Chelsea against Barça UEFA Champion League Semi Final

Chelsea FC will defend a 1-0 lead at the Camp Nou next week after Didier Drogba continued his scoring run against FC Barcelona with the decisive goal in a tense semi-final first leg.

The London side's run of success against the UEFA Champions League holders – they have now not lost in the last six fixtures – encouraged their belief that they can reach the final for only the second time. Barça were left to reflect on a number of missed opportunities, Alexis Sánchez and substitute Pedro Rodríguez striking the woodwork.

Barcelona kicked off and immediately signposted what kind of night it could be for Chelsea by keeping hold of the ball for 76 seconds. Even then the first touch by a blue shirt was halted by an infringement.

A long clearance by Petr Čech raised the home team's hopes, Drogba catching Carles Puyol off guard but overrunning the ball. Barça's first real threat arrived in the ninth minute, Sánchez timing his run perfectly to collect a through pass from Andrés Iniesta. The forward lifted the ball over the goalkeeper but was denied by the crossbar.

Chelsea replied with a Gary Cahill long throw that caused confusion but the ball would not drop for John Terry. The visitors preferred the more scenic route to goal, Lionel Messi's run winning him valuable space. Iniesta's shot was parried by Čech but Cesc Fàbregas sliced his follow-up and Chelsea breathed again.

Messi was appearing in fits and starts but every intervention set off alarms in the home defence. From Sánchez's cross he stretched Čech with a header. Close to half-time his prodded pass released Fàbregas but although a dinked effort beat the goalkeeper, Ashley Cole was there to clear.

Chelsea would have been happy to reach the break on level terms but it got better than that. Frank Lampard switched play magnificently to send Ramires haring away down the left. He spied Drogba free inside the area and the pass was dispatched first time past Víctor Valdés for the Ivorian's third goal in five games against these opponents.

The goal clearly stung the reigning champions and they began the second half by extending Čech once more, the goalkeeper diving to his left to keep Adriano off the scoresheet.

Messi was now more involved and twice Cahill made timely interceptions. Chelsea had another let-off in the 57th minute when Messi scooped a delicate pass to Sánchez behind the defence, but the ball got stuck under the Chilean's feet and the shot went wide.

Chelsea were unable to relieve the pressure for long. The visitors won several free-kicks in dangerous positions outside the penalty area but none came to anything as the wall held firm.

With three minutes left Čech came to the rescue again. Messi's free-kick was floated this time and nodded on by Puyol but the goalkeeper was equal to it. The Chelsea No1 was beaten by Pedro's low shot deep into added time but the left-hand post came to his rescue and, when Sergio Busquets sent the rebound high over the bar, Chelsea's slender advantage was secure.

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Bayern edge over Madrid UEFA Champions League Second Semi Final

A close-range strike from Mario Gomez in the 90th minute gave FC Bayern München the narrowest of advantages in their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid CF.

Franck Ribéry had given the German side a first-half lead but the visitors improved either side of the break and equalised early in the second period through Mesut Özil. However, Gomez's 12th goal in this season's competition in the final minute ensured it is Bayern who will go into next Wednesday's second leg at the Santiago Bernabéu confident of returning to their home ground for the final on 19 May.

Even before kick-off the home fans had made it abundantly clear how much the game meant and their vociferous support helped Bayern to settle early on with some encouraging spells of possession. Madrid's experience in high-profile situations meant they were not about to be intimidated, however, and it was the visitors who created the first chance when Özil fed Karim Benzema, whose fierce strike from the right was palmed over by Manuel Neuer.

An ominous silence gripped the Munich crowd as the Liga leaders grew in confidence, but their fear turned to elation on 17 minutes as Ribéry slammed in the opener with a low shot after Madrid had failed to deal with Toni Kroos' left-wing corner. The goal visibly calmed Jupp Heynckes' side and though Cristiano Ronaldo went close with a trademark free-kick shortly afterwards, it was the Bavarian club in the ascendancy heading towards the interval.

Bastian Schweinsteiger fired narrowly wide from range and Gomez had a powerful first-time effort with his left foot tipped over by Iker Casillas. As Benzema warned when he tested Neuer after cutting in from the right between times, Madrid's threat was far from extinguished.

