UEFA Champions League 2008–09 knockout stage
Encyclopedia
The knockout stage of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League began on 24 February 2009 and concluded with the final at the Stadio Olimpico
in Rome
on 27 May 2009. The knockout stage involves the sixteen teams who finished in the top two in each of their groups in the group stage.
Each tie in the knockout stage, apart from the final, will be played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that has the higher aggregate score over the two legs will progress to the next round. In the event that aggregate scores finish level, the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs will progress. If away goals are also equal, 30 minutes of extra time are played. If there are goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score is still level, the visiting team qualifies by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals are scored during extra time, there will be a penalty shootout after extra time.
In the draw for the first knockout round, matches are played between the winner of one group and the runner-up of a different group. The only restriction on the drawing of teams in the first knockout round is that the teams must not be from the same national association or have played in the same group in the group stages. From the quarter-finals onwards, these restrictions do not apply.
In the final, the tie is played over just one leg at a neutral venue. If scores are level at the end of normal time in the final, extra time is played, followed by penalties if scores remain tied.
and Bruno Conti
, the ambassador for the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final
. The first legs of the first knockout round were played on 24 and 25 February 2009, while the second legs were played on 10 and 11 March.
|}
gained a first leg advantage with a 1–0 home victory against Roma
at the Emirates Stadium
, courtesy of Robin van Persie
's 37th-minute penalty. The other English team in action, Manchester United
, drew 0–0 with Internazionale
at the San Siro
, failing to score the away goal they had been hoping for. The other two matches finished in score draws, with the away sides having the upper hand going into the second legs. Lyon
drew 1–1 with Barcelona at the Stade Gerland
in France, with Barcelona's Thierry Henry
cancelling out an opener from Juninho
. Porto came from behind twice away to Atlético Madrid to secure a 2–2 draw at the Vicente Calderón Stadium
. Maxi Rodríguez put Atlético in front in the fourth minute, Lisandro López
equalised in the 22nd minute, Diego Forlán
scored on the stroke of half-time to restore Atlético's advantage but López levelled in the 72nd minute.
In the second set of first leg ties, played on 25 February 2009, three teams scored away goals. Bayern Munich
scored five times without reply away to Sporting CP. In the match at the Estádio José Alvalade
, Franck Ribéry
gave the Germans the lead in the 42nd minute and Miroslav Klose
doubled their advantage in the 57th. Ribéry scored again from the penalty spot in the 63rd before a brace from Luca Toni
put the tie out of Sporting's reach, even before the second leg. Five-time winners Liverpool
also managed an away win, against nine-time winners Real Madrid
, but had to wait until the 82nd minute at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
for it, when Yossi Benayoun
scored a header from Fábio Aurélio
's free-kick to hand them the advantage for the second leg. Villarreal
and Panathinaikos
shared a score draw at the Estadio El Madrigal
, with Giuseppe Rossi
scoring a 67th-minute penalty to cancel out Giorgos Karagounis
' 59th-minute opener. In the other game, Chelsea
beat Juventus
at Stamford Bridge
courtesy of a 12th-minute strike from Didier Drogba
.
All times are Central European Time
(UTC+1
)
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
doubled Liverpool's aggregate lead in the 16th minute, and Steven Gerrard
made it 2–0 on the night with a 28th-minute penalty. Gerrard further extended Liverpool's lead two minutes after half-time and Andrea Dossena
made it 5–0 on aggregate with two minutes left. Chelsea also made it through to the quarter-finals with a 2–2 draw, having won the first leg at Stamford Bridge 1–0. They fell behind to a goal from Vincenzo Iaquinta
in the 19th minute but equalised through Michael Essien
on the stroke of half-time. Juventus went back in front through an Alessandro Del Piero
penalty, although Chelsea were heading through on the away goals ruling. Chelsea sealed their passage to the last eight when Didier Drogba
equalised in the 83rd minute to win 3–2 on aggregate.
In the other games, Sporting CP departed the competition after setting a new Champions League record aggregate defeat of 12–1 to Bayern Munich. An early goal from Lukas Podolski
extended Bayern's lead to 6–0 on aggregate and this was followed up by further strikes before half-time from Podolski again, Ânderson Polga
and Bastian Schweinsteiger
, sandwiched by a consolation from Sporting Lisbon's João Moutinho
. Bayern were not finished at 4–1 as Mark van Bommel
, Miroslav Klose
and Thomas Müller
further added to the scoreline. Villarreal were the fourth side to make it into the quarter-finals by beating Panathinaikos 3–2 overall. Ariel Ibagaza
put Villarreal 2–1 up on aggregate in the 49th minute, Evangelos Mantzios
equalised six minutes later, but Joseba Llorente
turned the tie in Villarreal's favour in the 70th minute and the match finished 2–1 to Villarreal.
