UEFA Champions & Europa League 2014-15 Season Thread

[Guest]

First topic message reminder :

Messi is no Harry Kane.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Simeone has got to be the successor to Mourinho

[Hammersmith harrier]

I take back my comments about Chelsea, Atletico and Juventus both outdid them with the most negative football possibly. Wasn't a red card though.

[nadeem2099]

GET IN THERE CHICARITO! We absolutely deserved to go through to the semi finals. The red card was bound to happen sooner or later with the amount of fouls atletico were committing but Simeone balled up his Subs which cost them.

[Guest]

Don't know why some of you are surprised by these tactics, especially in knockout football over two legs, it just invites negative football. Atletico have always played like this & had success, so was never going to be any different. It was a boring tie, Real deserved to go through though & with players coming back are a better option than Atletico going forward, in terms of a spectacle in the semi.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Surprised? No, just commenting.

Think it was a red, daft challenge to make and you get booked for them more times than not.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Henry is a clown, the comment he made about Hernandez were ridiculous, I thought Ronaldo and Rodriguez were in the wrong celebrating on their own.

[Guest]

He's a useless addition & Sky are already making cutbacks because they've massively overspent on PL football & hiring people like Henry & Beckham, who don't do anything.

All I remember him mumbling last night was, in response to Jeff Stelling asking him about Hernandez' goal, was, 'it, it....it twas Ron, Ronaldo's goal, non? Amazzzzzzzing fr, fr, from Cristiano'.

Thanks Theirry, spend that £3m well they are giving you this year for that analysis.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Ronaldo is a brilliant player but the guys a class A prat, I always found the 08 final telling when he ran off himself like he'd won the game whilst the majority ran straight to EVDS.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Don't know why some of you are surprised by these tactics, especially in knockout football over two legs, it just invites negative football. Atletico have always played like this & had success, so was never going to be any different. It was a boring tie, Real deserved to go through though & with players coming back are a better option than Atletico going forward, in terms of a spectacle in the semi.

Watched both games simultaneously and Juventus were even worse, the most statistic in that game was that at the hour mark Pirlo had completed only 20 of his 32 attempted passes. There midfield five was pushed right back, the average player position though showed bloody ridiculous organisation, you usually get players here, there and everywhere but it was two flat lines separated by equal distances. Awful to watch and a reason why the Champions League barely interests me now that the English teams have fallen off.

[Stella]

What is Henry on?

Celebrating a last minute goal in such an important game is all instinct. I'm sure Hernandez thanked Ronaldo once the euphoria had gone.

[monty junior]

Agreed Henry adds absolutely nothing, i'd much rather someone like Clarence Seedorf, an extremely intelligent man and interesting to listen to. Is Henry really on 3 million? that is scandalous! The only one i genuinely like is Jamie Redknapp. 

As for Juve they were always going to be like that, Monaco have little attacking threat and Juve had the best defense in Europe. They really lack the dynamism of Pogba are Pirlo slows the game up to much at his age, a shame he'll probably miss both legs of the semi. 

If nothing else we can't get any bad ties on paper, 4 of the biggest club teams in the world.

[nadeem2099]

Barca vs Bayern
Real vs Juve

The best draw we could have got. A Juve without Pogba is a different kettle of fish as he is their best player ahead of Tevez and Pirlo of course. Is he missing both legs?

[Guest]

I would of preferred a one off final between Bayern & Barcelona, in all honesty.

Juve will sit deep, reduce the space for Ronaldo/Bale, ruin the games & hope for a 1-0 or something. Think Pogba is at least another four weeks out, so doubt he will make this tie.

[Crimey]

Yeah I was hoping for Barca/Bayern final. Seems likely we'll get El Classico. Bayern have shown a lot of vulnerabilities recently, even if they did smash Porto on the return leg whereas for months Barcelona have been crazy good. It'll be all about containing Neymar, Messi and Suarez. I'm not sure there has even been a more dangerous front three in football, the fact that you never know which one will be where, Suarez on his own was too much for Premier League defences, Messi is the world's best player and if Neymar was playing for anybody but Barcelona he'd be considered the main danger of the side. Munich's defence on the other hand is really week. I don't rate Jerome Boateng and with the constant shuffling and lack of structure if they're not dominating I can see Bayern struggling.

[Duty281]

Come on Juventus.

Anyone but those embarrassing Spanish "football" teams.

[Guest]

The recent El clasico's have become repetitive & pretty boring, with the play acting etc, imagine it will be even worse in a final with more on the line.

[kingraf]

Can't see Bayern losing to Barca over two legs.

[Stella]

I'll take Barca vs Madrid.

