A scrappy game in Bucharest but Arsenal won 1-0
It was hard work watching Adebayor and van Persie struggling through the first 76 minutes. Then they combined and van Persie scored the only goal of the game.
A flat night, a dull encounter, a stadium that looked only a third full, and feeble opposition who defended deep and in numbers.
Steaua Bucharest v Arsenal was one of the most dismal Champions League games I’ve ever seen.The two changes seemed to wreck Arsenal’s passing rhythm. Eboue came in on the right wing, with Hleb switching to the left. And that meant that the Sagna-Hleb partnership was broken up, so we hardly saw Sagna.
Eboue contributed nothing creative but when Gilberto replaced him after 74 minutes, Arsenal scored immediately.
Adsebayor cut the ball back behind Fabregas and Robin van Persie slammed the ball home from near the penalty spot.
If Steaua Bucharest were in the Premiership they’d be relegated by Xmas.
Sunderland will give Arsenal a better game on Sunday.
Most readers will be familiar with my reservations about Adebayor and van Persie, so I won’t bore you by repeating them tonight.
I backed Arsenal to win 2-0 and but in the first half the game was crying out for the wit of Rosicky to open up the Romanians.
After 50 minutes I still thought Arsenal would score two goals after 80 minutes. Instead, they scored one in 76. So it goes. Two games, six points, another clean sheet, still unbeaten. At least I won half my bet on the Asian Line Handicap and got a refund on the other half.
AW said yesterday : We’ve done nothing yet.
How right he is.
Sevilla thrashed Slavia Prague 4-2 No surprise there.
Lyon lost 3-0 at home to Rangers but they hit the frame of the goal three times.Epic result for the ‘Gers, who play Barcelona at Ibrox in their next game. Puyol and Messi scored in their 2-0 win in Stuttgart.
Ronaldinho played ! Remember him? Ponytailed Brazilian with lots of tricks?
A Rooney goal beat Roma at Old Trafford after he ran onto Nani’s flicked pass and hit a right-foot shot in off the far post. The Man United game, with a full house, had more quality than the Arsenal game.
Last season three of the semi-finalists were English clubs but Milan won it.
This season? Who knows?
Few will back Chelsea to win in Valencia tonight, that’s for sure.
Some ANR readers don’t rate Fernando Torres, I gather.
Well, it’s only opinion. It makes the world go round.
I think I’ll watch Liverpool v Marseilles. It could be a good game.