The remaining two English sides both reached the quarter-finals on 11 March and they were joined by Porto and Barcelona. Manchester United defeated Internazionale 2–0 on aggregate at Old Trafford
. After a 0–0 draw at the San Siro
in the first leg, United were aware that an away goal for Inter would make it difficult, but they made the perfect start with centre back Nemanja Vidić
scoring with a header after four minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo
doubled the lead just after half-time and the match finished 2–0. Porto and Atlético Madrid played out a 0–0 draw at the Estádio do Dragão
in Portugal
but Porto went through on the away goals rule, having scored twice in a 2–2 draw in Spain
. Barcelona beat Lyon 6–3 on aggregate with a 5–2 win at the Nou Camp. Thierry Henry
scored twice in the space of a couple of minutes shortly before the half-hour mark to put Barcelona 3–1 up on aggregate before Lionel Messi
and Samuel Eto'o
made it 4–0 just before half-time on the night. Lyon scored two consolation goals through Jean Makoun
on the stoke of half-time and Juninho
just after the break, but Barcelona added a fifth in the final minute. In the last game to finish, Roma defeated Arsenal 1–0 at the Stadio Olimpico
with Juan
scoring in the ninth minute. The first match had finished 1–0 to Arsenal so the match headed into extra-time and, eventually, penalties. Arsenal emerged victorious in the shootout, winning 7–6 after Max Tonetto
missed Roma's final spotkick.
Villarreal won 3–2 on aggregate.
----
Liverpool won 5–0 on aggregate.
----
Bayern Munich won 12–1 on aggregate.
----
Chelsea won 3–2 on aggregate.
----
Atlético Madrid 2–2 Porto on aggregate. Porto won on away goals.
----
Barcelona won 6–3 on aggregate.
----
Arsenal 1–1 Roma on aggregate. Arsenal won 7–6 on penalties.
----
Manchester United won 2–0 on aggregate.
, Switzerland
, on 20 March 2009. There was no seeding and no country protection, meaning that it was an entirely random draw. The first legs were played on 7/8 April while the second legs were played on 14/15 April. Liverpool requested that their second leg be played on 14 April so that it avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster
on 15 April.
|}
All times are Central European Summer Time
(UTC+2
)
and Arsenal
were involved in the first two quarter-final matches on 7 April. Arsenal were playing the first leg away against Villarreal from Spain, their second encounter in three years following on from a meeting in the semi-finals three years earlier. Villarreal went in front in the 10th minute thanks to a long-range effort from Marcos Senna
. The Yellow Submarine went on to dominate the first half but Arsenal did not concede again and their defensive work was rewarded in the 66th minute as a clipped ball from Arsenal captain Cesc Fàbregas
was controlled on the chest by Emmanuel Adebayor
and volleyed acrobatically with an overhead kick into the bottom corner. The match eventually finished 1–1, with Arsenal taking an away goal into the second leg.
Manchester United played their first leg at home at Old Trafford
against Porto, the team who had knocked them out in the first knockout round five years before. Porto took an early lead, in the fourth minute, when Cristian Rodríguez
netted past Edwin van der Sar
. The advantage lasted only 11 minutes though, at which point Wayne Rooney
scored the equaliser, chipping the ball over the advancing Helton
following a careless back-pass from Bruno Alves
. In an open game, in which Porto dominated, another goal appeared certain but did not come until the 85th minute. Carlos Tévez
saw off his marker to score from a Rooney flick from a couple of yards out. The action had not finished however and Mariano González
equalised in the final minute to hand Porto a second away goal.
Liverpool and Chelsea faced each other in an all-English tie at Anfield
on 8 April. The sides were meeting in the Champions League for the fifth straight season, having last faced each other in the competition in the 2008 semi-final, when Chelsea advanced to the final. Fernando Torres handed an early advantage to Liverpool, scoring in the sixth minute. However, their lead only lasted until the 39th minute when the Liverpool defence allowed Branislav Ivanović
too much space at a corner and he was able to power a header past José Manuel Reina. Chelsea took the lead in the 62nd minute from an almost identical situation as Ivanović scored his second headed goal. Didier Drogba
added a final goal to make it 3–1 to the away side with a side-footed finish.
In the final game, played on the same evening, two of the most successful European clubs, Barcelona
and Bayern Munich
met at the Camp Nou
in Spain. It was their first meeting since the group stages of the 1998–99 tournament. Bayern had beaten Sporting CP 12–1 in the previous round, but Barcelona posed a far tougher proposition and it showed. Lionel Messi
put Barcelona in front in the ninth minute and Samuel Eto'o
doubled the lead three minutes later. Messi scored his second goal in the 38th minute and Thierry Henry
made it 4–0 in the 43rd minute. The score remained at 4–0 throughout the second half, leaving Barcelona as favourites to progress.
----
----
----
In the first two of four second-leg ties, Chelsea came with a 3–1 advantage over Liverpool and the bonus of three away goals, Liverpool came into their match knowing they needed to score three times without conceding to progress, or win 3–1 to take the game to extra time at Stamford Bridge
. Despite starting the match as outsiders, Liverpool looked to be well on the way towards their target as they took a 2–0 lead within half an hour and levelled the scores at 3–3 on aggregate. Fábio Aurélio
scored directly with a free kick from the left of the penalty area in the 19th minute to hand them the lead and this was doubled nine minutes later from the penalty spot: Xabi Alonso
stepped up to score following a foul on him by Branislav Ivanović
. But six minutes after half-time, Didier Drogba
made the score 2–1 with a shot that went through the hands of José Manuel Reina, and six minutes later, Chelsea equalised to 2–2 when Alex
scored with a powerful free kick. Frank Lampard
put Chelsea 3–2 up in the 76th minute and, at this stage, Liverpool needed to score three goals to advance. Goals from Lucas
and Dirk Kuyt
in the 81st and 83rd minutes, respectively, put Liverpool 4–3 up on the night and only a goal away from advancing. However, Lampard scored again in the 89th minute to finish the tie off, and the match ended 4–4 and 7–5 to Chelsea overall.
