That doesn't change anything I wrote
Champions League Round of 16 (15th Feb - 16th Mar)
- Thread starter Samid
- Start date
The h is silent in cockney too.
If they did draw 10 times, City would still got easiest draw. How lucky are they? Every fecking time
Indeed - the battle of the despicables. Damn, there is a distinct lack of hateworthy clubs in Europe nowadays. I'd always prefer the likes of RM, Atletico, Chelsea and PSG to knock off each other.And if it fails, we're at leasr rid of Real. Win-win, i say
One thing I wish they would do is draw the L16, Quarter's and Semi's at the same time. Would make it a lot easier for everyone if they knew their route and for fans to make provisional bookings in advance.
And a lot of excited fans with egg on their face, sign me up!
Just want to say something about all the rigging suggestions. All that conspiracy BS keeps coming back every year.
It’s really funny to read all the complaints about rigging, because it all boils down to anyone complaining about a “bad match up” wanting the draw fixed differently - in their favour - and has so little confidence in their own team’s abilities they fear a loss. But, rather than admitting this, they seek a scapegoat justification for when their team would lose by creating an underdog position with some sort of evil bogeyman in charge of the outcome.
The only things rigged are the CL qualification system (favours Premier League teams for absolutely no reason other than profits), that the draw rules makes it tougher for teams who finish second and easier for teams that finish first and lastly that you can’t face teams from your own country, which heavily benefits the Premier League and other top leagues for the UEFA coefficient score that determines a league’s ranking in the qualification system and in turn strengthens an already strong position by having the most teams playing in all Euro competitions, reducing the influence of one team’s failures as the point gain is spread over more teams that can’t take one another out early and odds are they don’t all fail at once statistically speaking.
So to see a PL team’s supporters whine about rigging is kinda hilariously hypocritical.
Same can be said for supposed FIA rigging. Virtually everything been called against Verstappen and Hamilton had from a Max fan perspective a FIA hand over his head most of the season. Even when Hamilton drove his direct opponent into a wall at 300km/h the penalty would be next to nothing in terms of impact. Think also of what happened in Spa with half points being awarded without there even being a race (in other words, embarassing free points, but less than half the score lead that could have been taken from a full victory and since Max had pole and it was his “home match”, he and his fans felt robbed too despite having gained most points).
Safety Car decisions - even questionable ones made under pressure - were going to either benefit Red Bull or Mercedes. Safety cars happen. They are not planned, and since the race isn’t put on a complete hold for safety car periods, but laps keep ticking, it would have been far more rigged had there not been a situation where the two wern’t competing that last lap. Each team made choices about whether or not to do a pitstop and then have to deal with the consequences. Off course they should have gotten the lapped cars out as soon as the safety car got on, but hey. They messed up and either one of them would have benefitted from either situation. In this case the team with the best tactical position and plan for the final situation won. Could have easily been the other way around as well. That’s not fixing, that’s mere (good/bad) luck.
It’s really funny to read all the complaints about rigging, because it all boils down to anyone complaining about a “bad match up” wanting the draw fixed differently - in their favour - and has so little confidence in their own team’s abilities they fear a loss. But, rather than admitting this, they seek a scapegoat justification for when their team would lose by creating an underdog position with some sort of evil bogeyman in charge of the outcome.
The only things rigged are the CL qualification system (favours Premier League teams for absolutely no reason other than profits), that the draw rules makes it tougher for teams who finish second and easier for teams that finish first and lastly that you can’t face teams from your own country, which heavily benefits the Premier League and other top leagues for the UEFA coefficient score that determines a league’s ranking in the qualification system and in turn strengthens an already strong position by having the most teams playing in all Euro competitions, reducing the influence of one team’s failures as the point gain is spread over more teams that can’t take one another out early and odds are they don’t all fail at once statistically speaking.
So to see a PL team’s supporters whine about rigging is kinda hilariously hypocritical.
Same can be said for supposed FIA rigging. Virtually everything been called against Verstappen and Hamilton had from a Max fan perspective a FIA hand over his head most of the season. Even when Hamilton drove his direct opponent into a wall at 300km/h the penalty would be next to nothing in terms of impact. Think also of what happened in Spa with half points being awarded without there even being a race (in other words, embarassing free points, but less than half the score lead that could have been taken from a full victory and since Max had pole and it was his “home match”, he and his fans felt robbed too despite having gained most points).
