By Myles Palmer
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THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE is where it’s at.
Managers and fans all want to win it.
Great players need it.
Zidane’s volleyed goal at Hampden meant everything to him.
Warriors like Roy Keane and Nedved missed the biggest game of their careers through suspension when United won a final and Juve lost one on penalties.
This week Ronaldinho scored an electrifying goal in front of 94,000 at the Nou Camp.
A glamour game against AC Milan, a terrific first goal by the Ukrainian Express, Shevchenko, a snappy equaliser by Eto’o, whipping in a perfectly weighted short pass by Xavi, a fine contest of competitive skill, climaxing with a winner that was the most spectacular strike I’ve seen since Shevchenko’s wondergoal against Juventus, where he burst away from a small herd of zebras and hit a sensational cross-shot into the far top corner.
ARJEN ROBBEN scored a classy goal in Moscow after a one-two with Damien Duff, planting a deadly low shot past CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev.
Sven was in Munich to see Hargreaves play wide right.
Hope Sven stayed to the end and saw my favourite centre forward Zlatan power between Frings and Hargreaves and bang in a shot Kahn could not hold.
Del Piero popped in the rebund like a true fox in the box
Juventus, like Chelsea, know how to defend. Teams who do that get to finals and win bets for you.
Jose Mourinho talked about, “Eleven players playing for the clean sheet.”
CLOSE FRIENDS Raul and Figo, with a penalty, brought Real Madrid back to 2-2 after they were 2-0 down to Dynamo in Kiev.
The crowd was 80,000.
Every year a new Brazilian makes his mark in the Champions League and this season it could be Nilmar of Lyon.
They were level 2-2 with Fenerbahce when this lanky youngster came on as a sub and scored with two headers and they won 4-2.
Are Lyon the new Monaco?Too soon to say, but since I had money on Lyon, I love Nilmar.
The new Liverpool played well in La Coruna, beating Deportivo 1-0.
Riise fired a low cross into the six-yard box and Baros would have put the ball past Molina if Andrade hadn’t got there first.
Berbatov scored a Zlatan-type goal for Leverkusen in Rome, where they played Roma behind closed-doors.
Montella equalised after combining cleverly with Totti.
Earlier, Totti had jumped on Ramelow with both feet and somehow stayed on the field
UEFA will hammer him for that crazy foul.
Montella’s goal was tasty, but Robben’s was better.
Robben might be the best Dutch winger since Overmars, which is saying a lot.
LAST NIGHT Van Nastelrooy scored four jammy goals.
First, a gift from a silly backpass.
Second, a penalty after a dive from outside the box by Scholes.
Third, a long ball down the middle, he runs with the last man and fouls him cleverly.
Fourth, a tap-in from three yards, clearly offside.
SO MATCHDAY 4 produced some really exciting football and some fine results for English clubs.
It would be lovely if Arsenal could be a part of it.
They looked tired, jittery, as if Old Trafford is still in their minds and bodies.
They want it too much, so they play anxiously.
The team that went 49 games unbeaten in the Premiership has now drawn twice with Panathinaikos and lost a lead in three of their four games.
Vieira was held round the waist, but fell too easily. Amazing to see that penalty given.
Henry scored the pen, Basinas missed one for Pana, then the luckless Cygan headed an own goal
Could write 30 pages about why Arsenal keep freezing, stuttering and stumbling in Europe, but there isn’t time today.
And it would be premature.
It’s a six-game mini-league.
How you qualify does not matter.
Let’s wait and see what happens in Eindhoven on the 24th.
CRYSTAL PALACE on Saturday?
I’d play the Carling Cup team and give the jaded stars time to catch their breath and lick their wounds before White Hart Lane
Doesn’t matter if they lose.
I still think Arsenal will win back-to-back titles.
Enough already.
I gotta go.
November 4th 2004