Best of the British in Europe

After an incredibly intoxicating couple of days in the UEFA Champions League, last week saw two of the British contenders edge closer to a prized quarter-final place. This week’s ties, in which the remaining two British heavyweights competed in, saw a rare lull in entertainment value.

Super Nic Leaves Danes Feeling Blue

Chelsea have seemingly put their tie to bed after a comfortable 2-0 away win against an overwhelmed FC Copenhagen.

The Blues went into the first leg of their first knockout round tie bearing a three match losing streak that included them being disappointingly dumped out of the only other competition they had a realistic chance of winning this season - the F.A. Cup.

The match at the Parken Stadium began at an enthralling tempo as the Danish Superliga’s current runaway leaders edged affairs in the opening 10 minutes of the match.

However, the home side’s continuous torrent of attacking pressure left them exposed at the back as former Chelsea man Jesper Gronkjaer gifted Nicholas Anelka with a golden opportunity to break the deadlock. The fleet-footed Frenchman made no mistake as he fired a low, rasping shot past the suspect Johan Wiland to give his side the lead on 17 minutes.

A clear theme took hold of the game for the rest of the half as the attack-minded duo of Ashley Cole and Florent Malouda provided unchallenged potency for Carlo Ancelotti’s men down the left-hand side. Even £50 million man Fernando Torres, who’s looked out of sorts since his move to London, looked exuberant as he spearheaded much of the London side’s play in the final third of the pitch.

In spite of the Dane’s early pressure at the beginning of the second half, the tide swiftly turned in favour of the Blues yet again. On 54 minutes, Anelka once again found himself behind the Copenhagen back-four as he latched onto the end of a surgically precise Frank Lampard pass, before thundering home his second of the game that, this time, left Copenhagen’s Wiland helpless.

Uninspiring, Unrelenting & Uncomfortable

Earlier in the week, Sir Alex Ferguson sought to draw strength from talking of his former glories in European competition, before Manchester United’s Champions League match against Olympique Marseille.

But, the fiery Scotsman will be undoubtedly disappointed after seeing his rallying call play out to no avail last night, as the his side slumped to a goalless draw in the away leg of their last 16 tie against their French counterparts.

The tone for the match was largely set within the opening minute, as Nani became the victim of an overzealous challenge from former United left-back, Gabriel Heinze. Chances at either end were few and far between, a low drive from Darren Fletcher providing French keeper Steve Mandanda with his only test in the opening exchanges.

In a scrappy game that was riddled with fouls, both sides struggled to get their passing game going in the middle of the park, which provided a dull outcome.

Although Alex Ferguson will be the happier of the two managers after the result, he will know that for his side to have any chance of repeating the feats of 1999 and 2008, they have to improve. One noteworthy performance, however, was that of 21 year-old stalwart defender Chris Smalling who did not look at all fazed on his debut in the business half of the Champions league.

Elsewhere in the remaining last 16 ties, Real Madrid managed to throw away yet another lead against bogey team Olympique Lyonnais for the fourth time in the last seven meetings between the two sides as Bafetimbi Gomis broke Madrid hearts with his last-gasp equaliser at the Stade de Garland.

There was also an upset at the San Siro as controversial target man Mario Gomez gave Bayern Munich a 1-0 victory in second half stoppage time that the German side will look to build on in their second leg at the Allianz Arena.

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