-It's Matchday 9, and it's been awhile...Arsenal's last Champions League match was on December 10, a 0-0 home draw against Valencia. -Despite the draw at home, Arsenal are in very good position after opening up this phase of the Champions League with a 3-1 road win at Roma. -To get you up to speed, here's how the Group B table looks: Team Played Points Arsenal 2 4 Ajax 2 4 Valencia 2 2 Roma 2 0 -Today's other games, all with 2:45 p.m. ET kickoffs: Roma v. Valencia Barcelona v. Internazionale Leverkusen v. Newcastle
Results from other games WILL be given In keeping with the long-standing way of doing things on this forum, especially during CL games. The Roma/Valencia result is of great interest to Arsenal fans, while others might want to know how Newcastle are doing (or any other team, for that matter).
Thanks again for the PBP, dwinkler. These mid-week match PBPs just make my workday FLY by. Can't wait!!
Today's ref No problem, my pleasure. Still waiting for starting lineups. The other three games have already had theirs up for at least 15 minutes. Not sure what the holdup is. In the meantime, you'll have to tide yourself over with the knowledge that Lucilio Cardoso Cortez Batista (Portugal) is today's ref. Or maybe that's the ref, his assistants, and the fourth official. Although I doubt it.
Today we are at the Home of Football, no? From a club level standpoint this is my ultimate dream matchup. My two favorite teams in a Champs League showdown. I hope Arsenal wins, and the other is a draw so Ajax can get through. Quick prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Ajax. I think Henry is going to go crazy today. Ajax is nice, but we're just too much for them. Like against PSV in that first game.
Lineups From uefa.com Arsenal 1 Seaman 3 Ashley Cole 4 Vieira 7 Pires 10 Bergkamp 11 Wiltord 12 Lauren 14 Henry 18 Cygan 19 Gilberto 23 Campbell Bench 13 Taylor 9 Jeffers 15 Parlour 16 van Bronckhorst 17 Edu 25 Kanu 26 Igors N Stepanov Ajax 1 Lobont 2 Trabelsi 4 Galásek 5 Chivu 7 van der Meyde 9 Ibrahimovic 10 Pienaar 13 Maxwell 16 Pasanen 24 Van Damme 26 De Jong Bench 21 Didulica 3 Bergdølmo 8 Witschge 15 Sneijder 22 Yakubu 28 Boukhari 30 Seedorf
Re: Lineups -For what it's worth, Zlatan scored a hat trick against me last night in FIFA 2003. -I had McNuggets and a Hot 'n' Spicy Chicken samich for lunch today. I miss Ian and his lucky Chicken Parm.
Kickoff Thanks to uefa.com we're joined in progress. 2 - Vieira heads wide. 3 - Cygan gives Seaman an early touch as Asrenal build from the back. Ajax are multi-cultural, to say the least: -2 Dutchmen -2 Romanians -1 each: Swede, Brazilian, Czech, South African, Belgian, Tunisian, Finn Arsenal, which fielded 6 Englishmen in the win over ManUre (more than them, by the way), have: -5 Frenchmen -3 Englishmen -1 each: Cameroonian, Brazilian, Dutchman.
5th minute Goal Arsenal. After early pressure the Gunners get the early goal and take a 1-0 lead. Sylvain Wiltord slots home from a Bergkamp pass.
9th minute Ajax try to fight back, from from Zlatan then after Pienaar wins a free kick, but nothing doing yet. And Coach, Wiltord never was dead - just hibernating for 3 months.
Now the question is, do we lay back and nurse a one goal lead, or do we press and put a beat down on them?
13th-14th minutes 13 - Henry takes on Jelle Van Damme (Jelle Van Damme?!) on the edge of the box but puts his shot over the bar. Thierry's been very active the past 5 minutes. 14 - Now Wiltord and Lauren down the right, but the captain Chivu steps in to break up the attack.