FC Shakhtar Donetsk will face compatriots FC Dynamo Kyiv in their first ever European semi-final after withstanding the best that Olympique de Marseille could throw at them at the Stade Véldodrome before running out 2-1 victors, winning 4-1 on aggregate following last week’s home triumph.

Familiar foes
At least one Ukrainian outfit is assured a place in this year’s showpiece game after the French challengers fell short in both their ties, with Ligue 1 leaders Marseille unable to produce the second-leg comeback they required. Shakhtar only once managed to raise their heads above the parapet in the first half, but that resulted in a goal for Fernandinho on the half-hour. Although Hatem Ben Arfa levelled before the break, the Ukrainian titleholders first held out and then sealed another win against their hosts with an added-time Luiz Adriano strike.

Cheyrou shot
Trailing at the halfway stage in the tie, Erik Gerets’s men had little choice but to harry their opponents from the off, and they began almost immediately with Mamadou Niang nearly getting his head to a Mathieu Valbuena free-kick. Shakhtar’s talented Brazilian forward quartet came with a burgeoning reputation, but all the invention was coming from the hosts in the early stages and fit-again midfielder Benoît Cheyrou stirred the vociferous crowd with a powerful strike just over the bar from 20 metres out.

Shakhtar Secure Dynamo Showdown … read more »

Two goals by Diego and a Claudio Pizarro strike guided Werder Bremen through to the UEFA Cup semi-finals after Udinese Calcio had wiped out their 3-1 first-leg deficit before half-time.

Pizarro clincher
Despite Diego cancelling out Gokhan Inler’s 15th-minute strike, the momentum was with Udinese at the break as Fabio Quagiarella struck twice. But Diego’s second of the match, on the hour mark, swung the tie back in favour of the Bundesliga side, who added to their tally through Pizarro on 73 minutes moments after Diego had missed a penalty for his hat-trick.

Exciting half
Thunderstorms were predicted ahead of the match, but though the rain stayed away until half-time, other pyrotechnics were thick on the ground. After Werder had gone close when Naldo’s header was deflected wide by team-mate Petri Pasanen, Inler gave his side hope with a lightning strike on the quarter-hour. Receiving a ball from Kwadwo Asamoah, Inler cut inside from the left and dispatched an unstoppable 30-metre shot into the top corner.

Diego strikes
Udinese’s tails were up, now just a goal from taking the initiative in the tie, but they were almost pegged back moments after taking the lead as Hugo Almeida pounced on Clemens Fritz’s right-wing cross, and skewed it wide. The game had opened up and was swinging from end to end when the equaliser arrived on 28 minutes. Cristián Zapata dallied and Diego, so unsure of playing in the build-up to the match, took the loose ball in a flash before turning inside and shooting past Samir Handanovič.

Relieved Bremen Thwart Udinese Recovery … read more »

FC Dynamo Kyiv will contest their first European semi-final since 1998/99 after easing past an out-of-sorts Paris Saint-Germain FC side in their UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg.

Early goals
The Ukrainians fashioned little in the first encounter seven days ago, yet were two goals to the good inside 16 minutes thanks to the recalled Ismaël Bangoura and a horribly micued punch by PSG goalkeeper Mickaël Landreau. The Ligue 1 outfit threatened to make a fist of it at the start of the second half, without ever overextending Dynamo No1 Stanislav Bogush, but the game was up when another Landreau error on 61 minutes allowed Ognjen Vukojević to add a third. It sets up a semi-final against domestic rivals FC Shakhtar Donetsk, whom they lead by 15 points at the top of the Premier League.

Instant impact
Dynamo outlined their intentions by including Bangoura, a substitute last week, alongside Artem Milevskiy up front. With four minutes gone the positive change had already paid dividends as Milevskiy laid the ball off to his strike partner on the edge of the penalty area and the Guinean international steered past Landreau. The visitors were shell-shocked yet almost restored parity moments later when a long throw-in was flicked on by Jérémy Clément for Péguy Luyindula, who headed against the outside of the post.

Dominant Dynamo Cruise Into Last Four … read more »

Cristiano Ronaldo fired Manchester United FC into the last four of the UEFA Champions League as his breathtaking early goal broke the resistance of his compatriots from FC Porto.

World-class effort
United’s Portuguese forward may have had a mixed season but his world-class talent has never been in doubt and he underlined it here with the 35-metre strike that secured a 3-2 aggregate victory for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side who – in the process – became the first English team to win at Porto. History has never been an impediment to Sir Alex Ferguson, who has rewritten the record books in over two decades at Old Trafford, and his quintuple-chasing team can now look forward to a semi-final against Arsenal FC with renewed heart having rediscovered their defensive solidity here with a first clean sheet in six matches.

Stunner
Just as Porto shot out of the starting blocks at Old Trafford so United seized the early initiative here. There seemed no danger when Ronaldo collected a short pass from Anderson – a surprise starter but effective against his old team. However, the United No7 looked up and, before Aly Cissokho could get close, let fly from 35 metres, sending the ball on a trajectory into the top right corner of Helton’s goal.

Ronaldo Magic Seals United Progress … read more »

A clinical display of attacking football took Arsenal FC into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the second time in their history at the expense of ten-man Villarreal CF.

Dominant display
Arsenal’s success in this competition has been founded on their solid defence, which is still to concede in five home matches in the competition this season, although it was their prowess at the other end which proved too much for the visitors. Having taken the initiative in the tie with last week’s 1-1 draw in Spain, well-worked goals early in each half from Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor put the home team in complete command, Robin van Persie adding a third from the penalty spot after Sebastián Eguren had been dismissed.

Walcott chip
Arsenal came into the match on the back of an 18-match Premier League unbeaten run and perhaps inevitably their early play carried an air of considerable confidence with Cesc Fàbregas, Walcott and Van Persie all prominent. Walcott sent one dangerous centre across the face of goal before Van Persie nodded Samir Nasri’s cross over, but the visitors failed to heed the warning signs and duly fell behind in the tenth minute. Fàbregas applied the faintest of touches to Emmanuel Eboué’s pass yet it was nevertheless enough to wrong foot the Villarreal defence, leaving Walcott to race clear and beat Diego López with a sublime chip.

On-fire Gunners Shoot Down Villarreal … read more »