Spanish/Italians Dominate Semi Qualifiers

After mixed results in the first leg of the Champions League and Europa League quarter finals, the combined last eight of the two competitions feature trios from Spain and Italy.

Tuesday night saw the first two Champions League deciders beginning with Bayern Munich staging a superb comeback from their 3-1 first leg deficit to FC Porto to cruise to a 7-4 aggregate victory after a 6-1 win. Thiago Alcantara opened the scoring on 14 minutes before Jerome Boateng, Robert Lewandowski with a brace and Thomas Muller made it 5-0 in a 14 minute period either side of the half hour.

Porto claimed a consolation on 73 minutes through Jackson Martinez but a miserable night soon got worse with the 87th minute dismissal of Marcano Sierra swiftly followed by Xabi Alonso's strike which rounded off the rout.

Barcelona advanced comfortably after a 5-1 aggregate win over Paris St Germain whose hopes overturning a 3-1 first leg deficit suffered an early blow when Neymar put Barca in front on the night on 14 minutes. The Barca forward added a second on 34 minutes to put the Catalans in control and his brace proved to be enough as they completed a 2-0 victory.

Wednesday night's ties were far more closer with just one goal between the four sides and it came in the Madrid derby between Real and Atletico with the hosts securing a 1-0 win on aggregate. Atletico's hopes of breaking the deadlock suffered a blow on 73 minutes with the dismissal of Arda Turan and their numerical disadvantage saw them concede late on to Javier Hernandez's 88th minute winner.

Juventus reached the last four for the first time in 12 years after a 0-0 draw away to Monaco saw their first leg advantage prove to be vital as they secured a 1-0 aggregate victory. The draw for the semi finals saw the La Liga duo of Real Madrid and Barcelona drawn apart as the holders Real will face Juventus while Barcelona will face Bayern Munich in a huge clash.


 Thursday night's Europa ties began with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk sealing a narrow 1-0 win and aggregate victory over Club Brugge with the hosts advancing after a late winner from Shakhov in the 82nd minute.

Fiorentina denied Dynamo Kiev from joining fellow Ukrainian side Dnipro as they sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory after a 2-0 win on the night. Dynamo suffered a blow with the dismissal of Lens on 40 minutes before falling behind to a 43rd minute opener from Mario Gomez before Vargas sealed the win in the 90th minute.


Sevilla moved to just three wins from retaining their title after sealing a 4-3 aggregate victory over Zenit St Petersburg after coming from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw. Bacca put the holders in front with a sixth minute penalty but Zenit drew level through Rondon on 48 minutes before going in front 18 minutes from the end to leave Sevilla on the brink of elimination but the visitors had other ideas as Gameiro levelled on 85 minutes to secure their place in the last four.

Napoli made it two Italians in the last fur with a 6-3 aggregate win after a 2-2 against Wolfsburg who failed to overturn the 4-2 first leg deficit. Callejon and Mertens put the hosts in control with strikes either side of the hour mark but the visitors soon drew level with goals from Klose and Perisic on 71 and 73 minutes.

European Quarter Finals Begin

After a narrowing of my blogging spectrum, this post sees both European competitions reviewed together as the UEFA Champions and Europa Leagues reach the quarter final stage.

Tuesday's Champions League action saw last season's Madrid final repeated between Atletico and Real with neither side able to make a breakthrough in a 0-0 draw meaning no advantage for the second leg though with Real at home it could prove crucial for them.

Juventus will take a slim advantage into the second leg after securing a 1-0 win at home to Monaco with the winning goal on the night coming in the 57th minute as Arturo Vidal slotted in a penalty.

Wednesday's action provided more excitement with eight goals across the two games, FC Porto stunned Bayern Munich in a 3-1 home win which saw the hosts make a perfect start with a seven minute brace from Ricardo Quaresma. The playmaker slotted in a penalty in the third minute before adding a second on 10 minutes, Thiago Alcantara pulled one back for Bayern on 28 minutes but the victory was comfirmed by Jackson Martinez' 65th minute strike for 3-1.

Barcelona and PSG met in a huge clash which saw the Catalans cruise to a 3-1 away win which saw Neymar open the scoring on 18 minutes before a superb 12 minute brace from Luis Suarez put them in control at 3-0. PSG found a late consolation that keeps them in the tie as Gregory van der Wiel's shot cannoned in off Barca defender Jeremy Mathieu for 3-1 on 82 minutes.

Thursday's Europa action saw three of the four games feature five goals combined while the fourth saw five itself, Club Brugge and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk draw 0-0 in a game that will surely give the visitors a slight advantage with the journey involved for Brugge in the second leg.

Dynamo Kiev looked to have secured a slim 1-0 win at home to Fiorentina after Lens put them in front after 36 minutes. However, a leveller late on from Babacar in the 90th minute salvaged a draw for the Italians whose away goal gives them a slight advantage for the second leg.


Sevilla moved closer to claiming back-to-back titles with a 2-1 win at home to Zenit despite the Russian's taking a 29th minute lead through Ryazantsev before being pegged back by an equaliser from Bacca on 73 minutes. Denis Suarez secured the win and a first leg advantage with an 87th minute winner.

Napoli look to have sealed their passage into the last four after a stunning 4-1 win away to Wolfsburg with first half strikes from Gonzalo Higuain and Marek Hamsik on 15 and 23 minutes sending them into the break 2-0 ahead. Hamsik claimed a brace on 64 minutes before Gabbiadini made it 4-0 with 14 minutes remaining but the hosts did claim a consolation late on as Nicklas Bendtner struck on 80 minutes for 4-1.