Champions League thoughts:

Celtic beat Man U 1-0 today off Nakamura's brilliant free kick in the 81st. Louis Saha blew two chances after that: first when he failed to immediately play a ball on account of an offside call that never came, and second on a missed penalty. The whole thing was delightful, although it would have been better if Cristiano suffered the double indignity.

Real and Lyon drew 2-2 in a match where Lyon played better. Cannavaro had one of the worst games I've seen him have, while Lyon's giant striker Carew (who I was not previously familiar with) marauded all over the pitch. In the Lyon games I've seen, Fred, Govou, and Carew have all looked good, although I understand the knock on those fellows is not lack of talent, but lack of consistency. That may well be so...but this may be Lyon's year to put it all together. Unfortunately, ominously present also is the possibility that it may be Chelsea's year, who, with untraditionally weak displays from Barca, Milan, and Real, rate as the favorites. Ugh.

My fantasy, of course, is that my Scousers make amends for their crummy EPL form by (a) knocking Chelsea out of the CL or (b) winning the CL outright.

FF