UEFA Champions & Europa League 2014-15 Season Thread

[Fernando]

All places to talk Champions & Europa League  football for this season  

Champions League Round of 16 Draw

PSG vs Chelsea
Man City vs Barcelona
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atletico Madrid
Juventus vs Dortmund
Schalke vs Real Madrid
Shaktar Donetsk vs Bayern Munich
Arsenal vs Monaco
Basel vs Porto


Arsenal - Monaco
Celtic - Inter Milan
Chelsea - PSG
Everton - Young Boys
Hull - OUT
Liverpool - OUT of CL dropped into Europa League - Besiktas
Man City - Barcelona
Man Utd - Swansea 21st February (It's about as close to European football as your getting this year) 
Tottenham - Fiorentina

[Fernando]

Besiktas Line Up:
Tolga, İsmail, Motta, Ersan, Pedro, Olcay, Veli, Necip, Oğuzhan, Mustafa, Demba Ba.
Subs:
Gonen, Kurtulus, Sivok, Töre, Koyunlu, Tosun, Boral

Arsenal Line Up:
Szczesny, Debuchy, Chambers, Koscielny, Monreal, Arteta, Wilshere, Ramsey, Alexis, Cazorla, Giroud.

Subs:
Martinez, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Bellerin, Miquel, Campbell, Flamini, Rosicky.

[Fernando]

What are you on about Juan. Im just giving fans their up to date fixtures and a lovely place to debate CL & Europa League Football  

[Hammersmith harrier]

Still keeping that forlorn hope of winning one then Nando?

[Crimey]

Demba Ba thought he was playing Fifa I see.

[Fernando]

Still keeping that forlorn hope of winning one then Nando?

Struck a nerve did i there HH    All you've done there is re-worded the annual Liverpool reply to why you no Premier League? Just get a shirt and get it over with   

[Hammersmith harrier]

Just reminding those with short memories.

[Crimey]

Giroud and Demba Ba showing their qualities there.

[Guest]

Giroud's touch & control is so bad. Big misses at the end there though from the front men. Interesting game so far, you feel Besiktas need at least a two goal advantage going into the second leg.

[Fernando]

Im fairly content they seem like a side who would crumble once a goal goes in away from home.

Everyone i put in my FF side ends up Poopie   

[compelling and rich]

cant say i have much interest in europe this season, even less when the games are as bad as this!

i'll be cheering on madrid this season purely because i have a bet on them

[Fernando]

Aaron Ramsey sent off.

Muppet. 2 cynical fouls both correct.

[The Special Juan]

Even the world's best can have an off day...

[Crimey]

Arsenal have looked poor. When Ozil is back, Wilshere has got to be dropped.

[Guest]

Wilshere is terrible, offers nothing. All he does is prance around in the middle of the park, passes two yards & then just falls on the floor holding his ankle. Average player, completely stagnated & clearly should of been dropped ages ago. He shouldn't be anywhere near the England starting XI either.

Arsenal will go through at home because, let's face it, Besiktas are average & one home goal for Arsenal will open the floodgates. Arsenal are lacking a clinical striker.....again. Wenger decides to skirt around all the issues in his side.......again. Arsenal haven't improved at all over the summer.

[compelling and rich]

typical young english player, comes through with bags of talent. thinks hes made it and sits back and relaxes and stagnates. people will blame injuries but dont think its as simple as that.

at one point looked like he could be truly world class, now no where near that

[Ent]

I can't remember wilshire every doing anything of note, he's just always been hyped massively by arsenal.

[Guest]

i've only ever seen Wilshere once 'appear' talented & dominant in a game & that was against Barcelona years ago. He's lived off that performance & because it was such a high profile game against Xavi types, people remembered it & the English media started creaming themselves & labelled him the future of English football. Since then, injury after injury, poor performance after poor performance & continues to smoke & jeopardise his career. Complete & utter stagnation in the last three or four years. He's so lucky that this country can't produce any talent, otherwise he would of been shown the door by England years ago.

[Duty281]

The Europa League is Tottenham's best hope of qualifying for the Champions League...shame they are one down in Cyprus after a quarter of an hour!

[Duty281]

Think Arsenal's lack of firepower will cost them tonight: a 1-1 draw is what I shall predict.

If Besiktas score first then it will get really difficult.

[Fernando]

You are half way there Dootie

Arsenal 1-0 Besiktas - Alexis

[mystiroakey]

I was about to say they keep over playing it. But then it worked and scored.. Wilshire instrumental . but dangerous at the back.

[Duty281]

That goal was perfectly timed, and has probably knocked the stuffing out of the Turks.

[Fernando]

That goal was perfectly timed, and has probably knocked the stuffing out of the Turks.

[mystiroakey]

Carzola looks very good tonight.

Looks stronger on the ball .

[Fernando]

Mathieu Debuchy sent off.

He tugged him but got the ball clearly.

[Fernando]

Calum Chambers coming on before the ref let him as a sub so his booked him

[NickisBHAFC]

Worrying thing is most idiotic referees in this country would of given that a foul as well. Referring is at it's very lowest at the moment. If this costs Arsenal deary me.

[mystiroakey]

Amazing game though...

[Fernando]

FT Arsenal 1-0 Besiktas

Never do anything the easy way

[compelling and rich]

debuchy was a red for me, clearly pulls him back before he slides in. he doesnt even get near the ball in that challenge if he didnt pull him back in the first place

people need to realise in this country that you can still foul someone even if you get the ball, so much nonsense spouted about this.

[Duty281]

Well done Arsenal, a good level of grit and determination to secure a way through to the group stages. A lack of firepower must be addressed if they aspire to go long in this competition, though. Besiktas only getting going in coughs and splutters, so that was slightly disappointing.

