The UEFA Champions League and Europa League Thread 2016/17

[Duty281]

First topic message reminder :

Might as well make a poll on this one...

[Atila]

Great result for Barcelona. However, did think the Suarez penalty was soft.

[nadeem2099]

-----------------------------------Trapp------------------------
------------Kimpembe-------Silva------Marquinhos---------
Aurier--------------Verratti--------Matuidi--------------------Kurzawa
--------------Di Maria----------------------------Draxler--------------
-----------------------------------Cavani------------------------------------

Is the team that Emery should have played. Rabiot was atrocious the whole game he kept giving the ball away.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Great result for Barcelona. However, did think the Suarez penalty was soft.

Barcelona needed a way back into the game and as ever the referee is more than willing to oblige, it happens almost every time they're struggling in La Liga too. That many bad decisions in one game is no coincidence.

[Ent]

The ref was shocking but a championship side could've defended better than psg.

[Crimey]

A stat from Eurosport, I have some doubts about it.

Psg completed 4 passes for, the 85th minute. 3 of them were kick offs.

I didn't believe it, then re-watched the last ten minutes and it's true. They basically gave the ball away from the kicks off for each of the goals and then couldn't keep the ball afterwards.

https://streamable.com/pvxug

[Guest]

erm......Leicester are heading to the Quarter final

[Atila]

Well done Leicester.

Didn't like Vardy's reaction to Nasri's extremely soft looking "head butt" though.

[Mad for Chelsea]

Thought Vardy was a bit of a pr#ck all night if I'm honest, a lot of "soft" falls, including one for the free-kick which led to the first goal.

Still, a marvelous result for Leicester, and massive congrats to them for that, terrific achievement

[nathan]

Well done Leicester.

Didn't like Vardy's reaction to Nasri's extremely soft looking "head butt" though.

Normally stick up for Vardy but both him and Nasri certainly deserved yellows for acting like clowns. Nasri's first yellow was a nasty one though.

[Fernando]

Jamie Vardy going down softly....Colour me shocked....

[nathan]

Thought Vardy was a bit of a pr#ck all night if I'm honest, a lot of "soft" falls, including one for the free-kick which led to the first goal.

Still, a marvelous result for Leicester, and massive congrats to them for that, terrific achievement

It was a soft fall but the defender slid through his path and didn't get the ball so was always going to be free kick.

[nathan]

Jamie Vardy going down softly....Colour me shocked....

Like so many strikers unfortunately.

[Afro]

No surprise on Vardy tbh, but he did exactly what his team needed from him. They did get through at the end of the day

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Interesting that ta allowed when it's Leicester. Scummy bunch of players, hard to be happy for them, especially as I think Shakespeare has shafted Ranieri

[Atila]

Well done Leicester.

Didn't like Vardy's reaction to Nasri's extremely soft looking "head butt" though.

Normally stick up for Vardy but both him and Nasri certainly deserved yellows for acting like clowns. Nasri's first yellow was a nasty one though.

Nasri might as well have head butted him for real seeing as how he got sent off anyway.

[Guest]

The owners were clearly right to sack Ranieri.  To be or not to be? Shakespeare is the answer.

Ndidi is now being played in the Kante role and the side look more like the team of last season.

[Guest]

Interesting that ta allowed when it's Leicester. Scummy bunch of players, hard to be happy for them, especially as I think Shakespeare has shafted Ranieri

Same here. I wanted them out.

[Atila]

Interesting that ta allowed when it's Leicester. Scummy bunch of players, hard to be happy for them, especially as I think Shakespeare has shafted Ranieri

I don't like cheating when any players does it, even when it's a Man Utd player. It's just that before the game I wanted Leicester to go through and I don't see why I should want them to lose just because of Vardy.

I hope that makes some sort of sense.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

It does, but they are still in the stage where they get less stick cos they're "just Leicester"

[Guest]

Monaco 3-1 City

6-6 agg

[Guest]

QF

Bayern Munich
Barcelona
Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid
Juventus
Borussia Dortmund
Monaco
Leicester

[Atila]

I thought the French league was supposed to be inferior to the EPL?

[Crimey]

Totally embarrassing result for Manchester City. Monaco by all accounts have been a good side this year, but having beaten them 5-3 in the first leg, there is no reason why they should be knocked out. Conceding 3 goals is terrible.

