well this is a special time of year in the european footballing cycle it's where it
all begins again the lifting of the trophy the winners medals that was all back in may a mere
reminder a relic of the glory that was and what may be to come perhaps for one of these
it is a venue this which simply adds to the spectacle of the game it stages one of the
most impressive arenas in this part of the world
so
so it's back bigger and better than ever before
who hope everybody is ready for another ride on the emotional roller coaster bring it on
peter i'm looking forward to a competition that always delivers entertainment whether through
its football or indeed it's supporting cast of of emotions neither of these teams will want a
trip back to the drawing board after this so i think we can expect something quite lively
there's the whistle and here we go
jim which player is best equipped for this game yeah thiago silva he's a player who doesn't
seem to have any weaknesses at all peter he's strong he's quick he's technically gifted and
very comfortable in possession what i particularly find impressive about him though is
his consistency and his reliability he just never seems to to make a mistake opposition
strikers could be in for a hard time of it today they're the scourge of so many strikers
he's left his man
oh what a ball it's 11 domsky
it's hardly a surprise is it that's what we're here for a player with this wonderful
knack of being able to show up and deliver at important times yet yet another example
to keep his nightmare peter he just couldn't pick up on it
until it was way too late having so many bodies in front of him
deadlock broken it's one nil surprise surprise he
just keeps on delivering and listen we all expect that and it's played forward
and the finish oh that was no routine save oh that's a sparkling
save absolutely sparkling his reflexes were ultra sharp and here's lewandowski
kante he's made sure that that won't get through going through goalkeepers ball
ruth
just to point out peter that the fullbacks are quite high and what
do they try to achieve well it's obviously a move to push
um the opposition wide men back and and give them more to think about hits one well that's
confidence for you distance doesn't even bother him hoy sit forward levantovsky
really well taken goal and already they're looking to run away with it
he was urged to shoot and he truly delivered
levan dobson he's the obvious danger man here and yet he was afforded way too much freedom i
think he was gifted that goal his reputation should have been warning enough for them
so that's two now without reply the turning of the screw comes to mind peter
they've got them where they want them
goldson
a great gallop down the right-hand side now the shots this time rangers
can defend those situations better by stopping the crosser at source
just brushed off the ball there the referee's awarded a free kick
this is gone that's a foul
oh he's asking too much with that
rice gets it back
roof clips one through oh well intercepted really alerts the
danger and it's lewandowski who does have an assist to his name can take with a long pass
he's got options out wide that intervention was very necessary he gets good distance on it
what have we learned from the first 45 minutes well it's looking pretty
straightforward peter they've got themselves into a very good position
so why did from here when they can contest decorated by goals and two between them at
they're halftime into the second 45 minutes
gold suit
gets wrestled off the ball
thiago silva
and here's lewandowski
it's a loose ball and it's chillwell
he hits it chilwell clearly became one eye then he just decided to force it
finds himself eased off the ball
well no doubt someone is being given special treatment here yeah and having notched a goal
already peter he's not going to be allowed to run off the shoulders as much as he'll want
chill well
has gone out
that's got a long way up and away
always looked it
rubika
great strength too strong for his opponent battles to win it back levantovsky he gets past his man
very well to intervene for a moment you felt that was going somewhere but they'll have to go again
and help's available out wide
the defense can get it clear
oh some tackle that it's a good foot in there that's a foul three kicks been given
looking to shapes to shoot he has done it with so little time left grandstand finish
perfect placement the one place the keeper couldn't reach
well i think two keepers would have had a hard time keeping that one out never mind
one there was real venom in the strike and clear composure from the placement
rangers give themselves a chance of a fairytale finish
just a few more moments for them to hang on and and he's there to clear it
he's got options out wide and he's cut it out and that's that that's the way to launch the campaign
and they can look ahead with confidence and comfort your reflections then jim
well pressure can quickly build on you if a positive result isn't achieved