Champions League Quarter Finals (3rd - 11th April)

Bayern supporter here. I still would be glad if we got Pool. We know Klopp very well, i don't think Pools team is all that strong (i mean: Karius/Mainz, Firminho/Hoffenheim, Matip/Schalke - losing to Bayern is in their DNA xD), and we tend to suck against defensive minded italian teams. Obviously don't want to face Madrid.

But let's get the job done tonight first. I don't believe that tie tie is home and dry yet.

Liverpool supporter here (respectfully on the United site.. and because its a good site) - but not for you pal. If you think Firmino is poor, you're there for the taking. Fool. (Matip is out for the rest of the season).
 
Liverpool run 120km in the first leg vs City, Roma run 107 km vs Barca. Liverpool will outrun and tonk them. Roma are far less mobile than City and City are better at withstanding intense pressing. I hope Liverpool draw Ronaldo. He will punish them big time.
 


No Dave? Send this muppet crying into retirement tonight will you Ronnie.

Welcome to modern football.
A world where ball playing is more important than actual defending skills for a defender.
A world where distribution is more important than actual shot stopping skills for a GK.
 
Buffon's naming keepers who have done well in CL and/or internationally, the chances of him having the time to watch all 5 players he's named is zero let alone other keepers.
 
Buffon's naming keepers who have done well in CL and/or internationally, the chances of him having the time to watch all 5 players he's named is zero let alone other keepers.
Ederson still don't make sense. Hardly close to top tier with his performance with Benfica. With performance for City is a huge stretch. He is not even Brazil indisputable no 1...
 
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Ederson still don't make sense. Hardly close to top tier with his performance with Benfica. With City is a stretch. He is not even Brazil indisputable no 1...
Ederson's part of the team that looks to be breaking records and has gained a lot of applause throughout the season. I wouldn't take his ratings seriously, he's got no chance of watching the 5 keepers he's mentioned regularly let alone other keepers.
 
Buffon's naming keepers who have done well in CL and/or internationally, the chances of him having the time to watch all 5 players he's named is zero let alone other keepers.
Given this is Buffon, he probably does watch a lot of football

Not at all for gambling purposes, obviously.......:rolleyes:
 
Ederson's part of the team that looks to be breaking records and has gained a lot of applause throughout the season. I wouldn't take his ratings seriously, he's got no chance of watching the 5 keepers he's mentioned regularly let alone other keepers.
I don't disagree on the part of footballer don't watch their peers on regularly basis. I just pointed out your point regarding Ederson caught the eyes of Buffon going by CL & international football is far fetched.

If you are a top side those attributes are more important

Is desired, but not more important than actually the positions' requirement.
 
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I don't disagree on the part of footballer don't watch their peers on regularly basis. I just pointed out your point regarding Ederson caught the eyes of Buffon going by CL & international football is far fetched
Yeah, Ederson is the odd one out in regards to CL and international admittedly but a lot of people have had City as the best team in Europe this season before last week so he gets a pass.
 
Anyone seen much of Roma? @giorno?

What do you think about a semi final between Roma and Liverpool and who will come out on top?
 
Would have rooted for City if we lost to you. The only teams I wouldn't root for in Europe really are united,Chelsea, and Everton.

Being honest, after City, I'll support any english team in the competition even United (in spite of Jose). I'm a City fan, but if you guys win the CL I can say, we drew 9-9 on aggregate over the season lol.
 
Anyone seen much of Roma? @giorno?

What do you think about a semi final between Roma and Liverpool and who will come out on top?
Liverpool are better, but it's close and Roma should match up well with them in many ways. If it was Milan instead of Roma i'd probably have them as the slight favourite. As it stands, 55/60-45/40 Liverpool i reckon

Have to say if Roma can run as much as Liverpool, they will go through
 
Liverpool supporter here (respectfully on the United site.. and because its a good site) - but not for you pal. If you think Firmino is poor, you're there for the taking. Fool. (Matip is out for the rest of the season).
:lol::lol::lol:
 
Liverpool are better, but it's close and Roma should match up well with them in many ways. If it was Milan instead of Roma i'd probably have them as the slight favourite. As it stands, 55/60-45/40 Liverpool i reckon

Have to say if Roma can run as much as Liverpool, they will go through
Cheers! Can you also give a short insight into Roma's playing style?
 