In the other match to take place that evening, Barcelona and Bayern Munich played out a 1–1 draw at the Allianz Arena
. Bayern trailed the tie 4–0 following the first match at the Camp Nou
and they were able to play without fear in the first half. Luca Toni
and Franck Ribéry
created chances in the first half but Barcelona weathered the storm and created their only meaningful chance of the first half through Daniel Alves
. They managed to pull a goal back early in the second half, when Zé Roberto took the ball past defender Yaya Touré
and set up Ribéry who was able to score past Víctor Valdés
. But Barcelona put the tie beyond the reach of Bayern with an equaliser from Seydou Keita
at the end of a 17-pass move. The match finished 1–1, giving Barcelona a 5–1 aggregate win to set up a fourth tie with Chelsea in five seasons two weeks later.
The third second-leg tie was finely poised at 1–1 between Arsenal and Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium
, with Arsenal ahead courtesy of the away goals rule; Villarreal came into the match knowing they had to score. Both teams were without key players: Arsenal had to play without goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
, William Gallas
and Gaël Clichy
while captain Marcos Senna
and Santi Cazorla
were missing for Villarreal. Theo Walcott
delivered some dangerous crosses and Robin van Persie missed an early chance from Samir Nasri
's cross, but Diego Godín
also tested Arsenal goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański with a volley. Arsenal, however, took the lead in the 10th minute as Walcott raced onto a Fàbregas through-ball and chipped the ball over Diego López
. Villarreal continued to create chances, including Robert Pirès
nearly marking his return to his former club with a goal. Emmanuel Adebayor followed up a Van Persie free kick with a header on goal, but Gonzalo Rodríguez
cleared the ball off the line. After half-time, Van Persie had a shot from distance charged down, but Arsenal did score a second goal in the 60th minute as Van Persie opted to slide a pass through to Adebayor, and his strike partner applied the finish. The tie was over in the 69th minute when Godín was adjudged to have fouled Walcott; Sebastián Eguren
collected a second yellow card for his protests before Van Persie scored from the penalty spot. The match finished 3–0 to Arsenal, with Arsenal winning 4–1 on aggregate.
The final quarter-final second leg tie was between Porto and Manchester United, played simultaneously with Arsenal's match. Porto had the advantage of two away goals, after drawing 2–2 at Old Trafford
. Manchester United looked to recall Rio Ferdinand
from a back injury to partner Nemanja Vidić
in central defence. Despite a mixed season, Cristiano Ronaldo
had still scored 20 goals in all competitions and won numerous awards and he added his 21st goal with a 35-metre strike after only six minutes. Porto created very few chances, their only meaningful shot being a free kick that went wide of Edwin van der Sar
's goal in the first half and later a chance for Lisandro López
. United played the game at a controlled pace, however they were unable to score a second goal to settle the nerves – the threat remained that if Porto scored late United would be knocked out. Ronaldo had a shot saved by the Porto goalkeeper Helton
and Vidić missed from a couple of yards. They held on to become the first English team to win at Porto and keep their ambition of winning five trophies in the same season alive. It was United's first clean sheet in six matches and set up a semi-final with fellow English team Arsenal.
Chelsea won 7–5 on aggregate.
----
Barcelona won 5–1 on aggregate.
----
Arsenal won 4–1 on aggregate.
----
Manchester United won 3–2 on aggregate.
|}
, Barcelona went into the game as favourites. The game started well for Chelsea and after nine minutes Michael Essien
scored a 20-yard left-footed volley after Barcelona failed to clear a pass into the box from Frank Lampard
. The first half came to a close with Chelsea leading 1-0. Despite Barcelona dominating possession, Chelsea continued to be the most dangerous side, especially following the sending off of Éric Abidal
, with Chelsea also calling for up to four penalties, none of them being awarded by Norwegian
referee Tom Henning Øvrebø
. A 93rd-minute equaliser from a shot by Andrés Iniesta
– which happened to be Barcelona's only shot on target – then allowed Barcelona to ensure a last-minute qualification to the final.
Almost as soon as referee Øvrebø blew the final whistle, several Chelsea players surrounded him with complaints regarding his decisions. Some players, like Frank Lampard
and Andrés Iniesta
respectfully swapped shirts, while others such as Michael Ballack
and Didier Drogba
continued to shout at the referee and contest him, with Drogba notably shouting "It's a fucking disgrace" into a live television camera. Kevin McCarra
writing for The Guardian
described Øvrebø as "relatively inexperienced" and declared he "did not inspire any confidence whatsoever".
Manchester United won 4–1 on aggregate.
----
Barcelona 1–1 Chelsea on aggregate. Barcelona won on away goals.
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
on 27 May 2009. The knockout stage involves the sixteen teams who finished in the top two in each of their groups in the group stage.
Each tie in the knockout stage, apart from the final, will be played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that has the higher aggregate score over the two legs will progress to the next round. In the event that aggregate scores finish level, the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs will progress. If away goals are also equal, 30 minutes of extra time are played. If there are goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score is still level, the visiting team qualifies by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals are scored during extra time, there will be a penalty shootout after extra time.
In the draw for the first knockout round, matches are played between the winner of one group and the runner-up of a different group. The only restriction on the drawing of teams in the first knockout round is that the teams must not be from the same national association or have played in the same group in the group stages. From the quarter-finals onwards, these restrictions do not apply.
In the final, the tie is played over just one leg at a neutral venue. If scores are level at the end of normal time in the final, extra time is played, followed by penalties if scores remain tied.
