Goal.com examines the key numbers of this season's Champions League tournament and provides some highlights and points of information from yesteryear..."Statistics are like women; mirrors of purest virtue and truth, or like whores to use as one pleases."
Theodor Billroth
Number-crunching. Totting up. The time has come to sift through the statistics and uncover the truths, half-truths, improbabilities and implausibilities of this edition of Europe's premier competition and indeed, some gems of information from the past.
Some managers, like the legendary Valeri Lobanovsky, a semi-finalist with Dynamo Kyiv in 2002, placed huge credence in the unravelling of statistics, while others in the brethren, like Brian Clough, twice a winner with Nottingham Forest, paid little or no attention to the malleable sets of figures.
However, the numbers don't lie and the figures do indeed, add up. And we'll start with the reason all the clubs set out to compete in the first place: money.
UEFA had a pot of €585.6 million to distribute among the 32 clubs that initiated the group stage of the tournament, with each side pocketing a cool €3m before a ball was kicked. Add to that sum an additional match bonus of €400,000 and performance bonuses of up to €600,000 for a win. The 16 teams that overcame the first hurdle earned €2.2m apiece; the eight that won those ties saw their bank balances rise to the tune of €2.5m. Each semi-finalist was given €3m for taking part and the finalists themselves will earn much more than that. The losing side will earn €4m, while the winners will take home €7m as well as the trophy.
The trophy. The sixth design of the same cup. This particular trinket has been in use since 2006 and cost €6,800 to manufacture. The reason a new trophy was commissioned? Liverpool's Lazarus impression in 2005 in Istanbul earned the club their fifth European Cup/Champions League honour and in line with UEFA regulation, the Reds were permitted to keep an 'original' in their cabinet at Anfield. After Steven Gerrard spent the night spooning it, that is. Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern Munich and AC Milan are the other four clubs possessed of an original in the cupboard.
Liverpool's possession of the Real Thing is thanks in no small part to the interventions of Bob Paisley; the veteran manager oversaw three wins, 1977, 1978 and 1981, making him the only coach in the tournament's rich history to win a hat-trick of prizes.
Seeking to emulate that feat this season is Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United, who seems to be making it his life's work to knock Liverpool off their perch. The Scot was a winner in 1999 and of course, against Chelsea last season.
The Pensioners, along with Arsenal, are looking for their own slice of history this term; for one, they do not want to join Reims (1956, 1959) and Valencia (2000, 2001) in becoming the third side to appear in two finals and lose both. Also, one of the London teams could become only the sixth capital city side to lay their hands on the cup, following the successes of Real MADRID, Red Star BELGRADE, Steaua BUCHAREST, Ajax AMSTERDAM and Benfica of LISBON.
Guus Hiddink can earn a place alongside the legends of the game by becoming the third man to win the European Cup/Champions League with two different teams. Ernst Happel, of Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburger SV in 1983, and Ottmar Hitzfeld of Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2001, go ahead of the Dutchman, who achieved success with PSV Eindhoven in 1988. To have a shot at that feat, he must overcome Pep Guardiola's Barcelona. Should Barca pip Chelsea to a final spot and indeed, go all the way to a third European honour, then Guardiola will join Miguel Munoz (Real Madrid) and Carlo Ancelotti (AC Milan) as only the third individual to win the cup as a player and coach of the same club.
Chelsea and Barcelona are goalless heading into the second-leg of the semi-final; history suggests that we will not be heading for penalty kicks on Wednesday evening as no semi-final has ever ended scoreless after two legs.
Last season, Barcelona were on the receiving end of a 1-0 aggregate defeat to Manchester United. The Red Devils are still defending an unbeaten streak that incorporated those two encounters; their record-breaking run now stands at 24 games. Also, the Old Trafford team stand to become the first defending champions to reach the final since Juventus in 1997.
With three sides featuring in the semis, England will again provide at least one finalist, as they have done each year since 2005. Like last season, the gatecrashers to the Anglo love-in are Barcelona. The Premier League's dominance is such that out of the last 12 semi-finalists, nine have represented the EPL.
In contrast to that might, this season's competition saw for the first time representatives from Cyprus and Belarus; however, both Anorthosis Famagusta and BATE Borisov were eliminated at the group stage. Also making their debuts this term were CFR Cluj and UEFA Cup winners, Zenit St Petersburg.
Only one player has featured in every minute of every game this season and that honour goes to Petr Cech of Chelsea. The Czech goalkeeper has racked up 990 minutes in 11 matches, which is 90 more than John Terry. For the Blues, Nicolas Anelka has featured 11 times in the competition, though sometimes in a substitute's role.
Barcelona's Iron Men are Gerard Pique, who has played all but one match, as has Victor Valdes. Also with a decade of appearances are Xavi and Leo Messi, who have played 807 and 747 minutes respectively.
With the injuries, suspensions and other tournaments in mind, it is perhaps no surprise that utility-man John O'Shea has played more minutes than any other Manchester United performer, appearing 10 times in the process. Cristiano Ronaldo has featured in 10 matches too though. The only United man to play in all 11 ties is Wayne Rooney. The England forward has been in action for a grand total of 804 minutes.
Denilson of Arsenal has been in action for his side more often than any other. The diminutive midfielder has managed 853 minutes for his side in 10 games.
Leading the goal scoring charts is Lionel Messi with eight strikes, while club-mate Xavi heads the assists list with six - the same number as Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery. Despite his best efforts, Cristiano Ronaldo still does not merit a place at the top of either chart. However, the Portugal winger has fired 26 shots on goal and a further 18 off-target, leading both of those categories.
The most important stat of all is that only two of the four teams remaining can advance to the final in Rome.
Goal.com
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