He's the most gifted footballer on the planet and the most gifted in a long, long time, arguably ever. I've seen him rip through the likes of Arsenal, Madrid, Man Utd, etc in the last year. I'd expect him to do the same again in a game like this. He didn't play badly and I agree he was one of their better players, but considering he's the greatest player on the planet, I would of expected him to step up to the plate and show what he has done recently. I don't think he did.

That said, Lucio, Cambiasso and Zanetti were class.

It was a foul. The ref gave it and that's all that matters

It's irrelevant. It did hit his arm and they gained an advantage.

Who won on monday night?

This really, Messi on form is the best player possibly ever. Sadly though, he is very inconsistent, as we have seen a few times in the champions league this season and so many times in international football.

How is it irrelevant?

Think to how many decisions get given because a player has his arm outstretched but don't get given when they are down by his side? What's different here - if anything it's even less of an advantageous hand position? They would have gained the advantage has it hit him on the stomach so i really don't see the difference and i think it was a terrible decision.

Edit: how many of you watch Messi on a regular basis, enough to judge his 'inconsistencies'. 31 games, 27 goals and 9 assists says he's about as inconsistent as a very consistent football player. 8 in 10 in the champs league as well. Fucking hell

No surprise really, seen our fixtures? It is a game every 2 - 3 games. Fucked.

Saturday 3rd FAV BARWELL 3 - 2 Johnston9p Hodgson13 Robinson90+1 2730
Monday 5th NL1 West Allotment Celtic 2 - 1 Fawcett45 Kerr60 252
Wednesday 7th NL1 Tow Law Town 1 - 1 Kerr28p 139
Saturday 10th NL1 Bedlington Terriers 1 - 4 Johnston45 242
Monday 12th NL1 Norton & Stockton Ancients 1 - 2 Waite30 n/k
Wednesday 14th NL1 Ashington 0 - 0 n/k
Saturday 17th NL1 NEWCASTLE BENFIELD 2 - 2 Johnston15,90 487
Monday 19th NSC ASHINGTON 2 - 1 Chow3 Johnston36 1370
Wednesday 21st NL1 Bishop Auckland 7 - 2 Gillies13,19 Bell21,88 Kerr24,43 Hodgson65 n/k
Saturday 24th NL1 Penrith 0 - 2 n/k
Monday 26th LC South Shields 1 - 2 Chow56 n/k
Wednesday 28th NL1 RYTON 1 - 3 n/k
Friday 30th NL1 Esh Winning

The alternative is that the goal stood which would have left Inter furious and out of the final.

And then all the talk would have been the goal should not have stood. Correct call, Fads, I'm afraid.

not from me it wouldn't. And i didn't even give a monkeys who won, so i'd think i was fairly neutral in that respect.

Have to say, that is a ridiculous fixture pile-up that, but then again, that comes with success.

Cant say that we dont deserve a bit of glory though, we're like the Toon, not won anything in yonks

For all we know the ball could of dropped and gone no where near Bojan, instead of rolling in his path. The fact is, the rules say along the lines of; if an opponent gets an advantage from an accidental handball it is a freekick - which is what this is.

RE Messi - if you're reverting to stats, maybe it shows you don't watch him on a regular basis? he didn't do anything against Arsenal at Emirates, but ripped through them at their place scoring a a first half hat-trick. He did the same against Madrid a few weeks ago, but the 2 games against Inter he has done very little by his extremly high standards.

I hope the media don't go on about the tactical genius of mourinho after this result, quite simply inter put 10 men behind the ball all match and defended brilliantly, they had better options in the air and a strong and tough backline, barce couldn't find space to exploit and so were frustrated, they needed an early goal to get the confidence going.

Aye, all the best in the final :)

I don't watch him, it was a legitimate question. I thought he was good today, so we'll disagree on that one, as we will on the handball i guess.

as for the handball decision, I always thought if your arm was folded in then it can't be a handball because the ball would hit your body anyway, and toure couldn't do anything more than bring his arms in. I thought bojan's header was the real match decider.

