Champions League Qualifying - Arsenal & Liverpool - Aug 13
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Wednesday, 13 August 2008.UEFA Champions League Qualifying..
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..Twente Enschede v Arsenal, R3, L1,Channel 27 : 2:45am - "Live"....
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..Standard Liege v Liverpool, R3, L1,Channel 22 : 3:05 - "Live"Liverpool's Barry D-day looms
LIVERPOOL will discover in the next 24 hours if their move for Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry has been scuppered.
If Barry plays for Villa in Thursday’s UEFA Cup tie with FH Hafnarfjardar he would not be eligible for the Champions League until the knockout stages in February. That effectively would finally put an end to the summer’s longest-running transfer saga.
Kop boss Rafa Benitez will ignore the Barry fiasco for the immediate future as he concentrates on tomorrow’s European qualifier at Standard Liege in Belgium. He insisted: “My priority this week is to prepare for the Champions League qualifier. I believe we’re ready.”
Villa chief Martin O’Neill said: “If Gareth is still our player tomorrow morning, he has as good a chance as anyone of climbing on the bus.” Striker Andriy Voronin is set to quit Anfield after failing to get into the starting line-up. He said: “It looks as if there will be no honest competition for my position.”
Mac will never beat Wenger
MARCO VAN BASTEN has told Steve McClaren to forget about beating Arsene Wenger.
McClaren’s Dutch minnows FC Twente host Arsenal in tomorrow night’s Champions League qualifier. But Holland legend Van Basten reckons the former England boss has no chance of puling off a shock victory over the Gunners.
The Ajax chief — whose side lost 3-2 to Arsenal in a friendly on Friday — said: “If you compare the teams and you have to bet on the result, most people would bet on Arsenal. “Premier League clubs have a lot of money, that’s why they’re strong and have a lot of good players.”
And Emirates striker Robin van Persie has taunted arch-rivals Tottenham by branding Twente as ‘Holland’s Spurs’. He said: “It is unthinkable for us not to be in the Champions League. Twente’s equivalent in England? Tottenham!”
Wenger is set to hijack Blackburn’s £2million move for midfielder Anthony Annan, 22, after Rovers failed to agree terms with Norway’s IK Start.
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i'll bet the guy/gal who wrote this article is a Liverpool fan.. just look at the logo between Liverpool and Standard Liege... boey steady!!!!!
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i tink arsenal will cruise past easily
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Arsenal missing Fabregas for UCL qualifier
Arsenal will be without key midfielder Cesc Fabregas and several other first-team regulars for Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against FC Twente in Holland.
Fabregas (hamstring) joins the likes of Kolo Toure (hip), Abou Diaby (thigh), Philippe Senderos (hamstring) and summer signing Samri Nasri (knee/thigh) on the sidelines along with Tomas Rosicky and Eduardo, who are both recovering from long-term injuries.
The number of absentees means Wales Under-21 international Aaron Ramsey - who joined the Gunners in a £5million deal from Cardiff - could be handed a full competitive debut alongside young Brazilian Denilson in midfield.
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CRISIS-HIT Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is without NINE Gunners stars for crunch Champions League qualifying showdown against FC Twente.
And Cesc Fabregas will miss the first two weeks of the season with a hamstring injury. Wenger must now take one of the biggest gambles of his career as he relies on his kids to take care of Steve McClaren’s side.
Summer signing Aaron Ramsay, 17, will make his debut in Fab’s absence after Arsenal jetted over to Holland last night with six teenagers in their 18-man squad.
Wenger said: “The Champions League qualifiers are our biggest games of the season — but we have left a big squad at home and I am not left with many options.
“Basically, it is a choice of a young player or an even younger one. “As well as Fabregas we are without Toure, Senderos, Nasri, Diaby, Rosicky, Eduardo, Song and Amaury Bischoff.
“I have never known such a problematic start to a season. “The trouble is, when you have to play Champions League qualifiers so early, you push players and they get injuries, which is what has happened.”
Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson is waiting for a response from Arsenal after submitting an offer for 23-year-old right-back Justin Hoyte.
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show on tv?
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No... Maybe this season no more Champions League on tv for us unless you subscribe meow tv...
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my fren say liverpool game is on chn 22 @ 3am?
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Yeah correct correct... Channel 22 at 3am... But strange, normally CL on espn and starsports... Now go to 22... Looks like they have taken away the CL from espn as well now...
I want to see how McClown handle Arsenal...
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Standard Liege 0-0 Liverpool
Reina kept out this spot-kick from Dante Bonfim.Liverpool escaped with a draw after being dominated by Standard Liege in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round tie.
Liege's Marouane Fellaini had an early header which hit the inside of the post but was deemed not to have crossed the line before keeper Pepe Reina cleared.
Reina then saved a Dante Bonfim penalty as Liege spurned another chance.
The Reds were poor and Igor De Camargo put a free header wide as Liege were left to rue their profligacy.
In contrast, Liverpool will have breathed a collective sigh of relief after the game as they looked rusty and clearly struggled to make the step up from pre-season to a competitive game.
FC Twente 0-2 Arsenal
Gallas broke the deadlock for a below-par Arsenal.A scrappy goal from William Gallas and a late Emmanuel Adebayor tap-in put Arsenal in control of their Champions League qualifier with FC Twente.
Arsenal were second best for much of a poor game in the Netherlands and both Marko Arnautovic and Romano Denneboom had chances to put FC Twente ahead.
But Arsenal got a break when Robin van Persie's free-kick deceived the home defence and Gallas bundled home.
Theo Walcott squared for Adebayor to put them firmly in control of the tie.
The two goals and a clean sheet should be enough to see Arsene Wenger's men through their second leg at the Emirates in a couple of weeks and into the lucrative group stages of the competition.
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a omen for liverpool this season?
~sigh~
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lols~ like the same as before ony..
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arsenal without 9 or 10 starting player is not decisive at all.
although it wasnt easy as the scorline suggest, it the result that matters.
look at liverpool? almost full team? still cannot beat standard liege?
i think rafa would cry baby again that the management dont support him for the purchase of barry, cole, villa. sack rafa!!!!