Bracket
First knockout round
The draw for the first knockout round of the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League was held on 19 December 2008, and conducted by UEFA General Secretary David TaylorDavid Taylor (Scottish football)
David Taylor is the joint General Secretary of the UEFA.Taylor was appointed to this role on June 1, 2007 after the UEFA extraordinary congress in Zurich on May 29, 2007 voted to replace the role of Chief Executive with that of General Secretary...
and Bruno Conti
Bruno Conti
Bruno Conti is an Italian ex-football player and former coach of the Serie A club Roma from 14 March 2005 to 30 June 2005. His two sons Daniele and Andrea are both professional footballers...
, the ambassador for the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final
2009 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2009 UEFA Champions League Final was played on 27 May 2009 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy. The match determined the winners of the 2008–09 season of the UEFA Champions League, a tournament for the top football clubs in Europe. The match was won by Barcelona of Spain, who beat England's...
. The first legs of the first knockout round were played on 24 and 25 February 2009, while the second legs were played on 10 and 11 March.
|}
First leg
The knockout stage began on 24 February with four first-leg ties. English side ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
gained a first leg advantage with a 1–0 home victory against Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
, courtesy of Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
's 37th-minute penalty. The other English team in action, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, drew 0–0 with Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
, failing to score the away goal they had been hoping for. The other two matches finished in score draws, with the away sides having the upper hand going into the second legs. Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
drew 1–1 with Barcelona at the Stade Gerland
Stade Gerland
The Stade de Gerland is a stadium, in the city of Lyon, France and home to Ligue 1 football club Olympique Lyonnais...
in France, with Barcelona's Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
cancelling out an opener from Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...
. Porto came from behind twice away to Atlético Madrid to secure a 2–2 draw at the Vicente Calderón Stadium
Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium is the home stadium of La Liga football club Atlético Madrid and is located in the Arganzuela district of Spanish capital Madrid. The stadium was originally called the Manzanares Stadium, but this was later changed to the Vicente Calderón Stadium, after the famous...
. Maxi Rodríguez put Atlético in front in the fourth minute, Lisandro López
Lisandro López
Lisandro López , sometimes known as Lisandro, is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France.Primarily a striker, he is also capable of playing on the wings....
equalised in the 22nd minute, Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
scored on the stroke of half-time to restore Atlético's advantage but López levelled in the 72nd minute.
In the second set of first leg ties, played on 25 February 2009, three teams scored away goals. Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
scored five times without reply away to Sporting CP. In the match at the Estádio José Alvalade
Estádio José Alvalade
Estádio José Alvalade is a football stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, home of Sporting Clube de Portugal, one of the country's biggest clubs. It is the center of a complex called Alvalade XXI , designed by Portuguese architect...
, Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
gave the Germans the lead in the 42nd minute and Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
doubled their advantage in the 57th. Ribéry scored again from the penalty spot in the 63rd before a brace from Luca Toni
Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He has had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma...
put the tie out of Sporting's reach, even before the second leg. Five-time winners Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
also managed an away win, against nine-time winners Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, but had to wait until the 82nd minute at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
for it, when Yossi Benayoun
Yossi Benayoun
Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun is an Israeli international footballer who plays for Arsenal on loan from Chelsea.Benayoun plays as an attacking midfielder, often occupying the space just behind the striker. In Israel, he is sometimes nicknamed "The Diamond from Dimona". He is also the captain of the...
scored a header from Fábio Aurélio
Fábio Aurélio
Fábio Aurélio Rodrigues is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Liverpool of the Premier League, having previously played for São Paulo and Valencia. He plays as either a left back or left winger and has represented Brazil at Under-17 and Under-20 levels and at the 2000 Sydney Olympics...
's free-kick to hand them the advantage for the second leg. Villarreal
Villarreal CF
Villarreal Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. , usually abbreviated to Villarreal CF or just Villarreal, is a Spanish Primera División football club based in Vila-real, a city in the province of Castellón within the Valencian Community...
and Panathinaikos
Panathinaikos FC
Panathinaikos Football Club is a Greek professional football club based in Athens. Founded in 1908, they play in the Super League Greece and are one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Greek football history. They have won 20 Greek Championships and 17 Greek Cups.Panathinaikos is the most...
shared a score draw at the Estadio El Madrigal
Estadio El Madrigal
Estadio El Madrigal is a multi-purpose stadium in Vila-real, Spain. It is currently used mostly for football matches, as it is the home of Villarreal CF.The stadium with 25,000 seats was originally built in 1923...
, with Giuseppe Rossi
Giuseppe Rossi
Giuseppe Rossi is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish club Villarreal CF and the Italian national team.- Early life :...
scoring a 67th-minute penalty to cancel out Giorgos Karagounis
Giorgos Karagounis
Giorgos Karagounis is a Greek footballer who currently plays for Panathinaikos . He is best remembered for scoring the first goal of UEFA Euro 2004, a very long range effort that helped his team to win the opening game of the tournament, in which the Greeks surprisingly emerged as champions.His...
' 59th-minute opener. In the other game, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
beat Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
courtesy of a 12th-minute strike from Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
.
