Arsenal v. FC Porto:
Aggregate: Arsenal 6 – Porto 2
I Cursed Picked: Arsenal
Overview: Not even playing Fabianski in the first leg and my picking Arsenal could contain their total dominance at the Emirates Stadium. The 5-0 thrashing was nothing less than was deserved against a Porto side who looked wholly overmatched.
The Turning Point: Bendtner’s early goal in the second leg. You knew it was over when Bendtner converted his very first chance into the goal, and… be honest, you also wondered if it was the sign of the apocalypse.
Man of the Tie: No one played particularly well in the first leg for Arsenal, so I’ll grab Samir Nasri for this one. He was devastating in the midfield in the home leg and Arsenal played much, much faster through the midfield with him running the attack with Arshavin. Makes you wonder how much Fabregas slows them down at times.
Key Matchup Revisited: Falcao/Hulk vs. Arsenal’s Back Line. After making the back line look utterly ridiculous after the backpass of embarrassment, Falcao and Hulk were completely shut down, particularly with great performances by Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna.
Questions asked of Porto: Was it wise to play Hulk during his suspension? He looked slow and off his game. Then again, the whole club looked slow. Given their position in the table, Porto will be gearing up for a Europa League run next season.
Questions asked of Arsenal: How far do you think you can get while throwing Sol Campbell in the back line? What happens if Almunia gets hurt again? Is Bendtner finally becoming an actual forward?
Bayern Munich vs. Fiorentina
Aggregate: Fiorentina 4 – Bayern Munich 4 (Fiorentina wins on total legal goals, Bayern advances on away goals)
Overview: To quote a scene from Lawrence of Arabia, “OUTRAGEOUS! OUTRAGEOUS!!!….OUTRAGEOUS!” There’s nothing I hate more than the tendency to blame the officials for a loss, but let us catalogue the litany of key decisions in this tie.
Match 1:
Mark Van Bommel – red card foul – awarded a yellow
Mark Van Bommel – dive – called but no card shown
Mark Van Bommel – yellow card foul – foul called, no card
Massimo Gobbi – foul – straight red card awarded
Miroslav Klose – two footed studs up challenge – foul called
Miroslav Klose – goal scored from three yard offside – awarded a goal
Match Two:
Bayern Handball in the penalty area – not awarded
Bayern Handball in the penalty area – not awarded
Bastian Schweinstieger intentionally raises hand to player’s face – yellow card
Bastian Schweinsteiger intentionally raises his hand to player’s face two minutes later – no call
Bayern Handball in the penalty area – not awarded
In short. What an absolute disgrace.
I cursed picked: Fiorentina. Sorry, but I got this one correct. UEFA can advance whatever team they want, but Fiorentina clearly won this tie.
Man of the Tie: Juan Manuel Vargas. By far the most dangerous player on the field in both ties.
Key Matchup Revisited: Bolatti vs. Van Bommel. This matchup turned out to be a bust. Bolatti didn’t play the second leg, and Van Bommel should have been sent off at least twice in the first leg.
Questions of Fiorentina: With the club out in the Round of 16, and way off the pace in Serie A, will they are looking at the possibility of at least 1 1/3 seasons with no European football. Is Dunga on his way?
Questions of Bayern: Is there any hope of going any further? If they play like they did in this tie, let us hope not. Signs point to doubtful.
Steven Maloney is a contributing writer for Glorious Football and a Professor of Political Science at the University of Saint Thomas in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He can be reached for comment at steven.maloney@gmail.com.
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