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

Real look as bad as we do, how are they winning La Liga comfortably?
They got the best player in the world at the moment in Benzema and Courtois is on the best shape of his life. That's about it.
 
Mental some people put Trent and Reece James on the same level, Trent is so much better it's bordering on comical.
 
I'd say about 3 mins of football played in this first half in Munich.

Cross, cross, cross, cross, crosss...... David Moyes will be watching this with the lotion at hand.
 
I mean he clearly caught an arm to the face.

It brushed the side of his head and he was down screaming in agony clutching at his face. Until Benzema was booked. Then he was fine. Classic gamesmanship.
 
Bayern struggling. And Villarreal doing their usual time wasting antics from minute 1
One day we'll look back on the decision to wait decades to use a stop-clock and wonder what we were thinking.

No serious argument against it.
 
Is Emery going all the way?
Yeah I know, I know. They will get hammered by the scousers
 
Spanish teams really are a disgrace to football, their play acting makes a mockery of fair play and continues to stereotype that footballers are soft. I really hope he we see referees just continue the match with their players lying there until they get up themselves.

Bayern don't seem to have an idea of how to break down Villarreal. They're defending with 11 men and packing the center, Bayern forced to play out to the wings with crosses but their isn't a lot of danger with one winger, with no attacking wingback on the sides.
 
Villareal with a Mourinho masterclass in this tie. I don't think we'll score a single goal, we may still concede on the counter though.
 
They got the best player in the world at the moment in Benzema and Courtois is on the best shape of his life. That's about it.
More that La Liga is dross.

It’s the yellow submarines holding the La Liga torch now, would be amazing if they can get past Bayern.
 
Tuchel doubled down on pace being the way to beat us and so far he's right. Mind, other than the goal they haven't been dangerous at all, and the goal was kind of flukey, with werner shinning a perfect assist :lol:

If we had a better coach we'd stick camavinga and fede in midfield next to Modric with Rodrygo up top and press them to death, but we don't, so...

We still need Camavinga in there. Other than that, need ideas on how to break down their defence. We get there fairly easily most of the time but then we don't know what to do. Their defence on transition is much improved thanks to James and Kovacic so we're having to attack a low block...
 
It feels like playing Sevilla or Atletico, I hate it

It's playing a Spanish team, always happens. Barca and Real are just good enough that they don't need to resort to it, though they also do it when needed (their Clasicos in early 2010's were disgraceful).
 
Bit concerned with the lack of chances we've created. We often need to have 3 or 4 before we put it in the net. Hopefully we can create more so we have a chance to get the 2nd.
 
The match has become dangerous. Chelsea seem comfortable, well positioned. Valverde is not as good as the other day. Perhaps Camavinga in the second half and the team moving forward a bit.
 
More that La Liga is dross.

It’s the yellow submarines holding the La Liga torch now, would be amazing if they can get past Bayern.
Barca started really slow, but have improved massively under Xavi.

Villarreal it's 7th on la Liga.
 
The match has become dangerous. Chelsea seem comfortable, well positioned. Valverde is not as good as the other day. Perhaps Camavinga in the second half and the team moving forward a bit.
Their speed is shutting us down in transition, they're winning every duel, and we can't get the ball off them until our defensive third. Good news is we're mostly keeping them at bay. Bad news is it only takes one defensive failure and it's all squares. We need to score here, or at least take the game out of their hands
 
All this talk from commentators about Chelsea being excellent is hard to swallow. It feels like these pundits haven't seen a "dominant" performance in their lives.

Chelsea have been relatively poor given Real is allowing them to attack. They haven't really created anything to warrant the praise.
 
feck sake it will be Liverpool in the final I guess.

Most likely City vs Liverpool. How depressing.

Not watching that I think.
 
A bit rich to whine about gamesmanship with Bruno being Utd's best player these last few years.
 
are chelsea playing a 442? Mount is taking up an interesting position almost like it's a narrow 4312

RLC is playing a hybrid CM / RWB role. Out of possession we're defending in a 3-4-3 with RLC at RWB and James at RCB, in possession it looks like a very flexible box midfield almost - something like 4-2-2-2. Pretty clear the focus is stopping Madrid from playing out and forcing them to go long, then having extra bodies in the centre to pick up second balls. Working very well so far to stifle them even if we haven't created bucketloads.
 
All this talk from commentators about Chelsea being excellent is hard to swallow. It feels like these pundits haven't seen a "dominant" performance in their lives.

Chelsea have been relatively poor given Real is allowing them to attack. They haven't really created anything to warrant the praise.
Wait for tomorrow about liverpool from pundits. :lol:
 
One day we'll look back on the decision to wait decades to use a stop-clock and wonder what we were thinking.

No serious argument against it.
How do you account for TV scheduling and all the diving and fake/real injuries that happen and take time away from the game? If you stop the clock every time a player is down and play has to stop, we could turn a 90+ minute affair into something far longer.
 
Ancelotti needs to bring on Camavinga to give some dynamism to their OAP midfield.
 
How do you account for TV scheduling and all the diving and fake/real injuries that happen and take time away from the game? If you stop the clock every time a player is down and play has to stop, we could turn a 90+ minute affair into something far longer.
Net game time would have to be adjusted to 60 minutes for example. Other sports cope just fine with a stop clock
 
Better Bayern sides would have this tie won already, if they are to fall over the line here tonight Liverpool will have this current Bayern side beaten after the 1st leg.
I have to agree.
The sad thing is 1 or 2 months ago this team would've probably beaten them comfortably as well. But all our attackers are in their worst form all season the last few weeks.
 
Their speed is shutting us down in transition, they're winning every duel, and we can't get the ball off them until our defensive third. Good news is we're mostly keeping them at bay. Bad news is it only takes one defensive failure and it's all squares. We need to score here, or at least take the game out of their hands
the other day the duet Camavinga-Valverde gave a lot of security. It could be an idea, with Rodrygo on the right, but I'm afraid he won't change Kroos (unless not until the 0-2)