Champions League Quarter Finals (5th - 13th Apr)

NoPace

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Thought Valverde was brilliant yesterday but what do you call that position he played, defensive right winger? Dirk Kuyt role?
Wing back when defending, right midfield when they had the ball?

He was very good, but there were a couple moments when Carvajal was playing inside and him out wide where I thought "if Madrid kept Hakimi they'd have another one on the break"
 

NoPace

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One problem with Bayern Munich is that they are too used to playing crap in the Bundesliga this season. The second-best team got smashed by the second-best team in Scotland. Says it all, to be honest.
I think the bigger issue was that they bought Sabitzer and Roca and don't play either and Musiala looked like a 19 year old #10 playing in a 2 man midfield away from home, against veterans in Capoue and Parejo.

Also Lewandowski was totally anonymous against a good defender who's not a great athlete in Torres and a 36 year old Raul Albiol. As great a player as he is, I'm not sure he's quite as clever at finding a way to influence a game when his plan A and B are blocked as his peers like Suarez and Benzema are/were.
 

TenonTen

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Also Lewandowski was totally anonymous against a good defender who's not a great athlete in Torres and a 36 year old Raul Albiol. As great a player as he is, I'm not sure he's quite as clever at finding a way to influence a game when his plan A and B are blocked as his peers like Suarez and Benzema are/were.
Was playing with bruised ribs.

Oh and people also said the same after Salzburg first leg. He ended up scoring a hattrick and an assist in the second leg.

Typical reactionary drivel.
 

NoPace

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Was playing with bruised ribs.

Oh and people also said the same after Salzburg first leg. He ended up scoring a hattrick and an assist in the second leg.

Typical reactionary drivel.
I don't think it's unfair to say that even at his peak, he (and Aguero) are more likely to struggle in games without service compared to Suarez and Benzema.
 

Wolf1992

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I think the bigger issue was that they bought Sabitzer and Roca and don't play either and Musiala looked like a 19 year old #10 playing in a 2 man midfield away from home, against veterans in Capoue and Parejo.

Also Lewandowski was totally anonymous against a good defender who's not a great athlete in Torres and a 36 year old Raul Albiol. As great a player as he is, I'm not sure he's quite as clever at finding a way to influence a game when his plan A and B are blocked as his peers like Suarez and Benzema are/were.
Tbf Suarez has had his stinkers in the UCL just like the one Lewandowski had yesterday, especially playing away with Barcelona.
He was utterly rubbish against Roma away(2017-2018) ,PSG away(2016-2017), Liverpool away(2018-2019), Juventus in both legs(2016-2017) and Bayern in both legs (2019-2020).

I rate Suarez slightly higher than Lewandowski, but let's not change history and talk as if he was a world beater in all UCL knock out stages he played in.There is a reason Barca got ride of him.
His last world class performance in the UCL was in 2015-2016 season under Luis Enrique.
 

NoPace

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Tbf Suarez has had his stinkers in the UCL just like the one Lewandowski had yesterday, especially playing away with Barcelona.
He was utterly rubbish against Roma away(2017-2018) ,PSG away(2016-2017), Liverpool away(2018-2019), Juventus in both legs(2016-2017) and Bayern in both legs (2019-2020).

I rate Suarez slightly higher than Lewandowski, but let's not change history and talk as if he was a world beater in all UCL knock out stages he played in.There is a reason Barca got ride of him.
His last world class performance in the UCL was in 2015-2016 season under Luis Enrique.
I'm not even saying I rate Suarez over Lewandowski, just that if you told me my team was about to get outplayed over 90 minutes, I'd prefer to have peak Suarez up top over peak Lewandowski.
 

Biggins

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I'm not even saying I rate Suarez over Lewandowski, just that if you told me my team was about to get outplayed over 90 minutes, I'd prefer to have peak Suarez up top over peak Lewandowski.
Lewy plays for Polish NT so he is used to lack of service and usually bails Polish NT out. In the end, he is a human and will have weaker games like yesterday.
 

