UCL: Steaua Bucharest v Arsenal

last SG · 2007-10-02T16:23:47+00:00

the most funi thing now is they can show manu match x3(1x live 2x delay) n no gunners match...

turbo_drift SG

*Steaua Bucharest v Arsenal preview*

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is likely to be without midfielder Aleksandr Hleb for Tuesday's Champions League Group H trip to Steaua Bucharest.

The Belarus international injured his leg in a collision with Mark Noble against West Ham on Saturday and the extent of the bruising shocked Wenger.

"His leg is unbelievable, he can't even walk properly. I don't think he'll be fit for Tuesday," said the Frenchman.

A decision on Emmanuel Adebayor will also be left late due to a thigh knock.

The Gunners are more hopeful on Abou Diaby and Mathieu Flamini, who are carrying ankle and groin injuries respectively.

But Jens Lehmann (elbow), William Gallas (groin), Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Eduardo (groin) and Alex Song (calf) are definitely out.

Arsenal opened their European campaign with a win over Sevilla two weeks ago.

Arsenal (from): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Senderos, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Diaby, Adebayor, van Persie, Fabianski, Hleb, Denilson, Gilberto, Walcott, Bendtner, Traore.

turbo_drift SG

*Hleb travels but four face fitness tests in Bucharest*

Arsène Wenger will wait for news on a quartet of players before naming his team to face Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday night.

Alex Hleb has travelled to Romania despite being stretchered off at West Ham on Saturday and the Belarussian is not the only one nursing an injury after the hard-fought victory at Upton Park.

Emmanuel Adebayor (thigh), Mathieu Flamini (groin) and Abou Diaby (ankle) also face fitness tests before Arsenal resume their Champions League campaign.

"Alex Hleb will travel," confirmed Wenger before flying out to Romania. "We tested him for a check on his bone and a decision will be made tomorrow over whether he will play or not.

"Emmanuel Adebayor will travel but we will make a decision on him as well. It looks a little less good than it did. Mathieu Flamini has a knock on his groin. Abou Diaby has a knock on his ankle so we need to check on them.

"William Gallas, Eduardo, Alex Song, Jens Lehmann and Tomas Rosicky are all still out."

Arsenal squad to face Steaua Bucharest:

24 Manuel ALMUNIA
21 Lukasz FABIANSKI
25 Emmanuel ADEBAYOR
11 Robin VAN PERSIE
26 Nicklas BENDTNER
13 Alexander HLEB
32 Theo WALCOTT
2 Abou DIABY
15 DENILSON
8 Lassana DIARRA
27 Emmanuel EBOUE
4 Cesc FABREGAS
16 Mathieu FLAMINI
19 GILBERTO
6 Philippe SENDEROS
31 Justin HOYTE
3 Bacary SAGNA
5 Kolo TOURE
22 Gael CLICHY

turbo_drift SG

*Pedrazzini to be sacked if Steaua lose to Gunners*

Steaua Bucharest owner Gigi Becali has vowed he will sack interim coach Massimo Pedrazzini if his side lose at home to Arsenal in the Champions League tomorrow.

Pedrazzini took the reins on a temporary basis last month following the shock resignation of Gheorghe Hagi, who blamed ongoing tension with Begali.

The 49-year-old Pedrazzini has overseen two victories so far - 4-0 at Bacau in the cup and 1-0 against Vaslui in the league on Saturday - but it seems the Italian has not yet earned the backing of the owner.

'If we lose tomorrow, Pedrazzini will be sacked,' said Becali, perhaps in a bid to motivate his players, who have each been promised a £20,000 bonus if they overcome the Gunners.

Pedrazzini believes he has done all he can at Steaua to date, and claims even former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho would struggle if handed the post.

He said: 'Becali should bring Mourinho at Steaua, because he is free too.

'Becali should say to Mourinho: `You are coach of Steaua, you have three matches. You win them, you stay. You lose one of them, you go'.

'And he also should tell him that one of these matches is against Arsenal. Even Mourinho would have big problems. Nobody can perform miracles.'

Pedrazzini is expecting a difficult encounter against the Barclays Premier League leaders.

He said: 'Arsenal don't have weaknesses. We must play fast football.

'We must be clever and we must run a lot. Arsenal are a very powerful team.

'Two years ago they reached the final of Champions League. If our players want to make history, they will have to work at double the rate of at normal match.

'This is a very important match. Arsenal will come here to win, but they will not underestimate us.'

Eugen Baciu is set to deputise at centre-back with Dorin Goian a major doubt due to a back injury.

Sports manager Adrian Ilie said: 'Goian will not play against Arsenal. The doctors are trying to get him fit, but the chances are too small. If he continues playing with the injury, Goian will have big problems.'

felirox SG

Originally posted by turbo_drift:
[b]*Pedrazzini to be sacked if Steaua lose to Gunners*

Steaua Bucharest owner Gigi Becali has vowed he will sack interim coach Massimo Pedrazzini if his side lose at home to Arsenal in the Champions League tomorrow.

Pedrazzini took the reins on a temporary basis last month following the shock resignation of Gheorghe Hagi, who blamed ongoing tension with Begali.

