Like a gambler in a casino, Sir Alex Ferguson went through a full range of emotions as he watched his side crash out of the Champions League last night.

There was the initial euphoria of seeing his bets pay off as two surprise starters, Wayne Rooney and Darron Gibson, were key to Manchester United storming to a three-goal lead against Bayern Munich.

Sorry for the little bit of a delay this week as I have no internet access at my hotel here in Sophia, so I'm using free wifi in the park near the stadium and in the railway station as opportunities allow. If you are familiar with last week's rankings, however, you are pretty familiar with this week's as well.

It was obvious. As soon as the camera zoomed in on Wayne Rooney's face at the end of the match in the Allianz Arena, United fans knew their team would win neither the Premier nor Champions League. The ‘positive' prognosis the next day offered little comfort. The margin between success and failure for United in the 2009/10 season was four days wide.

(Note: No picture this week because I'm pissed. I have some great pictures of the Bernabéu and iPhoto won't work on my Mac. I'm about the chuck the damned thing through a window. So, no picture.)

Here we go with the final WCR Top 25 rankings before the UEFA Champions League semifinals.

Stamford Bridge boss keen on top notch attacking midfielder.

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Chelsea are lining up a £25million bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Bayern Munich to send 1860 into administration?
Disturbing news filtered through to EFW Towers today that 1860 Munich look set to face administration due to a farcical situation with their tenants Bayern Munich. We immediately reached for the phone to dial up our good friend and 1860 fan Michael Stoffl who takes up the story:

Today our very popular 1860 chairman Manfred Stoffers resigned just one day after the club lost a decisive court case against FC Bayern.

Well, we have only ourselves to blame. We made a proper mess of the easiest group and somehow contrived to finish second, and will get a purple-and-blue gift wrapped Jack-in-the-box on Valentine's Day as a result. Arsenal have had more than decent luck in Champions League draws over the past few years, but good luck today would have meant getting Schalke, who topped their group and have Raul and Huntelaar playing up front.

The second day of UEFA Champions League Round of 16 action kicks off today with another pair of quality match-ups as Arsenal takes on FC Porto and Bayern Munich faces Fiorentina.

Arsenal comes into its match in Portugal with a bunch of injuries, but will still be favored to take the series.

Tutto in una notte.
Questa sera, nel ritorno degli ottavi di Champions, la Fiorentina è a chiamata all'impresa contro il Bayern Monaco, vittorioso all'andata per due a uno, tra le veementi e meritate proteste della formazione toscana
Infatti, nella gara dell'Allianz Arena, la sconfitta, per i ragazzi di Prandelli, maturò al 90' a causa di un gol di Olic viziato da un netto fuorigioco, non rivelato nè dal disastroso arbitro norvegese Ovrebo, nè dai collaboratori.

The UEFA Champions League has entered its ‘big boys' stage. Apologies to Chelsea your team is too old to be playing with these ‘kids'.

John Terry blames German referee Markus Stark for ignoring penalty claims that saw Jose Mourinho and his Inter side leave Stamford Bridge with a bigger smug than they came with.

Somebody said many years ago that football is a game of inches! No idea as to who it was but how absolutely right that statement proved to be was perfectly illustrated by the elimination of...
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Sir Alex Ferguson ready to cut his losses on Old Trafford flop.

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Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich are ready to bid big to snap up Manchester United's troubled forward Dimitar Berbatov. Louis Van Gaal looks to be interested in the former Tottenham man and is said to see the 29 year old as a potential addition to his Allianz Arena side and a move for the misfiring Old Trafford man will become even more likely should they fail to keep hold of Franck Ribery this summer.

Bayern Munich choreo display, Allianz Arena, Champions League semi-final vs. Lyon, 21 April 2010.

Photo credit: probek on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion Photo Pool.

Bayern Munich man ready to take good form into World Cup campaign.

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Germany supporters will be hoping that Bayern Munich wing back Philipp Lahm can continue his fine club form into this summer's World Cup campaign because right now he is at the top of his game and can at times be almost unplayable.