All times are Central European Time
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
(UTC+1
UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
)
----
----
----
----
----
----
----
Second leg
In the four second leg ties played on 10 March, the two English clubs in action both progressed along with Bayern Munich and Villarreal. Liverpool eliminated the nine-time European Cup winners Real Madrid with a 4–0 home victory. Fernando TorresFernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
doubled Liverpool's aggregate lead in the 16th minute, and Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
made it 2–0 on the night with a 28th-minute penalty. Gerrard further extended Liverpool's lead two minutes after half-time and Andrea Dossena
Andrea Dossena
Andrea Dossena is an Italian footballer who plays as a left back for S.S.C. Napoli.-Early career:Dossena began his career at Verona as a youth player before playing 4 seasons in their senior squad...
made it 5–0 on aggregate with two minutes left. Chelsea also made it through to the quarter-finals with a 2–2 draw, having won the first leg at Stamford Bridge 1–0. They fell behind to a goal from Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
in the 19th minute but equalised through Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
on the stroke of half-time. Juventus went back in front through an Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
penalty, although Chelsea were heading through on the away goals ruling. Chelsea sealed their passage to the last eight when Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
equalised in the 83rd minute to win 3–2 on aggregate.
In the other games, Sporting CP departed the competition after setting a new Champions League record aggregate defeat of 12–1 to Bayern Munich. An early goal from Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski
Lukas Josef Podolski ; born Łukasz Podolski ) on 4 June 1985 in Gliwice, Poland) is a German footballer who plays as a striker/winger for 1. FC Köln and for the German national team. He joined 1. FC Köln in 1995 where he broke into the first team in 2003 and made 81 appearances for the club before...
extended Bayern's lead to 6–0 on aggregate and this was followed up by further strikes before half-time from Podolski again, Ânderson Polga
Ânderson Polga
Ânderson Corrêa Polga is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Sporting Clube de Portugal as a central defender.-Club career:...
and Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a German footballer who plays as a midfielder for Bayern Munich and the German national team. A right-footed player, he is capable of playing out wide or in a more central role....
, sandwiched by a consolation from Sporting Lisbon's João Moutinho
João Moutinho
João Filipe Iria Santos Moutinho is a Portuguese footballer who plays for F.C. Porto, also being a Portuguese international.Mainly a central midfielder, he can also operate as a holding or attacking midfielder, and on either flank.-Sporting:...
. Bayern were not finished at 4–1 as Mark van Bommel
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder....
, Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
and Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller
Thomas Müller was a German Waffen-SS Colonel who commanded the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and the 27. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Langemarck during World War II...
further added to the scoreline. Villarreal were the fourth side to make it into the quarter-finals by beating Panathinaikos 3–2 overall. Ariel Ibagaza
Ariel Ibagaza
Ariel Miguel Santiago Ibagaza is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympiacos FC in Greece.Nicknamed El Caño, his usual position is attacking midfielder, and he is well known for his technique and vision, and spent the vast majority of his professional career in Spain, where he represented...
put Villarreal 2–1 up on aggregate in the 49th minute, Evangelos Mantzios
Evangelos Mantzios
Vangelis Mantzios is a Greek international football player currently playing as a striker for OFI Crete in Greek Super League.- Club career :Mantzios and was signed by Panionios from Kallithea in the summer of 2001...
equalised six minutes later, but Joseba Llorente
Joseba Llorente Etxarri
Joseba Llorente Etxarri is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Sociedad in La Liga, as a centre forward.-Club career:...
turned the tie in Villarreal's favour in the 70th minute and the match finished 2–1 to Villarreal.
The remaining two English sides both reached the quarter-finals on 11 March and they were joined by Porto and Barcelona. Manchester United defeated Internazionale 2–0 on aggregate at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. After a 0–0 draw at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
in the first leg, United were aware that an away goal for Inter would make it difficult, but they made the perfect start with centre back Nemanja Vidić
Nemanja Vidic
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian footballer who captains English Premier League club Manchester United. He was part of the Serbia national football team from 2002 to 2011....
scoring with a header after four minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
doubled the lead just after half-time and the match finished 2–0. Porto and Atlético Madrid played out a 0–0 draw at the Estádio do Dragão
Estádio do Dragão
The Estádio do Dragão is a football stadium located in Porto, Portugal, with an all-seated capacity of 50,399. Inaugurated on November 16, 2003, it is the current home ground of F.C. Porto, having replaced the club's old venue, the Estádio das Antas...
in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
but Porto went through on the away goals rule, having scored twice in a 2–2 draw in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Barcelona beat Lyon 6–3 on aggregate with a 5–2 win at the Nou Camp. Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
scored twice in the space of a couple of minutes shortly before the half-hour mark to put Barcelona 3–1 up on aggregate before Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
and Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
made it 4–0 just before half-time on the night. Lyon scored two consolation goals through Jean Makoun
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...
on the stoke of half-time and Juninho
Juninho Pernambucano
Antônio Augusto Ribeiro Reis Jr. , commonly known as Juninho or Juninho Pernambucano, is a Brazilian footballer and dead-ball specialist, currently playing as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A club CR Vasco da Gama. He is considered to be one of the greatest free kick takers of all time...
just after the break, but Barcelona added a fifth in the final minute. In the last game to finish, Roma defeated Arsenal 1–0 at the Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
with Juan
Juan Silveira dos Santos
Juan Silveira dos Santos , commonly known as Juan is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a central defender for Italian side Roma.-Club career:...
scoring in the ninth minute. The first match had finished 1–0 to Arsenal so the match headed into extra-time and, eventually, penalties. Arsenal emerged victorious in the shootout, winning 7–6 after Max Tonetto
Max Tonetto
Max Tonetto is an Italian football defender. Naturally left footed, his preferred position is the left midfielder position...
missed Roma's final spotkick.
Villarreal won 3–2 on aggregate.