Guardiola got the tactics completely wrong, I know he said before the game that they wanted to attack but with a central defensive partnership of John Stones and Aleksander Kolarov you need more protection than just Fernandinho. I do feel some sympathy for Stones who is a young defender and needs a strong defensive partner to really shine and you can't help but feel his development as a footballer is going to be seriously affected by being paired with non-central defenders and constantly being exposed. 

Ideal Quarter Final draw for me would be:

Real Madrid vs Leicester
Barcelona vs Monaco
Juventus vs Bayern Munich
Atletico Madrid vs Borussia Dortmund

[GSC]

I expect a large summer clear out at City tbh. Way too much dead wood at that club now

[Crimey]

According to the Guardian it will be 18 players likely leaving in the summer, although that includes a couple of younger players. 

I'd suspect at the very least it's the end of:

Yaya Toure
Joe Hart
Sami Nasri
Bacary Sagna
Equilam Mangala
Willy Caballero
Wilfried Bony

Fernando
Fabien Delph
Gael Clichy
Pablo Zabaleta
Jason Denayer

They're all almost definitely gone, I wouldn't be massively surprised to see these people leave as well.

Vincent Kompany
Claudio Bravo
Aleksander Kolarov
Kelechi Iheanacho
Sergio Aguero

But that would require brining in at least 10 new players which is such a huge amount. Manchester City allowed themselves to go stale over the entire time Pellegrini was manager. 

At the very least City have got to bring in two new full backs, most likely they need to bring in four new full backs, but I'm not sure if they have any decent youth players in those positions they may want to try instead of spending big. I assume Kyle Walker and Danny Rose will be major targets, which will be a big test of Tottenham's resolve at keeping their current squad together.

Even with Gabriel Jesus coming through, if Aguero goes they have to bring in a new striker and I'm not sure the fans would be happy unless it's a very big name. Lukaku is a possibility considering his current stance at Everton, I can't see Guardiola going for Harry Kane, Antoine Griezemann would be a major target I imagine. 

A new goalkeeper surely will come in. Claudio Bravo was a big mistake, Caballero will likely leave and is probably worse than Bravo and Guardiola doesn't like Joe Hart, so a new goalkeeper to be brought in. 

A new centre back is surely likely as well, Stones seems set to be first choice, but Otamendi hasn't won Guardiola over, Kompany will likely leave or won't be trusted and then a succession of full backs playing there is not good enough. Van Djik is a strong possibility you'd have thought, maybe Americ Laporte who seems to be linked to big clubs every summer. 

Then you're looking at central midfielders as Fernandinho is going to be the only one left, Gundogan is on their books but so injury prone I'm not sure if he can be relied upon. Yaya Toure has stormed back into the side and is in form, but he's almost definitely still gone and even now he's a big name to be replaced. Mousa Dembele would be my pick for Manchester City, but there's only so many players they could buy at once from Tottenham and he's already 29. Naby Keita is the big name at the moment and he's constantly getting compared to Yaya Toure so maybe City will go like-for-like.

[Beer]

Atletico Madrid vs. Leicester

[Beer]

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid
Dortmund vs. Monaco
Juventus vs. Barca

[Crimey]

Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid and Juventus vs Barcelona are good, exciting draws and means we will see some big names leaving the competition earlier than expected. 

Atletico Madrid is probably the worst draw Leicester could have gotten as every other side would likely have played a much more open game and played it right into Leicester's hands. I can't help but think Diego Simeone is just going to set Atletico up as normal and Leicester will have no space in behind and simply be blocked out.

[Hero]

Dortmund v Monaco is the one I'm looking forward to.

[GSC]

I agree with Crimey, I think Leicester would've preferred any other team in that draw. Atletico will happily out-Leicester Leicester.

[Guest]

EL QF Draw

Anderlecht (Bel) v Manchester United (Eng)

Celta Vigo (Spa) v Genk (Bel)

Ajax (Net) v Schalke (Ger)

Lyon (Fra) v Besiktas (Tur)

[Crimey]

Manchester United have surely got to win that competition, there isn't a decent side left in it now really.

[Atila]

Ajax aren't that bad. They're second in the Dutch league right now. I wouldn't right them off at all.

[Crimey]

Ajax aren't  that bad. They're second in the Dutch league right now. I wouldn't right them off at all.

I mean second in the Dutch league is not much to right home about, the quality of that league has really dropped off of a cliff in recent years.

