Champions League, Liverpool 1-0 Psv Eindhoven (agg 4-0)

Liverpool beat PSV again!

Liverpool FC booked a UEFA Champions League semi-final date with English rivals Chelsea FC for the second time in three years as Peter Crouch's solitary strike wrapped up a comfortable 4-0 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-final at Anfield.

PSV finishe the game with 10 men after the unfortunate dismissal of teenager Dirk Marcellis on his debut, a decision that even drew sympathy from the Kop. Peter Crouch scored the winner midway through the second-half, but this was little more than a functional performance that failed to match the creditable efforts of United and Chelsea 24 hours earlier.

Benitez opted to rest both Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher with a 3-0 lead already in the bag from the first match in Holland last week. Along with Javier Mascherano, they were both on the substitutes' bench. Sami Hyypia, Bolo Zenden and Alvaro Arbeloa were in the starting line-up as Liverpool attempted to secure what was by now an expected semi-final spot.

Liverpool felt they could coast through the occasion, despite the fact the Kop had come to party and kept up a constant barrage of noise. Alarm bells were ringing in the third minute when Farfan sent in a powerful header from Phillip Cocu's right-wing cross, and it took a fine reflex save from Jose Reina to keep it out.

Then Liverpool lost Craig Bellamy. He attempted to block a cross from Csaba Feher, and only connected with his boot. The Welshman collapsed behind the goal-line and was eventually carried off on a stretcher, with a damaged right leg, Robbie Fowler coming on as substitute.

The arrival of Fowler certainly sparked the crowd even more. Liverpool fans are priming themselves for a final goodbye to their hero, 32 earlier this week. Fowler came close with a flicked header, and his movement in the box certainly gave PSV something to think about.

There was little to entertain them on the pitch, and there was only one chance to cheer in the first half when Carlos Salcido was booked in the 41st minute for a foul on Fowler. Zenden curled the 20-yard free-kick just wide of the post.

Liverpool's urgency hardly improved after the break, and it was PSV coming forward with Reina making another fine save from a Farfan drive. Patrick Kluivert and China international Sun Xiang were introduced by the Dutch before PSV were totally deflated by a crazy sending off.

Italian referee Roberto Rosetti clearly decided to liven up the proceedings with a ridiculous red card for 18 year-old Marcellis on his debut. A tackle on Zenden caused the incident, hardly a serious foul and Liverpool's fans booed the decision. PSV were stunned, but resistance was futile and the home fans applauded the youngster from the pitch.

Three minutes later, Liverpool were ahead and the tie was really over. John Arne Riise crossed from the left, Gomes pushed the ball away and Fowler turned it back for Crouch to score from two yards, his 18th of the season. The game over now, Mark Gonzalez replaced Xabi Alonso in the 71st minute and Gabriel Paletta took over from Daniel Agger soon after.

Another Riise cross spooned up for Crouch to head over the bar from eight yards!

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Agger (Paletta 78), Riise, Pennant, Sissoko, Alonso (Gonzalez 72), Zenden, Crouch, Bellamy (Fowler 17).
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Gerrard, Mascherano, Carragher.

Goals: Crouch 68.

PSV: Gomes, Marcellis, Simons, Addo, Salcido, Feher (Sun 62), Cocu, Vayrynen, Culina, Farfan (Kluivert 62), Kone (Van Eijden 71).
Subs Not Used: Moens, Da Costa, Tardelli, Ter Horst.

Sent Off: Marcellis (64).

Booked: Salcido.

Champions League, Liverpool 1-0 PSV highlights:

Champions league, PSV 0-3 Liverpool

Ruthless Liverpool hammers PSV

Liverpool powered to a resounding win over PSV Eindhoven to all but book their place in the semi finals of the Champions League.

Captain Steven Gerrard, John Arne Riise and Peter Crouch bagged the goals to silence the Phillips Stadium. It was no less than Liverpool deserved against a surprisingly negative PSV, whose season is beginning to unravel before them.

