The Mid-week Review
By Danny Wright • Mar 5th, 2008 • Category: Midweek Reviews
By Danny Wright
Three of the competing English sides playing in Champions League action this week progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition, with Liverpool playing their return with Inter Milan next week due a clash with Arsenal’s fixture away at Milan rivals AC. Liverpool were called into league action though, beating West Ham at a canter, 4-0 the final score at Anfield. Fernando Torres was the hero, scoring a fine hat-trick to set the Reds on their way with Steven Gerrard finishing the job from a superb long range effort. Rafa Benetiz’s men climb back into fourth above Everton, however discord off the pitch is providing a backdrop to an equally faltering effort on it, talks between American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillet regarding a take over are currently deadlocked with a Dubai based consortium. 
Chelsea had no qualms in dispatching Greek side Olympiakos out of the Champions League, 3-0 the final and aggregate score in the tie. Michael Ballack’s early free header set the tone for the night as Chelsea were rarely troubled, adding to their lead following Frank Lampard’s goal, who snaffled a spill from visitor’s keeper Antonis Nikopolidis. The white-haired stopper was picking the ball out of his net again just before half-term when Solomon Kalou converted Lampard’s corner to end the tie in under 45 minutes. 
Manchester United secured their place in the next round after a 1-0 win over Lyon at Old Trafford, settling the tie 2-1 over two matches. The French side frustrated United throughout but were to be eventually undone by Cristiano Ronaldo’s 30th goal of the season, the in-form hit man pouncing to finish by Gregory Coupet. A shot against the post aside, Lyon scarcely threatened as United progressed. 
Arsenal became the first English side to win at the San Siro against AC Milan after two late goals from the Gunners saw them knock-out of the reigning champions. After a stalemate in the first leg the onus was on the visitor’s to take AC on and they didn’t disappoint as the deadlock was finally broken in the 84th minute when Cesc Fabregas fired in from 30 yards. Togo goal machine Emmanuel Adebayor finished Theo Walcott’s cross to crown a historic night for Arsene Wenger’s men. 
Celtic were the only British side not to progress so far following their 1-0 defeat away at Barcelona. Having lost the first tie 3-2 it was always going to be difficult for the Bhoys to upstage their star-studded opponents, who erased any hope of a shock outcome when Xavi scored after just two minutes. The visitor’s played bravely to contain the Catalonian’s slick passing, but it wasn’t to be enough.
Elsewhere in the competition, Schalke 04 beat Porto 4-1 on penalties to go through, meanwhile Roma beat Real Madrid. On Tuesday, Fenerbahce knocked out Sevilla in the surprise of the round, a 3-2 shoot-out win to the Turks settling a mammoth 5-5 aggregate scoreline. In the UEFA Cup, Bolton, Everton, Tottenham and Rangers are in action on Thursday night and Grimsby booked a Wembley date with MK Dons in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy Final after they saw off Morecambe 1-0 at Blundell Park.
Images - bbc.co.uk/sport