Manchester United should be walking the rest of this competition, they have one of the world's most successful managers, the world's most expensive player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, some of the most talented young players in the world and are probably 10 times as big as any of the clubs left in the competition.

[Guest]

It's been a particularly woeful standard in the EL this season. You can see how Sevilla managed to bag this three years in a row, you only need to assert yourself properly to the competition, something English teams just haven't done.

Zlatan going home & winning it in Stockholm, it's pretty much written already.

[Steffan]

I've applied for tickets at the Champions League final and to be a volunteer

I just hope the boys get there now whatever happens

Should beat Juventus at this stage though

[Ent]

It's been a particularly woeful standard in the EL this season. You can see how Sevilla managed to bag this three years in a row, you only need to assert yourself properly to the competition, something English teams just haven't done.

Zlatan going home & winning it in Stockholm, it's pretty much written already.

That really is very disrespectful, Sevilla won it 3 years in a row by being a very good side.

Rostov beat Bayern Munich this season, Bayern started Lahm, Boating, Badstuber, Thiago, Costa, Lewandowski, Ribery.

Anderlecht are 17 points clear of a Gent side who beat a strong spurs side.

Lyon are a good side, just beat Roma who are 2nd in serie A.

Besiktas are top of the turkish league, beat Napoli this season in CL.

It is the second tier competition, obviously not going to match the CL.

[Dolphin Ziggler]

Right or left home, no one should be writing much about the Dutch league

[Guest]

Juventus 2-0 Barcelona HT

[Crimey]

3-0 now.

Can't see Juventus defence breaking in the same way that PSG did.

[Hammersmith harrier]

The Juventus defence probably have more honour than PSG.

[Ent]

Hard to see juventus not scoring and Barcelona would need 5 in that situation.

[compelling and rich]

shame on monaco that everybodys going to blame yesterdays events for this performance, neglecting that this monaco team is a very good side

[Guest]

Dortmund 2-3 Monaco FT
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Leicester FT
Bayern 1-2 Real Madrid FT

[Crimey]

Leicester played about as well as they could have done and a 1-0 away from home result isn't too bad. They did look out of their depth though.

[nathan]

Leicester played about as well as they could have done and a 1-0 away from home result isn't too bad. They did look out of their depth though.

And it clearly was a foul outside the area so no penalty. Also a lot of the 50/50 calls went there way. It was also clear they were trying to get Vardy booked. Didn't like Simone waving imaginary cards.

Lost a lot of respect for AM tonight.

Still can't see Leicester going through but it's great they are in the quarters

[Crimey]

Leicester played about as well as they could have done and a 1-0 away from home result isn't too bad. They did look out of their depth though.

And it clearly was a foul outside the area so no penalty. Also a lot of the 50/50 calls went there way. It was also clear they were trying to get Vardy booked. Didn't like Simone waving imaginary cards.

Lost a lot of respect for AM tonight.

Think it's the difference between them being the underdog which they usually are and then last night when they were the Goliath. When they use everything they can to beat Barcelona or Real Madrid it's exciting and inspiring but those some tactics against smaller sides just looks cheap.

[GSC]

It keeps Leicester alive but can't help but think they needed something from that game even if it was just a 2-1 loss.

Atletico know that realistically with how they play, 1 goal at the KP will largely end the tie. At 2-1, Leicester being 1 smash and grab away from heading through at home would have made them think.

[Atila]

Ajax aren't  that bad. They're second in the Dutch league right now. I wouldn't right them off at all.

I mean second in the Dutch league is not much to right home about, the quality of that league has really dropped off of a cliff in recent years.

Manchester United should be walking the rest of this competition, they have one of the world's most successful managers, the world's most expensive player, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, some of the most talented young players in the world and are probably 10 times as big as any of the clubs left in the competition.

Let's wait and see. Not meaning to insult you, but your post reminds me of the typical English arrogance that we always seem to show at the major tournaments. We're always going to stuff the supposedly inferior sides like Iceland but yet we end up getting stuffed by them or don't even get out of the group stages.

Tottenham are currently a better team than United but ended up being knocked out by Gent, so I take nothing for granted with the United and the Europa League. How many times do we hear that spending money doesn't guarantee a better team but yet because United have expensive players they're supposed to 'walk' the rest of this competition. I hope you're right, but I'm not get carried away yet.

[GSC]

Leicester performed a miracle last year but scoring 3 goals against this Atletico team without conceding in one half might top it.

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