Any lapses were likely to be punished and following a bright start to the second period, Madrid capitalised on a misjudged clearance by David Alaba to outnumber the Bayern defence. Neuer did well to deny Ronaldo in the first instance, but Madrid retrieved the loose ball and, though Benzema scuffed his shot across the face of goal, it fell kindly for Ronaldo to turn back inside and Özil duly levelled from close range.

Initially Bayern looked ruffled but soon regained their composure and set about restoring their lead. Having been kept quiet for most of proceedings, top scorer Gomez began to impose himself on the game. The striker blazed a glorious opportunity over the bar after another Kroos set piece had caused problems in the visiting defence, before heading a Philipp Lahm cross narrowly too high.

The combination threatened once more in the latter stages as Lahm again set up for Gomez to head into Casillas' arms with five minutes remaining. The Madrid goalkeeper was eventually beaten again in the final moments as Gomez slid in to convert yet another Lahm delivery and edge the Bundesliga giants a step closer to that dream home final.

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Bayern II vs Chelsea reserves in the Champions League final

Every year, millions of viewers from around the world tune in to watch Europe’s top two teams play in the Champions League final. They will be disappointed to find that this season, the contenders will not be the continent’s best.

This is not a dig at Bayern Munich or Chelsea, both of whom deserved to advance to play on Europe's greatest stage. However, the teams that feature at the Allianz Arena on May 19 will be markedly different from those that participated in the semi-finals.

In total, seven players (four from Chelsea, three from Bayern) will miss out on the final. All but one, John Terry, picked up a one-match ban for accumulated bookings: an alarming statistic that serves as evidence that Uefa must reconsider their rules over suspensions for yellow-card infractions.

As it stands, players will be banned if they collect three, five, seven (and subsequent odd numbered) single yellow cards in separate matches during and after the group stage. Only after qualification and play-off rounds are bookings wiped out.

Between the group stage and the final, there are 12 matches to be negotiated, with the competition growing increasingly difficult over the last six games. Bookings are bound to happen, especially in such high-stake ties. Based on the current rules, it is far, far too easy for a player to be suspended for what might be the most important game of his career.

OUT OF THE FINAL SUSPENDED DUE TO YELLOW CARDS
BAYERN MUNICH
Alaba	Badstuber	Gustavo
CHELSEA
Ivanovic	Meireles	Ramires

Some might say that rules are rules, and that the best way to avoid suspension is to avoid making rash challenges and play fairly. The trouble is, there is too much room for error in deciding whether or not to book a player.

To begin with, not every team have an equally difficult path to the final. There is almost always a Group of Death in any round-robin competition, while other top sides might have a far simpler group to manoeuvre. Similarly, in the knockout phase, some group winners are more fortunate than others. It goes without saying that a team involved in contentious, highly-charged matches will be more likely to earn yellow cards, and therefore, more likely to accrue multiple suspensions.

Consider the recent tie between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, a clash of the titans that was bound to see plenty of yellow waved at both teams. Previously, the Germans had faced Manchester City, Napoli and Villarreal in Group A, and later a Basel side that had previously eliminated Manchester United. Heading into the semi-final, several Bayern players were walking a tightrope to avoid suspension.

By contrast, Real Madrid encountered a far more negotiable trio of Lyon, Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb in the group stage. CSKA Moscow and APOEL followed before the Bayern tie: neither of the former were world-beaters and, with all things considered, the Spanish giants were fortunate to have avoided the perennial heavyweights - and the inevitable bookings that come against such opposition - before the semi-finals. Jose Mourinho's men were, for the most part, safe from suspension, and would have had a full-strength team had they made the final.

The draw is not the only opportunity for a lottery to affect player bans. Equally important is referee selection. Ideally, players would be held to the same standards in every match in international competition. However, referees bring culture from their respective domestic leagues, and often cannot and do not change their interpretation in the Champions League.

Regardless of the competition at stake, a player will, by habit, act according to the refereeing standard he is accustomed to in domestic play. Whether an infraction is interpreted as legal or foul, and worthy of a yellow card, a red, or neither, depends on the standards of the referee chosen to officiate the game at hand. And that is beyond the control of any player.

The regulations of the competition are established at the beginning of the competition and remain in place for the duration of the season - Uefa spokesman to Press Association

Finally, there is room for error in a referee's perception of events as they occur. In the age of slow-motion replays and multiple camera angles, it is easy to scrutinise a match official for making the wrong call. They are only human, and they cannot be expected to get things right every time. But when a mistake can lead to one missing out on the biggest game of his career, surely there must be greater allowances for players.