Juventus are your trademark Italian side, ie no fun to watch. madrid - barca might get cynical but they can both entertain.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Juventus are the lesser of four evils, there's nothing entertaining seeing two Spanish teams prance and dive about.

[Stella]

Juventus are the lesser of four evils, there's nothing entertaining seeing two Spanish teams prance and dive about.

They may surprise us.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Pigs also might fly Stella.

[Stella]

Pigs also might fly Stella.

Ever since I watched a half decent Liverpool team come back from 3 down against a very good Milan side, and win, I've known anything in sport is possible.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Pigs also might fly Stella.

Ever since I watched a half decent Liverpool team come back from 3 down against a very good Milan side, and win, I've known anything in sport is possible.

That divers do prosper?

[GSC]

Fancy Juve to sneak past Real. Don't think they're a particularly coherant side at present

[kingraf]

Not coherent at all. But, and this not just the fan in me speaking, I think we've got too much firepower. We only need to click for spurts of the tie, and I think we'll get through. If we click for both matches, we'll walk it. La Donce is on.

Ball possession will be key in the battle of the tika takas. If Bayern have parity, or even boss it, they are going to smash Barca. Barcelona can't defend to save their lives and jump into tackles in twos hoping one of them could make it out with the ball.

[nadeem2099]

Not coherent at all. But, and this not just the fan in me speaking, I think we've got too much firepower.  We only need to click for spurts of the tie, and I think we'll get through. If we click for both matches, we'll walk it. La Donce is on.

Ball possession will be key in the battle of the tika takas. If Bayern have parity, or even boss it, they are going to smash Barca. Barcelona can't defend to save their lives and jump into tackles in twos hoping one of them could make it out with the ball.

True. Although we have some pretty tough fixtures before Juve and hopefully no one else gets injured. Sevilla away could potentially put us out of the title race but I personally want Un-Decima more than la liga.

[Guest]

Ball possession will be key in the battle of the tika takas

I think Barca have changed from two years ago, they'd be happy to counter all night, on an ageing Alonso & a shoddy Boateng, Dante or Badstuber. This Bayern side is nowhere near the level two years ago in my opinion.

[monty junior]

I know the Juve fans are happy with the draw too, they sides played each other in last season's group stages where Real were better and more confident,whilst Juve were worse than now. The only difference over the two games was Ronaldo going down like he had been shot to get Chiellini a straight red for next to nothing. 

Hoping for a Bayern v Juve final, Juve have much to prove as Bayern won comfortably in 2009 and 2013.

[monty junior]

Ball possession will be key in the battle of the tika takas

I think Barca have changed from two years ago, they'd be happy to counter all night, on an ageing Alonso & a shoddy Boateng, Dante or Badstuber. This Bayern side is nowhere near the level two years ago in my opinion.

Javi Martinez is just back to fitness so there's a decent chance he'll play, preferably with Badstuber as he's the best pure defender. Boateng the most athletic and Dante well...best haircut?! 

[kingraf]

Watching this Bayern side week in week out, think their peak performance output is levels above anything Jupp coaxed out. When Pep gets it right, they've slipped into that magical seventh gear only the really great teams have, and taken teams, decent enough teams, to the slaughterhouse. They are also capable of more baffling Dips, however. Whether this is due to an ageing squad, or the game plan invariably taking so much out of them that they aren't always 100%, is irrelevant. They can come apart come match day. I take your comment, about Barca improving defensively, but but Real shipped three past them in the first Clasico, and had it not been for a marginal off side, and the woodwork... we could have put four past them in the last one. I'm honestly not convinced they've gotten better at actually defending. Iniesta had a godly game this week, and if he plays like that again... I won't mind a Barça win.

[Guest]

See Schweinsteiger basically ousted now at Bayern. Can see Schweisteiger at Old Trafford this summer, LVG needs a back up or challenger to Carrick for next season, if fit, you don't get a better signing.

[Crimey]

Pretty sure Badstuber is out until next season.

Both Barca and Munich have really poor defences. We might see a total switch depending on who is at home, so at Nou Camp Barca have all the possession and at Allianz Munich will do. I think the front three of Messi, Suarez and Neymar will be the difference though. Bayern's attacking players are great and effective but do they compare? I don't think so.

[Hero]

Badstuber doesn't get much luck does he, hats off to him though that he keeps battling back and every time he does fights his way back to the starting xi.

[James_182]

'Juventus are your trademark Italian side, ie no fun to watch'

I presume you don't watch much of Juventus or Italian football for that matter then?

Lazio, Fiorentina, Napoli, Roma and Juve all play expansive attacking football, and all will be in Europe next season for you to see. Hopefully this will stop the lazy stereotyping...