The 49-year-old Pedrazzini has overseen two victories so far - 4-0 at Bacau in the cup and 1-0 against Vaslui in the league on Saturday - but it seems the Italian has not yet earned the backing of the owner.

'If we lose tomorrow, Pedrazzini will be sacked,' said Becali, perhaps in a bid to motivate his players, who have each been promised a £20,000 bonus if they overcome the Gunners.

Pedrazzini believes he has done all he can at Steaua to date, and claims even former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho would struggle if handed the post.

He said: 'Becali should bring Mourinho at Steaua, because he is free too.

'Becali should say to Mourinho: `You are coach of Steaua, you have three matches. You win them, you stay. You lose one of them, you go'.

'And he also should tell him that one of these matches is against Arsenal. Even Mourinho would have big problems. Nobody can perform miracles.'

Pedrazzini is expecting a difficult encounter against the Barclays Premier League leaders.

He said: 'Arsenal don't have weaknesses. We must play fast football.

'We must be clever and we must run a lot. Arsenal are a very powerful team.

'Two years ago they reached the final of Champions League. If our players want to make history, they will have to work at double the rate of at normal match.

'This is a very important match. Arsenal will come here to win, but they will not underestimate us.'

Eugen Baciu is set to deputise at centre-back with Dorin Goian a major doubt due to a back injury.

Sports manager Adrian Ilie said: 'Goian will not play against Arsenal. The doctors are trying to get him fit, but the chances are too small. If he continues playing with the injury, Goian will have big problems.' [/b]

Shocked Shocked

glacer SG

Van Persie also facing late test before Steaua clash

Robin van Persie has been added to the list of players facing fitness tests ahead of tonights game at Steaua Bucharest.

Arsène Wenger has two press conferences for Champions League trips. In the first one, which is set aside for the English media travelling with the official party, the manager listed his injury doubts as Alex Hleb (knee), Emmanuel Adebayor (thigh), Mathieu Flamini (knee) and Abou Diaby (ankle). At the Uefa press conference in Bucharest, he added Van Persie to that number.

It is his ankle, the manager explained on Monday evening. Well make a decision tomorrow morning. Adebayor has a kick on his thigh. Van Persie has more chance to play than him at the moment.

I will adapt up front if one of them is a little bit short but at least one of the two will be capable to play.

Hleb, Diaby, Adebayor, Van Persie and Flamini - all those decisions will be made tomorrow.

Hlebs presence is a surprise given the way he was stretchered off on Saturday after Mark Nobles sturdy challenge at Upton Park.

He is 50:50, said Wenger. But much better than expected. He has big bone bruising but not a fracture. He has improved dramatically in the last 24 hours. He had a lot of medical care. There are a few players with bumps and bruises from the West Ham game. I will make a decision in the morning of the game.

omgukilledkenny SG

European history

Steaua Bucharest are the only club from Romania ever to compete in the Champions League. They are playing their 38th season of European football, but have failed to advance beyond the group stage in each of their four previous CL appearances.

Arsenal, the 2005-06 runners-up, are in their 23rd season in Europe and 10th in the CL main competition.

Current European form

Steaua survived two rounds of qualifying, but are winless in six in the main CL competition, culminating in the 2-1 defeat at Slavia Prague in their opening group match this season. They have not kept a clean sheet in their last 10 Champions League matches, since defeating Poland's Widzew Lodz 1-0 in October 1996.

Arsenal beat Sparta Prague in qualifying, and started their challenge in the main competition with a comprehensive 3-0 home victory over Uefa Cup holders Sevilla.

Player and disciplinary info

If selected, Marius Croitoru will be playing on his 27th birthday.

Nicolae Dica is the most productive CL goal scorer in Steaua's squad having netted four times. He is also the club's all-time leading CL goal scorer (1992-2007); Jens Lehmann is Arsenal's most experienced player in the Champions league, having made 57 appearances. Tomas Rosicky is the top scorer of CL goals in Arsenal's squad, with eight.

omgukilledkenny SG

which team is that arh? Mr. Green

akinos SG

Barcelona. just shift it around abit can le Very Happy

omgukilledkenny SG

Shocked Razz Laughing

turbo_drift SG

See Mourinho name, eye big big? Wink

Cheers.

turbo_drift SG

*Arsene vows to rock Romania*

ARSENE WENGER plans to light up gloomy Bucharest with Arsenals beautiful football.

Gunners boss Wenger expects a hostile reception in the Romanian capital and admits his team do not have a good record on the road against teams from the former Eastern Bloc.

Yet he is still backing his young stars such as Cesc Fabregas and Robin van Persie to shine as Arsenal chase a ninth straight win.

Wenger said: There is always a strange atmosphere over here.

Its darker, less glamorous. You dont feel on a high when you come to Eastern Europe.

Teams over here are always up for it against Arsenal and we dont have a good a very good record in these kind of games.

So the challenge is to raise our level in a less exciting environment.

Yet Wenger has no intention of abandoning the attacking principles which have won Arsenal acclaim.

The Frenchman added: Of course I take pride when people go home after watching my team and feel that for 1½ hours life is beautiful.