Bayern Munich man ready to put missing Champions League Final through suspension behind him for World Cup showdown.

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Bayern Munich will be greatly pleased by the fact that French playmaker Franck Ribery put pen to paper on a new five year deal to stay at the Allianz Arena, one could imagine that had the former Marseille man not done so, then every bit of skill and flair the 27 year old displayed would surely have been greeted with concern as the Bundesliga champions readied themselves for yet more interest in one of their prized assets.

Imagine you were in Louis van Gaal's shoes.

Your team has lost two successive league matches. Your key midfielder, Bastian Schweinsteiger, is suspended and talismanic forward, Arjen Robben, is struggling with injury.

You now have to deal with the visit of the English champions who are coming off their seventh consecutive win in all competitions.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Some of Manchester United's fears heading into the club's Champions League quarterfinals match against Bayern Munich were eased on Monday, as Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney were deemed fit enough to play.

Rooney and Ferdinand missed United's 4-0 dismantling of Bolton Wanderers over the weekend with a bruised foot and groin injury, respectively, but the English duo made the trip to Germany on Monday morning.

Sir Alex Ferguson can have no complaints after Manchester United's insipid performance in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

The Germans' deflected equaliser and subsequent injury time winner may seem cruel on paper but were just rewards for keeping Edwin Van der Sar busy throughout the ninety minutes.

Bayern Munich went goal crazy as they cemented their spot at the top of the Bundesliga with this seven goal annihilation of relegation threatened Hannover. Arjen Robben continued this fine season with a hat-trick at the Allianz Arena.

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Die Allianz Arena ist super, aber das Publikum war nicht immer super. Es ist wie bei Ajax Amsterdam und Barca. Das ist Theater-Publikum.

Louis van Gaal, Trainer des FC Bayern München, vor dem letzten Heimspiel der Saison 2009/2010 gegen den VfL Bochum.

It's that time of May again when fans of Barcelona and one of the big four English clubs get ready to support their team in the biggest match on the European club football calendar.

Only this time, they won't be playing. But that doesn't make the UEFA Champions League final any less exciting or historic.

The 2010-11 German Bundesliga begins again Friday with a more than mouth watering fixture to start a season which promises to again be one of the most competitive in Europe. The league itself is set to receive added attention stemming from the success of the German national team and various Bundesliga based players at the 2010 World Cup.

Magonza avanti tutta. Dopo il pokerissimo di vittorie (gi di per se strabiliante), serviva la conferma nella prova del fuoco a casa Bayern, in Baviera. Ed è arrivata. Infatti, Il miracoloso team di Thomas Tuchel espugna l'Allianz Arena con il risultato di 2 a 1, e soprattutto con una prova di grande forza, concedendosi il [.

Looks Suspiciously Like Tottenham's Gareth Bale....

After some of yesterday's shock results, Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim have the chance to capitalize on their rivals' mistakes. Bayern Munich host Nurnberg, and Hoffenheim host Freiburg.

Bayern Munich v Nurnberg

Bayern Munich will be boosted by the return of both Franck Ribery and Mark van Bommel, but this match will be anything but easy.

Bayern Munich continued their fine run of form with this easy win over Mainz at the Allianz Arena.

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The second day of UEFA Champions League Round of 16 action kicks off today with another pair of quality match-ups as Arsenal takes on FC Porto and Bayern Munich faces Fiorentina.

Arsenal comes into its match in Portugal with a bunch of injuries, but will still be favored to take the series.

After a weekend of exciting league fixtures that saw unexpected results in the EPL, Serie A and La Liga, our attention shifts back to the Champions League where German club Bayern Munich host Manchester United at the Allianz Arena tomorrow night in the one of the two quarter finals fixtures.

Not a moment after the magnificent victory over Bolton, the quest for a fourth Champions League trophy and third successive final gets underway. Manchester United travel to Munich and the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich in the Quarter-Finals of this years competition.

Many memories for 1999 will be brought back, incidentally the only time Manchester United have overcome the German side in Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Wes Brown and Ryan Giggs, players that will no doubt look to make it two victories in eight against Bayern.