[Hammersmith harrier]

You didn't watch the games against Monaco where they were the epitome of a stereotypical Italian side, was anything but expansive attacking football, what you do in domestic football doesn't matter come the champions league.

[James_182]

At the end of the day, they did what they had to do to go through and succeeded.

Pogba out injured does not help the attacking play either.

The statement 'Juventus are your trademark Italian side, ie no fun to watch' was a stereotypical sweeping statement which for the best course of this season is untrue.

You didn't watch the games against Dortmud??

[Hammersmith harrier]

At the end of the James they stunk against Monaco and they will play exactly the same way in both games against Real Madrid, ultimately that is all people look at and will draw conclusions from there.

[kingraf]

Think Roma play the best brand of the Italian sides. Not to enthused with Juve, but I don't like them as a rule. I see that Bayern are generally better than evens to win the tie. Will definitely put some money there.

[James_182]

Montella's Fiorentina are a joy to watch, as are Lazio this season under Pioli.

I guess I am just trying to make a point, that watching one or two games, is not enough to brand an entire league as 'no fun to watch'. Its an outdated and tired stereotype, and more clubs in Italy are trying to play a more attractive brand of football.

I admit Milan and Inter are a bore on the eye, but they are in major transition at the moment, and whilst they are, there spaces are being taken by the likes of Roma and Napoli in playing European football with a decent attacking brand.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I've never enjoyed an Italian side, even the great ones of a few years back, more than that spell Udinese had with quality players. Napoli have long been a joy to watch too.

[monty junior]

See Schweinsteiger basically ousted now at Bayern. Can see Schweisteiger at Old Trafford this summer, LVG needs a back up or challenger to Carrick for next season, if fit, you don't get a better signing.

The day a player like Schweinsteiger would accept being a back up to Michael Carrick ...

[monty junior]

Think Roma play the best brand of the Italian sides. Not to enthused with Juve, but I don't like them as a rule. I see that Bayern are generally better than evens to win the tie. Will definitely put some money there.

They did last season but with Strootman missing the whole season and some poor signing's for big money like Iturbe and Doumbia they have went backwards. They have became very predictable in recent months and got absolutely thumped by Fiorentina in the EL. Outside of Juve then top 6 in Italy play pretty attractive football. 

But Juventus will play much better and offensively against Real, Monaco are very difficult to break down and they were in a position they hadn't been in many years. Even though i'm an Inter fan and we are horrible and just seem to have no plan moving forward i'm pleased Serie A is doing well in Europe again. Would be great to get back to what it was like in he 90s some day.

[monty junior]

I've never enjoyed an Italian side, even the great ones of a few years back, more than that spell Udinese had with quality players. Napoli have long been a joy to watch too.

The Milan side from 2003-2007 played some great football but each to their own.

[Guest]

See Schweinsteiger basically ousted now at Bayern. Can see Schweisteiger at Old Trafford this summer, LVG needs a back up or challenger to Carrick for next season, if fit, you don't get a better signing.

The day a player like Schweinsteiger would accept being a back up to Michael Carrick ...

You obviously can't read the 'challenger' to Carrick part. Bastian can't even stay fit for three or four games on the bounce, stop living five years ago, Pep has realised his physical limitations now, bout time others did too. All the media stating in Germany, that Bastian has fallen down the pecking order & need to leave this summer.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

I've never enjoyed an Italian side, even the great ones of a few years back, more than that spell Udinese had with quality players. Napoli have long been a joy to watch too.

The Milan side from 2003-2007 played some great football but each to their own.

Note the commas. Never enjoyed commas section more than Udinese in that spell.

[nadeem2099]

Robben out injured for the rest of the season. Its gonna be even harder for them to get past Barca now.

[Guest]

I know Barcelona have been very good this season, but do feel they look like being very lucky in terms of facing opponents at their weakest phases during this campaign. PSG had no Zlatan, Verrati or silva in first leg & were a mess over both ties & now Bayern look like they will be missing key players too & not playing anywhere near to levels previously seen. Think Barca will stroll to the champions league this year.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Carlo the unfashionable is gonna retain.

[nadeem2099]

Yeah that could go against them in the final if they make it. Sure every Barca fan will be licking their lips at the thought of playing a Bayern team without their two best players (i think Lewandowski is out too) but if they steamroll past them than they could get a bit complacent in the final. Its like the exact opposite of whats happening to Real. We got a lit of injuries but we're scraping through and playing against tough opponents who are motivated to beat the defending champions.

[Guest]

Juventus: Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra, Marchisio, Pirlo, Sturaro, Vidal, Tevez, Morata

Real Madrid: Casillas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Pepe, Kroos, Isco, James, Bale, Ronaldo

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