WeePat

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That Chelsea Real game was so entertaining. High level football at its best.
I've seen several people say this, but when your team is in a game like that it's hard to appreciate the entertainment value. I didn't feel we played particularly well. We downright terrible in the first half.
 

WeePat

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Kante was terrible again, hooked at half time. Funny how his stinkers get no attention.
To be fair, he apparently broke his fast minutes before kickoff, so that may have impacted him. He was bad though.
 

christinaa

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Your're being very naive as if a team like Liverpool are doing it then every top club in Europe are too.

You are also being naive to think that the only way a team can operate to a high level is by taking drugs.

I'm not really denying the existence of PED use as much as saying that your evidence for it is weak.

Why would other teams stand by (especially teams with huge financial advantages over them) and allow them to juice while they stay clean?

I don't look at Thiago and think "wow he's juiced to the gills", I think "Wow that's a very talented , technically gifted midfielder who has seen/ done it all. United should buy someone like him.to replace McTominay, who can't pass a football to save his life".

Unless you are accusing Konate of it because even then I'd say he would have to be drunk rather than on PEDs to make that mistake for Benficas goal.

I just think it's a very easy accusation to throw around that requires no evidence beyond "Look at his face!" and I think it discredits all the good work that Klopp* has done over 5/6 years to get the team playing consistently to a high level (Coaching/ recruitment etc).

I think if you ever want to have your team respected you should give credit it where it's due and with the fact you have just appointed a "Club building manager" you should soon see performances that include a passion and desire that have been absent (outside Bruno) for a couple of years (if not nearly a decade).

Liverpool weren't even very good the other night and certainly didn't do anything that made me suspect drug use.

Unless of course you can point me to the PED that allows Trent to play that pass?

I'm guessing you are hoping that EtH brings his world class chemist/ laboratory with him so that United can dope effectively next year?

Or is only your rivals that are on drugs when they get more than the sum of a teams parts?

*I could write pretty much the same stuff for Peps City team too.
You wrote such a load of stuff and forget that i wrote the magic word = 'could' ???

These 'Pool fans come here and we have to listen their crap.
 

RacingClub

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You wrote such a load of stuff and forget that i wrote the magic word = 'could' ???
I was actually replying to this:

You're being very naive as these things do happen in football.
You said I was being naive so I responded to your accusation of naivety because I don't agree with you.

It could be drugs .. it could be magic either .. maybe witchcraft? Have you heard any vodoo priests hanging around their training ground? How do they keep winning those 50/50s? Maybe they are controlling the long passes using telekinesis?


These 'Pool fans come here and we have to listen their crap.
You don't have to reply to it with worse crap.

It just comes across as small time.
 

TheMagicFoolBus

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Thought Valverde was brilliant yesterday but what do you call that position he played, defensive right winger? Dirk Kuyt role?
Davebuster
He was almost a false winger - his dropping into midfield pulled Azpilicueta centrally, which made our 3 CBs shuffle across to cover and that left Vinicius huge amounts of space. He was absolutely brilliant as well - really did a great job of varying his movement and being consistently threatening. Think he had one offside that was pretty poor but beyond that didn't put a foot wrong for me.

Personally I thought Azpilicueta was a huge liability - obviously not all his fault since he hasn't played consistently on the left since his physical peak (and even then much less was asked of him given Mourinho was manager at the time), but he caused us huge issues both in and out of possession. Given the alternatives (or lack thereof) in our squad, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say Chilwell was the player we could least afford to lose to long-term injury, alas.
 

christinaa

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I was actually replying to this:



You said I was being naive so I responded to your accusation of naivety because I don't agree with you.

It could be drugs .. it could be magic either .. maybe witchcraft? Have you heard any vodoo priests hanging around their training ground? How do they keep winning those 50/50s? Maybe they are controlling the long passes using telekinesis?