Part of Law 12

Handling the ball involves a deliberate act of a player making contact with
the ball with his hand or arm. The referee must take the following into
consideration:
• the movement of the hand towards the ball (not the ball towards the hand)
• the distance between the opponent and the ball (unexpected ball)
• the position of the hand does not necessarily mean that there is an
infringement
• touching the ball with an object held in the hand (clothing, shinguard etc.)
counts as an infringement
• hitting the ball with a thrown object (boot, shinguard etc.) counts as an
infringement

'deliberate'

FIFA have made it clear that if a player gains an advantage from a handball, then it should be deemed a foul. Other factors such as the natural/un-natural position of the arm, the distance from where the ball was struck, the speed of the ball when it hits the arm etc.

I don't want anyone telling me that it is as clear cut as 'deliberate or not', because that is simply untrue. I am a local league referee and myself and other referees in the league attended a FIFA/FAI seminar a few weeks ago where handball incidents were shown to us from various games etc. and debates ensued.

Back to the game, I think it is a sad reflection on football when Ibrahimovic is the 2nd highest paid footballer in the world. A Swedish Niall Quinn is all he is.

Im sure Miss C can think of a ton of names to call him, she hates the bugger.

You're right though, he only seems to play when he is bothered, spent most of the time tonite trying to get the Ref's attention for every little thing.

Absolutely chuffed to see Jose and Inter go through, they quite clearly deserved it over the two legs.

Hand ball decision was wrong for me although at first glance I thought it was a definite handball so can see why the ref gave it.

To be fair it was more than evened up considering the ridiculous red card and the fact that Pique was offside for the goal.

Hope Uefa pull their fucking fingers out and recind that red card so Motta can play in the final and instead punish that diving play acting little c_nt - absoluely fucking disgraceful that.

They probably will...then ban him again for what he did afterwards

Nobody's been saying that, tbf. My 'deliberate' comment was just taking the letter of the law as its stated in Rule 12.

My views on the 'handball':

I'm sorry but there is nothing you can do if the ball is blasted at you from a yard away. ITV slowed the incident down and for me the ball didn't even touch his arm? It came off his stomach albeit his arms were tucked in so it would have been difficult for the ref to see at that speed - in which case he shouldn't give anything.

As the rule states, you have to take into consideration whether it was deliberate and the distance between the player and the ball. In this case - no foul. Cracking finish from Bojan...mind you, still doesn't make up for his miss!

How many hours talking about Thierry Henry?

And that's not tactical genius?

Yeah, far better to play an open expansive game and let Messi run riot

I thought Inter got their tactics spot on over the two legs. Jose is King.

What he said, plus the same to Chan's lads for Wembley

he's was abysmal last night, one of those lazy players who doesn't really seem to care, unless the ball is ay his feet, I'm still amazed they offered (the top scorer in europe last year) eto'o + £40m for him.

Unless he turns it around next season, the Swede will be a huge flop.

Maybe I'm wrong then All the refs I have go on about gaining advantage or not from accidental handballs, so I blame them.

It was a soft red though, so evens itself up

And Pique was offside when Xavi passed to him for the goal.

And Jose had smarter shoes than Pep

He wasn't offside. Muntiari was playing him on from the far side.

No way was he offside, eiither. That was a great, well worked goal. Fortunate that Muntari was playing him on, but a great little ball through, and that's what you get when strikers defend.

And there's no way in hell is Jose better dressed than Pep. Pep oozes class, style and sex appeal

The angle they showed on ITV showed he was fractionally off from what I saw.

Agree it wasn't offside and agree nobody can match the way Pep wears a suit, apart from maybe Jamie Redknapp with his huge fucking mangina!!!

Teams for tonite

LIVERPOOL v Atletico madrid (0-1)

Reina
Johnson - Agger - Carragher
Benayoun - Aquilani - Mascherano - Lucas
Gerrard
Kuyt - Babel

FULHAM v Hamburg (0-0)

Schwarzer
Konchesky - A.Hughes - Hangeland - Pantsil
D.Etuhu - S.Davies - Murphy - Duff
Zamora - Gera

The RTE commentary showed him to be level. Anyway, didn't matter too much in the end.

glad to see newcastle represented in this europa semi final, even if it's in the form of a magpie invading the anfield pitch!

So i've noticed

Fulham have equalised with a very good goal.

Get in!! 2-1.

How long left?

unbeleivable, what a game!

13 minutes left + stoppage.

Just turned onto the game now (Liverpool/Atletico was getting boring)

aaron hughes has been immense, solid as a rock.

Another player we should never have sold, thanks Souness

3 minutes added on

WTF why was'nt the keeper sent off for that???