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

The weird thing about this match is that 11 against 11 Juve were the better team.
 
That was the case of being just too good for Juventus. Real and the Champions are a match made in heaven. Dybala showing not be world class yet once again.
 
Murder on Zidane's Floor said:
I understand but I personally think they are a better side, especially in the championship league.
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Which is a bit of a bizarre claim considering they're demonstrably poorer than Guardiola's Barca side, considering they're behind an inferior Barca side to that one in La Liga.
 
Murder on Zidane's Floor said:
Sorry how was my statement bizarre. This team have won three of the last four UCL and the first ever team to retain it. I haven't claimed Man City are better....

Strewth
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It wouldn't have been too bizarre if you said it about last season's Real. This season's Real really aren't that great and have been poor in the league. Two good CL knockout ties don't overshadow that.
 
Just saw Jesus Navas first goal in about 40000000 years.
 
Routine victory by Bayern - as expected. Hats off to them! They are truly a great team, and did not even go 100% when they manouvered Sevilla. The season is now over for us. Sure, there shall be small entertaintment in us suffering to get to the 5th or 6th spot. And then there is another derby vs betis... But the high of this season remains against Man United. However, the high of sacking Montella would be even greater. I hope the board realises that he needs to go. He has no clue in how to read the game as a coach, and his love affair with average players like Muriel and Vazquez is killing us.
 
Vato said:
If we win 4 of the last 5 CL's they should slowly start to think about changing this competition's name. :p
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They didn't change the name of the European Cup when you won the first five in a row, so I'd say six+ is the appropriate threshold.
 
Bepi said:
Real quality is going to prove too much while exploiting through fast transitions our low-gear defensive approach & the related inevitable passing mistakes in our half imho. On the other hand, they have defensive lapses as well and too often this year they concede more than they want. I would get any win from the first leg or at least staying in the tie with a low score draw 0-0 or 1-1 really. Worse than that, I can’t see game open for us in Madrid. As for the overall favourites, I would say Barcelona these days, they are just combining world-class attacking quality with the trademark 4-4-2 pragmatic organisation and defensive equilibrium, in that mimicking and taking the best of Real & Atletico strongest points.
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Bepi said:
They are better and we are too much too often second best on the ball, a bit discouraged maybe after the early goal. I hope we can stay in the tie this second half, let’s see if have enough in the tank or another collapse like in Cardiff.
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Destroyed again, we just can’t contain this latest Ronaldo instalment... Congrats Real fans and good luck in the competition. We will probably undergo a substantial rebuild this Summer, this drubbing also making Allegri think his time in Turin is over.
 
Martinez MOTM today, superb performance. The 2nd half was great by Bayern; don't know how much that was down to Sevilla defensive mindset or the playing James.

Command into the second leg, should go through.
 
Cheesy said:
Which is a bit of a bizarre claim considering they're demonstrably poorer than Guardiola's Barca side, considering they're behind an inferior Barca side to that one in La Liga.
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If you're judging solely on this year's achievements? I'm talking about a team that has won 3 of the last 4 UCL and retained it. They have also won a league in that time. It is pretty inpressive and I personally think they are up there with Pep's Barca
 
Murder on Zidane's Floor said:
If you're judging solely on this year's achievements? I'm talking about a team that has won 3 of the last 4 UCL and retained it. They have also won a league in that time. It is pretty inpressive and I personally think they are up there with Pep's Barca
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If we're talking about Zidane's Real Madrid side as a whole, then aye, there's a reasonable argument to be made. This season is certainly the weakest they've had in a while though, and it feels like a select few results in a competition they've not won yet is largely making people forget that.
 
Hope Mata can take some inspiration and finish what he has been trying for some weeks now in our next match
 
12th consecutive win of Heynckes in the Champions League. Last loss was against Arsenal... :cool::D
 
adexkola said:
To base that idea on 1 game is insane.
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Oh I didn't read the chain my apologies. I thought you were saying everyone was oblivious to the fact City can be beat with counter attacking and counter pressing, I was just saying we clearly weren't oblivious to that. Don't know what to expect tomorrow tbh.
 