You don't have to reply to it with worse crap.

It just comes across as small time.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Yawn
 

GatoLoco

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Kante was terrible again, hooked at half time. Funny how his stinkers get no attention.
I have to watch the game again but I read some analysis saying Carlo instructed Kroos to start plays from left back position so Kante was not really comfortable deciding whether he should press him or not.

If someone who actually knows football (unlike me) could confirm this, it would be interesting to know if this was the case and whether this was a factor for Kante not being as influential as he has been in other ocassions.
 

TheMagicFoolBus

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I have to watch the game again but I read some analysis saying Carlo instructed Kroos to start plays from left back position so Kante was not really comfortable deciding whether he should press him or not.

If someone who actually knows football (unlike me) could confirm this, it would be interesting to know if this was the case and whether this was a factor for Kante not being as influential as he has been in other ocassions.
Actually you did that last year as well - Kroos was regularly dropping into the left back zone. Biggest difference was that Vinicius has gone up several levels this year and was absolutely destroying Christensen 1v1 - so Kante was stuck in no man's land in deciding whether to press high or try to cut off the passes to Vinicius.

Benzema's drifting out to our left and ability to hold the ball up from Kroos long balls was key - and you were far better on second balls in that zone with Valverde and Modric both around. All in all it meant our line had to shuffle across to the left and that left Christensen even more out to dry.
 

Zlatan Ibrahomovic

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I've seen several people say this, but when your team is in a game like that it's hard to appreciate the entertainment value. I didn't feel we played particularly well. We downright terrible in the first half.
Understandable. But your team is really great. Could easiliy have been 3-3.
 

WeePat

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Start Kovacic and Kante in the middle and Mount, Havertz and Werner up top and let's run at these feckers.
 

Rajiztar

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Start Kovacic and Kante in the middle and Mount, Havertz and Werner up top and let's run at these feckers.
Madrid won't come out since they have two goal lead to consolidate. It's upto us to create. Real madrid will get a challenging game from blues and believe we can win the game and tie.0-3 is my prediction in favour of blues.
 

BayernFan87

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Please play good tonight, please play good tonight, please play good tonight *fingers crossed*

I'm excpeting a more physical Bayern side tonight. We really lacked intensity in the first match. But the lineup will also be a bit different i reckon. I guess Goretzka will start instead of Musiala and maybe even Sabitzer instead of Sané/Gnabry. Sabitzer was heavily praised by Nagelsmann after the match against Augsburg on saturday. In the interview post match he said that against a team like Villareal you sometimes have to overwhelm them with your power.

There are the 2 options I expect.

1.) 4-2-3-1 with Sabitzer starting on the left (with him and Coman changing sides ocassionally)

----------------Lewy--------------
Sabitzer--Müller--Coman
----Kimmich--Goretzka---
Davies-Lucas-Upa-Pavard


2.) 3-4-2-1 with Sané
----------------------Lewy------------------------
--------------Sané-------Müller--------------
Davies-Kimmich-Goretzka-Coman
---------Lucas----Upa----Pavard----------
 

Dave Smith

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Think Chelsea are in a tight spot. I think the game will be decided in the first 30 mins. If Chelsea do not get a goal in that time, expect them to be picked off on the counter attack.
 

WeePat

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Think Chelsea are in a tight spot. I think the game will be decided in the first 30 mins. If Chelsea do not get a goal in that time, expect them to be picked off on the counter attack.
We need to score the first goal. It's as simple as that. We've come back from 3-1 first leg deficits before vs Napoli in 2012 and PSG in 2014 and both times we scored first around the half hour mark.

We were obviously aided by the away goal rule in 2014 and needed extra time to finish the job in 2012, but I think if we score early tonight it could make them nervous as feck for the rest of the game.
 

Dave Smith

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We need to score the first goal. It's as simple as that. We've come back from 3-1 first leg deficits before vs Napoli in 2012 and PSG in 2014 and both times we scored first around the half hour mark.