----
Liverpool won 5–0 on aggregate.
----
Bayern Munich won 12–1 on aggregate.
----
Chelsea won 3–2 on aggregate.
----
Atlético Madrid 2–2 Porto on aggregate. Porto won on away goals.
----
Barcelona won 6–3 on aggregate.
----
Arsenal 1–1 Roma on aggregate. Arsenal won 7–6 on penalties.
----
Manchester United won 2–0 on aggregate.
Quarter-finals
The draw for the quarter-finals of the competition took place in NyonNyon
Nyon is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva, and is the seat of the district of...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, on 20 March 2009. There was no seeding and no country protection, meaning that it was an entirely random draw. The first legs were played on 7/8 April while the second legs were played on 14/15 April. Liverpool requested that their second leg be played on 14 April so that it avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
on 15 April.
|}
All times are Central European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time
Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
(UTC+2
UTC+2
UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo...
)
First leg
English sides Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
were involved in the first two quarter-final matches on 7 April. Arsenal were playing the first leg away against Villarreal from Spain, their second encounter in three years following on from a meeting in the semi-finals three years earlier. Villarreal went in front in the 10th minute thanks to a long-range effort from Marcos Senna
Marcos Senna
Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:...
. The Yellow Submarine went on to dominate the first half but Arsenal did not concede again and their defensive work was rewarded in the 66th minute as a clipped ball from Arsenal captain Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
was controlled on the chest by Emmanuel Adebayor
Emmanuel Adebayor
Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is a Togolese footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur as a striker on loan from Manchester City. He plays in the same position for the Togo national team. Adebayor previously played for Metz, Monaco and Arsenal and was voted African Footballer of the Year for 2008...
and volleyed acrobatically with an overhead kick into the bottom corner. The match eventually finished 1–1, with Arsenal taking an away goal into the second leg.
Manchester United played their first leg at home at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
against Porto, the team who had knocked them out in the first knockout round five years before. Porto took an early lead, in the fourth minute, when Cristian Rodríguez
Cristian Rodriguez
Cristian Gabriel Rodríguez Barotti is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in Portugal, mainly as a left winger....
netted past Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
. The advantage lasted only 11 minutes though, at which point Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
scored the equaliser, chipping the ball over the advancing Helton
Helton da Silva Arruda
Helton da Silva Arruda , simply Helton, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in the Portuguese first division, as a goalkeeper.-Vasco:...
following a careless back-pass from Bruno Alves
Bruno Alves
Bruno Eduardo Regufe Alves is a Portuguese footballer who plays for FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia and the Portuguese national team, as a central defender....
. In an open game, in which Porto dominated, another goal appeared certain but did not come until the 85th minute. Carlos Tévez
Carlos Tévez
Carlos Alberto Tévez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for English club Manchester City...
saw off his marker to score from a Rooney flick from a couple of yards out. The action had not finished however and Mariano González
Mariano González
Mariano Nicolás González is an Argentine footballer who plays for Estudiantes de La Plata. He can operate as both an attacking midfielder or a winger.-Club career:...
equalised in the final minute to hand Porto a second away goal.
Liverpool and Chelsea faced each other in an all-English tie at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
on 8 April. The sides were meeting in the Champions League for the fifth straight season, having last faced each other in the competition in the 2008 semi-final, when Chelsea advanced to the final. Fernando Torres handed an early advantage to Liverpool, scoring in the sixth minute. However, their lead only lasted until the 39th minute when the Liverpool defence allowed Branislav Ivanović
Branislav Ivanovic
Branislav Ivanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League and the Serbia national team....
too much space at a corner and he was able to power a header past José Manuel Reina. Chelsea took the lead in the 62nd minute from an almost identical situation as Ivanović scored his second headed goal. Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
added a final goal to make it 3–1 to the away side with a side-footed finish.
In the final game, played on the same evening, two of the most successful European clubs, Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
met at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
in Spain. It was their first meeting since the group stages of the 1998–99 tournament. Bayern had beaten Sporting CP 12–1 in the previous round, but Barcelona posed a far tougher proposition and it showed. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés "Leo" Messi is an Argentine footballer who plays for FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team, mainly as a striker. Messi received several Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations by the age of 21, and won in 2009 and 2010...
put Barcelona in front in the ninth minute and Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
doubled the lead three minutes later. Messi scored his second goal in the 38th minute and Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry
Thierry Daniel Henry is a French professional footballer who plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.Henry was born in Les Ulis, Essonne where he played for an array of local sides as a youngster and showed great promise as a goal-scorer. He was spotted by AS Monaco in 1990 and...
made it 4–0 in the 43rd minute. The score remained at 4–0 throughout the second half, leaving Barcelona as favourites to progress.
----
----
----
Second leg
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
. Despite starting the match as outsiders, Liverpool looked to be well on the way towards their target as they took a 2–0 lead within half an hour and levelled the scores at 3–3 on aggregate. Fábio Aurélio
Fábio Aurélio
Fábio Aurélio Rodrigues is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Liverpool of the Premier League, having previously played for São Paulo and Valencia. He plays as either a left back or left winger and has represented Brazil at Under-17 and Under-20 levels and at the 2000 Sydney Olympics...
scored directly with a free kick from the left of the penalty area in the 19th minute to hand them the lead and this was doubled nine minutes later from the penalty spot: Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
stepped up to score following a foul on him by Branislav Ivanović
Branislav Ivanovic
Branislav Ivanović is a Serbian footballer who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League and the Serbia national team....
