ninth minute but like their rivals, a win failed to come as Chedjou levelled for Galatasaray in the 64th minute but the Blues have a vital away goal and will be favourites to advance.

Dortmund go into the second leg with the advantage of four away goals after a 4-2 against Zenit who had a mountain to climb inside six minutes when Mkhitarayan and Reus put the Germans 2-0 up but the hosts levelled just before the hour only to fall further behind minutes later to a Lewandowski strike. Zenit made it 3-2 with a Hulk penalty in the 69th minute but the two goal gap returned within minutes as Lewandowski hit his second and Dortmund confirmed the win.

Real Madrid were the stars of the week with a 6-1 demolition away to Schalke with Benzema and Bale putting them 2-0 up inside 22 minutes and Schalke kept it to two until the 52nd minute when Ronaldo added a third and five minutes later Benzema hit his second and it was a case of when rather than if they would score again, the when came 12 minutes later when Bale made it 5-0 with his second and Madrid were out of sight with a sixth in the 89th minute as Ronaldo hit his second but all was not lost for Schalke as they made it 6-1 with a Huntelaar goal in the final minute.