Rafa Benitez opted to stick with the central midfield of Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso, with Gerrard out on the right. Dirk Kuyt partnered Crouch up-front. Diego Tardelli was paired with Jefferson Farfan in attack for PSV but the two operated as wide players all too often in the first-half, meaning the Dutch lacked a focal point in attack.

PSV set their stall out in defensive fashion and would have gone behind after 15 minutes but for a fine save by Heurelho Gomes after Jamie Carragher’s header. The home side became a little more adventurous and Mika Vayrynen came close when he saw his effort deflected over the bar after a cross from former Liverpool full-back Jan Kromkamp.

The Reds took the lead after 26 minutes when the unmarked Gerrard headed a right-wing Steve Finnan cross low into Gomes’ bottom left corner. This was Gerrard’s 15^th goal in the European Cup and he is now Liverpool’s all-time record scorer in the competition.

Liverpool comfortably kept their out-of-form rivals at arm's length and were nearly gifted a second straight after the break. After two lucky escapes, PSV shot themselves in the foot on 49 minutes when a wayward clearance from Belgian centre-back Timmy Simons fell to Riise 25 yards out.
Risse needed no second invitation to dispatch a dipping volley into the top corner of the net.

Liverpool extended their lead and virtually finished the tie as a contest on 62 minutes when Crouch rose to head home another Finnan cross. In an act of frustration PSV substitute Patrick Kluivert was quickly booked for a cynical lunge on Mascherano, who cut an impressive figure in the Liverpool midfield.

On an otherwise perfect day for Benitez, Fabio Aurelio was stretchered off after suffering a suspected ruptured achilles.

Kuyt picked up his third booking of the competition late on for not retreating on a free-kick. He will now serve a suspension in the second-leg.

This as a dreadful performance from Ronald Koeman's side who barely created a chance in the game.

PSV: Gomes, Kromkamp (Feher 68), Da Costa, Simons, Salcido, Mendez (Kluivert 51), Vayrynen, Cocu, Culina, Farfan (Sun 46), Tardelli.
Subs Not Used: Moens, Addo, Marcellis.

Booked: Kluivert, Feher.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Riise (Zenden 65), Gerrard, Mascherano, Alonso, Aurelio (Gonzalez 75), Crouch (Pennant 85), Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Bellamy.

Booked: Mascherano, Kuyt.

Goals: Gerrard 27, Riise 49, Crouch 63.

Champions league, PSV 0-3 Liverpool highlights and goals:

Champions League, PSV Vs Liverpool preview

For match report and highlights, please click here

Liverpool travel to Eindhoven for their Champions League quarter final clash with PSV hoping to take advantage of the Dutch side's injury problems.

Coach Ronald Koeman will have to do without two of his best players when the former European champions visit the Phillips Stadion on Tuesday, and the absence of both Arouna Kone and Alex means PSV are facing a tough test against a side who are on a high after a great result at the weekend.

Liverpool registered a crushing 4-1 win over Arsenal on Saturday, and will be further boosted by the return into contention for the match in the Netherlands of Sami Hyypia, Steve Finnan and Craig Bellamy, who were all rested at the weekend.

Peter Crouch is likely to get the nod to start with Dirk Kuyt up front for Liverpool after netting a hat-trick to down Arsenal as the rangy striker proved his fitness after a spell on the sidelines.

"Crouch hadn't played for 20 days because of his nose operation and he was desperate to play and score goals," Benitez said. "All of his goals were fantastic. Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano controlled the midfield and it has set us up nicely for the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven."

For PSV, Ivorian striker Kone has not played since the beginning of last month, when he sustained a knee injury during the 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates in the last round of the competition, while defender Alex, whose header knocked the Gunners out, will also miss out on the visit of the Reds through injury.

To make matters worse for Koeman, youngster Ibrahim Afellay is doubtful after having picked up a hamstring knock in Saturday's draw at NAC Breda. That result saw PSV's lead at the top of the Eredivisie cut to just two points

"We don't have the fittest squad at this moment," said Koeman, "but we will not give up despite two matches against Liverpool in a week. Afellay is a major doubt. We have problems battling for silverware on two fronts."

The meeting will be the third time the two sides have clashed this season after they were both drawn in the same pool at the group stage. It was Liverpool who came out on top from those two encounters, winning the home match before holding out for a point in a goalless draw in Eindhoven.