Cheesy said:
If we're talking about Zidane's Real Madrid side as a whole, then aye, there's a reasonable argument to be made. This season is certainly the weakest they've had in a while though, and it feels like a select few results in a competition they've not won yet is largely making people forget that.
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Apologies that was what I meant. The team as a whole.
 
Not sure this Bayern is as good as they were 2-3 years ago. Team has got a little old in attacking areas while retaining some of the flaws that were punished by elite teams at the sharp end of the CL, vulnerable on the counter, slow through the middle. They improved markedly with James and Rafinho coming on but with Ribery and Robben the age they are I think they lack that special attacking player to make the difference.

Barca, Real and City, those 3 would be the favourites for me, Bayern are very good, but the next step down for me.
 
harms said:
Can understand it — the lad can do everything with the ball, and I love him to bits personally, but still, especially as you've seen Beckenbauer, Rummenigge etc. Surprising choice, that's all.
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i've seen both play, but the modern players are on another level technically.
I'm old enough to have applauded when one of the old club legends would pluck a long ball to the wing out of the air as if it wasn't a big deal, we rubbed our eyes seing Lizarazu (a left defender, for x sake!!) do that on a regular basis 15 years later. because it was more common to see balls going astray after such an endeavor, or being passed 10m behind the teammate so the latter had to stop and backtrack ...
Since the current generation, we take that kind of skill for granted. Just to give an example. We gave Maradona standing ovations for juggling the ball pre-game in a way, every CB can do today. Kreuzer or Kohler struggled to keep the ball in the air more than 3x.
 
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Bobski said:
Not sure this Bayern is as good as they were 2-3 years ago. Team has got a little old in attacking areas while retaining some of the flaws that were punished by elite teams at the sharp end of the CL, vulnerable on the counter, slow through the middle. They improved markedly with James and Rafinho coming on but with Ribery and Robben the age they are I think they lack that special attacking player to make the difference.

Barca, Real and City, those 3 would be the favourites for me, Bayern are very good, but the next step down for me.
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Losing Coman really hurt us, there’s rumours he’s back in time for the semis though. With the addition of Neuer, that should be a different team altogether. Currently, we would rely on sheer will and determination to make it to the finals. That’s possible, but not something I would want to rely on.

Ribery was yet again very good again today though. Sublime assist.
 
Jayus20 said:
Oh I didn't read the chain my apologies. I thought you were saying everyone was oblivious to the fact City can be beat with counter attacking and counter pressing, I was just saying we clearly weren't oblivious to that. Don't know what to expect tomorrow tbh.
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Yeah I meant that if they were extremely suspectible to it, then they would have conceded way more goals in that matter from more teams. Obviously Liverpool have shown they can be got at in certain circumstances.
 
Disappointing. We did reasonably well until the red card, although it was a lot of huffing and puffing. Still, I think we should have scored. We need to get things absolutely right in these games and it's shame that we make mistakes that we normally don't. The first two goals were easily avoidable (and noone will ever finish the second one like this again against us). After the red card it was over.

The last two games against Real could have barely gone worse. The two deflected goals in the final and the two stupid goals in this game plus a red card in each game. They are superior, but it doesn't help when were unlucky/uncharacteristically bad.

Anyway, onwards to title number seven :drool:

:(
 
Vato said:
If we win 4 of the last 5 CL's they should slowly start to think about changing this competition's name. :p
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Too bad there is already a Santiago Bernabéu Trophy, maybe the Teresa Herrera Cup will do it.
 
Bobski said:
Not sure this Bayern is as good as they were 2-3 years ago. Team has got a little old in attacking areas while retaining some of the flaws that were punished by elite teams at the sharp end of the CL, vulnerable on the counter, slow through the middle. They improved markedly with James and Rafinho coming on but with Ribery and Robben the age they are I think they lack that special attacking player to make the difference.

Barca, Real and City, those 3 would be the favourites for me, Bayern are very good, but the next step down for me.
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We are about as good as we were 2013, but other teams have evolved. Unless we get lucky, HF (assuming we put this to bed in a fortnight) will be the end of the journey, because Barca, City and Real are just stronger.
 
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