Safety Car decisions - even questionable ones made under pressure - were going to either benefit Red Bull or Mercedes. Safety cars happen. They are not planned, and since the race isn’t put on a complete hold for safety car periods, but laps keep ticking, it would have been far more rigged had there not been a situation where the two wern’t competing that last lap. Each team made choices about whether or not to do a pitstop and then have to deal with the consequences. Off course they should have gotten the lapped cars out as soon as the safety car got on, but hey. They messed up and either one of them would have benefitted from either situation. In this case the team with the best tactical position and plan for the final situation won. Could have easily been the other way around as well. That’s not fixing, that’s mere (good/bad) luck.
I am yet to know a team that can resist a combined attacking trio consisting of Neymar, Messi and Mbappe at the top of their possibilities.
PSG to go through.
PSG to go through.
Easier game for Liverpool now?!
Round of 16 first legs
15/02: Paris vs Real Madrid – Daniele Orsato (ITA)
15/02: Sporting CP vs Man. City – Srdjan Jovanović (SRB)
16/02: Inter vs Liverpool – Szymon Marciniak (POL)
16/02: Salzburg vs Bayern – Michael Oliver (ENG)
22/02: Villarreal vs Juventus –
22/02: Chelsea vs LOSC –
23/02: Atlético vs Man. United –
23/02: Benfica vs Ajax –
15/02: Paris vs Real Madrid – Daniele Orsato (ITA)
15/02: Sporting CP vs Man. City – Srdjan Jovanović (SRB)
16/02: Inter vs Liverpool – Szymon Marciniak (POL)
16/02: Salzburg vs Bayern – Michael Oliver (ENG)
22/02: Villarreal vs Juventus –
22/02: Chelsea vs LOSC –
23/02: Atlético vs Man. United –
23/02: Benfica vs Ajax –
We are almost 100% to get Anthony Taylor.
I don't know if it is a rule, but I don't remember seeing a club being refereed by referees from the same association.
That never happens.
Some really tasty matches. I am really looking forward to watching tomorrow night's game PSG against Real.
Thank you, I did not know that.
PSG, city, inter, Bayern, juventus, Chelsea, Man Utd and Ajax all to go through.
Round of 16 first legs
15/02: Paris vs Real Madrid – Madrid will get a draw or win.
15/02: Sporting CP vs Man. City – City will ease past.
16/02: Inter vs Liverpool – Liverpool win
16/02: Salzburg vs Bayern – Bayern will give a hefty trashing
22/02: Villarreal vs Juventus – Juve will win
22/02: Chelsea vs LOSC – Chelsea will win
23/02: Atlético vs Man. United – United win with a late Cristiano winner
23/02: Benfica vs Ajax – Ajax easy win.
15/02: Paris vs Real Madrid – Madrid will get a draw or win.
15/02: Sporting CP vs Man. City – City will ease past.
16/02: Inter vs Liverpool – Liverpool win
16/02: Salzburg vs Bayern – Bayern will give a hefty trashing
22/02: Villarreal vs Juventus – Juve will win
22/02: Chelsea vs LOSC – Chelsea will win
23/02: Atlético vs Man. United – United win with a late Cristiano winner
23/02: Benfica vs Ajax – Ajax easy win.
The coach of Salzburg Matthias Jaissle is the same birth year as Bayern's goalkeeper for the games (Neuer is out injured for about 4 weeks) Sven Ulreich and played with him in Stuttgart's U-teams for 5 years U15/U17/U19. He even was part of the U21 team with Neuer, Boateng, Khedira, Özil etc. that won the U21 Euro in 2009 but had an ACL in March (after that he never got back to that form).
From Stuttgart's youth he went to Hoffenheim and was part of Rangnick's Hoffenheim team that was German Herbstmeister (1st after half of the season) in 2008/09 (Like Zsolt Löw who today is Tuchel's assistant coach at Chelsea). Because of injuries he ended his career early with 26 at Hoffenheim and then started coaching in Leipzig's youth in 2015 before he went to Brondby as assistant coach from 2017-19 - only to return to the Red Bull project again and coach Salzburg's U18, then their farm team Liefering and return for this season as headcoach in Salzburg. He is another ex-player of Rangnick that he helped starting a coaching career in the Red Bull project.