For match report and highlights, please click here.

UEFA Chmapions League draw result

Quarter Finals will be played on 03/04 and 10/11 of April:

AC Milan Vs. Bayern Munich

PSV Vs. Liverpool

Roma Vs. Manchester United

Cheslea Vs. Valenica

Champions League, Arsenal 1-1 PSV

Alex sends Gunners out

PSV Eindhoven defender Alex went from villain to hero as his late strike earned a 2-1 aggregate victory over Arsenal in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday. Just 25 minutes earlier Alex had scored an own goal which turned the momentum of a tense tie Arsenal's way, but as the clock ticked down Alex crowned an otherwise superb performance with his late intervention at the other end to send PSV's large travelling support wild.

Kolo Toure, deployed at right-back rather than in his usual role at the heart of Arsenal's defence, surged down the wing in the eighth minute. Toure muscled his way past fellow Ivorian Arouna Kone and into the penalty area, but could only shoot harmlessly into the side-netting when a cutback would have opened up PSV's defence.

PSV - whose coach Ronald Koeman masterminded the ousting of Manchester United and Liverpool in last season's tournament when in charge of Benfica - set out to frustrate Arsenal in the first leg and, as Wenger had predicted, they started in similar fashion here. Those cautious tactics allowed the Gunners to dominate possession and they spent most of the first half camped around PSV's penalty area. Emmanuel Adebayor squandered an opening when he failed to control a Cesc Fabregas cross just six yards out and Gomes smothered the danger.

Toure was tormenting Sun Xiang, the first Chinese player to start a Champions League match, and he tested Gomes with a fierce drive from just inside the area, before Adebayor headed wide from Gael Clichy's cross.

With five minutes left of the first half, the visitors felt they had a claim for a penalty. Gilberto struggled to clear a backpass and only managed to fall over before Farfan then followed him on to the turf in a tangle of legs. Luxembourg referee Alain Hamer, though, was having none of it and waved play on.

His half-time team-talk looked to have had the desired affect as it was a bright start by the hosts. Baptista and Sun Xiang tussled on the edge of the penalty area, and the Brazilian took a tumble - but again the referee was unmoved.

Arsenal pulled themselves back into the tie on 58 minutes following a period of sustained pressure. A corner from the left was flicked on at the near post by Adebayor into the six-yard box where Alex, facing his own goal, diverted the ball into the net.
Arsenal almost snatched the overall lead in the tie when Fabregas' long ball up field was completely missed by Carlos Salcido and Adebayor raced clear - but Gomes was out quickly to make a smart save.

Fabregas then fired over from 12 yards, before at the other end Mendez shot wide following good work down the PSV right. With 25 minutes left, Wenger turned to Henry, who replaced Baptista. It needed a flying save from Gomes to keep out a curled free-kick from the Arsenal captain as the home side continued to press for a winner in normal time.

Disaster struck, however, with seven minutes to go. A needless free-kick conceded out on the left touchline by Alexander Hleb was whipped into the area by Mendez. Alex got up above everyone to bullet a header into the far corner to send PSV into the quarter-finals and Arsenal crashing out.

Arsenal: Lehmann, Toure, Silva, Gallas, Clichy (Walcott 85), Ljungberg (Diaby 75), Fabregas, Denilson, Hleb, Julio Baptista (Henry 66), Adebayor.
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Djourou, Aliadiere, Traore.

Booked: Fabregas.

Goals: Alex 58 og.

PSV: Gomes, Salcido, Alex, Feher, Sun, Culina, Mendez (Vayrynen 90), Simons, Farfan (Addo 89), Cocu, Kone (Afellay 41).
Subs Not Used: Moens, Tardelli, Marcellis.

Booked: Feher.

Goals: Alex 83.

Champions League, Arsenal 1-1 PSV extedned highlights and goals:

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Champions league, second day results

Milan 1-0 Celtic

Arsenal 1-1 PSV

Manchester United 1-0 Lille

Bayern Munich 2-1 Real Madrid

Full reports and videos will be added tonight!