. But six minutes after half-time, Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
made the score 2–1 with a shot that went through the hands of José Manuel Reina, and six minutes later, Chelsea equalised to 2–2 when Alex
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, better known as Alex , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Chelsea FC and the Brazil national team. His nickname is "Vinny" amongst fans for his close similarities to actor Vin Diesel....
scored with a powerful free kick. Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
put Chelsea 3–2 up in the 76th minute and, at this stage, Liverpool needed to score three goals to advance. Goals from Lucas
Lucas Leiva
Lucas Pezzini-Leiva , often known as simply Lucas, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a Defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazilian national side...
and Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
in the 81st and 83rd minutes, respectively, put Liverpool 4–3 up on the night and only a goal away from advancing. However, Lampard scored again in the 89th minute to finish the tie off, and the match ended 4–4 and 7–5 to Chelsea overall.
In the other match to take place that evening, Barcelona and Bayern Munich played out a 1–1 draw at the Allianz Arena
Allianz Arena
The Allianz Arena is a football stadium in the north of Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The two professional Munich football clubs FC Bayern Munich and TSV 1860 München have played their home games at Allianz Arena since the start of the 2005–06 season...
. Bayern trailed the tie 4–0 following the first match at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
and they were able to play without fear in the first half. Luca Toni
Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He has had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma...
and Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry
Franck Ribéry is a French international footballer who currently plays for German club Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. He primarily plays as a winger, preferably on the left side, and is known for "pace, energy, skill and precise passing." Ribéry is described as a player who is "fast, tricky and...
created chances in the first half but Barcelona weathered the storm and created their only meaningful chance of the first half through Daniel Alves
Daniel Alves
Daniel Alves da Silva , commonly known as Dani Alves, is a Brazilian footballer. He plays as an attacking right defender for FC Barcelona and the Brazilian national team. Before joining Barcelona, Alves spent a successful six year spell with Sevilla FC, winning two UEFA Cups and the Copa del Rey...
. They managed to pull a goal back early in the second half, when Zé Roberto took the ball past defender Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
and set up Ribéry who was able to score past Víctor Valdés
Víctor Valdés
Víctor Valdés i Arribas is a Spanish football goalkeeper who currently plays for FC Barcelona in the Spanish La Liga.He is the most successful goalkeeper in Barcelona's history and is widely considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, having won a total of 17 titles including five...
. But Barcelona put the tie beyond the reach of Bayern with an equaliser from Seydou Keita
Seydou Keita (footballer)
Seydou Keita is a Malian footballer who plays for FC Barcelona in Spain and the Malian national team. He also holds a French passport.A versatile midfielder, he can operate as both a central or defensive midfielder.-Marseille:...
at the end of a 17-pass move. The match finished 1–1, giving Barcelona a 5–1 aggregate win to set up a fourth tie with Chelsea in five seasons two weeks later.
The third second-leg tie was finely poised at 1–1 between Arsenal and Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium
Emirates Stadium
Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...
, with Arsenal ahead courtesy of the away goals rule; Villarreal came into the match knowing they had to score. Both teams were without key players: Arsenal had to play without goalkeeper Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia
Manuel Almunia Rivero is a professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for Arsenal.-Early career:Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Almunia started his senior career with Osasuna's reserve team in 1997, playing two seasons with the team in Segunda División B...
, William Gallas
William Gallas
William Eric Gallas is a French footballer who plays for Tottenham Hotspur.Gallas began his career in France, before being signed by English club Chelsea in 2001. He transferred to rivals Arsenal as part of an exchange deal in 2006...
and Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy is a French footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester City and the France national football team. Though initially right-foot dominant, he primarily plays as a left back that is also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wingback. Clichy is described as a player who...
while captain Marcos Senna
Marcos Senna
Marcos Antônio Senna da Silva , known as Senna, is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a central midfielder.He is known for his passing range and long shooting and is also a penalty specialist.-Club career:...
and Santi Cazorla
Santi Cazorla
Santiago "Santi" Cazorla González is a Spanish footballer who plays for Málaga CF in La Liga.A versatile winger, he can play on either flank, being ambidextrous...
were missing for Villarreal. Theo Walcott
Theo Walcott
Theo James Walcott is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays for Arsenal and the England national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton F.C. Academy. He is a striker who is usually deployed on the right wing as a wide forward to exploit his speed...
delivered some dangerous crosses and Robin van Persie missed an early chance from Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri
Samir Nasri is a French international footballer who plays for English club Manchester City in the Premier League and the France national team. He primarily plays as an attacking midfielder and a winger, although he has also been deployed in central midfield. Nasri is known for his technical...
's cross, but Diego Godín
Diego Godín
Diego Roberto Godín Leal is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Atlético Madrid in La Liga, as a central defender.A fast and composed defender, he combines physical presence with an ability to play the ball comfortably from behind.-Club career:...
also tested Arsenal goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański with a volley. Arsenal, however, took the lead in the 10th minute as Walcott raced onto a Fàbregas through-ball and chipped the ball over Diego López
Diego López Rodríguez
Diego López Rodríguez |Lugo]], Galicia) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a goalkeeper.-Club career:A youth graduate from hometown's CD Lugo, López moved to Real Madrid at almost 19...