The Champions League quarter-finals are here already? They certainly are. This evening Bayern host Man Utd to the Allianz Arena (although UEFA would prefer you say Fußball Arena München, since that particular sponsorship deal has nothing to do with them) while Lyon welcome Bordeaux to Stade de Gerland.

By FRANCO PANIZO

Some of Manchester United's fears heading into the club's Champions League quarterfinals match against Bayern Munich were eased on Monday, as Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney were deemed fit enough to play.

Rooney and Ferdinand missed United's 4-0 dismantling of Bolton Wanderers over the weekend with a bruised foot and groin injury, respectively, but the English duo made the trip to Germany on Monday morning.

Ivica Olic and Franck Ribéry celebrate after Bayern Munich scored the game-winner against Manchester United (AP)

It was 1999, in reverse at the Allianz Arena. Bayern Munich as well as Louis van Gaal were able to mildly avenge their losses to Manchester United 11 years ago. Remember, Van Gaal was the coach of Barcelona that same year and the Red Devils eliminated the Blaugrana en route to their second European title.

After last night's round of quarter final fixtures, Arsenal, Barcelona, Inter Milan and CSKA Moscow take to the pitch tonight in what is expected to be another fascinating night of football. Last night Bayern Munich beat Manchester United 2-1 at the Allianz Arena a remake of the final 11 years ago where Manchester beat Bayern with a similar score margin.

As a neutral observer, the best thing that could have happened on Tuesday night in the Champions League was for Manchester United to lose. After Wayne Rooney scored one of the easiest goals he's ever scored in the second minute at the Allianz Arena against Bayern Munich, it seemed as if this was going to be another Manchester United on cruise control performance.

Wayne Rooney will be fit for the World Cup, but will face between two and four weeks on the sidelines.

It was déj Vu as England's talisman had the whole nation shouting the words, ‘not again' as he fell to the ground clutching his ankle, in what was originally feared to be another metatarsal injury.

Manchester United and England were left fearing the worst when Wayne Rooney suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury towards the end of the 2-1 Champions League quarter-final, first leg defeat by Bayern Munich last night.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, played down the injury, saying that he did not think it was "terribly serious", but Rooney left the Allianz Arena on crutches, with his right foot in a protective plastic boot.

A quick spot check around the European leagues revealed that things are pretty tight in the EPL, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the German Bundesliga. If you thought that the title race was neck to neck in Italy then you ain't seen nothing yet. In France, the top six clubs are all in a position to win the championship with only 4 points separating Olympique Lyon the top club from the 6th placed club Olympique de Marseille.

Ducky's Note: Prashanth is back just in time to make up for the lack of Mancunian posts on this blog. However, if you thought he was going to show fellow feeling with the rest of us and go boo hoo about the last week, think again. Here's a slightly different perspective on our last two games in the famous 'squeaky bum time'.

Few people get a second chance in life. Even lesser possess the raw skill and technical ability of Dimitar Berbatov,

Putting two and two together, it means that against Bayern Munich tonight, the Bulgarian striker has yet another opportunity to shine on the big stage.

Manchester United fans, at least the rational ones, know not to expect a Lionel Messi-esque four-goal salvo from a man who looks more suited to be in a Godfather movie than on a football pitch.

Few people get a second chance in life. Even lesser possess the raw skill and technical ability of Dimitar Berbatov,

Put two and two together, it means that against Bayern Munich tonight, the Bulgarian striker has yet another opportunity to shine on the big stage.

Manchester United fans, at least the rational ones, know not to expect a Lionel Messi-esque four-goal salvo from a man who looks more suited to be in a Godfather movie than on a football pitch.

Manchester United lost to Bayern Munich in their first leg of Champions League quarter final. The score line stays 2-1 in favour of the German giants, but the tie is not over yet! United got off to a dream start as Rooney scored his 34th goal of the season just after 64 seconds. At that time it looked like the Red Devils will have an easy game at the Allianz Arena.