We were obviously aided by the away goal rule in 2014 and needed extra time to finish the job in 2012, but I think if we score early tonight it could make them nervous as feck for the rest of the game.
Agreed. I don't think Chelsea are dead because as bad as they were last week, without a Mendy brainfart and if someone other than Lukaku got that awful header, it could've been 2-2. The issue now of course is it is 3-1 and danger Real cause on the counter. That is why I think an early goal is so important as it will allow your lot to not have to push too much and open yourselves up for the counter.
 

carvajal

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I am quite optimistic waiting to see what tactical trick Tuchel comes up with.
In any case, I see Madrid capable of scoring at least one goal in addition to a supposed extra time at home.
I guess Carletto will repeat the team, the only change is Nacho for Militao. There could be weakness and Carvajal, who plays a very good game one day and is a disaster the next.
 

RG77

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I am quite optimistic waiting to see what tactical trick Tuchel comes up with.
In any case, I see Madrid capable of scoring at least one goal in addition to a supposed extra time at home.
I guess Carletto will repeat the team, the only change is Nacho for Militao. There could be weakness and Carvajal, who plays a very good game one day and is a disaster the next.
Owh God Carva gonna give away another penalty isn’t he?
 

youmeletsfly

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I am quite optimistic waiting to see what tactical trick Tuchel comes up with.
In any case, I see Madrid capable of scoring at least one goal in addition to a supposed extra time at home.
I guess Carletto will repeat the team, the only change is Nacho for Militao. There could be weakness and Carvajal, who plays a very good game one day and is a disaster the next.
I think Vasquez will go in for Carvajal.
 

kaiser1

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Please play good tonight, please play good tonight, please play good tonight *fingers crossed*

I'm excpeting a more physical Bayern side tonight. We really lacked intensity in the first match. But the lineup will also be a bit different i reckon. I guess Goretzka will start instead of Musiala and maybe even Sabitzer instead of Sané/Gnabry. Sabitzer was heavily praised by Nagelsmann after the match against Augsburg on saturday. In the interview post match he said that against a team like Villareal you sometimes have to overwhelm them with your power.

There are the 2 options I expect.

1.) 4-2-3-1 with Sabitzer starting on the left (with him and Coman changing sides ocassionally)

----------------Lewy--------------
Sabitzer--Müller--Coman
----Kimmich--Goretzka---
Davies-Lucas-Upa-Pavard


2.) 3-4-2-1 with Sané
----------------------Lewy------------------------
--------------Sané-------Müller--------------
Davies-Kimmich-Goretzka-Coman
---------Lucas----Upa----Pavard----------
Option 2 in a 4231 Is what I will do. Sucks that Sule is injured, I would have dropped Upa
 

do.ob

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That's a fun lineup. Will make for an entertaining game and an entertaining meltdown, if they don't win.
 

Dancfc

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They are treating the tie like a kick about in the park! Not even bothered about keeping it hush. Cheeky
Jokes aside I'm strangely confident for this.

Last time we faced a similar deficit from the home game (Bayern) I knew it was done, this time i really feel we could do this, not sure why maybe Carlo's history of blowing big leads, all be it nearly two decades ago.

I'm going to look a genius or an idiot in 2/3 hours time but I really don't feel this is over.
 

TheReligion

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Jokes aside I'm strangely confident for this.

Last time we faced a similar deficit from the home game (Bayern) I knew it was done, this time i really feel we could do this, not sure why maybe Carlo's history of blowing big leads, all be it nearly two decades ago.

I'm going to look a genius or an idiot in 2/3 hours time but I really don't feel this is over.
You’ve nothing to lose and should just take it to them

i get what you mean

early goal for you and game on!
 

Gringo

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Chelsea can afford to keep it tight, don't see the need to go guns blazing from the off. 1 goal and Madrid will get nervy.