From Stuttgart's youth he went to Hoffenheim and was part of Rangnick's Hoffenheim team that was German Herbstmeister (1st after half of the season) in 2008/09 (Like Zsolt Löw who today is Tuchel's assistant coach at Chelsea). Because of injuries he ended his career early with 26 at Hoffenheim and then started coaching in Leipzig's youth in 2015 before he went to Brondby as assistant coach from 2017-19 - only to return to the Red Bull project again and coach Salzburg's U18, then their farm team Liefering and return for this season as headcoach in Salzburg. He is another ex-player of Rangnick that he helped starting a coaching career in the Red Bull project.
PSG vs Real Madrid
Sporting CP vs Manchester City
Inter Milan vs Liverpool
RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich
Villarreal vs Juventus
Chelsea vs Lille
Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United
Benfica vs Ajax
Sporting CP vs Manchester City
Inter Milan vs Liverpool
RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich
Villarreal vs Juventus
Chelsea vs Lille
Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United
Benfica vs Ajax
Meanwhile in Barcelona...
haven't they technically won the UEFA Cup, that too multiple times iirc.
Just checked wiki, ok confused with CWC.
They actually think they're gonna win the Europa?
It's about to come crashing down real hard on them.
It's about to come crashing down real hard on them.
I have a feeling Inter will cause problems for Liverpool.
No, we don’t
This is definitely one of the most intriguing game. Among the three favourites, Liverpool is the only one getting a tough draw so early. But it might not be as difficult as it seems. Inter will be without their 2 Euro winners Barella and Bastoni.
Inter was quite good at home against Real Madrid but they lost that game and they've been consistently failing to win their confrontations with Italy's top 5. Only one win in 6. And that was a narrow 3-2 against Napoli back in November.
It is not a crazy ambition. OGS almost did it last year.
The bookmakers have Barcelona as the third favourite alongside Atalanta. Behind Dortmund, and EL-specialists Sevilla.
I think Porto, Lyon, and West Ham will be interesting to observe as well.
Inter are solid but they have two full gears less than Liverpool and only sparse game winning specialists… Chalanoglu from set pieces, their CBs’ headers and Lautaro as a fox in the box. They need to stay in the tie tomorrow and try a smash and grab a la Atletico in Liverpool.
The PSG v Real match is interesting, be hard to call a winner in that but I think Real for some reason.
Real are 13/5 with the bookmakers that’s a big price.
Real are 13/5 with the bookmakers that’s a big price.
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Difficult to predict anything nowadays with no more away goal rule. Home teams in first leg would be more forced to play for the victory since keeping a clean sheet means little now. Away teams no longer take draw as good result, let alone 1-2 defeat like in the recent past.
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Inter will be no match for pool over 2 legs. They are a steady and I would have given them a small chance if they were running on a winning streak but that's not the case
My predictions on who will go through:
PSG vs Real Madrid
Sporting CP vs Manchester City
Inter Milan vs Liverpool
RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich
Villarreal vs Juventus
Chelsea vs Lille
Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United
Benfica vs Ajax
PSG vs Real Madrid
Sporting CP vs Manchester City
Inter Milan vs Liverpool
RB Salzburg vs Bayern Munich
Villarreal vs Juventus
Chelsea vs Lille
Atlético Madrid vs Manchester United
Benfica vs Ajax
Yeah, since Rangnick got the job I've been thinking we're a Salzburg knockout win and Rangnick getting 4th away (though an FA Cup final or win would have helped him in terms of getting to pick the next manager and not just suggest it and be overruled) from Jaissle getting talked up for the United job.
Can't bring myself to bet on PSG's midfield their fans don't seem impressed by against one more Modric-Kroos-Casemiro 2-legged usual solidity. Amazing considering Modric is 36.
That’s what I was thinking too, midfield might be where it’s won, Real showing pictures of Camavinga saying “CL, Ready”. I wonder if he’ll start?
I expect Psg to win by a 2 goal margin at least
If Real doesn't have Benzema it's all over for them. Last I heard it's still unclear if hes playing or not
Many many English people struggle to say the most basic foreign names, some even only a few letters long. Supercalafragilisticexpialaidocious will be pronounced just fine though.
Not sure about other years but the draw doesn't seem that exciting, lots of ties will be one-sided imo. Think the only interesting ones might end up PSG v Real, Inter v Liverpool and Benfica v Ajax.