Champions League Round of 16 (16th Feb - 17th Mar)

"The pattern of play" of this Madrid quite disappointing and too defensive. In any case fantastic result. Very good goal.
If we pass I would like Bayern. I think I need a game of that intensity to reactivate myself in this strange season without public.
I think they have been wanting to crush us for a while.
In other circumstances I would prefer an easy opponent but I think right now I need to see this team at that highest level.
A good beating that makes the board reflect or a football demonstration eliminating the champion.
 
KiD MoYeS said:
City are winning the quadruple this season but I will feel nothing about it.
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They are having the highest peak by a long mile this season, but Pep is also historically fragile in this competition, and R16 first leg is just the beginning of the real tournament.
 
So based on the start I feel.

1 Bayern 2 Man City 3 PSG 4 Liverpool 5 Chelsea 6 Dortmund 7 Real Madrid 8 Juventus.

Just how I rate the sides most likely to advance right now. Some games are tight though, but this is how I see things.

I don't really like to see any of these sides win it, but Bayern again may be the best. Porto or Atalanta would be amazing, but can't see it.
 
KC91 said:
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As much as I’d like to see Atalanta do well, it’s a red for me. The only question mark is whether the striker’s touch is heavy enough for the keeper to squeeze it out. But I think he gets a clean shot away with his next touch so it has to be a goal scoring opportunity.
 
Paul_Scholes18 said:
So based on the start I feel.

1 Bayern 2 Man City 3 PSG 4 Liverpool 5 Chelsea 6 Dortmund 7 Real Madrid 8 Juventus.

Just how I rate the sides most likely to advance right now. Some games are tight though, but this is how I see things.

I don't really like to see any of these sides win it, but Bayern again may be the best. Porto or Atalanta would be amazing, but can't see it.
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Tend to disagree. After seasons of that magnitude, teams tend to show signs of fatigue and we don't have to look too far for Bayerns (see league/cup performances), the signings haven't been great to say the least, several players have been underperforming.
Imo City is head and shoulders above this Bayern side atm, because it is a team that seems to function on every match day.
The weakness of some of the usual contenders like Barca - going on for quite some time-, Real or Atleti might still help Bayern to the semis or even the finals, mind.

With some luck, Bayern could bag the second in a row but if that happens, it will be due to what may well be the poorest CL season of the past couple of years.
 
strongwalker said:
Tend to disagree. After seasons of that magnitude, teams tend to show signs of fatigue and we don't have to look too far for Bayerns (see league/cup performances), the signings haven't been great to say the least, several players have been underperforming.
Imo City is head and shoulders above this Bayern side atm, because it is a team that seems to function on every match day.
The weakness of some of the usual contenders like Barca - going on for quite some time-, Real or Atleti might still help Bayern to the semis or even the finals, mind.

With some luck, Bayern could bag the second in a row but if that happens, it will be due to what may well be the poorest CL season of the past couple of years.
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I think Bayern are stronger this season though. At least from watching them they look to have stepped it up one level in CL.

They are clear favorites to me right now. Other teams have more clear weaknesses that could get exposed.
 
City played a very safe, slow and conservative match. And yet still won easily. No need to step up. They didn't break a sweat to win comfortably.
 
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Football is becoming really boring for me. Like looking at a empty fridge this city style
 
I am not even surprised by Real Madrid's victory. :lol: Have almost their starting 11 out and their opponent get a red card in 17th minute of the game. That was just so Real Madrid being Real Madrid in Europe. I am just surprised they didn't win by more considering they had a man more so early in the game. I think Atlanta did well with the situation, still don't see them turning this around in the second leg. Real Madrid should have some of their main players back by then and they are at home. Real Madrid the only La Liga team who save the pride of Spain!
 
KiD MoYeS said:
City are winning the quadruple this season but I will feel nothing about it.
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They aren't winning the CL I am pretty sure of that. They won't beat Bayern Munich or PSG. I think the winner of this competition will go to either of these two.
 
paraguayo said:
Football is becoming really boring for me. Like looking at a empty fridge this city style
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Guardiola is really managing the team very smartly and should be praised for such. The players did not give their all. City barely broke a sweat and it was enough to comfortably win.
 
Sterling was piss poor last night.. and even had the guts to be not happy with him being substituted?! Lets see how Guardiola will handle with that.
 
What in the hell was Gasperini thinking sending Iličić when everyone on the planet knows that :
a) he does not track back and adds literally anything in defensive play
b) he does not work well as lone forward
 
PepG said:
Sterling was piss poor last night.. and even had the guts to be not happy with him being substituted?! Lets see how Guardiola will handle with that.
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Or, more likely, he was unhappy with his own shit performance.
 