Good game for the referee as well; he is one of the better continental officials. Had a couple of big calls, the sending off and a Besiktas penalty appeal, but got them both right.

[mystiroakey]

the first was a penalty duty.

The second would have been seriously hash as wilshire just slipped and I am not even sure if he hit the player.

But the fact is they played the best they have this season and should have scored more. The players look strong and were up against a very strong(physical) side.

carzola and wilshire were really good imo..

Ba looks 100 times better for bestikas than he did at chelsea. He plays that drogba role really well- ironically!

[Fernando]

Athletic Bilbao 3-1 Napoli (agg 4 - 2)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4-0 FC Copenhagen (agg 7 - 2)
Malmö FF 3- 0 FC Red Bull Salzburg (agg 4 - 2)
Ludogorets Razgrad 1-0 Steaua Bucharest (agg 1 - 1) (Extra-time being played)

[Fernando]

Ludogorets is heading to penalties...Their GK been sent off and no sub GK so their going into a penalty shootout with an outfield player in goal

#QualityKeepingAhead

[NickisBHAFC]

Well done Arsenal, a good level of grit and determination to secure a way through to the group stages. A lack of firepower must be addressed if they aspire to go long in this competition, though. Besiktas only getting going in coughs and splutters, so that was slightly disappointing.

Good game for the referee as well; he is one of the better continental officials. Had a couple of big calls, the sending off and a Besiktas penalty appeal, but got them both right.

Needless to say this bit can be ignored.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Ludogorets is heading to penalties...Their GK been sent off and no sub GK so their going into a penalty shootout with an outfield player in goal

#QualityKeepingAhead

HERO

[Dolphin Ziggler]

TWO SAVES AND LUDOGERETS ARE THROUGH ON PENS

[Fernando]

The outfield goalkeeper has saved a penalty to win it for Ludogorets

[Nakatomi Plaza]

Brilliant stuff from Ludogorets

[Fernando]

I was expecting a Phil Jagielka style shambles of keeping turned out that's why they don't have a GK sub

[Nakatomi Plaza]

I was expecting a Phil Jagielka style shambles of keeping turned out that's why they don't have a GK sub

I remember us playing at Bramall Lane a few years ago and Jagielka kept a clean sheet after playing in goal for 20 minutes.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Football actually just peaked. Incredible scenes

[Duty281]

Well done Arsenal, a good level of grit and determination to secure a way through to the group stages. A lack of firepower must be addressed if they aspire to go long in this competition, though. Besiktas only getting going in coughs and splutters, so that was slightly disappointing.

Good game for the referee as well; he is one of the better continental officials. Had a couple of big calls, the sending off and a Besiktas penalty appeal, but got them both right.

Needless to say this bit can be ignored.

Needless to say that the below is sheer idiocy and worthy of a or two.

Worrying thing is most idiotic referees in this country would of given that a foul as well. Referring is at it's very lowest at the moment. If this costs Arsenal deary me.

[socal1976]

Well done Arsenal, a good level of grit and determination to secure a way through to the group stages. A lack of firepower must be addressed if they aspire to go long in this competition, though. Besiktas only getting going in coughs and splutters, so that was slightly disappointing.

Good game for the referee as well; he is one of the better continental officials. Had a couple of big calls, the sending off and a Besiktas penalty appeal, but got them both right.

Needless to say this bit can be ignored.

The referee had a good game? Have to agree with Nick, the ref was abysmal, the foul on Debuchy for the second yellow wasn't even a foul. The guy was card happy. Also as an arsenal fan he missed a dead on penalty in the first half that could have turned the tie. I will say this, I think this squad would have found a way to score two if we had given up an early pen. The ref was abysmal he even gave Chambers a card before the lad even stepped on the field because he trotted on too soon, I can't remember when that has happened. Everytime I see that happen the ref just tells the player to go back till he waves him in. This referee made the premier league refs of last year look like world beaters. And even the world cup refs look good in retrospect. We need better officials across the board at the higher levels of football. Part of it is replay and the camera angles that exposes all of their mistakes. I will give them that.

[socal1976]

i've only ever seen Wilshere once 'appear' talented & dominant in a game & that was against Barcelona years ago. He's lived off that performance & because it was such a high profile game against Xavi types, people remembered it & the English media started creaming themselves & labelled him the future of English football. Since then, injury after injury, poor performance after poor performance & continues to smoke & jeopardise his career. Complete & utter stagnation in the last three or four years. He's so lucky that this country can't produce any talent, otherwise he would of been shown the door by England years ago.

I have to disagree, Wilshere is a talent and a very good footballer right now. He needs to perform and deliver for the team I think he had a very good performance and created a number of chances for Sanchez. Alexis really should have given jack two assists instead of one. I think he does have to perform at a higher level this year than last couple of years. But he is still very young and has had a string of very bad injuries. You can downplay the injuries if you like but they do impact your form and damage your career. His decision making has to be better, he has to make better decisions in and around the box and work harder tracking back. Still that being said there is still a lot very right with his game. My two favorite gunners are Jack and certain welsh midfielding genius. I think just like Aaron jack will redeem himself.

[mystiroakey]

Yeah deffo pen first half socal. But you got through and you were good value for it.

Your team is coming together. Besiktas is a very decent team..Very premier league in style and very physical. Your lads got a great work out.

Good to see Wilshire and carzola really step up. And stay on there feet a lot more for once...

[mystiroakey]

Social I think johns post was based on the first tie. I doubt anyone can complain about his performance last night. He does need to keep that level up though.

[mystiroakey]

Liverpool are pot 3.

Worse case scenario?

Madrid and PSG?

[mystiroakey]

Best case

Porto and zenit..

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