At Arsenal we play the way I like and the way my players like.

In the past we were criticised for over-playing and not being efficient. We were sometimes swept aside by physical teams and could not cope with that.

Now we have grown up. We are at an age where everyone is enthusiastic and playing well but also performing with efficiency.

Arsenal will be without Tomas Rosicky, William Gallas, Jens Lehmann and Eduardo Da Silva for tonights game.

Emmanuel Adebayor, Alex Hleb, Mathieu Flamini all picked up knocks in Saturdays 1-0 win at West Ham and are doubtful.

Steaua have just sacked Romanian legend Gheorghe Hagi as coach following defeat by Slavia Prague in their Group H opener.

And Wenger whose side beat Seville 3-0 a fortnight ago does not know what to expect from a Steaua team making their first Champions League appearance in 10 years.

The Romanian keeper Robinson Zapata believes Arsenal are a bigger threat in Europe without Thierry Henry.

The Frenchman quit Gunners for Barcelona in the summer and Zapata said: We have seen videos of Arsenal and they seem to be playing at a higher level then when Henry was in the team.

Perhaps they were depending too much on him and now they are playing more as a team. This makes it difficult for us.

After losing to Prague, this is a final for us.

BrUtUs SG

sian no live..

BrUtUs SG

x2... worst is they totally no live or delay...

798 SG

x 3! wat so nice about watching a few monkeys dive here or there! Evil or Very Mad

we demand to watch beautiful football which arsenal play! Razz

BrUtUs SG

can only hope the other english teams faster get KO.. left gunners then can watch them in ucl weekly....

akinos SG

1 – 0 Arsenal!!! woohhoooo, RVP scored again! now i just need to wait for highlights on how he scored, to hell with shitehub~~

dave101 SG

How come Gilberto Silva was on the sub again? Given his experience, I thought Wenger shd have placed him in the first 11.

baby hunter SG

wat the F**K Mad how to cool down??? since the UCL started. Starhub never missed a single live telecast for Liverpool!!! But NOT even a match live telecast for Asernal!!!!!

turbo_drift SG

*Gunners march on in Romania*

Arsenal were made to battle for their second win in UEFA Champions League Group H as Steaua Bucharest put up a spirited display before succumbing 1-0.

The Gunners overcame some early pressure from Steaua to dominate the first half, but a horrendous Cesc Fabregas shot from six yards out typified their poor finishing.

Steaua goalkeeper Robinson Zapata almost carried the ball over the goalline as he scrambled back to catch Gael Clichy's deflected cross, while at the other end Kolo Toure had to retreat to head clear Nicolae Dica's lob.

The two sides traded chances in the second half before Robin van Persie made the crucial breakthrough on 76 minutes with a powerful shot into the roof of the net from Emmanuel Adebayor's cut-back, to clinch Arsenal's ninth successive victory in all competitions.

Talk off the pitch may be of a supposed Russian takeover but on it, Wenger's young Gunners show little sign of anything distracting them.

Pressure

Even so, it was the hosts who started the better and created the first decent opening on five minutes when Valentin Badea headed over a left-wing cross from Romeo Surdu.

The Romanians then had the ball in the net when Badea swept home a free-kick at the far post, only for the offside flag to silence the celebrations.

Captain Nicolae Dica then drilled a low 20-yard strike wide of Manuel Almunia's right-hand post.

Arsenal soon started to build a spell of pressure themselves, with the hard-working Emmanuel Adebayor seeing plenty of the ball.

On 29 minutes he got in behind the defence and cut an intelligent pass back across the six-yard box but there was no-one on hand for the tap in.

There looked to be a let off for the home side on 40 minutes after Arsenal worked the ball out to the left, where Gael Clichy whipped it in from the byline.

A deflection wrong-footed keeper Robinson Zapata and as the Colombian fell back to gather the ball, he appeared to carry it over the line.

Fumbled

The Steaua number one then showed quick reflexes to beat away a close-range effort from Mathieu Flamini as Arsenal pressed again.

At the start of the second half, Clichy whipped a free-kick into the box but Adebayor just could not get enough contact as the goalkeeper almost fumbled the ball into his own net.

It was then Toure's turn to save his side, heading off the line after Adrian Neaga had sent a looping 25-yard shot back up over Almunia, who had raced out to head a long throughball clear.

Steaua made a change on the hour, with Victoras Iacob replacing Badea.

The home side then enjoyed their best spell of the game as the crowd suddenly found its voice.

However, despite plenty of possession, Steaua were also unable to find the decisive pass when it mattered.

Arsenal then finally made the breakthrough on 75 minutes, working the ball down the left side and to Adebayor in the box.

The Togo striker cut the ball back just behind Fabregas but it fell perfectly for van Persie, who made no mistake from six yards.

The hosts desperately looked for a way back into the match but the Gunners comfortably played out the closing stages to continue their impressive start to the campaign.

798 SG

chill chill. actually it's nothing to do wif liverpool cos they playing diff day wif us. but our schedule almost same day wif manure n barca.

want to blame u should blame starhub as they trying to brainwash singaporean dat manure is the only supporting club in sg.

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