PepG said:
Sterling was piss poor last night.. and even had the guts to be not happy with him being substituted?! Lets see how Guardiola will handle with that.
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He has been dogshite for a while now, mentioned it in the thread he’s their weakest link. I think it would suit Pep to get rid of him now and bring in someone else on the left maybe he’ll take Martial of us for a tidy sum, doubtful though.
 
Raredaredevil said:
They aren't winning the CL I am pretty sure of that. They won't beat Bayern Munich or PSG. I think the winner of this competition will go to either of these two.
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I can understand why one would think they can't beat Bayern (personally I feel City is stronger than Bayern right now), but why do you think they can't beat PSG ?
City is better than PSG in every aspect IMO (I watch PSG basically every weekend by the way)
 
footballistic orgasm said:
I can understand why one would think they can't beat Bayern (personally I feel City is stronger than Bayern right now), but why do you think they can't beat PSG ?
City is better than PSG in every aspect IMO (I watch PSG basically every weekend by the way)
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Because people tend to forget that Pep has an awful away record in Europe, especially in the later stage of the competition. I feel player for player, PSG seems stronger than City and after having made to the final last season, they have the psychological edge over City which I feel always seem to have a mental block. Maybe this could really be City's year but how many times have we said this? I'd take Bayern and PSG over them but after these 2, City has the 3rd best chance of winning the competition.
 
Raredaredevil said:
Because people tend to forget that Pep has an awful away record in Europe, especially in the later stage of the competition. I feel player for player, PSG seems stronger than City and after having made to the final last season, they have the psychological edge over City which I feel always seem to have a mental block. Maybe this could really be City's year but how many times have we said this? I'd take Bayern and PSG over them but after these 2, City has the 3rd best chance of winning the competition.
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That's only if PSG has Mbappé, Neymar, Verrati and Di María playing together. And that hasn't been happening often this season. And when PSG misses one of the latter three, specially Neymar, their creativity really drops A LOT!
 
Deery said:
He has been dogshite for a while now, mentioned it in the thread he’s their weakest link. I think it would suit Pep to get rid of him now and bring in someone else on the left maybe he’ll take Martial of us for a tidy sum, doubtful though.
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He's been inconsistent this season but that's nonsense. He looked nowhere near their weakest link against Liverpool for example.
 
Raredaredevil said:
Because people tend to forget that Pep has an awful away record in Europe, especially in the later stage of the competition. I feel player for player, PSG seems stronger than City and after having made to the final last season, they have the psychological edge over City which I feel always seem to have a mental block. Maybe this could really be City's year but how many times have we said this? I'd take Bayern and PSG over them but after these 2, City has the 3rd best chance of winning the competition.
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Neymar and Mbappé are the only PSG players that will get into the starting lineup of this City team.
PSG got to the final under special circumstances, yet to be seen if they can do it with the normal CL format.
Offcourse anything can happen in a game of football, but as of right now, i don't see anything that points to PSG being superior to City.
 
teteus said:
That's only if PSG has Mbappé, Neymar, Verrati and Di María playing together. And that hasn't been happening often this season. And when PSG misses one of the latter three, specially Neymar, their creativity really drops A LOT!
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footballistic orgasm said:
Neymar and Mbappé are the only PSG players that will get into the starting lineup of this City team.
PSG got to the final under special circumstances, yet to be seen if they can do it with the normal CL format.
Offcourse anything can happen in a game of football, but as of right now, i don't see anything that points to PSG being superior to City.
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I think Verratti and Di Maria will get into City's starting 11, they can match any of their midfielders. Marquinhos is like their Kompany for PSG. Navas is a very underrated goalkeeper. Not disagreeing with your comments but that's just my personal view. Will be interesting to see these two teams play over two legs. With that being said, I think in a one-off final, I think City would probably beat them because of Pep's experience over Pochettino.
 
Raredaredevil said:
I think Verratti and Di Maria will get into City's starting 11, they can match any of their midfielders. Marquinhos is like their Kompany for PSG. Navas is a very underrated goalkeeper. Not disagreeing with your comments but that's just my personal view. Will be interesting to see these two teams play over two legs. With that being said, I think in a one-off final, I think City would probably beat them because of Pep's experience over Pochettino.
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Not really, I'll say it's because City has a precise and identifiable game plan which PSG doesn't and they are better as a unit than PSG is.

I'm a fan of Veratti, but i'm not taking him over Gundogan this season, just like Do Maria isn't getting in over Siva or even Mahrez.
Navas might be underrated, but i'm not taking him over Ederson.
 
That Dortmund lineup promises another rough performance.
 
Caf scouts ready for Haaland vs. Koundé.

Out of sentiment, think I'll have to watch Ronnie.
 
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