It’s still in the balance

The UEFA Champions League 2103-2014 semi-finals stand just in the perfect position for an exciting second leg next week. The first legs in both the encounters were low scoring but it doesn’t wipe out the fact that there was any short of action over the 90 minutes in both the matches.

In the semi final clash Atletico Madrid was denied any advantage at their home ground by a resilient Chelsea defense. Jose Mourinho opted to play five midfielders and it worked wonders for the English team they finished on a stalemate after the half time in the tie. However there were two incidents that will really give Mourinho some sleepless nights- firstly Peter Cech’s injury in his right shoulder which saw the Czech Republic keeper being substituted in the early minutes of the match and a second blow on the night for Chelsea when John terry was stretchered off the field in the later part of the second half. These two incidents will surely keep the Chelsea management tensed before the second leg next Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. But the recent form, except that loss against Sunderland few days back, will surely give Chelsea an upperhand.

On the second day Real Madrid just edged past the defending champions as they won the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu 1-0. The lone goal was scored by Karim Benzema in the 19^th minute of the match when Cristiano Ronaldo gave a perfectly weighted pass to him. Throughout the rest of the match Real failed to put themselves in advantageous position before the away match next week at Allianz arena as the strikers failed to capitalize on sharp crisp counterattacks. Bayern played perfectly in the way they would have liked to but the only thing that they might regret was the moment when Manuel Neuer had to collect the ball from his own net. Otherwise Bayern played brilliantly but failed to score. An away on the night would have made it much easier for the defending champions in the second leg on next Tuesday.

• About the Author

About Argha Ghosh

An ardent follower of sports and die-hard Manchester United fan, Argha's ultimate dream is to watch a Manchester derby from the Stretford End at the Old Trafford.