Uefa Champions league, first knockout round, second leg

Uefa Champions league, first knockout round, second leg schedule.

Matchday 8 - Tuesday, 06 March:

Lyon 20:45 Roma
Liverpool 20:45 Barcelona
Chelsea 20:45 Porto
Valencia 20:45 Inter Milan

Matchday 8 - Wednesday, 07 March:

Milan 20:45 Celtic
Arsenal 20:45 PSV
Manchester United 20:45 Lille
Bayern Munich 20:45 Real Madrid

For the Cmapions league Full coverage please click here
First day matches reports and videos are now available click here now!

UEFA Champions League, for First knockout round Full reports and Videos Please click the link below.

Full reports and videos
Second leg schedule

UEFA Champions league, PSV 1-0 Arsenal

Harsh lesson for Arsenal

Edison Mendez punished wasteful Arsenal with a stunning strike to clinch a 1-0 win for PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie. Arsene Wenger's side enjoyed total control at the Phillips Stadium for an hour, but Ecuador midfielder Mendez's moment of magic gave PSV the edge going into the return at the Emirates Stadium on March 7.

"From tonight we're in a tricky situation because we'll have to score two goals without conceding," Wenger admitted, "but I feel from the game we have seen tonight we have enough confidence and belief that we can achieve that."

PSV were depleted by the loss of their top scorer, Jefferson Farfán, because of a swollen left foot but his presence would have provided little assistance to a PSV side who spent almost the entire first half defending. Wenger had criticised the PSV manager, Ronald Koeman, for employing "negative" tactics when Arsenal twice drew with his Ajax side in the 2002-03 competition and the Frenchman was frustrated again last night.
"I felt that they started the game to play a nil-nil. It was important to score the first goal and afterwards they defended even more," he said. Koeman rejected Wenger's claim and said: "It was a deserved result and we are in a fantastic position."

Match Analysis:
Tomas Rosicky almost gave Arsenal the perfect start when he squeezed in a shot from a tight angle that Gomes got a hand on before Carlos Salcido scrambled the ball off the line as Henry prepared to pounce. Jens Lehmann was only called into action once in the first 25 minutes and even then he easily dealt with a speculative drive from Mendez.

Henry should have broken the deadlock in the 43rd minute when Rosicky and Aleksandr Hleb combined to set him up, but Henry's shot from 12 yards was too close to Gomes. Henry's frustration at that miss was evident as he fought to win possession moments later and sent a curling shot just past the far post.

PSV striker Arouna Kone had been well policed by his Ivory Coast compatriot Kolo Toure for long spells, but he escaped early in the second half to meet Salcido's cross with a volley that went narrowly wide of the far post. That near-miss sparked PSV into life and they took the lead in the 61st minute thanks to a moment of pure class. Kone's lay-off gave Mendez the chance to drive in a raking 30 yard strike that skimmed off the turf past Lehmann, who will feel he should have done better after getting a hand to the ball.

Arsenal had been punished for failing to turn their dominance into goals, but they responded well and Cesc Fabregas' fierce effort forced Gomes into a superb tip-over. But Wenger's side were left to rue those early misses as PSV held on for their first win over Arsenal in five attempt.

Arsenal's lost chance and PSV's goal:

UEFA Champions League, First knockout round schedule.

First knockout round matches that will be played on 20/2/2007 - Match kick-offs are listed in CET:

Celtic VS. A.C Milan, 20:45
PSV VS. Arsenal, 20:45
Lille VS. Manchester united, 20:45
Real Madrid VS. Bayern Munich, 20:45

First knockout round matches that will be played on 21/2/2007 - Match kick-offs are listed in CET:

Roma VS. Lyon, 20:45
Barcelona VS. Liverpool, 20:45
Porto Vs. Chelsea, 20:45
Inter Milan VS. Valencia, 20:45

Full reports and matches' highlights:

PSV VS. Arsenal
Lille VS. Manchester united
Real Madrid VS. Bayern Munich
Inter Milan VS. Valencia
Porto Vs. Chelsea
Barcelona VS. Liverpool

Second leg Schedule