Cheers! Can you also give a short insight into Roma's playing style?
Basically very similar to what Conte wants to do with Chelsea.

Without the ball, press to either win or force error. Also try to cut opposition formation both vertical and horizontal so their defensive unit have less runners, isolated attackers to deal with. 3 at the back provides them enough bodies to deal with counter attack.

With ball, the wing backs are the provider of width. Proper hold up play expected from the forward.

There are some different pattern in play. For example, Schick can play up front and make it 2 forward system while with Hazard it's not coming close to that effect despite Hazard was given the freedom from tracking back deep. Last season Salah did role similar to Hazard. Roma can switch to play direct long ball toward Schick instead if being transparent going just after their main forward in Dzeko. And then Naingolan is more a threat than Kante (Kante's role partner with Matic last season). They're less reliant on build attack by wining possession up the pitch or rely on certain players to build up play from deep. Naingolan can build attack himself, and has goal in him.
 
Buffon's naming keepers who have done well in CL and/or internationally, the chances of him having the time to watch all 5 players he's named is zero let alone other keepers.

Agreed. Too much sensationalizing comments like that. Buffon is a top guy and Dave is the best keeper in the world!
 
CL knockout stages are the pinnacle of football and very entertaining for the general public. We may argue leagues are a fairer representation of strength & depth every given year but sport at its best involves much more than that.

I think we're agreeing, no?

I'm really making the basic point that our English clubs once they have 'big' CL result are always overpraised by pundits but are treated more realistically by fans.

There's a huge disconnect there, as if Real and Bayern will be quaking in their boots if they met Liverpool (or United, in their current guise, if they'd qualified).

Ambushes await - but it's usually the wide-eyed pundit who fails to see them. Fans can see them coming a mile off.
 

As expected because of the weekend formation. Heynckes promised Robben his start already last week in the aftermatch press conference. The only thing open was James or Thiago. Alaba just started again after injury problems and is not even on the bench today - too early.

I think they want to circumplay the pressing - over the wings or with long balls to Lewy/Müller.
 
Hope that formation isn't too attacking and enables Sevilla to hit Bayern on the break. Would've liked Thiago to play there instead of James/Muller to maintain a bit of control in the center.

Bayern need to get 1-2 goals early to get control of the match.
 
Thanks for the input @ti vu. Haven't seen them but will have a look when the semi's come around.
 
Cheers! Can you also give a short insight into Roma's playing style?

Basically very similar to what Conte wants to do with Chelsea.

Without the ball, press to either win or force error. Also try to cut opposition formation both vertical and horizontal so their defensive unit have less runners, isolated attackers to deal with. 3 at the back provides them enough bodies to deal with counter attack.

With ball, the wing backs are the provider of width. Proper hold up play expected from the forward.

There are some different pattern in play. For example, Schick can play up front and make it 2 forward system while with Hazard it's not coming close to that effect despite Hazard was given the freedom from tracking back deep. Last season Salah did role similar to Hazard. Roma can switch to play direct long ball toward Schick instead if being transparent going just after their main forward in Dzeko. And then Naingolan is more a threat than Kante (Kante's role partner with Matic last season). They're less reliant on build attack by wining possession up the pitch or rely on certain players to build up play from deep. Naingolan can build attack himself, and has goal in him.

Nah, he is a 4-3-3 fanatic a la Zeman who only tried 3-5-2 out of desperation in desperate circumstances... and it worked! Valverde said that Di Francesco caught all off guard with his tactics. Another masterclass from an Italian coach then but all in all a sport miracle, that’s why all the neutrals went bonkers yesterday.
 
Nah, he is a 4-3-3 fanatic a la Zeman who only tried 3-5-2 out of desperation in desperate circumstances... and it worked! Valverde said that Di Francesco caught all off guard with his tactics. Another masterclass from an Italian coach then but all in all a sport miracle, that’s why all the neutrals went bonkers yesterday.
Fair points regarding this is not Di Francesco's original plan/ ideal. Thing is when being pushed to the edge, basically he copied what I descrived as Conte's ideal
 
No Vidal? Thiago? Alaba?
Alaba injured, Vidal injured (was an absolute liability in the first half last week in Sevilla because he was playing despite problems), Thiago benched for James. Nothing too outrageous here from old man Heynckes. ;)