. Villarreal continued to create chances, including Robert Pirès
Robert Pirès
Robert Emmanuel Pirès is a former French international footballer. He is perhaps best known for his time with Arsenal, with whom he won three FA Cups and two FA Premier League titles including the club's famous unbeaten season of 2003–04...
nearly marking his return to his former club with a goal. Emmanuel Adebayor followed up a Van Persie free kick with a header on goal, but Gonzalo Rodríguez
Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez
Gonzalo Javier Rodríguez, sometimes just Gonzalo , is an Argentine footballer who plays for Villarreal CF in La Liga, as a central defender.-Club career:...
cleared the ball off the line. After half-time, Van Persie had a shot from distance charged down, but Arsenal did score a second goal in the 60th minute as Van Persie opted to slide a pass through to Adebayor, and his strike partner applied the finish. The tie was over in the 69th minute when Godín was adjudged to have fouled Walcott; Sebastián Eguren
Sebastián Eguren
Sebastián Eguren Ledesma is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for Sporting de Gijón in La Liga, mainly as a defensive midfielder.-Club career:...
collected a second yellow card for his protests before Van Persie scored from the penalty spot. The match finished 3–0 to Arsenal, with Arsenal winning 4–1 on aggregate.
The final quarter-final second leg tie was between Porto and Manchester United, played simultaneously with Arsenal's match. Porto had the advantage of two away goals, after drawing 2–2 at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. Manchester United looked to recall Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
from a back injury to partner Nemanja Vidić
Nemanja Vidic
Nemanja Vidić is a Serbian footballer who captains English Premier League club Manchester United. He was part of the Serbia national football team from 2002 to 2011....
in central defence. Despite a mixed season, Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
had still scored 20 goals in all competitions and won numerous awards and he added his 21st goal with a 35-metre strike after only six minutes. Porto created very few chances, their only meaningful shot being a free kick that went wide of Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar
Edwin van der Sar OON is a former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for AFC Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United. He is the most capped player in the Netherlands national football team's history...
's goal in the first half and later a chance for Lisandro López
Lisandro López
Lisandro López , sometimes known as Lisandro, is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympique Lyonnais in France.Primarily a striker, he is also capable of playing on the wings....
. United played the game at a controlled pace, however they were unable to score a second goal to settle the nerves – the threat remained that if Porto scored late United would be knocked out. Ronaldo had a shot saved by the Porto goalkeeper Helton
Helton da Silva Arruda
Helton da Silva Arruda , simply Helton, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for F.C. Porto in the Portuguese first division, as a goalkeeper.-Vasco:...
and Vidić missed from a couple of yards. They held on to become the first English team to win at Porto and keep their ambition of winning five trophies in the same season alive. It was United's first clean sheet in six matches and set up a semi-final with fellow English team Arsenal.
Chelsea won 7–5 on aggregate.
----
Barcelona won 5–1 on aggregate.
----
Arsenal won 4–1 on aggregate.
----
Manchester United won 3–2 on aggregate.
Semi-finals
The draw for the semi-finals took place immediately after the draw for the quarter-finals. The first legs were played on 28/29 April and the second legs on 5/6 May.|}
First leg
----Second leg
Although Chelsea had achieved a goalless draw at the Camp NouCamp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
, Barcelona went into the game as favourites. The game started well for Chelsea and after nine minutes Michael Essien
Michael Essien
Michael Kojo Essien is a Ghanaian footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Ghanaian national team. He is a midfielder who has often been touted as a box-to-box midfielder for his ability to exert boundless energy in supporting offensive and defensive play...
scored a 20-yard left-footed volley after Barcelona failed to clear a pass into the box from Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
. The first half came to a close with Chelsea leading 1-0. Despite Barcelona dominating possession, Chelsea continued to be the most dangerous side, especially following the sending off of Éric Abidal
Éric Abidal
Éric Sylvain Abidal is a French footballer who plays as a left or central defender for FC Barcelona and the France national team.-Club career:...
, with Chelsea also calling for up to four penalties, none of them being awarded by Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
referee Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø is a Norwegian football referee. Born in Oslo, Øvrebø is a former UEFA Elite referee, who has refereed matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League...
. A 93rd-minute equaliser from a shot by Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
– which happened to be Barcelona's only shot on target – then allowed Barcelona to ensure a last-minute qualification to the final.
Almost as soon as referee Øvrebø blew the final whistle, several Chelsea players surrounded him with complaints regarding his decisions. Some players, like Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard
Frank James Lampard is an English professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea and the England national team. He also holds the position of vice-captain for his club side...
and Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta
Andrés Iniesta Luján is a Spanish football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona, and the Spanish national team....
respectfully swapped shirts, while others such as Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack
Michael Ballack is a German professional footballer, who is currently playing for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of his international team. Ballack has worn the number 13 shirt for every team he has played for except for Kaiserslautern...
and Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tébily is an Ivorian footballer who plays in the centre forward position. He currently plays for Chelsea in the Premier League, where he is deputy vice-captain, and is the captain and all-time top scorer of the Côte d'Ivoire national football team...
continued to shout at the referee and contest him, with Drogba notably shouting "It's a fucking disgrace" into a live television camera. Kevin McCarra
Kevin McCarra
Kevin McCarra is a Scottish sportswriter and chief football correspondent for The Guardian newspaper. He often appears on the Guardian Podcast Football Weekly hosted by James Richardson. He previously worked at Scotland on Sunday, The Sunday Times and The Times...
writing for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
described Øvrebø as "relatively inexperienced" and declared he "did not inspire any confidence whatsoever".
Manchester United won 4–1 on aggregate.
----
Barcelona 1–1 Chelsea on aggregate. Barcelona won on away goals.