In the World Cup, yellow cards are erased after the quarter-final stage, meaning that a player can only be suspended for the final if he is sent off during the last four. The rule has been embraced by many, as it helps preserve the spirit of the game without being too lenient on players. Uefa would be wise to follow suit, or revert to their old regulation where more leniency is afforded.

	ON THE SPOT
3/1	The Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea is 3/1 with PaddyPower to see a penalty scored within the 90 minutes

Sadly for Bayern, Chelsea, and their fans, there will be no rule changes to affect next month's final. The two finalists will each be forced to field weakened sides after a Uefa spokesman confirmed on Thursday that any alterations would have to take place before the tournament resumes, not while it is running.

Fans want it, players want it, and there is a perfect precedent from Fifa to pave the way for more reasonable rules for disciplinary action in the Champions League. The 2012 final may be entertaining, but it sadly will not be what it could have been. Uefa must act

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Nepal Police Club Vs Mega Three Star Club: British Gurkha Cup 2012 Final Preview

Nepal Police Club - who hasn't won a single knock out tournament this season - is looking hungry for the knock out title whereas defending Champions, Mega Three Star Club is looking for the pride!


Both teams have geared themselves up for the final match of British Gurkha Cup football tournament to be played at Dasrath Stadium on Saturday. 

Red Bull A Division League and Red Bull A Division National League Champions, Nepal Police Club hasn't won a single knock out tournament this year but they are afoot to a major title. 

On the other hand, Stars are the 14th Budha Subba Gold Cup Champions and also they are afoot to win the British Gurkha Cup 3rd win a row


Team Analysis:

Nepal Police Club: Nepal Police Club is like a "wounded" team. Bharat Khawas hasn't decided yet to join the team while the main striker of the team, Jumanu Rai is badly injured. Rai has Tibial Cruciate Ligament injury and is expected to be away from football atleast for weeks. 

The team doesn't have enough players in the bench but the players look committed for the win which they showed on the way to the finals of the competition. 

Yogesh Shrestha and newbie Dilip Rai, Pankaj Shahi may take the responsibility of the attacking line for the Cops while the midfield line is likely to remain same. Bhola Silwal, Parbat Pandey, Ramesh Katuwal are the vital players in the midfield. Suman Subedi, Suraj BK and Dipendra Poudel don't look fancy but they are the stubborn defenders to beat for any strikers. 

Team Formation: 

Cops always like to play in 4-4-2 formation. 

Coach Views: 

Birat Krishna Shrestha: "We are ready for the final. The final match is unexpected for us but we can't loose this opportunity to win the title for the first time. We have limited players in the team. Some are injured but I have told them to be strong on the field. Mega Three Star Club are a good side. It will be difficult for us to win the title but we are optimistic for the title". 

Mega Three Star Club: 

Stars look fancy and are capabale of winning the trophy third in a row. Presence of experienced goalie, Kiran Chemzong under the bar is always morale boosting for the team. The defense line comprised of Biraj Maharjan, Ravi Thapa, Bishnu Sunuwar and Sandip Rai is rock solid and will be difficult to penetrate for Cops strikers. 

The skipper Vishan Gauchan is playing good game and is an important player in the midfield. Yogesh Gurung, Anil Ojha, Bikram Lama are the promising players who can turn the result anytime. Sadly, Stars will miss Bijaya Dhimal in the final match. 

Santosh Sahukhala is looking in form and will partner with Buddha Chemzong in the front line. 
Coach Views:Mega Three Star Club Coach, Meg Raj KC is looking confident ahead of the final match. KC has already said that there will be 11 vs 11 players on the field and both teams have eual chance  to win the title. 

"We are excited to play third final in a row. And we are excited to lift the trophy. But we need to work hard to achieve the feat. Nepal Police Club is a strong side", Coach KC said, "We are not taking them lightly just because Bharat or Jumanu are not there. We are cautious about their strength. It is going to be an exciting final match". 

Prize: The winners will get Rs 1m and the runners up team will get Rs 5 Lakhs. 

Ticket Price: Rs 200 & Rs 500

The ticket counters will be open from 3 PM. 

What: Nepal Police Club Vs Mega Three Star Club
Where: Dasrath Stadium
Time: 5:30 PM

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