Are We (And Sky TV) Fooling Ourselves?

Last updated : 20 April 2012 By Footy Mad - Editor

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Are they kidding us? Because the two European competitions show how far we have drifted behind Spain this season.

With eight teams left fighting for the two cups - five of the eight are Spanish - and we have only one side flying the St George flag.

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis said yesterday: "I'd love to see Newcastle finish in the top four ... it's time we had a change from the usual English candidates. It would make a refreshing change."

ATLETICO MADRID 4 VALENCIA 2

Atletico Madrid moved a step closer to their second Europa League final in three years as two goals from Radamel Falcao and further strikes from Miranda and Adrian Lopez gave them a 4-2 win over Spanish rivals Valencia in Thursday night's semi-final first leg.

The hosts started brightly and could have been ahead even earlier as Diego Alves saved from Diego and Adrian before the latter showed great persistence to set Falcao up for the easiest of headers to open the scoring on 18 minutes.

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After that initial burst from Atletico though, Valencia started to gain a foothold in the game and equalised in first-half stoppage time as Jonas swept home Adil Rami's knockdown.

However, 2010 Europa League winners Atletico started the second period in even stronger fashion and scored twice in nine minutes as Miranda took advantage of some slack marking to head home Diego's free-kick before Adrian slotted past Alves from a narrow angle.

Falcao looked to have all but sealed Atletico's place in the final in Bucharest with a sensational strike from outside the area that went in off the bar 12 minutes from time, but Ricardo Costa headed home from another corner with virtually the last touch of the game to give Valencia some hope heading into the return leg at the Mestalla next week.

SPORTING LISBON 2 ATLETICO BILBAO 1

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Sporting Lisbon netted twice in the last 15 minutes to overturn a deficit against Athletic Bilbao and earn themselves a narrow 2-1 lead to take across the Iberian peninsula for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final.

Athletic, looking for their first major trophy since 1984, took a 54th-minute lead through Jon Aurtenetxe but Sporting drew level through Emiliano Insua before the impressive Diego Capel - a Spain international - drilled home the match-winner 10 minutes from time to down his countrymen.

The Portuguese outfit pushed hard for a third goal late on but Athletic managed to keep them out to leave the tie firmly in the balance ahead of next week's second leg in the Basque country.

CHELSEA 1 BARCELONA 0

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Didier Drogba struck to secure Chelsea a remarkable 1-0 victory against Barcelona as the European champions failed to make their dominance count in Wednesday night's Champions League semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba wasted two good opportunities to grab an early goal and Barca went on to dominate, with Alexis Sanchez hitting the bar and Cesc Fabregas seeing an effort cleared off the line shortly after the former Arsenal man missed a sitter deep inside the Chelsea box.

Then, in the second minute of first-half injury time Frank Lampard released Ramires down the wing and he crossed for Drogba, who slotted beyond Victor Valdes to give the Londoners the lead.

Sanchez again came close for the Spanish giants in the second half, but he inexplicably fired wide from close range.

It was a frustrating night for Barcelona, with star man Lionel Messi again failing to find the net against the Blues.

Cesc Fabregas was denied on his return to England as he had an effort cleared off the line, while in the last of three minutes added time, Pedro curled the ball onto the post and Busquets cleared the bar by 10 metres with the rebound.

Barca bossed the majority of the match but Chelsea defended valiantly and ended up taking a priceless lead to the Nou Camp for the second leg on April 25.

Chelsea captain John Terry paid tribute to Drogba after the match.

Terry told ITV: "We had to be very patient, I don't think we touched the ball for the first 15 minutes but from Didi on his own up front, the midfield and defence, it was a great team performance."

Terry continued: "Didi is all about these big nights, the big occasions. He put fear into the Spurs defence at the weekend and he did that again tonight.

"He was up there on his own against some of best defenders in world and he did it brilliantly."

BAYERN MUNICH 2 REAL MADRID 1

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Mario Gomez netted a crucial last-gasp winner as Bayern Munich took the upper hand in their Champions League semi-final tie against Real Madrid with a 2-1 win.

The first leg had looked destined to end level after Mesut Ozil netted an equaliser for Real in the 53rd minute of the Allianz Arena clash, tapping home a Cristiano Ronaldo pass after the Portuguese star's initial close-range shot had been turned away by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Ozil's strike cancelled out Franck Ribery's first-half opener, driven into the back of the net after Real failed to properly deal with a Bastian Schweinsteiger corner.

But Bayern re-established their dominance in the 89th minute when Gomez struck with the crucial winner to hand Jose Mourinho's men a tough task in the second leg at the Bernabeu next Wednesday.

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes believes his side did exactly what he had asked of them.

"My players showed what I had demanded from them yesterday: lust and hunger for success," he told Sky television.

"I think we more than deserved the win because we played cleverly and intelligently."

Mourinho doesn't think the tie is over.

"We don't need any crazy result in the return leg, we can win with a normal result and go through," he said at the post-match press conference.

"I think my team can respond to this game, with our fans behind us."